While Mom is in CA...

Scott's a total pro at this parenting thing!! I think he does an amazing job while I am gone...I always wonder if the kids will want me to come back! (They seemed pretty excited, so maybe I still have a place around here!)...but look how much fun they had!

Picking up the big kids from school!

Movie night with dad!

Cooper got a 3-D printing pen for his birthday, and he created this miniture pikachu.

Another movie night to watch Harry Potter with Macey!

Dad and Owen!

And afternoon of playing outside!

Cooper had nerf gun birthday party!

Charlie and Dad!

A family game of Monopoly...that not everyone enjoyed...and the legos were pulled out!

Bead and bracelet making!

Getting ready to leave for church!

The potato shop!

Pancakes and a sassy Owen!

Owen loves to snuggle under a blanket and watch Sesame Street! He has this little nook that he likes to randomly snuggle in to!

Right before I came home, super-hero Dad took the three youngest to Walmart to buy mom flowers and chocolates. Dad of the year!

January!

Owen and Mom! 

Harper found a new use for these bowl covers!

Charlie LOVES yogurt (and he is getting pretty good with that spoon)!

Owen LOVES puffy cheetos! Macey got filled up this Valentine's candle holder with cheetos, and he was in heaven! His second great love is his squishmallow pillow--he plopped right down and snacked for a solid 20 minutes!

Harper changes her clothes at least once a day! She loves her swimsuits, and she climbs shelves to find them!

Charlie and his walker. This kid cracks me up! Owen and Charlie both really started walking 18-19 months. Owen decided he was going to walk, took off running, and he hasn't looked back! Charlie was more methodical and slow about the process. He hates not being able to keep up with everyone, though! He got in the habit of climbing into this walker and taking off. There was something about having the extra support that he loved. I don't think he ever leaned on it or relied on it--it was just the security of the walker being there. In fact, as of late, he picks up the walker by the handles, and he carries it around as he runs. (He has also gotten very good at running in it, and drifting across the kitchen floor!)

The boys got another stomach bug in January. They were freshly bathed, having morning snuggles with Dad!

Charlie!

Owen!

I stumbled on this note from Macey to Cooper. (If you couldn't tell, writing is how Macey expresses her feelings for other people!)

Scott and I got really sick in January. It was terrible. I got it first, and I barricaded myself in our bedroom for almost 48 hours...somehow Scott got it, too. We had fever, chills, throw ups, bathroom problems, and a cold on top of it. I went to the doctor, and they did a quad screening on me. I tested positive for strep (which made sense because I had a horribly sore throat). I was shocked that all these other symptoms came with it. She told me that she had a couple people the day before that were JUST throwing up--tested positive for strep. Weird. Luckily, because we knew I had strep, we were able to easily get Scott on an antibiotic too.

Macey got her bands on her braces changed to Valentine's colors!

Owen!

More Macey creations I found: "Jesus sent to Earth at a special time"

"Christ has roots in salvation."

Names of Christ

Jemma and Owen are the snugglers. Owen loves Sesame Street. If you turn it on, he will snuggle right in to you!

Harper!

A perk of the almost 2 year old twin dynamic--biting and fighting with each other!

I found an amazing connection to cheap chicken--($1.63/pound)! I bought enough to bottle and freeze. I bought 2, 40 pound boxes...I underestimated how much chicken that is! It was A LOT of work!

Dad and Owen!

Cooper had his annual orthodontist check. We found out that it was time to start his orthodontic journey. Cooper doesn't have enough space in his mouth. His bottom teeth have come in perfectly straight, but when his molars start to come out, they will grow in and push teeth forward. It will make all of his straight teeth, really crooked. His molars were really loose, so we had to act fast. He needs a holding arch glued into his mouth for about 1 year, and then we will talk braces.

Charlie!

Harper gets into trouble quickly. I turned around to find her holding Macey's wand and Jemma's perler beads...smiling. (Both of these items had been perfectly hidden from Harper...but she found them!)

Charlie!

Cool Dudes. (Charlie, and then Owen!)

Dinnertime!

Matchers!

Owen brought this home from nursery. It made my mom-heart melt to see him carry out his little handprint!

I love the hats the kids bring home from school!

Owen:

In the beginning of January, in those magical 14 days of Lucy's recovery, she didn't sleep well. Many nights, we would get her to sleep in her bed, and she would wander into our room 30 minutes later. She was exhausted!

Charlie and his new kicks!

In the midst of January sickness, I pulled out leftover cough drops...only to discover that someone had unwrapped all the cherry cough drops and dropped them into the bottom of the bag. Awesome.

The phone is the coveted thing, but the kids hardly get a chance to play on them. (All we have on our phones is PBS Kids...not super interesting, anyway!) Owen is the king of electronic devices. If he sees one, and we take it away, he loses his mind. So...when a phone appears, Charlie especially, has learned to take a backseat to Owen. He will watch behind him, without touching--usually!

Lucy and Charlie!

Charlie!

Cooper is such an awesome helper! 

Wrestling with Dad!