daddy's birthday presents

Wednesday evenings are fun for me as I get to spend a couple of hours alone with Finn when we go to church...me to middle school youth group and him to Cubbies. We left earlier than usual this week so that we could go shopping for Matthew's birthday presents. So on the way to town, I asked Finn what he wanted to get daddy for his birthday. As I asked the question we were passing a stop sign, so he said, "maybe a stop sign...or something?". After explaining to him that no one is aloud to have stop signs and that it's against the law, I asked him again what he wanted to get daddy for his birthday. Finn said, "How about a beet truck?". I stopped asking after that. And I thought a stop sign was impossible!!!

We got to Target and picked out a couple of things. We were near the jewelry section (no, I didn't get Matthew jewelry) when Finn saw a rack of fashion necklaces. They were filled with charms and feathers and very large polished stones. He looked at me with a questioning look and said, "I just don't think I know what this is". So, I guess to test it, he pulled it back and let it go. Of course it clattered against the others and hit the back of the rack. Two girls were standing around the corner and thought it was pretty funny that he was acting like the necklace was a slingshot. What a fun boy!

gotta declutter

So, usually when I feel like the 'stuff' in our house is taking over, I'll get claustrophobic and go on a cleaning rampage after possibly a little rant to Matthew about all the junk. I skipped the rant to Matthew this morning (although I was a little on edge) and I'm going to declutter today. Maybe I spared him the rant because he always gets a little worried that I'm going to throw all of his stuff out. Of course, I would just tell him that if it hasn't been used in a while then we don't need it. So, that's my rule today. When I see it and it hasn't been used in a while and there are no immediate plans for it, it's going out. (Matthew, if you are reading this, it does include your stuff, but as usual, I'll set your stuff aside for you to look through.) Anyone else need to declutter today?

"that makes jesus happy"

I was talking to my mom on the phone earlier today when I heard Finn tell Piper "That makes Jesus happy". Somehow I knew that whatever they were doing wasn't making Jesus happy. I walked in just in time to save my headphones. They were hooked over the exercise machine and Piper was pulling on them like he was going to use them as a swing. After I saved my headphones, he went right for the diaper cream (which he knows he's not supposed to have) and started to open it. After I took that away, he went for the computer. Piper never stops and he loves everything that he's not supposed to get into. At this point, it looks like he will either work with electronics, water or diaper cream! 

I'll have to have a nice, long talk with Finn about what really makes Jesus happy. 

Ollie in the Jumperoo for the first time. He wasn't a huge fan at first, but he got used to it and now if I'm carrying him around, he will stare at it until I put him in it. 

Finn wanted to take my picture, but I told him that I got to take one of him first. He said "cheese" with a big smile for about .5 seconds and then ran off. This was taken right at the end of "cheese". 

This was a picture that Finn took of Piper...pretty good, I think!

Ollie going for a horse ride just like his big brothers love to do. 

Finn climbed the wall in between the kitchen and the dining room (as always), but when he tried to climb down, his foot slipped and he face planted into the wall and slid all the way down to the floor scraping his nose against the wood work. He actually got a splinter at the opening of his right nostril! Now, that was interesting digging a splinter out of his nose! He then insisted on having a band-aid. I told him to get a small band-aid; however, I think he brought me the biggest one that we had and again insisted on me putting it on his nose. It was so big that he couldn't breathe through his nose so he sniffed a lot and it also bothered his eyes so much that they watered. Through all of this he kept it on for at least 3 hours. Every time I looked at him, I just had to laugh. 

So, Piper felt left out that he couldn't play in the jumperoo so I put him in. Boy, was he happy! 

Saying "shees". He ended up getting stuck and Finn 'helped' him out by turning him completely upside down. I didn't know the jumperoo could turn over...definitely something I'll have to watch with Ollie in it!

Getting ready for bed Saturday night and I put on I Love Lucy. No, Ollie wasn't watching it, but it was a cute picture with the other two sitting so still. 

yesterday

We had an interesting day here yesterday. 

FROGS AND FINGERS

7:00 am - Finn woke up yesterday with a little cough so I asked him if he had a little frog in his throat. He got a funny look on his face and said, "No, I don't have a frog in my throat. That's yucky". He also woke up with the band-aid on his finger that we put there the night before to keep him from sucking his finger. That means that he's been finger-sucking free for 2 days!

NO!

8:30 am - I asked Piper if he wanted French toast for breakfast. He said "no" in the sweetest little voice. Of course it started out in a nice way. I thought to myself, "I give him 24 hours before he's yelling it". This morning, he yelled "Nooooo!" as loud as he could to Finley when they were playing. It was the first time that Piper got a toy that he wanted from Finley, partly because I think Finley was so shocked that Piper yelled at him. 

I HODE YOU

9:30 am - I told Finn that I was cold as we were sitting on the couch. He moved right next to me and put his arms around me and said, "Here, I hode you so you can warm up". So sweet. 

PIPER'S CLEANING?

11:00 am - I told the boys to pick up all of their books and toys so that we could vacuum. Piper scrambled around picking up everything and putting it in the correct box and lining up the tractors along the wall. I was so proud of him and he was so excited to help. 

HIDE AND SEEK--OLIVER STYLE

11:30 am - Finally got around to vacuuming after Ollie woke up. I put him in his chair, strapped him in and put him in the family room, which is the room I always start in. I turned the vacuum on and vacuumed that half of the room. When I turned the vacuum off though to move furniture and do the other side of the room, Oliver was gone...along with his chair. My heart skipped a beat and I ran into the kitchen, which is right where Finn had pulled Oliver. I asked him what he was doing and Finn calmly said, "I want my brudder with me". I told him that was okay so I went back to vacuuming. By the time I got to the kitchen though, Ollie was 'hiding' again. Finn had pulled him into the dining room and was reading to him. By the time I got into the dining room, Finn had pulled him into the living room...and all around the downstairs he went. It's a good thing Oliver is so go with the flow! He had the same, content expression on his face each time I found him. 

Do you think this kid likes bread? Finn likes to help me make bread and watch the dough mix together; however, I've never seen him hug the bread machine...

The boys fighting over who gets to hold Oliver...and Oliver just sits there contentedly. 

Ollie still content as they fight over him. Finn wearing his victory grin. 

Piper's tears turned to a smile as he says "shees". Poor Ollie, right after I took this picture, Piper decided he was finished holding him and dropped him on the floor face first. Ollie whimpered a little and then smiled. I tell ya, nothing gets Ollie down...

fall

Finn ended up having the flu for almost 3 days. At night he would ask for the strangest things. He would be fevering and asking for paper at 3 in the morning. When I asked him what kind of paper he wanted, he said, "just paper". I asked if he wanted to write something and he said no. I asked him what he needed it for and he showed me that he wanted to wipe his nose. So, I asked him if he wanted toilet paper and he said, "no, the big paper that you rip". Which means that he wanted to blow his nose in a paper towel. That same night he also asked for "Larry boy". Larry Boy is a VeggieTales character, but apparently to Finn he looks like the big bulb syringe that I use on Ollie's nose when he has a cold. So he asked for Larry Boy to fix his nose. 

Ollie sitting in his little rocking chair. He looks pretty serious in these pictures, but he is really the most smiley and happy baby ever!

He's getting so big. 

Piper helping Matthew stack firewood. All I see when I look at Piper are his huge, brown eyes. I love them!

Like I said, huge brown eyes. 

Finley helping to stack firewood. 

I asked him to smile for the picture, but he said that his stomach hurt, so this is the picture I got. As you saw in the previous picture, a stomachache was not ailing him. 

Matthew stacking firewood. 

It took me 10 minutes to get him to stop and smile. 

Piper playing outside. 

Piper wrestling with Finley. 

When they start wrestling, Piper usually gets hurt so I tell them not to touch each other. This is them not touching each other. 

During quiet time today I found Finn looking through a more advanced school book. =) 

Our front/side yard. Look at all the leaves!