Artistic Spiderman

I've been inspired by Pinterest lately to do some re-decorating, and painting the kitchen was something I did two weekends ago. I also painted the chalkboard and cork board that were in the mudroom a cream color and then moved them into my new blue kitchen so the boys could draw on it. Ethan broke the chalkboard in by drawing me a picture. When he was done he said, "Mom this is a picture of you. It shows how I feel more in love with you every day." Ah, he's going to make some woman very happy one day with his romantic side. As long as she can handle his mood swings...

5 Months

My girl is closer to 6 months now than 5 months, but better late than never, right?! It's been a fun last month as Harper is becoming more engaged with her surroundings. She's really close to rolling over, but lifting her head up seems to be a really big task thus far. (she graduated to the 60th percentile in head size at her 4 month check up...35th in weight and 20th in height) She still has refused to take a bottle, so I am attempting to get her to start a sippy cup. It's been our breakfast entertainment watching her try to get the cup to her mouth. The boys do not understand what is so difficult about it! She's obsessed with her hands and constantly has them in her mouth. I keep trying to give her a pacifier thinking it might be an easier habit to break, but she'll have nothing to do with it. She also seems like she has a lot to say if she could just get the words out. When someone talks to her, she gets her mouth all ready but all that comes out are coos. It's pretty cute. I am hearing that she looks a lot like Owen these days...with a smaller head. Thank the Lord.

The Many Faces of Ethan

I found a good tutorial online on how to make eyes in pictures stand out/sparkle. The whole photography and image editing world is completely overwhelming at this point, but I decided I need to at least try it out. I asked my trusty model, Ethan, to head outside and strut his stuff so maybe I could get some good pictures of his eyes. (I promised a cookie if he would stand still and not keep running off) He's my very emotionally in-tuned child, so it was hilarious asking him to show me "sad"...give me "angry"...how about "happy"...."sad"..."scared"? (I've always thought him watching Thomas the Train and observing all their moods and faces helped develop this side of him, but Owen has watched the same thing and could care less about emotions. He seems to have two emotions: happy or really unhappy...) I'm not sure I got any stunning photographs, but I was able to start playing around with making his eyes stand out a bit more, and we both enjoyed a nice cookie after all the hard work!

Brothers

The boys are having more and more fun playing together these days, but Ethan still is a bigger brother who enjoys getting a rise out of his little brother. This particular day they started out riding together and singing as they went down the street. Until Ethan started going down the driveways. Then anytime he'd go up an incline, Owen would freak out thinking he was about to fall out. Ethan would laugh a horrible laugh, Owen would scream...then they'd be fine...till the next driveway.
Harper is taking notes for now. I'm sure she'll put all that she's learning now to good use some day soon.

Grandma Debbie

Chris' mom and her husband, Lynn, came to visit last weekend. They drove the "bus" here, and the boys thought it was the coolest thing being able to drive around in a vehicle with a bed, couch, kitchen and bathroom in it. That really is the way to travel! The boys loved playing on the bus and drinking peach water (a Grandma Debbie trademark drink). We had a fun Saturday that started out with crepes and smoothies at the Farmer's Market, and then the boys took Debbie and Lynn to the pool to show off their swimming skills. That afternoon a random rain shower hit, and the boys entertained us all with a dance party in the rain. It was so fun having them here and making memories! Now if we could only talk them into borrowing their bus to take a few trips of our own...

My boys

It's been sooooo hot lately. We've stayed inside more than usual because of the heat, and it's been fun watching the boys entertain themselves and seeing just how different that looks for each of them. Regardless of the heat, Owen wants to be outside mowing or playing in the sandbox. This particular day he was playing "Dad" and was wearing his stuffed dog in his "moby wrap" (aka shirt) as he mowed. Ethan, however is completely content sitting inside imagining a whole world with his action figures or acting something out himself. As Owen was mowing, Ethan was pretending to be Han Solo in a blizzard looking for Luke Skywalker. It seemed a little weird getting all the hats and gloves out, but whatever it takes to help out his story!

Look out your window...are pigs flying?

My mom is an amazing seamstress. She made me clothes growing up, and now she's making all her granddaughters adorable clothes. Since having a daughter of my own, something has sparked me to be creative in a new way, and I had an urge to learn to sew for the first time ever. (I never thought I'd say that. Ever.) While we were in Stillwater I had my mom teach me how to sew a VERY simple dress for Harper. It is by no means perfect, but it's a small step in learning! I put it on Harper to wear to church today, and it was fun seeing her wear something I'd made!