Grandma and Grandpa visit, April 2014

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit Tuesday through Thursday, and we were all thrilled to see them!! I hadn't seen Dad since July 2014, so the visit was extra sweet for us!

Mom brought me these beautiful lilacs, which she knows are my favorite flower. Grandma Clara sent homemade bread and plant starts--tomatoes, peppers, and some others. Dad brought some Christmas dishes I had asked for.

After getting the tour of the house and seeing the big kids bike, Dad took us out to Red Robin for dinner. The next day Mom took the kids to school, Dad helped me clean up the house, and I got a nap!! We hit Lake Wheeler in the afternoon for the first time this season.

After Mom and Dad took a break at their hotel, they came back to be free babysitters for the big kids while Nicholas and I checked out Honey Tupelo Cafe. It was delicious, and Jason slept through most of our date!

Thursday morning Mom and Dad watched Leo while I went to Mommy and Me day for Olivia's school. It was so cute!! I almost cried with the songs the class sang!

After having lunch with Grandma and Grandpa and taking a few photos of "the third children" they hit the road for home. We had a great visit!! Hopefully, the first of many!

Leo's progress

Leo has been doing SO well with his potty training that we started with conviction the Thursday before Easter. There have been accidents, of course, but much more good progress. He can go in a public restroom now, standing up, and outside. He still hasn't mastered number two, but we are getting there. He asks for a diaper most of the time, and we give it to him per the instructions from our pediatrician, who says withholding is a big problem we don't want to deal with. Leo is now often telling us when he needs to go pee, instead of us reminding him. (We started out with a timer and him going every 45 minutes!) 

Yay, big Leo!!

Aunt Heidi and Isaac visit!

We were super thrilled that aunt Heidi and Isaac came to visit last Thursday! We played on the escalators and moving sidewalks while Heidi's plane was delayed. Then my big kids started their incessant talking at her as soon as she and Isaac got to baggage claim.

We played at home Thursday afternoon,

Went to Marbles Friday in the am, and played at home again in the afternoon.

We had pasta for dinner and everyone was a fan!

Saturday we played at home in the morning and at Kids Together playground in the afternoon! I forgot to take pictures, though! We had loads of fun! 

Heidi and Isaac left early Sunday morning after Isaac uttered his first sentence!! "It sits there," when referring to his milk bottle and the circle spot in the high chair tray! Cool! Thanks for a great visit!

Growing up!

Jason is laughing!!

Olivia is riding bike without training wheels!

Leo is eleven days into wearing underwear only during the day!! No video for that one, but several trips to Marbles as rewards!

Easter and stuff

This week we had some good weather and lots of outside time with the neighbors!

And some fun time with Daddy after his long and busy week! The kids are playing puppy under the table in the upper left... I went with it and got the dishes and a load of laundry folded!

And my neighborhood bunco group had our own Easter egg hunt and block party Saturday! So much fun! Of course the wind bothered Jason, so Nicholas or I was in a garage much of the time...and Leo  discovered light sabers, so he was pouting for part of the time because he didn't have one...but other than that the weather, food, and company was delightful!

The kids: (Three kids are missing including Leo who just didn't want his picture taken.)

The ladies!

The hunters:

And on Easter Sunday...

I didn't take a picture of our Easter dinner al fresco or Daddy playing soccer with the kids in the field near the pool, but we had a lovely afternoon, complete with lots of outside potty breaks for Leo! We're in full potty training mode, and he's doing great...mostly!

And just to show you how impressionable Olivia is, here is her version of a wrap for her baby and the new stroller she had been longing for! (My picture is in there to show Jason took a paci while falling asleep in the wrap! And Olivia is in a bikini because that was one thing the Easter bunny brought her.)