Splish, Splash I Was Taking a Bath...

There is just something about bathing a baby! Their little expressions of awe as they squeeze the bubbles and giggle.... the way they splash and then look so surprised when the water sprinkles down on them....wrapping them up in a towel that is way too big for their sweet little bodies...holding them all warm and dry and smelling so lovely. Most days, this is exactly how I feel when I bathe my children. They are so fun in the tub, and they say such sweet things, and sometimes it's the first time in the day when we have slowed down enough to really talk, and I love it.

Most days...

Other days, things like this happen:
1. I turn around to grab the baby shampoo, and when I turn back around, both boys have simultaneously pooped. No lie. I don't know how they did it, but I'm sure it was planned.

2. I reach around the edge of the tub for a boat that Kaden has requested and all of the sudden I hear, "Oh, no...I peeing...on Grey's head!" Yes, that's right. Kaden was standing there with a look of shock on his face, and Greyson was squinting up into a stream of urine that was splashing directly onto his forehead and running down into his eyes. Thank heaven that urine is sterile, and that is not the first time I have said that.

3. I hear a gasp of pain from Kaden and turn to see Greyson grabbing him in a not-so-appropriate spot with a not-so-gentle grasp and a look of pure glee on his little cherub face. (Perhaps he was getting back at him for his urine shower???)

Either way, after these experiences I have begun to wonder...should I not bathe my boys together? My mom always bathed at least two of us together, and as a time saver, I think it just makes sense. Yet...somehow these things never happen when Lauryn takes her bath. Hmmm....let me know what you think.

Spring Break in Chicago

During spring break the week before last, we spent a few days in Chicago. It was so much fun! The kids were really at a great age to go, and they had just as much fun staying in the hotel as they did getting out and seeing the sights.

On Monday, our first day in the Windy City, it was very warm and sunny, so we headed straight to the Lincoln Park Zoo. It was awesome! It is a free zoo, so you only have to pay to park. We saw some great animals...polar bears, silver back apes, rhinos, and a giraffe, to name a few. We also happened to hit the zoo around feeding time, so the animals were fairly active, which was nice because we got to see a lot of different movement and hear them make some great sounds.

Tuesday was Lauryn's birthday, and the peak of the day was spent at American Girl Place. To even things out for the boys, we also hit the Disney Store, where Kaden spent a LONG time in front of a full wall display of everything Cars. Then, because Troy was so patient with all of us, we went to Niketown, a must see for Troy every time we go to Chicago.

Wednesday was cold and rainy, which made it the perfect day to head to Shedd's Aquarium and spend the day indoors. We checked out early and went straight there as we had heard it could be a long wait to get in. When we got there, the line was already down the fifty steps to the entrance and back along the sidewalk to the Field Museum. We had been patiently standing in line for about five minutes when a nice lady behind us said, "Oh, you have a stroller; you can do to the accessible entrance on the other side." Well...the accessible entrance wait is about a third of the time. We only waited about 35 minutes, which was short. We then spent a long, relaxing day wandering around the exhibits, and we ended with their Fantasea show, which features dolphins, Beluga whales, penguins, and even a red tailed hawk. Kaden especially loved the aquarium as he loves "darks" (sharks), and even wants to be one for Halloween. (Anyone know where you find a shark costume???) He was also disappointed, though, because he had been hoping to see a "Macawoni Penguin", otherwise known as a Macaroni Penguin. Greyson, our Mr. Content, who had been not so content to be pushed around the city for two days, was very chill at Shedd's. It was a great way to wrap up our vacation!

To wrap up this post, I thought I'd leave you with a few Chi-town quotes:
Kaden (when arriving at the hotel room): "So dis is we new home? Where do we put our shoes?"

Kaden (while walking down Michigan Ave.): "I mahd."
Kate: "Why are you mad, honey?"
Kaden: "Tuz I want to doh to the dity."
Kate: "We did go to the city...this is the city."
Kaden: "Oh...dis is it, huh?"

Yes, you may have noticed that many of our funniest quotes are from Kaden. What can I say? He has a unique perspective on life.

Happy Birthday, Lauryn!

On Tuesday, April 6, Lauryn turned five! It was a big year for her. She loves school and knew she would be starting kindergarten the year she turned five, so she couldn't wait. She also got a new bike, something girly as opposed to the oh-so-practical unisex Radio Flyer she received when she was potty trained. She was thrilled! To top it all off, we happened to be in Chicago for her birthday because it was during spring break, so Lauryn and I went to the American Girl Place, where she picked out some special things for her doll, Sarah Lynn. We also had a special tea at the cafe in the store. I must say, for those of you who have a daughter and have not been there, it is one special place. We would definitely go again! The highlight of the day was when Lauryn asked to go to the bathroom, and upon entering it, we discovered that they even have a special holder for your doll on the wall in the stall!

As this post is all about Lauryn and the fact that she is already FIVE (where does that time go???), I wanted to spend a few minutes telling you all about the little girl who stole our hearts those few short years ago. Lauryn is as girly as they come. She is dramatic about everything. She is frequently seen prancing around the house in plastic high heels, a dress, and her sunglasses. She makes up songs about anything and everything that comes to mind. Lauryn is a perfectionist who likes things to be just so, but she also makes everything into a party, which is a nice combination in a big sister. She loves her brothers, often caring for Grey as if he were her own baby, and running around with Kaden as her best bud. Lately, Lauryn has discovered spelling, and so she spells things constantly. For example, "M-o-m please tell K-a-d-e-n n-o jumping on my bed!" Sometimes she even uses her finger to write the words in the air as she spells them. Lauryn is also a thinker with a very big heart. A few months ago, as I was tucking her into bed, she asked,"Mom, now that Jesus is in my heart, what does he do there? How does he sleep, and what does he do if I'm sleeping?" My response was something along the lines of, "Well, He is in your heart to be with you, bring you comfort, and help you." She replied, "Ah...so he's just there so I don't feel alone." Wow. Some of the best theology comes from five year olds.... Thanks for just being you, LoLo! We love you!

Feelin' Sheepish

This is a little bit of a belated post, but I wanted to share some very cute pics from a couple of weekends ago. Some friends of ours, the Geukes family, raises lambs for 4-H kids, and they invited us out to see the last of their spring lambs. The kids had a great time! The lambs were so cute, and they even got to see a very young, very black little lamb up close. It was a great learning experience for them to see so many sheep altogether at once. As usual, Lauryn was cautious and careful, Grey just hung out with us, and Kaden barged right on in with the bulls, anxious to see it all and do it all. Here are a couple of cute shots for you to enjoy!

The DeWys family meets a little lamb.

Lauryn and the lamb nose to nose.

Kaden pets the little "deep."

Visiting the Geukes' cousins' 4-H pigs.

He Is Risen! He Is Risen Indeed!

Okay...get ready for a little light reading! I'm a little behind in posting because we have been having so much fun this week! So...you have three posts in a row today! Enjoy!

Happy Resurrection Day! We have had one of the best Easters in recent memory, and I wanted to get some pics up right away. The kids were adorable! Kaden kept announcing things to people like, "Jesus was tilled (killed)," and "He is wisen!" What a great guy! Greyson grinned and sucked on his new Little People Easter toys. Lauryn spun around and around and mumbled, "Head up, now walk, walk, walk, Little Princess."

I was most pleased with how Lauryn and Kaden are beginning to understand the real meaning of the day. Although they loved their candy and gifts from their Easter buckets, they also really talked about Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. We're so pleased that they understand the real reason for our celebration on this day. He died for us! Praise God!

Yesterday, the kids also participated in the fifth annual neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt, so I posted a pic or two of that as well. Lauryn had to offer a lot of support for her brother because Kaden just froze and stared at all the other kids running around looking for eggs. Thank goodness they are such a good team! She really helped him out!

Have a blessed day!

Spring Break Kick Off

On Friday, we kicked off our spring break with family play date. Lauryn's friend, Emmaline Kapenga, came over to our house that morning to play for a little while. Then, we met Emmaline's mom, Sarah, and her little brother, Isaac, at a park for a picnic lunch. It was a BEAUTIFUL day, and the kids had such a good time! Lauryn and Emmaline even performed their own version of American Idol for us at the park's outdoor theatre! Their renditions of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and "The ABC Song" were top notch. Way to go, Ladies!

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

On Tuesday, Lauryn was the star helper in her preschool class! She was excited, because naturally, as my daughter, she loves to help (aka...boss others around), and she loves her birthday, which we were celebrating at school that day. Lauryn's many duties included helping with the calendar, setting up and helping to pass out the snack, and leading the line when we went outside to play. As parent helper, my duties included helping twenty little cuties make Resurrection Rolls (After you bake them, they're empty...just like Jesus' tomb!), paint their empty tomb pictures, and assist Mrs. Genzink, Lauryn's teacher. We both had a blast! I love seeing other teachers at work in their classrooms, and Sarah Genzink is fantastic! Her love for Christ was so evident in the way she led worship with the students, spoke gently to each child, and carefully managed twenty kids at a very "delicate" age. We have been very pleased with Lauryn's experience at Zeeland Christian School the last two years, and as this was L's last time as helper, it was a great way to end! Yea! Way to go our little star!