what we've been up to

jude has been helping me with the laundry

 and been having some trouble with eczema

steroid cream helps but it's pretty stubborn

 i've been trying to get jude to enjoy tummy time more

 making banana muffins

 i never miss a chance to take sweet baby jude's picture while he sleeps so sweetly

 sitting in his high chair

 i originally wanted to wait to give jude anything other than breast milk until he was 6 months

but he seemed so interested in food that i caved and gave it to him right before he turned 5 months

he loves it

 noah drew these blueprints and made this box for scouts

 twins

 urgent care trip for me 

it seemed like influenza but went away after 24 hours or so

 jude turned 5 months old!! such a sweetie

 a day off of school meant a 3 hour long playdate with the hunts

 we've taken up fishing because noah loves it

they all do, really

 all dressed up for church

wearing my dress backward so i can nurse jude

henry wearing his "hut two three fours" (suspenders) and working on his boat in the garage

 michael impressing the kids with his trombone skills

noah is excited to start playing next year

 michael and i spent all our evenings for a couple weeks working on this puzzle of cinque terre in italy that i got him for valentine's day

 henry got into michael's hair stuff so i spiked it for him

he thought it was pretty awesome

 noah presented his PACE project at school and i went and watched him

 we went with eleanor on her field trip and henry had fun playing 

 eleanor, too

 jude got lots more coordination and started to play with the monkey on his car seat

we've been enjoying warmer temps outside

 hammock time

  bedtime cuddles

 looking fancy before school on class picture day

 hanging out on the floor

 i sewed the girls some dresses with thrifted table cloths

 playing outside

 we tried the hungry onion in downtown meridian

it was pretty fun

 more fishing

 olive and michael each caught one

 henry drew "hot wheels and a track" on hazel's easel 

 cute matching girls

 all the kiddies before church last week

 jude tried sweet potatoes and loved them

 mr. march

 michael and i have been playing cards more

 hanging out in the backyard

 jude took a nice long nap in the ergo 

 i've been cloth diapering the boys off and on

 i took the little three to have lunch with noah and olive (hazel was at GT) for subway day

eleanor ran the whole way to the school

i was impressed she could run half a mile

 i love noah's freckles

 henry loves playdough

 we were outside on an overcast day but jude kept blocking the bright sky from his eyes

reminds me of michael

 henry said he was making the temple

and the capital

 mr blue eyes

 i love it when noah practices piano without being asked to

 a little chicken (we think) showed up in our yard so it got us thinking about getting more chickens

we were checking them out at the supply store

we haven't committed yet but michael did build a little coop for the one we have

 we walked to and from playgroup this week

and eleanor wanted to sit in the stroller on the way home so henry walked

and stopped to scratch his back on several trees and then found his pockets

he's so cute

 jude fell asleep on the way home

 noah's last pinewood derby! (this is him and his best friend david)

 he whittled his car and painted it himself

 st patrick's day

we could hardly scrounge up enough green for everyone to wear

and i forgot to do anything special but michael dyed the milk green for their cereal and they liked it

he also went to the kids' school to volunteer on behalf of his work in all the third grade classes

the kids loved having lunch with him and hazel loved having him in her class

 we liked this license plate on the car in front of us 

 cafe rio and target

 we were playing in the backyard and i had jude lying on a blanket until hazel sat him up

and informed us he could do it

he is still a little wobbly and doesn't last very long but it was so cute!

 these two love each other

 silly olive

 the start of our new puzzle

 jude looked adorable in this vintage outfit for church today

life is good