Girls night

A few weekends ago the boys headed up to Father's and Sons camp out.  It is crazy to think that someday soon little man will be joining them.  I have realized that it isn't just a weekend for the boys it is actually also a weekend for us girls.  As they get older it is fun that we are able to do more things.  The girls have been wanting to make their own chalkboards for their room for awhile now to be able to draw pictures on and write messages to each other on.  

So off to WalMart we headed for some cheap $5 frames and some spray paint. I had to smile when I told the girls they could each pick out their colors and Em chose a paint called "Ballet slipper pink" while Avery quickly chose a paint called "Watermelon".  Exactly what I would have thought for both of them.  They were thrilled when I let them each take their turn helping me spray the frames.

I had some extra chalkboard vinyl from when I made my menu chalkboard for the kitchen so I added it to the frames and we had a cute, easy, inexpensive craft for the girls.

I gave them the dry erase crayons we got at Walgreens that work fabulous on the chalkboard vinyl and they settled in for an hour of coloring and drawing....

Avery drew this adorable picture of our family.

LOVE the fact that she drew a little baby Hudson buckled in his carseat.  So cute.

The girls had each picked out a new nail polish.  Emma a bright summery orange and Avery an electric blue so we had some fun painting our toes.  We ordered a pizza and watched a couple "My little pony" episodes. Then enjoyed some ice cream before all piling into bed.

The girls and I saw these cute little pancakes and knew that was exactly what we wanted for breakfast the next morning.  So we slept in and then got up and chowed down on some of these.  The girls just kept giggling and saying how cute they were.

The girls decided to make some new pictures on their boards before the boys got home.  Emma wanted me to draw her a castle and then she colored it in.

Avery wanted to look up ideas for chalkboards so her and I found some and then she copied the handwriting all by herself.  She did a great job.  Oh I just love my girls!!!!

"Morning mommy."

 The littlest Burch fairly easily coerced mom into sneaking him into bed to snuggle early this morning.  He probably would have settled back in, binky and blanket in hand if we hadn't gotten company.  Ten minutes later my usual 6:30 am visitor was saying "Mommy, good mornin', wanna nuggle with me??"  For about a month now this has become her early morning tradition to hop in bed between us and cuddle with me.  I have to admit I have been loving this, even if she insists on sleeping right next to me on my pillow and knocking heads with me every few minutes as I am trying to sleep.  She will actually usually fall back to sleep with us until our alarms go off.  "Come on sis," was my half awake reply as I lifted her up on the bed and she snuggled up to Hudson and I.  A couple minutes later, Deke both due to his alarm and the current crowding of the bed got up to get ready for work.  Emma and Hudson doing more giggling and playing than resting, I continued to try to close my eyes fighting to get fifteen more sleep minutes.  I tried to rest as Hudson rolled and smacked me in the face with his arm, then just get settled in as I jump to the sound of a toy inches from my face.  Nothing says happy Monday like an upbeat version of twinkle twinkle little star in a slightly twangy electronic sound inches from your eardrum.  I open my eyes and see two sets of baby blues staring at me, there is Hudson's stuffed owl sitting on my head and I am outlined by baby toys.  They are prepping for play even as I am sleeping.  Hudson grins huge at me excited that I am now awake to play.  "Morning mommy!!!" Emma exclaims and as I lay my head back to let myself start to wake up, she comes over and starts to gently pull on my eyelids.  "Mommy, it is time to play you have to keep yours eyes open like this." I start to laugh.  "I got us some toys to play together, c'mon mommy let's do it, let's play." Alright, alright you two... you have convinced me.  I am sure whatever fun you two have in store for me today is way better than a little extra snooze time.    

Five months old big boy.

 

This guy is getting busier and busier these days.  Rolling all over the floor, scooting and trying to get into things.  He pushes up on all fours and is so strong.  I can just see the determination in his eyes to go check stuff out.  He giggles about everything lately.  He especially loves when the kids pretend to sneeze he thinks it is hilarious.  The kids love to try to get him to laugh, they are always doing silly things.  Avery seems to have a talent to make him giggle though more than anyone.  He loves me to fly him in the air, loves to sit in my arms in the rocking chair and look at books. A couple nights a week I will bundle him up in the stroller and he and I will go walk the neighborhood.    He loves to walk through the park and look up at the big trees, he blinks as it goes light and then dark and then light again as we pass underneath the street lights.  Soon it will be too hot for nighttime strolls so I am glad that we are getting to enjoy them.  I love his giant grins his gives and when he likes something he will smile and raise one eyebrow, it is so cute.  

Mr. Magoo, Little man, and Chubson

 We have always had nicknames for each of the kids that we gave them as babies.  Hunter had several at first, chick magnet, hot wheels, Hunterbug and Bugalicious.  Hunterbug or Bug is the one that has stuck.  We used to call Avery Missy Moo for a long time and now we always call her Ave.  Emma has been Miss E, Baby E, little miss, daddy used to call her E machine and of course Em for short.  I can't even really remember how it started but from the get go I would always talk to Hudson and use the term little man, mister, or mister man.  He would always make these silly little grins at me and I would tell him he was a goober.  He would make these faces that made me laugh and I told Deke that I kept wanting to call him Mr. Magoo.  One day he made a funny expression and said, "What are you doing Mr. Magoo?" and he looked at me and smiled wide.  It just sort of stuck.  Within a day or two everyone was calling him Magoo.  Emma even adapted the nickname to her own version.  She calls him Magoobie.  "Hi Magoobie!!! Hi Mr. Goo! You are so cute, yes you are" she will tell him.  It just fits his happy, silly little personality.  We all call him Mr. Magoo or Magoo.  He is starting to get some other nicknames as well like little man, Mr. man and a recent favorite of mine from Grandpa McWhorter is Chubson.  He is such a HAPPY baby.  Always wide eyed, all the time I look in his eyes and see this flash of excitement to be able to start moving and checking out more about the world around him.  He is very inquisitive and curious already.  His smile melts me it is so sweet.  However the thing I will remember most about him since the day he was born was the big blue bright eyes.  We love you Mr. Magoo.

Zeke turns 1!!!

 It seriously seems like just yesterday that we got the news that baby Zeke had been born.  I remember seeing my first picture of him and his blond hair and instantly thinking what a handsome guy he was.  Finally a cousin on my side of the family close to one of my kid's ages.  It has been so fun to have Claudia and Josh close enough where we have been able to get together for play dates with the kids.  It has been so fun to get to watch Zeke grow.  Claudia threw him a "monster theme" birthday party and did such a great job.  It was really cute....

 Zeke's aunties had set up all sorts of fun carnival style games for people to play.  Avery's fave was definitely the photo booth area they had set up.  Claudia made these cute centerpieces with some of her favorite pictures of Zeke over the past year.

 My favorite part of course was watching him blow out his candle and the best part of turning 1 digging into his cupcake.  At first he was hesitant and then once he realized how good it was, started chowing down.  Isn't he cute????

 Claudia asked some of the cousins to draw pictures of different monsters as part of the decorations.  My kids were more than excited to help with this.  I had to show a pic of Ave's three headed monster she drew because I thought it was so awesome.  Avery loves to draw.

 Emma wanted to make sure that I included a picture of her monster too.

 Had to get a quick pic of Zeke and Hudson.  These two are eight months apart and I am so excited to watch them continue to grow and be good friends and have so much cousin fun.  Happy birthday Zeke this Burch family sure is in LOVE with you!!!!!

Four months

Just a few things that Hudson is doing at four months, of course he is actually five months now so I need to play a little catch up :) :)  This kid is always so bright eyed and checking everything out.  He reminds me of Hunter at this age, very curious, always grabbing for things and studying them.  If he is down on his belly he is trying to dig his little toes into the carpet and scoot himself.  He is going to be busy I can tell once he can crawl.  He is smiley and loves loves loves mommy to tickle him.  He is really ticklish. We are all just totally smitten :) :)