As of Late

I thought that after the holidays things would slow down a bit, but sure enough, they just keep rolling along and we stay busy. Between visitors, birthday parties, school, work, friends and fun we have plenty of things to consume our time!

Uncle Todd was able to come back for another visit because he interviewed with the Physical Therapy program at a school in Rhode Island. We luckily got him for the whole weekend because black out dates were still in effect for the holidays and it was better to fly home on the Monday following the holidays.

Brian was able to go to RI with Todd and they were crazy and stopped at the beach!

 That white stuff is snow. It is always so much colder by the beach with the wind blowing and Brian said it was pretty freezing. I for sure wouldn't have agreed to get out and take that picture.
I'm glad they could have some good brother time tho!

After Todd's interview, we had nothing but time to hang out and no one was more excited than this guy:

Thad was constantly begging for Todd's attention, and Todd was such a good sport!

There is a reason Thad likes him so much.
I think Thad's favorite thing was when Uncle Todd would trap him in the bear claw between his legs.

Puzzles were probably Thad's next favorite and they put our two floor puzzles together several times before the weekend was over.

We're sad Uncle Todd doesn't have any more interviews near us, but we sure are glad that we were able to have him for the two he did have.

Three days after Uncle Todd left, he and Aunt Kelsie welcomed their little angel,

 June Sofia Monsen

January 10, 2013
Thad and Wes are so excited to have their first Monsen cousin. 

We are so excited that Uncle Todd and Aunt Kelsie get to experience the joy of parenthood!

The same day Baby June was born, Thad made his first trip to the dentist!

 I prepped Thad last month by taking him to the dentist with me to get my teeth cleaned and I think that was the best thing I could have done. He knew that he would be able to pick a prize out at the end and Juan, the hygienist, was so nice and made Thad very comfortable.

 Juan had hardly anything to clean off this boys teeth and was very impressed at their cleanliness.

The dentist said big, gappy teeth are a kids best friend because they are easy to keep clean.

No cavities here.
I am so proud of this brave kid and feel very blessed that necessary things like this can be pleasant experiences. Go Thad!

We started another "semester" of joyschool, and these boys love being back together!

 They all had an action figure of some sort and were playing on the stairs, so I couldn't pass up the kodak moment!

It was hard to get good picture, but what can you expect with four 3-year olds??

We had an extra attendee this day, Sam, because his mom was sick and needed a break and the boys loved the extra company! 

 Wes held his own pretty well and totally felt like a big boy in the midst of all the craziness!

 They all stopped for one split second...

But it didn't last long...they were back to being super heroes in no time flat!

Another boy that Thad loves spending time with is his best friend, Alex:

 Emily, Alex's mom, and I see each other several times a week as we are dropping our kids off at each other's houses. It is easier to have Alex over for Thad to play with because then I can focus on some of my daily tasks while he has a play pal!

These two are so awesome together and I'm so thankful for the unique relationship they share that has allowed Emily and I to rely on each other and help each other out.

Wes of course likes to butt in when he can, and luckily they are both pretty good sports about it! 

With these boys of ours, there is never a dull moment.

Thad turned their new laundry basket into a cage for just about anyone and anything.

I love when $4 things that weren't meant for entertainment turn into endless play. The only reason he has stopped is because I finally had to put the dirty laundry in it!

Wes loves socks. 

It went on for about three minutes straight.

I obviously couldn't get enough.

This boy is also a little clumsy. :(  

The bruiser on the forehead is actually my fault. He stood up to the outside of the bathroom door while I was inside, I then opened it and he fell in. It was traumatic.

That same day he was in the half bath with Thad, no windows and the lights off, lost his footing (because who wouldn't in a pitch dark bathroom), and cracked his cheek on the metal garbage can.

Poor kid.

He seems to have handled it all pretty well, tho!

Brian caught our baby on some pretty crazy hair days:

 But he recovered and is still really cute. 

Don't worry!

These brothers are so cute together:

 And throw a dad in there and it gets even better!

And here is our Thad with a sneak peek into Wes' first birthday bash we had last night that went off without a hitch!

Stay tuned!