Long overdue for some blogging

Bri, you were right. I do blog in spurts. I guess I wait for the pics to build up and then I finally make to to do my "scrapbooking", if you will. :) So here are some long overdue blog posts. I'll start with the earliest and work my way forward.

We got to hang out with our friends the Plews a few times and I pulled my camera out for the last round. We got to hang out with Libby's friend (Freeman), Ty's friend (Tess), and "the big boy" as Libby called him (Zeke).

Making a fort:

Hanging out in the "kitchen".

Love both their tongues hanging out in this one. They were clapping together.

Hmm, boy girl. Girl, boy. Do I see some future relationship material here?

Whoa, Free, back off. I was thinking far, far into the future. Libby, that would be the correct response right now. :) Guess we'd better wait and see how they all turn out first. :)

 Sweet kiddos.

Titus' birthday party

We joined Titus Smith for his 1 year birthday party last Saturday while Matt was in classes. Thanks for inviting up, Holly!

I brought my camera so thought I'd try to take a few pics. I was hoping to get some good shots of them with their buddies, but it ended up being easier to catch a few of them by themselves.

Here are those big blue eyes again! I hope they stay just like they are!

I guess that's the story of everything with Ty, I want him to stay just as he is, my baby! His size is deceiving. I just cleaned out his drawers and pulled out some 0-3 month clothes that he FINALLY grew out of! So when I put him in the little 6-month outfits, I guess I expect him to still be acting like a 6-month old. But he isn't! He's growing fast! He's standing on his own for a short time now! And reaching for me from standing at a table, trying to take a few steps. I haven't worked with him like I did with Libby at this age, but he's still trying it on his own! Libby was taking her first steps at 11 1/2 months, but I guess I didn't think Ty would as well. He may stay up with her yet!

 He loved Owen's giraffe. I think I need to find him one of these.

Titus got a cute little work bench that is perfect for their age! Ty was trying it out. I think we'll have to find one.

As of last week, Ty didn't have 1 tooth! This week, the first one busted through! Hooray! Although I'm sad to lose the gummy smile, it's about time to let it go. Glad he'll at least have 1 tooth for his first birthday this month. You can see it on the bottom right gums in this picture (below). Glad I got a picture of it, I was wondering how I'd catch a pic of it. I think he'll have more than 1 by his birthday, though. I noticed today that the other one on the bottom is coming through and he has 4 on the top that are about to come through. You can already see the white lines on them and clearly see his gums finally losing the battle. I'll be glad when they do come through becuase, although he is still the happiest baby and doing soooo well considering how much he's teething right now, I can definitely tell they're bothering him and dinner time is becoming terrible! He screams when he's done or still eating now and I think it might be because of his teeth.

Libby being a little lady. I caught her sitting with her legs crossed in this cute little chair. Glad she's learning a little modesty. ;) Love her!

 

An unusually warm day in March

It was a rather warm day in mid-March (we got a ton of those), so we decided to have some Spring fun in the baby pool. The water was a little cool, but it was some thing to do outside and they enjoyed it!

I love his sweet, sometimes sad eyes. He's starting to get some chunk on him! Especially in his belly and cheeks! I think this means he's about to grow. Libby used to do the same thing.

Another fun activity they were able to enjoy together. Libby filling up her water gun. Hmmm, I wonder where she's going to point it next...

 Thankfully it was Ty, who didn't mind too much, and not me with the camera!

His face doesn't look too pleased. I guess he is being held at gunpoint. :)

Fun hints of summer, which I think will end up being WAY TOO HOT this year.

The Zoo

We went to the zoo recently, and of course took pictures! It ended up being a large crowd and we had a great time! It was a beautiful day. Here are some of the kiddos that were with us. I love Libby's face in this, although it's hard to see in these smaller pics.

My sweet girl.

We spent quite a bit of time in the kid area, which was great becuase we normally don't get much time there.

Ty was helping rfeed the animals as Libby was cutting up the food. He's gotten into picking things up and putting them somewhere else, or in something else, or throwing them on the floor (his favorite place to put food when he's done with it).

 I guess he decided this one was too good to pass up. :)

Love these big blue eyes!

I think he's wondering, "These all look so good, why don't they taste good, too?" I guess he's a little young to understand pretend stuff.

Libby making a platem, probably for herself. This looks a bit like her lunches usually do. :)

I recently discovered that Ty loves tunnels! I wasn't sure if he'd be up for the dark tunnel that goes up over the famr animal area. Once he figured out it wasn't just going to drop out under him, he loved it! He became very independent and would get to the bottom where I was waiting, then turn around and go as fast as he could back up to the area above the barn.

 And peek his little face out of the gate, smiling. Then he would switch to the other side to see if he could see anybody else.

 He did get a bit scared when he tried to pull up on the chicken coop and there was a rooster that wasn't too happy. He was very startled when the rooster tried to eat his fingers off. Frankly, I was scared for him too. Didn't realise the rooster could get that close. Ty didn't like him.

It's so fun that both my little kiddos can have fun with some of the same things now. They love our train table and these animal tables were a hit at the Wee play area.

Big smiles, as usual.

More friends joined us after the kids play area.

Towards the end, the little guys were pretty wiped out. Owen joined Ty in the covered stroller while the girls still had plenty of energy.

They ended up napping together for a short time. Or, as Libby calls it, they both "crashed out". She always informs me when Ty "crashes out" in the car. :)

Sheeba - the dog previously known as Nala

After Nala finally started to learn her name, I changed it!

She's getting bigger.

Learning a new trick - "rollover"

And I won't go changing it again. It's now set in stone, well, metal to be precise.

 She's coming along great in her training and house breaking!

Writing and drawing

Libby's started writing and drawing! I think a large part of this can be contributed to Usborne's Wipe-clean books. I got one for drawing and beginning writing and liked it so much, I got an alphabet one as well. She doesn't do them on her own very well, but loves to work on it with me. And she does a lot better than I thought she would (and than she did at first).

Then the other day she asked me to draw a circle for her so I did and she took it away and came back with this: her first drawing of a person! I drew the circle, she drew everything else! She said it is the Gobble-gobble (or gubba-gubba, not sure) monster - her brother, Ty! She calls him "Monster" all the time now. He comes down the hall with his little hands popping on the hardwoods and she runs away screaming "the monster's getting me!" He loves it and cracks up while chasing her around. Now in the morning she'll ask me, "Is the monster awake yet?" Wondering if Ty is up. Pretty cute, but I'm not sure that's a nickname I want him to hang on to.

Anyway, back to the picture. So I love that she draws eye-brows! And the arms and legs coming out of the head, I wouldn't trade it for anything! She draws great noses, too! Shaped like an L with usually 2 dots on either side of the bottom - nostrils! I asked her what they were on another picture she drew of Matt and she pointed to her 2 nostrils. She is also starting to write her name. In the bottom right corner she signed a shaky L and an i, which was all she knew at the time.

This is her alphabet book that we started working on. She traced the letters and the outlines of the objects. Then I had her sign her name in the bottom right corner of the "A" page when she was finished.

She can now write everything but the "y". Although she doesn't write them correctly yet, that will come. I just love that she's already starting to learn her name!

Here is "Libb":

And now I'm all caught up again! Sorry for the multiple posts, I find they're easier to find later on when I break them up like this.

At the Park

We went to the park after ballet last week with the Oldacres. I brought my camera and actually pulled it out of the car this time, rare form for me! I'm so glad, too, because I caught some great pics.

Ty's first time in a sandbox. I have to admit, I had to relax a little and let him get dirty. He is a boy, afterall, and I don't want him turning out as clean as Libby, not wanting to usually get her hands dirty. So I let him have some fun.

It was a beautiful day! We loved soaking up some of the warm sunshine.

Love London dancing in the background of this one.



He did finally get his hands in it and seemed to enjoy the new texture. It just took some time.

Sheeba came with us.

He found a dry leaf, of course. I don't know what his fascination is with dried up leaves.

He did have alfalfa hair that day. I could not get that piece to lay down.

So cute!

The girls had an adventure. I with I could have hear the whole story of what they were doing and where they were going. Libby's got quite the imagination and I love walking by her room and catching part of a story about a Mom and her "sweetheart" or a pirate or a princess and her "prince charming". It's always something and I love it!

I think Libby has become more like me than Matt in this one respect: barefeet. I love being barefoot and I am most of the day. Inside, outside, doesn't matter. Libby's always taking off her shoes and running around barefoot now, too.

They had this little window and I saw Libby sitting at it. She asked me, "What would you like?" Turns out she was working for a baker (I think he was another little boy on the playground.

 "Here is your cake." Mmm. Mulch cake. :)

I love how great pictures come out on a sunny day.

After looking at these pictures, it makes me realize how big Libby is getting.  I don't want to see my kids grow up, I want babies right now! Never-the-less, I am enjoying every stage and I love my sweet girl!