Well, it was a good idea.

Even if it didn't quite work out.

We tried to copy this picture ...

on the sidewalk with chalk.

Don't know why Hannah looks so sad.

Visitors.

We've had two nieces staying with us this past week.

Every day has included:
-horse riding
-swimming
-makeovers
-squealing
-popcorn
-sleeping in
-teasing
-making Zander smile

Because it's fun.

And taking pictures of Zander.

"Hi!"

"Yeah, I'll smile at you."
"Oh, ok. We're getting closer."

"WHOA! That's close!"

We'll be sad to take them home. They've been so much fun.

Paper bag building blocks.

I've been decluttering like mad lately and decided I needed to do something with the huge stack of paper bags and newspaper I had. I could have just recycled them, I suppose. But looking at the two stacks sitting beside each other, I came up with a brilliant plan - at least from Gray's point of view.

Building blocks.

He helped me wad up newspaper sheets and stuff them in the bags. I taped the tops shut and then he had cheap, fast building blocks.

Fun to build with, fun to knock over, fun to jump on.

And fun to build with again and again.

Go jump in a lake.

We went to a small local lake today. It wasn't impressive, but it was cool and wet and passably clean. We have some cousins staying with us right now and they tried talking all three kids into jumping in with them. Hannah jumped in and had to be pulled out, but it's Ains who's killing me in this picture. I don't know why she was pretending to be mad, but that face is pure Ainsley - trying not to giggle while trying to look intimidating.

Gray refused to jump in with them, but was more than willing to be their cheerleader.

He was especially enthusiastic in cheering their practice jump.

And then the actual jump!

My #$#* camera and I miscommunicated about when exactly I wanted the picture to be taken. Ah, well. We'll just grab another one.

Or not. Ainsley got water in her eyes. Her cousin put goggles on her and tried talking her into trying again...

But it didn't work. We ended up getting a great shot of the remaining three.


Which was lucky since Hannah got water in her nose and wouldn't have wanted to try again.

He's growing.

So big. So fast.

He's over 14 pounds by now.

He's smiling.

He's trying to giggle.

He's holding his head up and sitting with a bit of help.

He's playing with his sister.

(He doesn't have much of a choice.)

He's grasping with his hands and holding on tight.

He's wrapping me ...
and everyone else ...

around his little finger.

At least he still has tiny, chubby feet.

It'll take some time for him to grow out of those.

Right this minute.

Recovering.

Two weekends ago we spent a long weekend at a family reunion, then came home and went to an awesome Fourth of July party. Two days later we were off again to another family reunion for four days. Yesterday, just home from the reunion, I was ready to get everything back on track, cleaned up, put away ... you know the optimistic drill.

My kids, on the other hand, were wanting to rest and recuperate and work out stuff from what seemed like the longest week ever. So I surrendered and we did that. Cuddling and connecting and sorting out disagreements was the order of the day.

For Zander that translated to almost non-stop holding and nursing. For Grayson it meant lots of cuddling and dancing.

For Ains, this meant helping her ride her bike - newly training-wheel-less!! - and making clover necklaces and crowns which she spread around the house much to everyone's delight.

See the delight? That's not delight? Sure it is.

But see - even Zander was pointing fingers that day. "It was Ains. She did this to me."

Luckily, he got over it fast.

For Hannah, yesterday was survived by building her very own house that nobody could enter but her and having me cheering her on when she rode her bike (also without training wheels! Whee! Seriously. Whee.)

Also lots and lots of book reading on the bed for all ages.

Matt left us there in the morning and when he got back from work, there we were again. It's my go-to activity for calming and distracting.

After Matt got home, we went for pony and horse rides.

And we survived the day.

Today I'll catch up. Or not. We have friends to play with.

Maybe tomorrow.

What's making me smile this week.

Ainsley making lots of 'specialty sundaes'.

This. Every time I look down.

Girls who are getting crazy comfortable in the water.

Their father's beat-up boots when he's sitting beside me watching their lessons.

Don't know why that makes me smile, but it does.

All three older kids chancing into one shot at the park.

And all four getting into one shot at home.

This again. I'm addicted. He's so sweet all cuddled up in there.

Beats the heck out of carrying a heavy car seat around.

Hannah working really hard at getting better with her violin.

And her amazing teacher - that makes me smile too.

Happy, huggy kid.
Bags packed for our reunion this weekend.

They've been sitting there since Monday morning.

Barn swallow nests.

There's even one peeking at you if you look really close.

A kid who is embracing summer with everything he's got - except for clothes.

At least he's wearing knee pads - I'd hate for his knees to get skinned up.

What's not making me smile?

Sleep deprivation that makes for a cranky mommy. But that seems to be going away a bit at a time as Zander gets more used to his body.

Wind. But that's nothing new.

Poorly written skirt pattern. Boo. Hiss.

Emptying the camera card.

So, you know, lots of pictures, not much talk.

But first, I put up another sewing post here.

Lots of fun over the last few weeks.

Cousin fun.

Jammin' with a favorite aunt.

Breaking out the baby hammock. Glad I hadn't found a new home for it yet.

The kids breaking in our big hammock for this year. Finally. Spring and summer have arrived at once.
Naptime cuddling. She's my favorite child.

When I was loading the kids into the truck for swimming lessons, I asked Ains 'What is that hanging from your purse?' "Oh," says she, "It's just my lunch."

"My lunch on a rope." Peanut butter sandwich on a rope. Nice. She's my favorite child.

Brownie making.

He's definitely my favorite child.

No, wait.
Yum. He's my favorite child.

*sigh* I can't decide. I'll put that on hold for another 60 years or so.

But she's my favorite niece.

Just kidding. But she is awfully cute. And she looooves to hold Zander.

Hannah with her namesake.

Or is Hannah the namesake since Hannah is named after her? Yeah, I think that's right. Hmm.

Grayson learning to use the microwave.

He burned (not literally) through my stash of frozen sweet potato biscuits.

Ains playing with her Kachooz.

Have you seen these? Heaven help me, the fuzzy little things are everywhere!

Four generations. That's a lot of livin' right there.

And three LaDells. How many LaDells does the world need? We may have the market cornered, actually.

Ah, yes. The bacon dinner that Hannah made.

Bacon, spinach, and tomato pasta (sooo good). Bacon and spinach deviled eggs (divine). Bacon wrapped around spinach wrapped around cottage cheese (the girls ate the bacon and handed the spinach and cottage cheese to their dad). Watermelon. All planned and made by Hannah with me acting as the sous chef/safety inspector. Delicious dinner.

But then again, it was bacon and spinach. Hard not to be delicious.

At least she didn't find a way to mix bacon with the watermelon.