January

Ezra learned how to ride a bike!  The look on his face is when he is riding.."Are you seeing this?! This is Awesome! Are you seeing this?" Like a joyful surprise.
He likes to ride Rowdy's bike the best, so he's learned how to fall gracefully with it since he can't reach the ground.  He picked it up in like an hour...thanks to Dad and all the practice with that little cruiser of his.

and the next hour Cody built a ramp, and he did fine on that too.

 

We also love to see our cousins over in Coppell. We were hanging out almost every Friday for a while. Its been nice having  them nearby. & Yay for Paravel! She is such a doll. Its fun to be close and watch the nieces and nephews grow.

Here are some more nieces and nephews w a game Cody made up. However old you were that's how many balloons you had tied to your ankles and everyone had to try and pop them..except Elliot...and later we learned Ezra... (they were a little emotional over the whole thing)

We turned gun owners in January. 

Cody was so excited about his mega thrift store find...I was not so excited. but after he showed me the glow in the dark one and we had a glow in the dark dance party for FHE (with our crazy black light form Halloween) and Rowdy stripped down to his undies, because they were white and glowed better, and proceeded to dance around super silly trying to avoid the glow in the dark bullets and I almost wet myself laughing, that's when I started liking them. Plus we do little nerf gun stuff in seminary sometimes, & I giggle at the thought of everyone having the little guns and me walking into the activity with the one as big as Rowdy. I haven't worked up the nerve yet.

The kids rediscovered the sand box. 

Elliot loves, even in 40 degree weather, to take off her shoes and socks and stick her toes int he sand. Got a little California girl in her ;) 

Almost everyday for the past couple of months they will go play with it in the front yard right before Rowdy comes home from school then a bunch of neighbor kids will come play too.

Miles and Rowdy play really well after school together. They are pretty creative.

Elliot put her hand on the stove after we had made popcorn :( She fried her palm and most of her finger pads. It was so so sad, but she was a little trooper. She called it her hot hand. and was so excited when she got "new pink skin!"

This girl is unstoppable.

A sweet love note I found from Rowdy. He does and says the most thoughtful things.

He takes after his Dad

Also so proud of Rowdster for passing off all of his sight words! He made his own goal to finish, because he wanted to go to the principal and pass them off for his dogtag. Way to go!

There was also an after school camp night...Read S'more or something cute. When we went, so many teachers knew Rowdy and told us how great or thoughtful or polite he was. It was a great feeling. Thanks Rowdy for being such a good kid.

Elliot is getting better about eating real food, but she still loves her sugar... daddy

It snowed in January but not enough to call in a snow day. I took this picture after seminary
and there was a day with funny little dip n dot hail.

Ezra and Elliot admiring Paravel

 

Ezra and Elliot have been at odds lately (January-ish). Elliot knows how to push his buttons and sometimes she is mean. Hitting or biting mean, just because she knows he will cry. She realize it hurts. Time outs aren't cutting it. So even though it felt weird I told Ezra to hit her back. He was such a gentlemen and would just sit there (crying though) while she railed on him. I had to remind him quite a few times. Sure enough it only took a few times and they are back to being mostly buddies. 

A few weeks ago I was in & out of a seminary nap stupor, and I heard a smack and a crying. These days I am very slow to conflicts. I just let them try and work it out. I could hear Ezra crying, they were the only kids home, and Elliot says,"Rowdy did it! Rowdy hit Ezra!" !!  Then when she realized no one was around, & she wasn't getting in trouble she apologized to him! :)

We got to see Yaya for a few hours in January. She flew in for Paravel's blessing & we got to see her. Its nice having her around. We've got to see her 3 months in a row!! 

After Paravel's blessing we went over to Locke and Katie's for a lovely brunch. mmmm. We should do brunch more often. That was delicious.

 

I really should stay on top of the blogging. I'm hurting knowing I have already forgotten sweet bytes from my littles.