ROYGBP, 7/365

Yeah, I know....it's supposed to be ROYGBIV.

Well, our crayon selection was a little limited, 

so this is what you get.

Don't tell Ana I was playing with her crayons without her!

Rare Moment, 6/365

They fight...a lot!

But, I will sometimes find them sitting like this.

Watching a movie.

Or reading a book.

And it makes me happy.

This picture is technically pretty awful.  Out of focus, and underexposed.  I literally found them sitting together in the recliner watching a movie and held the camera up over their heads, focused on who knows what, pressed the button and hoped for the best!  However, there is an awful lot about this picture that I like.  Besides the fact that I caught them actually acting like they liked each other, this one (unlike the others I took of them just looking at the tv) clearly shows how Ian consistently wears his clothes; inside out and backwards.  What can I say, it's his unique style!

Party of Four, 5/365

One of Ana's Favorite Past times is setting up dinner parties for her "friends".  This one was thankfully without the usual sneaky trip to the faucet for "tea".

Yes, those are the same pajamas she was wearing in the last photo.  They are new, and the current favorite!

Yes, she has worn them all day...

To the store even...

And probably will, 

barring a pajama catastrophe, 

wear them to bed again tonight!

A Comfy Spot, 4/365

Lately, Ana has taken to falling asleep in the hallway right outside her bedroom.  She's going through an "I'm afraid of my room" phase, and is having a hard time falling asleep.  I don't know if it's the comfort she feels that she can see and hear Ian in the next room better, or she can hear us better downstairs, but this is how we have found her for three nights in a row now.  She then wakes up and crawls into bed with us (that is; me, Greg, and Ian who still joins us as well).  While I don't mind sharing my bed with my kids at all, I'm afraid we are all suffering in sleep quality.  Ian is a BEAR in the morning, Greg and I ache from sleeping in contorted positions trying not to squish our children, and though Ana is perfectly chipper first thing, it is obvious by mid afternoon that she is exhausted.  Life is not so good when Ana is exhausted!  She sure looks cute curled up in this new favorite spot though!

Febi's Piggys, 3/365

Febi's Piggys, 3/365

Febi, 99% of the time!

I watch my nephew and niece on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  I love that I'm building lasting relationships with them, but I'm not going to say it's easy peasy!  Having four kids 4 and under running around is absolute chaos sometimes; and that's when they are all getting along!  When they are fighting, arrgh!  Cooper and Stevie have a love/hate relationship for sure!  However, I must say that Ana and Stevie were the same last year, but are best buddies now, so I'm sure next year this time the boys will be good pals!  But there are moments.  Moments where they are getting along; playing together, doing the same thing; that I can have a few moments to enjoy the little things about having a baby in the house; like tiny toes!  I love baby feet, and Febi has some pretty cute little 5 month old feet!  So while the kids were engaged in play dough yesterday morning, and Febi was napping, I took the opportunity to snap a few pictures of her.  She really is such an easy baby, in all her sweet chunkiness!

rolling out the dough takes
a lot of concentration!

making a "guy"!

Play Dough for Ana usually means some sort of "cooking"!

Another favorite game recently.
Pretending to be Elves in the workshop.
Can you tell who the Head Elf is?

A Treasured Gift, 2/365

A Treasured Gift, 2/365

I know.  Kinda boring.  However, my camera battery died earlier in the day and I couldn't find the backup one so the first opportunity for a picture was after the kids were in bed; after I was exhausted, and uninspired.  Anyways, the subject of the photo is pretty important to me.  This was a gift from my kids for Christmas.  Greg bought me a Keurig, and I love it!  I'm the only one who drinks coffee in the house, and I'm not a big coffee drinker at that.  I really do enjoy a nice cup of coffee or tea in quiet moments while reading, or as an after dinner treat though.  It has never made sense to have a coffee pot, so I've been drinking decaffeinated instant for quite a while, and it's been doing the trick, but it's nothing compared to a fresh brewed cup of coffee!  I think it was Ian who thought a pair of slippers (from Ian) and this coffee mug (from Cooper) would be the perfect gift to go with it (along with a very thoughtfully picked out skein of yarn and knitting needles from Ana).  To be honest, this isn't the exact mug they gave me.  Unfortunately, the original one broke after the first couple days.  Someone knocked it off the counter and it shattered.  It was a little different, saying "Live, Love, Laugh" instead, but when I went back, this was the only one they had.  I do love it though; it's very fitting isn't it; as my children are my greatest blessings!

Cooper's Guys, 1/365

Cooper's Guys 1/365

I made this little toy for Cooper for Christmas this year.  I saw the idea here while trolling the web for some homemade gift ideas, and knew I had to make some!  It's amazing how wooden candle cups, peg dolls, and a little soy paint can make for hours of toddler fun!  He calls them "my guys", and loves to sit at the table matching them to their cups.  When he completes his task he yells, "Yay!!" and claps his hands, so proud of himself!  I will definitely be making more of these for gifts!

Yay!!