Playing catch up

Fundraiser for a local mentor program...I won a quilt and it's beautiful!

the Sweets in her chariot

our little Sun Devils enjoying the sun

If Lala would stand still for one minute I could ask her to smile for a picture, that's if she would stand still...ever.

Somebody likes the swing!

Giltedge ghost town area

Bluebird of Happiness stops to say hello

Bald Eagle on the way home

A week after the mentor fundraiser, we all went out to the spring fling (a little gathering of vendors mainly local). Autumns dance instructor had the older kids dancing and we thought that she would like to watch them.  She said while she watched them "I want to be a dancer Mom". We both told her she already is an incredible dancer:) We entered all the drawings and even a raffle and lo and behold won the raffle drawing which was full of everything spring. Yay!  After we went for a nice little drive and found a road that neither of us had been on. I would have liked to make it to the top of one particularly muddy road but it got a little sketchy with snow and a very large down hill...I made about a six point turn and we headed for the safety of nice grated gravel roads. Our drives are pretty special since it's the only time that Dana and I really have to talk about our days without an interruption of a tickle to someone, a game of monster a dirty diaper or a cuddle. By the time we get them down at night we both have the deer in head lights look and don't have too much to say except "goodnight".:)
I hurt my back a couple of weeks ago and received a recommendation to not lift the kids as much and when I do to only do it straight on, no moving furniture and to take a break from working out. Boo. Time to call in the reinforcements! Lala and Papa came to help out. Dominic has a certain bond with his Papas and after their visit Dana and I started to feel bad that Dad spent most of his time holding or playing with Dom. Dad even watched both the babies while I went to a chiro apt. and Mother went to see a friend. It is always sad when they go but this month we get two visits as the B. Goods go for a quick trip here come Lala and Papa to play in the yard and hang out with me and the babes while Dana spends the day at the dealership.
Now onto the fun stuff...updates on the kiddos and all their wonderful humor.
Autumn and Dominic were in the bath while Dana watched on. Autumn has started to enjoy farting in the tub (and no, water does not hold the smell below the surface). She farted this evening, looked at Dana and said "I have to poop so bad I have to crap my pants". I walked in right after and Dana asked her what she had just said, in shock and I think so I could hear it too. "I have to crap my pants". Oh great. How do you not laugh at that so she stops saying it? With snorts and look aways and ideas of anything but what she just said. She also tells us "jeez Louise you guys", "hold on one second I'm in the middle of something" and "not now I'm busy". Dominic is taking the lead from sister with "no way" while shaking his head "no" and "nope". He did give me the best kissing and snuggle time the other morning. He had never held on to my face and kissed me and this morning he did lots of kisses and even an eskimo (Autumn calls it an ekimo).  His personality is showing itself and it is incredible. He is a sweetheart even though his brows are furrowed half the time;) He also says "help me", which to most sounds like "hepme hepme", and calls his Lala "Mala" (at least he did once so I'm sticking to it) and it sounds like he might call Grammie "Nana". He absolutely has his own language and world. We are mere guests in it.
So, as I try to wrap this up, I want to share something that was very special to me and it all seemed to be relevant at the same time. As I have shared before Dom is not much of a hand holder, he likes to do it all by himself. Even when he falls he usually gets himself up. When he cuddles or kisses it is very special. His sister is the opposite. Autumn loves to cuddle, hold hands, hold your cheeks and say "I'm going to kiss your lips", and she falls apart if someone she knows leaves the house without the "kiss, hug, eskimo" routine. My Dad has always been a hand holder, he even tried to hold my hand when I was in junior high...IN PUBLIC! He would reach out for Mom and then for me, I usually rolled my eyes and gave in but sometimes got away with putting my hands in my pocket. On our last trip to Great Falls, LalaMema, most seconds I can not.
Just before watching this very awesome moment I had been online with a friend catching up on our lives and amazed at how long it had been that we had talked and how the time goes when you have kids. He mentioned he and his son had gone fishing. His son reached up and took his hand and held it all the way to the lake "it was quite a ways" and his heart melted. He wrote something like, these are the moments that you cherish. Yes sir David, you could not be more right on!  I'm going to hold my little ones hands as long as they will let me and squeeze them till they fart and kiss them till they say no more and be that Mom, the one that looks like a loon because she won't stop kissing her babies...when their in their 40's.:)
So, my back healed and Lala and Papa came back the next week to hang out and hopefully play in the back yard! It went great! Autumn, Lala and I cleaned up quite a bit of the long forgotten yard, we ate great food made by Lala sitting around the table laughing so hard my eyes watered, and one night, so tired we couldn't even speak.  I've tried to enter pictures but something is wrong with the upload this eve so I will go on just a bit longer.  The rents left on Saturday ( I can hear Dana singing "No worries" from the Lion King, at the top of his lungs with Autumn) after they helped out most of the week with the kids. We ended the visit by going to the city park for an Egg Hunt. Tons of eggs and tons of kids. I gave my mother the camera so I could help Dom try to grab some eggs. We have some great shots of feet and some random little girl;) She did get a very nice shot of deer poop. Autumn made off with 4 whole eggs and her brother two, well one and a half. It was a mad dash we were not quite expecting since last year the little ones had a head start. Tra la la, it was fun anyway. What a few weeks it has been. I could go on and on with all the little funnies here and there. Autumn told us one night she had a "mouth full of whine". The next day when asked if she had it again she said yes, Lala asked "where did you get this mouthfull of whine?" "the bathroom". Ha! Thatta girl! Now, I am resting after a day on a semi bum ankle as I twisted it yesterday not paying attention going down the stairs. I think Someone is telling me to slow down. I also think Someone helped this not be much much worse as I was sure that it was broken when I went down. Thank God for the little things. That should have you caught up with the D. Goods so far. Oh, one more thing, Dana is an amazing salesman. Go ahead and tell him that next time you see him:) Ok two more things, since I started writing this, a week ago, Dom has added two new words "star" and "oooo cold". Now, your caught up. Pictures to follow soon. Tonight Autumn just told Dana "I'm so tired my butts tired". What?