At home in MO

While we were visiting Missouri, we tried to do an outing most mornings and then come home for the babies' naps and some chill hang-out time for everyone else. We let the kids play Minecraft, interspersed with wild weapons and scootering outside. Em and I really enjoy watching shows together, and this time we decided to watch good ole White Collar again. I love that show. Amber and AJ had some interesting sporadic sleep non-routines while we were all together, so many afternoons and evenings, either Em or me or both of us sat on the couch holding a whimpering one year old while we watched an episode or three. And Em the treatmaster made us the most amazing mint brownies I've ever had, which we had after dinner every night. MMM, I wish I wasn't so dessert-bakingly-challenged, or I'd make some right now.

Photos from around the house:

Little tired-eyed Amber felt quite threatened by her cousin, and spent lots of time climbing onto my lap to escape AJ's binky-stealing and poking.

Movie night! 

 Cousin sleepover! Queen Rose got the big bed all to herself because Steve and Dan both wanted to sleep next to Jay. The rest of the time Rose was so tired she slept in the room with me and Amber because the boys kept her awake too long.

 Miniature tramp with the minis.

Two words: PIZZA NIGHT! We made pizza one night and ordered it another night. Pizza is always a good idea when there are seven kids in the house.

Amber was feeling left out with the bikes and scooters, so we got out an old baby walker. She glide-ran all over the street in that thing with a big grin on her face. It kept her from tripping and falling, although she looked giant in it! I had to chase after her to keep her from tipping over in the gutters.

 We coerced AJ into giving Amber a ride on the back of her bike one evening. She actually scooted Amber all around the street slowly.

Yogurt for the babies.  

 Every now and then Jay did a few worksheets. His school gave him a REAM of worksheets to do during his two week absence. Seriously, it was too much. I took some out--worksheets are like the biggest killjoys in the education system. Let's bring back chalk and slates, Laura Ingalls and Anne Shirley style! 

This is their street--that hill provided endless adrenaline rushes for boys on scooters.

 Can you even stand this little guy? Mr. Chase-face is all personality and determination.

 We looked out the window and saw this tough gang hanging around the cul-de-sac, swords in their shirts and all. 

 Rose maintained her dainty femininity amidst the rough and tumble tangle of boys...and she also got in there and played with those boys too. With breaks for ice packs on various bruises and scrapes she acquired along the way.

 It was so fun to try holding two little girls at once--gave me a taste of the challenges my friends with twins face. Every time I held both little girls, I just squeezed their little soft selves. They're only six weeks apart--almost twins!

 I haven't snuggled this much with Amber since she was a tiny baby!

 Rose was the only girl out of diapers and she was exactly in the middle of a whole pack 'o boys. Sometimes she needed to drag a chair into the laundry room to decompress and watch her very own movie.

Skype calls with Jeff! 

Amber said "Dada, Dada, Dada" over and over and over again whenever she got to see Jeff on Skype. She loved it.

Those little crossed ankles! I think Amber wants her own laptop already. She hardly let this toy out of her sight the whole time we were there. I actually tried hiding it a few times because it was noisy.

And the grand finale photo: Those cheeks, that button nose, those long lashes fringing around those shiny blue eyes! And of course there's the giant Wub dangling out of her mouth. I love it all.