Creative Solution

Ella begged for puffy cheetos  at Meijer the other day and I gave in. Cheetos are usually reserved for a Mimi and Papa house treat. I hate them because they are so messy and gross and unhealthy and of course all the kids want to eat when we have them in the house. Apparently Niko also doesn't care for how messy they are either so he came up with a solution. He decided to use the wooden clothespin that we use as a chip clip as chopsticks :)  He was still pretty messy, but definitely enjoyed himself! :)

Lily: Kindergarten

Lily started Kindergarten this fall and is loving every second of it! She got her ears pierced right before school started and has beens sporting a fun short haircut. She is definitely a fashionista and has a very difficult time figuring out what to wear each day....if only she could change outfits once or twice during the school day like she does when she is home :) She has been eating some of the hot lunches and seems to enjoy the lunchtime part of being a big kid. She looks so little walking in each morning with her big backpack, but she has definitely grown up quite a bit already. It will be fun to see how much she grows and changes over this next year.

Lily's Favorites

* Clothes....especially her comfy after school C3PO shirt and her white sox hat

* Food: Popcorn, bagels and cream cheese, chicken nuggets, and honey mustard 

*Activities: Coloring, running, swimming, and playing with Niko and Ella

* TV: Spongebob

* Places: Emack and Bolios, Mcdonald's, Papa's pool and Discovery Museum

Niko, Niko Thomas, Neeks, Neekers, Spiderman, Bubba

Our little guy goes by many names in our household and we seem to add new ones to the list each day. Ella prefers brother or Niko Thomas and Lily seems to favor Bubs or Bubba. I accidentally started the bubba trend and it has stuck. Jeff and my dad are very against the bubba nickname as they are afraid it might stick for life. Either way, my little bubba is growing up way too fast. Thankfully, he still lets me rock him a little at night and will give me kisses. He is so easy going and definitely all boy. He LOVES spiderman and thinks he himself is spiderman as he shoots webs all day long and crawls around very low and seriously. He also loves sports, especially baseball. He could watch anything with a ball involved all day long, which makes his dad very happy. :) He also will play catch all day long as well...again a very happy daddy over here. 

Niko's Favorites

*Balls and Spiderman 

*Food: Everything

*TV: SPIDERMAN and the Lorax

*Activities: Playing/being Spiderman, catch, and throwing himself around on the couch ( yes, it makes me nervous and I hate when daddy lets this activity happen)

Ella : 4

My sweet baby girl turned 4 this month and is definitely no longer a baby. She is a total character and keeps us on our toes. She makes us laugh about 100 times a day and also can make me nuts too, but at the end of the day she loves to snuggle and is very sweet. You can never really be mad at such a genuinely sweet little girl. She may find it fun to cut the carpet with scissors or color her whole body in markers, but she also never lets you leave without a super tight hug and kiss.

Ella's Favorites

*Princesses....anything and everything related to Disney Princesses

*Food: Chips, Bacon, and Popcorn

*TV: She-ra

*Activities: Play with daddy, paint, and play with princesses

Hands Off Sister(s)

Niko received lots of wonderful gifts for his birthday that he enjoys very much and his sisters do too. They have all enjoyed playing star wars, trucks, and super heros, but there is one toy that is off limits...his stuffed mickey. Besides basketball, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is the only show on TV that really makes his day and holds his attention. From the moment he opened his Mickey he was in love. Mickey goes everywhere with him. The only place he doesn't go is to bed with him because they enjoy playing too much instead of sleeping. Poor Mickey needs a bath already since Niko likes to share his meals with mickey in the high chair with him. It is pretty cute thing to watch.

Star Wars Party~ Niko turns 1

Niko's sisters picked a star wars theme for his 1st birthday celebration. We enjoyed some fun treats and the best part was the X-wing fighter we got to ride up and down the street all afternoon. I think the adults enjoyed it more than the kids. :)