Babyitis!

Thomas and I have been discussing the possibility of having another child...I guess I should say I have been talking to Thomas about it. I have many friends who have multiple children, some of which can say they are done, they are content with the number of children they have, they don't want to go back to the baby stage, and are happy with their little or large families, but I have not gotten to this point. I still find myself wanting to add to our family.

Thomas, on the other hand, is happy with our family and he doesn't feel that we need to have an addition. Although, he is so laid back that it doesn't really matter to him one way or the other. He has said though, that if we have another, I have to get up in the middle of the night, he won't do it! So, all this has lead to a case of Babyitis.

Of course, knowing 5 people who were pregnant and all due at about the same time is not helping!!! Kelley, gave birth to Ethan on Monday 2/15, Jennifer also had Sofia on 2/15, Toni had Hayden on Tuesday, 2/16, and Candance had her baby boy on 2/22. Lastly, Laura gave birth to little Loni on Thursday evening! Don't they both look great?!
Hearing all the baby talk over that last few months and holding the little bundle of joys, just continues to add to my symptoms!

I don't know if I should make a list of pros and cons or let nature take its course. I mean as a family of 5, I have to think about Tanner, Tyler, and Tapanga, make sure that their needs are met and to some degree living in the society we are in make sure it is the best for our family...of course, if it happens it happens and we would always do whats best for all of our children...

These thoughts have me wanting to go back in time and remember when my babies were babies...

Tyler was so small...only 4 pounds at birth! This is the night that Tanner and I came home from the hospital, my first time with Tyler since he came home.

Tanner was such a happy baby, he had some of the biggest grins! This is what I need to remember when as a 5 year old he huffs and puffs when he doesn't get his way!
Sweet Tapanga, such a good baby.We have asked the kids their opinion...Tanner would like another brother and sister (twins...thats a possibility! Do I want to go from 3 to 5? There is a chance for that to happen again!) Tyler would like another brother, maybe a sister and Tapanga at first said no, but now she shakes her head yes for a baby.

I have three beautiful babies, if we have another great...if we don't its something to accept, it wasn't in Gods plans!

But...I have been thinking of T names!!!

Helping Hands in the Kitchen

The kids often like to help out in the kitchen and so when we have something they can help with we often let them. The other night we were making spaghetti and garlic bread, so the kids had the job of making the garlic bread by spreading the butter on the bread.

As you may see they take their job very seriously...It is important to Thomas and I to allow them to help out and be a part of what happens in the home and kitchen, because as the kids get older we hope for them to learn about kitchen practices and cooking so that they can take responsibility for some of the cooking that will be needed. One of my future goals is for each of the kids to eventually cook one dinner a night and since we have 3 kids, that's 3 nights I don't have to cook! :)

Odds and Ends

I have a few odd pictures and items to mention from the last couple of weeks, so I thought I would stick them all in one post...

A beautiful rainbow on afternoon outside at the back of the house. Cousin Marijka came to visit, it was the first time they were able to come and visit at the new house. Its always nice to visit with them!

During one of our snow days, I got the kids together and had them fill out their Valentine cards. I made the boys each write their names on all of their cards. Tapanga colored on all of hers!

One of the Christmas presents this year was these personalized pajamas with the snap bottom... Thanks Gram, they are cute and the boys especially love to wear them!

Tanner enjoyed jumping on the snowy trampoline one afternoon.Thomas hung the first pictures in the house finally...these pictures were hung in the eat in dining area of the kitchen...first nail in the wall!

Oh Deer!!!

This is the sight we often get to experience from our windows...lots and lots of deer in our backyard. They seem to like to hang out here. There are about 15 deer in this picture!

The other night when I pulled into the driveway we had about 5 deer right at the beginning of the driveway, 3 more in front of the house by the driveway, and about 5 more in the backyard.

Its always kind of neat to watch the deer, they seem like such gentle creatures, even though I won't try to approach them!

Our Snowman

The other day when we were pulling into the driveway Tyler saw the snowman that we made with the last snowfall and he said, "Hey look its Jack!"

"Jack, whose Jack?" was my reply.

"Our snowman, his name is Jack."

"Oh, you named him Jack?"

Tanner then came into the conversation with, "No, his name is not Jack, is its Carket!"

"What?"

"CARKET, you know Superman!"

After an in depth discussion of our snow mans name, it is decided his name is Jack. We also practiced the pronunciation of Clark Kent.

Jack stayed around for quite awhile, we would tell him bye when we left the house and hi when we returned home. His head melted first, but the rest of him stayed for quite some time. He finally went away one day, when the temperature reached the mid 50's!

The Boys Birthday Surprise!

For the boys 5th birthday we got a snow day!!! Another almost 6 inches fell during the night and with all the snow Mommy and Daddy get to stay home with Tanner and Tyler to celebrate their 5th birthday! This snow was a lot wetter than the last bunch, so it was much easier to make snowballs with, sled in and even make a snowman.

Mommy made the boys a snow cake to celebrate the boys birthday with and even put candles in it!

Lets make a snowman!

Happy 5th Birthday Tanner and Tyler!!!!

"You Have a Mystery to Solve!"

It is time for Tanner and Tyler's birthday. I had been thinking about this for awhile trying to come up with ideas for their party. When the first one didn't pan out, I started looking for something else. The boys have really been into Scooby Doo lately, so I googled Scooby Doo party ideas and found a wonderful site with many great party ideas...taking a little here and little there, we have a mystery birthday party!

My parents kept the boys Friday night so that we could get the house ready and Thomas' parents kept Tapanga. When the boys were coming down the driveway, mom said Tyler noticed the decorations and was very upset that our house was going to be torn down! Then he said "We have a mystery to solve!" How amazing that having no idea about what the birthday party was about, he comes up with that!


It was funny watching some of the kids arrive, because many of them stopped at the bottom of the stairs because of the decorations!


Tyler is a very good observer, he noticed the cupcake stand and said, "Oh we have a spooky house too!"

The boys are getting so big! Its amazing that they are 5!
Once all the kids arrived, we sent them all upstairs where they got their Scooby Doo name tag and Scooby tattoo. For each kids name, I added Doo on the end, so Tanner was Tanner-Doo and Tyler was Tyler-Doo.

After the name tags and tattoos were handed out, I suggested we go downstairs to open the gifts...that's when the mystery began! The gifts were missing! On the table was a ghost clue...

"You have a mystery to solve, because I the ghost of Lafayette have taken the birthday boys presents! If you find me, you find the gifts! Go to the room of the Princess of the house, make yourself a ghost and look for the next clue."

In Tapangas room was a table set up with a ghost craft on it, where each child made a ghost...the kids didn't find the clue right away, but then found it on the floor...

The next clue was found on the floor...as I started reading it, one of the little boys suggested we needed to look in the closet...

nothing was in there!

The clue in Tapangas room read...

"Now you know what I look like...a ghost! A friend of mine is hanging out where cars should park, knock him down and he'll show you the show you the next clue."

This lead to the garage, where we had set up a pinata.




Each kid was able to take 4 swings at the pinata and it still didn't come down...while the moms took their swings the ghost finally fell!

Tanner found the next clue during the mad dash for goodies...

"In the room that's the color of grass you will find some of our favorite things, hunt and seek to find the next clue!"

At Tylers room we found this poster..."Under covers and in drawers, hunt and seek the items to find the next clue."


On each item was written words to the clues, so we had to assemble them...

"You are getting closer...to find the way to me, go to the room where meals are eaten, design your place mats and maybe you won't be beaten!"

In the dining room were Scooby-Doo place mats with mazes and a word search, the kids colored and designed until Leila turned her place mat over and there was the next clue!


"Wow, you kids are good! Hurry, hurry to the room of blue...if your quick you will have solved the mystery, no trick!"

Oh, no, whats in the closet?!

THE GHOST!!

Hey, kids...what does Scooby and friends do with all their masked characters...unmask them!

Its Grandpa!!! (Can you see Tanners face...he was super excited!)

After discovering who the ghost was, each of the kids helped to bring the gifts downstairs, where the boys took no time at all tearing into them!

Then, it was time for cake and ice cream!

While talking with my friends after the party, Tyler comes to me saying someone colored on our wall! WHAT! I was half way up the stairs before I thought to ask, which wall! Turns out it was downstairs in the dining room. With purple marker, luckily, washable purple marker. It came right off, thanks Melissa for thinking calmly!

After a great party and good time with friends it was time to go to dinner. As a family tradition, each birthday person gets to choose a restaurant of choice to go to for dinner. Since we can't go to two different restaurants on the boys actual birthday, we let Tanner choose his tonight...of course, Hananoki!

What a great end, to a great day! I had a lot of fun, planning and preparing for the birthday party this year and I know the kids all had a great time! Well except for poor Leila and Tapanga who were a tad frightened by the ghost, but even then they had a good time! Thanks to all our friends who came out and helped celebrate the boys birthday this year, we had a great time with you!