Skipping rocks

Matt thinks it's the duty of every father to teach his children how to skip rocks across the water. He still remembers going through this childhood rite of passage at Lake Ontario where his dad taught him. For our kids, they learned this lesson at Chatfield State Park over the weekend. Donovan kind of got the hang of it and Howie might have gotten lucky once. Nina and Cameron skipped the skipping and stuck to chucking. It was my duty to take some pictures and make sure the food got eaten. We all have to do our part.

So how does that saying go?

You know the one about bad things coming in 3's. Was it bad things? Was it hard things? Was it broken things? And is 3 the limit? And for how long? I just can't remember. I'm wondering because here are some pictures of our 3:

The new bathroom floor to replace the rotted one


The new washer and dryer to replace the broken ones


The new car to replace the sporadically functioning one



Our 3 have left us pretty broke.

Thank yous

A few thank yous are in order.

Thank you to:

Donovan for using your pocketknife to cut several holes in the screen
Nina for having some sort of accident everyday for 8 straight days
Cameron for unloading the dishwasher and breaking a plate in the process
Donovan for giving your teddy bear a haircut
Cameron for coloring on your door with a blue crayon
Nina for breaking a wicker ball into tiny pieces
Howie for leaving no evidence of anything naughty you may have done





We give up. You win. But we secretly think you are pretty fun kids.

Eating again

After a week of throwing up and "an upset stomach"* Cameron is finally starting to eat again.....




....so long as it is soda and candy. Yes I am going for mother of the year.
*I have issues with the "D" word.

Quiet Cousins

Put on an old episode of Tom and Jerry and this is what your kids will do:



At least some of them. The others will go off and play video games.

Happy Birthday Nina

Our lovable Nina turned 4 yesterday! Despite what I may have led many of you to believe, Matt and I have thoroughly enjoyed having this girl around for the past 4 years. She is mostly a delight, with a pinch of "spirit". A happy birthday to our fabulous Nina!

We kicked off the festivities with a family birthday party celebrating all January and February birthdays. Here are Cambri and Nina, we didn't get Ellie, Zach or Kelly in the picture. Well, actually, I think we may have gotten a little bit of Zach in the edge there. Sorry to Ellie and Kelly though.


Her beautiful cake is another story. I'm sure you can make a guess as to what happened.



Nina loved the barbies, horse and makeup that she got from her Bentley grandparents and cousins. I was reminded why I should have listened to my instincts. I was hoping that maybe since she would be turning 4, she would magically know how to be more responsible with her makeup. Her carpet paid the price for my wishful thinking.

Then on her birthday, she followed suit of several others and requested Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast.



Nina had a little treasure hunt to find her presents. Her Marshall grandparents will be happy to know that
1. they got her a scooter and helmet for her birthday
2. she totally loved them
She also got her favorite Star Wars character, Ahsoka, from her Great Grandma Leys and a fairy coloring book from her Great Aunt Mary. We thought they would like to know what they got her too.

Indoor soccer

There's not a whole lot to tell. Donovan's playing in an indoor soccer league this winter. A couple of notes:
The games are being played at his school that was shut down last year so he likes being able to visit his old stomping ground
When he's on the sidelines and his coach isn't looking, he likes to try to climb the rock wall, or hang the front of his shirt on it
The soccer part is kind of fun too