Helping Out Around the House

For some reason, as the boys get older, Mommy seems to work much harder. I know that people say as they get older, multiples get easier, but I haven't found that to be true. It's just different, and I never seem to get to sit down for more than five minutes. The boys have started helping me around the house.
Here James is helping Mommy do laundry. He does such a great job of pre-treating the stains before we wash.
Michael dusts the tables and cleans the glass for that newly fingerprinted clean.
Ryan picks up the books and toys. Every Mommy needs a toy taster.
Here the gang helps Mommy by cleaning up the dog hair off the kitchen floor. No matter how often I sweep, they still seem to be able to pick up handfuls of Duke's hair and they seem to love putting it in their mouths. After all that hard work, it was time for a toy break.
James loves pushing things. He is getting to be very good at getting chairs across the kitchen as well as his toys.
Michael wonders why plastic bananas seem to stay fresh so much longer than store bought ones.
Ryan likes to turn everything upside down - and then climb on it. I'm pretty sure of all my children, Ryan will be the one to climb Mt. Everest.

Lookin' Out My Front Door

Lately, the boys have been very interested in what is going on outside our four walls. Tragically, except for the occasional grocery outing or restaurant, we don't leave the house much. Just the thought of loading them into the car sends shivers down my spine - especially since we have the new seats, and you have to bribe them with animal crackers to stay still while you buckle them in. Their favorite hang outs are looking through the glass doors we have on our front and back doors. They especially love looking out the back door when Duke is outside. They jockey for position, and the other day, I caught James and Michael trying to shut Ryan in between the glass door and the back door (when I fussed at them, they gave me those innocent angel smiles, but I'm pretty sure they knew what they were doing as poor Ryan howled in protest).

James takes Momo for a ride. "This is how you make this chair rock, Momo. Do it like I am."

Michael is happy to have James for a resting spot. "It gets so tiring standing here, let me just lean on your shoulder for some support."

Michael takes command of the rocking chair. He knows that chairs are for sitting in (or at least he's humoring mommy for a minute or two before he does a swan dive off said chair).

This pose makes me think of those movies when prisoners are behind glass, and they touch the glass to make contact with their visitor. Either that or they are at a Sting concert singing along to "Free, free, set them free."

Ryan likes to bang on glass - be it door or table top, the resounding noise of flesh hitting glass is quite fantastic in his opinion.

Alright boys, put your hands up and spread 'em.

Scarface and His Henchmen

Last week, Mom & Grandma went on a cruise and Bob had meetings in Utah. In order to maintain my sanity, Bob and I called in Grandma Newhouse. We had a lovely time with her. The boys were so happy to have her in town to play with. I think that Grandma Kathy had no idea how much more active her little men had gotten since Christmas. They are everywhere, all the time.
One of their most recent tricks is to stalk you for food. Don't eat in front of the Newhouse Boys without planning to share. Daddy's cheez-its are no exception. Another obsession is Daddy's hat. For weeks, Bob's hat has been hanging on the back of one of the barstools. James, in particular, has been obsessed. He stretches and strains to get the hat.
On Thursday night, Grandma Kathy watched the boys while Mommy went to visit her good friends from Sam Houston. Poor Grandma had to go to the potty, and unlike when I head to the throne room, no entourage followed. Apparently, James, Michael, and Ryan all were hanging on the stool attempting to acquire the coveted prize.

The monkeys managed to pull the entire chair over and in the process, James got the hat and a pretty impressive scratch on his face. It's getting better every single day, and I don't think it will leave a scar, but poor Grandma Kathy feels horrible. I say it builds character and gives us a story.

"Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!"

Michael, kicked back getting his bottle held by Grandma. Life is good.

Window watcher. Ryan loves to see what's going on in the outside world with the added bonus of trying to climb up on the windowsills.

The Rascal James.

Michael makes a quick stop in the jumper. He loves to jump, but he's not so keen on the restraint.

Ryan plotting his next feat of greatness. What next? Stairs? Dog water? Daddy's office?