Here's a sweet video of Nathan making Andrew laugh.  They kept at it for 10 or 15 minutes and Andrew just kept laughing and laughing and laughing!



Seeing Nathan amusing his brother like this reminded me of this video with baby Sarah, then I also found one at the end of this post too.  It just warms my heart when the kids are so sweet to each other!

We were able to sneak in our yearly Easter family picture this morning before church.  What you can't see is the huge stain on my dress from Andrew's muddy shoes since he would rather run off and play soccer then hang around for a photo op.  Thankfully a little soap and elbow grease got the mud off before we hurried out the door to church.  (Just keeping it real!)

We are so thankful for all our blessings today, especially for our risen Savior!

(Previous years' pictures with some or all of our family members: 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010) 

Andrew, my poor third child, the documentation of your early months have been so neglected. Partly its your fault, you are by far the worst sleeper and can be extremely fussy (most likely due to your being tired), and all this drama just wears your mama out.  But here's a few things for us to remember about you at 14 months.

You love hanging out around the pool but you don't try to jump in!  We have been working on the beds inside the pool fence getting them ready for our summer garden, and you just stroll around holding your little orange rake and occasionally dance on the strainer covers.  You also yell a lot.  You were very eager to help me test the pool water and then were very distressed when I had to jump into the pool (fully clothed) to retrieve my phone that I dropped in.  (Brian took apart the phone and saved it.  The screens a little funny and he cautions that it may start to glitch, but it works!!)


Some other things:

• I call you the "trash can police".  We had to start locking the kitchen trash can when I realized you were throwing your toys in there, but its awfully hard to cook without a place to throw trash.  So I unlock the can and seemingly moments later you're there checking to see if the lid will open or not.  So I karate chop the lock closed until I have something else to throw away.  Repeat, repeat, repeat.
• You love the stairs, but now that you're walking you think that you're too good for crawling up and down the stairs.  You require an adult to hold your hands while you take enormous steps to climb up or down the stairs.  And if no one is there to hold your hands coming down, you're game to try it by yourself!
• You love the outside.  More then anything you want to be outside as much as possible.  You love it when you hear the sound of airplanes or helicopters, and we both stop what we are doing to see if we can see them.  You now expect to be picked up as we scan the sky together and I try to get you to look in the right direction to see the aircraft.
• You love your shoes.  I think this has lots to do with your love of outside - you know when I say "Andrew, let's put on your shoes!" that means that we are heading out.  I have to hide your shoes when we are in the house because if you find them you want them put on and to be taken outside, and no excuses will be accepted without wailing.
• You are covered in scrapes.  Again, related to your love of the outside.  You scraped both knees the other day walking around the cul-de-sac, and then busted your lip when you fell down on the concrete walk (you can see that scrape in the photo).  
• You now love your pacis.  I gave one to you out of desperation last week when you were waking up multiple times a night, and they were an instant hit.  You don't really suck them, you like to play with them in your hand or will bite it in your mouth.  But its definitely become a comfort object for you around naptime and bedtime.  
• "Hieeee!" (Hi) Your most used word right now.  I love how you greet us almost every time you walk into a room.  You say "Daddy" lots and "Mama" some.  Your sign language has much to be desired - you recently started making a sign for "drink" but then stopped using your "eat" sign.  You always stretch your arm to the sky when you hear an aircraft.  Sometimes we will get a "more" from you, you are still pretty good with "all done" and "light", but that's about the extent of your sign language vocabulary.  "Unh" is the main "word" you use.

Today was a beautiful early spring day.  It was sunny and 70 and the kids spent quite a bit of the day outside between a morning homeschool visit to Lakeshore park for walk/bike ride/scooter ride/playground time and an afternoon playing in the yard.  Then we decided to head inside the pool fence to check on some tulips starting to push their way up, and before I knew it the big kids were badgering me for permission to go swimming.  I asked them to stick their arms into the pool up to their elbows and they still were seriously gung-ho about getting in the water.  They ran back to the house for their swimsuits, towels and my phone (gotta document this!)... 


And here's what happened! (The video starts slow, skip to 2:15 for the real action!)



Some comments... Nathan has a history of talking Sarah into doing things he's not sure about doing himself, which is why Brian said he had to go first rather then con his sister into doing it instead. I had to cut off the video abruptly to rescue Nathan (obviously) and he came out somewhat upset and then almost cried when he asked for a hot shower in the pool house and we had to break the news that there was no water!

Later, as I was walking away from the kids sitting cuddled in their towels, I overheard Nathan ask Sarah if she liked her swim.  "NO!!" she replied.  So I asked him the same question and he said "Kind of..." It almost sounded to me like he was considering a repeat!

And what was Andrew up to this whole time? While the kids were playing at the steps he totally wanted to join in. He loved the new experience for about a minute...