Beautiful Children

40 weeks + 3 days

 Here's another belly shot, by Melanie.

  Just so Chris can feel slender. :)

38 weeks

Tick, tick.
38.5
38.75

Flying through Five!

 Matthew was kinda hoping he'd turn six or seven-he didn't dare hope for 8, that would be really big!  He wanted a cake with a point on it.  Instead he got a layered cake (actually 2-one with 2 layers, one with 3) and he had fun decorating it.

 The company was siblings-some where more excited than others to sing
"Happy Birthday to Matthew!"

 Don't worry, there are five candles on-we can count.  You just can see it that easily.

 And the rest of lovely singers warbled our best for Matthew!

 Jennifer joined in the listening, contemplating the quality and flavour of the cake.

 Just like the big bad wolf, Matthew huffed and puffed the candles out.  It did take him a while to get them-and his first attempt was a whistle!  He now whistles a LOT.  Often when he's working away at something he adds a musical accompaniment.

 Birthday cards made in secret are extra special.  The kids are getting so sneaky that even I don't see them 'til they're done! 

 Waiting to open presents is hard work, but nothing a  five year old can't handle!

We are happy to have had five years with Matthew!  He is a gift, as his name means!

Deep deep snow!

 Big snow piles are great for the imagination.  Daniel likes to be a mountain lion!

 Nathan Melanie and Matthew had a castle on the other side of the pile and had to defend it from bad guys!

 Jennifer couldn't manage the snow piles, so she just walked on the path instead.

 But it had some icy patches, which were difficult to navigate.

 Melanie made a snow dog-this is the first year that the kids managed snow men without my help.  Maybe it's because I just was unavailable, and the sticky snow opportunities were passing us by.  I gave advice, but that is all.

 "I'm cold now, Mommy!"

Jennifer is usually the first one back inside-and is very excited when someone comes back in to join her, and watches carefully to see that they are going to stay and play.

Nap time

 Jennifer naps on my bed, with her very own pillow-and she finds it very comfy.

 Daniel usually doesn't sleep, but plays around.  This time, however-coming down with a cold, he decided to climb into the baby's bed and try it out.

 Melanie likes to work on things-coloring, puzzling, etc.   She watches her clock very very carefully and starts opening the door and peeking out promptly at 2.

 Matthew likes being in the living room-since even if he's not prepared enough-he can always dig in the buffet or junk drawer and find something else to do.  Besides, Daddy naps on the couch too, so this is the place to be!

Nathan is always busy with something downstairs.  He's been working on this puzzle for a while now, and it's getting hard-so a few days off were helpful.  But he assures me he was just bored of it, and will finish it next time. He would rather be allowed to play outside-but I'm overprotective, and wouldn't be able to relax and sleep if he was.  Hopefully for him, I grow out of it soon. ;)

I, like Jennifer, sleep.  And do devotions.  Otherwise surviving the day wouldn't be possible.Yesterday we went down a half hour early 'cause of my cold and I was treated with an extra long snooze. :)

Clean up Fridays

 We try to clean up our toy messes on Friday-although most people just clean up before they move on to their next things-but not us!  We like to make a day of it-'cause we have nothing better to do on Fridays.

Jennifer is assigned her playpen to clean-though really, she starts with it clean, and messes it up, as well as tossing toys out.

 

This might seem like it not progress-but consider how much more mess she could make if she could roam free while we're all bsy!

Matthew is very pleased to share a room with Melanie.  They are both messy roommates, but at least Melanie works hard at cleaning up!  She has learned to value her free time, and Matthew values her work.  

"Where did all the books go that used to be belong in here?  If Mom steps out of the room for a minute can I just stick in a cubby on the bookshelf without her noticing that I didn't fill it up?" wonders Matthew.

"Isn't the top of my dresser clean enough?  Where will I be able to store all these things safely out of Jennifer's reach if my toy bucket is full?"  Melanie wonders.

 "It's better now. And look at my beautiful flag!"

 

"I'm cleaning up under my bed!"

 Nathan and Daniel can work together-as long as Daniel is in a mood to cooperate, and Nathan is in a mood for polite manipulation.

 "We're almost done, Mom!"

Nathan told me he could clean up the basement by himself (which was hardly messed up that week) in 5 or 6 minutes.  I said I didn't believe him.  It took him only 8, and he was very proud of himself!  Sometimes it takes all of us an hour-and mostly because the younger ones get in the way and reverse some of the work.  Nathan and Melanie have discovered that it's easier to do it with fewer helpers sometimes!

34 weeks

 "Mommy, I'm a worker.  I paint houses and things.  I'm all dressed in my painting clothes with my painting hat.  Do you need anything painted?"

 

Jennifer is officially a toddler now.  This, by my definition means she now spends more time getting into things she shouldn't than she does cuddling with her mother.

 Nathan and Melanie have been pairing up lately.  And Matthew and Daniel have been doing a lot together.  And Jennifer has been left to her own devices.  Today she dared to go down the long section of our stairs-so now that is an additional danger zone!  Nothing is safe!

Sometimes her siblings play games with her. 
"Jennifer pass us the teddy!"
"Ugh!"
"Higher, I can't reach!"

 When they have tired out of the game, Jennifer toddles off to see what else there is to do.

 Ah, Mom has set the table already-that means I can climb on Melanie's chair and pretend to eat Melanie's dinner!

 Matthew likes reading books to Daniel now.  After all, he's almost two years older, so he knows so much more!

 

 And they both wish that Mom would quit interrupting their quality time together.

 "Mom can you take a picture of our lego cars?"
"Only if you go on the picture too."

Note Melanie is missing her two bottom teeth.  She is very thankful, since now she has money!  And to top it off, she found her old money that she thought she lost, so she now feels like a millionaire!

 I was trying hard to get a good pic to show off my baby belly.  Daniel was trying hard to copy me.  So the end result was a pose of two annoyed people.  Now you can see my tummy at 34 weeks, and my increased irritability, and my suffering children-all at once!  :p