{iPhone Rewind} :: February

Story time with Daddy

Most of the snow had melted, but a few iced-over piles were still stacked up around the neighborhood...of course my kids would find them :)

Aiden LOVES nacho night :)

Sweet birthday banner from my Baby Loves :)

And birthday flowers from my Love :)

Maddie asked to put her art project on the wall next to our Valentine countdown. When I asked Eli if he wanted to put his on the wall too, he picked a spot right next to Maddie and said "Best Friends Forever!"

Getting all the things for potty training!!

"Look, Mommy! You are teaching your 3 baby loves!"  :)

Reading Valentine books with Daddy

We finally got some warmer weather!

Soaking in the warm February days with as much time outside as we can manage

Getting out some energy!

Do you want to build a {Valentine} snow man?

Brother Puzzle Time

This cutie girl has been eating {and enjoying} kale since she was a toddler! 14 months vs. 5 years

Frozen grapes for snack!

When you hit your chin and insist on a BandAid

National Banana Bread Day!

My cutie twirling ballerina :)

"I'm pretending to be married. This is my wedding dress."

Big Boy Aiden!

We have made some big changes in the last week...we moved Aiden into his big boy bed, and we are full steam ahead into potty training!

Aiden probably would have been content to stay in his crib until he was 10, but he was getting too big/heavy to lift in and out, so we made the decision to convert his bed. We marked the milestone with new Pooh bear sheets and a new pillow. He decided he didn't want to actually use his new pillow, but he has carried it around everywhere with him haha. He is really loving his big boy bed, and he has done really well with the transition. 

Since the transition to his big boy bed went well, we were ready to dive into potty training. We have been talking about it for a long time, but I finally decided to pull the trigger. We are using the same method as we used with Eli and Maddie. We tried underwear first {because he was in tears being naked and without pants...poor kid}, but that didn't go well. He basically went through 6 pair of underwear in 1 hour haha. So we tried going naked, and by day 2, he was "fine with it {being naked}." We had a few days of just going commando, and we have finally graduated back to underwear. So everyone is MUCH happier! We are still sticking close to home, but overall, I think he's doing pretty well. 

We can't say a complete good-bye to diapers just yet, since we will tackle naps/overnight training later, but it's still a HUGE step for us to mostly be out of diapers! We are so proud of our big boy Aiden! :)

Happy Love Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We have been counting down to Valentine's Day all month with our 1 Corinthians Love Banner from Arrows and Applesauce. The kids have been so excited to turn over a new heart each day, and it was an easy way to have some Scripture memory!

The Valentine Olafs were such a hit a couple of years ago, and we are actual Frozen watchers {and lovers} now, so I decided to bring these back again. We hung them up on our wall, and they make me laugh every time I look at them...with their wonky eyebrows and floating bodies :)

This morning, the kids woke up to hearts on their doors, just a simplified version from last year, and then we had heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast! Now before you start thinking, "woah, she went ALL out for V-Day!"... truth: the hearts on the doors were extra parts from our Olaf projects that I didn't want to waste. And I had been meaning to make pancakes to freeze for weeks...so I forced myself to do it yesterday and just attempted hearts this time, to then just stick in the freezer. Simple little things that didn't take a lot of extra work and the kids loved!

The kids made Valentine cards/pictures for Daddy, and I decided to update Mike's "Daddy Memory Book." I started this book when I was pregnant with the twins, writing journal entries of our journey to building a family. It has each of the kids footprints from the day they were born, and cute updates to their footprints over the years. This year, I decided to do thumbprints from our little Love Bugs.

And no Valentine's Day {for us} would be complete without a Dollar Tree painting canvas! This is one of my favorite go-to projects for the kids. They love to paint, and I love that they're only $1 :)

Mike brought me home a beautiful rose and balloon, root beer and break-and-bake cookies. I got him chips and salsa from Uncle Julio's...we know the ways to each others' hearts :)

Valentine's Day hasn't always been such a big thing for us, and I am still trying to keep it special, but simple. Mike and I usually exchange a card and small gifts, but it's just a sweet day to say "I love you!" With the kids, it has been fun to hype things up a bit and pour out some extra love to them. I love how excited they have been to count down, talk about love, and show love to each other. 

I pray that they always know how much they are loved, by us, and most importantly by God. And I pray that they learn the best ways to love other people. 

Happy Love Day!