Week 12

Wow, I can't believe it has been almost 3 months since Nathan left! Luckily, time seems to be going by really quickly as we stay super busy. We had a great week overall which was topped off with a very exciting and exhausting weekend! On Monday Corinne was officially weaned and now drinks solely out of a sippy cup! She nursed the exact same amount of time that Lincoln did, so I feel confident that she won't feel like the neglected second child (at least not in the nursing department)! She is enjoying her new independence, but we still have our morning snuggle sessions with her sippy cup of milk and a pile of books in my bed.

We had some very warm weather this week and took full advantage of it---getting the kids outside to soak up so vitamin D as much as possible!
We filled up all the buckets and had a little splash fest!




















Then I finally got brave enough to let Lincoln play with his mud kitchen stuff.




















He made me a chocolate ice cream cone!




















Luckily no one tried to eat it.




















When he got a little chilly, Lincoln would come snuggle up with me in the sun.




















After Corinne woke up from her nap Lincoln showed her how to fill up the buckets....















And splash everyone with the soaker football.

















Although she was a bit unsure about all the splashing at first, Corinne decided playing with water outside was a lot of fun.




















This is what Lincoln looks like after some hardcore playtime in the sun----absolutely drained!




















Despite our new picnic table that seats eight---the red chair remains a hot commodity.




















Corinne learned to make "fish lips" this week.



















We also took a few early evening walks around the neighborhood.














Pushing 90+ pounds up the hills is not easy, but they enjoy it and Lincoln loves checking out all the big boy toys (RVs, dirt bikes, speedboats, pontoons, etc.) parked around the neighborhood.















Constantly filling up buckets of water got old quickly, so I picked up a tiny pool that is easy to set up and just as easy to dump at the end of the day. It is not quite warm enough to set up the big blow up pool---plus Nathan isn't around to pump it up---so who knows if it will even make it out of the garage this summer.
















Lincoln rediscovered his love for popcorn and has been requesting it a lot lately. Luckily it is easy to make and a nice low-calorie snack for both of us.















Corinne was impressed with the newest outdoor play addition.
















But was reluctant to get her hiney all the way down in the water.




















Here she is telling me a story in her own little language. She has been very chatty lately.




















On Friday Jessica and I ventured to Disneyland (or Bizineyland as Lincoln likes to call it) with our 5 kids. It was fun chaos and the kids had a great time. I also discovered that Corinne has Nathan's sweet tooth and enjoys cotton candy as much as Daddy.
















"It's A Small World" is one of their favorites. Corinne can't get enough of that catchy/annoying song!




















Lincoln likes searching for his favorite Disney characters hiding amongst the singing dolls.




















Lincoln and Ava relaxed at the hotel after a day at Disney.















Lincoln spent his first night in a bunk bed. He thought he was sooo cool with his own special ladder. I unfortunately forgot Corinne's night light and spent most of the night rubbing her back as she fell back asleep.




















The kids loved having a sleepover together and Lincoln got to play with Ava's new purse and make-up!















The next morning we headed to Goofy's Kitchen for Miss Ava's 3rd birthday party! Lincoln was so excited to see some of his favorite characters.
















Here is Lincoln checking out Goofy making his rounds.
















Corinne even enjoyed the atmosphere a bit this time and spent most of the morning sitting the wrong way in her highchair so that she didn't miss any of the action.















Lincoln got to "Do the Twist" with Goofy. This boy is not shy when it comes to dancing and was bouncing all around the kitchen getting his groove on!





















Lincoln was very appreciative of the HUGE party favors!















The next day was Sunday and we headed down to Carlsbad for a Mother's Day Brunch for moms with deployed spouses. Thanks to Jessica's iphone, we scored 2 of only a handful of spots for the brunch at the Sheraton along with free Legoland tickets! Getting though a buffet line with 2 adults and 5 kids is a little tricky, but we managed. If I could just grow an extra arm---things would be perfect! Corinne got to try out a new kind of highchair while we were there.




















And Lincoln was especially impressed with the dessert bar and ice cream toppings!















QUOTES OF THE WEEK:

Quote 1:
Lincoln grabs the fishing pole in the garage while we are trying to get into the car.
Lincoln: "I wanna go fishing!"
Me: "I think I can ask Colton's dada where is a good place to go."
Lincoln: With a head tilt "Oh, the water works!" (Of course--why didn't I think of that???)

Quote 2:
After pulling into the driveway to get the Lewison kids for our trip to "Bizineyland".
Lincoln: In a sad voice "Gave (what he calls Gabe), Ava, and Jake-Jake not have a daddy."
Me: "Oh baby, they have a daddy, but he is gone fighting the bad guys just like your daddy."
Lincoln: "Oh, he's at the airport!"

Quote 3:
On our way home after Goofy's Kitchen and realizing that he didn't see Princess Aurora or Princess Jasmine like he had that last time.
Lincoln: "Oh no! I lost my two princesses!"
Me: "We just missed them sweetie. Maybe they are on vacation. We will try to find them next time we come."
Lincoln: With a head tilt and hands up in the air. "My pink princess is at the doctor."

Quote 4:
At the grocery store after our trip to Disneyland---clearly happy that we had such an exciting weekend.
Lincoln: Wrapping his arms around me while I push the cart "I love you Mama....I want my Daddy!"
That one just about broke my heart. Lincoln was so pleased with our latest adventure, yet he knew that someone was missing in all that fun.

Quote 5:
On Mother's Day morning.
Me: "Do you know what today is???"
Lincoln: "Yes...Mother's Time!" With a head tilt and a cute little whisper "Happy Birthday Mama, I love you!"
Me: "Oh, Thank you Lincoln. I love you too!"