May

May feels like a long time ago, and my brain doesn't work well these days.  But here are some pictures of the month.

The kids spent some time at the on-post child care.  Often they went kicking and screaming, but I know within 30 seconds of me leaving they were having a great time.  Tiago in particular has been kind of clingy lately, claiming he always wants to come with me.  But sorry kids, this mother needs a break!

This picture is funny to me because it came after a bedtime full of tantrums.  Tiago was yelling at me that he DID NOT want his pillows.  And, I didn't care.  So when I checked on him a few hours later he had followed through on removing all the pillows from his bed.  And I guess then he was able to rest peacefully.  Thank goodness.

Sundays were hit or miss.  Some were hard, others were better.  We tend to take selfies on Sunday because it's a way to entertain the kids.  (They like looking at themselves.)

Before Courtney and Peter came to visit I experimented with making a chocolate cake in a mini bundt pan.  Normally when I make the cake, it's a LOT for one sitting.  So dividing it into four was perfect: one for now, one for someone else, and two for eating later.  Siena certainly agreed and jumped right in when I wasn't looking.  (The problem with making a whole cake is you can't sample it before serving it.  Problem solved!) [I just reduced the cooking time.]

Sometimes the kids spontaneously play together.  I think Tiago really enjoys the girls at this age, when they're not busy smacking his head or pulling his hair/shirt.  I don't know why they get so much pleasure picking on him, but it's not in his nature to do it to them.  (Until he gets really fed up, and then he'll give one of them a huge push.)  This day they all gathered on his bed to read.  He even dragged the step stool in from the bathroom so they could get on the bed easier.  (Mila is back there in the dark behind Siena.)

 We visited several playgrounds.  The second picture below is especially telling--they are pulling each others hair simultaneously.  (Mila in yellow.)

Mila Left, Siena Right

And on the 17th we headed to Utah!  My Dad flew into Denver, so we picked him up on the way and it was so helpful to have him drive with us.  The kids only started screaming the last 30 minutes.  I couldn't believe how smooth the trip was.  And Tiago even fell asleep for about half an hour.  (The only one who slept!)  More on that trip later.