snow week 2015

 Thankfully, our back deck has been a "snow box" for the big kids & provided hours of entertainment, along with neighbor friends (hooray for independent play!).

Suma- baby!

 And remembering that last year this guy was in my belly.
It has been so so great to have proper snow clothes this year, a bigger, warmer house, & more independent kids!

I think I need a new hat.

 We've gotten out and around our neighborhood a fair amount!

(But still, the cabin fever is setting in.)  

Isn't the area behind our house pretty in the snow?!

 Their imagination takes them through the day. They are carrying around the wooden spoons from the deck play as their Wild Kratts "creature power" sticks. 

This guy is so precious.

 There is some "mmmm" babbling coming out of this mouth.

 Here they are sledding in our front yard (not an overly exciting slope but its worked).

Ben: 8 months

This boy is so sweet, squishy & huggable!  It's been a big month!  He is almost 9 months old (say it isn't so!).  His little brain is in overdrive figuring things out in the last month.  Biggest milestone... he began crawling at 8 1/2 months!  Not that this mama is counting (its my PTSD coming out- parenting will do that to you).  

The other big news is that he's learned to eat.  At 6 & 7 months, he wasn't really interested.

 He's gotten 3 little teeth- can you see them?

 He's started lots more babbling.  It had been mostly 'g' sounds- guh, goo.  We went to visit Maw & Paw & he started mimicking the sound of the dogs barking- a wah, wah.  And overnight, 'b' & 'd' sounds & an occasional 'ma ma'.  We'll watch Daddy & the big kids leave for school/work and he'll say "go bye, bye, dada".  Its often a sweet little whisper of a voice, as he is processing out loud.  I can tell his little mind is thinking & figuring it all out.

 He loves sitting and playing with all of his toys.  I can see his mind spinning to investigate and think about everything as he plays.  He loves spinning some wheels, like his big bro. :)  When I build towers with his blocks, he has to knock them over asap.  :)

He is such a sweet little joy of a man.  We love him so much!

"Neighbor" Friends!

Altho no longer our neighbors, we continue to love our Friday pizza nights with this crew.  It really is amazing how well our kids get along. And I am loving the history that we now have.  In keeping with the even boy:girl ratio, we've added an extra girl and and extra boy in the last year & a half.  

Here is the littlest girl's fan club!

She is at that CUTE parrot stage of repeating words that the big girls asked her to say and then all of them giggling!  And they enjoyed teaching & hearing her say their names. :)  
So sweet! 

 And gazing at her- that motherly instinct.  I love boy-girl differences. :)

Here are the boys, immersed in the Legos.  One of these boys shares Peter's love of "big cats" too.

 So nice to all sit and chat and play after dinner.  It made me happy to have them all here!