Older Brother Update

Christopher is a 4 year old!  He had his birthday and although we didn't do anything extraordinary on his birthday, I think he had a good day.  The Sunday before we had cake and ice cream with some Morrise family members and let him open one or two presents.
.

His birthday cake. I laugh at it each time I see it, but he
 thought it was cool and it tasted good

I love his face!

I thought it would be fun to fill his cake with M&M's thinking he'd be so excited
and really he could have cared less.  Good to know.

He opened his presents in the morning, and then we had pancakes which he got a candle in.

 While the babies napped and Steven was at school, I let these boys take a LONG bubble bath.  They loved it.

Ryan, Christopher, and William

We went to eat dinner at Dickey's, where he doesn't necessarily like the food but you can get as much soft serve ice cream as you want.  Which is his dream come true.  Then we headed over to the Natural Curiosity Museum at Thanksgiving Point which of course he had a great time at.

The only picture I took at the curiosity museum

Steven's 100 chart that he did 100% on his own...

I ADORE this picture.  They really are friends sometimes

Christopher is best at the backwards hugging

 Steven came out of school with his pants ripped.  I'm not sure how long it was like this, but he was sure proud of himself...and we didn't get a call from the school.  So I guess we can label this as a win-win.

Steven and Christopher were playing with tape and Steven said, "Hey mom, I have tape on my hands."  Then Christopher replied, "Hey mom, I have tape on my eyes!"

 Christopher

 -loves to play with Steven and his friends or William and Ryan. He's pretty easy going, as long as they are doing what he wants to do.
-when asked to clean up, lately he'll ask what will happen if he doesn't.  He will do the minimal that can get away with when it comes to chores and helping around the house.
-either loves dinner ("this is the best dinner ever, you should make this every night!") or hates it and refuses to eat it, and usually will go to bed STARVING. Sorry kid, not going to work on me.  The funny thing is, sometimes the same dinner will have both those labels.
-has the best laugh.  He often gets away with trouble because he's having so much and laughing so hard that we just have to laugh along with him.
-is a great snuggler and will often just lie down next to Jacob or I and snuggle.
-also will very sweetly hug us from behind and rest his head next to us.  It's usually when I'm sitting down trying to do something and at first I get frustrated because I can't do what I originally need to do, but really how can I not love it.  I do.
-loves to play with puzzles and color

Steven's HUGE sucker he won at school.

I told me to act like he was really excited.
(he may have some of my genes)

 Steven
-is doing great in Kindergarten!  We went to our first parent teacher conference and Mrs. Narveaz told us over and over again how right we were to put him in Kindergarten when we did.  He's one of the top readers in his class.  Loves math, and art.
-is getting obsessed with google earth
-still sucks his thumb most of the day...
-talks like William and Ryan at home (unrecognizable), but he does reassure us that he talks normal at school.  So at least there's that.
-loves to do word searches
-is always very inquisitive and wants to KNOW everything.
-loves to ride his back outside and play with the neighborhood boys, good thing there's a lot!

Both Steven and Christopher are great big brothers and are often playing with Max and Spencer.  Usually too rough, but the babies love it, so how can I break it up!?  I can't.  And usually it ends up in tears, but at least they're building a relationship.

Sneaker

 Selfie shots!

 Steven loves to make "Towers"

All the boys love to get their vitamins (fluoride and multivitamin (gummy bear form)) and play with them in these little houses.  Usually someone cries and asks for more because theirs is stuck or lost.  But really it keeps them quiet for a good 15 minutes, can't complain