Um, what the chicken?

Anyone know what I have living on my front door step? Apparently he really likes cornmeal...
Liah would like to name it Buggy, Emily would like to name it Shari's.

To blog or not to blog, that is the question.

If I do, people will quickly discover that I have nothing of value to blog about.

If I don't, I will not stop receiving hate mail/messages from my sister for not having blogged.

Okay, Lorie. I will blog. Sorry to the rest of you.

What to blog about.... well... I've been meaning to post pictures from Sean's party a month ago. We did a Spiderman party for him, and oh how excited he was. So excited that he still tells everyone we pass, whether we know them or not, that he had a birthday cake.

Here is my creation:


With the help of my dear friend Kim, I made a spider piñata. Definitely a hit. Oh, man. There goes another unintended pun. I also had the kids each color one of these spiderman coloring pictures which I then laminated and turned them into...


...placemats! for our lunch: little smokeys, breadsticks and apples.

Turned on a bit of WordWorld to kill some between time while I was getting the lunch set out. I didn't get a picture of it, but we also had "stick the spiderman on the web." I seem to have a version of "pin the tail on the donkey" at every birthday party.

Of course, present time. Oh how excited he was.

This video is for you, Lorie. This is Sean opening your present.

Oh yes. I forgot to mention that Sean had requested a "red" birthday. I did my best. The cake is red velvet with red frosting, and a red table cloth. Happy red birthday to you, Sean.

Busting open the piñata. Can you believe how brown everything was only a month ago?? It is so green outside now! I am LOVING it!!!

Here is Sean talking to Lorie on the phone: "I got my present! Thank you Lorie!!!" Although, it sounds more like "I got my pweset! Day-do Low-ie!!!"

Moving on from Sean's birthday, when I went to see "Wicked" I had to pump the whole time I was gone to keep from drying up. The good part about that is that each of the kids got to take a turn feeding Addison. They loved it. Can I just say how nice it is to have a child that will take a bottle again? I very rarely need it, but it is nice to know that I can.

Lorie sent the kids a package for Easter, and wow were they ever excited. It's no wonder everyone loves Lorie around here!

fun egg cards that you can put faces on

Even Addy got a little egg chick. As you can see, he loves it too. "Aunt Lorie is great!" ...I'm sure that's what he's thinking right about now.

Note to self: chocolate can melt in the mail...

melted or not, nothing keeps these kids from their chocolate. Nothing.

.... random side note: I went to the dentist this week and for the first time in all my 27 1/2 years, had a cavity and had to have my very first filling. Fortunately, it was only on the surface so they didn't even have to numb my mouth. It's just really weird that there is now permanently something foreign in my mouth!

Okay, Lorie, now I have blogged. How about you???

p.s. Happy Birthday Vanessa! Thanks for being such a great friend!!!

Defying Gravity...

My friends Kim and Elaine and I went to Portland to see Wicked!!! I don't have to be jealous of all you girls that went a couple weeks ago anymore, because now I have seen it for myself, and well... IT. WAS. AWESOME!!!! It was worth every penny. I LOVED it. LOVED. IT. and completely kid free... what?!?

I wish I could bottle you up!

My friend Janna took this picture of Sean 2 1/2 years ago. Seany had the BEST smiles for pictures! It hangs in my kitchen. I LOVE IT. We call it "Seany in a pot." Well I decided I wanted one similar of Addison to put up in the kitchen, too. I got to thinking what I have, and this morning I had a sudden burst of inspiration: I decided to use all my canning stuff!


Here is what I came up with. I took this picture today. I call it "I wish I could bottle you up!"

Addison will shortly be joining Sean on the wall in my kitchen. I love my boys!!!

The moment you've all been waiting for...

Okay, maybe not, but remember this post? I finally got around to taking pictures of my new table, and here to introduce it to you is Emily... and the rest of the Meredith children.

I had a little bit of a rough day today and it really made my day when Ms. Kristen brought me these beautiful flowers (tulips are my favorite!!!) and my friend Kim brought me these cookies (she makes THE BEST cookies). Thank you so much! You guys are so wonderful!

Addison fell asleep on the floor while he was playing during my piano lessons today. I love this age where he just sits up and plays... and then passes out. LOVE him!

Here is Addison stealing the remote while watching American Idol. Why am I posting this you may ask? Because I thought it was cute. Why else?!

Yeah, this one too.

Whatever person said that 4th babies don't have as many pictures as first babies never met this camera happy mom. :)

Addison is 8 months old!

Oh I just want to kiss those cheeks!!!

I can't believe how old my little Addison is now! Only 4 more months and he will be 1! It makes me sad how fast he's growing up and that he won't be a baby too much longer! It goes too fast!!!

...but at the same time, as he grows up, he starts doing more and more things. Some of my favorites are:

• he sits up by himself! Yay! Now he can sit and play, and his bald spot can actually grow back in!
• he loves to be silly with his brother and sisters (oh man! don't corrupt my baby!)
• yesterday, I'm sure he waved at me. It was so cute!
• my absolute favorite: he reaches f0r me now when he wants me. He gets this huge smile on his face and reaches out his arms for me. It melts my heart!
  
  

I included this picture today because it cracks me up. Emily fell asleep on the couch yesterday afternoon, and Sean covered her up with my workout mat. I promise my children have blankets.

Well I can't believe it, but Addison has now had his second haircut. He is only 8 months! Not as dramatic of a transformation as this one, but he still needed it.

before

after

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

These guys will not get pinched today. Well, at least not for the lack of wearing green...

p.s. Thoughts on pinching? Could there really be any worse thing for a child's self esteem than not wearing green to school on St. Patrick's day? How I despise that tradition... (the pinching part, that is...)