OtterPops: The Kid Update

Emma continues to really love being held by yours truly!! She is making progress in regards to letting me drop her off for babysitting, etc. to places she is familiar with but if I am in the room she wants to be in my arms. She still really loves raspberries and puts them on the tip of her fingers (like olives) to consume them. Her favorite hobby that she has taken up recently is coloring all over the floor, couch, her hand, you name it with any writing utensil she can find. Markers, pens, crayons, etc. She also loves sneaking into the toothbrush drawer upstairs and down and sucking on everyone's toothbrushes, (and the toothpaste tube for good measure) one after the other until I catch her. She is just trying to do her part to keep Mr. Clean in business (since I have to use Magic erasers daily) and share any bad germs amongst the kids. She is also getting very good at taking care of dolls and loves to push around the doll stroller.

Taking care of baby doll

Doing her own home decor: Markers all over everything

Emma with her fav: raspberries

Jonas is still really enjoying preschool and recently went on a field trip to the fire station. As you can imagine, anything firefighter related now is so great in his book. He also thinks he is SOOO big because he can go to sunbeams (at church he has graduated out of the nursery and goes to singing time and lessons with the older kids). He looks so big and handsome to me and acts like he has been doing this his whole life. His sunbeam teacher always has funny stories to share with me too. For instance, one week she asked Jared excitedly "do you guys have an announcement?!" to which Jared said he didn't think so, why? She told him that Jonas had been telling his whole class he was going to have a little brother. Jared clarified that however much Jonas wanted a little brother it was far from the truth. Jonas kept it up for a week, at least, telling me things like "oh, that toy is for my little brother" or pointing to a blank spot on his shirt that says "dad's little sidekick" with a picture of a dad dog and his son and saying "look! That's the little brother!" She said another week after she had taken them all for their bathroom trip that he came out of the stall and said "Guess what! I made a snowman with the bubbles from my pee!" she said it definitely provides her entertainment every week.

Driving the fire truck

Shooting the fire hose

Whole crew with the firemen

Jonas right after sunbeam class

Also, forget dinosaurs, because Jonas thinks Jared is the coolest thing to ever walk the earth. I can be slaving over a dinner, set it all out and Jared walks in the door right before we eat but when we're all sitting down to eat Jonas will say "Wow! Dad, this looks like a good dinner, did you make it?" when he knows perfectly well that isn't the case. Or, Jared will be carrying something upstairs (sometimes even with my help) and Jonas will say "Wow, dad! You are so cool and strong!" Jonas is also getting really good at coloring with specific purpose and color choice and has cruised through almost an entire coloring book during sacrament meetings collectively over the last month.

I also told all the kids we really need to help Emma learn to talk by making a concerted effort to have her use her signs or words to ask for things instead of just screaming. Or if we see something that she is paying attention to or playing with, we should use the words (oh, is that your blanket?? is that Jonas?) Well, the other day I overheard Jonas and Emma in the toy room and Jonas is going "Yeah, Emma, is brother playing with sais? Can you say Sais, Emma?" I didn't stop him because that's exactly what I had prompted them to do, but figured we would start with basic objects, not traditional Okinawan weapons used by Rafael, the ninja turtle. It just cracked me up!

Lillian and Jocelyn have both started their dance class with their friends and have really been enjoying that every week along with Music Art and Drama friday at the presbyterian church. They also really have been enjoying the rain we've been getting.

Enjoying our much needed rain

They get so excited to take their umbrellas to school if they see rain drops or put on their much neglected rain boots FINALLY! Lillian also coordinated with a friend at school to participate in twin day. They both had their husky hats (Maddie convinced her mom to buy one after seeing Lillian wear hers to school this last fall). So her mom went all out and got them these cute outfits. They were very excited when I picked them up for a playdate following twin day. Lillian is also beyond excited for her upcoming field trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I will be going as a chaperone which should be fun (as long as I survive the bus ride)! It will be fun to spend the day with her. She has already planned what she will be taking for lunch that day:) Oh the excitement of a bus ride and a field trip!!

Girls with head wraps I brought back as souvenirs from Boston

Lilly and her friend on Twin Day

Jocelyn had her 100 project due for school and although I was pretty convinced she'd be able to find something in my craft cupboard that would work, she was NOT convinced. I told her I needed to run an errand to the $ store anyway so I would save it until after school and bring her along if she wanted to pick something from there. She came up with the idea of a 100 piece jigsaw puzzle so with the help of some mod podge she put together her project. She was thrilled.

Jocelyn 100 day project

Jocelyn with Mrs. Scampini

She also was recently "Star of the Week" in her classroom and got to put together this poster. She is really sad because next week is her teacher's last week at school before she goes on maternity leave. They will have a sub for the rest of the year and we will all miss having Mrs. Scampini.