Easter Party

Adam doing the bunny hop (hop hop hop)

This past Saturday we went to our friend Melana's Easter party. The boys seemed to have a good time. I think Adam thinks HE is the Easter bunny. All the kids were supposed to sit on the stage and wait for the Easter bunny to come in. As soon as he did, Adam bolted off the stage and ran over to him. Van was also strutting around like he owned the place and playing with the big boys. But it was a very enjoyable and fun day.

Feeding updates

Here's a little update on my healthy food kick. A few days ago I made this vegetable barley bake. It turned out pretty well. My only complaint is that it took a really long time and that is because it made so much. It was in a 9x13 pan so we are eating some tonight as well. I started making dinner at 4:15 and pretty much didn't stop and sit down to eat until 6. We had pork and apples and that veg bake. I underestimated the time it would take me to cut up all the peppers, mushrooms and onions. So next time I will halve the recipe. We had stewed baby tomatoes last night too and that seemed to go over well.

My kids both have colds and aren't eating. Chip and I are trying everything (less of giving them just junk to eat) and nothing seems to be really working. Why is it as parents we are always trying to get our children to eat? My grandma told me when my uncle was a baby, (he was her first) she brought him to this special doctor because she thought he wasn't eating. The doctor told her, a child won't starve unless you don't provide food for them. And that was 60 years ago. So I guess my kids aren't going to starve. Also in a really weird sort of way, this made me think of this conversation I had with my pastor this summer. He works for Hospice and I was just saying that there is NO WAY I could do that, be around people that actually die right in front of you. And he was telling me that one thing that people do when their loved ones are actually 'dying' is they try to get them to eat and drink because that is a sign of life really. So I wonder in a really weird sort of way, do we try to get the kids to eat a lot because we think the more they eat, the healthier they are? I don't know.

So I had a can of Speghettio's in the cupboard today. I bought them before the health kick. And I thought, what kid is going to refuse these? I look at the can and it is 37% of your sodium for the day, what can be better right? Yeah... well my kids both would not eat them. Van spit it out, twice. And Adam had like two spoonfuls and that was the end for him. So I ate it and saved the rest for another day. I guess I should be happy in a way that they didn't want it right? I then tried to give Van baby food and he didn't want that either and Adam ate my carrots. (He will eat fruit and vegs until the cows come home but I want him to eat something else of substance.) I think when they feel better, they will eat more.

Barn Boys

Adam got another barn for his birthday from a friend and I absolutely LOVED it. Like Chip said, he has a barn already, why did I like it so much, but it is because it came with little people and forks and shovels and brooms and pails and hay. It was awesome! You can't find stuff like that. Well, at least I couldn't and I looked. And as you can see, the boys are having a ball. I figure hey, we have more than one barn on our farm, the kids can use more than one play barn too right?

The Easter Bunny

Here is Adam with an Easter Bunny craft I created. I don't anticipate any craft companies contacting me and asking me to design any projects! Especially since it looks pretty much like the snowman we made a few weeks ago. Ha! Oh well, he enjoyed it anyway.

Baby Parts

Daddy and Van in the pool
Van and some of his parts

So it's no secret that you love your baby's parts right? I just want to tell you a little about some of my favorites. I remember when Adam was born (and Van as well but I knew it would get better) but his skin wasn't that soft supple baby skin I was expecting. It was sort of wrinkly and dry and he didn't want to be naked for any amount of time. But then that gradually changed. I love soft baby skin! I don't know when it changes to 'normal people skin' but I hope not for a while. Adam's skin is still so soft and I just love to touch it.

I love the little 'dimples' on baby knuckles. Van didn't get his for a while, and I have even seen adults have them but they aren't as appealing. Aren't they the cutest things on babies? And I love how Van's fingers start out small on top and gradually get fatter as you get towards the knuckle. Adam's don't do that anymore.

Baby feet are also on everyone's list. What is the deal with them? I personally think they are the cutest things going and I thought about it one day and I wondered if it is because they are so small? But the thing is, so is EVERYTHING else on the baby. Baby toes and feet are so so cute though. I love to kiss and bite Van's little feet.

You know when you are so pregnant that you can't even see your private parts anymore? Well, I have decided that I don't think Van has ever seen his. He knows they are there, he checks for them at every diaper change but I don't' think he has ever seen them because he has a large protruding belly. Now I know this is the child that weighs as much as our six month old neighbor (for real) but he does have a large belly. Or a puss gut as Chip refers to it. Nice huh? But I love to kiss and blow raspberries on his belly.

woops...

gotta love a honker

I forgot the pictures.

A blessing in disguise

This probably isn't the appropriate title for this post but you'll understand in a minute. When Sesame Street Live was coming to town, of course I had to get tickets. Adam went last year with my mom and a friend and his mom but I didn't get a ticket for me because I either was going to deliver Van around that time, or be nursing him and couldn't leave him home that long. I was pretty bummed but when this year rolled around, I was psyched. We got the tickets for Saturday morning at 10:30 and were ready to go. Of course, there needed to be a snowstorm last night and into this morning and if you live around here, and/or know where I live, there was no getting off my hill by 8:30 am, nor was I driving over New Paltz mountain. So, we didn't go. I called over to the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and they told me I could buy tickets at the door for a later show. (Because of course the roads were fine by like 10:30.) So my mom and Adam and I drive over there and the lady gives us tickets to... THE SECOND ROW. It really couldn't have gotten any better. As you can see in the pictures, Adam had a blast. Those are actually pictures with the camera zoomed out. He was able to meet some of the characters and jumped around a bit. It was a fun day and next year we think we are bringing Daddy and Van.