What I Got For Mother's Day...

 Well, I asked for a LOT of things for Mother's Day.  To be specific: These and maybe one of these. Or perhaps something perhaps maybe a little bit like this. I could go on.  But ya know, sometimes the money just isn't there. Which is fine. Really. Especially since we just booked a cruise (I know!!!) for June.

So in the end, what I told the husband I would like was some pictures of me with the kids. Simple enough, right? Ha. Ha. Haa...

Uh, Libby... over here. At the camera. Not the squirrels. Also, I require children to cover up my roly poly midsection, thanks.

 Um. Miles? Dude. And really Abbie? The book???

 Can we just pretend I only have four kids and Photoshop Abbie out of this one? Matt wondered if she might be turning into one of those weird EMO kids with their Harry Potter and non-showering. We can't let this happen.

 So, we let loose a little. Make a funny face. Sure. Great. According to the husband I look Nazi deathcamp skinny in this one (so I went and ate some cookies).

 I finally took Abbie's book away and made her actually join the rest of us (she looks thrilled). Shout out to Anna for looking perfectly posed in every picture. She gets it from me.

Then Lucas decided to stick his hand down my shirt and tickle me in the er... cleavage? Yeah, photoshoot over.

P.S. Check out my hair!!!?!?!

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Finally

Abbie loves to read. Loves it. However, she has this tendency to balk when I encourage her to read a specific book, as if my recommendation seals its fate as a terrible book. And by balk, I mean, throw an insane hissy fit. So, for years (literally at least two years) I've been trying to get her to read Harry Potter. She even read about 1/2 of the first book last year. But, for whatever reason, she put it down and claimed it was boring.

So, because I don't want to seem a pushy mom (I totally am), I laid off. A couple of weeks ago, both Anna and Miles started showing interest in reading the books. I suggested we read them together, as a family.

I think I got about four chapters into the first book before Abbie commandeered it, finishing it in under a day. She is now about to start the seventh book. On Saturday, we attended Universal Studios (with free tickets from the husband's employer) and purchased for her, her very own wand. These are not toys. They are uh... expensive($35). And they break easily (or so we are told.) Abbie picked out the Luna Lovegood wand.

The promise is that when she finishes the books, the wand is hers. I don't think we needed to incentivize her, but it doesn't hurt. In the meantime, she can't get her nose out of the books for anything. Things could be worse.

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This picture is worth 1000 words

I won't use all 1000. Promise.

After school the kids are required to get their homework and their chores done and then if there's time left (which there is often not due to feet-dragging) we can go outside and "play."

Apparently, "play" at our house includes popsicles. It must. There is hell to pay on my part if I suggest we go outside to play without having an ample supply of popsicles on hand. Perhaps this is due, in part, to the incredibly warm weather we are already experiencing.

Items to note in the above picture:
1. Lucas has no shoes on. Never does. Recently we went on a run as a family on the bike trail that runs behind our home. Lucas failed to wear shoes. He also ran most of the way. It was nearly 2 miles. Get that boy some FiveFingers!
2. He also just dropped the remainder of his popsicle on the ground. He proceeded to eat it off the ground. At least until the ants got to it.
3. Anna's a poser.
4. Also Abbie with the posing. Geez.
5. Miles is looking so very GQ. I'm sure it's because his brain can finally breathe again. That boy has the thickest most insane hair. SO MUCH HAIR. And he detests haircuts. It takes me weeks to convince him.
6. I'm sure at this point Libby is scavenging for whatever popsicles are left, having finished her own. In fact, I can see that Abbie has already given Libby half of what she had left. That child can eat! And also, scarf popsicles with the best of them.

See? Much less than a thousand words.

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Skillz I've Not Got

 Oh yay! It's an ice cream. Though, not really. It's actually a cupcake. Have you ever tried to make these? I did once a couple of years ago. Made a HUGE mess. Fortunately, my neighbor is much more skilled in this area. She brought over a tray of them for my kids.  They were quite tasty. 

I only know this because once Libby had removed the frosting portion, she handed it to me. 

Yay me!

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Strange

 It's totally normal to eat bubbles. I know I did it when I was a kid. You did too. I'm sure of it.

Though, I am fairly certain there are no pictures of me that are quite so incriminating and frankly, strange.

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Just Like Daddy

Recently Anna (8) told Matt, "I hope I marry a husband like you."  When pressed for what exactly she meant, she explained that she hopes her husband is goofy and funny and makes her laugh, just like her daddy.

Be still my freaking beating heart. That is the reason I married this man. It's what keeps me madly in love with him. He makes me laugh. And the kids too, apparently. He is constantly ribbing them; giving them a hard time. The works. 

Which is why it comes as no surprise to me that he continues to enjoy the same "childish" things he always has. Like Calvin & Hobbes. Recently, I emerged from alone time in my bedroom to discover this:

What can I say? We've bred a gaggle of nerds. We're pretty proud.

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Toofless

And there goes another one. He lost this one on the bus, claims he almost swallowed it. 

Try not to get lost in those dreamy eyes. He's a charmer, this one.

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