Easter Bunny S'mores

I found this cute idea for Easter Bunny S'mores on Tip Junkie and had to try them out. I roped my sister-in-law Sallie into making some too. We had to play with them a few times but got them down, finally. I gave them out at my visiting

tday and they were a big

hit. Hopefully they taste as good as they look. The final product with instructions.

Ho Ho Ho!

Brighton has found a new pastime. He learned it from his big sister, Irelynd. It involves a full sink and an empty soap dispenser. And lots and lots and lots of bubbles.

This most recent time he put bubbles on his chin and said "I'm Santa Claus!"

The bare necessities...

Everybody has their comfort items. For some, it's their morning coffee or Dr. Pepper, for others it's a specific pillow or blanket. Mine is a good book and warm bed. Brighton has them too. Brighton is not comfortable without knowing where 4 items are at ALL TIMES. He has to be assured that the comfort item is either within sight, or in his possession. If that's impossible, as is often the case with one in particular, he will be temporarily pacified until said item returns home. These are his bare necessities of comfort, in order:

1. his dark blue blanket

2. his dad

3. His "measure"

4. his "piderman poon"

He asks me periodically through the day "where'd dad go?" and I have to assure him that he went to work and he'll be back. Sometimes the work explanation is not enough, and I have to make something up until he's satisfied. Usually the explanation, "Dad went to the moon to find it" strangely appeases him and he'll stop asking. He's going to grow up thinking his dad is an astronaut.

Another episode of gender confusion...

This was Brighton's first (and hopefully last!) attempt at mascara. At least it wasn't on the carpet. Scott's going to get worried if this persists...

More cute pics...

I had to take some pictures recently for my mom's sister in Canada, and I had to share them. Who said last children get no pictures taken of them? Not true in our house.

Differences

I find it completely intriguing to note the differences between Keaton and Waverly. I never noticed differences in my first three kids quite so accutely as I have with the twins. Obviously, this is because they are side-by-side to compare. For instance, their sleeping habits and preferences are so different. Keaton falls asleep sucking his thumb. (I've never had a thumb-sucker before. I know I'll hate it later, but I find it SO dang cute!) But he can't just suck his thumb and be content. No, he MUST have something cloth-like to hold on to in order to suck his thumb. He will bend in half while sitting, in order to grab my jammy pants, or put his face right to my chest, while grabbing my shirt. It's so endearing and I hate the thought that someday he will no longer do this. Ok, it might just irritate his future wife just a bit, but I love it. So we have to put him to bed with what we call a "cuddle blanket" now in order to settle him down for sleep.

Waverly, on the other hand, is a no-frills gal. She will suck the back side of her fingers (that's how I know she's tired), and when I put her down she'll turn her head til she finds a comfortable spot, and doze off. In a last-ditch effort to have just one of my girls like dolls at all, I have given her a doll to sleep with. It's ugly, but it's soft, and she will play with that sometimes before sleeping. Is there anything that squeezes your heart more than a sleeping baby? Maybe two sleeping babies.

Bathing beauties (and studs)

I wanted to document just how "cuddly" the twins were as babies. All the more to kiss. We love our chunky monkies!

We love dominoes!

Brighton and Irelynd found our game box for Mexican Train dominoes one day and Brighton decided to make a "train" with them. He meticulously lined the dominoes up end-to-end to make it. He was very proud of his creation, and I was terribly grateful for the reprieve it gave me.

Broadway Blast!

This is Savannah's Grease costume for her most recent choir performance at school. I had to whip up this poodle skirt in a matter of days. Thank heavens it was easy! She looked adorable in it. I hate how grown-up she looks in make-up though! But these productions have done me a favor: this wanna-be teenager won't be begging me to wear mascara any time too soon. She's had her share of it and has developed a love/hate relationship with it already. Welcome to the world of beauty, babe!

What do you do if you can't reach your own feet to suck on?

Solution: you suck on your twin sisters' of course! Keaton hasn't found his piggies yet. We credit it to his nice round Santa-belly. One night at changing time he did find Waverly's though, and enjoyed sucking them. She didn't seem to mind at all. I guess that's the special relationship twins share...

Sleeping beauties

Every night before we go to bed, we check on all five kids. Most of the time it's routine, but occasionally, we find them in funny positions, like this night. Savannah was sound asleep, foot crossed in air; Irelynd was sleeping like she'd been posed, long red hair flowing over her pillow, like she was waiting for her storybook prince to kiss her awake from an apple-induced curse. Ok, a little dramatic, but it was funny.

Graduation day!

We finally graduated the twins to a bigger bathtub, since Keaton is finally sitting up well enough not to face plant in the bubbles. They were so cute in the tub together; Waverly was very protective of her cup and Keaton was just content to splash in the water and laugh. We love our chub-a-licious cuties!

Spring blossoms

The emerging tulips and crocuses outside in our flower gardens aren't the only spring buds I've noticed changing form. Savannah is growing up so fast! It seems like a moment ago I was holding her hands as she made us walk her around and around the kitchen island for the millionth time that day, and here she is, my budding beauty. The years will fly from here until the day she leaves the nest and starts her own life. We are so proud of the beautiful, responsible, smart, confident girl she's becoming. What a bittersweet experience to raise children! I hope she continues to grow and develop her talents and reach the great potential we see in her.

Another redneck project brought to you by our sponsors...

On Saturday we took the kids on our first annual Henry family bike ride, our first since the twins entered our lives. But here's the problem we encountered: how do you take three non-bike-riding children and stuff them into one bike trailer that's only supposed to hold two children? Solution, one piece of plywood and a few screws and you're in business. Unfortunately, not all three kids were overjoyed at the prospect of being "stuffed" in. No matter, as long as we were moving, no one complained. We may have to figure a different solution in the future...

Savannah's science project

Last month Savannah had to turn in a project she'd been working on since Christmas. Her class did a unit on Utah's biomes, and the culminating assignment was to construct one of the biomes in a desk-sized model. She chose wetlands (maybe because that's what her two best friends did as well?), and constructed her version of it. I found the box for her, and taught her how to draw a sketch of it before she began; and Scott helped with the addition of animals, but she did the rest herself. She painted it, and thought to add halved, painted cotton swabs as cattails. We were proud of her effort and responsibility for her own project. Way to go Savannah!

Welcome Spring!

We were so excited by Friday's record warm temperatures, we decided to get a jump start on summer by using our fire pit. We roasted hot dogs and smores and even ate outside. Even Waverly enjoyed watching the fire for a little while in Brighton's little chair, until he caught her in it and demanded her immediate evacuation. Oh, how we love warm spring weather! It was so nice to get out of the house and be outdoors after a long cold winter. I know it won't last (this is Utah after all!) but we soaked it up while we could.

The finished products...

Savannah's trap featured a drop-pulley system, where the Leprechaun would theoretically be trapped when the little thief went for the fake gold, letting loose the "cloud"-covered strawberry container above him. Irelynd's was a rock-climbing wall, where a fake floor awaited him as his reward for reaching the top. After trying to grab the gold, he would plummet, hopefully not to his death, we just want his gold, not a feud with the whole green world--through the paper-covered hole on top and be trapped in the box. But, alas, both Leprechauns escaped, though not without some booty. The girls were rewarded for their hard work with some chocolate gold coins, and 2 gold dollars. Not too bad! Maybe next year will be our year.

To catch a Leprechaun

Another tradition we have is to make, and set, Leprechaun traps every year. We still haven't caught one of the tricky little fellows, but we sure try. This year we got elaborate. Brighton was sick, and didn't enjoy any of the construction. If you study the pictures of Scott, you'll notice one cute little endearing habit of his that I managed to capture on film. Ssshhh! Don't tell him!