More Valentine's

Yes, I know the holiday has been over for nearly two weeks.  But, I am very behind in posting about our daily adventures.  I have the best of intentions to keep up with this blog.  I manage to update fairly frequently for a week or two, and then go weeks without posting anything... and it isn't for a lack of "material".  I have all kinds of posts written up in my head and hundreds of photos taken each month.  But, I am busy.  And I am tired.  And the best of intentions doesn't seem to make it happen.

Valentine's Day has come and gone, but I didn't post pictures of our sugar cookie making party.  Ever since finding Amanda's blog I Am Baker I've become increasingly more interested in baking sugar cookies.  She does an amazing job creating and frosting cookies.  Check out her blog.

The kids see her stuff and beg me to help them make them.  I am not one who enjoys making sugar cookies in particular.  It. Is. Way. Too. Messy!  - especially with four children.  This particular day, however, I managed to put aside my exhaustion and bake with the kids.  They were delighted.  And our sweet concoctions, while not looking the best, tasted amazingly good.

Andrew's General Grievous heart shaped cookie!

Valentine Wordless Wednesday

Tenth Tooth

This note is what greeted me when I came home from work last night. The tooth fairy has worked overtime this week. Elizabeth lost a tooth earlier in the week and then lost another one last night.

She takes after her Mama.  She writes notes all the time... and makes lists... lots of them.  :)

More Humor In Real Life

Posting our Christmas letter from 2003.  I love looking back and remembering fun times with the kids.  Hope you do too.

You know that you are parents to three children under the age of 3 when…

• You change six diapers before you leave the house for work at 8 AM

• Your living room floor looks like a daycare center

• Sleeping in means that the kids slept until 7 AM

• You are up at midnight, 2 AM, and 5 AM – and that’s a good night!!!!

• You’re tired but you feel very blessed by the many joys 3 little ones can bring


Humor in Real Life – Snippets from Life With the H Twins

• Our babysitter was reading Andrew a book. Andrew seemed to really enjoy the book and when she got to the end of it he started squealing “Rewind” Rewind!” I guess he watches too many videos.

• Shortly after Alex was born I (Kari) was hospitalized for mastitis. The twins came to visit me and I was in the same room as after I gave birth to Alex. When Elizabeth walked in she said, “Other baby?” She was looking for another baby to bring home. The last time she had been there a baby came home, so….

• A comment from Elizabeth after we went blueberry picking, “Mommy I want strawberries, BLUE ones.”

• A comment from Andrew at the supper table. He was eating peas and picking them up one by one and holding them and saying something. It took me a bit to realize what he was saying, then I figured it out. He was saying “cuddle pea”. Before he would eat it, he would pick it up, hug it and then eat it.

• Elizabeth’s comments as she sat in the airplane waiting to take off, “just a little big noise. Just a little big noise.” Then, after the airplane took off, “Where ground go? Where ground go? I want my ground”

• Andrew, upon arrival at the Denver airport, “Mommy, I like this mall.”

• I was trying to get Elizabeth to go to bed, and asked her to turn her head so that she wasn’t facing Andrew. Later, I heard her talking to herself, “Time stop talking. Go night night. Head backwards. Mommy says.”

• The other day someone asked Elizabeth if Alex were her brother. She replied yes. They then asked if Andrew were her brother and she said, “No, he’s my buddy!”

• Elizabeth often acts as Andrew’s translator. The other day he kept asking me for something at lunch and I couldn’t figure it out. Elizabeth touched his arm and said, “It’s okay Anru. You tell me. I tell Mommy.” Andrew mumbled something to Elizabeth and she turned to me and said, “Fork please”. Perfect translation.

• Andrew and Elizabeth’s favorite activity is playing “elevator”. They’ve decided that the sliding door on the closet in the downstairs bedroom is an “elevator”. They pack up their backpacks and head into the bedroom with their flashlights. They stand in front of the closed door and push the “button” and wait for the elevator to come. Then they open the door, climb inside, shut the door, and say “elevator up”.

Humor In Real Life

I was reading someone's blog lately (can't remember who) and they were sharing humorous things their kids had done.  It reminded me of our Christmas letters from years past and I went back and reread them.  Decided to post parts of our 2005 Christmas letter.

Humor in Real Life – Snippets from Life With the H Kids


• “Nice nap?” - Alex’s comment when I woke up after falling asleep reading books to him at bedtime

• Comments heard from the kids after we did two 360’s on the road driving home from the doctor’s office in a snow storm: Andrew - “Mommy, why we going round and round like a merry go round?” Elizabeth - “Why we going back to the doctor?”

• “Every time I make a homerun someone tags me out before I get to home plate!” (frequent comment by either of the twins while playing ball this summer)

• “What can you do?” (said with a shrug and a smile) - Alex’s comment to me after I jokingly told him he was “one expensive little boy” after we spent megabucks at the pharmacy for asthma medication for him.

• “Toast skins” – Elizabeth’s word for bread crust, which she does not like, by the way.

• “Mommy, when am I going to get an ear CONFECTION?” – Andrew’s question after longingly watching Elizabeth, who had an ear INFECTION, take her pink bubblegum flavored antibiotic.

• “Malia has earrings. I don’t know what number she is, but I think maybe she is a four. And Elizabeth is a four.” Andrew’s comment to me after I told Elizabeth that she had to be older before she could get her ears pierced. What a way to be helpful!

• “Daddy, will you please stop making that noise. My other clients don’t like it!” Elizabeth’s comment to Gordie when he got “silly” and started making growling noises while she was trying to “fix his teeth”. (When Daddy commented that he didn’t see any other clients, Elizabeth said, “The other doctors that are working for me are taking care of them.”)

• The first night Alex slept in his “big boy bed”, Andrew could be heard over the monitor saying, “Alex, I have a few suggestions for you….” He said, “If you get scared you can hug your blankie, or suck on your binkie or get a drink, but don’t call Mommy or Daddy unless you are really really really scared.”


Dialog between siblings:

Andrew – “Hey Elizabeth, do you want to see my truck?” (Pretend truck he made on the couch)

Elizabeth – “Okay”.

Andrew – Do you want to drive it?”

Elizabeth – “No thanks. Beautiful girls don’t drive trucks.”

Andrew – “Oh… but… um… you aren’t beautiful”

Elizabeth – (pause) “Hmm… Okay, I guess I’ll drive the truck.”



Blessings,  Kari

Snuggles with Big Sis

Nathan, I wrote about how blessed you are to have your older siblings.  You are especially blessed to have an older sister who adores you.

Elizabeth was in love with you before you were born. She asked about you all the time, and she loved to pat my belly. She was the only one of your siblings comfortable enough to visit you in the NICU. She made signs for your basinett and she came to hold you as often as she was allowed.

Here she is meeting you for the very first time.

She loved to talk with you when she thought no one was looking.

She came with us to bring you home from the hospital 23 days after you were born!

Her job - helping to carry your monitor and oxygen tank.... she loves to feel helpful.

First time holding you at home.

~ Our special delivery ~

Elizabeth may not dress you up in army costumes or chase you around with pretend guns, but she dotes on you, holds you, laughs with you, reads books to you, plays games with you, carries you around.  When you have babysitters, she is often the person you seek out for hugs or help.  You know that she cares about  you and will always be there for you.

Your favorite thing to do with Elizabeth - SNUGGLE!  Last week you walked up to her with your blanket and drink and said, "Snuggle you".  Then you said, "No say no!".  :)  You were determined to get your snuggle time with your big sis!

More Brotherly Love

Alex, here you are holding Nathan for the first time.

You were thrilled to be a big brother... and Nathan's tubes and wires didn't phase you one bit.

Today's Snippets

Alex, you were so cute last night.  You were talking with Daddy and then (seemingly) out of the blue, you said, "Daddy, when I turn 18 and go off to college, do you think Mommy will give me some of her recipes?  You know, like the ones in her little box by the stove."

Nathan, you were funny this afternoon.  I'm not sure whether the situation was really all that funny as I don't know whether you were having one of your "episodes".  But what you said was adorable.  :)

I was in the craft room helping Andrew with the computer when I heard a thud.  I knew that you were in the livingroom and that the other kids were playing down in the basement.  I called your name and you didn't respond.  Andrew and I ran into the other room and you were sprawled on the floor.  I asked if you were okay and got no response.  After a bit, you said, "fell off".  I asked if you had fallen off the couch and you said, "No, the ground".  I patted the couch and asked if you had fallen "from here" and you again, after some time said, "No, fall off ground.  Right here" and tapped the ground hear you.  It's not funny that you fell, but I LOVE your description of what happened... falling off the ground.  :)  Now if they could only figure out why you do these quirky things like falling backwards for no apparent reason!

Love you guys!  And my gal, Elizabeth!

Blessed

Nathan, you are one blessed little boy to have three older siblings.

I'm not thrilled with their love of guns and playing rough and I'm not thrilled that you're learning all their ways at such a young age.  But, I AM thrilled with the way that they dote on you and play with you.  You follow them around the house, marching, repeating back what they say, laughing.  So sweet. 

The boys have taught you to salute them!  You don't know any better and love it.  When it is time for you to take a nap or go to bed in the evening, the boys ask you for hugs and kisses.  You (usually) oblige... and then the boys say, "Salute Nathan" and you stand at attention and salute!

Just for fun, I went through pictures on my computer to find pictures of you with your siblings.  These are pictures of you and Andrew.  I remember Andrew holding  you in his lap for the first time.  He had been too anxious to try it when you were in the NICU.  When we were changing your oxygen tubing and you were temporarily free from wires, Andrew decided to give it a whirl.  He couldn't stop laughing at you.  He thought you were tickling his legs.

I have so many great memories of Andrew reading to you.  He would lie on the floor and spend long periods of time teaching you about helicopters and machinery.  You would stare wide eyed at the books hanging over your head and you would smile at Andrew.

Andrew pretty quickly got over his fear of holdling you and his fear of your "wires".  He still likes to hold you and is quick to help out when you need something.  You are quick to seek him out when you want something.

I think you are always going to have a special bond!

Little Bits

This is for you, dear sweet Alex.  You spent much of Friday evening asking me to take pictures - "really really really close up" pictures of various parts of your body.  Not sure why, but it doesn't really matter.  :)  You were having fun.  I loved listening to your laughter as you looked at each picture right after it was taken... begging me to zoom in more and more.

So, here it is... little bits of you!

I LOVE your eyes and lashes.

Here are your veins.  LOL.

And, hey, the next time you want me to photograph your fingers and toes...

Please don't bite off your nails.  It is really gross!

And, yes, I do know that you need new jammies.....