climbing

we've also enjoyed climbing our big tree... well, some of us climb.  I don't do heights.

our new home is coming along

We will have a pre-drywall meeting this next week.  Today there wasn't much activity going on at our house... but we were glad to see the changes in the past month.

the boys are enjoying playing in the dirt already

baked french toast

So I've been thinking about wanting to try baked french toast [after not liking my own french toast recently] and I hit the jackpot on a new recipe.... you know how some recipes just aren't so good?  Well, I had to tweak it so our non-dairy eater could have some (he LOVED it BTW)... and it was still really tasty.  So I thought you might the recipe too!

cinnamon baked french toast  Which apparently comes from Ree, The Pioneer Woman, although it's altered some.

We altered it like this: 

• a loaf of homemade bread
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups rice milk
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 T. vanilla

I then just sprinkled additional cinnamon sugar on top instead of following the rest of that part of the recipe (cause there's butter there...) and it turned out wonderfully. 

I have a new favorite breakfast!  Charlie loved it.  Billy ate some and stopped (I don't like the crunchy part.)  De said he could choke that down again :)

heard spoken

"Helping Brothers is more important than school. " "Sisters are more important than food." Love hearing where his priorities are!

Squanto

I read a book to Billy about Squanto (a long chapter book, but he loved it--even had me read it all the way through a second time after Thanksgiving was over).  Then had him dictate to me the story, retelling what he remembered, in the order of events.  Here's what he came up with... (printed on the computer in a font that was dots; I had him trace his book report).

best of the aquarium

 The boys really enjoyed watching the dolphins swim (underwater).  More photos on our Shutterfly site [all taken on my phone, since Lillian was in the wrap on me all day long--no strollers allowed].

first grade Bible

Here's our first grader, receiving his own Bible at church, from our Pastor and the Sunday School director.

(the boys love their new sweater vests, Grandmom.  Charlie put it on the day they opened the package, he was so excited about it, but took it off after about 10 minutes since it was a 70 degree day.  We have cooler days coming though!  They received lots of compliments at church on Sunday, in their matching outfits.)

video for Grandma

another lost tooth

Billy is starting to look like a first/second grader in so many ways [De and I both think we lost teeth later than Billy is.] He lost a tooth last week and has two or three--I can't remember--more that are fairly loose.  Charlie is saying his teeth are loose too :)

Have to make a dentist appointment soon...

bike riders

Here's what we've been up to since coming home from vacation :)

I think Billy logged five hours on the bike the first day...

chores

Drying cloth diapers requires more than one cycle in the dryer, so for the second drying, they go on the deck, on the clothes rack... I just can't see running the dryer, heating up the house while the air conditioning is running.

Some days I have some helpers :)

digging

Our boys love dirt.  Wait, our boys LOVE DIRT!
The boys were thrilled to be allowed to help these men dig in our neighbors' yard... their electricity was out in half of their house...  weird.

They shared their snacks, kept the men smiling with their conversations, got to be in the hole, put the dirt back in the hole, and were each paid a quarter. Thrilling day!

 Lillian and Mommy stayed inside most of the time, watching from the window.

my three, in their pajamas

in the van

Do you see what I see?
Do you hear what I hear?

LOVED sitting in the car, in the rain, watching my boys sleep for 45 minutes yesterday :)

thermometer

So I'm completely amazed at how quickly Billy understands something after I explain it to him (while he is actually paying attention).

I showed him a traditional thermometer and explained how the numbers count by 10s to show the temperature.  And then we marked some thermometers together, to show a cold temperature and a hot temperature.  He then completed a worksheet all by himself; I tried to show him what to do, and he just "fussed" that he knew what to do.  And he then completed the worksheet perfectly!

Daddy fried a turkey

I was quite impressed with his illustration, since he doesn't like to draw much.  He put in lots of details: the turkey has legs and he included the pot and lid.  Although, De doesn't have a face...

BIG news

Billy has some big news to share with you... ask him!

[here's the video, having him tell you all about it...yeah, all 8 seconds]

how many days ?

"Mom,  how many days until we get to see the baby?"

So we took the family calendar off the wall and counted.

106 days until we get to see the baby...

Just created an official count-down on the right--->, in case we don't remember to cross if off our hundred's chart each day.

silly guys

Yeah, so here is what was going on while I was trying to make the laundry soap... it's no wonder I don't get to cleaning my house!  Though these guys are cute, they are awfully distracting and chaos causing :)  And hungry.  But that's another post.

kindergarten

Warning: most photos in this post are by Billy.  And the boys are in their pajamas, because you don't have time to get dressed when it's Monster truck Math day...

We had a great time using Monster Trucks  to learn/practice math!  Love this site!

growing baby #3

[Though it is geared to preschoolers, it is fun practice for Billy and he enjoys teaching Charlie how to play the games.]

Thanks, Grandmom and Nana, for coloring these!

Billy is also enjoying these word wheels to practice both beginning and ending sounds.  -an -at -ake -op -ap -ot -ock -ug