Hero Club tours a police station

 A cute friend of Collin's has a group that meets every couple of weeks called Hero Club. He LOVES it. Recently they got to tour a police station.

 The museum associated with the police station.

 Liam and Evelyn got to come too. They are always talking about real handcuffs, so I was hoping they would get to see them.

 After we got to see inside a real police car.

 There they are! The real handcuffs!

 And the real guns. This one was kind of scary to look at for me, but the kids LOVED it.

 The back seat where the "bad guy" sits.

Thanks to all the police officers for keeping us safe!

Valentine Party for Liam and pink hair for Collin

 Liam was SO excited to have a valentines party (since Collin has had at least three preschool valenting parties, he knows you get valentines and candy!) so he came home with a loot. This was his little love bug hat. It was so cute.

 His teacher gave him a "you are dino-mite!" valentine. That was a keeper, especially since no candy :)

 I find this so hilarious, that just like Halloween, you have to get out all the candy and explain everything to your mom.

 And your baby sister is enthralled and fast learning the ways of Valentines.

 Look at all that loot!

Cupid hair for Collin for Valentine's Day. It is chalk actually :)

Dinner at the cousins

 We went to my cousin's family for dinner the Sunday before Valentines Day. We got to decorate sugar cookies with some AWESOME colors and sprinkles. The boys had a BLAST!

 Can you say sprinkles?

Baby Darth Vader was formed one day when I cam e down to Liam had put on the mask on Evelyn. Too funny. If you look close inside her eyes are HUGE!

Liam practices bike riding and scooter ouchies

 Liam just started practicing riding the little bike with training wheels on it. It's his FAVORITE outdoor thing to do lately. Can you believe this beginning of February weather? No coats again!

 Collin shows him the ropes. Hopefully we can get Collin practicing on the bigger bike with no training wheels much more often.

 Evelyn watched from afar.

 Sometimes we get tired of walks and have to rest.

Or get some ouchies. This was the weirdest ouch ever. Perfect skin right in the middle.

Ward talent show

 Collin showed us how he can shoot a bow. Liam sang "the misty mountain" song with Ryan, but the videos don't upload and I did video instead of picture.

 The boys watching martial arts demonstration.

 It really kept their attention as you can see.

Evelyn and her glitter bow :)

Evelyn almost 5.5 months

 I know. Another shrine to Evelyn, but I thought so many of these pictures showed her little personality that is becoming so apparent.

 This was my favorite the one up above. I love her face. She does this face a LOT lately :)

Thomas Nelson/Booksneeze review Forever Mom

Overall, I didn’t seem to realize in requesting this book it was designated for “adoptive” moms and parents. Yet, I still found it to be very encouraging for moms of all kinds in the challenges and issues you face. I especially liked how the author addressed the challenges of after you bring your children home. I found many of the challenges, though I have not adopted any children, still applicable to bonding and communicating with any child, even if you aren’t the mother.

The author also has a chapter on Beginning Again and how so often our children will mirror the reactions and communications we give them. I especially enjoyed the specific ideas on what other adoptee mothers have given in how to connect to your child. Children are learning so many things and it is so important to be patient with so many things that they do. I haven’t read anything else by this mom.

I most appreciated and identified with the author when she admitted her faults and her “keep trying” attitude as a mother of all ages. All children need patience and love, no matter what. That feeling really comes out in the book, even if you don’t have adopted children.

Overall, enjoyable read, and though some didn’t apply to me, the ideas were good for all mothers.