Busy Kids

A few shots of the kids from the past few days. Miller's 1st bubble bath.

The kids found most of Brooks' toys for him while we cleaned out our toyboxes for Goodwill.

The decorating of our first pumpkins of the year.

Ella designated them by size, so hers is the tallest on the right, and Brooks is the smallest on the left. I think they are beautiful.

Perks of the Midwest

We were finally able to go to the Benton County Fair tonight since it stopped raining. We saw animals, ate yummy food, rode ponies and rides. Ella is a big roller coaster fan, always screaming and throwing her arms in the air. Miller has always shied away from them, but participated tonight. He was literally expressionless and we had to pry his hands off the bar, but he claims he had fun.

Oh Man!

Our response when the dentist told us that Ella had a yuck yuck between her right bottom molars on her xray. She does such a good job brushing and not eating before bed. It is simply a flossing issue because it is between the teeth, and those teeth are moving closer together. Never in a million years did I think a toddler could get a cavity from not flossing. She will get her fillings in 2 weeks and we are going to be flossing and fluoriding like crazy around here to prevent anymore! Miller had a great exam, but didn't get any xrays. We won't be waiting to get those to start flossing him. In fact, I may start flossing Brooksy's teeth the minute they come in just to be sure.

4 month comparisons

Pulled these pics off the blog from when Ella & Miller were 4 months old. Genes are too cool.

Brooks' 4 Month Stats

The same day Miller got his staple Brooks got his 4 month shots. His physical was unremarkable and they commented on what a happy boy he was. And much to my surprise, they informed me he would keep his blue eyes. He weighs 14lb 3oz(40%) and is 26 1/4 inches tall (90%). He has become quite a talker, squealer, and laugher..mostly at his siblings!

That's gonna hurt in the morning

Mommy & Daddy got the call from school that no parent wants to get: Miller had fallen on the playground and had a gash in his head that would require stitches. Daddy picked him up with gum, motrin, and a sucker in tow to take him to the ER. They attempted 5 staples, but only one stayed in. Miller was very brave and a very good boy without any anesthetic. When you ask him what happened at the hospital, he says, 'click', because that's all he heard when they put the staples in.

Miller's 1st Day of School

Miller & Ella started Mom's Day Out today, they were both very excited to go to their new classrooms with their new teachers. They wanted to take a picture with Brooks. Ella will go in the mornings to Mom's Day Out and then to Preschool in the afternoons. They both did really good at the drop off...nobody cried and everyone had a smile on their face. I hope it's the same all year long.

Happy Labor Day

Jason started the day running the 5K in the Run 4 a Child. We met up with him after the race and the kids played in the bouncy area. We had our annual picnic to celebrate our engagement. This year we decided to celebrate in the backyard under our new patio. We truly enjoyed our 3 day weekend and the beautiful weather that came with it.

In the Minivan on a MiniRoad trip to the MiniFarm

We met the Braman's for lunch on Saturday in Joplin at the Red Onion, as well as my cousins Pam & Morgan. Lunch was delicious and we ended up at Lindsay's farm in Purcell for ice cream and brownies. She had horses, ducks, chickens, dogs, tomatoes and even a snake!

Just Hook Them Up To An IV

We bought the kids some Leapsters for learning on road trips or during long waits. They obviously love them, even caught Ella doing hers in the bathroom!

Changes

Brooks requires buckles now that he has figured out how to slither down his bouncy chairs. I've also noticed that when the kids are watching a show he is absolutely mesmerized. Time to get out the Baby Einstein dvds.

S'More Soup

While I was baking Ella wanted to create something of her own. She was so excited to have daddy try it when he got home. I knew she would be devastated if he didn't eat it, so told her to limit it to 4 ingredients. She decided on marshmallows, chocolate chips, crumbled graham crackers, and peanut butter...her favorite part was very dramatically taking the lid off to display her masterpiece.

I heart this....

This is Brooks' relaxed position with his feet hugging. I just love it and wanted to get a shot of it because it will be gone before I know it.

Celebrating Daddy

Last weekend the Target team threw Jason a 'going away' party, since he will be moving to a different area, although still working with them. They laid out this huge slide on the hill and soaped it up to make it very slippery. I think the adults had way more fun than the kids on this one. Thank you!

Miller won't be outdone.

The latest game is to play princess and dress Miller up in dresses. He loves it as Ella wears a dress everyday and he doesn't have any. I also noticed that his scream is higher than his sisters and had to get it on video to prove it to him one day. You may want to turn your volume down.

Wedding Fun

We joined Grandma for an old friends wedding reception last weekend and had a great time. This was the 1st 'dance' our kids have been to and they loved it. Ella & Miller made some new friends with the Nichols' girls and Grandma got a new dance partner.

Brooks' Baptism

Thank you to Grandma, Grandma Sharon, Grandpa, Aunt Aimee(Godmother), Nadia & Audrey for coming down to celebrate this blessed event. We had hoped for immersion, but as the water was too cold, Monsignor David opted for sprinkling at the last minute. After Brooks was baptized and the congregation was quiet, Miller hollered, 'My Turn?'

3 Months Old

Brooksy is such a blessing to our family. He started giggling last week and has quite a big boy schedule. He's eating 4 times/day and sleeping 12 hours at night. Ella and Miller can't wait until he gets bigger so he can play & talk with them. I'm still working on a cure for this growing thing.

Double Trouble

Miller is still Ella's biggest fan. He wants to be a part of her shoes, nail polish, dance, and lip gloss. I cracked up when he came in the kitchen being very boy with the lightsaber while wearing her ballet shoes.

Sweet Baby

Found this picture on my camera taken in June one day when Brooks fell asleep after eating. The kids came home shortly afterwards and Ella couldn't resist getting up close with him. She loves him like crazy. Since the first day we brought him home from the hospital she wakes every morning and asks where he is and how he is doing. She misses him like I miss my babies while they sleep at night. She's going to make a great mommy someday.

Golf with Daddy

Daddy took the older kids golfing a few weeks back and when they came home we had to throw them in the shower because they were covered in sand from head to toe. I think a trip to the beach is in order for these two.

Zooperstars

We went to see the Naturals and the Zooperstars last weekend. Even Brooks got tickled at their silliness. Miller wanted to meet Strike the mascot until he saw him up close, then decided to forgo the picture and autograph. He has talked about him everyday since, so we're going to try again this week.