Because He's Totally Awesome...

...He goes out in the morning with a giant astro pop while still wearing his jammies and can totally pull it off.

We don't like Big Buns

One of the things both Bekah and I look forward to every year is the ballet recital mandatory dancers bun.

There are only smiles and laughs as I gently pull her long hair up into the little swirl and tenderly place pins holding it into place.

Or NOT.

Mostly just crying of big crocodile tears, wailing and gnashing of teeth, slapping and biting...maybe exaggerating a bit...but nonetheless...

Bekah HATES getting her hair pulled back into a bun, and I am not a fan of seeing my little girl cry.

So every year the last day of recital we cut her hair off, it's celebratory.

She has the summer with the hair off her neck, no chance of a ponytail or any other abomination pulling the little hairs at the back of her head.

Then come ballet in the fall, it's just starting to get long enough again to pull back, and by recital time it's full on ready for her favorite bun.

This years cut while especially short, frames her adorable little freckled nose face quite nicely. :)

Tiny Dancer

Last recital here in Klamath Falls!

I have to admit, I am a little bit...a lot a bit in love with having a little ballerina for a daughter. It's kind of a dream come true. Chad can have his little wrestlers, soccer players, football players, little sluggers, dirt bike enthusiasts whatever...I gave him plenty of boys to live vicariously through...just let me have my tiny dancer...

Welcome to the Crawl Ball

Easter Best

Is there anything sweeter...

...than a baby sleeping on your shoulder?

I can't think of one.single.thing.

This little guy has us smitten.

Gaga.

Crazy in love.

We would do anything to make him smile.

He knows this, and demands attention at all hours of the day.

We give it, even when the dishes have been piling up for days, the garage is a mess, there are pictures to edit, a neglected family blog, exercise to do, laundry to be put away, and meals to prepare.

Sometimes we wish we could do those other things that need our attention, but getting smiles and slobbery kisses from him is just too big a temptation to pass up 99% of the time.

So yes, our house is messy, and there are things left undone.

But he is our last...and we are soaking it up.

Hi Dad!

We are in Portland right now while dad is home studying for finals.
We miss you honey! Good luck on your test tomorrow! :)

(I was taking some maternity pics and while the mom to be was changing I threw my kids together for this pic. I just realized that this is the only picture I have of all 4 of my kids together! WHAT?!?! This must be remedied!)

Graffiti Thug

This is one of those "Keeping it Real" posts.

You are going to see things-that are not pretty, not clean, and NOT CUTE!

They were made by a cute little guy, so it counts.

My 2 year old is a Graffiti Thug.

As an artist, I can appreciate the talent of some good graffiti on the side of a building.

As a photographer, I really appreciate some well placed graffiti on an abandoned train car.

As a mother, I do not, under any circumstance, no matter how well done, do I appreciate graffiti on my walls.

My kids are well aware of this.

But like I said, my 2 year old is a thug.

He has no respect for the law.

He laughs in the face of danger.

He gets a thrill out of the fear of being caught.

It's a real adrenaline rush for him, I tell ya.

Well for the last month or so, I have yelled and screamed, talked gently face to face with him, given time-outs, spanked hands, threw away the majority of markers in the house...all to no avail.

Usually I make him clean it up, but lately I've just let it sit on the wall-

One because he LIKES to clean it up and...

Two because once it is clean, he looks at it like a blank canvas.

Today he really had a hay day when he found not one, but two markers.

He really out did himself-his gang leader is probably really proud.

I'm sure my little boy is about to be promoted to head thug.

I went around with my camera today and just snapped a few of the places you will find this kid's tags...

So I'm pretty sure every wall in our house has some sort of art work on it at this point...

Which is why I think he decided to start on the appliances today.

Luckily this was dry erase marker...it came off really easily...he was not happy with me for cleaning it off so quickly.

He threw a bit of a fit.

What else can you expect from a thug?

It looks like this Saturday the whole family gets to get in on a community service project of cleaning up the graffiti that this little thug has adorned our walls with.

He sure is a cute little thug.

He felt left out...

Since my little Oli-bug was asleep in the car the other day and didn't get any pics up, he was a little sad...okay so that is a lie!

Oliver sad?

Only when his mom isn't holding him or isn't within reaching distance!

Look at this kid! He is a happy go lucky, adorable, fun to kiss on little monkey man and I just love him to absolute pieces!

Wouldn't you?

A Day with the Boys at the Ranch

We went to feed the horses today, and while we were there I took Bekah's 7 year old pictures.

Well I couldn't leave my handsome guys out! Oliver was asleep in the car...
Love this little Valentine!
Those dimples on this little stink pot are his saving grace!
Only looking at me this time because I promised him candy...
Topher and his beautiful eyes...wow, takes my breath away. Every. Time.

Love these cute little pills.