A few pictures from the last few days. Elli informed me on Sunday afternoon, that we needed to do a photoshoot in the garage. A photographer in the making. She actually did pretty good, after I got over the fact that she wasn't going to drop my camera.
She came up with all her own poses.
She insisted on daddy coming out and having a picture with "just him and her". Very cute!!
I need my blogger friends help. Every year, I take all of our family/kids pictures from that year and make a photo CD montage. It's a great way to look at your kids pictures in a fun way. Our kids love looking at them too. Anyway, I am stumped on what songs to put on the montage. I have enough pictures for 3-4 songs. I am running out of new songs that I haven't used on the previous ones. Anyone have any ideas? If your interested in doing one for your own pics, this website is very easy to use. www.onetruemedia.com.
Not much to write about around here. We are all getting a bit sick of sitting inside, and were teased by the warm weekend last week. It was glorious to not hear, "Mom, I'm bored" a thousand times a day. Thought I would post a few pictures of the kids. We have had to get creative with living room pillows, since we are eagerly awaiting the nice weather to try out the camera in a different setting than these 4 walls!! Enjoy!!
One of Elli that we did manage to snap during our warm weekend!!
Anyone else feeling the spring fever that this weekend brought? Oh, and by the way, watch out for the "Vink Bicycle Gang" this summer--they mean business. (even though some can't even see past their bike helmets.)
Does anyone else have the same problem? You go to Target to get a few things, and you NEVER leave without spending at least $75.00. Why does it get me everytime? Do you think they have subliminal messages playing throughout the store? "Keep shopping, you have not yet reach your $75.00 mark." It is just too darn cool of a store.
As I start to write this, I am laughing so hysterically that it is hard for me to type. The laughing so hard may come from the fact that I am finding myself at that "brown house" stage right about now. You know, the stage of tiredness that if someone said, "brown house", you would break into hysterical laughter even though it means absolutly nothing. The 3 cups of coffee this morning were not near enough to make my mind functional at 2:30pm. So the story I am laughing at goes like this--I hope you find it as funny as I do right now. If you don't, just tell me to go make another pot of coffee.
At 1:00ish eveyday, I put Tessa down for her nap and I put the others in the basement with a movie--this is MY TIME, and I love it. I usually grab the laptop and plunk on the couch and surf all my favorite blogger sites and catch up on my emails. I ALWAYS have "Days of Our Lives" on tv and this is my ONE flaw (hehe--kidding), I watch this one smutty show. So around 2:00, Elli comes walking up the stairs and comes into the living room and starts to watch tv. I am really oblivious that she even is here--if I think about it, I don't even remember her coming up--i was too engrossed in this computer stuff. Well, I guess after Days Of Our Lives comes another soap, and that one had just started. As I am reading things on the computer, I hear Elli say, "WOW--that really must have hurt". She said it so sympathetically. So caringly (is that a word?). So, I looked up and looked at the tv, only to see 2 people kissing sooo extremely passionate on the couch, that they happened to FALL OFF the couch and onto the floor. To look back at Elli to see her staring like a deer caught in the headlights. She was honestly concerned about the fall that these two love birds just took. Immediatly, I turned the tv to cartoons and burst into laughter. The tone of her voice saying, "wow, that really must have hurt", made me giggle so hard. She was just so generally concerned for these two people. She of course thought I was laughing at her and got all offended--we are really into the, "laughing at others is bad manners" thing right now. So, off I am to make another pot of coffee and then I will re-read this and see if I find it as funny when I am caffine intoxicated!!
I had this wonderful idea. Now, I realize it was a fantasy. Just like how you get all excited for that Christmas party with your family and your kids. You envision it being an angelic party and the kids gleefully opening their gifts, running to grandpa and grandma (Opa and Oma), and smacking a loving kiss and a polite "thank you". Only to actually have tantrums, presents "ripped" open, manners not used, and chaos everywhere.
I was making the kids breakfast this morning, and I found myself getting irritated with the fact that we only have 4 small dinner plates left out of 12. Through the years, plates have gotten chipped or broken and I, being from the dutch decent, have not thought it feasible to get new ones. So, the last few years, we have eaten breakfast and lunch on paper plates, saving the "real thing" for dinner. Those 4 plates usually get dirty quickly, and then get stuck in the dishwasher and the irritation begins as I open the cupboard to realize that there are NO MORE LEFT. So, my wonderful idea around 9:00am was to load the kids up and head to the store to buy some new dishes. I didn't care what they looked like or how well they were made. I new a plate or cup would be broken in the next week or so anyway. Of all days, the kids DIDN'T want to go out. UGGG. So, being the patient, calm mom that I am, I literally shoved 4 crying kids through the door and off we went. I decided to head to Value City. For those of you who live in the GR area, you are shivering right about now. I know, but I knew their dishes were cheap and that is what I wanted. As we got to the store, I realized that I had not "really" gotten the kids dressed. I was so fixated on my wonderful idea, that I had forgotten to do anything to them. As we walked in, I noticed that Elli had on bright blue socks with hot pink tennis shoes. Which would be fine, if her pants she picked out by herself this morning weren't from last year and thus were about--umm--4 inches too short!! Her glasses were so filthy, that I saw her looking OVER her glasses to see, b/c obviously she could see better without her glasses than actually looking through them. I then scanned the others and saw Tessa's coat!! There was left over sucker slobber on her coat from about 5 days ago when we went through the bank drive-thru. She had been crying in the car, and so I asked the teller for suckers--it worked wonders. The slobber had hardened, and on her dark coat looked like a big grease pit. I took off her hat and felt the left over peanut butter in her hair from her breakfast. She even had a little on her cheeks as well. Thys and Josie must have found their clothes from yesterday in the laundry basket, b/c that is what they were wearing today as well--even after a spaghetti dinner last night. I started looking around hoping that people were not looking at me like I was this lazy mom who just stayed home and loafed and didn't pay attention to my kids personal hygiene. I already get the stares with 4 kids so close in age. As we headed straight for the dishes, Josie and Thys decided to do the running around the clothes rack thing--which deserved a gentle reprimand--hehe--from me. As we got to the dishes I told all the kids to leave their hands in their pockets so that we aren't tempted to touch anything.--and of course, I get " what?, why?" Hello!! Just as I started to look at the dishes, I hear a "crash". Oh yes, the lovely porcelain Easter bunny no longer has a tail. Josie didn't quite catch the whole "hands in the pocket" lecture. So, like any good mom, I ignored the crash and shoved a box of dished in the cart and walked away like nothing happened. (I am feeling a tad guilty about that one). As we are checking out, which always seems to take too long with 4 kids, my Josie decides that Value City would be the perfect place to lay down on the floor and "rest". And this wasn't a lay on your back rest, this was a face first on the floor, rub it all around, kind of rest. So, again, the white trash came out in me, and there I go 1/2 yelling (not at full sound, but I am sure loud enough, to draw a few stares). As I was getting in the car, my fuse almost about to fire, tantrum after tantrum began. I found my knees going into 4 guts to get the seat belts fastened, and the radio blaring (to 91.3 WCSG of course), to drown out the piercing cries.
Only to get home and open the box and find out that 2 mugs were cracked in half---HELP!!!, I can't go back to that place.
I got to take pictures of two beautiful baby boys this weekend. Both are little guys born to two of my dear friends from high school. The first picture is of Ty Theodore. His mommy is the one a few posts back that I took photos of while he was still snuggly warm inside her tummy. In these photos he is just 4 days old. So very tiny and beautiful. You can see more of him here: http://tinavinkportraits.smugmug.com/gallery/2538790#133416752.
And this little guy is Finn Alan. He is just 4 weeks old, and very handsome! You can see more of him http://tinavinkportraits.smugmug.com/gallery/2546344/1/133880156#133880156.
My baby is now officially a "self-feeder". I no longer am allowed to put a spoon up to her mouth without her pulling it away and doing it herself. Oh the independance of a one year old!! I remember waiting for the day with Elli, the oldest, to be able to master this feat. I couldn't wait till I could sit her in her high chair and put a jar of yogart in front of her and let her go to it. That meant that I could leave the room, change a load of laundry, eat MY OWN food, or just plain multi task. I am a bit saddened that my baby no long needs me for ONE more thing. She wants to eat like the big kids, sit at the table like the big kids, play like the big kids, and talk like the big kids (which is quite hilarious). I celebrate her independance, but do find it hard to watch her growing so fast. I know, it's inevitable, but at times I wish I could slow it down.
I had the privilage of taking some maternity shots of a dear friend of mine. She is 5 days from her due date and looks awesome. And yes, she did give me the ok to post these, as long as I left out the topless ones!! (just kidding).
We just came home from a 45 min. trip to the Dollar Store. Forty-five min. to and from a store that is maybe a mile down the road.
Dean's mom is so nice. She sent the kids each $1.00 for Valentine's Day!! They acted like they had won the lottery. (don't you wish you could be so thrilled with $1.00?) The second they realized they all had $1.00 in their cards, the dreaded sentence emerged, "can we go to the Dollar Store?" Uggggg!!! Now mind you, our town has probably one of the best Dollar Stores around, and we do frequent "outings" to it just to get out of the house, but does that mean I like it? Absolutly not!! I tend to be a in the store, get what I need, and then get out kind of shopper. So, spending 45 min. in a dollar store is pure torture for me. And in one aisle alone too yet. They all have to first brouse the aisle and take in every last item. Then they have to touch every item, which ultimatly ends up with it being deposited in the middle of the aisle left for mom to pick up and try to figure out where the heck it came from and where the heck to put it back, all the while trying to either hold Tessa or retrieve her from another aisle that she has wandered off to. Only to go and find Tessa in another aisle, depositing her own findings and mom crawling around on the floor picking things up in a frantic as Tessa manhandles everything in sight. To go back to the $1 aisle to find yet again 50 items on the floor that the kids found were not "appropriate" for them to buy. Forty-five minutes later, 2 breakdowns from kids who "5 more minutes" just wasn't enough time left to make their decisions, 50+ items in completely wrong places on the shelves (I gave up!!), and 3 $1 items in the car back home. To get home and have the "magic wand" Josie bought break in 5 minutes, to the diary Elli bought find out only contains 3 pages (which for a 5 year old who can't even write yet is fine) and the foo-foo pen not even work, to the toy dart gun Thys got have a wretched smell of plastic that he won't even play with it. Oh, how my mother in law is just laughing her head off. Do you think she knew what she was doing when she sent those 3 little $1 bills? I think she owes me a lot of money for therepy I will need after that trip!!
My friend, Natalie, was nice enough to let us come over this morning and take some pictures of her kids. Her kids acted like little models--not minding at all that they were getting their picture taken--why can't I be as fortunate with my kids!! Thanks Nat for the practice, and sorry if we trashed your house!!!! You can trash mine at the next "playdate".
My Little Miss Elliana turned 5 today. I cannot believe that I have a 5 year old. It honestly just seems like yesterday, that I was in the hospital anticipating the birth of our 1st baby. I was 14 days overdue, and couldn't get her out fast enough at that point. After a LONG day of induced labor, around 10:30pm they decided to do a c-section. Out she came, 20 minutes later. Weighing in at a hefty 8lbs. 9oz. She was perfect in everyway. And I can say without a doubt, she is the most caring, laid back, helpful, sweet, little girl I could ask for. I absolutly love having her around during the day to entertain and be the best "babysitter" I know.
Elli's pre-school was cancelled today because of the Blizzard of '07, so we packed up the troops and headed over to the cousins house to hang out, as I said earlier. Auntie Kristin made a yummy cake for us for our snack. When Dean got home, we headed over to McDonald's for 99cent Happy Meal night (every Tues. night--great deal for us Hollanders), and then picked up a movie for the kids to watch when we got home. Tomorrow, the family is coming over for presents and cake, which Elli has been anticipating since 10 sleeps ago!!
