Sprinkler Fun

My neighbor and friend, Karen bought a new sprinkler toy the other day, so after nap that day, she invited us over for the kids to all play. They had an awesome time!

Easter Morning

We had an early, but nice Easter morning today. We were going to Mass at 8 a.m. so we could leave for Shiner after that and spend the day with Brandon's family, so I had to wake up earlier than usual this morning to get myself dressed and ready for church before getting the kids up, fed, and ready as well besides fitting in them looking over their Easter basket goodies and taking pictures, so we were busy!

The kids forgot about the Easter Bunny coming and this morning when they got their poptarts and were headed to the kitchen table, Lillian said, "OHHHH! Andrew, look!" She was very excited and Andrew came running to the table thinking it was all for Lillian until he recognized his basket and they both went through looking and showing me everything. Lillian got the Tangled DVD and 2 Leapster games besides the fillers and Andrew got 2 dvds as well. I think their favorite thing however were some magnifying glasses so they can go look at bugs outside! ha ha!

After I convinced them to finish their breakfast and put down their Easter goodies, I got them dressed and we took a few pictures before church. Too bad we didn't have someone to take one of all of us, but Brandon and I took turns each taking pictures of each other with the kids. Then we were off to Easter Mass. It was packed of course and I think with that many extra people to pass the offering around to and that many people taking communion, it made it a long one! So I was proud of how well the kids lasted with it being an hour and a half unlike the normal hour. It was a nice service and I loved seeing all the kids in their new Easter outfits.

Family Fun Day

We haven't had a day in ages that we had nothing going on and Brandon wasn't working, so we took advantage of Saturday. We started out with lunch at Mighty Fine Burgers....gotta go there if you haven't ever been when you are in Austin. They make awesome burgers and shakes and it is recognized for being all natural.

Then we took the kids to a movie. This was Andrew's first theater movie experience, so he didn't quite understand we weren't going to buy the movie and take it home. He went in and kept saying how dark it was. He was fussy and wanted to leave throughout the previews. So I was worried, but when the movie started, he watched it and loved it. We saw "Hop." It is about the Easter Bunny. It was a cute movie and Brandon and I enjoyed it too. Andrew walked up and down the stairs during the movie and would go sit in the very front theater seats for a bit and then sit on the steps and then come back to us, but he wasn't bothering anyone and as long as I could see him, I just let him wander. I figured I would be disturbing other people watching less that way.

Then after that, we were home later than their usual nap, but they went down after the morning excitement and napped for 2 hours! It was nice. We all had a good rest before playing outside while Brandon finished up some flower planting. It was nice to spend time together as a family!

First Swim of the "Spring?"

It was in the low 90's today, so my friend and neighbor Karen and I decided we would take the kids to the sprinkler park for the first time this season. However, we got there and learned it doesn't officially open until May, so we were a little over a week early. So we headed back to the neighborhood and took the kids to the neighborhood swimming pool. They had a blast! I was impressed at how Lillian remembered to kick her legs from last summer and Andrew was even brave this year and was walking all around the baby pool which he wouldn't get in last year and was scared. We will be taking swim lessons in June, so I'm glad to know they aren't scared. I'm a little nervous about the weather already being this hot now, but I'm thinking we may be at the pool and the sprinkler parks a few times a week when they are open now because they kids loved it and I think they will sleep very well tonight with all the kicking around they did.

School Easter Party

Lillian had her school Easter party earlier in the day, so I didn't make it to hers, but made it to Andrew's and they had a buffet of some yummy looking stuff! One of the moms made some really cute cupcakes that looked like grass with Easter Eggs on them. Afterwards, I followed them outside on the playground to see them all play and Lillian's class was out there too, so I got to see her too.

Our First Easter Egg Dying

Growing up, we never dyed Easter eggs. We always got those plastic decorated wrappers that when put in boiling water, shrunk onto the eggs. Well, I decided this year that the kids and I would dye eggs since I haven't really done it that I remember. So Brandon boiled them and had them ready and then I mixed the colors and the kids got busy mixing the eggs into the dye. They enjoyed it, but it was stressful for me worrying every second that Andrew would grab one of the bowls of dye and spill it all over the place. He kept grabbing eggs out of the bowls and putting them in his mouth! Yuck! But we all survived and the eggs turned out nice...until they dropped them later on the floor cracking most of them, but still, we did it and had some Easter fun. Maybe with experience it will go a little better next year!

Spring Fun

Brandon was off work today after working the past 6 days, so while Lillian was at her occupational therapy, he, Andrew, and I made a Wal-mart run to pick up miscellaneous things. We saw a huge bottle of bubbles which the kids have been obsessed with lately, so we got a couple of bottles to stock up and while Brandon worked on planting more flowers in our flower beds....which I may say are looking so great this year....the kids had fun blowing bubbles. I've been so excited to get the yard in shape this year after the deadness it was all in after winter and want it to look great for our guests this summer coming to see our new little blessing and to take pictures! Here are some pictures of the kids and the flower beds. (I'm expecting them to get even prettier and will post more pics as they do. Brandon just watered them this evening with the awesome Miracle Gro mix and we are finally going to get some rain tonight!!! Yipee!)

Neighborhood Egg Hunt

I took the kids over to the neighborhood egg hunt this afternoon. They were excited and had a great time picking up eggs and then having a snack and listening to the live music. Poor Andrew has my head cold that I have had for the past 4 days now. He just looked plain tired, but he still enjoyed it. Lillian was all over the place checking it all out and couldn't wait to hug the Easter bunny. Andrew didn't want anything to do with the bunny and kept a watch on him to make sure he stayed his distance! One more week until he visits our house!

Andrew with his eggs

Posing

Lillian with her eggs

Andrew is very into music and loved watching the man singing and playing guitar

Lillian wanted to pose for me today

Lillian as the Easter Bunny

Lillian's First T-ball Fan (besides us!)

Lillian played early this morning at 8 a.m. and it was a cool morning! We had a little front come through last night and it was chilly. So most of the kids were in jackets today, but still played well. Lillian cracked me up today because she was very into playing! She was ready to run out and catch the ball and hit very well! She didn't hit the tee at all and hit it once out to the outfield. She even kept wanting to go out and catch the ball when the other team was out there.

I think she was extra excited because her Uncle Clay was there to watch her. When she hit or caught the ball, she would immediately look over at us to make sure we saw her do it. She ran over and gave me and Clay high-fives. Both kids were very happy to have him there and have been keeping him busy playing this morning after we got home. I wish someone could watch her play every game because she just loves showing off what she has learned to do. Only 2 more games left for her this season!

Baby #3 Update

As many of you know, I've been having weekly appointments the past 3 weeks because Marjorie's heartbeat has been being irregular at my check-ups and they wanted to keep an extra eye on it. It has been doing this on and off. Today I had an appointment at an ultrasound office for them to check and measure her heart and do an echocardiogram. Well, from what they could tell, everything looks great. The heartbeat was normal for them and everything was measuring okay. I was so relieved. It was a painful ultrasound though because baby girl was all bunched up not wanting us to see her heart and so the doctor was pushing really hard on my belly to see it well. So, I'm glad we are done, but glad we got to see her one more time. It was actually the first ultrasound Brandon has been to because he had to work for Lillian's and then when we went for Andrew's Lillian was throwing a fit, so he had to take her outside and missed half of it. So it was nice for him to get to see everything. He thinks she looks like Lillian...I guess we will see. It was very cute to see her in there balled up and you could see her opening and closing her mouth like she was eating the fluid in there. Today I am 26 weeks 2 days along, so we are less than 13 weeks away from her birth! Wow, this is flying by!

Here are two of the sonograms...the first you can sort of tell her mouth is open and then the 2nd is her full profile all snuggled up with her knees on her chest.

More T-Ball Fun

Lillian had her 3rd t-ball game today and I've definitely seen an improvement! I think she is finally into the pattern of what to expect to do. Last week, she was doing her little tantrums about not wanting to go out and bat....just to make me mad and then would be upset if she didn't get to bat. But this week, she went out without any forcing from me and just did great. She also hit the ball well off of the tee instead of hitting the tee and stood out in the field ready when her team was out there. I was very proud of her. When it was over, she ran to me and said, "I DID GOOD!" ha ha...she knew she had!

We also took team pictures before the game and this was NOT a fun experience. As the team mom, I was trying to coordinate and have kids there for the pictures on time and of course it was very un-organized and they ran 30 minutes behind...so on top of the 15 minutes early we were there, we waited 30, which made for some frustrated parents and fussy kids...especially Andrew since he wasn't even taking a picture and was just along for the ride. Lillian just stood and frowned when they took her individual picture. Afterwards, though, she was upset that she did that and wanted to re-take her picture and luckily the lady, who was a not very nice person to me, did let her take her picture again, so hopefully we have some sort of smile. I was also in the team picture, so I guess I'll be in these kids' scrapbooks for the rest of their lives...ha ha...at least I was behind them all, so my big Marjorie belly was hidden.

Here are some snapshots from today's game. BTW...we played at a smaller field this time which was difficult because there were no dug-outs to keep the kids contained, but nice because we were closer to the kids to take pictures and talk to them and encourage them during the game.