Easter

Easter morning was lots of fun this year- both kids are old enough to understand that it is a special day and it's not just because of all the chocolate.

Me: Addie, why do we have Easter?

Addie: Jesus rode down the road on a donkey and rose from the dead!

Not bad- I'll take it!

Here are some pictures from this morning. Al had to work all day, so it was nice to have the morning with him.

Alden checking out his basket

Addie happy with her basket's contents

Showing me her almost ear-less bunny. Yes, she got to have this for breakfast- she was offered eggs, strawberries and cinnamon rolls later....

Alden breaking the trend- he started with the legs....

Silly face!


He was a happy camper after breakfast!

So was Addie!


Standing so cute!

Not in the mood for any more pictures-but he is ready to comb someone's hair...


Sweet siblings

Waiting with Grayson for the super yummy meal "Miss" April made for us!

Finding eggs at Grayson's house


Showing off their "loot"

Sharing her candy with Daddy who had to go back to work after lunch.

Addie's New Friend

Addie has a new "friend"- The Giant Pickle. She is not to be confused with the Giant Pickle in the Veggie Tale's version of David and Goliath- this Giant Pickle is a girl and she likes to wear pink dresses. About a week ago, Addie started talking about her friend, Giant Pickle, waving to her as she was playing outside while Addie watched her from her seat whie eating breakfast. We often pass places where Giant Pickle is working- at a school she is a teacher, at Dunkin Donuts, she is having donuts, at a chicken coop (there are a LOT of them around here), she is cleaning chicken poop, at a random house, she's either babysitting or folding laundry. The list goes on and on- clearly Giant Pickle is VERY talented. Often she also is sitting in the space between Addie and Alden's carseats- she was actually "helping" Addie and Alden share a snack the other day. Today, she and Avery wore matching Easter dresses and she even helped Addie find eggs during the Easter Egg Hunt. Giant Pickle is a big part of our lives now- and I think it's pretty cute!

Addie and Giant Pickle

A Week in Review

We have had a fun-filled week! I'll tell it with the pictures....


Alden is really into building train tracks on the floor- and he's pretty good at it, too!


Addie gave herself her first haircut- it was an accident and I take full responsibility. I left out on the bathroom counter a pair of baby nail clipper (like scissors)- she picked them up while we were brushing teeth one night, and opened and closed them- just a tad too close to her hair but her cowlick was a bubble and just close enough to her scissors that she ended up cutting it.... This in uncharted territory for me since she was born with hair longer then this!!


She dyed eggs in preschool and made this cool hat- notice she gave all the animals eyes and smiles, she even gave them a side profile- 1 eye and 1/2 a smile! She's a smart cookies my girl!


Going on an Egg Hunt at The River- it was cold and rainy on Saturday, we joined a church we have been visiting- their youth group was hosting an indoor Egg Hunt and Lunch!


Addie was VERY proud of her found eggs- they we all FILLLLLLLLLED with candy so I'm glad she didn't get that many...


This is the 1 piece I want to eat!


That's my boy- he wants chocolate!!


Our good friends the Troyer's came to visit and Alden conned Jeanette out of some chocolate cake.


Tav read Addie her bedtime story- SO sweet!

Beach!!

This weekend was fantastic! When the kids got up from their naps on Sunday, we headed to the beach. Addie insisted on wearing her swimsuit- and shockingly, it was warm enough to wear it! Normally the beach is cooler then our home, but not that day! Addie had a blast building a sandcastle and collecting rocks, seashells and just about anything she could put in her bucket. Alden was content to just sit on the towel with Al- that is what Strep Throat does to a toddler. It was the most relaxing time at the beach I will probably ever have- and I enjoyed it!

Just arrived - kids ready to put their new pails to use! Thanks MarMar!!

Alden sitting with Daddy- the calmest he will probably ever be at the beach...

Showing me her pail of rocks- I was mainly focused on her cute little face....

Working on her castle

Adding just the right rock- she would hold a rock/shell, look at the castle, walk around it, and then place it on the castle.

The finished product- she was VERY proud of it! It's actually the first one she ever did all by herself!

My 2 favorite men!

Bathtime Fun

The kids were being exceptionally funny the other night at bathtime. They would take turns putting their face in the bubbles, creating a "daddy face" (ie goatee), looking at each other, and laughing hysterically. So sweet!

Silly Addie!

Goatee!

Alden is laughing here, really!

Thankful for Strep

For the last few days, Alden has been "off"- whining, throwing fits for no reason, wanting to be held ALL the time, and then the biggest, he stopped eating. Last night, I slept for maybe 3 hours, and that wasn't all in 1 stretch but in sprinkled amounts of 15-30 min. Poor Alden was screaming in his sleep (how he could be in so much pain but not open his eyes still boggles my mind). He would be holding my hand and squeeze tightly when he needed to swallow- and you do this a LOT.... I had a hunch it was Strep or something bad in his throat. Once morning rolled around and Alden woke-up, I was exhausted and yes, a little grumpy. Thankfully I was able to get him in to see the Dr, and he was diagnosed with Strep Throat. Still painfully tired, but able to focus thanks to coffee and Coke, I was able to make it home, give Alden his first round of meds, and plop him in bed for his nap. I was about to take a little snooze myself, when the phone rang.

Friend's of ours had lost their baby boy- he was due this week. The pain that they must be going through, I cannot fathom. I do know that they know The Ultimate Healer, and are able to rest in Him as they work their way through this raw time in their lives.

This phone call, while terrible, was just what I needed to hear. It helped me stop my gripping, and instead, be thankful. Thankful that I have a baby who CAN get Strep, who wants his Mommy when he doesn't feel good, who feels better when I hold his hand, a little girl who always wants Mommy to read or color with her. I am thankful for little clothes to wash and fold, and wash and fold, and wash and fold. I am thankful for the little laughter and squealing cries that bounce off my walls. I am thrilled to have split milk to clean up, crushed goldfish to vacuum, and a car that is so full of dropped snacks, I could possibly feed a small village.

I feel terribly for my friends- but I am thankful for how they helped me put my night/day, into perspective. God has blessed me with 2 beautiful, spunky, strong-willed, blessings- and I need to remember to be thankful for them in the good and in the bad.

Glasses!

My little 3 yr old Pixie, is needing glasses. For several months, we noticed that Addie would look at the TV, a book being read to her, or even someone across the room, with her head twisted, so that she was mostly looking with her left eye. When I was little, I did the same thing- and I have a pretty severe astigmatism. At her 3 yr check-up, I asked the Dr. about it and she said that it was probably nothing, but I could have it checked out if I wanted....

Thankfully the recommended Pediatric Ophthalmologist had a cancellation so he was able to see Addie today- if not, we would have had to wait until June to see him! After looking at Addie's dilated eyes, he diagnosed her with a horizontal astigmatism. He asked if she complained of headaches- because she probably has gotten one any time she has watched TV or read a book. Great- all the times that Addie asked for medicine because she was "sick"- she really was- and told her "No." She needs glasses- a slight prescription- and hopefully the headaches will go away.
Addie came home, all excited about getting "gasses yike Mommy and Daddy!" We went to 4 places before we found ones that we liked and that fit her little peanut face! What was neat, was that they were ready in 1 hr! She put them right on and hasn't given us any trouble about wearing them- yet.... We were warned that it may take up to a week for her to warm-up to them and be willing to wear them full-time. Just walking out of the mall, she got compliments on how adorable she looks! I think she's adorable- and certainly MUCH more grown-up looking!