Chase and Jeannie

As parents we've found that one of the hardest things to capture on film is a younger brother with no older brother in sight.  Daniel always tries to squeeze into Chase photos.  He doesn't want the younger brother getting more attention.

Chase's aunt Jeannie managed to capture a few of these rarities and she shared them with us.

Chase Playing Basketball - Notice the little stain on his shirt

Chase Stacking Cups - where are those stains coming from?

Oh, now we know.  Chase was getting hungry.  "Thanks for feeding me Jeannie!"

Chase at Breakfast

Don't let this video fool you. Chase loves his food (in case you couldn't tell by his size - he is in a solid 12-month-old clothing size!) But, as he learns more and more new tricks, he likes to use them as he plays with daddy, mommy and Daniel. The latest, drumming his tongue against his lips at meal time. The other morning, JJ and Chase both left the table speckled with creamy bananas!

Spring Has Arrived ...

... and the giggles around our home have returned!

Last Straw for Barney

Yet again this winter our family is sick. Yet again the virus was brought into our home via Daniel. Yet again we will have no idea if the culprit was preschool, Sunday school, story time at the library, or one of those indoor play areas that seem like such a great idea at the time.

In the last few days the sickness has spread from Daniel to the rest of us, no thanks to Barney and Friends. Daniel is a big fan of the "I love you" song. Totally sweet when he isn't sick (and as long as he doesn't repeat it over and over, and over). But when the boogers are flowing and the cough is blowing, the song is our biggest nightmare. You know the rest of the song, right? "...with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you ..."

Thus again, the Hendricks clan is sick.

No Sugar Added

Most moms have beautifully crafted blogs that bare witness to the best and brightest moments in their kids' lives. For the most part, I have done the same. But, not today.

My kids are sick. My kids are whiny. My kids got me sick and now I am whiny, too. The only good thing about today is that there is another day tomorrow. By the strength of God we will plow through this yucky-no-good-very-bad-day and reach a better tomorrow, but until then, today has been brought to you by the word,"blah."

Okay. Okay. I came up with a few positive notes for the day.

1) Both of my kids want to be held at all times, so I have been forced to lift 20-32 lbs all day. Hello, mommy muscles!

2) The kids are past the point of no return with sharing germs, so I don't care if Daniel feeds his half eaten bread stick to Chase. It has saved me lots of breath.

3) Nobody is hungry, so no dinner needs to be made.