April Fools

This is Joseph suffering from an April Fool's day trick.  He got to eat dinner with baby utensils.  The kids thought he was hilarious!

James

I've had a crush on James these past few weeks.  He has been in an unusually happy mood and I've enjoyed it.  He is perhaps my busiest kid, and spends most afternoons consumed with creation after creation.  I wish I were a bit more crafty to help him out, but he doesn't seem to mind.  The other day David asked him where he got his ideas and he replied, "I don't get it anywhere.  I'm an artist!"

I Love to see the Temple

My Birthday

I must admit, March is one of my favorite months because it's springtime and birthday time!  A few weeks ago I had decided that I would have Emmy and Ruth take me out to breakfast.  Gradually a few friends decided to join us, including Laurel, my first California friend, who made the drive all the way from Riverside to hang out for the morning!  

The only thing I asked for was German chocolate cake!  .. and I got it thanks to Joseph's culinary talents!  The best thing about the cake was that it tasted even better the second day and even better than that the third day!  I should also mention that Joseph made us a fun Greek meal after much study and planning.  His efforts were well worth it!  It was so delicious!

Much to my delight, James and David showered me with cards!  James even wrote musical notes and sung me a song.  David made a homemade Lego set which said, "I love you.  F: DD"

Emmy at 8 months

Emmy is growing and changing these days!  When she's not sick with ear infections (she's been on antibiotics twice this month), she is a delightful little person.

This photo shows off her favorite trick: the splits.  Somehow she was born with ultra flexible hips and if you pick her up off the floor, she'll often do a toe-touch.
She communicates with a wave or bounce, or even a babble or two.
She is getting ready to crawl these days, and will often push herself backwards across the entire room.
We found out the hard way that she is allergic to eggs. Hives are no fun.
She has also inherited my dry skin so we are constantly trying to keep her from itching herself raw.
Emmy loves to eat everything!  She is also finally taking a bottle.  Hurray!
She adores her siblings and they adore her.  I am so happy to have this little light in my life.

Disneyland

We had the crazy idea last Saturday to take the kids to Disneyland.  It was a crazy idea because Disneyland was CRAZY that day.  So crowded- by noon the crowds were everywhere and the lines were too long for waiting with 4 young kids.  We made up for it by letting the kids run around on Tom Sawyer's island and by watching a few shows, including the parade.  The day turned out to be very fun.  I think our family takes Disneyland for granted.  Some people travel hours by car or airplane to have a Disneyland vacation, while we only live 20 minutes away.  I don't think we'll ever be regulars; once every few years is enough Disney magic for me!

Life is busy

This is our all red valentine's day dinner last month... red Borsch, red Koolaid, red carnations, and red tablecloth.  Joseph and I snuck out the next morning for an official breakfast date.  

Emmy is now approaching 8 months old.  I've become her personal transporter; one-armed chores are a bit tricky, but better than listening to a fussy baby.  This baby wants to go places!  If we stand for too long with her in our arms, she'll dive her face into our shoulders, then arch her back way back, then dive in again, as if to say, get moving!!

David is a cute little caretaker.  He usually has her out of the crib first thing in the morning and likes to sit next to her while he's doing his homework.  James also pitches in by sharing his favorite monkey.  Ruth is the child that makes me nervous.  Today I caught her tipping the excersaucer 45 degrees with Emmy inside!  Yikes!  It will be a while until I trust them alone at night in the same room.