Each child...

Each child has their own personality. I'll post a few pictures and comments on each. I know most people are probably tired of all my posts being about my kids...but when something else besides taking care of kids happens in my life...I'll let you know. ;)

Each week in school they study a different letter. Last week was Pp week and so on Friday they got to wear their pajamas and they made pancakes in class. I really like Christopher's teacher...she does so many cute things with them. This is Christopher before school in his baseball pajamas and giving us a superhero stance. For some reason Christopher was really worried about eating pancakes at school. He said he would just rather have me make pancakes and put them in his lunch box. But we talked about it and I told him that he should at least try them. He did and ended up liking them and having a fun time. Our little apprehensive Christopher. He is getting braver though.

Michael got this puzzle ball from my mom for his birthday. It came a few weeks late so we just did it a few days ago. It actually was for much older children so it was one of those things that mom ended up doing and the kids helped. The pieces were all numbered so they did help me find the numbers. It's actually pretty cool and really sturdy since all the pieces are a heavy plastic. Michael has been carrying it everywhere (with a few drops and repairs). He calls it his "trophy" that he got for doing something nice. As you can see, the superhero costumes are getting some use...Michael wears his at least twice a week..whenever it is clean. Michael is very careful with the things he plays with or when he is drawing. He focuses on one toy for weeks before he forgets about it and moves on to something else. (He has a toy fox in his right hand that never leaves his side).

Annie is quite the little jabberbox. We are discovering that we really should have gotten a 3 bedroom apartment because she kind of needs her own space. At night if I try to put them all to bed in the same room, it just doesn't happen. Annie gets the boys all riled up and talks for so long they can't go to sleep. So I've started putting her to bed in our room and then I move her later after everyone is asleep. This means I have to do 2 bedtimes, but it's okay. I read stories to the boys first (we are reading chapter books with very little pictures and they do pretty good to just sit and listen and imagine what is happening). Then they go to sleep pretty easily and I go in and read to Annie. Reading to Annie involves a lot more conversation but it is so funny to hear what she has to say. Then I lay down with her for a few minutes while she talks and talks and then I go out. Sometimes I will come back and find her asleep in the rocking chair like this.

Jacob is a funny little guy. I like this picture of him cause it's cute and kind of quirky. Jacob is pretty content during the day. But in the evening time ( of course right when I need to fix dinner) he gets really fussy. All of my babies have had their fussy time....from gas or whatever I don't know. But I just have to hold him the whole time and he does better. After I get the kids in bed is our time to hang out. We come downstairs and read or watch a movie. It's fun to just hold him (even if he's crying). He's starting to get his little personality which is fun to watch.

The Evolution of Sleep and the Smile

How to fall asleep: Drink lots of warm milk and have mommy burp you and then prop you up comfortably on a pillow next to her. Start to close your eyes. Close them a little more. Close left eye more than right eye.
Finally drift off into sleep.
I love to watch babies fall asleep. Especially when I know they other kids are asleep and I can finally sleep as well. :)


And here is the first decent picture of a smile. It's so hard to catch a picture of Jacob smiling, but this one is pretty cute.

Jacob had his 1 month visit last Friday and he weighs 10 pounds 3 ounces which is 60%....so it's obvious he's a good eater. :)

Hard Lessons

So, with Christopher in kindergarten he has the joy of getting invited to all his friends birthday parties. I remember being excited when I got invited to birthday parties when I was little. But it hadn't dawned on me until he got his first invite that people would have these parties on Sunday. Of course, I know Sunday is just a part of the weekend to lots of people, but that didn't really effect Christopher until now. Today he got his second invitation to a party on a Sunday. The first one I didn't really tell him about because I didn't want him to be too dissappointed, but I showed him this second one and he was so excited. So I told him it was on a Sunday and asked him if he thought it was better to go to a party on Sunday or go to church. He's such a good kid he said we should go to church.....but he said it through tears. He really wants to go to the party, but knows that he should go to church. We talked about how there are lots of kids in his class and someone is bound to have a party on a Saturday (I hope) and he can go to one of those parties. I felt so bad because he was so sad about it. I'm not sure what I would have done if he chose the party when I gave him the choice. :) Plus, both parties so far have been at the martial arts center...don't ask me why...maybe all these kids are in karate together??? Any advice on how to handle these types of parenting situations....I hope I didn't guilt him into choosing church.

Trying to get a good picture

I needed to get a picture of ALL my kids together at once so we took a few quick ones Sunday morning. I know they aren't great but at least they are all together. Annie is so funny and cheeses it for almost every picture. I took her out to the woods one day to try and get some real pictures of just her. Unlike my boys (who know exactly what to do when the camera comes out), Annnie will usually refuse to look at the camera for more than a split second and she usually just gives me her cheesy grin. Cute as that is, I wanted some pictures where I could really see her face. She wasn't that cooperative this time either so most of the pictures she isn't even looking at me, but she's super cute just the same. :)

This was her funny response to, "Give me a sweet smile Annie"

Such a funny girl

Fall Chores

I like it when chores double as play time. My kids love to sweep things up. So they took turns sweeping up all the leaves (we did the front porch and backyard all in one day...wheww). Of course, then they played in the leaves and then we had to sweep again. Oh well. :)

Halloween Parade and Trick or Treating

I enjoy making the kids Halloween costumes each year. I know they won't always want home made costumes so I do them while I can. I know you will ask how I made them with a new baby...but I did them before the baby came. (Except I finished up a few details the day before Halloween.) Christopher and Michael were super hero's....Super Christopher and Super Michael. They don't really know much about Superman or Batman and I liked the idea of them being their own super hero anyway. Annie was a little mouse and she was SO adorable. They wore their costumes all day Friday and Saturday and I have a feeling they will get lots of dress-up wear also.

Isn't this the cutest mouse you have ever seen. I wouldn't mind finding this mouse in my pantry. :)

Before the Halloween Parade at Christopher's school.

Halloween is a big deal in Secaucus and the kids don't just parade around the halls in school. On Friday they had a full blown parade with the high school marching band in front and the police block off the streets for it. I took Michael and Annie and Jacob and we marched with them. It was lots of fun.


Michael flying around

Christopher with his buddy system buddy and his teacher. He was very obedient and didn't let go of Eve's hand the whole time.

He was so excited for the parade to start

The little mouse zonked out before the parade even started

I didn't make Baby Jacob a costume so he just wore his Halloween pajamas and looked cute.

Jeff had to work on Halloween so I put Jacob in the Baby Bjorn and Annie in the stroller and we all went trick or treating. We only went around 2 blocks and the kids each had a full bag of candy. People were giving out handfuls of candy to each kid...it was crazy!!! We are all making ourselves sick now eating it all. :)

Annie was too shy to go to the doors very much, but Christopher and Michael made sure they got some for her also.

Happy Birthday Michael - 4 years old

How can you resist those big, blue eyes? I usually can't. :) Michael turned 4 years old this last week and so far he is enjoying being a year older. He's convinced the reason he can do certain things now is that he is 4, and he is already talking about how things will be different when he is 5. We had a fun day. As usual, we open one present in the morning before school/work and wait till dad gets home from work for the cake, etc. Michael gets so excited about his presents but is such a nice brother and shares. As soon as he opened his match box cars he divided them up between him and Christopher and Annie.
We love Michael so much and I am so glad that he is ours. He is very independent and many times will do his own thing, but he loves to have mom or dad do things with just him and those are the times where we have the best conversations. This kid is so insightful and funny at the same time. I think most people have a story about some funny thing Michael told them that just made them laugh. He loves to color in this one specific coloring book and he colors each page in order and the pictures are all multi-colored. He carries it with him and looks at it like it is a book to read. :) He can be rather stubborn (as all of our kids can) and sometimes when I try to give him a kiss he says, "Yuck mom, no kisses". But my favorite is when he hugs and kisses his siblings or runs up to me, hugs my legs and says something like, "You are my sweetest mommy." His spirit is so kind and he wants to do what's right...most of the time. ;) I don't know what we would do without him and we love him so much. Happy Birthday Michael!!!

"I love my presents"
The whole family getting into it.

Michael loves to play games

"Cake time"

Yummy. Michael's favorite ice cream is "manilla"