Just because...

Keeping the blog up-to-date seems to mean,

 blog every couple of weeks with a few posts in a row :)

hope that's okay with everyone else!

 Sadie had popcorn for the first time a few weeks ago, well, had her own unseen-snatch-into-the-popcorn-bowl-handful for the first time :) The following morning she was making this face. Still not sure what was going on but I have an inkling she might have had a husk stuck to her throat or tonsil...not gonna lie, I laughed more than once at her all morning long. 

I have read this book no less than five times a day for the last week and a half. Cole's favorite. We'll read it he'll go to get another book and come back with that same one, saying, "read again, pwease?" And if after the third time in a row I say no please pick another one, he'll go read it to himself while I read Lucy's pick. Then come back asking for more :) Silly boy. What can I do but keep reading it?

I think our living room has undergone at least three rearrangements since we've been here. After this last one the kids decided running along the couch jumping into my rocking chair; and off the chair onto a pile of pillows and beanbags was the thing to do. Here is my documentation of the event.

This last couple of weeks we've been hiking at a nearby state park. It is BEAUTIFUL! I WILL TAKE PICTURES NEXT TIME! That was a reminder for me...the last two times I've taken the camera and left it in the car.

 grrr. 

It really is gorgeous and the kids even climbed up to the waterfall with Devin this last time. They were adorable. Lucy was trying so hard to be brave even though she is terrified of heights. Cole didn't seem nervous at all but was intent on making sure I was watching every step of the way, so he was constantly looking over his shoulder saying, "mamma, loot! I doing it!"

 SO cute. 

We discovered a family of cats under our shed on Sunday! I don't know where the groundhogs went. The cats, sadly, are not friendly at all. The mom is pretty skiddish and acts like a stray. The kittens are careful to not be near or within reach when they hear us. I wouldn't mind having cats as pets, as long as they are nice and don't bite us. And as long as they stayed outside. Dispite my best efforts of bowls of milk and random lunch meat, the cats aren't becoming friendly.... :( it's probably a good thing. 

Sadie thinks she's grown up. Oh wait, that isn't news! She now pulls up on everything. 

Can stand for 5-10 seconds. 

Sucks on any and all knobs she can reach, which is quite a few in this house.

LOVES wipes....sucking on them mostly. I'm hoping she doesn't die of an overdose on whatever is in those things.

Plays peek-a-boo by putting her face on the floor and sitting there until someone says, 'peek-a-boo!' then she'll pick her face up full of smiles. 

There is a couple that lives down the street who walk their dogs everyday around 9. We've seen them almost everyday for the last week. They kindly endulge the kids with waves and smiles as they pass. i probably couldn't resist smiling at two little kids with their faces stuck to the front window arms waving wildly, either! 

It is fun and something they look forward to every morning.

Snowball (the syrian hamster) has proved he is not as stupid as we once thought. He has escaped one too many times. The last time he escaped he somehow found his way into one of our walls downstairs. I didn't see him for 36 hours...needless to say I was worried we might end up with a smelly dead hamster and no way to retrieve him. Thankfully he emerged and now every possible escape route has been taped and tied shut :) 

We love our Snowball. And tape.

Poor Cole is having a rough week. 

There are usually two reasons why Cole gets upset and cries. He is hungry or he is tired..okay a third would be that Lucy is teasing him. But in general, those two reasons. This week, food and sleep have offered no aid in reliving Cole of whatever seems to be causing him grief. He has been sad (crying at everything), mad (hitting us when he is upset), stubborn (beyond belief) and I cannot figure out why. He has been sleeping a TON the last few days. We think he may be growing? Devin thinks he looks skinny. But with that and Sadie's separation anxeity issues this last couple of weeks we've been seeing a lot of crying in this house.

We are LOVING Devin's work schedule, and how much we're getting to see him. He works a LOT but the fact that the work doesn't follow him home anymore is UH-MAZING!