Use your imagination

Benson, Grace, and Sabrina really love to play Bolt (recent Disney movie). Benson is most often Rhino (hamster), Grace is Bolt (d0g), and Sabrina is Mittens (cat). In the movie Mittens the cat makes little houses for Bolt and Rhino out of cardboard boxes, so the kids are always asking me to build them houses with pillows or boxes to help them play Bolt. Last Saturday I was looking for Benson and Grace and found them in the girl's closet with the door closed. They had made "beds" in the toy bins in the closet and were playing Bolt. I'm sure they will be excited when they realize Bolt is coming out on video next month.

Mother Daughter Outing

Tonight I took Grace to see her first play. One of the girls who is in my miamaid class and has baby-sat for a us a few times was in "Cinderella" at school so I decided to take Grace with me to go see it. She loved it! It was so much fun watching her watch the play. I honestly was a little concerned that she wouldn't be able to make it through the whole show, but she was perfect. During one of the dance numbers some girls in the play came out in the audience and found people to dance, and one came over and asked Grace to come dance with her. So cute! I had several people comment to me tonight about how cute my daughter is and I couldn't agree more. She is adorable!

After the play we went to Braum's to get some ice cream. Grace actually ate some of hers which was surprising since she doesn't usually eat sweets.

I seriously have to pinch myself all the time lately because I can't believe how big these sweet kiddos are getting! I'm so looking forward to many more outings like this one with my oldest daughter.

Beautiful Weekends

The last two Saturdays the kids and I have gone to Bartlesville (Mike has been working, doing service, or doing homework). We were trying to get in a couple of last visits with Uncle Paul, Aunt Molly, Olivia, and Aislee before they moved to Arizona. The weather has been great so we spent a lot of the time we were there playing outside. The first Saturday we went to the Duck Pond which is always a hit.

Sabrina is really into babies these days. She points out every baby she sees wherever we go. So it goes without saying that she has enjoyed spending time with her baby cousins. She especially likes to help take care of them: give them their binky's, hold them, and help change their diapers. I thought this video was pretty cute. Aunt Molly had to go throw diapers away and asked Sabrina to watch the girls. What a big helper!

Top: Grace, Aislee, Sabrina, Olivia, and Benson
Bottom row: Aislee, Sabrina, Olivia; Aislee, Grace, Olivia; Aislee, Benson, Olivia

Me with my neices...I definitely got to the point where I could tell Olivia and Aislee apart without seeing them together or relying on their binky's (they each have a different color) but I swear in these pictures it is so much harder. I'm pretty sure Olivia is on the left and Aislee is on the right.

Big Helper

Saturday was a busy day. Mike went to Arkansas to help out with clean up from the latest ice storm and left early in the morning. We had to be at the church for a primary activity at 9am and it is difficult for me to get everyone up and ready to be someplace at 9am by myself. I wish it wasn't so hard to accomplish something that probably seems so simple to others, but it really is. And typically when I have to wake the kids up in the morning, which I did on Saturday, at least one child is not cooperative, making it even more difficult to be on time.
So on Saturday morning I was stressed and Benson started off kind of grouchy. While he was sitting at the table not eating his breakfast I got frustrated and gave him a lecture. I told him I really needed his help. And you know what, he saved the day. He ate quickly and then went right to do his chores without my constant nagging. Then while I was getting the girls dressed after their bath I called to Benson to ask him to do the trashes and his response was, "Mom, I'm making my bed!" Making his bed is one of his chores he does every morning, but he has NEVER done it without help and for sure NEVER without a lot of encouragement to get it done. And I started tearing up. Because that was just what I needed to help ease my stress that morning. My little boy is growing up; I am so proud of him and grateful that he is my firstborn.

Tinklebelle

This little girl

has made significant progress using this

and so is now wearing these all the time

and keeping them dry!

So her mommy and daddy are feeling extremely proud and happy! And rich, because for the first time in 3.5 years we aren't buying diapers for 2+ children.