65 degrees with a steady breeze

There were "extra" days in January that Jon had the option to take off work. He jumped at it. We spent a lovely morning organizing, repairing broken drawers in the nursery, and projecting together. After the boys napped we loaded up and ran away to the zoo. It was 65 degrees and sunny.

Anne shared her family pass with us and we got carousel and train rides included with admission. The boys were mesmerized on the carousel.

7 month old cheeks must be my favorite because I have tons of pictures of Jack's cheeks around this age also. They just hang so puffy and cute!

Jon swallowed his aversion in deference to Jack's amazement over the snakes

My favorite was the new twins this tiny monkey sported as a backpack. The babies hang on to her sides, stomach, or back as she goes on with life. Their forms were so delicate. The adult is about a foot long in body, maybe shorter.

The best news is that Jon has Tuesday off too!

A full day

This is to date my very favorite picture of London.

This morning Jon and I were shocked to wake up to 8:00. Our children have not both slept past 6:30 yet in 2012. We give them permission to love 8:00 wake ups. After spending the morning finishing some house work we went downtown to take the entire Vanderhorst family picture. I say entire because that includes 23 people. It was a great time wrangling kids and shooting on continuous mode to catch all of them with their eyes open. We stayed and hung out with them for a while and then headed to the Chinese New Year celebration. Dumplings. Dumplings. Dumplings. I could eat 2 dozen. I might have actually, but I hope no one was counting. I can always claim Jack helped me.

 

London likes sucking on large items like my face, mango seeds, and whole apples. Someday I might think about giving him some solid foods for real.

 Jon used Arie's awesome lights to try to explain astronauts to London.

 The very best moment was when Jack and Josiah decided to play in the shower and Jack turned it on. Josiah got drenched. I love Jack's face in this picture, as if he can't figure out why Josiah is all wet.

 London has a new crib...the floor of the guest room closet. It is dark, mobile, and a lot quieter than Jack's sleeping, snoring, and screaming in his sleep.

 Jack will be a musician forever. He loves music in every shape.

At Chinese New Year we got to see several old friends and London made many new ones.

Family pictures

 

This is our current "family picture" beautifully printed and hung in our living room. My brother took it for us when Jack was 2 days old. I love it, but I think London is going to start to wonder soon why we don't have him in our family picture. Let me just run some ideas by you as to why, just to help me sort out how to explain it to him.

 Our family picture a week after London was born. It is turned the wrong way for the space. I might just deal with that and turn the frame. This is my favorite option. (once again, compliments of my brother!)

 This one is just rather awkward. We ran out of time getting ready for the picture and forgot to dress London, or so it appears. One bare baby is cute when there is only one baby. Also, what exactly is Jack pointing at? And why didn't any of us think of smiling?

 I wasn't trying to crop London's double chin out of this one, but it is a slimming effect!

 Alternatively, this one is a little too slimming on Jack. And I have to wonder what London is thinking.

 A remarkable turnout for a camera balanced on top of our car on a self-timer. However, things like Jack's pants being hiked to his knees would bother me if I look at it in a large print every time I entered my living room. Again, if all four of us were sporting high-waters it would be different.

 I love the three oldest. Not London's most charming moment. :)

 Really ideal. But, Jon and I missed the finger memo.

 London wouldn't stop baking long enough to look.

A true character photo. It might actually end up in that frame yet.

Anyone want to try a shot at catching us all looking and looking intelligent, thin, happy, healthy, and well composed? If you were successful we might not recognize ourselves!

Stuck

Hilariously, this coin was stuck in London's mouth, and he was laughing so hard I couldn't get it out right away either. Jack wanted me to put it back in once we got it out so that we could all laugh again.

Playtime!

 I am hoping that Jack doesn't spend the wee hours of the night telling London that he is really the family dog. I mean, the tongue is cute and all, but I do hope he'll walk on two legs some day.

 This is a very typical neutral, pleasant, well rested London face. Mouth hanging slightly open, eyes begging someone to pick him up.

 I have a new adjective for Jack - earnest. He is so keen on doing everything exactly the same way it was done last time, and he wants to be understood so badly. The victorious grin he gives when you finally connect the puzzle pieces is worth all the desperate scanning through recent things you've told him to figure out what he might be trying to remind you of.

 

This is London's exuberant face. If this were a movie you would see all four limbs wildly flailing when he is making this face. I'd like to narrate him being impressed at Harmony's muscles, but they aren't that big...

 Harmony came to visit on Monday and it was fun to have a little baby in the house for a few hours. Josiah came to play too, and I had the happiest afternoon of finding a baby in every room I went in all afternoon. So happy.

 

the boys all talked and laughed through the open window on this unreal warm day

 

this kid likes me. it is very mutual.

 

He is also very determined when he focuses on something!

But, my favorite fact of all is that he can fit 5 grapes in his mouth at once. Chubby Bunny anyone?