Baby L is for keeps

 Flying high, defying gravity:

 I hold "it" by myself (She gets lots of love):

I LOVE HER SMILES:

 And her bug-eyes too, even if they look a little creepy at times:

 She ALWAYS sleeps like this. Me? My neck would never be the same:

 Put 'em up, put 'em up:

 What is this delightful thing I've found to suck on? It's comes whenever I want it to:

 A little help here guys? Oh sure, take a picture first:

So happy to be sitting up to see all the action:

 Sisterly Lovin':

 

Obligatory darling baby in a hoodie towel picture:

 I've got my eyes on you mom:

 Life is so tough:

Just like big brother

I just found this old blog post that I'd never posted. G wants to be and do everything just like dude. 

Whether or not it makes sense to do it.

They caught an ant. It was fascinating.

If only she would sit still as long as he does!

Oh, you're going to stand by this tree? Me too!

 Use the stool as a table? Great idea! 

 Oooh oooh! I can do thumbs up too!

Hope he appreciates all the love because shadows are hard to lose :)

Bismarck zoo

In Bismarck on a beautifully warm, sunny day? Kids have been good while we've run around trying to get all errands done in town? Parents exhausted but kids begging to do something fun? Perfect time to go to the zoo!!

Mom, can we have a wallaby?

It's so toot!

Even Baby L was happy to be there, even if a few of the animals did startle her (no more than her siblings do daily though).

And what's this species of animal called?

North Dakota fun!

 A sunny AND warm day? Time to head over to Medora for some good times with Nana and Bopa!!

They have the greatest playground ever there. Seriously love it. Even if you could lose a child or two there if you blink...

Then we headed over to the Teddy Roosevelt National Park while the weather held. The girls were working hard on passing off the requirements to be sworn in as Jr. Park Rangers (to be finished another day). Everyone else was just chasing prairie dogs. Except G. She was studying buffalo chips. "Hmmm..how do they feel? What do they smell like? How much taller can I be if I stand on them?"

"Then again, those holes sure are interesting too! Probably mostly because all the grown-ups keep telling me not to stick my hands or feet in them!" We're just no fun. However, neither are the poisonous spiders and rattlesnakes that can hide in the holes.

Look! Buffalo babies! They look just like cow calves. When do their heads go from tiny and cute to massive and hairy?

Time to hike to the second highest peak in the park! Those are some steep steps for tiny legs, even if the second highest peak is only so high.

Of course, it would be helpful if tiny legs would accept help instead of being all "I do it!"

Regardless, it's less trouble when you look cute in cowboy, I mean, cowgirl boots.

Ta dah! Even Baby L made it to the top!

 Is it any wonder this area is called "Big Sky Country?" Stay away from that edge kids!

Neener, neener, neener.

Blah! (Thanks to Dude, this is now what she does when you ask her to smile. Thanks a lot Dude.)

All safe and sound and having fun! Sure do enjoy exploring. And sure do enjoy having Nana and Bopa here!!

Thank you Pinterest!

"Finger painting" without the mess! GENIUS! And since we did this before ever doing real finger painting, they didn't even know what they were missing! And it was fun for all ages. We left them taped to the table for a week and nobody that sat down could help but swirl the paint around. Rather theraputic. Just pour paint into a ziploc, and tape it down onto the table on top of a white piece of paper (so the paint shows up better). And then swirl to your heart's content! Dude even had fun "writing" letters in his and drawing shapes. Good times!

Barely controlled chaos

I once had an art professor who said that when his kids drew on the wall, he couldn't get mad at them because he was so proud of their creativity, and didn't want to stifle it. I thought he was crazy. Then I started having kids. And I started filling my house with crayons, and markers, and stamps, and paint, and pencils, and glitter, and ... whatever else art supply stores have to offer, despite the potentially disastrous messes they can make on home and body. Of course I complained about the mess, but I never stopped. I just can't so "no" to art supplies and art making. There's very little in life I like more than those early, balloon-head people kids make where the arms come out of the head, and facial features are optional. You know, something like this (drawn by Dude):

Be still my heart. No seriously though. The name on the side, with that fantastic "E," spelling who-knows-what only adds to my general delight.

Yet somehow despite all this, we had never finger painted. I never really saw the point. Figured I'd give them a "real" art experience by providing brushes and palettes and such. So when I broke out the finger paints between conference sessions today as a reward for some pretty awesome behavior, only the older two had any idea what to do (I assume they picked up the messy habit at school somewhere). Even after I'd given Baby G paper and paint, she just sat there staring at it and looking at me expectantly. Or a little like I was crazy. Aaaaaaannnd, her first move was to paint her face. 

When I explained that he was to use his fingers to move the paint around, dude announced, "That is NOT okay!" Funny little 3 year-old boy who likes to be clean and orderly. He's the kid who refuses to put a sticker on himself because "they go on paper." No stamps on his hand either unless you want to see a major meltdown.

But after a bit, they all got into it. Like REALLY into it. I think I heard each of them announce at some point that they wanted to do this every day. Although it's difficult to be certain. G still sounds remarkably like a minion when she holds entire, serious conversations with me. To which I respectfully nod and smile. Unless that makes her cry. In which case, I do my best to look sympathetic. Or to find her something to eat. But back to speaking of minions ... hilarious thing. On the way back from the doctor on Friday, Dude, who had been incredibly nervous about getting medicine for his croup, let out a relieved sigh, and said, "If it had been purple medicine, it would've turned me into a purple minion!" Phew! Crisis averted!

Surprise, surprise - M had no trouble getting messy!

And J proved that finger painting is not just for preschool. She was as stoked as anyone, despite her natural affinity for perfection and precision.

Once over his initial reluctance, Dude really enjoyed this. He was not done until long after everyone had cleaned up. While he sat there alone, swirling the colors, he observed to me, "Mommy, in finger painting, my fingers are like ice skating!" Then on the way to the bathroom as I stressed the importance of not touching anything, he said, "I don't touch anything. That's because I'm a good boy." Which is true, even if he won't smile normally for a picture! 

1st Dental Date

Dude went to the dentist for the first time Monday! He wasn't completely thrilled by the arrangement as his slightly pained, I'm-too-cool-for-this look clearly said:

But they turned his personal tv to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and he pretty much zoned everything else out (when daddy asked what the dentist did, he stated flatly, nothing), although he does appear to be eyeing her instrument here. 

However concerning it might have appeared, he protested not and the whole thing was over too soon, meaning the show wasn't done yet. He didn't want to leave. Whoever came up with the tv-in-front-of-each-dental-chair idea was brilliant. And thanks to it's distracting effect, he observed to me in a somewhat surprised tone afterwards, "Hey, my teeth are so smooth," as if to say, when did that happen?