April pictures

There's something about sleepy children...

"My Berday comin' up!" is what Ty has been telling everyone recently.  

Even strangers at the store.  So Grammy helped Ty make a birthday chain that would help him keep track of how many days he had left until his birthday.  Only 7 days left, little man.

He's going to be 3!

Grammy also bought a couple of fish and a frog to entertain my children and help Ty learn how to take care of them.  Ty named one fish "Steena" after me, and the other one, Ty.  Unfortunately 'Steena' only lasted a couple of weeks.  But how cute is that frog hiding in the little submarine?

Coloring eggs for Easter

...which made delicious and awesome looking deviled eggs.

A man in our ward who grew up Jewish, decided to put on a Passover dinner for whoever wanted to take part and learn more about it.  It was really interesting.  Ty's kippah looks more like a beanie hat, and J just looks like he could be Jewish for real, doesn't he?  Haha.  He even wore his Jewish Community Center sweat shirt to show off a little.

The following was just one of the songs we were taught.  I love the part where it says "Repeat until you are tired."

How long could that song go on, really?  

It was a good hour or more before we got to the 'eating' part of the ceremony, so we were all getting a little hungry.  And antsy.  Not the best event to take a 2 year old to, we figured out..but he kept things lively. 

I was in charge of making a dessert for the passover meal.  It took me most of the afternoon to assemble and cook this thing.  Hayley and I kept cracking up at the huge mess I  was making.   I could never have my own cooking show.

There was a children's event at the library  centered around big construction machines.  There were bulldozer crafts to make and then the kids were able to climb onto the real diggers outside, and pose for a picture.  

The lines were long....my kids were still a little sick, and it was like 2 degrees outside.  That is why this boy who should look really happy, looks like this: 

Fun at the Smith Playground in Philly.

Anyone else lacking a little privacy around the house?  I take my phone into the bathroom with me so I can text and browse for like 20 seconds a day.

But don't think that I actually GET to...because the moment Mom has to go to the bathroom, is the exact moment my children decide that they want to sit and chat.  

If I lock the doors they bang and yell through the door the whole time.

20 seconds people....that's all I'm asking.

There are exactly one of these parking spaces in the Shop rite parking lot, and I took it the other day.  I felt a little bit ashamed, like I was abusing the system or something...

Then I looked at my reflection in the door of my car, and was reminded "you are like a hundred months pregnant.  If anyone is allowed to park here, it is you."

100 months pregnant: exhibit A.

And exhibit B:

The belly face has become a hilarious tradition for my kids and was the highlight of our family home evening this week.  

I do realize my mirror needs washing in the worst way.

Maybe one day when I can bend over the vanity...I'll get to that. 

:)

Life around here

We haven't found the perfect helmet for Ty yet, so he is still using his big sister's, when he rides his bike around.  And when he's playing around the house...and just whenever.

My kids' favorite thing to do together is jump off couches, climb on each other's backs, and whack each other with pillows.  Whenever Daddy comes home from work, Ty yells, "Daddy, I wanna work you!"  And then a 4-way beatdown ensues, while I'm peacefully making dinner in the kitchen.

Tia is and always will be known as the Master of Disaster around here.  She leaves a trail of junk and clutter wherever she goes. You know when she has been quiet for more than 5 minutes that something messy is taking place somewhere in the house.

This is her "I'm not doing anything" face.

(Really she had filled up the entire sink with bubbles to wash her Quarter sized porcelain cat)

The trampoline park is the happiest place on earth for this little boy.  You will find him hanging out at the foam pit almost the entire time.

April 6th marked yet another year that J has been home from his mission  So once again, we pulled out his box of memories from Holland and he played show and tell.  The kids loved it.

(Tia in the wooden shoes)

Mom and Bret were over for the occasion too.  At one point, as J was showing off the Netherlands flag, my mom asked, "What do the colors on the flag represent?"  J's answer:  "Uh...I don't know."  

So I googled it just for you, Mom.

(In case you were really interested and not just asking questions to be polite.  haha)

The blue represents the people of the nation and their hard work. The red means power and politics, while the white color meant neutrality and acceptance.

And I just realized I don't even really know what  our flag's colors represent.

I should go Google that now, too.

7 am at the Smith house....on Mom and Dad's bed.

The girls are very diligent about running downstairs (and I do mean running.  They sound like a herd of elephants) at 7 every single morning to read scriptures.  Sometimes I wish I could be like "Go back to Bed!!  But I refrain, because obviously I want them to make it a priority and a daily habit, but also, I value our hilarious conversations that take place first thing in the morning.

Ty is really into trucks, and big machines and bulldozers and such, and really wanted to play with them outside.  My mom had a better idea (so we didn't have to sit outside in the freezing cold).  She filled a box with bird seed and let him bulldoze to his heart's desire.  Brilliant.

He eventually spilled almost the entire box onto the kitchen floor, because.....he's a boy, but it was an easy clean up.  

And another word about bird seed:  Has anyone else when they were pregnant, had a strong desire to eat stuff like this?  I wanted to scoop up a handful and shovel  it in my mouth.  I have to restrain myself on a daily basis from eating dirt, mulch, dust  and mud (which look soooo delicious to me) but what was the most tempting, and hardest to resist was the rock salt that was thrown on the sidewalks in front of my house when snow was expected.  It is the craziest thing.

Ty feels pretty cool showing up to Grammy's preschool in costume...and she is sure to boost his self esteem each time, so he leaves feeling even more awesome than when he arrived.  Here he's working on his triangle shapes.

We took Tia and a few friends bowling for her birthday this year.  It was a great time.

Hayley checking out her score.

Tia chose a Zebra stripe theme for her birthday decorations...which I thought was a very stylish decision.  We were really impressed with the cupcakes that our friend made for us, which matched everything else so perfectly.

Although Tia turned 8 this year....we still gave her 12 candles to blow out.  It's not really fair, but it's just kind of what we do.

Last week the girls had a book fair at their school.  Without me knowing, Tia used her own money to buy a book for herself, as well as one for Ty.

No wonder she is his favorite. ;)

This was actually taken after Tia's party.  There's something about parties that drain you of every last ounce of energy.  Both of these boys were out in less than 15 minutes after everyone left.

Haircuts are never an enjoyable experience around here.  Lots of tears.

This was taken on the morning of Tia's baptism day.  Grammy and Grandpa Bret gave this cute dress to her for her birthday.   

As I snapped this photo I couldn't help but think that this is what it will be like as I'm helping her get ready for her wedding in a few short years. 

The baptism was held right after a 3 hour church day, so Ty was (imaginably) less than cooperative throughout the program.  This is him messing around in front of everyone,  before everything started.

I hate it when he's being bad, but all I can do is laugh. 

But how can you stay mad at a face like this?

We really wanted to involve people in Tia's baptism program that meant a lot to her, so Hayley gave one of the talks (which was adorable) ... we asked her primary teacher to say one of the prayers, and a teenager who used to babysit Tia , to give the other talk.  And THIS cute little girl...Tia's best friend, gave the sweetest little performance as she sang and played the violin to "I'm trying to be like Jesus".   It made her baptism day super special. 

We never did get a family picture with us all dressed up, but I did manage to get one with my kids and their Grandparents just before bedtime.

I'm so glad  these two are able to be here for occasions like this.  My kids adore them

I have had 2 Biophysical Profiles done since my last post.  These are just little ultrasounds that are given to check the fluid levels of myself and the baby.  Both of them showed only positive results, which was a relief.  I have another ultrasound  soon, and at the next appt I will be checked to see if I am induceable.  Not that I have agreed to be induced...but it is a conversation we will be having when I next meet with my doctor.  I am currently having real contractions about a week a part.  ;)  (True story.  One last week and one this week, haha)  

The weather is beautiful here and has pumped the life back into all of us after the long and dreadful winter.

I had to stop by the side of the road to pick some wild flowers on the very first day I saw them blooming.

It's the little things.