PE

The rest of our lives will probably be marked by a few major occasions: wedding, babies, and explosions. More on that later. But, this is the last post that is PE - pre-explosion.

We were so happy to host baby Alise and Grandpa and Grandma Faiola at the same time. Baby Alise even got to have a sleepover! She slept downstairs with Grandma and Grandpa in a pack'n'play crib and was really delighted when Grandma was extra attentive to her every need. Of course, she got no sleep since EVERYONE wanted to play with her. Well, except maybe Lily who both wanted to play AND protect her territory. 

I have been saving craft boxes for Jamisen and I do to for years (literally, I subscribed to some of them when he was a baby and have been storing them). On the mornings I take him to school, we get an extra 45 minutes in the house by ourselves so it's crafty time. I call it our little 'craftcations!' Of course, all 90+ boxes of craft supplies have been ruined in the explosion (that's $2700 for those of you multiplying the years of investment for quality time and activities with my kids). He really is getting quite good with the crafts and is extremely creative, generally not following the "rules" and making up his own.

Remember the Double Bob stroller I was so thrilled to pick up at the REI Garage Sale? Well, it's never been used for Jamisen and Lily but we're using it for Alise and Lily! =) YAY! One time use almost justifies storing it for 2 years. We love walking around our neighborhood. It's so beautiful and just perfect for our little family to stroll and explore.

 

Baby Alise was EXHAUSTED when she finally got out of our home. We basically didn't let her sleep because we were all so enamored with our perfect little cousin. We are excited to spend Easter with her in some way, shape or form.

Jamisen and his piggbank are growing to be close friends. He loves to empty out all his pennies and put them back in. He knows they're worth ... something ... but isn't quite sure what everything is. I have of course capitalized on this, buying so many toddler books about money that my assistant remarked, "Your kid is going to grow up to be an accountant!" I even got him the Dave Ramsey toddler series on saving money from the library! =)

Another craft project that Jamisen is going rogue with. He is supposed to be using the straw to make beads - roll the clay into round balls, flatten it, use the straw to punch a hole in the bead - and instead, he is making an architectural marvel, a sculpture sure to stand the test of time for its elegant, understated beauty and refinement.

Baby Lily continues to amaze us with her fiery temper, her easy-going nature, and her grasp of subtlety. She is like the storms in tropical places: super fast to anger and even faster to smile and giggle. She continues to switch between who her favorite parent is and loves to be held. Both Chris and I are having hip problems because of the little chunk of sweetness always being on one of our hips. It's worth it for the parental bonding (right? The permanent hip displacement will completely be worth it when she is the world's easiest teenager).

Chris is the President of the Boys and Girls Club Board for Bellingham. They put on a super fun event - a bingo night - as a friendraiser. Bramble Berry bought a table and the team enjoyed goofing off and learning bingo. For the record, it is a super fun game and we can't wait to do it again! Great job Chris + team on an awesome event for an even better cause.