Vacation

We went to Florida.
It was nice.
Chris didn't shave the entire trip and began resembling a lumberjack.
Some day I will blog about it.

Everyone needs these

I picked up these wooden castle blocks on a whim while Black Friday shopping. Best. purchase. ever. Though the boys were not excited when they unwrapped them, hands down, they play with them more than any other toy they received 6 months ago. Practically every day. Some days they use every block to build elaborate castles with dozens of towers. One time Andy built one tall tower made of all the cylindrical blocks and then a pointed top. It looked like Rapunzel's tower, and when I said so, he beamed with pride. Today they were making a fortress for their ZuZu Pets (not a best.buy.ever) and other random toys that all get rounded up at the end of the day in to a box we lovingly call the "weird box" for all the toys that don't otherwise have a home.

(there are more blocks that are not pictured. They are in a basket. We have 2 sets which allows us to build awesome creations)

As you can see, Nate gives the blocks two thumbs up.

Sadly, they are not available from the seller or the price that I purchased at on Black Friday. The cheapest is available here. (I think I only paid $10 a set and we have two sets. Ah! I wish I would have bought a dozen and saved them for gifts)

http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/TreeHaus-75-piece-Wooden-Castle-Blocks/6278353/product.html?cid=202290&kid=9553000357392&track=pspla&adtype=pla&kw={keyword}

We have had other wooden blocks before that the boys were not interested in. I think the painted on windows and doors make a HUGE difference in making it feel realistic and making their creations feel like an actual castle as well as the grooves in the wood that give the blocks character and detailing- shingles on a roof, etc. There are also battlement/crenelation pieces that add to the authentic feel.

Right now

I went in for a trim the other day.

Of course, she cut way more than I wanted.

I think the last time I had my hair this short was when I was pregnant with Andy.

Here's the baby bump as of 5 minutes ago.

(p.s. I will be living in maxi dresses for the next 4 months)

(I am aware how terrible I take a self-cellphone pic)

I don't know when the last time I heard a song that made me feel like I was flying, but for my boys it was this morning.

I'm glad they enjoy music.

They feel it.

They are moved by it.

(not literally)

(...thank goodness)

(... I def don't need a flying toddler in my house)

(then I would be scrubbing crayon and dirty finger prints off the ceiling as well)

Things We Are Loving

1. We are loving these homemade graham crackers

http://pinterest.com/pin/16044142392615365/

Andy and I made them last week while Nate was at school one day, but the only tiny cookie cutters we had were acorn and leaf shapes. Today a package arrived from Chris's mom with mini cookie cutters in every shape (giraffe was my fav. Nate's was the little dog bone...or the teddy bear...or the baby chick...or the duckling. Andy's the butterfly). Obviously, we needed to put them to use right away.

2. Paper Air Planes made of poster board = Awesome

3. Vintage Baby Clothes

as in my baby clothes that my mom saved! A whole box full. LOVE.

I love hearing the boys refer to the baby as "baby sister". Nate will often come snuggle by me for a chance to feel the baby move. The other day he said, "Baby Sister, we're ready for you to come out now". I told him, "Oh no, honey. She's not ready to come out yet. Her lungs aren't ready to breath air and her body is not ready to live outside of mom yet. Think of a grape, how it has to grown on the vine until it's ripe. The baby isn't ripe yet." He got a panicked look on his face for a minute and then hesitantly leaned close to my belly and said, "Nevermind. Stay in there." :) He is such a sweet, thoughtful boy. It already melts my heart to think about him holding her. Speaking of which, here's his face when we told him we were having a girl

(don't mind Andy, he wasn't feeling well.)

And me the day of the ultrasound. Photo courtesy of Nate.

I know it didn't look like much then, but she is actually measuring a little big (just like her brothers)