Irony, Vegas, and a little bit in between.

This was by far, the most hilarious part of the weekend. Talk about irony. 

But D, who didn't get the joke, insisted on being like the other kids, and wore the bib proudly (while I tried to suppress my laughter every time I looked at him). 

I have come to the happy conclusion that while I am not technically allowed to post pictures of the boys on the internet, there is nothing that states that I can't post drawn pictures of them. So I think you may be seeing more of my quick watercolor sketches as the days go on and their visits eventually turn into living here full time. 

Lyla continues to be busy scouring the floors for any tiny inedible objects to put in her mouth and gag on until I come rescue her. She likes the subtle thrills. Along with choking, her new favorite game is pulling everything off of shelves, out of drawers, cupboards, etc. and then sitting in the pile of her plunder and laughing. I am still not getting the joke.

I learned how to bottle feed two babies at the same time. Lyla was jealous of baby DJ's bottle drinking habits and threw herself woefully on the ground in front of me crying "MAMA   MAMA!!!" in her most pitiful whiny baby voice (and then tried to pull it out of his mouth to put it in hers) until she got one of her own. And then they both drank their bottles happily propped on my legs, while I played peacemaker with D and Lexi over and over and over again.

If you ever wondered what it feels like to be called "Mommy" or "Daddy" by a child who is biologically not your own, let me tell you. It is an interesting experience. D is very confused by the whole transition that is gradually unfolding, but being that he has no male influence in his life, he has taken to calling Eric, "Daddy," and LOVES being around him. Something that neither of us anticipated so soon. I get really emotional whenever I think about it, and I have a lot of thoughts on this actually, that have been brewing in my mind all weekend, but I will wait until a later time to share them here. That said, Eric loves that D calls him "Daddy." Lexi doesn't get it at all (and why would she?) and keeps asking D where his Mama is...

I have started the weird habit of entering blog give-aways. I never win anything, and I am already a reader of said blogs, but still. There is always the chance of winning. I have a feeling I should always stay far away from Vegas. My most recent entry was to win a rug that apparently is stain resistant and was even tested in the zoo for a week with elephants and still washed out completely clean! See what I mean? I may be in real trouble here. Good thing I never fell for the Sham-Wow towel (although I do hear that it actually works!).

Lexi and I could eat whipped cream cheese out of the container with a spoon. Every day. This may or may not be part of the reason why my pants are getting a bit tighter these days...if only it would warm up outside so we can actually be active again! How I am going to be active with four children four and under I am not yet sure...I am just thankful for a double stroller, a baby carrier, a four year old with a bike, and a large city yard that has plenty of room for lots of energy!

Planning my garden needs to happen NOW. Hopefully. I have no idea what I am doing, but I am so determined to grow my own tomatoes this summer that I am going to do the best that I can.

Eric found out a few months back that we are allowed to have chickens in the city for the purpose of eggs. He has been planning our coop ever since and plans on getting the coop built and the chicks bought within a matter of weeks. I am excited about urban farming. But boy, do I have a LOT to learn! Lesson 101: How to keep a plant alive longer than five days....

And now that I have hit all the random points I can think of, I will now assist my daughter in painting, who has suddenly decided that her hands are a better canvas than the paper...