Women's March Boston

Taking the Red line in.

Crowds spilling from Boston Common across the streets into the Public Garden.

Angel statue looking over the march.

Lanie and I.  She was a good companion though a little heavy after a while.

Statue on the mall wearing a pussy hat.

Crowds gather to listen to speeches.

The Bears

Winnie-the-Pooh recently got a makeover and now it seems to be becoming a daily occurrence to dress the bears.  It is fun to find them dressed when I come across them unexpectedly.

Lanie Gets a hug while Reading

Lanie got a hug while reading her book upside down.

Signs

When I went to leave the house yesterday morning, the children were making signs for their bedroom doors.  This is Vivian's, it purpotedly says, "Sam can't come in."  Sam's is not pictured, but it read something to the effect of "Vivian is not allowed in my room.  If she comes in, it is $1 an hour, or 1 cent a minute.  After 4:00 it's free."

Drawing

The kids have been drawing a lot lately.  I think staying home when Sam had strep they became bored and then finally settled into finding themselves things to do around the house that I didn't facilitate.  Here they are drawing and their new favorite subject is apparently Lanie.

Breastfeeding

I've breastfed all of the children and had some struggles along the way.  Sam had a hard time initially, and then both the girls seem to be intolerant of dairy, Vivian moreso.  Lanie is the easiest, or maybe I'm the most relaxed.  There is a #normalizebreastfeeding movement now and an ap where you can take a selfie and turn it into artwork.  As much as breastfeeding is physically and sometimes emotionally taxing, and as much as it's really not fun to pump at work, I'll be sad when Lannin is finished.  I'm lucky to have had this bonding with each of the babies.

These Two

They are growing so fast!

Vivan and Lanie Drawing

Lanie practicing

Sam & Lanie Playing Peekaboo

The bigger kids are delighting in Lanie becoming more interactive (at least until she starts to move and gets into their stuff).

Sam's drawing of the Peekaboo game.

This is How we Brush our Hair

I got sick before a snowstorm and kind of dumped the older kids on my parents.  But I got to rest and spend one-on-one time with Lannin, which I realize I so rarely do.  I brushed her hair and then handed her the brush and she did tried it.  Previously she thought the brush was just for eating, apparently I should brush her hair more often.

She's getting too, big too quickly!

Adventures of Piggy Pig

Last spring we ended up getting two guinea pigs, before Lanie was born.  We had some misleading idea that it would be soothing and good for the children to have something to take care of.  Our two guinea pigs have distinct personalities.  Sam's is called Goldie, and Vivian, not being able to say. guinea pig, called her's Piggy-Pig.  Goldie is kind of chill and calm, and let's the kids hold him.  Piggy Pig on the other hand is more hyper and doesn't like to be held, he runs around.  The guinea pigs first cage didn't work out, as we were constantly cleaning the shavings and food that would go flying through the bars of it.  They graduated to a aquarium style cage which did not have a top and it wasn't long before Piggy Pig figured out that he could escape out of the top.  He climbed out a few times but had two big adventures.

Recently he climbed out of the cage just as I was leaving for errands.  We were all in the living room area, I was coming down the stairs when I heard a crash and a scattering, then Chris dash across the room.  Piggy Pig had run across the desk next to his cage and directly through the manger scene.  I left the house with Chris cleaning up the mess and Vivian lecturing Piggy Pig on "hurting baby Jesus and the angel." 

More recently, I came home with the children and they went into the living room while I went into the kitchen.  It was dark and I heard a scampering, I turned and almost stepped directly on Piggy Pig who was a little startled to see me.  He ran and I ran after him, we did a lap around the staircase and through the hall, by the children and then again.  Everytime I bent time to grab him, he'd squiggle away.  The children were delighted and started cheering him on.  Eventually we got him into the living room area and shut all the doors.  I left a trash can on it's side with a carrot in it and after he calmed down, he crawled in, and the kids came to tell me they had him and we slid him back into the cage and make a strong roof out of books and other heavy objects. 

Now the guinea pigs have a bigger aquarium that Chris assures me with contain both of them with no escapees.