Evie's a Big Girl!

So I've been looking for a new bed for Evie for some time now.  Lizzy is getting bigger and we want to move her into the other half of the bunk beds that Joe is already in.  We won't be putting them together, but we do need the bed.

After a couple months of research and a reasonable price limit we finally found the bed she was looking for.  She was specific that she wanted a day bed this time.  We are so excited!

 reminds me how big she's getting and how little she still is all at the same time!

love my girl

Silly Kids!

One of the best reasons for having a blog or writing about the family at all is the chance to chronicle the day to day silliness of raising children.  My kids crack me up, on a daily basis.  Having five kids under 7 means I have five times the chance of being stuck laughing till my belly hurts.  Sometimes it will be Vaughn who strikes a pose that just gets me or hearing Ally giggle like crazy that makes me smile.  The point is that having kids is hilarious and the proof is below.

went in to get him out and this is what I saw.  So funny!

So what are you seeing?  You are seeing my kids fill up a little blue bucket with water and then throwing it into the air to watch what happens.  The bucket did not make it through this activity, but we had a great discussion about how the impact of the bucket caused the water to fly through the air.  Yeah for random science lessons!

We so love our little pool!  Its free and open all year round.  What more could five outdoorsy kids want?

This pool is obviously kid-friendly!

What a great day!  The kids all took a minute to rest.  so cute!

Ok, seriously, how is this picture not just totally adorable?  Vaughn is never where I expect him to be when I go to do my last check of the night.  This one was just such a perfect example of my little V and his massive cuteness.

Sittin' and Smilin'

I'm sure the day after Christmas is always super exciting, but at our house I was only excited about a couple things.  One, my kids were happy.  Two, the toys were not EVERYWHERE, they were localized to only the places I actually wanted to put my feet.  And three, Vaughn sat up all by himself really well!

He's just so darn cute so excuse my excess!

Seriously, look how cute he is!  That smile is the greatest!

Alexandra: My Growing Girl

I can't believe I am writing this post.  It seems like just a few months ago and my sweet Ally - who I totally adore - was born.  She was so cute.  I can't say little because after three small kids, Ally at 9lbs was just not small to me.  


Anyway, I'm super happy to write this post since it shows how far my "little" girl has come in just a short time.  The month of April was a great time for Alexandra.  Besides celebrating her second Easter, which was way more fun for her this year, she also had her first dentist appt, she finally began walking (yeah!), and then began to feed herself with a spoon!  It was a great month for her.

Evie is such a good big sister - 

got Ally all settled before I even signed in

Ally's first dentist appointment seemed to be going well for a little bit.  Unfortunately, the dentist saw the other three kids first for the check ups so by the time we got to Ally she was tired and cranky.  I think the next appt will be more successful.  She did get a good thumbs up though!

you can even see several of the many teeth she has

I am really happy to show everyone now that Ally is totally walking.  In February, right after her 1st birthday, Ally took her first steps.  She totally surprised her daddy and me since it came out of nowhere.  Then of course, I was all excited for a while, but she decided it was a one time deal for a long while.  Then all of a sudden the walking became a regular occurrence.  Who knew?  Isn't it great?

I think I am super excited about the walking for a couple reasons: one, I like the fact that she is a bit more self-portable and a bit more independent and two, I'm really happy it happened before we left Sumter.


I am also excited for Ally to begin feeding herself all on her own.  When the new baby comes I'm going to be a bit more occupied that I won't be able to help her eat.  Chris does a lot anyway, but I help often enough that I think the loss of my help won't be noticed as much.

 wow, that's some crazy hair

 she was very proud of herself, as were we!

Ally is certainly becoming more of a toddler and less of an infant.  I miss that part a bit, but I am so proud of her wonderful progress.  Loves for my newest TODDLER!