What's cookin?

Just one of Gwyneth playing in her kitchen.

She has finally started to role-play a little.
I found her the other day with "Baby Anna" in the highchair.

She was feeding her "icy water" & "yummy chicky."

How eye-opening it is to hear her tell her baby little things like,
"now!" & "No, No!"

I fear she gets her sauciness from her own mother,
much to my dismay.

And then she'll tenderly feed her and give her sweet kisses,
all the while cooing at her, and I feel a bit better about the whole matter...

a bit.

Just one of those days...

It's just been one of those days... (one of those weeks, really.)

You know, one of those days when you can actually understand why some species eat their young.

One screaming child woke up another screaming child, woke up another screaming child.

Camden peed in his freshly changed sheets, and didn't tell me, and I only just realized it from the nauseating smell radiating from him as we're sitting at the breakfast table.

So into the tub, but they all want a bath…Gwyneth is ready to get out and I walk into the bathroom after getting her dressed to find that Camden has now pooped in the tub, all over the freshly bleached toys and his little brother. I whisk Jude out and he pees all over my freshly mopped floor while I’m taking care of the mess in the tub. I get Camden in fresh clothes and he poops, (yet again!) all over those, too! And now needs another bath... and on and on…

Add this to the fact that everyone needs to “go potty” every 5 minutes and only ever actually goes 10% of the time, but expects a treat every time, (and then proceeds to go in their pants anyway) plus the fact that the two I’m not holding are screaming at the top of their lungs, at all times, and you get yourself one happy lil’ household.

And the time? Not even 9 am.

Oh well. Things are looking up. Gwyneth has only had 1 “accident” and they’ve been happily playing long enough for me to type this. Until just now, of course…

Camden and Jude have the slinky strung half way through the house in a screaming tug-o-war. And they have 2 of them!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Gwynie-Girl

The reasons why I completely adore these:

This was my buggy when I was a little girl.

My grandparents got it for me when I was 3 or 4

and I still remember that day.

I played with it for many years whenever I went to see them.

I love my parents' backyard. I have so many memories spent with my siblings there and it's the only place I really, truly feel at "home".

Seeing my baby turned girl.

I'm filled with such gratitude and awe.

I begged God for this girl whom I love so very much.

She is amazing and I love that she wants

to be by my side at all times.

I could listen to her beautifully sweet,

chattering voice all day, every day.

I *heart* these hair ties...gotta love that Dick & Jane!

Gwyn loves getting her hair fixed.

She is always so excited to see how "pretty"

she looks when we're finished.

I love her curls!

Yeppers.

I'd take this puppy home with me in a heartbeat!

Oh, wait. Already did that once...

She mistakenly thought I meant to give her a ride in her buggy when I asked if she wanted to go out and play with it in the yard.

This is the look I got.

Cam-a-rams

Cam-a-rams and I took a little walk together, just him and I.
I love having one-on-one time with my kids...
I find myself wanting to soak up every last drop of them
and "squish them to pieces"
(...you know, those too tight, almost desperate, mama hugs.)
I think Camden enjoyed it, too.
He stayed right by my side for the rest of the day...
even though we were at Grami's.


















His signature "facial expression session"...









































































He hates the bright sunshine. Whenever I ask if he wants to go outside with the rest of us he's always sure to check the "forcast", exclaiming "it's bright!" if there's even a hint of direct sunlight streaming down, and adamantly refuses to join us. If ever I do coax him out he grabs his little chair and sits in the shade.

This is over-blown, I know. I'll have to see if I can fix it...

























What an angel...now scroll down a couple more...

















































Uh-huh...This gives me the chills. Why, you ask?
Because this is the "exact" expression I received
from my father whenever I envoked his wrath growing up..

























Here, let me show you...
























Ha! I really love that I can see both of my parents in my children..
even if it does give me goosebumps.
For those of you wondering...
Camden was mad because he couldn't get his hands in his pockets.

Ju-Ju-B

I think Jude has finally gotten over his "camera-fright".
This was the best session he's ever given me.
It was so much fun and only took about 10 minutes!
He has fallen in love with this little rusted truck he
found at Grami and Grandpa Jim's.























He looks so much like when he was first born in this photo...























Hiding behind his little truck as Aunt H.
relentlessly teases him about playing with his hair.
She tortures him all the time by messing with his hair...
he hates it! But I can't blame her...
Jude has the coolest hair I've ever seen...
too bad he's destined to lose it all.























Cute lil' stinker...
















Aunt H. yard is overgrown with a special kind of weed these days...
little boys!























More teasing from Aunt H...























Trying to pluck all the lilacs from Grandpa's bush...sorry Dad!

This little guy will be the death of me yet...I cannot resist him!
Have I mentioned how much I adore that he looks just like Daddy?

Storybook Setting, continued...

I think she is just so gorgeous...

I re-worked a couple of them,

but they still don't look as good on-line.

Storybook Setting...

I've been waiting for two months to take these!
I think it was worth the wait...I'm so in love with them!