Yannick in March

Here are some pics of our youngest during March, minus any Vegas pics.

3-18  We awoke after getting in LATE from Vegas to find spring had sprung for just a few days.  Here is the youngest Counts boy in his summer leisure wear.

March 29: Of course it got cold again.  Cold enough for long sleeves, but apparently pants are optional in the basement (that is Zachary's preference at least)

3:31 Yannick fell asleep in his carseat in the basement while we were trying to get ready to leave.  One of the big boys felt he needed to be armed, despite being asleep, and gave him a sword.  Z & W were fighting with light sabers and did not want Y left out.  Very funny to come downstairs to collect the 3 and see this.

3/31: We knew that Nick had been acting older than his age, but this is crazy.  He actually ate his corn off the cob using the handles.  The boy thinks he is 5!

SSC - 37

SSC 37 seems like a flight number, not a person and an age!  Today I have to stop and think - am I really 37 today?  When did that happen?  I am in my late-30s now, approaching 40, which seems impossible.  Nausea inducing really.

So happy birthday to me!  I got breakfast in bed and the boys were VERY eager for me to open my presents.  They had all 4 gone to McD to discuss what to do for my birthday.  They all talked about it (well, not Nick, he just sat there), and decided they wanted to get mommy a book (Art picked The Help), and some eggs filled with chocolate m&ms - my favorite.  Art was able to oblige. I will also be getting a bicycle and baby seat for my birthday (thanks for the cash Oma/Opa/Nana.), and a hammock stand (thanks Poppi/MeMa).  Pretty good haul! :)  I made banana nut muffins (w/ chocolate chips) to take to bible study for my birthday.  I MIGHT have also iced them with homemade (not mine) buttercreme frosting. YUM!
 Here is a picture of my birthday wishes from Art:

Happy Birthday Shayna (in M&Ms), Love Art (in recees pieces)

Wearing Sunday Best

Here's Yannick looking a bit like a munchkin in his hooded stripy number he wore to church today.

Fort Building

Saturday night I had an event with the EBF ladies.  Any time I am gone for the evening, the boys easily convince DaU to make a fort.  I am generally ok with the fort building, even though it destroys everything, as long as it is cleaned up b/f I get home.  THIS time however, "Art SAYS" they specifically requested it be kept up overnight so mommy could see their best fort ever.  And they wanted to sleep in it, which Art vetoed.  So to placate them after that trauma, Art agreed to leave it up so they could use it on Sunday.  I came home to the clean laundry ravaged and clean sheets used at part of the fort.

The downstairs craft table chairs were used, giant packing box, all the pillows from their beds, and for some reason, the basketball goal made it as part of the roof.  I had to admire the workmanship and ingenuity of it all and walk away.  I will NOT be cleaning that up! :)

YAC - Transition time

It is time to start transitioning Yannick to the sippy cup.  I am doing this at the same time as the weaning begins.  With the other two boys, it was very easy, because nature did it for me.  The 4pm nursing would dry up, then a month later, the noon nursing would dry up, and so on.  Yannick however seems to have an endless supply of milk if I would let him.  But I would like him to be weaned shortly after his 1st birthday.  He is not the nicest nurser and there have been several blood-drawing bites.  Sigh.  All that to say, sippy cup, here we come!  In these pictures, it looks larger than his head!

He is not great yet, but he is enthusiastic, and eager.  Now we'll have to test him in a few days to see if he will accept milk from a cup and not from a bottle or from mommy!

03-02-02: 10 Years of Happy Marriage

10 years seems to be a very very long time.  And then, not so long at all.  We have done a lot with our 10 years: lived in 5 places in 2 countries, 3 states. Had 3 kids, 2 cats, 3 cars. Moved overseas with a 5 month old, moved back with a 3 month old, and bought our first house with a 5 month old. Volunteered with the homeless, teenagers, and now elderly. We have traveled to many places and eaten many great meals.  In just a few weeks we will celebrate our anniversary by renewing our vows in Las Vegas, kitsch-style!  Which means today, the actual anniversary, is pretty low key.  How low key?  No sitter, no going out, no presents.  We took our 3 boys swimming at the Y after work, put them to bed, and had a candlelit dinner just the two of us.  I bought the food from Olive Garden (Thanks gift card!! Only paid $0.02 for our dinner!) earlier today and we heated it up tonight.  Spinach/artichoke dip w/ bread appetizer, garden salad,  lasagna entree, and mini cheesecakes for dessert.

Not great pictures, but just for posterity.  Added note, I had put candles on the big windowsill, lowered the blinds, making sure they did not touch the candle.  Not low enough b/c now I have two melted & blackened spots on the bottom of my blinds. Arrgghh.