Alvin's 4th Birthday

Alvin turned 4 in March this year.  He is getting so big.  I have had to work really hard in parenting Alvin.  I some of my hard work is starting to pay off.  We have tried so many different punishing techniques and some have failed and some have worked.  He is at least starting to react to punishment.  Not always, but at least sometimes which is a huge improvement.  Even though he has been a challenge we love him so much and it is true what they say that the more you sacrifice for someone the more you love them. Alvin really knows how to be sweet too.  He always calls me "Mamma"  I love it.  He always says "Okay Mamma"  He is also always stopping what he is doing to come and give me a hug.  He laughs very easily.  He loves when I pretend there is another Alvin when he is being naughty.  I will say to him "who are you?" and he says trying not to laugh "Alvin" and I say "You're Alvin too??!!! I have a son named Alvin too. Maybe you guys can be friends."  And it usually gets him out of his tantrum at least for a minute.  I also have a hispanic accent that I pull out to try to get him out of a tantrum  it goes something like this "Why are you crying leetle boy?"  If you can imagine the voice.  Like I said I will try anything.  All I know that I hope his stubbornness turns out to be a positive thing when he gets older.  I really do love him no matter what. 

Chloe my niece has a birthday 3 days before Alvin so every year they get to celebrate together. 

This year we had Alvin's birthday at chuck e cheese. Alvin is the perfect age for it.  He loved it.  I made him a cars cake because that was his request.

Dancing with Chuck.

Alvin got to go in the ticket blaster as the birthday boy and is was the funniest thing ever.  He could not figure out to hold the tickets he had already gotten and then still try to grab more.  He was so proud that he could even get one.  Watch it is funny. 

Boys at home

Dean loves to play on my bed, but you have to hover over like a hawk because he darts all around and almost falls off many times.  He is a very active kid. It is hard for him to ever sit still.  He learned to crawl before he learned to sit up so I never got that stage where they just sit there.  Even in the bath he just crawls all around.  My other kids would just sit in the bath and with my other kids I could sit them up on the counter while I made dinner because they would just sit and watch, but not Dean as soon as I put him on the counter he is crawling all over the place and so that is the end of that. 

Here he is in the bath laughing so hard at me sneezing. 

Pine wood derby

Reid did a little better in the pine wood derby this year.  I told him to do something unique so at least he woudl win a prize for being unique if he didn't win any races.  So he made a frankenstein car.  His car did win some races too. 

March 2012

Dean loves the stairs.  We have gates on both the upstairs and the downstairs, but he still climbs up the stairs.  here he is at the top after climbing up the whole flight.  Alvin wanted to be in the picture too. 

Alvin likes to do tons of different poses for the camera, usually with his hands in different positions. 

Dean 10 months.

the leprechauns come to our house on Saint Patricks day and play tricks on us.  They also left these rainbows with gold rolos underneath.  And some lucky charms for breakfast.  They stood on the toilet and peed green pee in our toilet.  Silly leprechauns.

more sewing

 Clara is modeling a skirt I made it for my niece Cali for her birthday

I made this dress for Clara using another dress for the pattern.  I traced around all of the pieces of the other dress and made a pattern off of it.  I am loving a peter pan collar!

More baby shoes.  I love the mini chevron.

 Remember the dresses I made for my nieces last year? Well this year I made them a dress for their American doll to match.  Cutest thing ever in a mini version.  This one is Julia's

 And this one is Madison's the one above is the doll dress and the one below is hers. 

And here is a shirt I threw in with Madison's dress.  For her to wear.  Love the bib shirts to use up my scraps.