A Puzzling Matter

Lately we've  been into puzzles.  That sounds healthy and smart, right???  Haha.  That's not why we've been into them.  Although, they are a fun way to spend family time together with no screens involved.  Fun, that is, if you like being driven crazy one small piece of cardboard at a time.  And if you enjoy seeing just how dumb you are.  And how you lack spatial reasoning.  And if you enjoy reaffirming that the part of your brain responsible for mathematics is totally missing.   But maybe those are just personal issues.

I bought a couple of cool puzzles for Christmas gifts to all the kids.  Cobble Hill makes lovely puzzles.  They are labeled for different ages and then they have ones like the below pictured labeled "Family Puzzle". 

 It comes with three different sizes of pieces--large, medium and small.

 The obvious idea is that the small children can enjoy a puzzle that offers a challenge to older children and adults as well.  The issue here is that I joyfully worked away at all those large pieces and then left the harder stuff for the kids.  It was so satisfying to be successful for once!

 This particular puzzle made us all hungry for candy!  The colors were so vibrant.

 There were a lot of puzzling breaks taken--Chess and "Bop it" were the other popular games of the winter break.

 This is another puzzle we worked on over break.  It got finished because we were able to beg some  help from Daddy.  The puzzle I showed you at the top was about 75% worked when it got mostly ruined.  I didn't have the heart to keep at it and packed it away for another day.

Puzzles and Chess and what not are great winter time fun.  However--while the east coast is freezing and buried in snow, we are having a mild and dry winter--so the kids have moved on to bike riding, shorts and tank top wearing and outdoor fun.  Last week I caught them laying out on beach towels in the sunshine two separate times.  Not that it was warranted--being about 40 degrees--just shows you what kids with webbed toes will do.  I'll leave you with this gem:

Just in case you're wondering, the cute girl in the middle is supposed to be the subject of the photo--not the cluttered counter tops and refrigerator covered in school papers.

Blue Friday

Happy Blue Friday ya'll!

 It's pretty fun to dress up our own personal lineman in his football gear.

 Man, do I love his chubs!

 "Put me in coach!  I'm ready, I'm ready!"

 Go Hawks!

 Last week we were super excited to have a Saturday playoff game.  Saturday games mean that I can make football food.

 And there are enough of us in our family to have a football party without even inviting anyone over
: )  That sounded a little anti-social, sorry. 

 

So, individual chocolate cream pies might not exactly be deemed "football food" . But the "individual" makes them a little more manly, right?  And when you're eating them alongside potato skins and bean dip they're not really lady like.

 Our Bronco-fan-Daddy just might be switching sides...

If our dream of a Broncos-Seahawks superbowl comes true he'll have some tough decisions to make.  Either way there will be  at least five of us joining the 12th Man!  Go Hawks!

Christmas Fun

I was planning to edit these photos--but who am I kidding?  I never will.  And if I keep waiting until I do so, I'll never ever get around to blogging again.  Please ignore the demonic red eyes I can't learn to get rid of on my new camera!

 We headed over the Sound and through the traffic to Grandpa and Grandma's house for Christmas.  Uncle Jacob and Aunt Emily were there with little Ollie and we were set to have fun.  Grandma fixed the most delicious meal ever of Prime Rib Roast, baked potatoes with all the fixin's, green beans, bread, ambrosia and more.  I was too busy stuffing my face to take pictures.  Sounds like a repeat of my Thanksgiving theme, eh?  I'll write another post about my food addiction some other day.  There was no staying up late for Christmas Eve for the kids and Mommies--sleep is the best gift of all.

 The kids were up by 5:30, though.  I slept through their comings and goings from our room for the next hour and a half.  Aunt Emily took a fully awake Oliver to hang out in the kids' room for a while before he went back down for an early morning snooze.  Then it was the waiting game while one baby or another was asleep/awake/asleep/awake before we could open presents.  My girls wanted to put their Christmas dresses on as soon as the sun was up (which didn't happen for a few hours after they got up since it's the darkest of winter days around these parts).  The girls stand in stark contrast to the rest of us who stayed in our jammies.  I especially love Oliver's monster-bottom-jammies.

 Ezra and Caroline both got tennis rackets so that Daddy can finally have built in tennis partners.  He's been waiting for this day for a long time.  I tell you, he was very disappointed when we got married and I wouldn't take up the hobby of tennis to play with him.  Now he can ride his bike to the courts half a mile away and play with Ezra and Caroline whenever he wants....if it's not raining....or dark....or we're not all sick.  So, once a month, perhaps.

 Oliver just wanted to eat wrapping paper, of course.

 And so did Henry.  But he wasn't coordinated enough, like his cool older cousin, to be able to get it to his mouth.

 After presents we enjoyed a Christmas Brunch that I still have dreams about.  Uncle Jacob and Aunt Emily had to head back home mid-day, thus all the pre-Christmas dinner time meals. 

 Seriously!  Look at the cuteness of that kid.  Good thing he's my nephew and I can hug him and kiss him! 

 Oliver was quickly tiring of camera flashes and was squinting that darling little squint.

 I wanted a good picture of the boys together in the worst way.  Babies--they never cooperate!

 Look at how big Henry looks in Caroline's arms!

 Be still, my heart!

 Pretty special little family, I must say.

 I must also say that I'm so glad to be with Emily on holidays.  She isn't afraid to eat herself into oblivion also, so I don't feel so alone : )  After we were done with our little photo session, Emily noticed the burp rag on her shoulder and started laughing.  I love it--it'll be a wonderful reminder of all the joys of motherhood in the years to come.  Our little family also posed for some pictures, but we neglected to take any on our own cameras--doh!

 Grandpa and Grandma with their grandkids.

The kids loved the Sees candies that Grandma bought for desserts almost as much as their Mommy did!  The suckers were a fun treat to enjoy while we watched a marathon of Duck Dynasty.  Fascinating stuff, I tell you.  It was a very relaxing time spent with family and I'm quite thankful for it.  Traveling during school breaks can be exciting and fun--but especially with a new baby there's really, truly "no place like home for the holidays!"

Four Months

And just like that he's four months.

 

 His mohawk looks like a barrel wave these days.  His eyes are still mostly gray-blue...but they have suspicious flecks in them.  At his four month appointment he weighed in as the third heaviest four monther in our family.  Ezra had him beat by an ounce and a half.

He is so very social and seeks out faces and interaction.  He won't focus on eating if he can hear a sibling talking nearby.

Everything goes in his mouth.  He is working on those first teeth and they are giving him fits some days.                      

He loves to laugh.  He's very ticklish physically and also gets tickled by things he sees and hears.  I love to hear those throaty chuckles.  The flip side to a social child is that they do NOT like to be left alone.  He wants to be held and talked to all the time.  It's fun, but like his siblings it means that he's my number one helper for all my house hold chores.  The difference this time is that my arms are given a break by big  brother and sister now and again.  I am going to miss those extra arms when they go back to school next week!

Mr. Henry is big enough for his Johnny Jumper now, hopefully I can get some shots of him in that soon.  We need to get those chubby thighs a workout--haha!