Fire Hazard at the Fire Station

 

We celebrated Levi's birthday last Friday by organizing a fire station tour; forty kids showed up!  I'm pretty sure we broke some fire code will all those people inside that building.  The fire fighters said they had never had so many people inside their station.  It was a lot of fun and the fire fighters did an amazing job.  It really is an ideal party ... kids get to explore the large trucks, it's free and they provide the party favors!

Happy Birthday Levi! We love you!

Levi!

Levi is three today!  I've turned a bit sappy and have been perusing old photos...

I have a vivid memory of the first time I saw Levi.  I thought he looked just like Seth but with bigger eyes and just BIG! I love looking at newborn pictures and recognizing expressions I still see ...  This little one has brought so much happiness to our family -- seriously no one can make me laugh like Levi.

Ay, caramba! (Can you tell Jeff is studying tonight... I'm a blogging fool!)

Oh wait... more art.

I thought Levi wrote his name really well here!  This is Ali's birthday card... that never made it to her birthday party (Is anyone noticing a trend?)

 This is the stack of papers I took down from my fridge ... It's a week and a half worth of STUFF.

 Seth drew a ship wreck...

 and Mount Everest....

 He wrote a story about this pumpkin ... "I looked out the window and what did I find.  Pumpkin" ... we may have some plagiarism issues here..

 Seth's rocket.

 Rocket Seth made me.

 Rocket Seth made Jeff

 More rockets...

 More rockets...

 A spider he drew Miss Kathleen

 Volcano

 Apparently we're in a Tornado...

 S.

 Ah... Seth seems to like to give me the ones he's cut and glued.

Dear Levi,

Dear Levi,
I would like to write and publicly thank you for making potty training an easy, and often times amusable journey. I don't think I could have gone through another 9 month potty training botch.  Thank you for the good times...  the excitement of guessing the color of your poop, of your apt metaphors of foliage in reference to defecating, and I reminisce of  the many times that "it" was "stuck in the bush"-- where and why you came up with a bush I haven't a clue but you referred to this, and at times a seemingly insurmountable bush, often.  Thank you for your eagerness, your wit, and your utmost stubbornness not to wear diapers again. And don't worry Levi, I will always remember to give you your "privacy."  I can't believe how quick and easy this one went.

Love,
Mommy

Ok, you can read this one.

Oh Raya,
She's thirteen months already... she's getting so big!  This is a picture of her setting the table.  She really wants to be big like everyone else lately and I find her mimicking us often.

Raya's getting skinny! ... her thunder thighs are losing their ka-boom (does that even make sense? anyways) I attribute it to the fact that she hasn't taken to whole milk as quickly as the boys.

Words ... lets see some new ones... "duck" -- she loves to feed and yell at the ducks at sunnyside, and it isn't a polite duck  she utters it's a DUCK!DUCK!DUUU-UCK!

"dog," Jeff claims that she said, "I love you" one night, she can sign "more" and "please."  She knows "eyes" and "nose" and comes at you with attacking little fingers ready to gouge and scratch. (Don't worry she thinks it's fun.)

Her favorite book, HANDS DOWN, is Jamberry by Bruce Degen.  I don't know how many times I've read it.

You can just skip this blog ....

 Maybe I should make a blog for my kids' art?  I just have trouble not recording it especially when they're so excited about it...  oh well, more art.

Levi -- Here is Saturn:

 Levi -- One of these was Jupiter with a "large red spot."

 Seth -- And this is a typical Seth artwork.  He really likes to cut little pieces and glue things together.  I really dislike him cutting little pieces and gluing things together because it ends up all over my floor.

 Seth -- He did planets one morning but gave most of his pictures away to his friends.

 Seth -- Made a sheered sheep for Levi ... although I think the farmer might have missed some wool.

 Seth -- For whatever reason I don't like using envelopes (I don't like using paper towels either (Jeff thinks I'm weird), like I used to make my own envelopes out of recycled paper when I lived in apartments to pay rent with.  Seth LOVES to use envelopes ... and I try and suppress my angst at him for being an envelope waster.  This is one of many letters that never got mailed... Rachel and Todd you can at least see he's thinking of you ....

 Seth made Levi a rocket car... with a parachute... (Ok I'm completely guessing)

 S.

 S.

 S. -- Apple stamping

 S. -- more little strips cut and glued.

 Levi pumpkin

 Levi's art ... lots of this.

 L.

Oh where oh where do you come from?

Ok, not really I'm pretty sure you get it from your dad.

So today Seth had the option of a nasal spray flu injection or a needle shot.

Tears in his eyes he adamantly insists upon having a shot.

My kids are champs when it comes to shot.  I, on the other hand, am a complete baby.

Once we enter the nurses office Seth tells the nurse directly that he "likes flu shots," and "flu shots don't hurt."

I tell Seth he can go first -- he eagerly stands up and holds out his arm and watches the nurse inject the needle into his arm.  No flinching, no tense.  Completely stoic.

Levi at this point is excited for a flu shot too!  And makes sure that the nurse puts the flu shot in the same arm that Seth had his.  Once again, stoicism at its finest.

I'm next ... (big baby), I hold onto Raya and turn my face.  Raya cries a little after her shot but just for like 30 seconds (maybe).

When we leave the nurse says, "That was amazing, that has NEVER happened.  You have amazing kids!"

At this point the kids have also stolen the hearts of the receptionist and they leave the office with two stickers (each), tooth brushes, special bubble gum tooth paste and sugar free suckers.

oh.... (sigh) (sigh,sigh,sigh,sigh)

So, Jeff left this weekend to go camping.  Traveling 16 some hours for one night of camping with his brothers (yah, he's crazy). This is only the second time in our marriage that we've been away from each other....

While he's been away I've... not cleaned up after dinner (and if you know me (that doesn't happen)) ... put the kids to bed early .... and drank a quart of chocolate milk.

... Dear Jeff,
Please don't stay away too long it's been 6 hours and I've regressed into a chocolate chugging slob.
love,
Rachael

(It's lame when Jeff's away!)

Smiles and Love

I love watching my kids play together.  (It's even cuter when they're in bathing suits.) 

----------------------------------------

They're coming Raya...

 Levi squishing Raya...

 Raya rolls over to Seth for protection.

 In which Seth promptly tickles.

 She's a pretty lucky girl.

 I wonder how this will go down once Raya can climb on the couch...

And random picture... this is what happens when we leave the bathroom door open.  mmmm... toothpaste.