Happy five month birthday Jake!

Giggles

Just within the past week or so, we've been starting to get some good belly laughs from Jake.  He would laugh a little before, but nothing like the pure cuteness we are getting now.  

Jake, I've noticed, likes to laugh more so at Tabs than anyone else.  I guess mom and dad aren't that funny.  It also happens to be when there is behavior from Tabs that we don't exactly endorse, so of course she keeps doing it.  I can see where their relationship and conspiracy against their parents are headed already....

Meanwhile I guess I'll lean back and let Jake entertain us with his laughs!

(Note...these pictures are the opposite of Jake laughing but I find myself laughing at them)

Photo highlights of last weekend's Easter celebration!

James has more photos on his blog at http://chacodunbar.blogspot.com/2014/04/blog-post.html?m=1

Magic Jelly Beans (part 2)

And here are what the magic jelly beans sprouted into!

Magic Jelly Beans (part 1)

Tabitha came home from dance to find that the Easter Bunny made a surprise visit a day early.  She explicitly followed the directions and is anxiously awaiting the results tomorrow!  Stay tuned to see what grows.

Tabitha learned one of life's lessons tonight...something she's been doing a lot lately.  The other day it was that if you fall off your bike, then you have to get back on and try again.  That was a lesson I expected her to have to learn at this age.  Tonight's lesson however was that it's okay not to be perfect in life.  This was a lesson I was hoping we didn't have to encounter until she was a bit older but I should have known it was going to be sooner rather than later.

Over the weekend she received some great new books that are teaching her how to spell.  She's literally only been working on these words for three days now.  Words such as cat and mat.  So when she got one wrong tonight we spent nearly 30 minutes trying to calm her down from a meltdown she had about not getting it right (yes, there were a few other factors contributing to her meltdown).  On my attempt to calm her down I had to tell her that it's okay not to be perfect and that everyone makes mistakes...that I make mistakes everyday and that the important thing is that she learns from them.  

Time will tell if this sinks in with her...no matter what though, she'll always be my little girl and I'll love her with every ounce of energy I have whether she's perfect or not.

Just another Monday night....

Hanging out reading books.

Just snuggling together

In the middle of Sunday church services there is a children's message.  This is something Tabs looks forward to each week.  So when it's time she runs up to the front and is usually one of the first kids up there. 

During Lent they have been collecting pieces to make a banner.  Each piece is significant and has some type of meaning.  Because we haven't made it to the Wednesday services we don't have all of the pieces yet, so I have been keeping them all together and plan on glueing the pieces on soon with Tabitha's help.

As I learned today though there seems to be a misunderstanding between Tabs and me.  She thinks that I don't know how to glue them on.  Unfortunately, she made this known to me at the same time as she made it known to the rest of the church.  See....as they were getting ready to hand out this week's pieces, there comes a loud voice from the front "My mom doesn't know how to put the pieces on".  As I was probably not paying attention as much of I should have been (I was a single parent today and trying to keep the four month old entertained), I suddenly realized that the little voice was that of my dear Tabitha.  Oh boy...I'm sure my face turned 20 shades of red.  Some people turned around to look at me and just smiled.

Later, as I was waiting to pick up Tabitha after Sunday I had to ask the person who does the children's message, Matt, for the rest of the pieces.  Additionally, I added that it wasn't that I didn't know how to put the pieces on, but it was a matter of free time for Tabitha and I to work on the project together.  We both laughed and I commented that isn't it the parents that are supposed to embarrass the children, not the children embarrassing the parents.  He smiled, and as the father of teenagers, he commented that it goes both ways.  

Ahhh Tabs...I love your innocence!

The best email ever....

"Tabitha was getting ready to go outside today with her friends when she stopped me in the hallway to see if I could check on Jacob for her. She said she wanted to know if “he was eating, sleeping or pooping.” She really cares a lot about her baby brother. I told her that he was on the mat playing with toys and of course Tabbers wanted to know which toys he was playing with and if he was having fun. Anyways I thought it was cute that she was concerned about Jacob and I thought I would share."