Dig, Dig, Dig

After a lot of persuasion, Cory finally convinced me to get sand for the sandbox under the fort on our swing set. My biggest reason for being so hesitant was the mess of a sandbox. I just don't have the desire to clean up sand off of our floors on a daily basis. However, after watching the kids play in it the past two days, I am glad we did it. It has not been nearly as messy as I expected and I think Cory has had as much fun playing in it as the kids!

Eden does not like to sit in the sandbox, which really surprises me. She is usually the one that does not mind getting dirty. Instead, she chooses to lean over the side of the sandbox as she plays. Parker will stand in the sand, but he will not sit in it. If he wants to sit down, he sits on the edge.

Cory has had a lot of fun teaching the kids how to play in the sand. They have made towers, tunnels, and roads for their cars. Parker's favorite thing is to build a tower and then demolish it by jumping on top of it. I hope that our new sandbox will provide the kids with lots of imaginative play as well as help prepare them for their first trip to the beach someday.

Six Months Old

Lily, you are halfway to your first birthday! I am not sure how that happened since it feels like we just brought you home from the hospital yesterday. What a joy you continue to be! I can't imagine life without you. Here are a few of this months highlights:

-You are growing like a weed. I am so anxious to see how much you weigh at your checkup next week. You are wearing 9 month clothes and size 4 diapers.
-The biggest milestone that you achieved this month is sitting up on your own. This has made life so much better for both of us. You enjoy sitting on the floor and playing with toys while I work around the house. Sitting up also makes it easier for you to watch Parker and Eden as they are playing.
-You discovered you feet this month and play with them all the time. However, due to the size of your thighs, you can not get them in your mouth like Eden used to do!
- You cut your first tooth this month! You were such a champ and didn't cry or fuss at all while it was trying to come through. Your gums are still very swollen and I don't think it will be long before the second tooth pushes through too.

-You are still not rolling over very much, but I know you can do it because you are often laying on your back after sleeping on your tummy during your nap.

-We started cereal again last week and you are doing much better this time around. You are starting to figure out how to open your mouth and swallow. I am looking forward to introducing some vegetables to you this month.
-You are finally starting to enjoy playing in the Exersaucer. The first few times I put you in it, you screamed until I took you out. The past few days, you have played in it for about 10 minutes before the screaming started, which is definitely progress! I hope your enjoyment will increase even more this month.
You are still such an easy going baby and I feel so blessed that I get to be your mommy! What a blessing you are to our family! We love you so much, Lily Claire, and can't wait to watch you grow and change this next month!

Parker's Preschool Easter Egg Hunt

Yesterday was Parker's Easter egg hunt at his preschool. It ended up raining that day so they had to move the hunt into the church sanctuary and hide the eggs on the pews and hymnal racks. The kids didn't care one bit- they were all very excited about hunting their eggs. All of the eggs were labeled with a number from 1-12. Each kid was given an egg carton and they had to find one egg with each number on it to go in their carton. If they found more than one egg with the same number, they shared it with a friend who still needed that number. Parker had a great time hunting for eggs and was especially excited to find out that they had candy inside them!

Two Techies and a Baby

I am not sure what we are going to do when Lily wants to play on an iPhone too!

"The Only Thing Worth Stealing...

is a kiss from a sleeping child." ~Joe Houldsworth

My "Sweet" Girl

The way to Eden's heart is definitely through sweets. She takes after her daddy and has a huge sweet tooth. She has learned to say "I want" and she will often tell you, "I want candy" or "I want marshmallows" or, her newest favorite, "I want ice cream". Last week after dinner, we let her have an ice cream cone. She savored every bite and I think she ended up wearing as much as she ate. Luckily it was bath night so it didn't matter how messy she got. I hope that "everything in moderation" comes easy to this "sweet" girl!

Cubbies

Parker had his first Cubbies game this past Friday. Cubbies is pre t-ball for 3 and 4 year olds. The purpose is to teach kids how to hit, catch, and throw the baseball as well as teach them the rules of the game. Parker has been so excited about his first game and loved wearing his new uniform. He even wore his hat for the entire game which shocked us because he has never worn a hat. He usually takes it off as soon as we put it on.

A Cubbies game lasts only two innings and they do not keep score. Every player gets to hit the ball and run one base at a time. The parents stand with them on the field to help them remember what to do. They rotate positions on the field so that everyone gets to play at each position. Parker started the game as the second baseman. He then moved to first base, catcher, and ended in the pitching position. He did a great job running to the ball and then throwing it to first base. Parker's coach is Coach Will. He is very patient with the kids and has done a great job with Parker and his teammates. He always helps them get in the right stance before they hit the ball. Parker did a great job hitting the ball and running around the bases and only had to be reminded to touch home plate once! There are 8 boys and girls on Parker's team. His best buddy from preschool, Kaden, ended up on his team. They are quite a pair!

Parker was so excited that Granna and Granstan were able to come and watch his first game.

Cory and I were so proud of Parker and are looking forward to watching him play the rest of the season.