our days & our ways: Braids, Belts & Babbles

Michelle has baby radar. Every time she comes over she is like a magnet attracted to "lao liu" (kid number 6)! What a blessing to our family :).

Earlier this month I got back from a morning run and noticed a funny grin on Lily's face. I walked around the table for a hug and saw her little bro bundled in her lap! Ha! Viv and Dass were up playing Memory in the living room but no one else was up- so precious.

Not sure if this is the first time- but letting Gus fall asleep on the 'couch thing' and leaving him there until he wakes up hungry in the middle of the night has become a habit! If he's comfy, so are we :)

BRAIDS! This was a super fun project. Cade's headband looks the coolest/ most realistic, but I'm not sure where he disappeared to for pictures. Viv was going for the Pocahontas look but ended up looking more like her sister- or so I'm told.

Dassah's Side Braid and Small Green Feather add to her mysterious look as she stands in the braid holding position.

Not sure what look Lily was going for, but she did mention she looked like her Auntie Danielle with her bangs. I'm sure it was meant as a compliment :)

Excuse me sir, have you seen Caedmon anywhere?

I do love to brush, braid and style 4 heads of hair every morning, but this was not on purpose! It's the outcome of a bun in for too long. Too bad it wasn't the night of the ball!

The best part about having older siblings- always there to read another story!

It's fun being a mom. I got pancakes in bed this year (by request!) and was bombarded with artwork all day. Mother's Day is such a great reminder of how much I love my KIDS.

This looked way more hilarious in person- it's Viv & Dass not wanting to play with anyone else. (I can just picture them inside with their noisy giggles and squeaks as they frantically shove all the pillows they carefully gathered into the doorway of their igloo :)

Elmer's glue + black rice & millet = 1 awesome car

& 2 fun (and I guess edible) maps

I have been wondering which stuffed animal August is going to love. Today I put a little orange/ brown cat in his face and said "Kitty, kitty, kitty!" and I got the biggest response ever- he loved it!

2 Month Old Baby!

So far August has been sweet, cuddly & pretty laid back. He's a fun one to have around.

3 little stooges

I think Ci ci was feeding August ice cream when we weren't looking...

all want a turn when i get the camera out :)

How big is a centimeter?

Now, look as if you are staring into a starry night sky...

never without help

Olivet just loves to be chased around the house. This look came after a "boo!"

Awesome onesie from our good Chinese friends

Christmas in May

The day before Cade had his best friend Nate sleep over and two days before Caedmon got his yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do he confessed- "I'm so excited, all I can think about is getting my yellow belt and having Nate over!" Look at the top of his Bible Workbook page... it was tough to focus on school to say the least :)

How do you study with kids in the house?

(Is there any better way???)

Our Chinese friends always laugh when they come over and ask "Where's the baby?" expecting him to be wearing lots of layers of clothes and all wrapped up snuggly in a crib in the bedroom. We usually say, "Over there" and point to some random place in the living room he is laying, just chilling out and enjoying his siblings (with 0-1 layers on- since it has been in the 80's)...

BABBLES! If we are not getting a huge smile and a "COO", we're getting this look- confused, shocked and yet dignified, all in one :D

chubby bear

Lily LOVES giving her 3 sisters baths and getting them ready for bed. (treat for us!!!) Hadassah asked for 3 braids. I might have said, "Dass, it's bed time. I only have one rubber band. Another time." Big sisters rock.

I had to try hard not to fix the placement of sauce and toppings on this night's pizza.

Lily also had her friend Madelyn overnight. Girls will be girls.

THE BELT! B4 pic of (upside-down) Caedmon with his white belt...

...and after! Caedmon has worked really hard this year at practice every Monday and Wednesday night. He really enjoys his classes and also loves to try to teach me some of his newly learned skills at home.