Determination

Have you challenged yourself today?

Playing basketball while sitting in a box at a desk.

He is determined to do things differently!

Clara

She's laid back and mellow.

 Rarely cries as long as Momma is close by.

 Loves to smile at her brothers.

Will talk to anyone willing to listen

This is our two month old Clara!

Verbatim

While driving to school we pass a fire station and hope to see a truck out. The other day this was our conversation passing the station.
Landon "Mom, some fire trucks are black and red and some are yellow."
Me "Wow, you're really smart"
Landon "Yeah, it's because I'm a paleontologist of fire trucks."

Ornaments

As a kid my parents got my sisters and I a new ornament every year and we opened it Christmas Eve.

I really want to do something similar for our kids.

This year we painted our own.

Santa

 We visited Santa last night

 I tried to prep Ollie for it, but when we walked up to say hi, he pulled on my hand back towards the door

 That's as close as he wanted to get to the scary guy. Close enough to protect Clara

 Clara doesn't know any better.

We talked earlier in the day that if he didn't want to sit with Santa

maybe he could give him a high five.

Love

Christmas 2011

We decided to stay at our house this year for Christmas and celebrate. In the past few years, since we moved from Wyoming, we haven't gotten a tree. Since we'll be here this year we got one. The boys had fun decorating and un-decorating. They are still enjoying that.

They are also having fun working on the tree with their tools.

Even attempting to cut it down.

At least he was trying to be safe. The hard hat fell off.

Off to a great start

Craig is out of town and this is how we start the week!

This picture captures Landon for the past two weeks, granted he was sick one of those, what's his excuse now?

Blog

So now that I'm no longer a good hearted woman loving only my good timin' men, I should change the title of the blog to include Clara. 

Make her feel welcome into the family. 

I thought it would be a nice motherly thing to do.

Any suggestions?

Cuddle time

Cuddle time with Clara

*Sorry, I couldn't get the photo to rotate*

Thanksgiving

It was a full house with Craig's oldest brother and his family visiting for the week. His brother and wife have 4 boys. We tried to find activities to keep them all entertained. The sandbox and chickens were great entertainment for the first few days. Then there were many trips to the pond behind our house that has two beavers living in it. Tail-slapping and all, they really are entertaining. A visit to the wildlife refuge. A trip to the children's museum. A drive to the MS river. A Thanksgiving meal. It was a fun week! 

Here is the proof.

 Movie time with all the boys. 

And of course they're eating their Grandpa's popcon

 Landon loved getting Nigel hugs

 The boys with their boys

 Nature walk

 Yoga stretches

Giraffe pose

 Flamingo pose

 An Ollie sandwich

 4 boys with their heads in civil war cannons

 Thanksgiving meal

 The meal wasn't complete until Ollie fell asleep

Favorite Spot

Clara's favorite hang out spot.

In the ring sling, snuggled in for a ride anywhere.

Entertainment

Such a ham

Baby-razzi

Who looks like who?

Clara at 3 and 4 weeks...

Landon at 4 weeks

Oliver at 4 weeks

Chicken or the Egg

Which came first? 

Well, in our case the chickens came first and FINALLY we have our eggs!

We have found an egg everyday for the past 3 days! 

Landon, Oliver and I went to retrieve an egg this morning.

Landon thought it was the best thing since sliced bread.

Halloween 2011

Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody

  Landon and his buddy William visiting the Emergency Room. 

Our neighborhood is so great and everyone decorated their house.

Halloween was successful. 

The boys got too much candy and not enough trick or treaters came to our house so we have too much candy in this house!

Settling

We are slowly settling into our routines. Clara spoiled me last week by eating every hour in the evenings and finally settling in for the night around 11 or 12 and then slept until 4 or 5. This week she's turning into a "normal" baby and waking every 3-4 hours. It was nice while it lasted.

 Ollie has also been spoiling us and sleeping in until 7. I'm sure now that I said something, tomorrow he'll be up at 6:15.
Ollie has changed a lot in the past 2 weeks, which is to be expected. He does love his baby still. Always wanting to hold her and pat her back. The minute he sees her awake in the morning, he goes right to the couch and gets a pillow to put under his arm, prepping for a baby.

 Landon, he's still the same Landon. Thank goodness. Loving school and learning. He wishes it were everyday. He's usually patient enough to let Ollie hold Clara first, he's a good big brother.

 Clara had her 2 week check up on Wednesday. Birth weight 8lb 5oz. Leaving the hospital weight 8lb 2oz. 2 week weight 8lb 14oz. (Ollie gained a full pound in 2 weeks)

Verbatim

"I really like living in this house. I don't want to live in our old house. I want to live in this house for hundreds and hundreds of days."


Driving past one of the city's water towers "Mom, are there a bunch of bottles in there?"

Clara Margaret

As you all most likely know...Baby Grimes turned out to be Clara Margaret.

 She was born at 2:07 am on Tuesday morning, October 18th. She weighed in at 8 lbs 5 oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. Dark hair, although not as much as Oliver had, she's not bald.

 We didn't forget the camera in the car this time (sorry Ollie!) and luckily our AWESOME nurse Darlene snapped this just about 15 minutes after she was born.

So far she's enjoying her big brothers gentle love and snuggling in the ring sling. I'm so glad I made that 6 months ago!

 First and definitely not that last kiss from Ollie.

 Landon's giggle as he entered the room to meet Clara was priceless. 

He was so happy to have his baby sister finally here.

 Ollie is already very protective of his baby and won't let her go. 

Ollie's old habit of heading to the kitchen for his giant cup of milk first thing in the morning has been replaced by checking on Clara.

 Luckily, I had a hunch Clara was about to come so Craig's Mom bought her ticket on Monday and flew into town Tuesday morning 8 hours after Clara was born.

Thanks to Grandma Ellen, we enjoyed our first week of Baby Clara stress and worry free about the boys.

This week Grandma Ellen handed her duties over to my Mom. Grandma Kathy and Pap arrived Saturday, but sadly Pap had to leave today, Tuesday, but Grandma is sticking around until Saturday. My older sister is arriving Friday to help my Mom make the trek back home. Thank goodness for family who is willing to come and help out in this crazy house!

More on her birth story to come later when I have the time! We'll see when that comes! Ha!