Painting with green beans

We are at the age of fun activities. So today we painted with green beans. We did this one while daddy was at work.....he doesn't like these kind of messes :) Really the pictures say it all.

I had to demonstrate..

Maarii got it right away..

Gunner thought "what we aren't eating it!"

Hunter was very focused

Then we played in the hall.
And mama hosed down the high chairs!

We have a little zebra.....

We have a little zebra......just a little stuffed animal that came on our $5 playmat that we have outgrown. Gunner and Maarii have a favorite toy......a little zebra! This morning Maarii got the zebra first she was very happy with it...then Gunner came and took the zebra! Gunner knows how to take and use his strength to get what he wants...silently. Maarii knows how to cry and get mama to save her! They are starting to fight over toys, but they aren't to the stage of take the toy and go play in the corner where nobody else can get you. No, they are in the stage of "See the toy I took from you!!!" "Let me play with it and a flap it in your face!" "Mom, I don't know what she's crying about!" I usually return the toy to the takee and try and redirect the taker. Today that did not work, this is what we resorted to!

Hunter decided that he didn't need a zebra, he wanted to practice walking!

And all this before 7:30am!

Here we go a wandering........

Today was a big day for us! So exhausting that the trio had to go to bed am hour early. The kids and I went on a beautiful 2+ mile walk. It was beautiful the weather was amazing at 80 degrees, I can't believe we live in such a beautiful area! It was also nice to spend that hour with Noah, he is growing up so fast!

The babies also got to hang out with our puppies today. Our 2 wildest kids, Heidi and Hasslehoff (after David haha.) they did great the puppies were drive by kissers and Gunner loved it! He was excited and wanted to pet them. Hunter wasn't sure about all the kisses but he was interested. Maarii did NOT want them to get to close so she stayed in my lap making worried noises. Now our 2 "puppies" are 2 black lab and german shepherd mixes so they are Big! Heidi was adorable and wanted to lay next to them, and Hasslehoff is crazy and liked to run around them and go in for quick kisses. It was a good first hang out for everyone.

Gunner is walking!

I am just so amazed and blessed every day to be the mama to these sweet kids! Gunner has decided to start walking! He started on Father's Day by taking a couple steps to get to his Uncle Nick, (who all the babies love.) Then the other day I saw him take a few steps from the gate to the chair, Noah saw him walk across the room while I was doing laundry. Then he walked for me!!! I was getting everyone's diapers changed and jammies on for bed and he decided to walk from the fence to me! I was so proud!! So of course I had him walk for me again and we had to show it off when daddy got home. Gunner is my silly, quiet but oh so busy little man! He has been the first to crawl, first to pull himself up to standing, and first to climb up on the furniture. Oh did I mention that he used one of his toys as a step so he could climb up on the couch and look out the window??? He was pretty proud of himself! I am sure that Hunter and Maarii will be following my little leader soon. On another milestone, Gunner is getting his 5th tooth which makes his grins even more adorable!

She's the brains of the operation.....

Josh is always saying that Maarii is the smart one..... Not that the boys are not smart cookies too, but Miss Maarii is just blowing me away with all the new things she is learning! This week she has started imitating sounds and basically talks with you. I was sneezing a lot and she started fake coughing every time I sneezed, so Noah has gone around the house fake coughing and she copies him as well. When I am changing diapers or getting the babies dressed I tell them to come here and make a come here motion by opening and closing my hand. Yesterday Maarii was upset and she started making that same hand motion at me because she wanted me to come and get her. Now she is doing it all the time and is imitating me when I do it also. I am going to have to start teaching them some basic sign language signs! Maarii loves story time before bed, her favorite story is the baby animal book where I make all the animal sounds. I sit them in a row facing me while I read and she sits there rocking back and forth a little bit and just cracks up at all the sounds! Her laugh is hilarious she does a little cackle and it is deeper than the boys.
She is pulling herself up and standing and also army crawling. She isn't quite as quick as the boys so she does get beat up on a little bit. I caught Gunner sitting on her back using her as a chair! He was very happy with the situation but she was very upset! I heard her screaming the other day and found her trapped under the toy box with the boys trying to sit on top of it. She will be tough and able to defend herself soon enough so the boys better watch out!

V is for Vacuum

It is so funny how we can already see the little and big personalities emerging from the trio. Yesterday I was vacuuming for the 2nd time under their high chairs (YUCK!) this is the price I pay for finger foods :) Anyways I had the 3 out with me and I started up the vacuum......their reactions were priceless! Gunner is my adventurer as soon as he saw that vacuum moving and making cool sounds he wanted to be on it! So as I am vacuuming I have a little boy crawling and chasing the vacuum all while stopping to laugh and clap his hands in excitement! If he could have he would have ridden it haha! Now Hunter is my little follower he loves to see what Gunner is doing so he was sitting next to us all excited and chewing on the cord. Maybe he was more of the cheering section on this one :) My sweet timid Maarii was not sure about being left behind by her brothers but she did not want to be so close to that loud machine! So she sat in the background making worried faces and calling out to the boys. Such silly kids! It does make vacuuming more interesting!

moments in may

the new things this month! Noah ran track this year and qualified to go to state, we are so proud of him! he is graduating from 8th grade next month and getting ready for high school, YIKES! he has a girlfriend..... Gunner and Hunter are speed crawling and pulling themselves up to stand at all the furniture. Maarii is army crawling and is just behind the boys in all their mischief! There is lots of hair pulling, pinching, grabbing each others faces, crawling over and on top of each other.........and temper tantrums! temper tantrums when I take away things they shouldn't have, when they have to give back toys or pacifiers they have stolen from somebody. along with that is the laughter, playing peek-a-boo, hiding behind the chair and laughing at each other, just sitting next to a brother or sister and laughing. giving baby hugs and kisses, all the tickle time they are even tickling each other, laughing when one discovers an escape path out of baby jail and the others follow, discovering the doors and rooms down the hall together. this last month has been so much fun! all of the kids are growing and learning so much and I am so grateful to my husband for making it possible for me to be home to see and treasure every moment! !