March

March has been the month of park-hopping!  We just finished Spring Break, and it was a very relaxing week of sleeping in (you know, until 7:30:)) and playing with friends at the park.  The weather was pretty but still a little cold, but we sure didn't let that stop us!

This wagon trip was at a friend's birthday party at the park.  A bunch of our friends from church were there, and I didn't really notice that Turner had wandered off while we were eating cupcakes and ice cream.  He refuses cupcakes, but his brother and sister do not:)  Anyway, he wandered back up a few minutes later.  He had taken his bike on the track and I asked him what he had been doing.  He told me he was with Mike?!?  We have 2 neighbors named Mike, so I sort of ignored it.  Until an older man man walked up to us on the track and asked if I was his mom.  He introduced himself as Mike.  My children are not shy - we are finding the balance of friendliness and safety with strangers!!  Thankfully "Mike" helped me out that day:)

John Burke had a similar experience at another park the other day.  We were there with friends and I saw him talking to an older man who had been running.  The man was stretching and when I went to bring John Burke back he told me he was a talker:)  Then he told me that John Burke told him I could do all of the stretches he was doing.  Um, awkward.  We ran off.

Burke Burke is really a MESS.  While we were at the birthday party, I walked him up to a bunch of rocks where some older boys were climbing around.  They had a pile of wood with them.  A couple of them go to elementary school there and they must use it as a hideout.  Anyway, they quickly told John Burke to get off of the rock.  Well, his strong-minded 2 year old self wasn't having it.  Without blinking, he leaned over and picked up one of the pieces of wood they were gathering.  He narrowed his eyes and pointed his finger and said "I NOT getting off these rocks, and I am taking this wood!" He turned around and kept playing on the rocks.  I couldn't help but laugh, and I was proud as the boys begged me (politely) for the wood back.  I assured him he wasn't letting it go:)

Also, I laid this little lady down one morning before we headed out to a local elementary school playground to play with friends.  This was the view I found about 5 minutes later.  John Burke had helped himself to 2 cups of jelly beans off of the counter, walked up to her room, climbed in her bed and he was feeding her jelly beans.  UGH!  She wasn't hating it:)

But Collins is a mess herself!  She has been teething this week.  All four of her top teeth are dropping in (well, she is 14 months old - it is about time) and she has been having random crying fits.  So, I let her eat some chocolate pretzels in the car.  This was the scene as we pulled in the driveway.  

Stinker.

She loves her brothers and the attention that they shower her with.  She is spoiled that way!  John Burke has been obsessed with her since birth, but lately Turner has been more protective and sweet with her.  But, he has taken the kissing a little far.  He is all about showing his emotion, but we are working on time and place. :)  Like, don't kiss your friend H at choir practice...he doesn't appreciate it.  Luckily, H is a trooper and hung with us at the parks all week.  They have a sweet - and very silly friendship.

And we like his little brother, too:)

How cute is this?  They are only about 3 weeks apart, but J is walking circles around this lazy little diva.

Watching big brothers on the carousel

This entertained them for hours.  Really - we lasted 2 and a half hours! Afterwards, I took the kids to Target.  Turner's legs were so muddy from jumping on and off - it was shameful.  I leaned over to tie his shoe (with Collins in the carrier on me, because I define graceful:)), and I said "Ugh!  Your legs..." Before I finished, he proudly exclaimed, "My legs are beautiful."  Not lacking in confidence:)  They were NOT beautiful, boys are DIRTY.

On top of the climbing wall at my old elementary school - very proud of himself.  We are VERY into Transformers and Ninja Turtles.  Luckily H and his other friends are too, and they can entertain themselves by running around and shouting things like "Cliffjumper" and "Starscream".  Whatever.  Also, he made me laugh the other day.  We wouldn't let him watch an episode of Ninja Turtles.  I was in the shower and he stood outside the shower door listing reasons why he should watch it, including "because they are heroes", "they hatched from shells at a pet shop" and "they were GOOD GUYS."  Oh, my favorite is because "they have ooze."  I am not very familiar with the Ninja Turtles, since I haven't watched them since Derek was in elementary school but I remember a few things.  Good thing, because I walked by Turner with his class last week by the church bathrooms.  They were sitting by the wall, taking turns using the restroom and he shouted "Hey MOMMY!  If I obey my teachers, I get the booze from Target!"  Shaking my head, I realized he meant the OOZE from the Turtles.  I am frustrated but also entertained by his new ability to attempt at reasoning and debating, and glad his teachers can just shake their heads too:)

 Brothers rolling down a hill - hey, we were definitely entertained last week:) 

We are desperate for any moment outside - the boys followed me in the jeep the other night while I went running

And Sister has a ride, too!  Purple, anyone?

Today the boys sang in church for Palm Sunday.  They paraded in with palm branches, but I didn't get any pictures because I was trying to corral them in and stop sweating.  My boys usually use these things as opportunities to act like total fools.

Turner singing his little heart out.  They proved me wrong and did a great job!!  We have been practicing the song on c.d. in the car, so I was trying not to sing every word too loud with them!

John Burke had a ball.  He is technically still too young, but the Choir Director let him and his friend Ella Kate perform up with the older kids.  He knew the words better than Turner, but  clammed up a little bit this morning.  But he was the only 2 year old up there, so I gave him a pass.  Oh, and in this picture he is waving to Kina.

That's right, he wouldn't go onstage without her escorting him.  She tried to leave him at the door, but he wouldn't have it.  He made her walk him all the way to the stage, and after the first stanza of the song he yelled out "Hey Kina!!  What are you doing back there??"  Luckily, he moved past it long enough to pull it together.  He loves his girlfriend:)  And if you look carefully, you can see where she had rubbed vaseline all over his face right before the performance.  She fussed at me because he was too dry.  I guess that is what happened when we have a week off from our church friends for Spring Break.  They got Sister, too.

Happy Holy Week!

Currently

February was sort of a slow month.  I am so glad spring is right around the corner.  We cannot WAIT to be outside more often!  We passed the time in February celebrating birthdays - Mom, Dad and Derek!
We went to a Japanese steak house for Mom's big birthday, and it was perfect for the kids (and the adults!)

We love our GiGi...now that she is in her 60's...:)

Pop Pop got lucky and got pizza at his house for his party:)  We even got him a cake from Dairy Queen...we are so fancy.  (I called ahead and got this beautiful script)

Pop Pop and Double Chin

This was the way the kids wanted to celebrate him, and luckily Dad is nice enough to indulge them!

Stacy planned a little celebration for Derek's birthday - a surprise party at Superior Grill.  These were the best pictures I got, but we all loved sitting on the (covered) deck and listening to live music and eating some fun Mexican food.  Happy Birthday Uncle Derek!!

29!

Heath was off work for President's Day, so we were able to meet some friends at the park with Daddy.  He was a sport as the moms chatted and he sat in on our play date.  Not sure he wanted to make it a permanent thing, but he had fun that one time.

We also went to visit Nanny.  John Burke has been begging to see my grandmother, so we stopped by one night and said hello to her.  Cute little Nanny (a little blurry)

John Burke has been potty training and he asked Nanny if she knew how to tee tee on the potty.  She assured him she did!  I think she was also a fan of the track suits they were wearing...she had a velour one on herself!  

Stop.  His little bottom in underwear.  He is unlike Turner in that he is NOT going back to diapers.  Turner would in a minute, even still.  But John Burke came to me about a month or so ago and had decided to potty train himself.  I subscribe to the lazy method - introduce it a little bit, leave it alone, do not force it on them and one day they will be ready on their own.  At least I am 2 for 2 on this theory.  Turner was a few months after he was 3, and John Burke was a few months before...so I call it a wash. Look at the picture above, though.  Just so I am keeping it real, that is 2 days in a row that there has been urine on my wall.  So, let's just say we are still working on aim.  Boys are gross.

I want to remember things they are saying and doing right now.  Turner has been having some better streaks of listening and obeying at school.  We are taking it a day at a time.  He is loving the Ipad as a reward in the afternoon, we are very into looking up Transformers these days?!  I don't like them very much, but I am learning the difference in Decepticons and Autobots, etc.  So exciting:)  He loves to say things like "18 years ago..." - that is his latest phrase.  It makes me smile because it means absolutely nothing to him, except some vague time in the past.  18 years ago I was in high school.  Wow, it doesn't seem that long ago to me either!

Also, our Chick-fil-a has been closed for renovations since February 1st.  We were SO excited this past Saturday when they opened back up.  We even looked past the broken milkshake machine.  I am not kidding, it made me appreciate our Chick-fil-a way more than I ever did.  I have been driving crazy out of the way for my large half-and-half tea that I dearly love.  And one nearby location gave me half unsweet tea and half Dr. Pepper.  Clearly, ours is the best...they would never do that!  Anyway, Turner asks daily when "OUR Chick-fil-a was opening back" as well as the Target that is about to open up near our church.  The little things.

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Insisting on getting Collins' bottle - he likes to get it out of the microwave and put the top on it and carry it to her.  Who am I to stop him?

John Burke seems to be the one changing the most right now.  He is so intent on being a big boy.  Kina is still his hero.  Yesterday in the car he was singing "Hey shawty, it's your birfday!"  Also, he calls Collins "Bald Head", which is what Kina calls her.  He also only calls my car a "truck."  I heard him yell to Turner to get in the truck yesterday, and then he looked at me because he knows that drives me crazy!  He really took the cake and made Kina proud the other day when we were watching t.v. and he looked at me and said "I don't know that white girl!"  No words.

Just some naked time with his best friend

Another funny thing I don't want to forget is how much he loves music.  I overhear him singing Taylor Swift's "We are never, ever, ever getting back together" all the time.  That is his favorite song.  Another favorite is "Arise, My Soul Arise".  Heath listens to that on Sunday mornings on his Ipod speaker.  John Burke loves to sing it all during the week, but sounds Chinese...I hear "Ha-rise!!" all the time.  It makes me laugh.

Here is Bald Head herself.  But the nickname isn't going to last much longer.  There is almost enough hair for a bow, by my standards.  Aunt Stacy thinks she is already past due!  She is weighing in at 20 pounds, so she is catching up to where her brothers were at this age.  She is a great eater, and she is also laughing and squawking and saying "Hey" and "Bye Bye" (with a cute little wave) and "Yeah!"  all the time.  She loves to say "Dada", but has just started saying "Mama".  Finally!!  She will occasionally repeat things that I say, but not consistently enough to be really talking yet.  And she is mastering scooting/hopping on her bottom from room to room, but still refuses to walk. Weasel.

She sort of looks like a bullfrog hopping from one room to another, and he likes to follow behind her.  She thinks he is way funnier than he is:)

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One of our friends at church said she can't take Heath seriously after seeing Collins every day.  They really do look a LOT alike.  I am hoping her hair will come in dark like his.  

Hanging in Sister's room - at least they are clothed this time

Come on, Spring!!