Fun with Oliveras

 We met Marley and the kids at a fun petting zoo!

My kids LOVED the little goats and would have stayed here all day.

And then one of the workers brought out a tiny baby and let Marley hold it:

Aaron got to hold it before the workers came and snatched it back:

Kids and goats:

Elise and Elijah went to a different area to pet a different kind of goat:

And then Aaron and Elijah paid a stupid amount of money to pan for gold/gems:

Aaron actually paid for it twice:

He was pleased with his haul, even if it was absolutely not at all worth what he paid.

So grateful for a beautiful afternoon with wonderful friends!

Happy Easter!

Easter began with resurrection rolls!

Elise and Elijah were the only ones who got up early to make/eat them.

After church we decided to take pictures in the field next to the church.

Catherine and Elise opted for the lawn in front of the church:

Yes, that is Elise's freakishly realistic baby doll named Lily.

Yes, it is in our family pictures. 

Elijah decided Catherine's clarinet stand made a perfect machine gun:

(Clarinet stand was at church as part of the Easter program, which featured an AMAZING rendition of Savior, Redeemer of My Soul. Catherine had the clarinet solo. But it was the trumpet solo that just absolutely sold the piece. Never have I ever heard a trumpet in sacrament meeting before, but that was pure, worshipful perfection). 

Let the family pictures begin!

Many thanks to Casey for taking the pictures.

We are Bloods, holding hands inside a field...

Jon was so, so enthusiastic about this pose:

Solo shots!

Yes, even for baby dolls:

I guess Jon and Aaron opted out of solo shots...

After church it was time for decorating eggs!

Catherine loves being photographed:

Elise, on the other hand, loves being photographed:

Instead of a formal Easter dinner, we enjoyed a potluck dinner at the park with church friends!

Elise had a blast pretending Daisy was her puppy.

It was a lovely afternoon spent with friends. 

Bunny Day

Happy Bunny Day! 

Elijah was most excited for the candy and the chips.

The Seek costume was also very exciting:

Elise and all the baby dolls were pleased with their Easter haul:

Aaron the worm woke up for Easter treats:

Catherine finally arises and is super excited for...

...her Darth Catherine hoodie/robe thing!

One of my seminary students has one I knew Catherine needed one.

Elise's Easter outfit:

Ever since he was a baby, Elijah has loved to be wrapped up in a blanket. We called him a baby burrito, or a Baby Bito. So when I saw this tortilla blanket, I just had to...

A very, very large Baby Bito

This costume is terrifying.

Why does my kid love horror games.

The giant one finally rolled out of bed and was thrilled by his Easter haul:

Later that afternoon it was time for the neighborhood egg hunt!

Catherine was there to assist Elijah

I guess he really appreciated her help?

That is a decent haul of eggs!

Aaron must have missed the "only take 20 eggs" memo that I tell my kids before the hunt:

Happy Bunny Day Elise with her haul:

Happy Bunny Day to one and all!

Assorted April

 Seth and Chris at a track meet.

I have no idea who Chris is.

Three matching children:

Nerdy boys playing with Snap Circuits:

Alivia was in a play, so Catherine and friends went to watch:

Seth had his first b'grl prty at our house.

He has a great group of friends this year and I'm glad he took the initiative.

And yes, little siblings of course joined the fun:

Astrid came to play with Elijah.

Much nonsense happened during lunch:

Elijah at Six

Ah, my Elijah Puppy,

I'm not ready for you to be six. My baby. I should probably stop calling you that, but I don't want to. I love that you still snuggle me. That you still want huggles when you get home. I want you to stay little for a little longer.

Kindergarten is...okay. You don't love it. You don't hate it. You ask not to go to school, and then you come home happy. I think half day would be a perfect fit for you. Sadly not an option.

The friend you talk about most often is Ahmad. Ahmad will play Doors with you at recess. But also sometimes doesn't want to play and you get mad. You wrote him this note on a happy friendship day: 

Then there's our neighbor, Juliana. Sometimes you are friends. Sometimes you are enemies. It changes day to day:

For a second you were into Snap Circuits:

Fun while it lasted.

Other favorite entertainment includes iPad time (most favorite of all time), playing with Aaron in the basement, playing babies with Elise, or playing cubes and shapes. 

Height 3 ft. 9 inches (37%), weight 42 lbs (28%). Just a little guy, I guess. 

You also really like playing with Luke Knox. But you have to share him with Aaron so sometimes it's frustrating. 

You still get angry pretty easily. It's hard to be the little one! But you also love to give me nuggles and huggles. I'm so glad that you're still my little one, even if you keep growing up too quickly. 

I love you, Puppy Darling.

Elijah's Six Year Old Interview

Mom: Hi Elijah, how old are you?

Elijah: Six.

Mom: What's your favorite color?

Elijah: Um, blue. Because... it isn't the same color, but I also like red.

Mom: Okay, blue and red?

Elijah: Yes. And also, what does it mix together?

Mom: What does it mix together? Purple.

Elijah: That's right.

Mom: All right. What's your favorite food?

Elijah: Shells. White shells.

Mom: Who's your best friend?

Elijah: Ahmad.

Mom: Ahmad? What do you like to do with Ahmad?

Elijah: I play with him. And he sometimes doesn't really play with me. And we sometimes play Doors... play dying from Doors.  We haven't goed outdoor recess for a long time. Next outdoor recess I'm going to play Scary Sushi with him.

Mom: What's your favorite show or movie to watch?

Elijah: My favorite show is Gravity Falls.

Mom: What is your favorite thing to play with that's not a screen?

Elijah: Aaron

Mom: What is your favorite game to play on a screen?

Elijah: I have two. Scary Sushi and...Something 1. Something 1 is like... something 1. It's like a big red 1.

Mom: What's your favorite game to play that's not on a screen?

Elijah: The balloon game with Aaron.

Mom: What's your favorite animal?

Elijah: My favorite animal... um, I'd say... I'd say like a... a bluejay.

Mom: What's your favorite snack?

Elijah: My favorite snack is pretzels.

Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Elijah: A maker. Yeah, so I can make like a thing called... uh... I can make a game and then something... I'm going to make a thing called... a Rainbow Gusher.

Mom: Rainbow Gusher. Okay, so you want to be a person who makes things, and when you are a person who makes things, you're going to make a Rainbow Gusher?

Elijah: Yeah, and the Rainbow Gusher is... the Gusher is going to be rainbow. It's going to taste like all the things mixed together. It's going to be pretty good.

Mom: What is your favorite song?

Elijah: I'd say Unhinged 2. From Doors.

Mom: What's your favorite Primary song?

Elijah: Yeah, I don't have one. Wait, Sunbeam! I like that one.

Mom: What's your favorite book?

Elijah: Where's My Hat?

Mom: What's your favorite thing to learn in school?

Elijah: About shapes. 3D shapes.

Mom: All right, anything else you want to tell us?

Elijah: You should play this game. It's really fun. It's called Scary Sushi.

Mom: So you're advertising for Scary Sushi?

Elijah: And also, I want you play my world on Minecraft.