Ainsley Marin is 1 year and 2 months old. She's growing up into a toddler so quickly.  She is great at listening to and then following instructions (bring this to so and so, clean-up your toys, etc.). She's learned how to turn not only the radio on, but find the CD button and press that as well, then proceeds to dance.  One of her favorite things to do these days seems to be throwing things away... She'll walk entirely across the house with something in her hand, go into the kitchen and throw an item in the garbage (whether it should be thrown away or not!). During the course of the day we periodically have to check the garbage to see what might have made it's way in there!  There are a few things that we haven't been able to find and we'll give you one guess where they might be.  She's continuing to be a little rascal with Aidan, stealing his things and bopping him once in a while when he doesn't give in to her.  With that being said, she's still the sweetest little bugger ever.  Amazing that in her whole life she's never cried when waking up in the morning, just simple wakes up with a smile and plays in her crib until we are ready to get her. We're sure lucky. Whenever Ainsley gets up from a nap or enters a room, Mommy or Daddy say "look who's up" and the rest of the kids all yell in unison "Ainz-a-lee!" (sort of like "Norm!" from Cheers), and Ainsley responds with an open-mouth "Aaaaaaaaa!" and a wave.  She's a little monkey and will climb on just about everything, but for some reason the computer table is still her target of choice.  Plopping her bum right down on the keyboard and laughing.  She joins the rest of the gang with chores (love's to play "clean up") and has the job of opening up the family room shades in the morning (of course she can only push them up about 10 inches), but at night, when we want them down, she'll play a game and go around opening all six of them in a row, over and over again as the other kids close them.
    Question of the Month--what's her favorite food:  Cheese, cheese, any kind of cheese

Aidan Kane is 2 years and 8 months old.  Same old, same old, working with his tools, playing with his trucks, being a boy and getting into what little trouble he can around the house with the girls.  He also wants to play on the computer a few times every day lately.  He's getting really good at controlling the keys and the mouse. Might we have another Engi-nerd in the making (sorry, Daddy!)?  Aidan has also had a huge appetite lately and eats almost anything in site (except chocolate, he hates chocolate--good thing, more for Mommy).  He'll wake up in the morning and say "I want Eggies" and helps to make himself 4 scrambled eggs, this along with eating 4 sausages, a clementine, a huge cup of milk and once in a while some o.j.  At dinner last night, he not only ate his huge sloppy joe sandwich, but half of Keeley's and half of Kaelin's, and about 3 cups worth of broccoli.  He's still as slim as ever, and must also have Daddy's metabolism to stay thin even though he could eat a house.
    Question of the month--what's your favorite food:  Fruit (especially, clementine's!)

Kaelin Avery is 3 years and 10 months.  She's been a big bookworm this month and can't get enough of reading.  She always want to sit on your lap though, and sometimes that's tough when you're reading to four kids in a circle and attempting to have them all see the pictures!  It's been painful for us to hear her talk incessantly about wanting a pet animal and knowing that we can't possibly fit it into our schedules right now - kitty, puppy, bunny, guinea pig, on and on!  She's so loving when it comes to her stuffed animals and keeps asking if she's old enough to take horseback riding lessons. The closest we've gotten recently to pony rides is the big Merry-Go-Round at the mall - which we did today, after treating Keeley and Kaelin to their favorite Mexican Restaurant a few towns away (which happens to be decorated with horses along with the other Mexican decor). 
    Question of the month--what's your favorite food: cookies (a girl after momma's heart!)

Keeley Shea is 5 years old!  She had her birthday princess party last weekend and had a blast.  All of her friends from school were able to come and the party was packed with everything princess!  It's been like Christmas all over again with all the cool stuff she got as presents.  She's started to talk about her 6th birthday party, and we've had to slow her down (especially because she says she wants an E.T. birthday (now what would that look like!)...we borrowed the movie from the local library a couple weeks ago and she fell in love with it).  Keeley has been practicing learning how to read and is really enjoying reading books while attempting the words. Keeley has had about 6 piano lessons already and really, really loves them.  She loves to practice and is disappointed if we forget to practice that day. Keeley's bond with Ainsley grows greater every day, she's a mini-mom, especially when Mommy is away which has been a lot --too much :-(  lately!  Keeley had a temperature over the weekend and barely moved from the couch - except when her greatest love - Ainsley - would come over to say hi.  Keeley would light up with the biggest smile.  We've caught her whispering softly in Ainsley's ear "Ainsley, I love you the best of all."  It's so cute.
    Question of the month--what's your favorite food: white rice and mashed potatoes (she's politically correct and refuses to say whether mommy or nana's are better!)

Everyone has been fighting a bit of a bug over the past few days.  Keeley, Kaelin and Aidan have had it the worst so far, with temps up in the 104 mark and not wanting to do anything but sleep.  We're all really itching for the good weather to come sooner rather than later. We can't complain about the snow, we've really just been having dustings lately (knock on wood). Keeley and Kaelin tell us that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this week, so we'll have  more weeks of winter...Ugh!  Jeff got two more new windows in this month and we think, we'll be taking a break from house stuff for a while. It's tired us out. Except for painting, that will get done as soon as it warms up outside!