Almost there

It is dead month for me. I can't believe how much homework I have to have completed in a month. 3 and half weeks and I will be done... again. The only thing standing between me and completion is a couple thousand words. I am freaking out a little bit about all that I have to accomplish (how much can I really BS?) I will get through this, I will pass. All for some stupid license that I don't even want to use!!!! At least there is no math involved.

quick update

We spent Spring Break in Pacific City welcoming back Heather from her six month travels. It was amazingly nice for the Oregon Coast (we were only locked inside one day!) and we spent a lot of time outside enjoying the beach. Elie could play in sand all day long!



This was the only time Lainey was awake at the beach so we needed it documented!



Tide pools. It took a little convincing to get Caelan and Elie to touch the anemones.







My peanut butter cookie brownies! Yummy. (Thanks for the peanut butter cookie recipe Leslie)



Before Spring break we went to the circus. It was great fun and all the kids enjoyed it. Elie almost died, so that was fun. Thanks again Pete for saving her life!



Lainey is five months old in two weeks, I can't believe how the time has flown. She is such an amazing kid. She smiles all the time and giggles constantly. She is getting to the stage where she LOVES watching Elie and will just giggle away at all of Elie's antics. This week, she was in her swing laughing hysterically while Elie, Caelan and Adelaide took turns growling in her face. I can't wait to see what kind of kid she is going to be.

My week of baking

I caught the bug this week. I made pumpkin chocolate chip muffins and jam muffins (both were yummy) then I baked a Devil's Food Cake and Leslie and I did this to them...



We were practicing because we are going to make about 300 of these in various forms for my sister in law's wedding this summer.

Then for my mom and sister's birthday I wanted to make them both a special dessert and one likes berry and one likes lemon, so I made lemon curd and was going to make everyone individual pies. I ended up making them all berry, but it was still fun for everyone to have their own little berry pies! (I used muffin tins, a stroke of genius I thought)



I have more planned for this week.

Warning to friends and family

My dear, sweet, verbal, manipulative three year old has been doing some language/reaction experimentation lately. A new common thing is to say things like "I don't love him/her a lot, only a little bit" or she'll find a present someone gave her and try and give it back. Lucky for me, I have been called everything under the sun by angry kids (my favorite was "poopyhead baby stranger") so I can brush it off without taking it seriously and I encourage you to do the same (if you are lucky enough to have this directed to you). We have been talking a lot about kindness and feelings, but I also don't want to make a big deal about it because that just gives her power. Oh, age two, how we miss you.

complaining

So the last few days Lainey and I have been suffering from a cold. Elie, miraculously seemed to be only afflicted with a cough. (That sucks by the way, to be sick, to have a sick baby and to still have to keep up with an energetic 3 year old). Last night, I was absolutely exhausted. Nick was out of town (he went up to portland to get a massage!) so Elie was in bed by 7:30 and Lainey and I were in bed by 8:30. It took me an HOUR to fall asleep. I was so frustrated. Then after an hour, Lainey woke up. She didn't fall back asleep for another hour and a half. 20 minutes after I feel asleep Elie woke up coughing so I put the humidifier in her room. Right after I fell asleep again she called me in because she was afraid of the animals in her room, and then again because of the smoke detector and then again because she had snot and then again because the door was shut all the way. FINALLY another hour of sleep and then Lainey again up for an hour and a half. Another two hours and Elie again because she woke up and decided she wanted to wear a sweater to bed(?) followed by another hour before Lainey was up for good. Long, long day followed by an even longer night. Needless to say I have very little patience today. My only consolation is that Nick's massage was deep tissue and he is sore today.