Cuddlers4ever

Some families play board games.

While others love to bike ride.

 We at Casa LeBaron love to cuddle.

A lot.

It extends to cousins too. 

We just can't help ourselves. 

It's a passion.

No bed necessary. Aunties make good cuddle partners too.

 Even carseats will do (I SOOOO wanted to pull the car over and cuddle with you right then)

 Your own pillow optional. Double layering is kosher.

Stuffed animals make a wonderful addition. Grumpy sleep faces are a bonus.

And on the couch passed out is ok too.

We cuddle as often as we can.

Sunday AMs are spent in our bed, usually all 5 of us, cuddling as long as we can without William screeching at us to get up.

WE LOVE CUDDLING!

Dying...........eggs

 This year was a fantastic egg dying year...

 We saw some real art coming out of these kids ...

 Let's all stop and take a minute to admire the scrimpy cuteness of Violet.......yum.

 Check that color!!! KICK BUTT!!! Lucas is so so patient when it comes to...well, all things.
He is willing to wait it out to get killer color like that.

 The happy artists.

Check that out!! I may never buy an egg dying kit again! This year did DIYed the whole thing. Sara brainstormed it. I googled it. Memo ran errands for it. And the kids created it. 

Rock on.

Party Garb

To prepare for the uber important Easter Party today at school you prepped the night before.

Things on your list:

1) Tiara

2) Boa

3) White fluffy dress that reaches the floor

4) Braids that are wrapped around your head to resemble an egg. Yes, I just said that. Yes, you got it right. You wanted your braids wrapped perfectly to resemble an Easter egg.

Flabergasted? I most definitely was.

Who preps like this for parties at age 7???

There's no telling what's in store for you in the years to come but I image your creativity
 will play a large part.

Cheers to that.

8 years and counting

And I love you more and more each day....

She makes the grade

You - my little heartthrob have finished yet another grade.

2nd grade.

Yes, you just turned 7.

Yes, that puts you 18 months ahead.

Yes, we are super proud.

Yes, that makes me $80 poorer.

Backstory: I promised you kids a while back that for every month you finish your grade early I would reward you $20. And true to your style you shocked and wowed us and finished 4 months early.

These monetary deals always seem to find a way to slap me around a little.

Remember the "fill a Trader Joe bag" deal of 2011? Eeeewwweee that was a crazy one. I offered you each $5 for every paper Trader Joe bag you could fill of toys to donate. (I had had enough of the toy overwhelm). Well...I was thinking maybe 2-4 bags per child. You came out of your room 20 minutes later with 11 bags. What the what?!?

But I digress - the true meaning of my post is to say:

You are SO AWESOME!!! 

Go smarty pants!!!!!!

I can't believe you are a 3rd grader now!!!

Itchy

What an allergic reaction to Amoxicillian looks like for us LeBarons.

I'm allergic.

Luke's allergic.

And now we know you are too.

It was an interesting week.
And rash and all you are still stunningly cute!

3rd trimester

I am making a t-shirt for myself that will read:


 "Unless you are offering to rub my feet, make me dinner, or clean my house - Please save all chitter chatter until after the baby is born - you are bothering me!"


Oh lordy....Third trimester - please speed up and be over. The inability to bend properly, carry things I want to carry, do jumping jacks, run after my kids, roll on the floor, sleep on my stomach and the 1,000 other things I am restricted from doing now is driving me a tad batty. But that's ok - I am super excited about baby Savannah.............

What will you remember?

Dear Children,

What will you remember when you look back on your childhood?
Will you remember the good? Will you remember the bad?
This has been rolling around my mind these past few weeks........thought I should jot it down. At least this way you know that I fully acknowledge there is (was) some bad. It is unfortunate that the bad things in life can so easily wash away hundreds of good.

But please try to stretch those mental muscles and keep the good in front. I promise there really is more of it.

Will you remember that we made hot cross buns in the fall of 2007 at our little blue house in La Crescenta?
Will you remember when we went to Disneyland the day after Christmas in 2006 because I thought that would be their least busy day? (oops)
Will you remember all the pancake breakfasts we did on the weekend or the "two eggs for everyone" rule that your dad insists upon every morning?
Will you remember all the evenings of your childhood (almost every one to date) that we spend cuddling with you in our bed, reading, or playing "concentration, elimination" until you fall asleep?
Will you remember that we did what it took to send you to schools we felt would enhance you the most?

Will you remember when we sat and held you during a tantrum, showing you compassion even though  every cell in our body screamed for corporal punishment?

Will you remember - or maybe you never even knew - that we chose financial sacrifices so I could be home with you as much as possible?
Will you remember the dance, ceramics, piano and other classes we drove you to so you could be all that you wanted to be?
Will you remember when your dad dressed up as Rambo and ambushed us when we came home from the library?

or

Will you remember the times I fly off the handle and yell, or say harsh things?
Will you remember the bizarre rules I have made over the years to then have your dad tell me I need to tone things down? (the reason God gave children two parents).

I don't want to make you forget anything that has happened. But my hope is that you do remember the good. There is so much good. I am so blessed by you children. And the more children I have the more I love you all. Thank YOU for making my dreams a reality.

Love, Mom

Freedom

This picture hereby immortalizes a milestone.

On this day you received freedom (for this selected time only) to wander off in the cul de sac part of our neighborhood.

I was pretty calm about the whole thing on the outside.

The inside was mostly behaving too, but was doing mini panic attacks every 37 seconds.

John had terror in his eyes.

I gave you a quick put serious speech about the rules & privileges of this whole adventure.

And you were off!

And John and I paced the floor.

And then 61/2 minutes later you were back.

Phew!

Guess you weren't too comfortable with the whole freedom thing either. 

And that's ok with us.