Even if I were that flexible ...

I wouldn't sleep like this. I mean seriously.

The funny thing about this is that once a night lately he's started screaming and when we run in there, he's standing up crying because he can't figure out how to sit down. Here, he clearly fell asleep sitting up either because he couldn't figure out how to get lying down or because he couldn't bother to do so. And fell asleep. How many days would it be before you could move again if you slept like this all night?

Our Big Boy

He LOVES his baths!! And I LOVE his rolls!

I LOVE his wristbands even if baseball is my least favoritest sport ever.

He LOVES real people food! Coop kinda not thinking straight the other morning just handed him a banana. His lucky/messy day!

He LOVES going on walks/runs, and doesn't even mind being very squished by big sisters! Basically, just LOVES being outside! And we LOVE him!

Somehow we made it

So Saturday we got a little over-ambitious and set out to hike Twin Falls. It was steep at parts, rocky, and WAY longer than some of the little legs in our family wanted to walk. There was a lot of carrying going on. Let's just say it took us days to recover and be able to walk again. But it sure was fun, and the view was INCREDIBLE! Too bad that right after snapping a quick family shot at our destination of the bridge, the camera died. I could've cried. Seriously the view was beyond description. We'll have to go back. Someday. But here are the shots of all the distractions along the way:How tired to do they look? M in particular? Buddy had finally fallen asleep, which helped because his frantically excited flailing of all limbs had really been playing with my balance. Daddy had the biggest right to look tired as he'd been carrying girlies for awhile now as we kept thinking the bridge had to be around the next corner! We sure are lovin' our beautiful sunny days although next time, I think we'll pick a shorter hike with shorter legs in mind!

Guess who's 8 months ...

And he's into everything! Dude won't hold still for anything!

And he pulls himself up to standing whenever he gets a hand or finds some other sort of leverage like the couch, forgets to hold on, and then cries when he falls over. I actually found him standing, holding on to the couch, earlier in the day on the SAME day he started crawling. One developmental milestone at a time Mister!

And the squint smile. He's been doing this lately anytime I aim the camera at him - not because of the flash. He does it the second he sees the camera. He's either anticipating the light, or he thinks he looks cute like this.

However this is how he looks the majority of the time - just suckin' away on those teethless gums. Someday Buddy. I'm sure you'll get a tooth someday. And then we'll be in all sorts of new trouble.

And he's getting WAY too big! And when he's able to accomplish really unhelpful things like this, he's SO proud of himself! Well, I guess I can't blame him. It's gotta be nice to be able to move without somebody moving you!

We're so glad he's part of our family and can't believe it's been 8 months already!!!

Forgive me while I toot my own horn ...

but I can't help it. First, because "toot" is currently one of the funniest words in our house, and second because I made some awesomely slice-able, and surprisingly fluffy homemade 100% Whole Wheat bread. I'm so happy! Doesn't it look perfect?!Here's the recipe in case you want to join me in my baking bliss! It was SO ridiculously easy!

I just put the ingredients into the bread maker in this order and put it on dough mode:

1 Tbsp. Honey

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Yeast (I used Quick-Rise)

3 3/4 C. Whole Wheat Flour (Mine was specifically Bread Flour)

1/4 C. Gluten (Vital Wheat Gluten Flour)

1 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 C. Warm Water

Once it's done, warm oven while you remove dough, shape it into a loaf and put into a greased bread pan. Turn off the oven and put the dough in to rise 15-20 min. Turn the oven on to 375 and bake bread for 25 min. Enjoy!

Funny Kids

J: Why is Mom going quick?

Coop: What?

J: Why is she going too quick so she can't eat breakfast?

Coop: (lightbulb) Oooh, you mean fasting? Why is she fasting?

J: Yep.

HA! Love that after I told her I was fasting, she switched the word with a synonym!

J: That's a nipt.

Coop: I'm sorry, did you just call that safety pin a nipt?

J: Well I didn't know what it was called!

Coop: So you called it a nipt?

M: The Space Needle is the BIGGEST thing in the world!

Coop: The biggest huh? Maybe you're thinking it's the tallest?

M: Nope! It's the BIGGEST in the whole world!

Coop: So it's bigger than the ocean is it?

M: Yep.

Coop: Huh. Hey J, do you think the Space Needle is the biggest thing in the world?

J: No way! (Coop was relieved and glad to hear somebody understood the way things were) Cause there are giants!

M: Why is EVERYTHING made in China?

J: Not everything's made in China M. Our monkey rug in the bathroom is made in India.

M: India IS China.

J: Is India China mom?

Me: No, it's a totally different country.

J: Well why is everything made there?

Me: Because they're communists and they make all their people work for practically nothing so they can sell stuff for really cheap.

J: What's Communists?

Me: It's a different kind of government that doesn't let the people have as much freedom. Like they tell people how to live, what to be when they grow up, how many kids to have and stuff like that and people have to do it.

J: Whao. We aren't like that here.

Me: Nope. Cause America isn't Communist.

J: Where is China mom?

Me: In China. The other side of the world.

J: Oh. I thought it was in Antarctica.

Buddy was just trying to get my attention. I wasn't responding. So he army-crawled over, bit my big toe and then looked up with a look that said, "Ha! Now you're looking. I win!"

On to the Real Reason We Came

To play in the snow ... in May, on our own, self-proclaimed Spring Break!M was more excited to throw snowballs and explore (she found a hole someone had dug and said, "this is a perfect M house. I can be here every morning) than to sled. J, however, after watching The Wizard of Oz for the first time (there were lots of discussions and questions about it - the girls just could not believe that the scarecrow could really not have a brain and that the Tin Man really didn't have a heart. That's not real they insisted) was all about having "courage." Way to go her!
Possibly the best sledding picture EVER! Look at J's mouth! Hilarious!
Buddy didn't so much care for the fun in the snow, especially since he spent most of it in the car. But he did enjoy the french fries we got afterwards! Yes, I did let my 8 month-old have french fries. Third child. I'm a terrible person. But he was SO happy.
Then the next day we went skiing! FUN, FUN, FUN! The girls had a blast and SO enjoyed their lesson.

Then, since most the lifts are no longer running, including the one for the bunny hill, and since J and M REALLY wanted to "ride the ride up the mountain," we gave in and brought them up Pine Martin. Way, way up the mountain. To the top, which after a gorgeous morning, suddenly got very windy and started snowing corn snow pellets right in our faces to add to the patch of steep ice at the top. Perfect timing. Let's just say we are lucky to have all made it down in one piece. Very lucky. And then, at the bottom when all the adults were so relieved and very very sore, the girls excitedly announced, "let's go again!" That would be an even worse idea than having gone down in the first place. But we survived to ski another day ... next year.
(M couldn't even stand anymore she was so wasted. Right before I snapped the picture she collapsed, dropped her skiis, and let her helmet roll right off her head. Let's just say she was asleep in the car before she could finish arguing that she didn't want to sleep!)

We came to Bend to go skiing ...

These are the pictures we've taken thus far:You won't hear me complaining and from those smiles, I don't think they are either!

He's Mobile! AAAAAAHHH!!! And noisy too!

It's not the best crawling footage but he had just done it for the first time about 5 minutes before we got the videotape rolling, so it's more of a spastic, inchy, army-crawlish thing he's got going on. And in case you were confused, my mom was on the other end of a skype call on the laptop, which was on the ground in front of the babe, so that she could witness his new accomplishment! He's getting better and better and more confident each day (even though he still doesn't get up on all fours to do it). Which means I basically have to follow the girls around with a vacuum cleaner. Fun stuff.

Snoqualmie Falls

The stars finally aligned and we had time to go "sight-seeing" on a day that was nice enough to do so! Sadly the hike is closed down until 2013, but it's still worth the drive just to see the falls!

That is some serious power! From most of the observation decks we were getting "rained on" continuously, but it wasn't raining. It was quite impressive. Kinda made our old Multnomah Falls look like a bit of a trickle.

Happy Kids!

Goofy kids.