Official Bug Hunters

This is my official Bug Hunting Team.

The goal of bug hunting is to spot, catch, and confine any and every bug that they spot. The bigger the better, the jumpier the more fun, the scarier looking the more I shriek. They like that!

 

One of the best bug hunting spots is down by the church near our house. There are tons of different plants there and they seem to have the biggest grasshoppers around. The big kids like to bike down. We usually go on the nights when Dan is home after naps, bring a snack to keep the bug hunters strong and motivated. They get a bike ride in, or a wagon ride if you're Titan, and lots of big bugs.

We even made bug spotting binoculars to help the Official Bug Hunting Team. I love coming up with little crafts for them to do (because I am not crafty) and these seemed perfect for their big imaginations. I have begun saving every toilet paper roll and paper towel roll in case some fun crafting ideas arise.

 

It was really sweet to see them all looking through them trying to find bugs. Quinton was convinced that he could spot bugs better looking through them.

 

Bug hunting is not for the weak. They will be out running from spot to spot for over an hour. Extreme excitement erupts when they catch a big one, disappointment when they miss one or capture one a little too roughly and they don't make it.

We even have a large bug jar with small holes drilled in the top so that we can bring them home and keep them, feed them, hold them, love them until they die. Bugs, they love them.

I love this picture of Quinton. His face is one of determination, but it's clear by where he is looking that he didn't capture it. It's pretty funny when all four members of the bug hunting team get on all sides of a bug and capture it. Teamwork is a must when it comes to bug hunting. It doesn't seem to matter who actually captures the bug as long as they get 'em.

Rex always has time to stop and pick me a flower, or a dead dandelion.

And here is my bug hunting cheering buddy. Next year he will be right in with the rest of them.

Here is the crew when we got home. They seem pretty pleased with themselves.

And here are just a few of the delightfully creepy bugs that we brought home. As a mother to my fabulous wee ones I have learned to celebrate and embrace the creepy, crawly without touching or getting close to them. Impressive isn't it?

My only girl embracing the bugs. She will not be afraid of anything!

Just one of the many adventures that we go on with Daddy. I love my bug hunting team. Just another reason why we are sad to see the warm weather coming to an end. Bug Hunting is definitely right up there with swimming for these kids.

20 Weeks

20 Weeks.

Halfway there. 

Halfway to meeting our little baby boy.

Halfway through all the craziness of being pregnant. 

20 weeks until our family will be complete. 

WOW!

I think that this has been the slowest pregnancy that I have experienced. At the same time with all the fun fall activities and the holidays coming I'm sure that these next 20 weeks will fly by. Lots to look forward to. 

Our official ultrasound is on Thursday afternoon. Dan and I will get to go together and then follow it with a date. I always look forward to our date afternoon/evenings and what a fun way to spend and hour of it, staring at our little boy wiggle and move around. Ultrasounds always amaze me, at 20 weeks they usually weight a little less than a pound and yet everything part of the baby is there and moving and functioning. It's truly a work of the Lord. 

We have been crazy busy getting into the swing of fall, out of the summer schedule. The three big kids started gymnastics and have enjoyed learning to "flip" and jump and swing. It's fun to watch them enjoy themselves. Even our days at home seem a little more scheduled, in a good way. Doing crafts and games, going for bike rides, of course bug hunting and just enjoying life together. I will admit that I have not been the best at photographing our weeks. So all I've got for you are pictures from my phone... Still the same sweet kids, just a little less crisp. 

These are a few snapshots from what happened in our life this week.

I woke up at 5:45am to find my daughter sleeping in the hallway. I went to shut my door so that I could get ready for the day and found her passed out. Sleeping Beauty. No idea how long she was there, or what she was doing. The Rude's have a history of being crazy sleepers (I have some great stories of Dan sleep walking and talking). I'm hoping that she's not quite as crazy as her Daddy. She does look pretty sweet there in her cozy pjs and her little pillow.

 

Haircuts were a must this week. Without so much humidity Quinton's hair was getting really crazy and unless I wet it every morning he looked like a mess, and well convincing him to let me wet his hair is quite a battle. So, off it went. He is much happier. I don't have to mess with his hair and he still looks totally handsome. He has incredibly thick hair.  Rex got a haircut as well and I trimmed the back of Myla's. She did not want to be left out!

 

Shortly after haircuts my house turned into imagination central, superheros were chasing the lady bug who quickly got extremely hot and turned into a princess with fair wings and a big bellied one year old found as much stuff to get into as possible. My children are incredible at coming up with fun scenarios at playing them out all together and Titan just wants to be part of the gang. We have quite the fun house, and in case you thought a house with 2 superheros, a princess and a crazy one year old was quiet, you were wrong. We have a loud house.... just how we like it!

 

Just about the sweetest picture ever is from this morning.  Dan has begun taking a different kid on a Sunday morning breakfast date. One on one time with Daddy is the best. This morning he and Myla had their date. She woke up and got a flower from her daddy, put on her dress, packed her purse (with several different lip gloss, some stickers, markers and coloring book) and headed to enjoy an hour and a half of alone time with her favorite guy in his car (big deal). She was over the moon and told just about everyone she saw at church that she had a, "date with daddy this morning." My husband is amazing at loving our kids.

 

And this last picture is from my Sunday morning snuggle buddy. Titan still needs a little morning nap so at church I soak up the alone snuggle time with him while Dan is preaching and the big kids are at Sunday school. It works about 75% of the time that he will fall asleep still. I just love it. Nothing more precious than a baby sleeping on your chest, and when the baby is the cutest one year old in the world it is just perfect!

So, 20 weeks along with another perfect little blessing. I feel like daily I am in awe of all that the Lord has blessed our family with. Thankful!

Nana and Papa part 1

Let me start out by saying, I AM STILL SOOOO TIRED! 

I told Dan the other day that I must have mono, his response was, "I don't think so. I just think you're pregnant with four kids four and under." Other than complete exhaustion, I'm feeling pretty good. I will be 20 weeks along on Sunday. I still nap every single day and go to bed way earlier than I prefer but I have begun to feel our little guy moving around and kicking me which is a good reminder that the exhaustion is for a purpose. 

All the tiredness made me appreciate even more the 22 hour (yes, only 22 hours) and a week later the 3 day visit from Nana and Papa. I am always in awe of how my parents come right in and love and serve my family, pouring their energy into my kids and then leaving completely worn out. We tend to have that effect on people. 

They stopped in Des Moines for 22 hours on their way to my sisters house. She had back surgery a few weeks ago so they went up to Minneapolis to help her out. We made the most of their visit, of course made a Caribou stop and headed to the park.

Fearless at four!

Titan tends to be QUITE clingy when he's concerned that I might be leaving or someone might take him away from me which makes for some interesting times for him when Nana and Papa are here. Hopefully soon he will realize that they are the coolest, best Nana and Papa ever. Hoping by Christmas he will have arrived at that conclusion!

This boy is so stinkin cute. 

My children love any Nana and Papa time they can get.  

 

Papa proudly sporting Myla's pink sunglasses.

Quinn is all about the climbing and then of course jumping down.

Rex having a pouty moment.  Papa making fun of him....

Papa and his oldest grandson.

The sunglass gang. So precious.

I do exist.

Everyone up the slide. Of course Titan would not be left out, therefore I go down too!

Papa and his blue eyed granddaughter. 

Even though it was only 22 hours, everyone enjoyed every minute of it! More pictures of their three days here to come! 

Happy 3rd Birthday

Happy 3rd Birthday to the sweetest twins imaginable, Rex Michael and Myla Jane.

It's hard to believe that so much life and joy can come from such small little blessings. Absolutely no one would ever guess that they entered the world at 3 lbs and 5 lbs and eight weeks early, no one would ever guess that they spent the first month of their little lives monitored 24/7, and no one ever could have prepared me for the fun and non-stop adventure that two at once brings.

I still remember screaming for joy and then crying tears of astonishment/excitement in the ultrasound room at almost 21 weeks along in my pregnancy when we asked to find out the gender of our baby and the ultrasound tech's response was, "Of which baby?" Talk about an amazing surprise. I'm tearing up just thinking about it (it could be the hormones from #5). Rex and Myla have brought nothing but excitement since day one. Having three children in 17 months set our family up for the most wonderful dynamic.

Rex and Myla's personalities are perfect. Rex is all boy. He is his daddy's biggest fan, and that's even an understatement. He loves his boy time with Dan and Quinton, he seems to think that he is older than Myla in the way that he tries to protect her (although she takes care of him too, it must be a twin thing), but every so often he grabs one of Myla's princesses and sticks it in his pocket for wrestling or bug hunting. My boy with a love for his girls! He's got it right. Rex is our animal/bug lover. He played with a grasshopper on our driveway for over an hour today and loved it to it's death. He still melts our and everyone else's hearts with his big brown eyes. He's just our perfect second son. Oh and I forgot to mention he loves to run EVERYWHERE! Quinton and Myla will want to bike on our walks and he just wants to run, and he runs and keeps up with them on their bikes. Speedy little guy. 

Myla Jane, our only little girl. Myla is ALL girl, with a bug stuffed in her skirt pocket. She is amazing at playing superheros, all while putting on lip gloss. She adores her doll house and playing mommy but seems to welcome Batman swooping in at any minute. Basically she is our little princess in a boy dominated house and she thrives in it. She is the sweetest little girl I have ever encountered. She melts my heart with her easy going personality and her loving nature. She really does want to make people happy and seems to really care for others. She sings and talks herself to sleep every night, no matter how tired she is. She needs time to process her day maybe, I can relate to that.

She already has taken on the role of protecting Wee #5. She is always telling her daddy that he has to be careful and can't wrestle me and reminding the boys not to jump on me so as to not hurt our baby. Sweet, thoughtful and protective. She will be over the moon to have her own little snuggle buddy when #5 arrives.

She and I stick together in our house full of crazy boys. I love that she and I get to do our nails together, dance around in the kitchen and every so often shed some tears. I love the little pink blessing in our lives. Myla Jane is truly an amazing little girl who our hearts delight in.

I always think it's good to remember how the Lord really protected these two little ones. So many things could have gone wrong being born so early and it's good for me to remember to be thankful for all the Lord has done for us.

Myla Jane was so stinkin tiny!

Looks like Titan with all that hair.

She still will tell Dan and I that she is too "tiny" to do things sometimes. Funny little girl she is.

My sister recently sent me an article from NBC that said that mothers of fraternal, "naturally born" twins tend to live longer than mothers of single born children. Hmmmm.... I'll take that. It said that mothers of twins are naturally stronger in the first place. I'm not to sure of that but I am sure that when you experience double the blessing at once your world will be filled with double the joy!

Their first time being held together.

 

And pretty much glued together ever since then. It's a special twins thing!

 

And it just wouldn't feel right to talk about Rex and Myla without talking about Quinton. They really are the three musketeers.

Just can't imagine one without the other two, and that goes for Titan as well now. The four of them are perfectly fit together in our family. We are looking forward to one more perfect addition to our family.

They are all in their new birthday PJs. Yes, those are winter PJs for Myla. She loves her "cozy pjs."

Happy Birthday to my favorite three year olds. I love them more every day. We are one blessed family!

Puddle Jumping

If I have learned anything about being a mother to my wee ones over these last 4 years, it's that clothes can be washed, dirt is ok and, "YES" is always the right answer to the question, "Can I jump in that puddle?"

Even a rainy day is not enough to keep these adventurous little ones inside our house. A friend of ours told Dan that he thinks that every day looks like the most fun day ever at the Rude house. Believe it or not, we have our moments, our bad day (hard to believe with a naturally sassy mother and 4 kids four and under) but we sure do have so many fun times. My children are fabulous at creating their own adventures and puddle jumping was nothing short of wonderful fun.

We spent just under an hour running, splashing and searching for the perfect puddle all while it was still raining. Titan and I spent most of our time under an umbrella watching the big kids enjoy themselves.

My children were soaked from head to toe. My boys had a goal to see who could splash their eyes and get their hair wet every time they jumped. There were some pretty crazy jumps because of that.

 

Soaked but having the time of their lives. They would have gladly stayed out longer but they were all so chilly I made them go inside.

Their boots took over two days to dry even in the sun. They found it quite entertaining that they had to dump water out of their boots when they took them off. I would say that dumping water out of your rain boots means it was a successful puddle jumping experience.

 

 

 Staying true to themselves, they ran everywhere.

I'm needed to keep my eyes open for bigger boots, totally worth the investment for my outdoorsy kids. We had to baby powder Rex' feet to get them into his boots and once filled with water they were suctioned in the boots pretty tight! Soon those will be Titan's, Quinton's will be Rex' and Myla and Quinton will need bigger boots. Oh the joys of growing children.

Thankful for the joy on their faces, thankful for their upbeat spirits, and thankful that I have learned to say, "Yes!" to wet adventures. I love these kids!