Matching Shirts and Memorial Service for Aunt Ella

It seems like Nathan and I are tired and have little to no free time most of the time these days but I know we'll look back on this time fondly. We even mostly enjoy it now, Nathan got to watch football with a sleeping baby on him today and I got to help out Bradley and Eleanor when Eleanor's new favorite toy lamb was missing and Bradley said in a sing song voice "it's probably lost foreverrr!" and Eleanor vehemently told him how wrong he was until I started laughing at how cute Bradley was and then we all laughed together. So many cuddles, so many cute kid stories.

I had to wake THIS up to go to a preschool picnic for Bradley. Oh this sweet baby face.

Weekend cuddles with Daddy

This is the tree in front of our house. The kids love "climbing" it. 

Nathan took this picture. I asked him if she was saying "I have an idea!". Yep! This is the classic Eleanor "I have an idea" pose. 

Patrick helps me get Bradley out of bed after nap time pretty much every day. Bradley is amenable to this state of affairs.

Bradley is SO exciting.

Eleanor is in a position to get spoiled rotten if she continues to be so cute about outings with Mommy. We went to Starbucks on the way back to pick up Bradley from preschool a couple weeks ago and these are the faces she made as she and I split a baked treat.

She also insists on wearing her new princess shoes whenever possible, which is everywhere but the park. They have sparkles AND there are pictures of Anna and Elsa inside.

And thank you Grandma Kathy for the fancy new dress! Eleanor loves the pockets.

I brought her with me to pick up a purse from Macy's this weekend and I think she was the only two year old in the store. She hopped her way through the place while saying "hop hop hop!" in her cute little Eleanor voice and we got many delighted looks.

She takes her shopping responsibilities very seriously. Today Bradley requested minion fruit snacks and Nathan told him we were all out so Eleanor informed us she would go shopping and get more.

Eleanor stories. Can't get enough. Especially when it's grape stems talking to each other at the dinner table.

 
Bradley has been very busy with school, this past Thursday he got to bring in a mystery bag and I got to come in at the end of school to read a book. The mystery bag is essentially a show and tell item you bring in but you give three clues and the other kids get to guess what it is. We had a bit of trouble getting Bradley to commit to just one item and then we got to have the three year old tell us three clues to write down, which is quite the process. His favorite clue was "it's a penguin" (he brought in his favorite bath toy penguin). We took a video of the process.

Also, despite me laying out about 6 books on the counter for him to choose between for me to read to his class, his initial choice was a miniature book of Charles Dickens' complete works that my Aunt Diana got for me as a joke about a year ago. He loves the book and carries it around a lot and demands that I read it to him which doesn't last very long because ... it's Dickens.

 
Patrick LOVES laying peekaboo with his siblings. He also loves being held upside down and bounced around.

Adoring looks for big brother Bradley

Patrick thinks this is REAL food. Give him this stuff, please.

He blows a lot of raspberries now. Love it.

We adore this kid so much. He is loved by all in the Scott household. And often by strangers who encounter his cute face. Who couldn't love this face?

Park outings can be so tiring.

My boys! Two out of three at least. Patrick looks so much like Bradley it's scary, Nathan and I sometimes play a game called "Bradley or Patrick" where I show him a photo and make him guess which child it is. He's right about half the time. 

This picture was taken today so he'd better know which child this is.

Bradley at the same age. A bit of a resemblance.

It's a regular occurrence when I go out with the three kids anywhere that people ask if they're ALL mine. Yep. Yes they are. Although the number of places we go as a group is fairly limited these days, it's primarily parks and friends' houses and Costco where we meet up with Daddy.

Costco is exhausting

And then you wake up and are attacked by sibling loves.

We try to keep it classy when we go out. How many kids can fit in a single stroller that is set up for an infant?

With three children to manage to say I pick my battles these days is an understatement. I have fully embraced bribery. Or we can just call it providing good incentives for good behavior. Sometimes I bribe with shows, sometimes they get to run around while listening to the Gummy Bear Song, and sometimes they get treats. However, I've learned its a little cruel to other parents when I start yelling out the words "ice cream!" in a public place so I've started to be a little more discrete. I'll say "Bradley, I have a secret I want to tell you" but then Eleanor generally hollers "Popsicle!!!" because I've used this trick more than once and she quickly picks up on things that lead to treats. Yes, most of our secrets are about popsicles around here. It's how I get us happily home from the park on hot days.

I've gotten all three kids in the wagon a couple times now. It's pretty adorable.

I especially like it when I dress the kids up in the matching shirts courtesy of Grandma Kathy. Thanks, Mom!

Eleanor and Bradley drive me crazy sometimes when they can't seem to stop messing with each other and I swear every time I'm ready to ground them for life they'll spontaneously break out some big hugs and start saying "I love you! You're my best friend!" Nothing makes me melt like the kids being little sweethearts with each other.

Here's some ring around the rosie footage.

 More wagon time!

I went to a memorial service for my Great Aunt Ella last weekend with just baby Patrick while Nathan stayed at home with Bradley and Eleanor. It was very good to see my Nebraska family I hadn't seen for a while and Patrick was very popular.

With my cousin Bob and cousin Donna.

And my lovely Aunt Dorothy and then Patrick's main buddy for the day, Uncle Ray. 

Patrick was pretty sure he needed Uncle Ray's tie.

Uncle Ray and Uncle David

  With Aunt Myrna and me with Aunt Ruth.

If I had given Patrick just five more minutes on that chair with Uncle Ray I'm pretty sure there would have been two sleeping guys instead of just one.

Nathan sent me pictures of his adventures with the kids while I was gone.

Poor Bradley zonked out during a Star Wars movie in the afternoon.

 We had a joyous reunion when I returned.

And Eleanor is a maniac. I can't believe she does stuff like this.

When we do family trips to the park we're quite the scene.

You might feel sorry for Bradley not being held by a parent. Don't. His suffering is kept to a minimum in his wagon bed.

Oh these kiddos. When I get enough sleep I really am enjoying all of this.

Patrick in a trendy GooGoo shirt courtesy of my Aunt Diana

Cuddles with Daddy in the basement

Patrick joy. There's no better sight!

And anything Bradley does Eleanor can do. She follows him everywhere, it's a good thing he likes it! (neighbor girl's friend is in the video because she knows a fun time when she sees it)