The CHAIR

So, who doesn't like the dentist? I'm thinking if he likes that seat so much we should put some serious money into dentistry education. Seems to me a dentist in the family would be quite an asset!

"nanamels" (plastic bag of animals) "up" "down" - knows what he wants, knows how to go about getting it but too bad, he's just a bit too short!

A few Recordable Moments

First off, mention of the bucket of cookies my friend Michelle dR dropped off yesterday afternoon. Fantastic cookies; THANKS, Michelle!

Cam is gaining words by the day and yesterday caught me off guard with a sweet yet somewhat demanding, "play, Papa" as he handed the fresh home from work Steve a match box car similar to the one waiting in his other hand.

Next something that may put a smile on your face, it sure does mine. Cara and Cody are getting SO big. They are now settling into the put everything I can get my hands on into my mouth routine.
This morning has been somewhat trying with the kids really ready to spend a few hours outside but the weather not really permitting it. At one point I sent Sam and Leah to the bathroom and as I was nursing the twins left them there for a while before I could deal with them. By the time I got there they were sitting on the edge of the tub, holding hands and giggling together. "You don't have to spank us, Mama. I (Leah) said sorry to him and he said 'it's okay.'" It's amazing how they can fight together until they need eachother to try and wrangle themselves into a more favorable position with their mother. :{ At another point I came into the bathroom and they were laughing together assuring me that they had already given eachother a spanking so I no longer needed to do it. (I told them I didn't think they had done it good enough because they were still laughing)

On the flip side at one point when they were playing Mom and Dad quite nicely I heard them discussing their lunch (this was prior to breakfast). It was decided that "Dad" would pray for everyone and so there they sat quietly at the table waiting for Sam to start. One of the things I heard him mention was, "thank You for ALL the rain and hail and snow and sun." So maybe the lessons on thankfulness have gotten somewhere after all, but to my shame I don't think he heard that particular thankfulness from me.

Well, it's coloring time in the house. I have clothes boxes on my living room floor trying to decide what to take out/put away for the twins and Cam. I'm not progressing very quickly and I'm not sure if coloring is a wonderful intermission or a typical procrastination.

This is what it looked like at lunch time :)

Ps. Hooray! Uncle Brody is finally here!!

Good Times

I have to go back a few days to the 2 pie plates piled with double chocolate chip cookies that Laura delivered to our house. Yum! Thanks, Laura, you're a sweetie!

My husband is amazing and his imagination is something else. A couple of nights ago he promised the kids an end of spring break surprise for Saturday morning. They were so curious and kept guessing everything from the mundane to the extravagant- so fun. He decided to start the surprise a few hours early and took us all to White Spot for supper last night. Hooray! Did you all hear me say my husband is amazing?!! We were smart enough to get there just before 5:00 and the kids did amazingly well. I don't think we made too much of a scene at all. There are some people who just can't help getting bug eyed at the sight of 5 young kids all belonging to one couple, even if the kids are behaving. Can't say as I blame them. :) Anyway, like I said everything went relatively smooth and quiet besides the time Leah ran back across the resturant from the washroom with a great big leap and BOO when she got to our table.

The next part of the surprise started when the kids were finally in bed and the house in order. Steve hauled a stash of toys downstairs and started creating a masterpiece.

This is what it looked like before we went to bed. Some finer details... man floating down the river under the bridge.

The ranch, train tracks and jail, complete with big bad jailer.

Some mountain climbing, a zoo keeper life guarding while his charges refreshed themselves in igloo infested waters :) and a little lady stealing onto the log cabin roof by way of a ladder.

I didn't get pictures of the kids' reactions this morning, I got some video instead. Nice!

The age-old one year old trick. If only the roll wouldn't have been replaced just this morning!

You did read my complaining about a) being restrained by their being too young to do errands with and b) growing up too fast in the same post? Pardon my foolishness.

I hope I'm done with (public) whining for a while.

I have a headache. Not just your ordinary headache but an I've possibly got a broken nose headache. I kid you not. I was snuggling in bed with the three big kids this morning (okay, I was snuggling, Leah and Sam were laying relatively still and Cam was jumping about) and in the process of bouncing Cam dropped down for a head to nose connection. My poor nose went "kkaakkk". If it's not broken it is sporting a nice goose egg with a bluish tinge.
To add to my headache I have 2 big kids that have too much energy and really need to go outside. One baby who woke up 1 hour too early for me to get in an one hour snooze. Three cups of spilled milk since breakfast and somehow that always raises my blood pressure. And a sick, I'm feeling sorry for myself because I would love to do some hours of errands but I'm constrained by children, attitude. This is not, I repeat, is NOT a call for you loving people to offer child watching services. I'm just giving honest thoughts so you know that it's not always smiles and laughter over here on Young. (sometimes when we see each other only occasionally it's easy to form a misguided perception and I just wanted you to be sure that I don't have it all together as some may think)

Now for a bit of cheerful news... well, it's cheerful because it's healthy but I can't help but wish the growth rate wasn't quite so exponetial this first year... Cody has officially left the toothless status behind and stepped over the threshold of the first tooth milestone. It's not a pearly white visible from far distances but it's poking through none the less.

Can't help but be wishing the sun would poke through again. For a day or two with twenty degree weather.