The Roaming Nap

I think I have mentioned that Lincoln has a tendency to sleep walk.  Up until now he has only done it at night.  Well, today I think he did it during his nap.  It scared me so bad because I had decided to take a rest during the kid's nap time and when I went to check on him he wasn't in his room.  It turns out he was sleeping in the middle of the family room.  So I moved out the family room and sat down on the couch to read until the kids woke up. 

It is funny to watch someone walk around and try to do things when they are sleeping.  About a half an hour after I came into the family room Lincoln got up, tried to climb up on the couch and cuddle with me, then tried to steal my pillow, then finally walked over to the other couch, plopped down, and was totally out again.  He seamed so confused.  It was hard for me not to laugh.

I guess it is funny and scary at the same time.  I am always afraid he is going to get outside or hurt himself and I will not hear him.

More Cherries!

Payton and Lincoln have really been helping Dave get all the cherries off the tree.  They love doing it too.  Dave will say, "Go get your shoes on so we can go pick some cherries".  They always respond by immediately dropping what they are doing and cheering.  It is so cute! 

I think they finally got all of the cherries off the tree.  Look at all those cherries!  What are we going to do with them all...

Lincoln tries to be Superman!

We went to our friend Ela's house today to play.  They have a nice big trampoline that the kids just love to play on.

While the kids were outside playing, I was standing at the kitchen sink looking out the window watching the kids play.  I had been watching them for 10 to 15 minutes and had seen all the kids get on and off the trampoline several times.  They were doing great!

All of a sudden I see Lincoln standing on the edge of the trampoline in his "jumping stance".  The same stance he takes when he is about to jump off the couch.  He's going to jump off the trampoline...That would be like jumping off the kitchen counter!  As I see him I say, "No, don't jump!" 

Ela was out the door before I finished the sentence.  I think I paused thinking/hoping he would land on his feet.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen.  His little legs hit the retaining wall around the trampoline causing him to go face first into the grass.  Ouch!

I am just so glad that his teeth didn't go all the way through his lip.  Heck!  I am so glad he didn't go face first into the retaining wall. 

Poor little guy!

Lincoln is Sick

Lincoln appeared to be fine this morning; however, when we met up with some friends at the park it was a different story.  As soon as I laid our picnic blanket out he laid down and went to sleep...This is not normal Lincoln behavior.  This little man usually doesn't stop moving.

This is what he looked like after I carried him to the car.  Not too good. 

When we got home all he wanted to do was go to bed. 

It is never fun to be sick but getting sick today was even worse because Papa Ralph had planned to have all the grand kids over to "camp out" in the backyard.  Fortunately, he was sick enough that he didn't care that Payton was getting to go and he was coming home with me.

Payton on the other hand was SO excited to go "camping".  She has been asking to go since before Christmas.  She packed her bag all by herself at like 2 in the afternoon...with a little repacking by mommy later.  :o)

When Lincoln got up from his nap I put both of the kids in the car and headed out to take Payton over to Mamo and Papa Ralph's house.  We no sooner had walked in the house and Lincoln threw up all over the dining room floor.  Uh oh!

What do you do when you find yourself in a lake of your child's vomit?  Let's just say that we had a fun evening at home and Payton had a great time camping.

Auntie Ashley ended up going out with them too.  I guess I was more nervous about her camping out than I thought.  Jen was so nice to text me these pictures and details of what Payton and Ethan were doing.  I guess they fell asleep telling each other stories.  Ha! Ha!  So cute!

The Backyard Pool

We bought a little splash pool for our backyard.  OK, so it didn't turn out being sooo little, it is 8 feet across and 18 inches deep.  I filled it up this morning with the intention of letting the sun warm up the water during the first part of the day.  Immediately, I regretted my decision to purchase a wading pool that big. 

One, it took about 45 minutes to fill it up, who would want to fill it up just to drain it again.  And two, I am terrified that the kids will fall in or drown in it.  I have made the kids sware that they will not go outside without me and if they do I will drain the pool and never fill it up again.  Then I took all the patio furniture and set up a blockade all the way around it.

I thought it was supposed to be warm outside today and invited Ethan and Grace over to swim in the pool after naps.  Little did I know that someone decided to turn on the outdoor AC.  Brrrr!

Payton and Lincoln were so excited to try out the new pool that the weather did little to dissuade them from getting in.  I would say that they were little Popsicles as soon as they stepped foot in the pool.  They were real troopers for about 15 minutes and then decided they had had enough.

Warming themselves in the sun.

Birthday Party

We went to a birthday party for a friend of Payton today.  The kids had so much fun.

They ate lunch, painted wooden trains and planes, played red light/green light, blew bubbles, and ate cupcakes.  I love this picture.  I know it is the start of many pictures in which Payton looks at me like, "Mom, are you really taking a picture of me now..."  LOL

Cherries

We have an awesome cherry tree in our backyard.  Last year we had an outdoor cat that "patrolled" our yard and kept all the birds, squirrels, etc away from it.  Doubly awesome.  This year, our outdoor cat seems to have disappeared...fortunately our tree produced a TON of cherries, even with all the thieves.

Dave has been taking the kids out every night to pick more cherries off the tree.  They love it!  They even tried a few of them.  Ha! Ha!

Sprinkler Fun

The weather has been so nice.  Yay!  What a great day to have some fun in the sun with our cousins.  We brought out all our sprinkler toys and headed over to grandpa and grandma's house.

We did have a few choices but the Dora Hopscotch was by far the favorite.  I think because it sprayed water and had puddles to splash in.

Look at those smiles.

Lincoln continues to surprise me with his fearlessness.  Payton doesn't want the water spraying too high and Lincoln just runs in without a care in the world.  Ha! Ha!

Our First Trip to the Pool!

Today was our first trip to the pool.  We all had so much fun.

Lincoln really surprised me. Payton is so cautious in the pool, she is very careful not to get her face wet.  Lincoln on the other hand is very adventurous. On second thought that really shouldn't surprise me...that child has no fear.

He decided that his favorite thing to do was jump off the side of the pool.  He didn't even want help.  Crazy boy!

Even Uncle Steven joined in on the fun.  He was the "nice" monster giving rides in the kiddie pool.  Ha!  Ha!

Happy Happy Hollow

Today was our second trip to Happy Hollow this week.  On Monday we went with my sister and her kiddos and today we went with my mom, Coyo, and two of her sons (Adrian and Damian).

I love that the kids love going and I am not looking forward to the day that they outgrow it. 

The big obstacle we over came today was getting Lincoln on the swings.  It was never because he didn't want to get on them, it was because the employees haven't thought he was tall enough.  He always seemed plenty tall next to the entrance but the stick the employees use seems just enough taller to make a difference.  I felt like the worst mom ever having him go up and check because he would always start crying when they said no.  Well, today the guy running the ride let him on.  Yes!  He was so excited!

Our Sixth Anniversary

I can not believe that Dave and I have been married for six years.  It really doesn't seem like it has been that long.

I feel extremely lucky to have Dave in my life.  He is wonderful and full of all those qualities one would look for in a husband.  Kind and loving, patient and understanding, handsome and funny.  How he puts up with me and all my quirks I will never know.

He is an awesome father too.  Payton and Lincoln absolutely love him to pieces.  Everyday when he gets home and walks through the door, the kids get huge smiles on their faces, run up to him yelling, "Daddy!", and give him the biggest hugs.  I know he has to be exhausted from working all day and then commuting home but to look at him you would never know it.  He walks in and does everything he can with Payton and Lincoln until it is time for them to go to bed.

Dave, thank you for making these last six years so wonderful and for loving me so completely.

I love you!

Shopping for Maternity Clothes

It looks like Lincoln may be a gymnast.  Ha!  Ha!

I took the kids shopping for maternity clothes with me.  They were all over the place in the changing room while I was trying on clothes.  I had a pair of shorts halfway on when I looked up and saw Lincoln doing this.

What's more impressive is that he held it while I said, "Wait! Wait!" and pulled my phone out to take a picture.  :o)

Our Anniversary Date

Dave and I have never really done anything for our Anniversary.

Oh yes, there was the year we helped my sister and her husband re texture and paint the ceilings in their new town home.  Then there was the year we built a deck in our backyard.  Oh and we can't forget the year I was recovering from a C-Section.  Very exciting stuff.  :o)

This year we decided to take Michelle up on her offer to watch the kiddos so that we could go out.

We decided to go to Willow Street Pizza for dinner (where we went on our first date).  Everything worked out perfectly, there was a huge line of people out waiting for tables but since there were only two of us we got a table right away.  What's even cooler is that we sat at the same table we did on our first date.

After dinner we went to the movies and saw The Avengers.  We both really liked the movie. 

It probably sounds like a simple evening but it was so nice to get out and spend some time together.

Park Play Date

We tried out a new park for play group.  Payton and Lincoln loved it!  They played and played.  Ran around in the sun with their friends for over three hours. 

By the time I got home I figured it was too late for them to take a nap so I gave them a bath and put in a movie.  I walked into the room about 15 minutes after the movie started and this is what I found.  So cute!

My Little Helpers

Tonight is Cooking Group.  The topic...Home Made Ice Cream.  Yummy!

I had the kids help me make the ice cream.  They always love adding the ingredients (especially the secret one) and tasting the result.  Ha! Ha!

The Car Ramp

This cardboard box provided hours of entertainment. 

Ha! Ha!  Even Payton joined in on the fun.

A Preschool Fieldtrip

Today we went to Emma Prusch Farm with Payton's preschool class. Payton has been so excited about going.  She has been telling me all about the animals she has been learning about in school and asking if we would see them at the farm.

Payton was raring to go from the start but Lincoln was a little nervous around the chickens and geese and wouldn't leave my side.  But soon he was running along side the other kids. 

Payton was being such a good sister, there were a couple of times that I looked over and Payton had her arm around Lincoln showing him an animal or showing him how to feed the animals, etc.  So cute!

I am so excited for Lincoln to start school.  I know it isn't for a while but he is so fun to watch when he is playing with other boys and not terrorizing the girls...his sister.

I think all the kids had fun not just looking at the animals but running around being kids.

A Happy Hollow Request

Yesterday Payton asked if we could go to Happy Hollow today.  I opened my mouth to say no but paused...thought...and said, "Why not?  Sure."

Evidently, that made her whole day because she waited up until Dave got home from his softball game to tell him about it.

It ended up just being me and the kids that went and surprisingly it went really well.  No real fights and both Lincoln and Payton were happy the whole time. 

We found this cute little cabin at the park that had a picnic table in it and the kids decided that was the place they wanted to have lunch.  It was a little chilly in the shade so I opted for a bench in the sun.  It was so cute, they both kept popping out of the cabin to make sure I was OK and not too hot in the sun. 

 After lunch we followed the park employees to the rides that were open and going.  Always a favorite was the Mini Putt Putt ride.  Poor Lincoln must be just a hair under 36" which is the height requirement for some of the rides.  It is so confusing for him because some employees will let him ride the ride and others will not.  So he was a little bummed when the lady said he couldn't ride on the swings with Payton.

Lincoln turned out to be quite the adventurous little man today.  He was all over the big jungle gym.  All by himself.  He even went down the big slides!  I told both of the kids that if they were going to go up there they would have to do it by themselves and that I couldn't go up there with them.  I was doing my best at keeping an eye on both Payton and Lincoln when Lincoln found a little friend named, Savy.  I think that may have given Lincoln the courage he needed because I turned around and he was going down the big slide. 

They both had so much fun!  And both took naps this afternoon!

Chalk Drawings

Ha!  Ha!  Our front courtyard looks like a police crime scene.

We were outside playing follow the leader and the kiddos decided they wanted to draw on the sidewalk instead.  It started with, "Mommy, can you draw us a flower?"  Then moved to, "How do we draw you mommy?" To which I drew a very nice stick drawing.  :o)

Lincoln then wanted me to draw him and Payton wanted me to draw her and both laid down on the ground.  Thus the crime scene.  Ha! Ha!