Fun with Liv's bed...

Yes, by Liv's bed, I do mean the box! Liv was sleeping on our spare bed until she started crawling so much a few weeks ago. She's in a box for now as we have yet to find a crib here that costs less than a fortune!! Anyway, the boys think it's great fun and love climbing in with her from time to time.

Below are a couple links for videos. Once again Liv is completely unphased by the craziness of her brothers! Love the laughs!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P3ZH3nKk-o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ2mtOJMQDY

She's a good sport!!!

I am always amazed by the lack of complaint from Liv when her brothers play with her!!! She is so sweet!!! It's interesting trying to figure out where the balance should be in letting them carry out their whims with her...I want them to be comfortable holding and playing with her while helping them to understand that she's not an unfeeling doll and that she can and will get hurt if they aren't careful... I love watching them with her even if I am holding my breath most of the time!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bRe4DzoJDA

Boys 'fishing' at the bazaar.

So, I've finally broken down and gone outside Blogger to find a way to get some videos posted. I've tried to upload them through Blogger a few times recently to no avail. I seem to remember using youtube before and it being really easy...so here's one of the boys at the bazaar this past weekend. Just a little taste of our life here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVYeSiyH1_Y

A day at the bazaar...

We love going to the bazaar as a family!!! We have a few routine stops...

First we usually stop at our favorite mahalabe shop. Mahalabe is a milk pudding lightly sweetened and flavored with rose water topped with lots of cinnamon! We weren't in love at first but it has grown on us - the boys LOVE it!!! We used to get 2 to share between the 4 of us. Now the boys each get their own and they still ask for more!!

This shop is tiny and mahalabe is all they sell! I wish you could see the turnover, it's great!!! I love watching people come and go!!!

Notice all the bowls stacked behind the glass to the right!!

Good to the last little nibble!!!

So many great faces in the bazaar!!!

We also frequent a particular fresh juice shop which the boys also love!! We usually get an orange carrot mix - hence Thorin's fabulous mustache! I remember when we were new here...before we learned the literalness of menu items, I asked for a lime juice and that is exactly what I got, a cup of straight lime juice! They handed it to me with a salt shaker! I thought it was great but I don't know many other people who would've enjoyed it!

We usually stop at the fish shop on our way to where all the live animals are sold. Sterling loves petting the rabbits and holding baby chicks!! Below is a link from a while ago...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ckGj83BSVA

Our beautiful mountains...

I love these mountains!!! They're especially beautiful after a fresh snow!!! We had several snowfalls this year but it all stayed in the mountains. Unlike last year though, it never got cold enough in our valley for it to hit us.

Sterling...

Sterling is 3 as of 1.24.11!!!!

birthday morning...

We had a delightful day together!!! I can't believe I have a 3 year old!!! It's truly amazing how time flies!!!
It was very interesting to observe Sterling's reaction to having a birthday especially as this was the first one of which was truly aware. More than once he denied that it was his birthday and claimed that he was 2, not 3!!! Also, he pretended that he was a baby for a good chunk of the morning - something he has never done. It fascinates me to ponder what might have been going on in that little head of his!!! Childhood development never ceases to intrigue me!

Love these close-up's!!!

These next 3 just tickle my heart!!!

I don't even know how to begin to describe how much joy Liv brings to Sterling!!

Whenever he gets his hands on her he just smiles from ear to ear!!!

...midday....

We took a picnic lunch to the playground. It was an absolutely perfect day!!!

...talking to Tim during his lunch break...

I love this one of Thorin!!...

...and this one of the two of them!!!

They love running down this hill on our way home!!!

Love this face!!!!

...the afternoon/evening...

This is what Tim came home to...all of us making the birthday cake (notice Liv laying on the counter)! Oh what a grand mess we made!!! Sterling was so excited!!! At one point he exclaimed, "Mama, thank you so much for making this cake for me!!!" I'm not a big cake person but of all the options I gave Sterling for his special birthday dessert - chocolate pie, cinnamon rolls, cake, etc...- he chose cake. And I dare say it was one of the best I've had!!
The 24th fell on a Monday this year so we decided to keep it simple that day then to have a party on the weekend. Our friends (L to R) Leah, Hannu and Hazel joined us for dinner. I made a Moroccan chicken dish and served it with rice, bread and steamed broccoli.

The boys never can get enough of roughhousing with Tim!!!! I love how Liv is so still in this shot that she's actually in focus compared to the full motion the boys are in!

You'll have to scroll down past the next post to see the cake...

Riding a camel in Egypt...

Humor me by going to the Amazon link below before watching this video. Once at Amazon, click the option to LOOK INSIDE (left side of the page, above the picture of the book) then there will be the option to look at the first page under 'book sections', again, on the left hand side. We read this book quite a bit over the summer while at my mom's house. It provided great context in which to explain to Sterling where we would be going for Christmas. Hope you enjoy it! Oh, by the way, this video was totally candid; we didn't prompt him at all.

http://www.amazon.com/Olivia-Missing-Toy/dp/0689852916/sr=1-1/qid=1157721970/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-1537899-0939354?ie=UTF8&s=books

...the cake...

I love all these faces...