Frogs, and Toads, and...Saucers!

Carson and Laney wove birds nests at Meijer Gardens this week using real wool and ribbons.

Couldn't help but take a pic of this girl in her new watermelon tu-tu!

Evie loves watching this little toy crab and it moves back and forth and all over the place!  Evie has been rolling over from her back to her stomach, but not from her stomach to her back.  That seems odd to me but it's something!

Carson is REALLY into catching frogs and toads in the pond behind his friend Leah's house.  I mean they catch some real toads...one last week was the size of a softball no lie!  What's funny is that he catches them with a net and brings them home in a bucket...and Leah and Laney pick them up and grab them when they jump out.  But I have never once seen Carson hold or even touch a frog.

Look at the size of that thing in Leah's hands!  Ew.

Baby tadpole for Laney :-)  Don't be fooled Carson isn't actually touching a frog in the background. He goes in to try to touch one and then quickly jumps back when he gets close.

A Dad and his girls :-)

Our block had a big party and pig roast last weekend.  We had almost every house on our block come out!  We have the best neighbors.  There were just kids running around everywhere, I love it.

Carson, Max, and Leah even joined up with the band for a song or two.  Carson played the tambourines at one point.  This band....whoa were they good.  The lead singer, who is our neighbor, once opened for Collective Soul.  He is the real deal!

Banchie Babes get together again!   I had my college friends over because Michelle was in town from Italy!  I never did get the kids to all look at the camera and smile...and there were more kids than this at the house.  But I did my best.  Oh how our parties have changed!

Grandma really had Everson laughing when she would say "Auntie" one day.  I can't get enough of those chuckles!

Taking a break in the cool air conditioning to do some painting with Leah and Max.

We have some new friends that moved in just across the street from us, the Goring's!  They have 3 girls who are 4, 6, and 9.  I pulled that wagon for one block to the lemonade stand on the corner and I was sweating through my shirt.  I think the wheel almost fell off.

Laney, Evie, and Alli!  Alli comes over to play but ends up just wanting to play with Evie.   A babysitter in the making!

The crew!

Laney is really into playing with her own friends nowadays!  This is her and Kate!  She also has a couple other girl buddies in the neighborhood now.  Carson is going to miss her tagging along with him so much, even though he won't admit it.  

Grandpa pitching to Carson (who was really nailing the ball with a real metal bat), and Grandma pitching to Laney!  Laney actually started riding her bike with two wheels and no training wheels last week.  In true Laney fashion, she has no fear, she rode down the street on her first try, she goes so fast I can barely keep up with her in a sprint, and she swerves all over the place!  She has the skill of riding down but she has got to work on steering and slowing down before we let her go on her own!  This girl!  I'll get a video someday soon.   

I LOVE the saucer stage!  They can sit in it and play and move around while I stay hands free!  And they can't crawl or walk and get into everything yet.  It's a sweet spot to be!  I finally got brave and put Evie in her crib one night for bed.  And what do you know, she slept all night minus a few squeeks and grunts.  Just the same as in the rock n play.  And just like that, we are out of the rock n play and in her crib in her own room.  It's been four nights and she's still sleeping 10-12 hours straight.  Sometimes she whimpers and I will run up and sneak a pacifier in her mouth and sneak out quick, just to keep the other two kids asleep.  Evie just makes most things very easy...thanks baby girl!