We still need some work...

He may be able to hit the ball...

...And make it to first base...

...And field the ball...

But he still needs a little help getting dressed!!!

Yes, his pants are on backwards.

Actually, if the truth be known, his socks were on backwards too. :)

I'm glad to know he hasn't gotten everything figured out just yet.  Looks like I'm still needed for a while. *Whew!!!*

The Plan Didn't Work

Yesterday morning as we were getting ready for school, we realized we couldn't find Ian's backpack.  We scoured the house from top to bottom and inside out, but to no avail.  Finally, when time ran out, we sent him to school with a note and without a backpack.

When I got to the school to pick up the kids, Ian got in the car and said, "Mommy, did you find my backpack today?"  "No," I told him, "I only found your daily folder, but no backpack."  He sat down and buckled up and then piped up from the backseat, "Mommy, I know where my backpack is."  I wondered how this could be and asked him so.  "Well, I know where it is because I hid it this morning.  I didn't want to go to school, so when I went to get dressed I hid my backpack."  That little stinker!!!  My next question, of course, was where he had hidden it, since we had looked everywhere and spent at least 45 minutes doing so.  It turns out he had wrapped it in a afghan, and shoved it under his bed behind the comforter that was already under his bed.  Cory and I had both pulled out the comforter and seen the froggy blanket, but never thought to get it out and look inside it.  And why would we?  But seeing as how he'd ended up at school anyway, I asked him how he thought things had worked out. "The plan did not actually work," he said.  And that is the truth.

I think we may have to keep our eyes on this one. :)

"Easter" Pictures

One of the perks of being a mom is dressing up the family for Easter.  This means I have complete and total control over what everyone wears and very likely there is matching or coordinating involved.  And we have to take lots of pictures. :)  Since General Conference fell on Easter Sunday, we weren't able to wear our cute Easter outfits last week, so this Sunday was our dress-up day.

It takes a lot of effort and planning to get everyone up, dressed, fed, and geared up for pictures.  I thought we had managed the morning pretty well and had everyone lined up just so for pictures.  I happened to take a closer look at Ian's shirt and saw some yellowish patches across the front.  "What happened to your shirt, buddy?" I asked him.  He glanced down and shrugged, "Oh.  That's butter."  Of course.  What Easter picture would be complete without butter?

At best, Paige was disinterested in taking pictures.  At worst, she was utterly rebelling against them.   I was able to catch a few pictures before she attacked the camera, ran away from it, or wandered off towards the house. 

Ian struggled to get his "camera" face on.  He much preferred sticking his tongue out or crossing his eyes to giving me a sweet smile.  First he was slouching down, so I asked him to sit up straight.  So he did.  So straight his chest was out so far and his chin up so high, I was afraid it would take a chiropractor to get him back down to size.  Poor kid.  A boy was not meant to have to endure the torture of so many pictures. :)

Merry Grace would much rather look at Paige than at the camera.  In this picture, she's hanging onto Paige's hand for dear life, so that sweet baby Paige wouldn't escape.  I snapped the picture a millisecond before Paige screamed, broke the death grip and ran away. 

Oh yes...she finally got away.  That little mess. :)  Elise, of course, was as good as gold.  Her trial was trying to be patient while I called the other kids to order.  Its so hard being the grown-up, responsible sibling. :)

It took about 1/2 a second's pause for the kids to escape and run over to the crepe myrtle in the front yard and start climbing.

Somehow, Elise and Merry Grace remained spotless while Ian ended up with dirt all over his formerly white shirt.  He had to change and ended up with a shirt that didn't match his pants.  But he looked nice for the pictures, so I cut my losses and counted my blessings.

Even with all the work it takes to pull it off, I wouldn't trade anything for that one shining moment where my freshly scrubbed, smiling, adorably perfect kids are lined up and smiling back at me.  It may take us 'til next Easter to recover from the ordeal, but rest assured, we will do it again next year! :)

Softball and T-ball

It's what we've waited all winter for...the start of baseball and softball season!!!  This is Elise's 4th season and Ian's second and we love it more with each year.  We are so lucky this year to have Elise's cousins (Emmy, Kyleigh and Marleigh) all on the same team with her.  That means a bigger cheering section and more fun for the girls.  Ian and his cousin Charles Allen are also on the same team.  Watching these kids play is just about the funnest thing ever.  Today was opening day and the start of games.  It made for a long day, but so worth it.

Why is it that these girls thought this was the pose I was looking for when I came over with the camera?  And why is Uncle Jacob's little girl the only one not making this pose?!  :)

While the girls were playing ball, Charles Allen and Ian practiced some fielding moves.  They actually played so hard that by the time their game started they were just about worn out. :)

Merry Grace is so excited about her brother and sister playing ball and she can't wait until she's old enough to play too.  We're going to have to teach her a few things before she starts--like the name of the sport.  For weeks she's been talking about the kids playing "football".   But trust me, when she starts, she'll be the cutest "football" player ever. :)

Paige was on a rampage once she got out of the stroller.  She was a handful to keep up with!  But her Daddy was good to spoil her.  Here she was checking out her hands that were covered in cheese from the cheese doodles he was sharing with her.

Here was Elise waiting for the game to start.  Every year it gets more and more fun to watch her play.  And I think she gets cuter every year too. :)

I think this was when Cory got tired of chasing Paige around.  This way, she can't run off.  :)  She thought the sunglasses her Daddy was wearing were pretty neat.   Maybe it was the UNC logo that made them that way. ;)

Elise and Kyleigh--could they get any cuter?!  I don't see how! :)

Our four girls lined up in the dugout.  I know I only gave birth to one, but I feel like they're all mine, in a way.  I love being part of this fun family. :)

It took a couple of time at bat before the coaching staff got the pitching just right.  But once they did, our girls took off.  They won the game by scoring four runs in the last inning.  Elise scored the first run off this hit.  

Ian's game started before Elise's ended, so I missed his first at-bat.  Cory was there and said he hit the first pitch off the pitching machine!!!  Yay, Ian!! :)  His team special ordered his uniform and  think he looks so handsome.

Paige was a trooper, so after a long day of games, we got her an order of chicken nuggets on the way home.  That's pretty much all it took to make her day!  I love that fluffy-haired, blue-eyed baby. :)

We had a fun day of watching the kids play ball.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect for a day outdoors at the ball park.  Now we can't wait for the next game! :) 

Oh-So-Brave

There are several drainage grates going in to the kids school.  Every time we go in for anything, Merry Grace has to step on each one and say, "Look at me!  I am brave!"  The other day we were going in for Ian's award ceremony, so I had my camera handy and took these cute pictures of my brave little girl.

Elise used to be terrified of these when she was a little girl.  And the hanging bridges at the park.  I couldn't get her to walk over those at all.  I don't remember Ian being afraid of the grates.  He saw them as something cool to pee down.  If that's not a boy for you, I don't know what is.   I guess Merry Grace has decided not being afraid of the drainage grates is a rite of passage on the way to being a big kid.  She's passed this test with flying colors!

Editor in Chief

Elise used a huge notepad to make her own magazine.  I thought it was so cute and funny.  I wrote out what she wrote below each picture.

 The Cover:  “Written by Elisabeth Smith.  Teen Pop Magazine.”

 “Hillary.  Teen Pop magazine says, ‘Hillary Duff has a totally new style.’ Hillary said, ‘I’m trying to impress the boys.’”

 “Taylor Swift sings Miley Cyrus off the stage.  Miley got scared and passed out on the stage for 3 minutes.  When she awoke, she quit.  She no longer has singing competitions with anyone. (Not even her dad.)”

 Abstract artwork by Ian.

 “UNC Go Heels Go!  Ian Barnett (a famous UNC Basketball player) helped UNC score 100 more points. (and win.)

Abstract artwork by Merry Grace.

 “Merry Grace had a dance off and was so good that she won $999,999,999.  Now she has a blue sparkled limo.”

I think its the cutest thing ever.  I love seeing her imagination at work!

Dress up Queen

Merry Grace is keeping my laundry business booming these days.  One day this week I'm pretty sure I saw her in no less that 14 different outfits throughout the day.  I don't know if its having her summer clothes out or if it was going through some of Elise's old stuff that has gotten her excited, but either way, she's on a mission and succeeding grandly.

Mostly she's just changing in and out of "morning time clothes", but one day this week she even brought out some dress-up clothes.  I really would love to know what inspired this combination.

And how can you not feel beautiful with a pig hat on your head?  I just don't see how she could get any cuter. :)  And thank goodness for that.  I keep reminding myself of that when I'm doing her 50 loads of laundry.

Guitar Hero

I'm the oldest child in my family and have three younger brothers.  Because I was young when I got married and because of the spacing in my family growing up and between my own children, my youngest brother is closer in age to some of my children than to me.  My kids are the only grandchildren (and nieces and nephews) on my side of the family and so they get spoiled quite a bit.  This week, my brother Logan (Paige's namesake) has been hanging out with us while he's on spring break.  We love having him around.

He got out his guitar one day and was playing around a bit.  Merry Grace wanted a turn playing, so he made different chords while she strummed with the pick.  She loved it and I think Logan did too.  It was adorable to watch.

They also got spoiled by Uncle Adam, who took the three older kids (yes, you read that right, three) to see this movie:

Adam was brave and the kids had a blast.  Afterwards, he took them by RiteAid (oh how my kids love that place. Seriously.) and got them treats.   Apparently, he'd set a dollar amount for their prizes, but Ian got his heart set on a container of M&M's with a battery powered fan on top.  And really, how could you not fall in love with something as cool as that.    Naturally, it was out of his price range.  So Elise, being the adorable big sister she is, put back her prize and offered to pay the difference out of her own money so Ian could get what he wanted.  And Adam, being the wonderful uncle that he is, was so touched by her kindness that he ended up buying everyone the very thing they wanted.  So everyone was happy, except, perhaps, Adam's wallet, which certainly got the raw end of that deal. 

Then when they all got back home, Uncle Adam and Uncle Logan competed for the coveted "top uncle" award by telling the kids "dueling bedtime stories."  I'm pretty sure the biggest winner was the kids who were completely and totally entertained for a good portion of the evening.  

We sure love those guys. :)

We Live in a Zoo, etc.

Actually, we just visited the zoo.  That was our Friday fun.  We met up with my brother, Ethan, his wife and her sisters and nephews.  It was a really, really hot day (especially for April!!!) but it was still fun.  I know Ian's favorite part was seeing the alligators.  All 5 of them were sitting out of the water in the woods.  Elise liked the sea lions.  There were awfully fun to watch and seemed to be putting on a show for us with their antics.  It was a nice day, just being together as a family.  After the zoo, we met up with my other brother at Subway and had dinner with him before heading back home.  We were pretty wiped out by the end of the day, but it was worth it.

Saturday morning came bright and early, in the form of the easter bunny.  I don't know what got into our kids this year, but they were up before six o'clock "too excited to sleep."  Finally at 7am we declared it officially late enough to see what the easter bunny left for us.

They found some sidewalk chalk and some other arts and crafts goodies.  And some clothing and pajamas that the easter bunny got on sale at K-Mart.  Did you know the easter bunny shopped there?  ;)  He totally does if they are having a sale.  They really should start putting that in their ads.:)

After easter baskets, we went outside for an early morning easter egg hunt that the easter bunny left for the kids.  Its an easter tradition that we all love.

Paige wasn't so sure what all the fuss was about over these little plastic eggs.  However, when she realized there was CANDY in every egg, she caught the vision.  From that point on, she was HOOKED.  Not that I blame her.  :)  That's my favorite part too.

I'm beginning to think Easter may be my favorite holiday.

The Fun Never Stops

You heard that right.  Its just been one fun thing after another this week. :)  On Wednesday morning we met up with some good friends and let the kids play together.  After playing a little while, we had a picnic lunch and then played some more.  We finally had to call it a day when the babies (Paige and Ryan are only a month or so apart in age) were completely worn out and ready for naps.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures to document our fun, but trust me when I say it was fun. :)

On Thursday morning, we went to the library and checked out what felt like half the books in the library.  Is the public library just about the greatest thing ever?  Afterwards, Elise went and ate lunch with her cousin Emmy who is in year-round school.  While she was doing that, the rest of us met Cory at the park and ate lunch there with him.  In the meantime, Elise and Emmy convinced Emmy's dad to check her out early and he brought both girls to the park and all the kids played for a while.

This little gal really, really loves to swing. :)

Merry Grace had to get "all fancy" to come to the park.  For her, "fancy" meant a strand of beads from mardi gras, doubled around her neck with an old key looped onto it.  She totally achieved fancy.

Would you look at that cute snaggletooth smile?  I love it!!!  And I love that little boy.  The day before, he fell off the swing trying to jump off.  Somehow he had managed to get his shirt tangled or caught in the swing and he busted.  Bless his heart.  Apparently he inherited his mom's coordination.  Today, however he fared just fine on the swings.

I think the sandbox is the kids' favorite part of the park.  They dug a pretty big hole, especially considering they didn't have a shovel or anything like it to dig with.  Just their hands.  I just hope their aren't stray or neighborhood cats roaming around who think this sandbox is their litter box.  (I know, I know.  I worry too much.)

Paige mainly wanted to fill Elise's flip flop with sand, over and over again.  So cute!

I just LOVE this boy to pieces.  Sometimes if he has to go down the hall by himself he gets a little scared, so he'll just randomly yell out, "Mommy!!!!  I love you!!!  I just wanted you to know I love you."  Its comforting to him to "talk" to me down the hall.  And when he's being so cute, I can't feel too terrible that he's a little scared. :)

In addition to the swings, Paige loves the slides.  She could just go down the slide over and over and over again.  And again.  And again. ;)

Is it just me, or does Elise look really LONG in this picture?  When did she grow up so much?!    If you'll look closely, you'll probably see where Merry Grace got her idea of "fancy" from.  Elise also has a string of beads with a key on the end.  I love their sense of style!

After spending a long time at the park, I finally convinced the kids to leave and we went home to play in the sprinkler.  

I think it was a hit!!!

I fixed an April Fools Day dinner for the kids.  I served them a dinner of mashed potatoes and gravy, peas and carrots and chicken nuggets.  Only the mashed potatoes and gravy were vanilla ice cream with caramel syrup, the peas and carrots were green M&M's and orange Reese's Pieces, and the chicken nuggets were maple peanut bites.  I just acted like it was a normal dinner and set the kids plates in front of them.  I think Elise may have been the most confused of all.  She wasn't really fooled, but she had no idea what was going on.  Dessert for dinner?!  Unheard of.  Dessert was actually meatloaf cupcakes, frosted with colored mashed potatoes.  And their drink was raspberry jello that I'd fixed into cups with straws.  It was so much fun and the kids got a kick out of the different routine.

We were trying to do only one fun thing a day, but I think we may have crammed a week's worth of fun into Thursday.