Growing Butterflies

We got a butterfly kit!

There were 6 caterpillars inside. Evan just wanted to pick them up all the time.

One by one they turned into chrysalides. One morning we caught Evan shaking the container.

2 survived and emerged as butterflies.

Time to let them go!

Learning About Bugs

These kids just love bugs.

Evan, especially, loves to pick up bugs he finds outside.

The other day Evan was playing with a rollie pollie and then... just popped it into his mouth!  We made him spit it back out.  Gross!

Hailey wrapped her legs in painters tape....she claimed she had a broken leg. 

Steven recently started running every other day.  The kids want to get up and stretch with him.

I started sending Evan off with Daddy on his runs so I can have some time to myself to exercise.

We have a butterfly kit and just saw our first butterfly emerge from its chrysalis!

Wrapping up the weekend

One day this week we read the story of Adam and Eve getting cast out of the Garden of Eden. Then we made a paper chain snake that represents Satan. Hailey wanted to make sure he had sharp teeth and big eyes.

While I mowed the lawn Hailey played Legos.

Evan played trains.

And read by himself. 

Since Steve received his kindle for Christmas he has developed a fascination with reading. He has read more books in the last 3 month than he has in the last 7 years. Saturday night I was bathing the kids and getting them ready for bed. I thought Steve was helping... so I thought. The kitchen was piled high with dishes, food was strewn all over the dinning room floor, and there were at least 2 loads of laundry waiting to be folded. And when I found Steve he had a huge smile on his face and hid his kindle behind his back. Caught! I told him I would need to confiscate his kindle if he couldn't take a break to help clean up. So he thought he would be sneaky and read and wash the dishes at the same time. And yes it took a long time to wash all those dishes. (No, we don't have a dishwasher.)

[Edit from Steven: I really don't think it took me a long time at all to wash those dishes.  I was just multitasking... And I haven't quite read as many books in the last 3 months compared to the whole time we've been married.  Ask me after I've read another 4 books.]

Yesterday Steve brought out his Legos from the garage and played with the kids.  Today after Church was a continuation of Lego building with Steve.

Making Evan a helicopter.

They made a helicopter, a boat, and a space shuttle.

Flying the shuttle.

St Patricks Day Visitor

When we got married Steve and I couldn't agree on paint colors. How could we get married if we couldn't agree on paint? We couldn't agree on baby furniture two years before Hailey was born... who knew Steve was so opinionated? Hailey is lucky she was born... thanks to my ability to compromise.  I made a leprechaun trail for the kids to find the morning of St Patrick's Day. It didn't meet Steve's standards. (I thought it was awesome.) I got a whole lesson from Steve on what constitutes a good quality trail... so many things to consider. I watched Steve rearrange the trail several times before it would look the way a real leprechaun would leave it. I told him Hailey and Evan wouldn't care.... they weren't going to be thinking about whether the leprechaun was in a rush or not. Sometimes I forget that Steve's work is intensely focused on details.... that is why he is good at his job. There is no off switch in his brain. I wonder, do other people get into heated conversations about the trails leprechauns leave at their houses? Probably not.... I guess it's just us.

He even left a little note.

Looks like he left a gift.

Hailey stumbled out of bed and suddenly perked up when she saw what the leprechaun had left her.

Turns our my kids only want to eat the marshmallows. Lucky thing for me that lucky charms only find their way into our house once a year.

Kale Smoothie for Mom.

The next day they ate the lollipops the leprechaun left them.

Kaylee's Third Birthday

Sunday we went to Nana's and Papa's for cousin Kaylee's third birthday. Nana had a fun St Patrick's Day treasure hunt for the kids.

Just found his little pot of gold full of chocolate coins and real money.

Pretty pleased with himself.

Great grandma was great and bought bubbles for all the kids.

Hailey wanted to play with her cousin's new dog Cooper.

EWWWW! Why doesn't she close her mouth????