Jumperoo

Mallory got a taste of one of those doorway jumper thing-a-majigs while visiting cousin Ember so we asked around and borrowed one from a friend. She really digs it. I've been trying to get it on video, but every time I try she stops and stares at me. Stay tuned. It's quite ridiculous.























This picture makes me laugh...Claddagh proceed to lay here WHILE Mallory jumped over and over and over.

Ember-licious Photo Shoot

Easter Fun

We went to Kevin and Jill's house for "activities" and Easter dinner. Let me remind you that these girls are only separated by 10 weeks. Mallory looks like a giant!
















They'll be on level playing fields soon enough and once Ember can "defend" herself things are bound to get interesting.






























In lieu of dyeing Easter eggs, we painted paper eggs using the girls' feet and hands. Jill and I were definitely more interested in the fun than Mallory and Ember, but they humored us and stuck it out. Mallory didn't mind paint on her feet, but she was not a fan when I started messing with her hands.

Ducks!

I'm not sure where they came from or why there were only two of them, but these ducks were just hanging out in our front yard when Casey got up for work this morning. Casey proceded to watch them both cross our busy, city street (female followed by male).

Somebunny Loves You

Happy Easter!!

I'm 7 Months Old!

Chicken McNuggets

I found this on the counter when I got home from one of my shows this week.

Likely story Daddy...

Pineapple Corer

I am such a dork. I'm not going to lie. You probably won't even disagree with me.

Anyone who knows me knows I totally dig fun kitchen utensils, namely Pampered Chef.

Seriously. Check this out. It's a pineapple corer - you know, like an apple slicer, but for pineapple. Try to deny that it's the coolest thing you've seen lately (I didn't say "ever").

Super yummy pineapple, too, as it turns out.

Solids

Mallory hasn't been all that crazy about baby food. Occasionally she'll take a bite, but she's nowhere near enthusiastic about it. Since we realized Sunday that she's cutting her first tooth, I'm inclined to think she doesn't wany anything near her mouth, but who really knows.

Maybe she just wants a cheeseburger instead (her mother's daughter).

Regardless of her interest, we've been going through the motions every day. This day, surprisingly, she did eat quite a bit, but that also didn't stop her from putting her hand in it (hilarious) and then rubbing her eye with said hand.

Mmm, sweet potatoes and carrots.

6 Month Pictures

Mallory's 6 month pictures are up on the photographer's website.

GO HERE to view them in all their glory.
(MCM Portraits, Allenton, WI)

Ben 10 & Dinosaurs

We spent the weekend in IL celebrating Kane and Cole's birthdays. The par-tay took place at Happy Joe's Jungle Bungle. It's a great place for kids with a gi-normous jungle gym play structure and many, many arcade games.

Mallory was dead tired during the party, but she still got her share of fun. Kane and Cole had their own "party room" separate from all the craziness...here she is hanging out with Grandad.
Cole will be 3 on April 10th and Kane will be 7 years old on April 17th. They're 3 years and 51 weeks apart! Ha. I get a little sentimental? ...nostalgic?...I'm not sure what the word is... when I think about the fact that Casey and I have been together since before any of the kids were born. Shannon told us she was pregnant with Kane 6 months after Casey and I started dating.
What's the point in arcade games if you don't get tickets in return?? Casey hit the jackpot on a couple different games at least 5 times. We pooled our tickets at the end of the day and had something ridiculous like 2,000 tickets. Yay for Tootsie Rolls, bouncy balls and spider rings!

Skee Ball is serious business!

Dance Dance Revolution...I think it was invented to help people everywhere realize how uncoordinated they really are. (Steve seems to pull it off though.)

With birthdays a week apart, Kane and Cole have shared their day since Cole was born. It reminds me of my parties when I was little...my dad's birthday is the week after mine, so we "celebrated" together. I'm sure my dad loved sharing my "Strawberry Shortcake" cake. Another one that sticks out in my head: "Happy Birthday, Kari and Dad" with a figure skater on it...thankfully we share an affinity for chocolate cake, so it probably didn't matter so much how it was decorated. Annnnyway, Kane had a Ben 10 cake and Cole's was covered in Dinosaur skeletons.

Back at the house, opening presents...

"Sweet, my 348th light saber!"

Just what every little girl dreams of...Ben 10.

Barbies...she don't need no stinkin' Barbies.

Here we go again with the teasing every uncle is entitled to. Casey has been telling Kane for MONTH'S that he was getting Kane socks for his birthday (actually, he said it before Christmas too). Just what every 7-year-old hopes for. Well, we couldn't let him call our bluff...we put his gift inside a pair of Casey's socks. The look on his face was PRICELESS when he pulled them out of the bag. With his best forced smile he said "Thanks for the socks, Uncle Rock." If Casey hadn't told him it was a joke, it had serious melt-down potential...and rightly so!

Accessories for his Wii-fit...

Yet one more hair faux pas from Mallory.

"Look, I feedin' her."

Peek-a-Boo

Crackers & Bananas

Mallory got a taste of a Ritz cracker over the weekend...she seemed to enjoy it. Though who doesn't like a salty cracker?

As if the texture of a cracker wasn't strange enough when you're used to baby food...she got a few bites of a mashed up banana too. After a few "spoonfuls" she was pulling the spoon toward her mouth! Bananas are yummy!