Remember Easter?

Yeah. I'm not so great at getting photos up in a timely manner. But you are getting Easter pics right in time for Halloween!

After church we went to Grandma and Grandpa's house because a.) fabulous yard and b.) fabulous wine selection.

Not gonna lie.

So the kids hunted for eggs filled with coins and chocolate covered...raisins?

We crazy like that.

And then there was time for a romp in the sprinklers.

And playing with balloons.

And playing corn toss.

And jumping off the corn toss boxes.

And napping in the sunshine.

And drinking wine. Of course.

And surreptitiously photographing my dad and brother-in-law.

And hanging out with my two awesome seesters.

Cousins from Cleveland

Uncle Brian brought Morgan and Molly out for a visit last week, and this is the best photo I could get. Lots of laughter and silliness!

It is so special that the cousins get opportunities to hang out like this. They are infrequent but full of memory-making. Molly and Morgan were SO excited to meet Oli and Bella in person - they've seen them through Skype or in pictures, but not face-to-face. They just kept hugging them.

We fit in a visit to the zoo and a lot of hanging out at the house. We love when Dem Clevelanders come to town!

Sweet morning moment

Every now and then I am allowed glimpses into the truth that the hard work we are doing with these kiddos will pay off. This particular morning, breakfast was ready and the kids were still quietly in their rooms with the doors closed. I thought perhaps they were still sleeping (shocking idea, that one). When I went looking for them, I opened the door to the girls' room to see this - peaceful playing. One was reading a story to the others, while one managed the Fisher Price record player as it played musicbox melodies.

Be still my heart. They can actually hang out with each other sweetly. I had to grab the camera and take a picture. Proof that I didn't dream that moment up.

So we press on, trusting that one day these moments will increase in frequency. In the meantime, I am so grateful for the glimpses we do receive.

The Clubhouse & Mud Kitchen

A couple of years ago The Papa and I had a conversation that went something like this:

Mama:  Let's build a fort for Benji for Christmas. We can use some of the wood we have lying around here. It'll be cheaper than buying a play structure and we can build it ourselves. It will be rustic and good for his imagination.

The Papa: OK.

As we got into the project, the conversation then went something like this.

Mama:  Wait. What are you doing? That's not what it said in the plans!

The Papa: I'm following your plan.

Mama: No you're not! That is supposed to be 54" total. See? LOOK at it!

The Papa: It wasn't clear.

Mama: How could it not be clear?!  That's what the line shows!  That's the number RIGHT THERE.

The Papa: These aren't good sketches.

Mama: They are perfectly clear! You just have a mental block when it comes to me trying to communicate with you about something you don't want to do.

The Papa: I think we should hire the Northrops to finish this for us.

Somehow The Papa and I managed to build the foundation together. And the Northrops did come complete the job. And it cost at least twice what I had hoped because we got real weatherproof siding and because I had no idea lumber was so expensive. Truly. Plus the whole paying someone else to do the labor thing.

And, P.S., they understood my blueprint just fine.

But then the little building sat. It had no curtains and no furniture in it. I thought that would make it the birthplace of imaginative ventures, but all it became was a ghost town. I thought it would transform into a castle, or a pioneer fort, or a spy hideout. It did no such thing.

So this past spring I decided to lure Sadie into it. I sewed curtains from fabric that was languishing in a pile in the loft. We rearranged the kids' playroom and brought the table and chairs out to the little building. The kids made art and taped it to the walls. We hung hooks for a handheld broom and dustpan for tidying up, and a few for hanging superheros capes, lanterns, and fake crystals. Because...fancy.

Now the house is in heavy rotation, and they all refer to it as "The Clubhouse." We are in the process of painting a sign to hang on the front, and I am pretty sure it needs a hanging pot of succulents at the entrance as well. (Then again, someone already tore down the windchime, so maybe I am a little too ambitious.)

 This brings us to The Mud Kitchen.

No matter what I do, they ALWAYS come back to digging in the planters.

So I got smart and gave them a patch all their own.

 The mud still ends up all over, but now they are not digging up newly planted vegetables.

Bee-la-la is in the busybody stage. She swiped these sunglasses from behind Benji's back.

And she decided to actually eat the mud pie. She gave it a thumbs-down.

And there ya have it!  Backyard times at our place - good dirty fun.

A Peek at Their Friendship

These two are such good friends. 

There may be three years between them, but they still bring out the best in each other.

Together their imaginations soar. Their voices sing. Their bellies giggle. They even sit in silence as the breeze passes around their shoulders and through their hair.

Back when Benji was a little guy, we knew he needed a sibling. We did not know how that would happen. Now he has three, but Sadie will always be that little bright-eyed bundle he held in his chubby dimpled fingers when we first brought her home. He was so curious, and so fleetingly gentle.

And she will teach him to dive fearlessly into other people's lives, because that's how she rolls. Taking turns leading, multiplying joy exponentially, and taking silly to a whole other level - these two. Sibling friendship at its best.

Sidewalk Cafe

Sometimes Benji and Sadie get some creative ideas. On this particular evening, they wanted to eat dinner out in the front yard. At first the table they took out was in the driveway, and then it got moved to what they thought was an even better place. The sidewalk.

They carried dinner out on a tray and took care of all the details themselves.

Right by the mailbox and the big yellow sign.

Sharing vs. Caring

One of Sadie Lou's favorite sayings is, "Sharing is caring!" She especially likes to use this in situations when someone else is not sharing with her. Never is it employed when SHE is hording toys. Anyway, the other day a conversation went something like this.

Oli is playing quietly with a car of some sort.

Sadie Lou:    Oli, can I please have that car?

Oli:   No. I paying wiff it.

Sadie Lou:    Oli!!! You need to share with me!

Oli:   NO, Sadie!!

Sadie Lou:    But Oli! SHARING IS CARING!!!!! If you don't share, you don't care!

Oli:    I NOT caring!!!

Down by the Bay

After cheering for my sister at her 10K down at Paradise Point just before Christmas (where she placed 2nd in her age group - Go, Rosie!), we took the kids to the bay so we could feel the sand between our toes.

The water lapping at our feet, the breeze, the sunshine on our faces - it was all so peaceful.

Peaceful doesn't just happen in a family with four young kids (wink, wink). Such a refreshing few moments.

I tried to photograph each of the kids individually. The girls don't really sit still right now.

I'll wrap up with a little video: