Ezism #4: Stop Licking the Grocery Counter!

Hmm, wonder how we got the swine flu? Well, actually, Donnie brought it home from work (thanks Vipers!). But I'm sure grocery counters are full of all kinds of fun microscopic stuff.

September = Soccer

September started soccer season, or rather, HOT soccer season! Abby hasn't played for several seasons due to moving and new baby, so she was very excited to play again.

Sarah and Ezra are the happy spectators for everything involving Abby... well, maybe a little sweaty!

MomEm and Papaw were able to make a game one weekend - here's MomEm and baby Eli, before they got too hot!

Time to celebrate Miss Sarah's birthday! This is her "don't even think I'm sharing this cake with you" look.

Opening presents (some of which were regifted from big sister Abby's old things!)

And what do baby brothers do during birthday parties? Oh yes, eat the wrapping paper.

Big E and Little E (though the jury is still out on which one will be which!)

Eli, future helicopter pilot...

Ezra, future graffiti artist... (this is on the wall by our front door)

Tired from his art endeavors, Ezra asleep in the chair with Ab. So here's the funny thing about 3 yr olds ... impulse control. There's always something they just.can't.stop. themselves from doing. With Abby it was "making soup." (Using every ingredient in her bathroom to whip up concoctions ... we finally had to empty it down to nothing but towels). For Ezra, it is writing on things. Walls, furniture, himself, you name it. Instrument of choice is black marker. I've had to corral all writing implements in the house into one basket in the kitchen! Wonder what Sarah's personal method of destruction will be ...

Road Rash

Ezra got this shiner today. Poor buddy. He was just walking across the road when WHAM! Face plant. I thought for a bit that his nose was broken, but the swelling went down very quickly. I told him the pattern on his head looks a lot like Spiderman...

Here is Eli doing his sitting up thing. We are in trouble now. (Yes, he's playing with a doll. But he's pulling her hair, so I think that's an acceptable little-brother kind of playing!).

You probably can't tell from this picture, but it's pouring down rain. We were in the middle of schoolwork one day when the clouds burst open, and ... "pleeeease can we go play in the rain?!" So they did.

And here is me trying to cook breakfast. It's a good thing we have all this countertop space so the kids can ALL sit up there and help me!

August 2009

Nothing exciting going on in August (thank goodness!) so here are some pictures from the every-day life of the Kennedys. For starters, we have the obligatory baby-in-the-bath picture of Eli. (I did try to give him a little modesty so this picture isn't totally embarrassing in 20 years!)

Here is where Eli hangs out for a good portion of his day, while Mommy cooks and does the dishes. He doesn't seem to mind that his Bumbo is pink! Also, please try to ignore the giant knife on the counter ... he really can't reach it! (yet...). He is starting to get very strong and squirmy, so our Bumbo days are almost over.

Sarah could win the messiest-child-ever award. It's not that Abby and Ezra were particularly clean children. Sarah just has a special talent for making a bigger mess than is actually physically possible. This is Sarah after eating TWO chocolate chips. Really, I know that there is MORE chocolate on her person than was contained in 2 chips. She can't have gotten any of it into her mouth. I spend a large part of my day chasing her around the house with wet wipes.

Not many pictures of Ezra this month, probably because he spends most of his time upstairs playing Legos. Here he is with his nerf gun, cocked and ready!

Abby and her friend Tori - I think they are playing Indians! They look like a cross between Woodstock and guerilla warfare. Abby continues to get taller and taller...

One of our family traditions is bubble baths in the kiddie pool in the summer. They have playtime and bath-time all at once - and everyone is happy.

This was my Caroline Ingalls moment of the month (that's Little House on the Prairie for you parents of boys). We have quite a few snakes in our yard here in Florida. We have a snake guy that puts down repellant and traps for the moccasins and rattlesnakes, but there's not much you can do about the racers and garters. The BIG racers and garters. They get quite fat feasting on all the frogs and toads that hang out and poop on our porches. This guy showed up one day when Donnie was at work. Our dog (Arby) was sitting at the back door and I saw his ears perk up - this 3 ft long garter was slithering across the back porch. He decided to camp out right by the water faucet; I had to get him. The only tool I had handy was a shovel (a very dull, old shovel). So instead of a nice clean hack, I bludgeoned the poor little thing to death, all the while apologizing to him! Can't let the kids get bitten - they wouldn't want to go play in the backyard after that!

When we go to the pool, we are a floatie parade... I only have so many arms. A good day at the pool is when nobody goes under and has to be pulled back up! Abby is a fabulous swimmer, and Ezra's actually getting pretty good. He can get all over the pool with the arm floaties. Sarah and Eli still have to be in arm's reach.

The water was actually kind of cool on this day (lots of rain) and I think these 2 are about 5 minutes from shivering. Sarah is 2 in September, and we are trying to start hiding the pacifier a little, but she's just so darn mean without it!

Eli at 5 Months

Playing on the Helicopter

Donnie took the kids with cousin Marshall up to work to see Daddy's helicopters.  Here is Abby, looking like she could actually fly this thing!

Ezra, wondering how many buttons he could push before someone stopped him:

Marshall, attempting to take off:

And all the kids together - I like the Rescue arrow pointing at Abby...  Help, save me from all these little boys!

Why We Don't Sit On The Couch Much

One day when we were still in Virginia (with just 3 kids) we noticed that when we all went to sit on our one couch, it was getting to be a tight fit.  So after we moved to Florida, we decided it was time to buy some more furniture for our growing brood.  We purchased a love-seat for the family room, and another full-size couch for the formal living room (Mommy's grown-up room).  And yet, whenever we sit on the couch today, this is what it looks like:

 

Notice that Arby is even trying to inch his way into the family huddle!

And even if Mommy and Daddy aren't on the couch, here are the kids:

It's good we have all this furniture so at least our guests have somewhere to sit!