Strawberry Picking

We also went strawberry picking with the grandmas, which resulted in messy clothes for weeks to come. Oh, and tons of delicious berries found their way into our home. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. Sorry, gotta run; there are still a few left in the freezer.

My Kids, the Carnies

The fair came to town while Grandma and Granny were here, so of course we had to go. We weren't sure how Rachelle would do, but we shouldn't have worried. After a few apprehensive moments, she realized that she loves going on rides. LOVES IT. Stellan burned out way before Rachelle did. Uncle Dave, you've met your amusement park match. Just wait until she's 48 inches tall!

The Grandmas Are Coming! The Grandmas Are Coming!

Grandma Karen and Granny came from California for a visit. This is the first time they have been able to come visit us together since we moved away in 2008. Words can't describe how awesome it was to have them here and to watch my kids having so much fun with them. Also, they were tons of help around the house with the kids, and the cleaning, and the baby, and the napping, and everything else. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here are 11,000 words about their time here. But before I post those, let me add that a pair of grandmas is worth, well, a lot. Let's go with priceless.

Prepare for Disappointment

We had the best of intentions to get a really great shot of all three kids in their adorable Easter outfits, especially the girls in their matching dresses. (Ever since I found out we would have another girl, it has been my greatest joy to imagine them in matching outfits. I plan on getting away with that as long as they can stand it.)
Tragically, the kids never really caught our vision for what "perfect" portraits might mean. They did, however, manage to look happy for the Easter egg hunt the next day. If only there were a way to combine Easter candy, Easter dresses and perfect portraits...

Another First

Annie got her first cold. And she's not happy about it. (I didn't want to rub it in, so I didn't tell her, but frankly I'm surprised it took her this long.)

On Our Own

Now that Grandma and Grandpa are gone, how are we faring? Here's a brief synopsis:

Day 1:
Yep. That's crayon. Everywhere. The floor, the fridge, the little table, the big table, the chairs, the cabinets, and so on. Oops. Guess I should be careful to not accidentally doze off while nursing, because Rachelle and Stellan have joined forces. And not always for good.

Day 2:

Kevin arrived home from work at about 8:45 AM. Because he threw out his back. Awesome. Now neither of us can lift the 2 older kids and Kev can't even hold Annie. We spend the rest of the day "convalescing" (laying like lumps on various couches while the kids watch way too much TV). Don't ask what we've been feeding the kids or what our house looks like.

Day 3:
Annie is not the best night sleeper yet, but last night has surely been one for the books. I am so tired I cry myself to sleep. For about 3 seconds. And then Stellan is up and in our bed. The mold in his room has returned with a vengeance and he now has a runny nose, a cough and a headache. I coax him back to sleep (on the couch in another room), stumble back to bed, and wake up about 7 seconds later when Annie wakes up again, starving and screaming. Once daylight is upon us, Rachelle has figured out that she can do whatever she wants because both her parents are physically incapable of stopping her. All I can say it, enjoy it while it lasts, little girl. I'll be back to normal very soon, and your little anarchy vacation will be over.

In case you're keeping score, that's Kids 3, Parents 0.

On the bright side, the kids still love Annie. Rachelle has been tailing her all day since she came home from the hospital, chanting "Baby, baby, baby!" That has recently been replaced with just calling her "Baby Mwah!" That's because she calls to baby, then kisses her - mwah! It's hard to stay mad at kids so cute.

Grandma and Grandpa Come To Town

We had this great plan for when Annie was born. (I know, fatal flaw #1.) Kevin's parents booked their tickets for my due date, because both of my other two kids had to be induced. I was scheduled to be induced at midnight, giving us an 8 hour buffer between arrival of grandparents and hospital admit.

Ha ha. Annie came early.

So Grandma and Grandpa got here when Annie was 5 days old. Trust me, we were glad to see them! All of us. It was so fantastic to have them around to help with kids, laundry, cleaning, shopping, everything. They stayed with us for 8 glorious days. We played, we slept (some of us more than others, and me more than usual thanks to Grandma and Grandpa), we laughed, we cried (some of us more than others). We spent a lot of time in the back yard because the weather was perfect, we went on limited excursions, we got our kids addicted to grandparents.

Now they are gone, and we miss them. The kids are in withdrawal. Rachelle came inside from the trampoline this afternoon, crying for Grandma to come jump with her. Luckily, they left us with some photos, which I will gladly share with you now.