Renn 1+

 Every day Jed calls me to make sure I'm alive, because I have a very talented, one-year-old tornado.  This child.  He is so, very curious.  In about five minutes he can throw every toy out of the toy box, upturn food, dump shoes in the toilet, unroll a roll of TP, throw your brush in the trash and can only be thwarted in his path of destruction when his attempt to climb the toilet, table, piano, office desk, wooden blinds (take your pick) ends in blood or immobility.  I have never had a climber.  I've had a rager, scribbler, boss of the world, non-food eater, biter but never a climber.  My number was up.  I'm going to have to bubble wrap him.  

One day out of desperation, while I was attempting my five minute make-up routine, I gave him his baby bath to play in.  He promptly scooted it all over the floor and once it became wedged in the closet doorway he climbed in.  Makeup accomplished.  He looks like he is on a little iceberg.

He hears me open the dishwasher and comes running.  Depending on the day he has one of two goals.  One, throw all of his toys in as quickly as possible or two, throw out all of the silverware and dishes as quickly as possible.  We don't do slow around here.  I'm hoping I can harness these powers for good when it comes time to putting on shoes for school in the future.  

Utilizing his rocking chair to aid in walking skills.  He was cautious but ended up being my second earliest walker.  15 months almost to the day.  One day he preferred crawling and the next morning he woke up walking.  He went from being bribed with crackers to step across the rug to walking circles around the house.   I love to see his tottering, little, chicky legs wobbling around.  

He loves the horsey, sometimes he will be nice and take Jara for a ride.  He had no choice in this picture.  The day he attempted to do a knack-knack on the pony I gave him 9-year-old supervision to thwart/slow his moto tricks.  

I'm sure this is only the beginning.  The first time he climbed the table, before he could even walk, I sent a picture to Jed's mom.  Her response, "Well hello little Jed."  By the end of the week when he had progressed to climbing to the top bunk bed I felt true fear.  Pray for me.  

It's only Fair

We now have a tradition-dad's in charge of the carnival.  Everyone's happy.  Jed met the kids at the fair Thursday afternoon, a hot, windy, dusty afternoon but at least it was cloudy.  Renn and I went long enough to eat funnel cakes and make sure everyone was alive.  

Who do you really think is in charge here?

My little buck-a-roo

Friday was my day to take the kiddos.  It was cold and rainy.  I secretly, okay blatantly, love it.  I would much rather be cold and wet than dusty, hot and sweaty.  NDOW has a couple of awesome booths set up for kids.  Not carnival fun status but entertaining nonetheless.  

My girls enjoyed planting flowers while the weather raged outside.

Even with rain, the show must go on.  Thank goodness for a covered stage.  Jara was lovely.  She is gaining much more confidence with each performance.  Ballet suits her well.  I love watching her.

And this should have won "best in class" in my book.  I need this in my life.  I'm Dorothy by the way.  I have an opening for a Rose. 

Also and I'm sad I don't have a picture, we had Grandma and Grandpa Wheeler and Chase and Chloe staying with us.  We loved having them.  Chase and Chloe are Elise's age and they all played together so nicely.  Elise had constant entertainment for four days!  

I Love You the Most

Grandma Sherry Wheeler passed on in January.  I will miss her so very much.  

She did love me the most after all, 

even if she did tell everyone that!

Grandma was a caring, happy person.  She had a huge heart and could make you laugh till you cried.  One of the first times I met her she showed me her "sphinx." Old lady arm skin can create sphinx like creatures.  I look forward to my elite years of the sphinx now!  Every year she sent me a birthday card with a special message and a pink flamingo feather.  Even though I was only a granddaughter-in-law she never made me feel any less special.  She did that for all of her kids, grands and great-grands, I can't even begin to imagine how many cards that was.    

2005

Fishing in one of Grandma's infamous fish ponds.  

Grandma we will never forget your-

flocks of pink flamingos 

your kitties (I will proudly wear your cat sweater)

the creepy baby

nerts

GORGEOUS sunsets

your nefarious wedding car scheming

your patriotism

your candy bowl (circa-ten years old, at least, more flavor)

your red velvet wall-paper

pink toilet

fish ponds

and 

hummingbird feeders.

We love you the most.

Coloring Eggs

I love coloring eggs.  We got a little crazy and had about 12 different colors.  Complete with glitter.  The key to success...giant, black trash bags...lot's of them, plastic cups and everyone gets their own carton of eggs.  

Look closely.  Jack made me a "mom" egg.

Elise was whispering spells to her eggs.

Jara's egg's were eggstra amazing!

And Renn was banished. 

He tortured Elsa in retaliation.

What happens when you make a "camo" egg.  

In my day we called it the poop nugget egg.  Ewww.

The Assorted Collection

Here are a few "day in the life" moments.

Costco shopping trips with the little ones.  We almost brought home this nice Mercedes mini-van.  Why not?  Cup-holders and automatic sliding doors.  Domestic priorities.  

Every mom's dream.  

We've been walking. Wagoning.  Strolling.  Triking.  All forms.  

The dog needs to go for a walk as well.  She has a lot of energy.  Sometimes we hitch her to the wagon.  I'm considering contacting an Iditarod team and making a deal.  

Jara's been practicing her skills.  Notice she is outside.

Elise has been practicing her skills as well.  

Sharing a book at breakfast.  Sometimes they play nice. 

 "Jack will you be my buddy today?"

Jack's first big kill with his BB gun.  Along with his trusting hunting cat, Friday, (camera shy) they brought down a trophy sized gopher.  Look to the left, it's there in all its dead, little rodent glory.  Shiver.  When the cat got sick of torturing it and left it to suffer, I told Jack to get his BB gun and put the poor thing out of it's misery.   When I told him to stand by it for a picture, this is what he did.  Apparently there is an innate man gene for "animal harvesting" pictures.

You are seeing correctly.  

He likes waffles!  

And his new high chair.  

We finally burned the other one.  Three kids.  Nine years worth of food.  If you buy one thing per kid make it a high chair.  Really.  This little contraption was only $25 and it does the job perfectly.  Or buy a pressure washer and be prepared for a monthly hose down.

Eggzactly

Egg hunts=success.  Best parts: 

Watching Renn shake the eggs for treats 

Elise lovingly carrying the hard-boiled eggs around in a basket and taking care of her lovely babies.  Found one left in the couch, just in time.

Jack and his love for chocolate bunnies, I had to cover his eyes in wal-mart per his request "because I just can't handle it mom."

Jara crafting her bird house from the Easter Bunny to a beautiful, bird retreat.

Spring

We have found the beach.  Close to the house.  Kid approved.  No water for drowning.

The Renn trap

16 hour power outage.  I missed the light.

Happy ducks.

We have had beautiful, glorious spring days that make me want to sing and dance.  I love this time of the year: planting, joy in the sun, walks, even weeding.  The only thing that I dislike is wind.  And we have had some vicious winds.  Gusts that knocked out the power and have rendered car doors incapable of opening.  I'll take a few windy days to enjoy the low 70's-mid 80's though.  We could spend all day outside when it's nice.