Aquarium Trip

A couple of weeks ago we were trying to figure out what to do as a family one Sunday that was fairly inexpensive but fun for everyone.  We found a Groupon to the Seattle Aquarium that got Tony and I in for $24 and all 3 boys were still free, so it was the perfect idea.  We had a lot of fun.

Evan walked around "studying" all the species of fish.
The boys enjoyed being in their stroller and just looking at everyone and everything.
It was not too crowded because it was also a big day for the Seahawks.
Evan loved taking pictures of everything on his own.
Nobody cried.
No fits were thrown.
Evan got to buy a bag of sharks that now live in our bathtub.
It was a really nice family day.

Afterwards we used Tony's free birthday meal at Red Robin and had lunch for cheap as well.  It was our first time going out to a restaurant with the three boys AND it was nap time.  Everyone was wonderful.  Evan  colored with Tony and gobbled up his mac-n-cheese and apple slices and the boys had bottles and fell right asleep.

What a great way to spend a Sunday!

Diver feeding the fish and talking about them

Morgan and Riley taking it all in

Watching the diver

Measuring up to a sixgill shark

Checking out the underwater dome

Some Evan captured pictures

Star fish in the touch tank

A fun day with our amazing family. Love them all.

5 Months

Morgan and Riley are 5 months old now and are changing so fast!
Everyday it seems like they are learning/doing something new.  As I right this post Riley is watching Yo Gabba Gabba and taking his socks off!  Riley has figured out how to take his socks off and grab his feet.  He also tries to sit up out of his bouncer seat.  Both boys scoot and bounce right out of any seat they are in, they are so wiggly! Right now, just after they turned 5 months, they are starting to try to sit on their own.  Both boys can sit for a few seconds at a time alone, but then they topple over to the side or backwards.  They are starting to really "see" each other and realize that they are there and also noticing their big brother more and more.

Riley still gets scared easily, cries a lot and doesn't like to be left alone but he make the cutest faces and chews on his tongue.  He has a BIG bright smile and looks around at things as if to say "what can I do with that later on"

Morgan is sweet natured but if he is upset you will know!  He arches his back and lets out loud screeches with big tears.  He is cuddly, smiley  and doesn't mind be left to his own devices for a little while as long as he can still see mom or dad.  He is sensitive and likes to just take in the world around him.

Evan loves his baby brothers.  He is starting to get annoyed by them at times.  One day Morgan was kicking him (of course not on purpose) and Evan grabbed his foot and made him kick his self and said "There Morgan, kick your own self!"  Of course he had to be reprimanded for that, but I do see lots of little battles like that in my future!

Time goes too fast, but I love every stage of their lives!

Christmas Day

Christmas day was spent at our house just the 6 of us and it was very nice and relaxed.

Santa brought Evan the Castle and Ogre that he REALLY wanted and under the tree he had a ton of dinosaurs which is also all that he really wanted.

Santa brought Brianna the perfume that she really wanted.  She didn't think Santa was coming for her this year because she is 16, but he had a surprise!

Santa brought the boys a play table that they will be able to use in a few months.  They just enjoyed watching everything that was going on.

Christmas day was filled with fun.
Christmas Day was filled with love.
Christmas day was peaceful.
Christmas day was everything we wanted it to be.

What Santa left....before the chaos :-)

The boys' first Christmas

Riley taking it all in

So excited to see what Santa brought

Happy boy

Too much fun for Morgan

One of our many attempts to get a group picture

Finally a decent one....not perfect, but decent

All of the kids

A great day with the best little people ever and the man who created them with me.  Couldn't be any better.

Elfies Last Days

So Christmas has come and gone it is now January 5th (by the time this posts shows) and I have some serious catching up to do to end 2012.

First Elfie's last 11 days with us were a blast but also bittersweet because 1) it meant that Christmas was coming to an end and 2) it meant that we would not see Elfie again until next year.

Here is what Elfie did in our house for his last 11 days:

Riding an elephant

He used a marker to write on all of the mirrors

He ate ice cream

He copied himself

TP'd the tree

Roasted marshmellows

Painted all the boys noses red to look like Rudolph! (Evan didn't want his picture taken of this)

Had T-Rex pull him on a sled with presents

Made a BIG mess with sugar cookie sprinkles (mom was not happy)

Got inside Evan's gingerbread house

On Christmas Eve morning he was gone and he left a nice note for Evan

We will miss you Elfie!  See you next year!

Elfie the Family Elf

This year we started the Elf On The Shelf tradition.  The belief is that the family elf (to be named by the family) watches the kids of the house throughout the day and at night when everyone is sleeping he/she goes to the North Pole to tell Santa if they have been good or bad.  When the kids wake up the next morning the elf is in a new spot and even has gotten into some mischief over night!

Evan has taken to this idea really well. We named our elf Elfie and each morning Evan finds Elfie in a new spot.  Here are the first 15 days:

Elfie was surfing the internet looking at the dinosaurs that Evan wants

Elfie climbed up on the cow bell

Making a phone call

Checking out Evans art work

Elfie was sitting on the countdown calendar with a Santa hat on!

Look who got into the candy jar!

Hanging out in Evans stocking

Playing video games

Elfie put Evans underwear all over the Christmas tree

Santas got him in a head lock

A dino parade

Elfie got into the chocolate chips

Playing a game with some friends

Hiding in the plant

taking a bath in marshmellows

Having Elfie in the house if great Christmas fun!