Merry Christmas Eve Pajamas!

(I'm backdating this, as it was suppose to be put up on Christmas Eve, but Matt's computer wouldn't connect to the internet!)

Merry Christmas! I'm grateful for the birth of our Savior and all that he did for us. I hope everyone feels the love their Savior has for them on this blessed day. Love, Matthew, Shaila, Malcolm, Quinn, Winston and #4 (expected around July 2nd).

I actually remembered to take a picture of all of us this Christmas Eve in our traditional Christmas Eve pajamas! (With my huge belly already at 12 weeks and 6 days!)

Our number #4! Expected to arrive around July 2nd, but we'll be hoping end of June, since Quinn's birthday is July 7th, and Malcolm's is July 8th! Here at the 9 weeks ultrasound, the baby was measuring 5 days bigger, so I'll hope it keeps that trend up.

Puddle Jumping

Winston doing some puddle jumping. It was a good mom day and I let him go wild. :) I couldn't resist letting him try out his new rain boots and taking pictures of him. I was already wet from running, so it wasn't much sacrifice on my part. I have a hard time narrowing down pictures, so it seems like a lot of the same thing over and over. I guess did do a good job of narrowing down though since it was from over 80 pictures, which were all taken in like 5 minutes! Haha! I just love all the different facial expressions and cute things he's doing. I sure love this special boy of mine, he makes me happy and is always bring a smile to my face. 

Look at how wet the back of those pants are. The rain boots don't protect much when you're actually jumping in the puddles.

Then we went inside and he got a warm bath and hot chocolate. Life with one home is so much easier! :)

FHE at the Park

A couple weeks ago we decided to do FHE at one of the parks. The boys were pretty excited about it. In fact they were so excited to be doing at the park, they had a hard time concentrating on the lesson. Lesson learned for us, if we are going to do FHE at a park, do the lesson at home! 

We had our little lesson then a quick "game" of kickball. Winston was more interested in the big toys then in playing our game, but he did run the bases a few times. Just a few pictures of the boys during the lesson. Oh and I like how all the boys are in red shirts...not planned, it just happened. 

Winston with his tongue out. He usually sticks his tongue out like this when he crosses his eyes. I've got to get a picture of his crossed eyes, it's so funny.

 Oh Quinnie. He's adorable!

 Malcolm is looking too grown up, it breaks my heart! 

I was taking pictures with the camera just sitting on the table. Looks like the boys are really getting into the lesson.

I just love this sweet face on my sweet boy. My baby boy! He's still a baby right!? I convince him to let me hold him like a baby almost daily, then I'll just rock him and kiss his cute face. :)

Just an action shot of Mack showing his kickball skills. He thinks he's pretty cool stuff most of the time, which he is of course!

The Kindergartener

It's about time I update and put up Quinn's first day of kindergarten. He was so excited, he was up out of his bed right away and made his bed without complaint. He was so ready for kindergarten and thought he was a big shot. Here are a few pictures of his first morning of school. 

iPhone pic

Technically, this is from Malcolm's day of school when Quinn went in for his kindergarten assessment. I was nervous for it as if I was being judged on how well I've taught my child. He did awesome and made me so proud of him. Mrs Hawes, the teacher that did the evaluation really liked him, and I really liked her. She seemed to be a wonderful teacher and I told her I hoped that he got into her class. The next day, she saw me as I was picking up Malcolm and told me that she'd requested Quinn in her class. I was so excited that he would be in her class, and she seemed to really love all her students. 

Another day of initial pancakes since the boys had seperate first days of school. Quinn got up, made his bed and got dressed before I was even done make breakfast. He was excited.

The cute new kindergartener! He had the biggest smile in this picture.

He kept putting his hands in his pockets, he was antsy. 

Love his crocked smile. 

Quinn at his table. His face cracks me up, and nervous playing with his backpack strings. 

Are we done yet....

We went to the classroom first to drop off his stuff, and then they had to go outside for the class line up, Pledge of Allegiance and announcements. He was so nervous, it was cute.

I love that cute boy!

Mrs Hawes let all of us parents go back to the classroom and stay for a while. She read them a book called "The Kiss Hand" by Audrey Penn. It's a cute book about a raccoon named Chester that was nervous to leave his mom to go to school.

Mrs Hawes reading to them. I really like her, she seems so great. I love teachers that make me feel like they really love my children.

After the book they made a raccoon hand puppet. Quinn was pretty excited and kept looking at me and posing.

He had a wonderful first day of school and his favorite part was recess of course. He's been doing great and his teacher is really enjoying him. I'm sure proud of him. He was more then ready to start school. 

iPhone pic

There was an extra Chester raccoon that they gave to Winston, which he was so excited to cut out on his own. I just had to post this, because I was so impressed on how well he cut it out. Good job Winners!

The Dragon's Den

Winston is quite the child. He keeps us laughing and smiling, and then makes us want to pull our hair out at other times. He knows what he wants, and when he wants it, even if he does have a hard time communicating it to us at times. He loves to get dressed and change his clothes (one morning he wore 3 different pairs of jammies), and play dress up! Yesterday he wanted the dress up clothes down, and the boys were having quite the blast in them. When I went to go sing to him for bed (as Matt had already gotten him put in there) he was dressed as a dragon. I had to laugh! I tried to get him to take it off, but he wasn't interested. I was curious if he'd even fall asleep wearing it, and sure enough he did.

It was so cute, and I love how he's cuddled up to Woody, and all his stuffed animals in disarray around him. (His mattress is now on the floor after too many times of the boys jumping on his toddler bed, which is actually the crib, and it broke the base. It will be easily fixed, but I don't want the crib broken anymore. I hope to get him a toddler bed after the first of the year.)

Earlier in the day as he was being frustrated trying to put on the ninja costume, it all of the sudden became quiet. He zonked right out on the floor all decked out as a ninja and in fighting pose! (I don't know why I didn't bust out my real camera, but I did capture it with my iPhone.)

When Matt was trying to wake him up, he picked him up by his feet and he just kept on sleeping! Silly boy!

The 2nd Grader

Malcolm had his first day of school yesterday! I can't believe he's in second grade. Man do I feel old! He's getting too big and it's all happening too fast. I think I'm starting to move into the old mom group and I don't like it. I'm in denial that when my kids get older, so do I. 

The day before school started we were able to go to an open house and meet the teacher and drop off school supplies. It was a comfort to me to be able to get a feel for where he'll be before he went...so I'm sure it was for him as well. I got thinking, that Malcolm has been in a different school and state for every year! Hopefully he'll be at this school for a couple years. He's brave and never seems scared of the changes. What a trooper!

Mack Attack by his desk...with a little Win in the background checking things out. I think almost every year we've had to correct the teacher on how his name is spelt. Everyone wants to spell it Malcom, how it sounds, and that's actually how Matt wanted to spell it. But since he's named after my great great Uncle Mack (Malcolm Young), I liked it spelt the same and that's what he gets to deal with I guess. (I've always had the same problem.) I should mention, it wasn't his teacher who misspelled it, it was misspelled on the roll, so the office entered it wrong, and I know I spelled it right on the paperwork. :)

His teacher took a picture of him and then asked if his brothers wanted a picture as well. Even though this isn't a great picture, I love how Win is trying to reach up and put his arm around Malcolm too.

Malcolm with his teacher, Ms. Taylor. She seems really nice and sweet. I think I will like her and have a good feeling from her. It's her first year at this school, but has taught in the district for 13 years and been a teacher so long, she says she doesn't even count the years anymore.

First day of school, first day of school! We've kept the tradition I got from my SIL Melanie and did "initial" pancakes for breakfast, we had eggs too, and I even used the ketchup bottle trick to make them this year. Even if it looks like a W upside down, it is an M. I love the messy bedhead picture too. I think I'll always have to do that! I don't ever comb hair until they've done everything else.

My big handsome boy! I hate that he's a big 2nd grader with big teeth. He looks to old!

Of course I have to take like a billion picture. I should name this post, "The many different smiles of Malcolm". He is a Bushman and therefore get the unnatural smile syndrome.

Quinn wanted a picture with his brother. They are a cute pair and I hope they get to spend sometime at school together.

We live like 0.4 mile away from home, so I'm hoping we walk all the time, expect if it's raining, but it does mean we have to give ourselves more time to get there. He was so nervous to go play on the playground before school.

LOVE this picture of the boys. It's not technically the greatest picture, but I love all the boys in it. I love how Winston is looking up to his brothers.

Mack is really taking it all in and doesn't quite know what to think I guess.

His nervous playing with his backpack strings picture. I just love this sweet boy!

Ms. Taylor is explaining to him that she wasn't able to change his name on his stuff yet, since she was so busy the day prior. He doesn't care, he's a sweetheart!

They do the Pledge of Allegiance on the playground and welcoming announcements. I wonder what they do when it's raining.

Cute nervous boy about to head in.

And he's off for his first day as a 2nd grader! Good luck on your school year bud! You'll be awesome!