Big rocks and dark caves

April 2023

April Fools' day! We have had our silly dinner tradition going for 3 or 4 years and the kids really remember and look forward to it now which helps keep it going. They were in charge of designing the menu and setting the table and they nailed it with the paper cloth and coloring to keep them entertained while I put together their orders.

Alex is often finding things he wants for his birthday (no matter the time of year) and asks us to take a picture so that we'll remember to get it for him. He was really feelin' this hat and backpack.

Easter egg hunt! I'm genuinely curious if there will be an age when my kids no longer want to find the eggs- so far they are still 100% invested.

I can just see the teenage selfies that mirror this one in only a few years. I only hope that they are still best friends and hanging out together then.

These besties are reunited! They were so excited when N got home to finally spend time together again. One of the first things on the list was to make a dessert-of course- and they did not disappoint with these brownies covered in whipped cream and fruit.

At the end of spring break, we took a day trip to Pinnacles National Park (2nd national park of the year). The hike through the cave was epic. We found plenty of climbing zones for the kids to do some bouldering, lots of wildflowers, dripping rocks, giant boulders, and a reservoir. We could have honestly spent the entire day exploring along the hike if we had started earlier and brought more food. The cave was so much more fun than we expected- it was long and completely pitch black in parts. Some of the kids got a little scared after we had been walking through it for so long, but it was a great adventure. On the way home we stopped for chicken wings and pizza. We all had a blast.

At the end of spring break was Adaline's birthday! She is double digits now! I know everyone says the time goes so fast, but dang, it really does! Adaline is so fun to have around. She is an avid reader (something her homeschool teacher is still proud of because she used to struggle so much), loves to make crafts, and wants to be a scientist when she grows up. She is an amazing big sister to her brothers and loves to rock out to heart and soul on the piano.

Trying out the 3D pen got from my parents

another one of Andrew's amazing cakes

Alex called this a Covid bouncy ball lol

And Alex is 5! He starts kindergarten in the fall and he could not be more excited to join his older siblings at school. He loves Spiderman and his stuffed animals. He sleeps with about 20 stuffed animals every single night and will have us go search for any that are missing before he falls asleep. They all have special names and most have special voices and he almost always has one (or 5) with him. He also LOVES drawing right now. He spends a good chunk of his time at home drawing elaborate scenes with stick figures, and all of my to-do lists, menus, or grocery lists end up with his drawings all over them. Alex loves to cuddle and be read to. He likes to build with LEGOs by putting together and taking apart the same set over and over, but has also started to get creative with his building. I usually find him in his room surrounded by dumped out LEGOs and markers. He is a sweet brother and often concedes in order to keep the peace, but he has also developed a blood curdling scream that he utilizes for everything from "he took my piece of paper" to "my head is bleeding". Being the youngest of four, I think he wants to make sure his voice is heard. This year, the birthday theme he requested was "an alligator drinking gatorade with a rainbow over him." I have no idea how he comes up with this stuff, but Andrew and I had fun fulfilling his wish.

Ugh I just love them so much and how much they all love each other!

My very favorite thing about gift-giving holidays over here is the giant hugs that the kids give each other to say thank you for the gifts.

Exactly what Alex wanted.

One of the things Alex got for his birthday was basically an "otter rescue kit." It has a stuffed otter, a book, vet type things to take care of an otter, and a messenger bag to carry it all in. Alex has been stuffing the bag full of his stuffed animals and carrying it everywhere. The day after his birthday, we stopped by a friend's house to help with a couple things, and he and his buddy were so cute playing with the new toys.

Another thing Alex got for his birthday was a new stuffed bunny. Grandma Peggy gave him the softest stuffed bunny for his first birthday and Alex has loved that little guy so hard that his fur was matted, he was missing an arm, and then finally he was lost. We were convinced that he was in the house somewhere, but Alex is really really good at hiding his stuffed animals and not remembering where he put them, so it had been over a year since we'd seen him. Alex was still asking about bunny and wishing he could find him, so I decided to hunt down a replacement. It took some digging since I didn't know the brand, and I'm sure my grandma found it at a boutique in Granbury, but I finally found the exact bunny! Alex was pretty excited to have a new bunny (though I could tell it wasn't quite the same for him). The funniest part? I was cleaning out the front closet about a month later and found 'original bunny' tucked away behind the ironing board. (Which I guess tells you how infrequently I iron things.)

The flowers around our yard look amazing this time of year! Adaline planted these snapdragons from seeds two or so years ago. They seriously took off and she is still enjoying them.