Catching Up

How is it already the end of July and I haven't posted anything yet this month?  Henry, when you read these posts someday and wonder why I told so many more stories and posted so many more pictures when your sister was tiny, just know that all of your stories are tucked safely away in my heart for you to hear one day even if I haven't shared them.  That, and you are one busy kiddo.  Keeping up with you takes every ounce of energy I have most days, and I figure you'd rather have me playing motorcycles with you, reading you Beautiful Oops one more time, and kissing your scraped knees than staring at this computer.  Anyway, here are a few photos of the last several weeks to catch up at least a bit!

 

This is one of Henry's many motorcycle shirts.  He gets so excited to wear them and then rediscovers the motorcycle at several points throughout the day and gets just as excited.

 

Madelyn in her ballerina fancies.  She took lessons for the first time this past spring and loved it.  She's not currently taking lessons, but about once per week she has to get all dressed up (including fancy make-up) and dance around in our living room.  

Henry driving Uncle Jeff's Scout.  He was pretty chuffed about the size of that steering wheel!

I caught Madelyn reading to Henry one morning.  Believe me, there are plenty of times when I catch her tripping him with her feet or him biting her on her arm, so we take our sweet moments as often as we can get them!  (And there are plenty, truth be told.  They are particularly fond of kissing each other goodnight lately and it just about melts me every time.)

Henry "working" in the backyard during a morning of weeding.  He absolutely loves to be outside, and we have made our backyard our favorite room of the house these past several weeks.

First raspberries of the season which means Henry's first raspberries ever.  I canned jam for the first time this year (and am now a total canning addict!), so he can enjoy fresh raspberries all year long!

 Good gracious, I love this boy.

Henry has formed an unbreakable attachment to his blankie "BeeBee" and his polar bear.  Lately, we don't go many places -- including the high chair at mealtime -- without them.  Consequently, polar bear in particular gets a lot of baths.

4 1/2 year old Madelyn wearing 18 month old Henry's clothes.  Our girl just seems to stretch taller and taller these days.  The funny thing is, given her September birthday, she will be one of the oldest children in her Kindergarten class in 2013.  By that time, she'll be so tall people will wonder what this third grader is doing in a Kindergarten classroom.

Madelyn got to go to the American Girls store in Seattle when we were there visiting Auntie Kari, Uncle Brad, Uncle Kris, and Auntie Laura.  This picture pretty much says it all.

We transfer our girl from our bed to her bed every night.  I wish I could sleep this hard!

A recent trip to the zoo with Daddy.  Cheetahs are my absolute favorite, but kind of crazy to think that a one inch piece of glass is the only thing that stands between my baby and those teeth. 

 

Henry likes to experience his food with all five senses.  All 7 foods that he eats, that is.  Our Vitamix is in the mail as we speak because I'm genuinely worried about this boy's nutritional intake.  Trust me, I wish mac 'n cheese fulfilled all of my nutritional requirements too, but the world just doesn't work that way.