Outside!

From the time he wakes up, until I drag him to bed, Chase wants to be OUTSIDE.  He's either on his way out, already out, or standing at the door crying to be let out.  I feel rather like the house is a big cage for him.  Clothing is optional.   

Nothing funner than being outside and playing with water, his other favorite thing!  However he doesn't understand why Mommy really doesn't want him drinking out of that waterer.  (Same one the cats, dogs, chickens, horses, calves, etc all use)

Four Wheeler Ride with Uncle

Chase is pretty suspicious of strangers or people he's not around a great deal, but he was more than willing to make an exception for a four wheeler ride with Uncle Clint.  He loved it!  Carter, of course, is always game for a ride!

St. Patricks Day Parade

We took the kids into Billings for the St. Patrick's Day Parade.  Parked (what felt like) two miles away from where my mom wanted to meet up.  Luckily, my sister and I were smart enough to shove a couple wagons in our cars before heading out.  Naturally Chase wouldn't sit it in and I ended up carrying him most of the way to where we watched the parade, still, it was pretty nice to have the wagons there for all the bags, coats, etc.  Carter thought the parade was OK, but loved the part where candy was thrown.  We had to keep a pretty close eye on her to keep her from racing down the street following whoever was throwing the latest bit of candy.  We were near the end of the parade route so not too much candy, but really just about perfect!

Cade got most excited about the mounted riders, I loved the bagpipes and Chase, he LOVED the popcorn.  My sister had the brillant idea to get a bag for the kids and Chase was entertained for almost 2 hours with it.  It was awesome!

Chase watching some of the parade, although he spent most of the parade sitting happily on the curb with (his, as he thought of it) popcorn.  Yes, I did have him on a leash.  I LOVE the teddy bear leash...saves worrying about them running off into traffic, dissapearing when your trying to help the other kid, I think it's the best thing ever.  I've watched city kids sitting happily in their strollers for hours, but never ever managed to get my kids to sit in one for longer than 15 minutes before throwing a fit.  Probably because we don't live in town and they seldom have a need to be in one.  But the leash is awesome at this age when all he wants to do is get down and explore!

 

By the time we got home, everyone was all tuckered out!  It was a fun outting although I think I can wait awhile before we attempt another parade!

March thaw

The first real warm weather we've had in a long time really started the water moving down hill.  It looked like a river flowing through the driveway. 

It didn't take the kids long to shed some clothes and head outside to play in all the water.  It was still VERY cold water.  They'd get out in the water then start hollering that it was so cold.  So I'd go rescue them, but it wouldn't be very long before they got back in.  It's been a long cold winter, a little spring sunshine is just too much to resist. 

Chase was happy to scatter dirt as fast as I was trying to get everything swept up and clean.  Cade checking out all the water.  He didn't like to get too far out in it.  Carter on the other hand, changed into shorts and happily splashed until she couldn't feel her feet!

Time to start blogging again!

So I've been a blogger slacker lately, but in my defense, adding 2 extra kids every week, taxes, etc seemed to eat up all my time.  But, things are finally starting to settle down.  Carter loves having Cade and Avery come over to play.  We're slowly working into a pretty good routine on the days they are here which makes things easier on everyone.  I have to admit, Carter is the live wire of the bunch.  It's pandemonium and chaos on the days all four kids are running around, but when Carter is gone with her dad and I just have three, it's actually pretty quiet. 

Chase is really starting to develop into quite the little person.  He's big into climbing on everything and gives me at least two or three heart attacks daily.  His Gramma Howell sent him a spring horse for Christmas.  It took him awhile to figure it out, but after carefully watching the big kids try to wear the paint off it, he really got into it.  He likes to ride it best when he has a loud appreciative audience, naturally. 

Carter hates to miss out on a good photo opportunity!

The best way to ride your spring horse, is loudly of course!

My little office helper

Monkey see, monkey do...  Chase is utterly fascinated by phones, computers, remotes, like most little kids.  He wants to do just whatever he sees mom or dad do, much to the destruction of those electronics!  He's named Carter "Sis Sis" and Robert is "Bobba".  It sounds pretty cute!

Not sure who he was talking to, but he was talking up a storm.  Even funnier, he would gibber for awhile, then laugh uproariously, make a few "uh huh" noises, then start laughing again.  He wasn't supposed to be on the desk, which seems to make all the more determined to get up there, but it was so funny to watch him. 

Rub a dub dub, four kids in a tub

I don't remember the particular disaster that prompted me to toss all four kids in the tub, but I'm sure it was good.  All it seems to take is one needing a bath and they all want to hop in.  What a mess!

Winter

 We've nearly had a record number of days the ground has been covered with snow.  I think it's over 70+ now, and getting old fast!  Luckily, it mostly hasn't been terribly cold.  The snow makes it hard to get outside with the little kids who take two steps in the deep snow and just fall over.  Chase got pretty tired of being in the house and happily started going with his dad, anywhere, just so he could get to see something new!  Between my car being broke down for several months and all the snow, he didn't get much excitement around our house.  One of the last storms brought in a lot of fog and it coated the trees and fences with a heavy layer of frost.  It make everything look so beautiful. 

Carter and Pete

Carter sat out in the snowbank with Pete, giving him a little attention.  She was so mean to Pete when she was younger that he is pretty suspicious of her now, and she is very happy on the few occasions he lets her pet him. 

Chase was feeling left out too...

He loves being outside and loves all the critters almost as much as Carter does, although they aren't very crazy about him yet.  Little kids offer up pretty tough love at this size.

Sledding, Cowboy Style

My darling husband is a firm believer in overkill.  I sent him to town to buy a couple of sleds for the kids since all ours had managed to dissapear or get broken.  He came home with a huge calf sled.  It took the horse Picky awhile to decide that the big black thing chasing after him wasn't going to eat him or attack him on the sly.  Robert must have worked with him for a least an hour before deciding it was safe enough to load up the kids. 

Carter LOVED it and had a ball.  Chase was much less impressed.