Chase...

This is a forbidden name in our house
(unless we are talking about our brother-in-law of course) ...
It is the name of 'the little boy who says he is going to marry Katie' (Mark forbids me to use the word 'boyfriend').

Chase started preschool with Katie in January, and he was introduced to me a couple weeks later as my 'future son-in-law'.
Mark is not impressed, and I am not even allowed to tease Katie about it.
Mark says it is because he doesn't want Katie to be boy-crazy; I think it is because a boy thinks his little girl is pretty.

Here is the picture of the one causing so much trouble
(wearing the heart necklace that Katie made for him).


Harmless right,
that's what I say, but he did give Katie 2 cards in her Valentine's Day bag!!!

Oh kids...

My life just gets crazier with every passing day.

And the kids are getting funnier!

The other day in the car Katie said her first sarcastic comment; Marcus had been playing with some of her new bracelets and when it was time to go somewhere she couldn't find one of them. In the car she said "thanks Marcus, thanks a lot for losing my bracelet!" Marcus was not even with us... I was so proud.

Katie also informed me on that same car ride that I shouldn't turn 30 this year because that is really old; maybe I should just turn 6, yes, 6 it is. (She did change it to 16 the next day when she realized that Gabby will be 6 next year but Heather was 16).

Katie has always showed just a little favoritism towards Marcus, but in the last few months she has started to learn the value of Addy. They like to play with the same things and it helps that Addy worships her and will do what she wants.

They are pretending to sleep--I don't think Addy quite gets how it works.

Addy had started to develop a lot of sass...when she gets mad at us she won't let us anywhere near her i.e. at church on Sunday she got mad at Mark just in time for the prayer and started screaming at the top of her lungs--throughout the whole prayer. Or at the library she got mad at me because I took my purse away and she tried to hit me and then went up to a mom she didn't know and sat on her lap. She also likes to talk back if we tell her to do something she will spout off a whole bunch of gibberish that usually ends with "stop". Mark says at least she fits in with the girls in the house.

I woke up the other morning to some noise in the twins room and this is what I found--three naked babies, I don't know how Katie got their clothes off of them.

We got some snow Valentines weekend but since then the weather has been getting better and better. One afternoon, after picking Katie up from preschool, she decided we should head to the park instead of home--it was too beautiful outside to say no. It was the greatest time we have had at a park since Katie was two. Marcus climbed up to the big slide all by himself, and went down all by himself, soon after Addy followed. It was so nice that I just had to 'play with' and 'keep an eye on'--not 'carry someone up' or 'hold someone'.

Sunday was a beautiful day, so after lunch we invited our neighbors to play with their dogs, in their yard (lol). It was so fun, Marcus kept throwing the ball and would double over laughing as the dog went after it.



Marcus with a mouth full of fruit and fruit dip (with Caroline in the background)

We have been trying to get Marcus to keep his hat on for a few months now. I put it on him today and pulled out the camera, he turned to me with this huge smile and said "cheeeeeeesse".
Marcus' new thing is not listening to us (ok well, that's not new), but when we tell him not to go somewhere or stop, he will turn around and back towards the street or out the door; as if we won't notice that he is still moving if he is facing us.

Love from our house to yours

We celebrated Valentines a little early this year with a play date party;
(Marcus didn't make it bc he was whining too much and Mark happened to be home)

And a box from Grammy and Grandpa.

Dogs in purses and trucks that make noise--life couldn't be better!
Happy Valentines day!
(and don't judge me because it is the middle of the day and the kids are still in pajamas)


We spent Valentines Day with my family at my parents church...we had lots to celebrate; Chloe and Colby were both blessed; Seth and Tony were both baptized (this was Seth's 3rd attempt and he finally took the plunge -- literally) and we have 6 February birthday's!

Oh Katie

Anyone who has met Katie is impressed with her ability to communicate--with anyone. Mark and I just enjoy being her parents and listening to all the funny things she comes up with.

Last week she was riding in the car with Mark on their way to one of his basketball games, it is a 30 minute drive.

Mark: "This game is kinda far away"

Katie: "Yeah, it is as far away as Grandma and Grandpa D's house. It is like Mary and Joseph going to Bethlehem"

Mark: "Not quite that far, plus they didn't have a car--why, did they go to Bethlehem?"

Katie:"To have baby Jesus."

Mark:"And why is Jesus important?"

Katie:"To protect you, like when there is a tiger in your house then Jesus will protect you from the tiger."

Or the other day I was doing Addy's hair and Katie started talking about how her hair would turn brown when she gets bigger and doesn't it already look a little bit brown. And then she turns to me and says; "Mom, when Addy gets bigger will she still have 'pop-up hair'?" I was laughing so hard I couldn't respond.

Speaking of hair...

Here is my first attempt at styling Addy's hair--these are Zulu knots and they were so much easier then I thought they would be.

I did the knots on Sat night for church (of course then it was canceled), most of the knots fell out when she slept on them so today before we went to library for story-time I added some little barrettes and ... I think it turned out pretty cute!