Catching Up - Spring Break & Shaving Cream

The week that Benjamin had off from school for spring break, I wanted to have some fun. We had originally planned to go to the mountains, but that didn't work out so I needed to get creative.

On Monday, we went to the beach with Grandma and Grandpa V.  But on Tuesday, we had a backyard bubbles and shaving cream party and invited some friends.

Kiddie pools were filled with bubble bath and food coloring. Kids' hands were filled with shaving cream.

It was madness.

And oh, so fun!

The Kindergarten Play

Oh the fun of watching little kids put on a show!  At Benjamin's school, every grade level performs a play at the end of the year. The three classes of kindergarteners prepared The Little Red Hen for our entertainment, and here is a bit of video just for you.

Grandma & Grandpa V's Visit in April

A couple of months ago, Grandma and Grandpa V (Benjamin's biological grandparents) stopped in for a day.  They had driven west (from upstate New York) to visit some friends in Arizona and decided to come see us, too. So fun!

It was Grandpa's V's wish to stick his toes in the Pacific Ocean, so we made sure that could happen. 

Benj and Sadie are finally old enough to just LOVE the ocean. They kept running in and out of the waves until their teeth were chattering, and Sadie's lips turned a purplish hue.

The V grandparents are so dear to us - they have seven grandchildren back in NY, and yet they continue to "adopt" our additional kids as their grand kids as well.  Such big hearts.

Benj just saw me editing these photos and asked if I could print one out for his room.

Oli is not much one for cold water, so he opted for throwing sand and filling pails.

And we'll end with this shot - it's just so pretty.

Catching Up - Oli's Birthday

Back in March, Oli turned two years old. At that time, he had only been with us for about five weeks. He barely knew my extended family and had been to church maybe once. Everything was still wildly new and overpowering...so we kept it super simple.

Cupcakes, some healthy snacks, my family, and one other family he is close to came. And that was enough.

You might have noticed that we always have birth family at our kids' parties when they can make it. Because Oli was older when he came to us, we were all advised to wait six months before he would see biological family again. So they will be at his third birthday party.

Everyone had to get involved in unwrapping presents. Of course.

And apparently he could not blow out his own candles. It did not take Benj and Sadie long to embrace their roles as older siblings!

Beautiful

This is the girl who captivates me with her beauty. I strive for immunity, for beauty is fleeting and irrelevant to the important things of life - but I watch her dance through her days, ever moving; I hear her laugh from deep within her belly, always; I see her smile take over her face, her eyes glittering...and I am just in awe of this little creature. Simply, she glows.

So when I brush her hair, clean her teeth, and wipe the breakfast smoothie off her forehead, I look in her eyes and tell her, "Beautiful."

Those bright eyes twinkle and she, who is unable to stand still right now, darts off to the next adventure.

This has become such a lovely habit that these days when I brush her hair, clean her teeth, and wipe some breakfast oatmeal off her cheeks, she pauses long enough to lean in closely and gently say, "Be-yoo-tiful, Mama."

A few fun photos while hanging at Gramma's house

Just a few scenes from a family dinner at my mom's house back in March. Gigi finally got to meet Oli and Isa - she liked having a great-grandchild small enough for her to hold. 

The bikes were a big hit with the boys.

Sadie loves Gramma's roses...and Gramma.

And baby Caleb is getting so darn big. He's almost one year old!

The Phantom

This is the boy whose latest obsession is the soundtrack to The Phantom of the Opera. Tonight when I went in to tuck him into bed, I found him lying on his back on the bottom bunk, in his underwear, with no blanket...hands behind his head and gazing out his open window as he listened to the music.

Benj:  Mom, do you know what I'm listening to right now?

Mama:  No. (It was a song I didn't recognize.)

Benj: It's The Phantom of the Opera. I want you to come sit by me and listen with me.

Mama:  OK. (I lie down next to him, and he snuggles up close.)

Benj:  It's in the theater. I know because I can hear the audience laughing.

Mama:  Yes.

Benj:  And that is the voice of the Phantom.

Mama:  Yes. We should take you to go see it some time.

Benj:  I'd like that. But not in the theater, Mom. It might be too scary. Maybe just see if it's on DVD.

Mama:  OK, sweets. I'll check.

Benj:  Oh, shhh. I like this part. It's the girl with the beautiful voice. Her name is Christine.

On Father's Day

On this special day when everybody's dads tie for the honor of Best Dad in the Whole World/Galaxy/Universe (at least according to today's Facebook statuses), I am going to talk about the father in this home. He goes by the name of Papa. He can juggle three children on his lap, simultaneously feeding one a bottle and helping another look through bags of coins to fill in the gaps of a quarters collection.

He is so amazing that this is an actual quote from this morning...over breakfast, in fact:

"There's one thing I'm really good at: making fun of people. No wait...maybe it's more like making myself laugh. I make jokes and it doesn't matter if anyone else thinks I'm funny."

And he's always making up band names, you know, in case he ever gets to be the front man.

        Brent Petrencsik and the Scapegoats

        The Anchor Babies

        MC Apropos - he would then go by A Pro.

He fights dirty in a water gun fight, but who cares?  The kids gotta learn that life is not fair somewhere.

Cheers to the man who makes our kiddos feel loved every day, who takes out the garbage without complaining, changes diapers that would make a lesser man retch, and brings home a real bow and arrow set for the 6-year-old; who makes me laugh (inside) all the time - even though I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing it; who is smarter than he looks; and who is a necessary part of our lives around here - kind of like breathing. And fruit smoothies.

Happy Father's Day, Brent. I love you!

Gargling Girl

In other news, Sadie has taught herself how to gargle.

Catching Up - March

Early March brought some much-needed rain - and rain always inspires near-naked dancing outside, which tends to leave me marveling at how long Benjamin's legs have become.  Seriously. How is it that he's a lanky boy now?!

Oli was not so fond of the rain, but he is darn sure he's going to keep up with the older kids.

 Sadie persisted despite her runny nose.

The boys are always excited to take the dog for a walk.

Rainy day indoor play...a neighbor whose grandkids have outgrown their stash of toys brought over a gigantic tub of stuff. It totally kept the kids busy.

Oh, Isa, always watching the things around you.

Sadie joined the short-haired-girls club and there is much less wailing in the house due to hair combing.

She also refuses to wear anything other than a dress. And she will take her shoes off anywhere, any time.

Sadie started ballet lessons, but she didn't want to pose for pictures in her ballet outfit.

I tried to take some portrait-like photos of Isabella. At this point in her life she only had about two expressions for the camera.

Oli is trying to drive his remote control car here. Mostly he likes to carry it by the antennae in one hand, while pressing the control button in the other - thus is makes all the cool sounds, but it stays right by his side.

We dyed eggs for fun.

Tried to get something portrait-like of the girls. This was the best I could do.

Oli and Benj ate grapes and drew on the driveway with chalk.

And here is Benj in the neighbor's tree. He climbs it several times a week.