Camping

Eric pulled our two couches together that we have downstairs, put as sheet over the top and made a tent for Carmi, Lilli and Jared. They slept in it every night over the long weekend with Martin Luther King Day. They all had a blast. The first night was a little challenging with a fair amount of squabbling and kids getting up. We finally told them if they got up at all after they were put to bed then they would have to sleep in their own beds. It worked well. We also watched an episode of The X-Files for a couple of nights and told them it would be to scary for them to come upstairs...hehe.

Here they are posing with Greenie. Lilli has named her two big turtles after their color. So we have Greenie and Brownie.

Nighttime Nadia

So we recently moved Nadia out of her pack and play to a bed. She learned how to climb out of it and she's been to big for it for a long time. So it was time for it to go. This has brought on a whole new set of challenges of course.
The most amusing/exhausting one happens at around 2 in the morning. I'll be sound asleep and suddenly there will be this knocking on Jared and Nadia's door. That is usually accompanied by "Mom! Mom!" So I go in, she usually presents me with the clothes she wants to wear, yeah, she was so ready to get up.
Then I get her a drink, and put her back to bed. This usually happens 3-4 times. And then I just ignore it. And she eventually stops. Well one night last week I was at the "ignore and she will stop" phase of the night and she was frantically banging on her door "Mom! Mom!" Well there was this pause, and then she started saying "Dad! Dad!" I laughed, I laughed a lot!! It was hilarious! I think part of the problem may have been a full moon. The room is at the front of the house, so it was pretty bright in there. I guess that's how she was able to see in order to pick out clothes to wear!

Jared

Jared is always asking to have his picture taken.

He says he's my little pumpkin. How cute is that?! Sometime last summer he really decided he liked pumpkins and so he's been talking about them ever since.

On this particular night he asked for me to take his picture. But I was trying to get all the kids ready for bed and completely forgot. So after they were all in bed I went in to take his picture thinking he would still be awake. But as you can see he really wasn't. But I took it anyway because he would love a picture with all his blankets.

He's just so cute. And very stubborn, and sneaky too. I had a treat jar for when he can make it through the night without an accident. It was on top of a very tall bookshelf. He managed to climb to the top and get it, and finish it off without me noticing. I make it a point to check on him every five minutes these days, when we aren't in the same room, because he's been getting into some mischief a lot. One day a few weeks ago he and Nadia were in the back yard, I ran inside to do something and when I came back there was Nadia looking over the fence, and no Jared to be seen.
I ran out front and found him, and told him he couldn't go outside for the rest of the day because he had left the yard. Oh and to make the situation even more challenging when I brought him inside I went out to get Nadia and she had managed to climb the fence as well. Luckily she hadn't walked out into the street yet. I admit I was impressed she had been able to do it!
Anyway Jared was very upset. Since, well he lives to be outside. And it was a really nice day. So later that afternoon after the girls got home I couldn't find him. I went downstairs and saw that he had snuck out through the garage. I went outside, I walked halfway up the street and couldn't find him. I was definitely becoming frantic at that point. Finally I found him hiding on one side of the house. I was so relieved to find him! And of course furious at the same time. I hope to never have a day that bad again!



 
Oh and on another note. After the tragic death of two fishies we finally got our tank issues figured out. We got two new fish, and all is well.