Death of A Cell Phone

Jordan and Caden.

Amaya, Rylie and Torie at Chili's. There's really no chance of getting too many pictures of Amaya with her eyes actually open.

And, my former cell phone.

Caden likes to play with cell phones.
Caden likes to hide things in the oven.

Our Week In Pictures

Jordan got to play in the ExcerSaucer for the first time this week. He seems to like it. But, he does tend to spit-up more when he's in there so we don't stay in it for more than 10 or 15 minutes at a time. He's figuring out how to push the buttons to make the music play.

Caden LOVES his "Mai-Mai" and is huggin' up next to her while she plays her Webkinz.

Jordan is finally in a real live crib!! I absolutely cannot find the bumper pads that I used with Caden. I have everything else and I can't remember what I did with them. So, Jordan's first night in the crib there was a little bit of waking up because his arm or leg kept falling through the slats. Dad came to my rescue (yet again) and got Jordan his own bumper pads, crib sheet and blanket. It was very cute stuff as you can see! Thanks Dad!

This is Caden holding his little cousin Raegan. She was born in November and we hadn't had a chance to really meet her until recently. She is a sweetie and Caden was very sweet with her.

And, OH! what a surprise: Jordan is smiling and laughing.

We have been hanging out at home a lot this week. I think Caden gets tired of always being here so I'm trying to find ways to keep him happy and entertained. It's not easy but we're figuring some things out. He's still doing pretty well with the potty thing. Still no "Number 2" in the potty but I've heard that's harder for little boys. He's spending as much time in his underwear as possible. In fact, I've forgotten a few times and we've gone out in underwear and there have been no accidents outside of the house. For the most part he's using the potty and not his underwear. Very impressed with him.

Amaya is getting to school on time thanks to Duke and we are always excited when it's time to go pick her up. She's reading so well and it always surprises me that she knows so many words. She got to go with us to Chuck E. Cheese yesterday with Grandma Pat and Aunt Karen and I know she has such a good time. It was good to spend some time together and play some games and get our pictures taken. She was given all the tickets the boys won last time we went and the tickets from yesterday. It was over three hundred tickets and Caden told her he didn't want them. When she went to redeem them for prizes she kept Caden in mind and got him some little stickers and a sucker. Always the thoughtful girl.

Chase is working away at his permanent sub job. He really enjoys doing something that involves his brain and not just mindless repetition like it was at General Motors. He really seems to care about these kids and I'm happy he's found something to be so excited about everyday. It's not always easy but he's really doing an awesome job. He's so much happier. We all are. He's interviewed for a permanent postion next year and I really hope he gets one at the school he's at now. He's making lesson plans and doing all the grades and class discipline himself and it is taking up a lot of time. He was kind of thrown into the fire and I think he's handled it well.

So, not a real "red-letter" or super exciting week but it's been a good one. We're happy and excited that it's almost the weekend! Hope everyone has a happy weekend!!!

Underoos

Well, Caden is working on using the potty. He decided he was interested and we are going with it. I should probably be more committed to it but the big boy bed is still very new and I don't know if it's a good idea to push both things at once. Tonight will be Caden's fourth night in his big boy bed. However, tonight is his first night in the particular bed that is in his room right now. Today, at some point, I believe when I was folding laundry, Caden decided to destory and dismantle his toddler bed. For many children this would be a fruitless and impossible task. But, not my son. He did it. It is not something that we can fix. Thick Little Tykes plastic was ripped today. Everything is good tonight. Caden is asleep in a twin bed. Jordan (poor sweet little baby) is snoring away in an actual crib. At the end of the day things worked out quite nicely. SHOUT OUT to Dad for the bed!

Caden in his big boy unna-wares.

Caden is actually sitting in Amaya's lap watching her play her PBS kids games.

Amaya and Conner doing what they both love to do! Catie looks on.

SHOUT OUT to Rachel for the birthday books!

My Grandma Pat, Aunt Karen, cousin Kaylan and Brandish treated Caden, Jordan and I to Chuck E. Cheese on Friday. Let me just say a rainy weekday in the middle of the day is a FABULOUS time to take little ones. I think Caden and Brandish were two of the oldest ones there. This is a picture of Caden on a "virtual" roller coaster. He did this game five times. He loved it! I have a video but it would've taken FOREVER to upload. Maybe on another day.

So, if you're also a Facebook buddy you might have already heard this little anecdote. But, for those of you who are not you will enjoy this immensely. Well, if you have a finely honed sense of humor as I do ;)

After picking up Amaya from school we were on our way to Wal-Mart and she was, of course, talking. A lot. But, she stopped and said to me, "Mom, I think we have a very smart family. I mean everyone is just so smart." Caden is sitting in the backseat and says, "Maya I poop in floor today."

Sweet little Jordy!! Irresistable!

Debra and I before worship Sunday morning. We are lovely ;)!!!!!!!

#1 Reason Why.....

...I am so so thankful that Chase has a daytime job. Bedtime assistance!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail...

We had ourselves a very busy Easter Sunday yesterday! It was fun and tiring and exciting and joyful!
Amaya woke up first and was so excited to check out what the Easter Bunny had left and could harldy wait to get Caden out of his "crib jail" so we could go see everything. She helped me pull him out of his bed while he's yelling, "Easter Bunny! Easter Bunny!" They liked looking through their baskets and were very excited to see that the Easter Bunny had also left an egg hunt in the living room.

In this picture Caden is laughing and saying, "Silly Easter Bunny! He put eggs on TV!"

Caden's way of egg hunting is to sit down after each egg, open it and immediately eat whatever he finds. He got better as the day progressed.

I LOVE this one! Love those smiles!!



And a true representation of the fact that these kids are MINE!






Chase and I were the nursery workers this morning during worship and got to spend some good quality time with Caden, Ryan, Grace, Jordan, Joey, Hudson, Kylie and Kylie's mommy, Jill. The kids were really cute and there were some fussy moments with some of the little ones as well as some moments where we had to get on to the older boys (Caden and Ryan were at one point wrestling in the floor) but it was a good morning and we were definitely blessed to get to spend our morning with such sweet babies.

After church we went to my parent's to eat some sub sandwiches and just chill until it was time to go to the Easter Egg Hunt at their church. Caden decided to spend his time playing "pnano" and singing "Tinkle Star". He's a musical prodigy!




Amaya and Nana enjoying a quick hug while they're waiting for cookies to finish baking.



Then, it was time to leave for the egg hunt. We were riding in my parent's car because Chase took our car home with Jordan to take a nap. So, we had to leave early since my parent's were helping with set up. So, I spent a VERY LONG hour trying to keep Caden from getting into the Easter eggs that were being hid, keep Caden from grilling his hand or other body parts on the grill outside where they were making hot dogs and hamburgers and keep Caden from going into every classroom and pulling everything out. It was fun and this picture is an excellent example of what too much stimulation and too much sugar can do to a child like Caden.

So, the Easter Egg hunt began and my dad had instructed all the kids to get twelve eggs and then make sure everyone was able to have twelve eggs before getting more. Amaya took those instructions to heart because she did not want someone else to do without eggs. So, she stopped at twelve while not many others did. It was very sweet and I am so proud of her loving and generous heart. What a beautiful girl!

Caden did his egg hunting with the "three and unders" in the playground with Nana. He is a very good egg finder (as is Amaya) so they did not inherit the "egg blindness" that my sis Amy has. Easter was always a very hard time for Amy. She could never find the eggs and there are many pictures of the three sisters with Jennifer and I standing there with full baskets smiling away and Amy very sad with her very pathetic basket of two or three eggs. Poor Amy! If only she'd had a sister more like Amaya.

My favorite picture of the day!!

At the end of the day I realized there were not pictures of Jordan and none of the three all together. I gave it my best shot and this is the best one I could get. Still, not too bad!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!
Love,
Chase, Becca, Amaya, Caden and Jordan!

The Boys! The Boys!

Sweet little Jordy!! He is the smilin-est baby that I ever did see! He can be so hungry and crying and unhappy and if you smile at he will stop and smile back. I think he's awesome!

Amaya and Caden were playing outside Sunday evening and decided to make themselves some beds. Amaya started gathering leaves to make her bed (it was already messed up by the time I got my camera and got out there) and she spent some time laying on her "bed" and looking up into the trees. Caden decided to make it simple and grabbed a roofing shingle for his bed. He also needed a his blankie and he was happy to do some sky gazing through the trees as well.

Still lovin' his bouncy...especially now that it's the place he sits and gets fed yummy food. Jordan is REALLY enjoying his rice cereal, applesauce, pears, bananas, oatmeal and as of last night sweet potatoes. Feeding him in the bouncy seat can get difficult because he gets so excited after each bite in anticipation of the next one that he makes the thing start bouncing like crazy and I have to be careful to get the bite in his mouth and not in his eye. He is enjoying his food so much and so thoroughly that I have decided to forgo the wasted time it takes to put a bib on the kid. Every bit goes into his tummy! It never get a chance to hit the bib.

Caden's new face. This is not a good representation of the actual face, but he has started making the funniest frowny face whenever he wants attention or when he doesn't agree with what we are doing. I've been told by Chase that he learned it from watching me when he's doing something I don't like. I don't know. I've never seen it on me, but I guess I'm not looking at myself that often am I? In this particular picture he's mad at me because I'm not putting Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the television and instead trying to take his picture. Also (just FYI) I am currently watching "Mickey's Comet" episode with Caden as I write this blog. He won.


We got to spend a couple of days playing with Heidi and Ryan this week and I can't believe I didn't get any pictures! The boys favorite thing this week is to play guitars together and dance. It is really cute (and again! kickin' myself for not getting a picture of it)! They both enjoy apple juice and playing outside. Ryan prefers to shovel sand and carry it across the yard to pour into whatever he can find, while Caden likes swinging or trying to distract Ryan from his sand shoveling. I think they have fun together. They both like to dump toys out just for the fun of dumping something out!! It drives us moms a little crazy!

Amaya being at school is sometimes no fun! She's not here to play with us and when she gets home from school she likes an hour to kind of relax in her room. So, we are not getting a whole lot of Amaya time right now. We were together Monday because she had a dentist appointment to get a cavity filled. It had really been bothering her and I'm so glad it is fixed. She did so well at the dentist! They used nitrous on her and she said it smelled like grape and made her whole body feel like it was sleepy. She never mentioned any pain or even discomfort. I am loving this dentist and am excited we found this place. Caden has even had his first checkup and it was awesome the way they got him to do what they needed him to do.

So, not a busy week but it was a good one and I'm glad we got to enjoy it with good friends!!

Pizza Party

Caden was diggin' the cheese pizza!

I think Joey was just glad to be eating.

Amaya enjoying her pineapple and canadian bacon!

Conner starting out with just sauce and pineapple later agreed it would be tastiest to add a little cheese to his creation.

And Micah, like Caden, just happy to have some cheesy pizza!


We had the Wells Brothers and Rachel over for dinner last night and Rachel brough English muffin pizza fixin's for all the kids! I think they had fun making their pizzas. I know Amaya did. Rachel describes their pizza personalities very well.

The kids played outside some, played some Nintendo DS (that was just Conner and Amaya) and Joey and Caden did some crazy awesome cooking in the kitchen floor! It was a good night and it was good to be with friends! Especially another adult friend because when you've been in the house with only children to talk to for most of the day during the week a little grown-up conversation is MUCH needed!

Thanks for coming over Wells!! We must do pizza night again!!