Sea creatures

 For Mom Gabe's birthday this year, we've been texting her a grandkid picture every day of the month. Here's the one from today of Grace giving her a hug.

 And here's Charlie in his workout clothes, complete with tennis shoes that are too big for him and super heavy.

 Everybody loves a happy baby.

 Especially when he's naked.

 And fat.

 Grace's class is collecting toilet paper rolls. The girls wanted to go exploring with them first.

 I babysat my friend's kid on Wednesday morning. Two 2-yr-olds fight A LOT. Notice Alice is a lot happier about this picnic than Ellie is.

 A boy and his toys.

 Twins in plaid!

 Triplets in pink!

 Happy floor time.

 Grace's class went on a field trip to the Seymour Marine Discovery Center without us, so we went a few days later while she was at school, since it was a community free day. Paul touched the sea stars.

 Alice finally agreed to touch one too.

 Jellyfish exploration.

 Charlie liked all the fish.

 Paul touching a shark.

 Me touching a shark - look how much Alice loved it!

 Alice is shorter than a fish.

 The big white whale skeleton.

 Remains of a sea monster?

 Eaten by a whale!

 The big gray whale skeleton looked so prehistoric.

 Charlie enjoying the waves.

 On Friday morning, I felt like I was getting a zit above my lip. By the afternoon, it really hurt, and had a tiny head on it, so I popped it, and squeezed it really hard. Pretty soon, the whole side of my lip and partway up my cheek was numb and swollen. It was so uncomfortable, and hung down low. It looked horrible, like I'd been punched, and felt like after getting numbed at the dentist. I looked online, and this has happened to other people too, exactly my story. So I put heat on it on and off, but it was still pretty bad on Saturday. I had to teach Relief Society on Sunday, so I had Paul give me a blessing, and kept putting heat on it. It wasn't perfect this morning, but by the time I taught my lesson, you couldn't even notice it anymore! A miracle!

 Charlie in the passenger seat. (Note: The car was not moving.)

 On Saturday, we tried to sous vide a rack of lamb. (If you don't know what that means, you don't watch enough Food Network competition shows.) Paul double-bagged the lamb with spices, then got all the air out by dipping it in a bowl of water.

 Alice wanted me to bring her a doll to hold, but wasn't very excited with what I brought her.

 The end result of our sous vide: lamb, sauteed mushrooms, and couscous.

 Yes, these pictures are out of order. This is after sous vide and searing.

Our makeshift sous vide machine - we heated the water, filled the cooler, then soaked the "vacuum-sealed" lamb (and chicken for the kids) for 3 hours. The meat mallet held the bags down under the water so they wouldn't float. Then we seared and cut the meat. Delicious!

March madness

 Poor Grace was sick with a fever Wednesday. It got up to 103 degrees.

 After a miserable night, many doses of tylenol, and a blessing, she was mostly better, but took a recovery day on Thursday.

 By Friday, she was able to go to school. We took her to her school art party afterward. She got her face painted, and immediately broke out into a rash. We washed it off right away, but it still took all day for the rash to go away.

 Two cuties jumped into our bed on Saturday morning.

 Three kids early for church today.

 Doing silly faces: Alice's chubby cheeks, accentuated by a booger!

 Skinny face.

 Last Sunday, Alice really wanted to hold Charlie. Doesn't he look so dapper in that outfit?

 Wide mouth.

 Charlie wanted in on the fun.

 And Alice wanted in on the fun of smooshing Charlie's face.

 First time in a high chair - a little unsure.

 Used to it!

 Paul and I made an awesome fort for our date last week.

 The kids enjoyed the fruits of our labors the next morning. We left it up most of the day - they loved it!

 Alice really wants to wear panties, but has no interest in potty training. At least I got her to sit on the potty chair.

 These girls can't get enough of their daddy whenever he has time away from his writing.

 Alice snuggled up for a rest.

 Grace doing workbook by Charlie. She shared her workbook for show and tell this week. She said, "Every time I work in it, I get smarter and smarter!"

 The girls passed out on the couch on Grace's sick day. Grace NEVER naps, so we knew she was really sick.

 Alice also hadn't been napping, so we were really excited that she fell asleep on the couch...for 15 minutes...until I got a text. It was a little nap anyway.

 Paul and Charlie at the art party at Grace's school.

 Bookmark etching.

 Grace decorated this picture frame.

 She was really excited about art that afternoon, so I set her up with some supplies, and she made some really creative hats and castles. Does anyone else remember when Dad used to pull the "breadboard" out of his desk for us to use as a drawing surface?

 We decorated for Easter, and Grace and Alice were fighting over the bunny ear clips (I guess Sarah didn't know when she made them that I'd end up with 2 girls!). Alice gave in and let Grace have them, so Grace made Alice some ears of her own!

 Grace reading Alice a book.

 These girls are so excited for Easter!

 Sweet boy looking at nature.

 Charlie seemed a little fussy and warm yesterday, so he wore a wet wipe on his head to cool him down. He liked it.

 Artsy shot looking off into the distance.

 Charlie and Jarvis holding hands at my friend's birthday party yesterday.

 Playing in the sand.

 I mean, DANCING in the sand!

 My friend is a food blogger, so she was given a fancy food processor to review on her blog, and gave me her old one! Paul and I played with it last night and love it! I will never grate cheese by hand again!

Grace and friends at my friend's birthday party yesterday. Note the live band in the background - they were awesome!

Charlie laughs.

Alice being Alice.