Update

I've been bad about taking pictures of my kids lately (too busy taking pictures of my food, apparently).  So today we decided to have a little fun with the timer on the camera.

Here's my attempt at a "family" photo

(Paul is still part of the family - just not usually a present part)

Oh yeah, and I'm really hoping that's just a bad angle for me, or that the camera adds 10 pounds or something...cuz if that is what I really look like...???!!!

And this is Alex giving me a "Cinderella Kiss"

which requires some explanation...

(and please ignore the kitchen, it's a work in progress)

Last night I was laying between the kids at bedtime (Alex insists on sleeping with her bed pushed up against Noah's) and they were both fighting for hugs and kisses.  Suddenly Alex rolls over to me, wraps her arms around my neck, closes her eyes, tilts her head to the side and presses her lips firmly on mine...and doesn't stop, until I break away laughing.  She says, by way of explanation.  "A Cindawelwa kiss.  Dats how Cindawelwa kisses the pwince."

Thanks Disney - she's only 2!

And this is what the kids are doing right now:

Noah - coloring (sharks, of course)

Alex - snuggling (her red blanky, of course)

Yesterday Paul was on call (30 hour shift) so we did church by ourselves (as usual).  Luckily, things were slower than usual for Paul (i.e. his pager was NOT going off every 60 seconds) so he called us and said we should come visit him at the hospital.  We got to spend about 10 or 15 minutes with him, which was great.  We all loved it. 

As we were leaving, this was Noah's conversation with Paul:

N: Dad, I want to see the room where you work

P: I work in lots of rooms, all over the whole hospital

N: Ok, I just want to go in one

P: Well, there are really sick people in all those rooms so only the doctors can go in there

This is when I chimed in with

"Someday when mommy has another baby you can come see me in my hospital room again"

This appeased him.  That "someday" may be a lot further away than he realizes though : )

As for today the kids and I headed off to the ward picnic.  It was sweltering but the kids enjoyed themselves anyways.

Paul got home and waited up to see us before he crashed - for the rest of the day and night.  I was hoping to take the kids to a movie this afternoon but turns out there were no kids movies playing.  So we rented one instead and ate popcorn, candy, and soda downstairs.  Noah thought it was really cool how we turned it into a movie theater - all I did was cover the couch with a blanket so we didn't spill on it : )

After movies we had a "pancake picnic" in the backyard.  I was proud of myself for being so fun and creative with the kids but it backfired.  For some reason all the bugs were out tonight and after all of us found spiders crawling on our legs we headed back inside.

The three of us had FHE then went for a bike ride/walk.

Noah starts preschool on Wednesday and can hardly contain himself.

Poor Alex is in tears over it.

Hope your holiday was great!