Mother's Day

Jake loves helping me cook and is always begging me to let him cut the veggies, which of course I do not allow him to do. I thought it would be fun to let him make banana pudding and let him cut the banana's with a butter knife. Jake assisted in making two banana puddings (one for James' mom in Water Valley on Saturday and one for me and my mom on Sunday). I took a picture of him at every stage of the process as he was so proud. The desert was very good and it was so much fun to make it with him!
Above cutting the bananas and below stirring the pudding.

These two some how got out of order as the bottom one should go first, but they are Jake assembling the first layer of wafers and banana slices. He wanted to line them all up in straight even rows. It was perhaps the most orderly banana pudding ever made.

Rather than bore you with the repetition of the layers I skipped the second layering shots and here he his posing with the finished product!

Such a cheesy smile!

Mari and her Daddy enjoying the left over pudding.

Jake lined up the left over wafers into four rows: one for Mama, one for Daddy, one for Mari and one for Jake (well so he said, but then he ate them all himself).

Wellie Boots

With all this rainy weather Jake and Mari needed rain boots to stomp around the yard in. I had no trouble finding Jake's but I had to special order Mari's as her feet are so small (they don't make many shoes for walking infants in her size). Anyway, they finally arrived (in April) despite being ordered in January. Too cute!

Easter at my parents

We changed out of the Easter outfits to eat and hunt eggs at my parents' house. As you can see Jake is an old pro at egg hunts by now.
Mari is a fast learner! I know Jake didn't quite grasp what was going on at her age, but then again she had Jake to watch and mimic.

Mari above and Jake below.

Mari kept trying to open them with her mouth even though she doesn't like candy (Jake didn't either at her age); she just seems to really enjoy opening the eggs!

Easter Pics at the Whitten Center

On the way to hunt eggs and eat lunch at my parents' house we stopped at the Whitten Center to take some pictures. If you click on the pictures above and below you can see the horrible faces the kids make when you ask them to smile for the camera these days.

Mari stopped to pick flowers.

Jake and Mari running around in their Easter outfits.

I am back!

As you can see, I am trying to update my blog. I finished my second semester with all A's and am still working on a paper for a conference in Kentucky the end of this month (May) as well as finishing up research projects for my professors. I start a summer class in June and then I have July completely off. Stay tuned over the next few days for the rest of my pictures from the past two months!

Easter Morning

The Easter Bunny left their baskets by the door as bunnies are sneaky and don't like much noise (this totally got Jake to be quiet for at least five minutes every time I said it).

This was Mari's first real interactive Easter as she was only 4 months old last Easter. She loves balloons and so we ge them for every holiday.

Jake was happy to see "Lightening McQueen" and many of his Disney Car favorite characters in his Easter basket along with a chocolate bunny.

This was Mari's first chocolate bunny (first realy chocolate as well) and she knew exactly what to do with it! She couldn't even wait to let us take off the plastic wrap!

As you can see both kids enjoyed the morning (and the chocolate for breakfast) and despite the sugar high we all managed to make it to church in time for the egg hunt.

These are from our church Easter Egg hunt.

James and Jake above and Mari and Lucy Gratz are playing on the play equipment oblivious to the egg hunt going on around them.

Jake checking out his eggs.

In and Out

Mari has a new game where she wants in and out of her crib--not to sleep but to play.
Here she is trying to climb in it, because I am tired of lifting her in and out!

Once in she turns on her musical mobile and dances. Why won't this work at night????