Smilin'

My days are filled with smiles. Here are a just a few things that brought a smile to my face last week:

Noah asking continuously for a "chee-wo, pees" (Cheeto). The kid's obsessed.

After O got to stay up a tad bit late to read a chapter book with me, "This is the specialist day ever!"

Owie scarfing down a banana and one and a half bean burritos at Taco Bueno. That kid's going to grow a foot overnight one of these days!

Watching these two Guys constructing together at the Science Museum's new buildings exhibit.

Hearing O exclaim, "I'm so proud of you, Mommy!" after I successfully lit our grill for the first time ever. (Daddy is the griller around these parts.) Sadly, I burnt the chicken I was attempting to grill. Guess I can use some practice!

The antics of the three youngest Halpin cousins. I love how they are each doing their completely own thing.

At the park, hearing Nosy holler out, "Look, Mama! 'Cooter guy!" while pointing to a little boy racing his scooter around.

These two balls of energy bouncing around Open Gym.



For some reason, Noah is convinced that word for blueberry is bowling. I have no idea where he has gotten this misconception, but he is convinced. This morning, he was asking for blueberries. It went like this: "Bo-ing, pees, Mama? Bo-ing?" complete with the bowling arm motion. "Blueberries, No-nos?" "Yes! Bo-ing!" Again, I explained that they are called blueberries. He tossed back his sweet head, laughing like that was the most ridiculous thing he has ever heard. "No, Mama! BO-ING!"

Hanging out at Chuck E Cheese with these Guys.

Hearing Noah's current name for O: "o-WEN!"

Funny Boys! (49 & 26 Months)

These Guys have me in stitches all day long! Here are just a few of the amusing things that come out of those clever little minds:

Owen: "Washcloth please, Mommy. Do you remember that behind my blinds is dirty?"

I guess he doesn't understand the concept of "family secret" quite yet."

After a thrown together PB&H picnic with no frills and nothing special, O announced:
"That was the BEST picnic ever! I can not even think of a better picnic!"

Noah has an issue with my singing. Now, anyone that knows me well, knows I can not carry a tune but I love to sing. It makes me happy. O puts up with me, usually by joining in and drowning me out. Noah, on the other hand, is a bit more blunt. Before I even hit the chorus of a great song, I hear, "No congs, Mommy. No cing. NO CONGS!" (That would be, "No songs, Mommy. No sing. NO SONGS!") Brings me down a notch every time. However, it does not stop me from belting it out.

A four year old's thoughts about the Oscars:

We had it on in the background of our Sunday evening. I love a good dress on a beanpole celebrity. I assumed no one else was paying any attention until I heard, "Mommy, may you please pause this show while I go to the bathroom?" Hmmmm....I guess he was watching after all.

After his potty break, I explained that this was an awards show for actors and their trophies were named Oscar...like the Grouch.

O: "When can we go see one?"

I explained that we were not invited. People wear their fanciest clothes, and it is a huge party just for actors. You must be super famous to be invited.

O: "I will be invited next time. I am super famous!"

I can only hope I get chosen to be his date!

O has entered his joke-telling phase. It is fabricated jokes all day long around here. Wish I had some laughter canned somewhere! This one was actually funny:

"Why did the chicken dig? By-cuz he wants to be a groundhog!"

For some reason, I got the giggles after Noah did some teensy sneezes. He looked at me with that twinkle in his eye and boomed out, "'Scuse me!!" Of course, we all laughed harder. Now he uses the phrase constantly, and in such appropriate times (after bumping into someone, to squeeze through a tight space, after burping). It just seems so grown up on my tiny Guy!

O's spelling of the day:

RaCheL LINNaNa

My name is Rachel Lin. He thought Rachel Linana, "Rhymes with 'banana,' Mommy!" was hysterical.

These Boys of mine. I could love nothing more. I end the day exhausted after breaking up squabbles, running off energy, filling little minds and hearts and tummies, passing out loads of hugs and kisses, answering dozens of questions. But I wouldn't trade a minute of it. I already look at my big guys and mourn that time is flying by too quickly. I am blessed beyond measure. Thank You, Lord, for choosing me to mother them.

Bored

I've got to spice it up a bit. Even I am bored reading my blog.

What do we do at The House of Halpin? Scroll back through and see. We paint. We cook. We cook. We go to the park. Oh good. We paint again. And some more cooking after we hit the park one more time. Seriously. I need to mix it up.

Get ready folks! It may get wild and crazy around here. We may actually cut and paste!

Monkey Love

This Boy loves him some bananas. He seriously could eat three a day. If there were a fan club, he'd be president. I bet there is a group on Facebook he could join.

Just imagine his great disappointment when he discovered we were mashing up all this yellow goodness to make banana bread!

He did not recover from the traumatic news until I appointed him head masher of bananas. Then all was once again right with the world.

While the Dads Go A-Conferencing

...the Moms and Boys plug in a movie, bake a pizza and settle in for a peaceful evening.

Phonics

I am loving it!!

Owie has reached such a fun stage, a stage I have been waiting for. It is here and it is so much fun!

He finally is enjoying writing things for himself. If we are not occupied with something in particular, he is probably curled up in a chair with a pencil and a pad of paper...spelling things. That is the part I love. The spelling. Watching him sound out words for himself phonetically and writing them down. Capital letters and lowercase all mixed in together. Words wrapping around to the next line. And the part I really love? His great excitement over his accomplishments. He brings me a stack (We go through so much paper...) of his "work" as he calls it and watches me as I flip through, exclaiming over every word. He absolutely beams from the inside out.

Love it!

My fave from today:

TooZD

a

"Tuesday"

My Apron

My early risers were especially energetic this morning! We were done with morning milk, reading time and breakfast by 6:30am. What should we do to fill the morning hours? One of the books we read was My Apron by Eric Carle, a sweet story about one of Mr. Carle's childhood summers. He spent his summer helping his uncle, a plasterer. They both wore great big, white aprons for their work. What little boy doesn't need a great big white apron? We set to work to create our own versions.

We decided white aprons were way too plain for us and broke out the fingerpaints. Whoo-hoo!

One of us quickly became bored with fingerpainting and started building rainbow towers instead.

We put the aprons to good use later on during our baking session. So handsome!

First Ever Real Life Photo Shoot

This good looking couple is about to become a family of three! And they invited ME to take a few photos of their expanding family. I was honored. What I was lacking in photography skills and experience, I made up for in sheer number of photos. I took over 200 pictures, praying that at least a few would turn out.

The Daddy brought his camera along too, to take pictures of me taking pictures. He wanted to capture the behind the scenes action. So funny

Salt Dough Experiment

Valentine's Day is upon us once again. When I saw this recipe for salt dough, I thought it would be fun to give it a try...and just the thing for Valentine's crafts.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
3/4 cup hot water
Mix together all the ingredients. After cutting out the shapes, microwave for 2-4 minutes.

We mixed up a batch together...

...and then rolled and rolled and rolled it out.

After starting only one teensy fire (that O just will not let me forget! He asks to see this picture over and over.),

we had some beautiful picture frames and decorations.

We let them cool thoroughly and then decorated them with tempra paints.

Poor Noah did not learn a thing from his dog biscuit-tasting experience. He could not resist a teeny tiny taste of what looked to him to be a delicious cookie.

Once again, he was sorely disappointed. The look on his face cracks me up! He was so offended.

But he soon got over it and moved on to painting his hearts.

The hearts Noah painted were filled with a snapshot of the Boys. We framed an original piece of Owen's artwork in the ones Owie painted.

Presenting Yaya with her gift. Of course, she loved them! (I didn't have my camera around when we gifted Gigi and Papa, but they loved them too.)

What an easy craft that does not (for once) involve something to eat (unless your name is Noah!). My thighs can attest to the fact that we have been doing way too much cookie baking lately!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Open Gym

I am always on the look-out for new, fun things to do with my Guys, especially when it is too chilly to play outside. When I heard about open gym at a nearby gymnasium, I knew we would all love it!

Pictures of O and Nosy's first ever time to romp around a gym with real equipment:

Noah loved the trampolines the best. They had a long, skinny run-way tramp and two normal, rectangular ones. His little legs got quite a work-out!

O was so proud of his balance on the beam. He was holding super still while I took his picture so he wouldn't topple over.

This was pretty risky for my anti-risk taking Son.

Jumping off the pommel horse onto a giant squishy mat.

I know this picture is blurry and awful, but I love it anyway. Nosy decided he wanted to help catch O as he jumped. The picture is blurry because as I snapped it, I was diving to rescue Noah from being squashed to death.

They look like they are ten stories in the air!

We will definitely frequent open gym from now on!