I'm so proud...

Here are just a few reasons why I love my kids so much...Here's LuLu all decked out in her Brownie uniform - with all of the patches on (finally! we had quite a time with some of those guys!) She is so awesome! She not only got the "Terrific Kid" award again this year, but she also got the "Responsible Bulldog Learner" award and got to eat lunch with all of the teachers! She's super sweet with Baby Butter and will read books to him in his crib if he wakes up while I'm still in the shower. She's been doing very well with the piano, and will be moving on to a new level next week. She's still writing books all the time and is now focused on teaching Big Butter how to read.

Oh Big Butter...this kid's unbelievable! He's still highly mischievous and incredibly active, but now he has somehow figured out how to read and spell and count to 100 and add and even subtract! Yep, darn proud of this guy...and he's still got one more year of preschool before he starts kindergarten! He sure keeps me laughing (when he's not breaking something or someone) He has somehow decided that he really doesn't need to wear pants and is usually running around in nothing but his undies! Here he is as "Big Butter Stew"....

And Baby Butter...he has really grown up this last week! He went to Nursery on Sunday and did amazingly well! The chairs were all full at the table where they were playing with play-doh, so he got another one and pulled it right up, sat down and had a great time! I swear he grew an inch while he was there! Today he played at the playground and I didn't have to follow him on the equipment - he's so big. And here's the really big thing...he's finally starting to talk! My kids have always been a little late with this, but it's always so exciting when it finally clicks. He's been repeating a few words for a while, but is finally starting to say them all on his own. He ran across the family room saying "momma-momma-momma" the other day - that was huge! Today he put together a whole sentence- well, ya know, for an 18month old! He grabbed his booty and said, "poop", then as I changed him said, "diapie, change me" and wrapped it all up with, "fresh" after I had put the fresh one on him! The best part was that he totally cracked up when I repeated what he had said back to him. He knew that I knew what he had said, and he was just tickled! Here he is finally playing in the snow. He lasted about 3 minutes when it was 20 degrees out, but now that it reached over 60, he had great fun with what was left!

And today I'm just super in love with these guys! We had a pizza picnic on the family room floor as we watched Madagascar*2. There was absolutely no fighting over anything! (an incredibly rare event in this house lately) Baby Butter was hanging out with them like he was all big and was dancing and laughing with the rest of us! I haven't felt that relaxed and happy in a long time! They were being good, sweet, fun kids and I just had one of those moments...yep, I sure do love my kids!

...and yes, that is the bowl of grapes behind Baby Butter!