After the Intermission: July 2014

I don't really understand it but sometimes it gets them out of order. (This time, the 4th of July section is all out of order, but the rest are okay. So, it doesn't all fit the time line when you get down there.)

Favorite blanket for the win. :)

Please keep this diaper on at night. Please, please do this for me.
(Hello Kitty Duct Tape for the win.)

Another day, another car wash. Jubilee is scrubbing everything but the car.

My feet must have been dirty. Imagine that.

Don't worry. It's non-toxic. They use this soap to clean oil spills and baby seals apparently.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Moments after he and Emma got into a sponge fight.

Another broom to play with. Different clothes that she found in a bag in the garage while we were washing the car.

Trying to keep up with her and not doing much car washing, I came up with the idea to strap her in the seat. Which was amusing and slowed her down a lot.

She thought it was funny for a while.

Here, Abby, keep them entertained while I help...uh...man the camera...

They all thought this was fun. Stroller for the win!

"Who is ready to go inside and put on dry clothes?" I asked.
"Me." They all said except for Jubilee who replied, "I do."

Pretty flowers. :) (In case you are wondering, these particular flowers make the water smell swampy long before they die. Pretty, but stinky.)

Abby-Daddy Date. She brought back some cheap dollar store dart guns and stick on mustaches. Jubilee likes the mustaches. She wore several over the course of the next few days! The other kids tried one and never did it again. (Can you say hair-free upper lips?)

It's beginning to sink in that he doesn't like this.

And about 2 seconds after he tried to remove it...it peeled the fur off and left the sticky behind.

She also brought back a balloon which she secured to Maddie's wrist so she could giggle and squeal at it dancing above her every time she moved her arm. (she looks like a doll here.)

...and which Jubilee enjoyed yanking on too.

Oh no! A mustache for Maddie! (Thankfully we learned from Noah and just attached it to the binky for her.)

Nap time?

4th of July---You HAVE to wear Red, White and Blue. It's a rule.

It was too bright behind me. I asked, "What's wrong?"
She said, "The sun's in my eyes."
oops!

Playing some game only they understood.

But I hate it when you put me down and I'm awake!

Throwing poppers. Jubilee enjoyed them. :)

Watching something called a butterfly fountain.

Throwing more poppers. (Isaiah was a little scared of this part.)

I didn't leave her there to scream in case you are wondering. This is where she spent most of the day.

Sparklers. Can you see that she's a bit nervous. It was starting to rain and the thing wouldn't even stay lit.

One for Abby, who was also brave enough to try it and even whirled hers around a bit. Emma's stayed perfectly still at the end of her arm.

Watching

More fireworks. This was a smoke bomb. So nothing but smoke and only as much as you see here. (In case you think they are about to get exploded in the face.)

Tank war. These were fun. They shot at each other and if any were remaining on their wheels, they must have been the winner. We had like 10 of them.

Noah wanted to do a sparkler before we went in. (It was raining so we moved to the garage for his sparkler.)

Jubilee standing in the shower

Happy baby.

Picnic

We went to a field at the edge of the neighborhood where everyone goes to watch fireworks. We went a little too early and no one was there yet. The kids had fun playing tag and stuff.

FINALLY getting dark enough for fireworks.
(Okay, so I looked it up and it said "dusk" for the show time. So then I looked up dusk for this part of the world and it said 8:30. Apparently "dusk" for them really means 9:30)

And it was cold. Everyone want a corner of my nursing blanket.
Madeleine did not want to share me. Or she was gassy. Or she needed a nap. Or she wanted to eat again. Or maybe all of the above. Take your pick.

I thought she'd scream the whole show but she stopped as soon as the fireworks started. She liked them.

another day, another gas bubble.

Big, bright, surreal eyes here. Too close to the camera I guess. Still cute.

Isaiah wanted to be a cowboy. (For about 1 minute.)

Jubilee is wearing hers on a binky but she also was not afraid of them on her skin. She must have put 20 of them on herself. ;) (I think we had 16 of them total...)

Everyone loves playing with Madeleine.

One second, she's laughing at the toys on this seat...

The next second she's making this face... (like literally a minute later...)

(then, like literally, a minute more and this happens.)

She loves to cuddle with things.

Little sneak thief!

"But what if it's not true?" (I thought the expression was funny considering the shirt.)

Brandon was in a dark, cool area of the house holding a fussy baby so I could cook. "How do you do this?" He asked as she continued to scream. "When you hold her, she sits really quietly with you."

I responded, "You have to turn her inward so that she's laying on your chest. And hold the pacifier for her if she's too fussy to hold it for herself. And use the other hand to pat her back constantly. Don't stop or she'll start crying again. And surf the internet by the power of your mind because you can't stop using both hands. Yep. That's how I do it."

Naptime

For everyone

(Okay, so Abby and Emma never went to sleep, but they did need a relax time because they were all getting wound up and cranky. This is after all the girls got up/woke up again, and before the boys woke up.