When we get to have fun!

These kids know how to play.  And we love to have fun.

Making bead jewelry.

 Bode was kicked out of the bead room so she found her own accessories.

 We got a new mattress and when we took out the old one, we kept it around for a little to let the kids play.  They loved to jump.

 Food time.

 Playing with Casey dog!

 Love those eyes :)

 And we are potty trained.  She has been in underwear since June and doing really well, but finally in the last 2 weeks she will now go #2 on the potty.  We filled up her chart and headed to the toy store.  She picked out feeding stuff and a Dr. kit for her baby.  She loves them and has continued to go potty.  Now she is only in a diaper at night!  We are well on our way :)

 We had some of Jeff's family come and visit the first weekend in September for the BYU vs. Texas game.  Jeff's parents and 3 brothers came in for a quick weekend.  The boys all went to the game on Saturday and the girls stayed home and watched the game.  It was a lot of fun for everyone.

I have taken the girls to a few indoor playgrounds to pass the days before picking up Harrison and to stay out of the heat.  They like it.

And sometimes we stay home and play and they play really well together.  I love those times.  They don't always last long so I love them when they are there.

 Then last week, I pulled Harrison out of school early and we headed downtown to the Children's Museum.  The kids had a blast and after 4 hours, they were still going strong.  If I wasn't worried about traffic, we could have stayed all day.  But they got to play a lot and had a great time.

 They even painted their faces :)  Luckily it washed off very easily.

Bode turns 1!

So excited to be 1!

 I can't believe my baby turned 1.  This is such a fun age and although she is into everything all the time, she is a fun little girl.  She is almost always happy and smiling.  She loves to eat, sleeps through the night (when she isn't teething), and loves to play with her brother and sister.  They don't always like her playing with them (she tends to just take and throw toys or break things), but they do love her.

 She was walking right around 11 months, so now she is walking or running everywhere.  If there is an open door, she will be there to go inside.  She is also really good at closing doors behind her, so we have to be on the lookout when she disappears.  She doesn't answer either so if she can't be found, we usually look in a room with a closed door and find her into something in that room.  We have to be very good about closing the bathroom door especially and the kids (and adults) are working on it everyday!

 She is getting better about playing with toys too.  Most things still go in her mouth and she doesn't play the way the older kids want her to play, but she is getting better.  She got Legos, a tea set, a My Twinn Doll, some clothes and a Magnetic Letter set.  When she opened her toys, the kids grabbed them all and started playing without her.  We talked a lot about making her feel included and I think finally they played with her.

 Then it was cake time.  We went with cupcakes this year.  Vanilla cake and chocolate frosting.

She wasn't quite sure what to think,

but then she grabbed for it.

And she dug in.

Loving it!

Still not as big of a mess as her brother, but probably comparable to Raegan.  We love our little Bode baby and look forward to the next year with her.  Watching her grow is fun and I'm trying to enjoy all the little baby moments and fun!

1st Day of Kindergarten

Well, I did it...I sent my baby to Kindergarten.  It was hard the first day for me, but he was more then ready to go and has loved it everyday since.  He loves his teacher, he has made new friends and is learning so much.  He teacher tells me that he is very good, very helpful and very friendly (I think that last one might get him in trouble someday!).  But for now, he is loving it and I am loving watching him grow.

Meeting his teacher, Mrs. Salazar at back to school night.

Some pictures the morning before heading to school. (August 25, 2014)

 Proud Daddy...

 Proud Mommy...

 Dropping him off in his class.

 Proud sisters too :)

 The first day was the only day that I struggled.  He didn't know any kids in his class, he had never been to a formal Pre-K where I left him and he had just barely met his teacher once before.  So, I kept myself busy that first day getting everything ready for Bode's first birthday and when I picked him up 6 hours later, he still had a big smile on his face and told me that he made a new friend!  I was so happy and relieved.  It took him 3 days to remember his name and by then he had 4 other friends.  He is thriving in Kindergarten and I am loving it.  He's such an awesome kid and I love watching him grow!