Coloring Eggs

The friday before Easter we just had to color eggs...none of us eat them, but still fun to do a project together anyway

Easter

We had a lot going on for Easter (per the norm every year). 1st we went to an easter egg hunt put on by the church where Lillian attends preschool. So much fun! We met up with Lillians friend Kiley from school, and her family. The kids had a blast and Lillian even got her first ever face painting done, thanks to Kiley being great support for that :)

The next weekend (easter weekend) we went to a spring fling put on by Keller Williams..that was a blast as well. They had a bounce house, fire truck, balloon animals, face painting..and the kids favorite (besides the bounce house) popcorn! Lillian once again had to get her face painted...and wear it the rest of the day..out to dinner and all!

Then we moved on to easter sunday, Lillian had everyone up super early (per the norm) First they found their baskets, and then went on to hunt eggs!

Lillians: work books, Hello kitty pjs, crafts, wii game
Braydens: work book, matchbox cars, backpack, pjs
Mias: baby spoons,bath toys, teether, book and baby food
Then of course candy for mom and dad was also left :)

After our family time, we got all dressed up and headed to Terre Haute for Easter lunch with Mikes grandmother, great grandmother, mom , sister and her family. We couldn't wait to get there for Gram B's noodles, best part of the day! Nanny had baskets for all the kids containing fun goodies so the kids were excited about that and an easter egg hunt, I think nanny does just about as many eggs as the public park egg hunts, but its all only for 5 kids..they loved it!! There was candy and money in them..Brayden would open them and just want the candy and was throwing the money out! Crazy kid! The kids had a blast with their cousins!

nanny and all her grandkids

Gram B, Great Grandma Dorothy,Nanny and all the grandkids

All the kids together (Lillian, Rachael, Jacob, Mia, Brayden)

After Terre Haute we came back up to Westfield for Easter/b-day dinner at my dads. Kids got to hunt real eggs this time and we enjoyed dinner and cake for my step sister Sarah's 18th b-day! It was a long day, but honestly, don't think we'd have it any other way. We like to be kept busy, the kids and I get stir crazy being home all the time so holidays are nice, fun and exhausting for all :)

Spring has sprung

We are really loving the nice warm weather in March! The kids LOVE being outside! Mia is so happy and content outside, even happy enough to fall asleep while swinging! We are only a couple weeks in to spring and Brayden has already had several scrapes. We can tell it will be a long summer and we def. need to stock up on bandaids and have the first aide kit handy for that guy!

Painting with shaving cream!

This was so fun! I remember doing this at school as a kid! Daddy would have flipped out at the mess if he was home ;)

Big Kid Weekend

Despite my efforts to stop time, my babies keep growing up. This makes me one sad/anxious mama! This past weekend Lillian went for her first ever sleep over away from home! The only other times she has slept away from us was for our hospital stays for Brayden and Mia's birth, but both of these times were in our home and we saw her frequently. She decided she was finally ready to go for a night with Nanny (Mikes mom) just like her cousins do sometimes. Nanny Lives in Terre Haute so this was a pretty big deal to be so far away and first car ride with someone other then us! (Only other car rides with anyone else were from home to the hospital..3min drive!) So Friday we packed up and met her in Plainfield. The plan was for her to stay for one night for the first time...she had so much fun being a big girl that she stayed for 2 nights! I'm sure I annoyed them b/c we called about every 4-5hrs! Sounds like they had a blast though...a Movie, Toys R Us and Olive Garden friday night. Toys R Us (again), lunch, Bogeys Family fun center, baking cookies and Joann Fabrics for craft stuff on Saturday! Sunday we met them Moorsville for lunch to bring our girl home. We all missed her!

Ready to go

In Nannys Car

While Lillian was gone having fun with Nanny. We went to our nephew Jacob (8) basketball game. He did really well! Brayden keep saying "me basket ball" He really wanted to play also, so now we might look in to finding somethin for Brayden for when he turns 3. After that game we took Brayden to DQ for lunch and then for his first time bowling! So cute and fun!

Monon Center

Tuesday we had a really awesome day. We took Lillian to school and then went shopping for a bit until it was time to pick her up again. Got Lillian  picked up from school and went to Pizza Hut for lunch, we had a fun afternoon planned so we decided to skip naps and just let the kids nap in the car if they were tired. Brayden fell asleep as we were pulling in to Pizza hut. (Side note: our kids have never been good sleepers, so even stopping the car usually wakes them.) We arrived at Pizza Hut, carried Brayden in (still asleep) and he slept in the booth through the WHOLE LUNCH!! He was so zonked out! I wish I had taken the camera in to get a picture of that since it has never happened and prob. never will again. He woke up when I picked him back up to leave. We then headed to the Monon Center to swim for a bit. It was Mia's first time swimming :) Brayden and Lillian had so much fun! After we got home and had dinner it was time for a bath and the kids were still trying to "swim" and did not want to get out. Can't wait to spend a lot of time swimming this summer, hopefully getting Lillian more comfortable without the puddle jumper. She was begining to learn without it at the end of last summer, so hopefully we an pick up where we left off.

blurry, but I loved her smile and how happy she was.

Brayden running through the fountain

just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Tuesday we had a really awesome day. We took Lillian to school and then went shopping. Picked Lillian up from school and went to Pizza Hut for lunch, we had a fun afternoon planned so we decided to skip naps and just let the kids nap in the car if they were tired. Brayden fell asleep as we were pulling in to Pizza hut. Side note: our kids have never been good sleepers, so even stopping the car usually wakes them. We arrived at Pizza Hut, carried Brayden in (still asleep) and he slept in the booth through the WHOLE LUNCH!! He was so zonked out! I wish I had taken the camera in to get a picture of that since it has never happened and prob. never will again. He woke up when I picked him back up to leave. We then headed to the Monon Center to swim for a bit. It was Mia's first time swimming :)

Rainbows of fun

Our original plans last Monday were postponed so the kids and I spent the afternoon at Recreation Unlimited. We LOVE that place. Very nice equipment  (Rainbow play sets, trampolines, basketball goals and train tables), plenty of seating, not croweded at all and best of all..indoors so the kids can burn energy during the winter or rainy days and I don't have to worry about Brayden in parking lots and they can play just about anywhere with little worry from me :) Lillian is thinking she wants to have her 5th Birthday party there!

Brayden was so excited about all the "chuggy choos" to play with!

Mia took the afternoon to nap

In other news, Brayden is doing so awesome with learning new words. I can hardly keep track of all the words now. He is trying to repeat everything we say which is great and so cute. He has come a long way since starting the speech therapy that I am starting to think he does not really need weekly sessions any more, but we'll see what they think come evaluation time.
Mia turned 4mo old this past week, she is very close to 17lbs and changing every day :) My poor baby did not do very well with her shots, she spent the whole next day after them with a fever, crying and sore. She required extra cuddles from mommy that day, which I can't say bothered me at all ;)