Brody & Findley

Had to take some pictures of the boys again in their cute Sunday outfits!!

Findley enjoying the exersaucer. They are both really enjoying these contraptions now!! They are very helpful and keep them very busy and happy while I'm doing other things around the house Okay this scared me at first. Seems a little unnatural. I did check to see if he was breathing before I snapped some pictures! ;) They boys have not been sleeping well with our continuation of trying to wean them from their swaddle blankets. I was getting Ainsley ready for school and trying to hold off on their naps until I got home with them. I guess Brody was really tired. He konked out in the swing and had a puddle of drool in the tray! Ainsley doing belly exercised with Brody. I SHOULD be doing these with them!!! ;)

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A day at the Zoo

Let me just preface that these are all out of order AGAIN! I've got to figure this out.....anyway, this was Ainsley and I's Thursday together. We went with some friends from church to the zoo. We had soooo much fun!! They have a water area where the kids can walk through. At first the girls were a little shy, just putting in one toe at a time, then walking through the water, then wiggling their feet in the water......about 15 minutes later they were sitting in the water and completely drenched!!! Later there are some pictures of Ainsley leaping into the water. Briana and Ainsley chose the birds nest to ride in on the carousel. It went round and round and round...

It was the perfect day....it had rained early and was still overcast. The girls wanted light jackets on. It was sad to see the elephant all by himself. There was also a tribute to the lion that died. They have done some great stuff at the Dallas Zoo to improve on the areas for the animals and the children's play area but these poor African animals!! This is how I remember the zoo - exactly - from my Kindergarten field trip!!! They probably need a little more room. I know they have great plans for improvement they just need a LITTLE more $$$$. Ainsley and Briana watching the tigers. They had a wonderful area to roam and then their was a great elevated area where you could watch them. Here is her leap in to the water! Shortly before she was whining that the boys were getting her wet!? Ainsley and Briana have had a great time together this year. Erin has been so helpful and a wonderful friend to have for myself. She brings Ainsley home from school almost everyday so that I don't have to worry about waking the boys up or cramming food down their throat etc to make it back up to school in time.

Erin, Briana and the penguins Ainsley, Briana and the gorilla Making chimpanzee faces As tall as the emperor penguin Relaxing in the wagon getting a bite to eat! So much fun!!! I was playing with my camera and realized you can change to taking black and white photos. I really enjoy the black and whites so I tried it out this day and was very pleased with how they turned out. You'll definantly be seeing more of these!!

Brody & Findley

Hanging out on their tummies.... They are getting a lot better sleeping without being swaddled but we have a bit to go. They are going to sleep pretty good but they don't stay asleep as long as they used to :( If I cover them with their blanket up to their chest and tuck the end under the mattress so they can't pull it over their face (which they LOVE to do!!) seems to work. Their hands are busy holding on to the blanket instead of pulling out their pacifier and they also get to snuggle with their soft loveys which they also LOVE! So far, so good...

A playdate with Julia

Ainsley's friend Julia came over to play and I've never gotten so much help in my life!! We did make some clay and they had their own "project time" but after that they were all about the boys. Sometimes I worry about this, that Ainsley will want to play without her brothers and her guests want to play only with her brothers but....they seem to both enjoy themselves! The boys were definantly entertained for the afternoon!!

Is it time to get up yet....????

Ainsley has all of a sudden become anti-sleep!! Truthfully, she still goes to sleep very well but always makes a comment about how sleep is boring, how long does she have to sleep, and will wake in the middle of the night asking "Is it time to go to Julia's yet (or what ever the activity is for that day). We bought her a clock and told her until she see's a 7 (we are thinking 7:00 is a good compromise and thank you Chris for this great idea!!!) she can not get out of bed. One morning she came running in our room so proud of herself for waiting. I quickly told her it wasn't time to get up. She immediatly burst into tears running back to her room "But, I saw a seven!" I looked up at our clock - It was 5:38....Ah ha, it must of been 5:37 on her clock. Okay, little flaw we had to explain WHICH number needed to be a 7!!! So then she has become very curious about telling time....the other night she was going to sleep excited that she could read the numbers. Screaming from her room to ours "Mom, It's 7,3,3 (7:33), mom, it's 7,3,4 (7:34) mom, it's 7,3,5 (7:35) and on and on. I responded that she needed to close her eyes or she would be tired and not ready for our day tomorrow. She suprisingly answered "you're right mom, good night" Shortly after she hollered - "and what do the polka dots mean?" Too funny how their little brains are so curious about EVERYTHING!

Mother's Day Morning

Yuuuuummmmy! Does my husband know me or what? This was my breakfast in bed!!! My favorite - chocolate donuts with sprinkles!! And I did get even a more traditional breakfast in bed Saturday morning - eggs, biscuit, sausage, coffee - DELICIOUS! Brody woke up early this morning so we went and cuddled/played in Ainsley's bed. Experimenting with the natural light in her room while we were there.

Mother's Day

Okay, I've once again gotten these out of order. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, seems I'm making things more difficult then need be but I can't upload more than 5 pictures at a time and then the next 5 upload onto the front of my "event" instead of at the end. Any suggestions out there? Brody & Findley hanging out on their pallet on the deck. Being tended to by Granny and Papa Jerry & Brody Ainsley fell asleep on the way home that night - which she hasn't done in a long time. How do you pull a sleeping 3 year old from the back of the suburban? She cooperated and helped Ryan out - this can usually be quite an ordeal after she has stayed up too late being crazy with friends and falls asleep in the car. She had her sense of humor still intact this time and was pretending to be a baby and let Ryan carry her inside. She needed a bath BIGTIME after being outside all day long so we put her in the bathtub and she kept her eyes closed, and a sneaky smile on the whole time trying to fool us that she was still asleep!! Ryan went along with her plan and put her on Brody & Findley's changing table and took it the whole 9 yards! She loved it!! A peaceful end to a wonderful day!!

Papa and Brody - My brother Stephen had us all over for dinner - It was delicious, beautiful outside and the first time he had us out formally to his house for a celebration! Great food, great company, great fun! Happy Mother's Day to everyone!!! Granny and Findley - since we have been weaning them of their swaddling blankets they have not been sleeping well. Findley was so relieved to be able to sleep!!! He fought it and fought it and then finally gave in. Ainsley decorating Uncle Stephen's driveway Mason entertaining Findley Another attempt at sleep. Ryan and I came in with Brody and Findley to let them cool off and hopefully doze off. As the napless days were amounting they were getting a little irritable and just not their happy selves.