Lots to Catch Up On

Sometimes I try to be a more succinct blogger and just cover one topic (well baby visit, 2 months old, blah blah blah...) Oh, side note...Easton asked me yesterday "does 'blah blah blah' mean you're busy?". Anyway, I try to blog like that and then I go, oh yeah, this is sort of my journal of our day to day lives and I've got all these pictures and that kind of "one topic" blogging just doesn't always work for me all the time. :) So, now we've got lots to catch up on...

It would appear from the dates on these photos that we made pizza last Thursday. I made a delicious vegetarian Mexican one for Jason and myself and let the boys make their own little ones:








Easton devoured his. Dalton, not so much.

They really love helping to cook. And helping to clean too...here they are at the washing machine:


And to keep them busy while I made dinner that night they colored some little wooden figures from our friends.


Dalton colored this hippo:


Easton colored a monkey (which he decided to give to his Gramoo) and a princess for Autumn. The princess turned out really cute but I haven't gotten a good picture of it yet.

Speaking of princesses...check out Miss A's new towel from Gramoo:

Isn't it great?

And speaking of Gramoo...she and Easton went out just the two of them on Saturday.

They went to see the musical "Honk!" I was telling Eas about it and asking, "Do you know what 'a play' is?" and reminded him about the time he and I went to Seussical. He said, "Oh I love Horton the Elephant!" and I said, "Well, this play is about ducks" and he goes, "Huh. That's different." :)

I asked him to put on shoes and found that he had...on the wrong part:

His face is looking all red and strained because I made him stay like that till I could get the camera.

While Gramoo and Easton were out and about, Jason stayed here with Dalton and Autumn while I went shopping. I only made it to Walgreens for prints (they accused me of having professional pics again!) and to Kohl's before having to leave to get some cash for J to pay the sprinkler guy that came that day.

The boys helped me with Tum-Tum's photo shoot that night:




And Eastie even played photographer as well:

You might be wondering what this "Tum-Tum" business is about? Well, with her name: Autumn. Even thought it's sorta pronounced "Aw-dum" we don't want to be calling her "Dumb Dumb". So the Tumn with the silent 'n' evolved into Tum-Tum. It sounds much cuter than it looks typed out. :)

Anyway, here's Dalton and Autumn after church on Sunday:




She was looking mighty cute that day in Kaiya's hand-me-downs with her brand new shoes from Auntie Jess:

(The other day Easton's friend Tabor walked out of class in a purple version of that exact outfit and I got to say, "Hannah Anderson?" all knowingly to her mom like I'd walked in there and bought one too. :)

For dinner that night we needed something quick before heading to small group. I made the most festive dinner for the boys you've ever seen:

Vampire smiles, monster fingers, and spooky pizzas. Only, they still hate English muffin pizzas as much as they do any other time I try to serve them. So I ate them and they ate their string cheese with pepperoni fingernails and the peanuts from their vampire smiles (like their daddy, they won't eat apple peels). Oh well. I think I get points for trying, right?

Small group that night was just that: small. But it was nice. And our hostess spent the entire evening holding Autumn. Autumn had a much happier evening that she has in days past. Interesting. (Hi Tracy!)

Monday Easton had school in the morning as you know...and the other two went to Dr. Groovy with me. After quiet time the boys got to open a package from their pen pals:






This is Easton writing to his pen pal last week:


They are the perfect pen family for us as Easton and Isaiah were both due in February 2005 so they're roughly the same age, then Dalton and Elijah are only a few months apart as well and now they've got new baby Aaron who was due just a few weeks after Autumn was due so they're super close in age too. The big boys scored candy and balls and rubber rats. It was a big hit. They also got some pumpkin crafts and did that while I nursed Autumn:




Thanks to her shots, that girl was out nearly all day. Usually she'll fuss or stir or require her paci to get back to sleep after her first sleep cycle but yesterday she just swung and slept. Out cold. Once she finally woke up in the evening she had some milk and a bath and she perked up a bit for that:






And after her beauty rest she was much more happy and alert this morning:


With the package from our pen pals, Autumn scored this adorable bow headband:


It really suits her duck-watching, doesn't it?


Andrea also sent a couple of those Soothie pacifiers we use...but in pink! I've never seen pink before but boy am I excited! Thank you, Andrea!!!

Autumn's mobile watching seemed way too interesting to her brothers so while I put away some laundry in her room, they just had to join her:




I love how Dalton is pointing something out to her in this one:


Then Autumn took a nap in her crib and the rest of us came downstairs to play Star Wars. Our boys have never seen the movies but Lauren is very into Star Wars and brought her Wii game to borrow and now Easton is obsessed:



So we all played that for a bit and then switched to some puzzles and quieter play (because that's what Dalton wanted to do). We also played a rousing game of "Hide and Go 'Boo'!" which is just like Hide and Seek except right before you're found you jump out and yell "Boo!"

While I folded some laundry Autumn fussed a bit and Easton asked if he could hold her for me. He's so sweet and tender with her when he wants to be. Other times he's just so in her face and can't leave her alone with poking and kissing and rubbing and trying to make her look like she's talking. She doesn't mind but *I* do. I much prefer when he's softer with her:


Like how he took his own Cuddles and tucked her in so sweet:


Then he told me, "Okay I think she's settled down. You can hold her if you want to." :) Miss A really lucked out with some of the best big brothers in the world.