Celebrating Easter

Okay, so I can't say that we have been celebrating Easter for weeks now, as we often do with other holidays.  No, it just hasn't worked out that way around here.  Primarily, it's been due to  this ridiculously cold weather.  I've been hibernating or at least dreaming of it.

With that being said, we missed our neighborhood egg hunt and dinner.  It was literally 40 degrees and rainy.  So I kept that festivity hush hush from my little bunnies.  {and luckily they never asked}  Then our church egg hunt happened to be on a gorgeous day {one, and I really mean one, of the only decent days}, but we had Lucy's sitting pictures scheduled.  And well, Lucy and sitting trump more plastic eggs.

So...we started celebrating on Friday {unless you count Maggie's party on Thursday}.  Friday through Sunday is not so bad, huh?

The celebrating started with egg dying.  Messy, messy, vinegar smelling egg dying.  And guess who did not leave one egg into the process?  You guessed it, Jack.  He actually stayed from start to finish and then asked for more eggs.  {Note to self...Jack does eggs, but not cookies.  I think I've got it now.}

So one rainy and cold afternoon {imagine that}, Jack waited patiently for Maggie to wake from her nap so the egg decorating could begin.  To keep the ants in his pants productive, I assigned him to the prep work.  Let's just say lots of vinegar was spilled and the measurements were semi-accurate.  But, in the end it all worked out....the eggs did indeed change colors.

Lucy spent her wait time chewing on the Paas box and trying to discern what that vulgar smell was {which was intensified from all of the prep work spills}.

When our Maggie Bunny awoke from her slumber...the {very colorful} party got started...

Somewhere between Easter parties and egg dying, the Easter Bunny was very busy preparing these for the Cibula kids.  Can you believe we have THREE baskets at our house?  I'm still amazed, but honestly, I can't imagine it any other way.

That sneaky bunny thought it would be funny to hide Jack, Maggie, and Lucy's baskets.  He left the kids a note to let them know to "search high and low and everywhere you know, finding your baskets will be so much fun, you'll be happy when you are done".   Jack got a kick out of this...he is always up for an "adventure".  Maggie, on the other hand, isn't a big fan of working for anything.

But, it certainly helped to ease Jack's disappointment of not seeing eggs in the yard at sun up.  You see, the Easter bunny sprinkles eggs in our yard every year.  Well, wouldn't you know it was raining Easter morning, so the bunny had to wait for a break in the clouds.  And wouldn't you know, that when I went in to wake Jack on Easter morning he was peering out his window with a frown.  First words out of his mouth?..."the bunny didn't leave us any eggs this year".  Geez, there is no getting around this kid anymore.

Luckily the rain subsided during breakfast and the Easter Bunny came back when we weren't looking and left a whole bunch of eggs in the yard.

Until then, the kids loved ripping into their baskets....with bed head and pjs...wouldn't have it any other way.

And don't let this little bunny's pensive look fool you...she was loving all of her First Easter action.

A change of clothes, a water bottle and comb, and a break in the rain later...the egg hunting began...

Jack found the "golden egg". In his eyes, this meant he was the champion.  And that is why he asked me to take this picture...over and over and over again.  I have about 8 of theses shots in various places in the yard.

After this totally action packed Easter morning, I herded my kids on to the front porch for some Easter pictures before Mass.  And because this is Lucy's first Easter, she got to go first.  Can I just say, "yum!".

This was Jack's idea...
He is madly in love with his little sisters.  Lucky girls!

I could seriously just fill this post with pictures of Lucy on Easter Sunday.  She was that delicious and that cooperative.  But...I don't want anyone drooling all over their computer, so I'll just end our Easter celebration with one more of baby Lucy's First Easter.

Can you believe the cuteness? Mmmm...

Hoppy Easter Friends!

A Hoppin' Party

I love being party Mom.  It's keeps my "I miss teaching" syndrome at bay.  I get to use up a little creativity, dig through those old teaching bins that have over taken my basement storage, and spend some much needed time with a classroom full of kiddos.

I must admit however, that my old teaching skills are better suited for 5 and 6 year olds.  Keeping a classroom of 2 and 3 year olds entertained and in order is a whole new game for me.

I tried though.  And I'm pretty sure Maggie appreciated my effort.  And huge props for my favorite three year old....she actually wasn't glued to me for the Easter festivities....the entire time anyway.  Maybe it had something to do with the mad dash for the eggs during hunt time.

So if you've been in our parts lately, you know it's been cold.  Downright frigid.  Easter falling in March certainly hasn't helped.  Thursday proved to be only a slight improvement.  No cute bunny dress for this gal.  We were bundled.  Me more so than her.  She ran around, grabbed her eggs, and then we both ran back in.

And this is what we ran in for.  A perfectly bunny themed snack.  The plate did have baby carrots...hmmm...maybe that bunny swiped them while we were outside.

See I told you she wasn't glued or draped across me this go around.  High five sister!  Look at my Mags sitting in her chair so sweetly while I snuggled in.

And then sitting not so sweetly.  But, very happy at least.

We followed the egg hunt and snack time with a bunny book and this cute {and 3 year old appropriate} craft.

And although little Lu was too little for the hoppin' Easter party at school, she was able to reap the rewards when we got home.  I'm not sure if Lucy enjoyed watching Maggie dig through her Easter loot or playing with the discarded eggs better.  Oh, the perks of being a little sister.

Let the Easter celebrating begin!

An Easter Treat Thats Oh, So Sweet

A little something "Eastery" and "Sweet" for Jack & Maggie's favorite teachers...

The ingredients...a chocolate bunny {naturally}, Robin's Eggs, and edible Easter grass {which I found at Old Navy of all places}.

Pretty cute, huh?  Another idea begged, borrowed, and stolen...with a twist.  I'm beginning to love Pinterest.

Stay tuned for more Easter festivities with my little honey bunnies...

I Love Lucy: 7 Months

Sweet Seven!  Yes, I can hardly believe it myself, but my littlest Lu is seven months old today.  Not much has changed in her daily life, unless you count how my love for her has doubled this month.

She is everything you could ask for from a baby and so much more.  Lucy is loving, content, independent, happy, easy going, and a perfect fit for our family.

And though I mentioned not much has changed, there are a few tweaks worth noting.  Not to mention I can never pass up a chance to dote on my baby girl.  So here it goes...{get ready for some serious baby fever if the pictures haven't already done that for you}

Eat

Well, we finally are fully weaned from nursing and onto a bottle and formula full time.  Our last stock of pumped milk was used up about a week ago.  I can't lie, the freedom is invigorating.  But I also can't lie that there was a bit of nostalgia in letting go of nursing my last babe.  Another chapter in my life closed. {sniff sniff}

So with the transition to a full time bottle I had to do a little experimenting this month.  How many ounces for each feeding? Which feedings did she want to eat the most?  How were solids effecting her formula intake?, etc.  So after a couple trial and error sessions this is what we came up with.

A 6 oz bottle at her 8 am feed, followed by a full container of fruit and cereal.  An 8 oz bottle at her 11:30 feed.  {We haven't started solids at this feeding, but will in about two weeks.}  A 4 oz bottle at her 4:00 feeding, followed by a full container of veggies and cereal.  And then she tops her day off with another 8 oz bottle at bedtime, around 7:30.

I also noticed this month that Lucy has started to have an opinion about which dishes she is served.  I was really hoping for the word "picky" not to be included in any sentences with "eater" and "Lucy".  The verdict is still out.  But, I have found she devours her fruits.  Especially pears, apples and prunes {which I give her sparingly for obvious reasons}.

And as for veggies, she is still a carrot lover, along with sweet potatoes and squash.  However, peas and green beans can make her turn up that sweet little button nose and purse those rosy lips shut.  I've tried adding pears to each of them...but, no luck.  I vow to remain relentless in this quest to make her a greens lover.  I have a picky eater and a not so picky eater at my house already, I can promise you, the latter is much easier and if anyone is asking,  I would like another pretty please.

And happily {and sadly at the same time}, Lulu has gained nearly 2 lbs since going to the formula {that's in less than a month}.  I think my suspicions about low milk supply there toward the end was right on.  Poor baby.  But in true Lucy fashion, she didn't complain a bit.  I, however, am battling a serious case of mommy guilt.

On the flip side, I am ecstatic to see a fat baby emerging at the Cibula house.  That's how we like to grow them around here anyway.  The more yummy rolls means all the more to love on.  I'll take that any day.

Activity

Lucy is starting to make some appearances out of the house and she is in complete awwww!

Her favorite? Friday Music class followed by lunch with friends.  Nothing like throwing her right into the world, huh?  She is a happy baby girl with all those little faces surrounding her.  Add music and lots of noise and she seems right in her element.

Lucy has also made it to a baseball game or two.  I couldn't believe how much she enjoyed that as well.  She didn't even flinch when a 3 year old spectator was so enamored with her that he almost poked her eye out.  In fact, I think she might have actually enjoyed it.

Anytime we are out and about, it's all Lu can do to stay in my arms.  She is bouncing, thrusting forward, and trying to jump out of my lap.  Anything to be closer to the action.   I fear the day this little one starts moving.  I better have my running shoes handy.

So not surprisingly, when we are at home, Lu has found a new favorite...the Jumpy.  The moment she realized she could actually jump up and down and it would spring back was priceless.  Lulu is definitely a mover when she can find the means to do it.

Ironically, at the same time, she can be also be so content and observant.  Just soaking it all in quietly.  It's actually amazing and more proof of that perfectly blended personality she adopted from her siblings.  I am completely fascinated by that merge on a daily basis.

One attribute that does make her unique to our family, is her voice.  The loveliest and happiest sound I have ever heard.  And...it's really loud {just like the day she was born}.  I remember thinking, 'surely that's not my baby'.  I was wrong, it was, and she is still that verbally boisterous.

As far as other activities, she still adores being outside.  Whether for a walk or just hanging out playing.  We recently introduced her to the swing on the play set {one of the few warm days} and it was a score, complete with a gummy smile.  She also loves being on the floor surrounded by toys.  She does, what looks like, Yoga moves to make her way to anything out of reach.  Still no actual transporting {for lack of a better word}.  I'm certainly not complaining, I am just enjoying a sitting baby!  The best if you ask me.

As for clock time that she is actually awake, it's about an hour and a half before her morning nap and then about two hours before her afternoon nap.  In the late afternoon she stays awake for about an hour to an hour and a half before heading up for her catnap.

All this talk about naps leads me to ...

Sleep

So...very few changes here.  Except for naps are better.  Probably because she is finally well fed.  {poor baby again}.

I can excitedly put Lulu up in the rankings of my other two incredible sleepers.  Way to go baby girl!

Her morning nap lasts about 2 hours.  Sometimes I think she would like to exceed that.  But I make sure to wake her promptly at the 2 hour mark, if she hasn't already woken herself.  I prefer for the morning nap to be shorter than the afternoon nap.  It makes for a smoother transition down the road.  Not to mention, we will be itching to get her out of the house more and more as time goes on.

Her afternoon nap generally goes from 1:15ish to 3:30.  Occasionally she wakes closer to the 3:00 mark which proves to be challenging with Jack getting home from school and homework time.  However, she is getting better at stretching it.  She's also been known to go to 4:00 on some occasions.  I don't wake her from this nap.  Maybe because I've never really had to.  But, either way, I really don't see a need to do so.  I am confident that her night time sleep wouldn't be affected.

Lucy follows these two full naps with an evening catnap.  It's usually around 5:00-5:30 for about 45minutes to an hour.  If I remember correctly, my babies drop this nap sometime during the 9th month, but don't quote me on that.  I'm always anticipating a release from nap jail {especially with our busy lives}.

And no, that little evening catnap does not prevent Little Lu from heading off to snoozeville every night at 7:30 pm. {I get asked that often}  She's then back up at 8:00 am with a beautiful smile to greet me.  {Followed by a neck crane to spot her bottle in the room.}



So in summary, if you haven't met Lu yet...you soon will!  And get ready--she is about as lovely as they come.  And if I know her, she is itching at the chance to make new friends and see new faces.

So here's to sweet 7 and an even sweeter baby girl!  Happy "welcome to the world 7 months ago" my littlest Lu!  It's hard to believe, but we truly adore you more with each passing month.

It's nearly impossible to remember tea parties without you...

{Lucy officially has two teeth...check out the second picture...number two came the day after Jack lost his second...crazily ironic, huh?}

Playing Like A Tiger

Baseball season is here!  My favorite sport {maybe because of the fabulous weather I associate with it}.  Getting to watch Jack makes it all that more enjoyable.

I am happy to say we are not Sand Gnats or Thunder this go around.  We have {what Jack considers the best team name to date} the Tigers.  Add a "dark" blue jersey and this season was a success before it even started.

Leave it to Coach Daddy to get Jack out in the backyard pre-season.  Super big help for Jack in the confidence and 'hey, sports can actually be fun' department.  Not to mention we are over the whole adjusting to long Kindergarten days and no naps {as opposed to back during Fall soccer}.  So it looks like this could actually be an enjoyable season for all involved.

It certainly requires a lot of commitment.   We {or thinking maybe I should be honest here, huh?} So I should say, Clay and Jack are up at the field at least twice a week.  I do make it to all the games, just can't pull those late evening practices with the girls in tow.  And I suppose I should note,  that Super Daddy is also the head coach.

And on that note, I was planning on blogging about this newest time consumer at the end of the season.  But, since it has become such a big part of our afternoons, evenings and weekends, I figured it was only fair to let everyone know where they can find us...SS Ballpark Field #6 {which ever so kindly has a few playgrounds for my girls}.



I forgot to mention my other love of baseball stems from the fact that I get to use my new Christmas present...my zoom lens.  Bear with me, still working out the details {which I also am with the other lens I got about 2 years ago...yikes}.  BUT...how awesome was it to not have to sneak on the field to get an action shot of #4?

I did, however, sneak {ever so stealthy} into the dug out for a quick snap...

On to the game.  Jack is much more focused than he has ever been.  Is it perfect?  Far from it.  But he's five, right?  If it's not the batter or the ball keeping his attention, it's...well, take a guess by looking at this picture...

The answer?...his belt...I've got proof when he's getting frustrated with his little one, 30 plus years from now.

No more tee.  This is the real deal.  {By the way I took all these pictures through a chain link fence. I am smitten with my zoom lens}

Around the bases. And you better believe that he is struggling with rather to run or check out that belt one more time.

Love the celebratory hand slaps {I'm sure there is proper term for that that I am not aware of}.  Point being, I love that he is getting way more out of baseball than just how to throw a ball.  And yes, he is that handsome {as only a mama can say}

I legally made my way out onto the field post game and got a picture of this Father/Son duo.  Adore my Tigers!

Sweet Sunshine

Nothing like coming off an ice cold weekend in the woods to beautiful weather at home.

When the sweet sun shines, I'm the Mommy dragging my little ones outside. Then going behind them and locking all the doors so that they can't sneak back in.  And in the end, they always love me for it.

We started our stay in the sun with some driveway play.

I snuggled Lucy up in her stroller so she could watch her bigs play.  When that didn't suffice, I ended up sitting her right down on the concrete to join in the fun.  Have I ever mentioned my Lulu likes to be in the middle of it ALL?

How fun is this hat that we received as a baby gift?  I'm thinking she resembles the Chiquita banana girl....only way cuter.  And if you are wondering how I will tell my girls apart in baby pictures when Lu is wearing a hat to cover up her signature hemangioma...no problem...I'll just remember Lucy is the one with the bib....always.

If Lucy was the banana girl, then Maggie could have been...hmmm...still thinking on that one.  Open to suggestions on what you would call this get up.  Maggie politely refused to take her church dress off.  She said, about 92 times, "I look like a prinshess" followed by a twirl {and yes, I meant to spell princess that way}.  Add her rain boots and an American flag and well, I'm still at a loss.  You?

Now on the flip side, Jack is the first to change clothes when he gets home from church.  There is no interim-straight upstairs for new clothes and then straight down to the playroom for Legos.  As you can imagine, it was no surprise to me when this guy made it outside for our afternoon in the sun.

And if this post hasn't given you enough details about my kiddos so far, here is a picture that sums it all up.  We've got Jack the super silly {can't sit still} Lego loving boy.  Lucy with something always in her mouth and the happiest in the middle.  And Maggie totally dressed up collecting things and carrying them around. That is a very accurate description of the Cibula kids complete with a picture to prove it.

Driveway play was followed with a walk {if that's what you want to call it}.  I look like a three ring circus while trying to make it to the end of the street and back with 3 kids and a dog.  Take a drive by if you are looking for some entertainment.  I'm convinced my neighbors think we are the crazy family who reside in the grey cottage.

So on this adventure, Jack took his remote control car and the girls piled up in the double stroller.  But not before, Maggie hung a giant pink bucket filled with sidewalk chalk from the side and Lucy Jack filled her tray with 8 different toys that fell off one by one every third house.

And with that, we were off.

Along the way that giant bucket filled with sidewalk chalk came in handy.  We made several stops along the way so Jack and Maggie could leave their mark on the road.  Yes, I let my kids plop down right in the middle of the street to decorate speed bumps and what not {and then I take pictures of it} 

This is one of the many reasons I'm convinced of my neighbor's perception of me.

Even if I wanted to,  there is no denying that the Cibula family "wuz here".

I'm happy to report we made it back to our driveway safely.  And while that sweet sunshine invigorated us, it also wore us out just enough for nap time.

{And this final note is for those of you who always accuse me of "having it so together".  I can finally prove my case....I took a look at my watch and thought, 'oh wow, it's already 1:15, time flies when you are having fun'. Then I announced that it was nap time for the girls.  I tucked them both in, came downstairs with a hop in my step until...Jack said, "what's for lunch?".  'Oh, cr**'.  Yes, I never fed my dear Magpie lunch.  BUT...in my defense, she's my worst eater.  She never even noticed.   How guilty did I feel for the next 2 1/2 hours though?}

I just realized how incriminating this post turned out to be.  Locking kids out, playing in the street, no lunch...

Lucy's First Tooth

Okay...so you know that little "weekend in the woods" fever?  Well, it may not have been a cold {diagnosed by that nice country doctor} after all.  Maybe it was this....

Hmm...we will never know.  But, I do know one thing...Lucy got a tooth!

Yes, I am thrilled!  Actually, almost giddy.  So cute!  Amazing how these little milestones get me even the third time around.

Even with all my excitement, guess who is even more excited?  Jack.

Yes, Jack!  He thinks he's figured out the whole Tooth Fairy mystery thing.  One week he loses his first tooth and the next week Lu gets her first.  I think he may just be on to something.

Can you see that little pearly white?  It's tiny, but it's there and we are all loving it!

A Weekend In The Woods

We spent a weekend in the woods....literally.  There was nothing within a 20 mile radius of us.  Okay there was a deli about 8 miles up the street, but that is it.  Seriously.

In truth, it didn't matter, we weren't there to go places.  We were there to spend time with the Cibula family.  Mainly Clay's Dad. 

It was actually a wonderful weekend minus the rocky start Lucy gave us.

The rocky start was a scorching baby when we arrived on Thursday.  Lucy spent the first 24 hours either crying or sleeping.  She was a hot mess {literally...again}.  I, of course, forgot the Motrin that I always pack 'just in case' {go figure}.  I had to make a trek into town {that's what they called it anyway} that first evening to visit the local Rite Aid {I didn't even think those things still existed}.  Even with that, we fought the fever all night and into the next day.

Worry finally got the best of me {Lucy had just gotten her 6 month vaccinations on Thursday morning}. So on Friday Lucy and I made another trek to the nearest Pediatrician, which was a generous 45 minutes away {minus the 15 minutes that my GPS got me lost in...you guessed it, the woods}.  We arrived only to find out I was at the wrong location {insert some very obscene frustrating words here}.  

However, those nice country folks squeezed little Lu in and we saw the Doc rather quickly.  The prognosis?...a cold and a big fat coincidence with the vaccinations.  Shew.  Add my exhaustion to the equation and Lucy and I were much pretty much done in that first day.  

From then on our weekend in the woods went much smoother.  No more rocks {except for the ones thrown in the lake}.

Jack and Maggie had a blast.  Lock them in a house with their family {particularly their older cousins}, in the middle of no where, in ice cold temperatures and they are an extremely happy pair.  

Intervals were spent inside and outside.  Skipping rocks on the lake proved to be glorious entertainment.  Don't let cousin Whit's attire fool you...it was freeeezing!  I took these pictures from the deck of the house with my new zoom lens.  I knew that thing would come in handy.

The crazies family played several games of football in the backyard among snow flurries.

It's fair to say that Jack and Maggie enjoyed the tackling part of the "game" the best.

When it got too cold outside {which was often} the kids came inside to hang out.  I was able to peel their eyes off of the various available screens in the house {i.e. ipad, iphones, DVDs} to do art with me for a bit.  Larkin definitely enjoyed it the most.  I adore that budding artist.

And when I wasn't caring for Lucy letting Lucy sleep on me {which I admittedly loved} I was taking pictures of the Cibula clan.  Aunt Catlin was not up to the photo op, but...

...I got her later with Little Lu.  Even better.

This photo was worth the 42 out takes it took to get it.  Grampa and the Grandkids. It was a miracle that Lucy wasn't crying and Maggie didn't have Boo draped across her face.  As for Jack's eyes, I had to take what I could get.  He was battling a serious case of the sillies....cousins can do that to you.

But, this happens to be one of my favorite.  Faye and Jim with their grown children.  Three kids...all boys...only months apart from one another.  Amazing parents, don't you agree?  And I think my crew is hard work sometimes.

And because she slowly began to return to her lovely self...Lucy and Grammy...

...and Lucy again with cousin Larkin.

Okay, for my next weekend in the woods I am bringing a well baby and a pair of gloves.  I would add the Motrin, but that defeats the purpose of my 'well baby'.

Thank you Cibula family for a wonderful weekend!