Puppy Love

Typically Andy is the one to put Dakota to bed at night. We used to keep the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs to be sure she didn't wander around and get into mischief while we all slept. But since Parker became mobile, we had to move it up to the top of the stairs. So last night I told her it was time to go to bed, removed her leash, and sent her downstairs. I no sooner closed the gate than Andy stopped me. "Oh no, you have to walk with her downstairs and tuck her in!" Who are you and what have you done with my husband? I think someone is growing rather fond of the dog! They've been spending more time together lately; Andy takes her out every other morning for a run around the neighborhood in preparation for Spencer's 5K at school. Since we got a dog trainer's help, Dakota has been minding her P's and Q's a little better too.

Easter Eggs and Toothy Grins

Our Easter eggs this year were full of personality. With all their accessories, it was hard to store them in the fridge, so I took pictures to remember how cute they were.

The "girly" one was my creation.

Parker has no idea how lucky he is to have two doting big brothers!

He's getting better at standing straight (this was taken a while ago). He's still pretty proud of himself when he does it though.

Parker giggles whenever we get out his books. I love that my kids love reading!

Carson was in the middle of some sort of adventure, but he "paused the game," as he puts it, to be part of the picture.

Here's our little clapper. If someone even says a word that sounds like "clap," he starts applauding. He also waves "bye-bye" and most recently he babbles in a low, growly voice. Andy calls him Satan Baby when he does that. It's funny to hear it coming from such a sweet little baby face.

A tiny king!

The Mouths of Babes

Carson and I just had a thought-provoking conversation. We were discussing the difference between biological relatives and relatives by marriage. We broke down the genealogy, and referencing in-laws, he asked, "So people just stick with the family?" Yep, in today's world, not enough people "just stick with the family." In-laws are often quite different from what one is accustomed to, but they are lovable nonetheless. A spouse comes as a package deal--love me, love my family (or at least try to). I was blessed with some good in-laws and extended family in-laws. Here's to "sticking with the family!"

Little Boys and a Dog

Spencer participated in his first Pinewood Derby! It was very exciting, though stressful for Andy. It's one of those things I'm happy to check off as a dad responsibility (along with camping, using a urinal, and eventually attending the school's maturation program)!

Anxiously awaiting his turn on the track....

This is the car.... It didn't win first place, but it wasn't last either. They got an "E" for effort.

Here comes the yellow Spencermobile!

"Shaking hands" with Dakota. He loves to show off her tricks and play "Fetch" with her squeaky toys. She doesn't care if the kids don't throw them very far; she's just thrilled to have someone play with her. And she still expends plenty of energy hopping around, panting and waiting for the next toss.

He thinks everything she does is adorable. Apparently he talks about her a lot at school. I discovered a little book series about a dog detective who looks like her. He read the first book in one day!

Dakota and Parker are best buds, too. They spend a lot of time lying on the floor together. Parker holds out his hands and grabs a handful of fur, and Dakota gives him an occasional lick, which sends him into peals of laughter. We really couldn't ask for a better dog for little kids.

Aww, isn't she sweet? She likes to lie down on me at night when the kids are in bed. Sometimes she forgets how large she is, though. She gets as close as possible and then WHUMP! flops down on me!

In other news, Parker has four teeth, two on top and two on bottom. He is rolling all over the house. Tonight I left him sitting by the couch while I gave Carson a bath. By the end of the bath, Parker had rolled himself across the living room and down the hall to the bathroom! Sometimes he gets up on his hands and knees, but it's still easier to roll. He LOVES to clap! He spends many hours each day clapping for no particular reason. He recently added waving bye-bye to his repertoire. It's nowhere near as fun as clapping though. We'll keep working on it!

Playing Catch-Up

These kids are changing faster than I can blog! Parker no longer fits into the pajamas he's wearing in these first pictures.

He still loves his Christmas teddy bear. That makes me happy. Even at my age, I still love stuffed animals!

Getting an early start to his reading skills. #1...holding the book!

Parker finally got his two top teeth. This picture was on one of those super-slobber days before they came in.

Carson got this baby tent when he was about the same age. They love having their own little space to play.

I love this outfit. Not only is it adorable, but it's also soft and huggy.

Spencer and his good buddy, Jake from across the street. They are in the same classes at church and school and they play nearly every weekend. Jake even has a dog named "Kota" (not sure if it's spelled the same), but his dog is smaller than Slippy. It's a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix. Our Dakota could probably step on him if she's not careful!

We all love to lie on the floor and giggle with the baby.

Those are my boys, the rednecks. Let's hope they grow out of this grocery-sack muscle shirt phase soon!

I got three of the four to look at the camera--75 % isn't bad!

The Latest

First, some pictures...

I bought Parker these jammies because I think they are adorable. He looks like such a little man in them and he is so soft and squeezable too!

He loves balls (and balloons when supervised) so he can slap his hand on the side and make noise.

Spencer is an adoring big brother.

I also bought him this outfit because it was adorable, but then I had to hurry and take a picture before he grew out of it!

Spencer is always asking for trouble when he does stuff like this. Parker, of course, likes to play in his hair and sometimes pulls it. He can get away with that because he is the cute baby brother.

In other news, Carson had to get his kindergarten shots today. When I broke the bad news this morning, he just looked very serious and said stoically, "Okay." I got a pertussis booster myself, so I went first. When it was his turn, he tried not to cry, but when you get three shots at once, who wouldn't?? We went out for cheeseburgers afterward to soothe our sorrows.

Carson's preschool teacher is a huge BYU fan. She told the kids she was following the basketball team and she might have to cry because they were losing. Carson told her, "I don't cry when my team loses. It's about having fun, not just about winning!" She enjoyed that.

Parker recently learned to play Pat-a-cake, and he used to do it with one hand open and the other in a fist. Today he figured out how to open both hands so it makes a good clapping sound. He has been applauding most of the afternoon!

The other day Parker and Carson were playing on the floor in Carson's room. Parker started to cry so I went in to pick him up. Carson explained that he had turned over on his tummy and bonked his head on the fresh air return vent. (Not in so many words, but I figured out what he meant.) He went on, "And that would hurt for a not-very-much-haired person!"

Lastly, I let Carson watch a new (to us) show on PBS today. He was just telling us that it's a show about science. "Today we learned about inertia!" he said. That caught me off guard! Spencer gave him a weird look. "Inertia! Who's that?" he asked.

February Swim Lessons

While Spencer was out of school last month, I signed up the kids for swim lessons again. It was fantastic because there were only about six kids total in the whole place!

On the last day of lessons, they let the kids play on the slides and stuff for a few minutes. I finally convinced Carson to go down the little kid slide. He did it first thing, just so I'd stop nagging!

Spencer went down the big kid slide! He can now propel himself all the way across the pool, using alternate strokes. At this point he just needs lots of practice to improve his form and endurance. I'm so proud of him! At eight years old, he can swim lots better than his mother!

Carson is still getting over his apprehension, but that's okay because he's only four. I think with time and repetition, he'll conquer it. He's a trooper, though, never whining about going to swimming. He "takes it like a man," as Andy says.

I told him to look like a frog, and he did a remarkable job!