Yes, I am aware of how long it's been since I last posted. Last week was my first week of our regular schedule with the boys and it was interesting. They're good kids, I'm just having to deal with all of the emotional baggage that they're bringing with them right now. The 3-year-old is a dream... the 7-year-old is really trying to put on a brave face... poor kid. Anyway, Matthew loves having them here and it gets some of his pent up energy out. All in all, I think it's been a good deal so far.

Our friend Brady sent Gilbert a Lando Calrissian doll for his birthday and Matthew plays with it. On this particular day he decided that he wanted to have lunch with Lando so he went and got him out of the toy box and then proceeded to place him in a chair and then ran over and climbed into his own chair. Silly boy.









Elise loves her jumperoo... and Matthew loves the camera...

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

My kids love laughing at each other

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

Elise's tiny, tiny feet (although she FINALLY outgrew her little white and silver newborn size shoes... at 5 months...)



Matthew's giant feet



Size difference



Well, I've been blessed by giving birth to children with full heads of hair, so I decided to try putting Elise's hair in pigtails. Daddy thinks she's not quite ready for it yet.





All ready for church on a Sunday morning





Darth Matthew









Matthew actually got this Batcave for Christmas but I just opened it for him yesterday and he LOVES it.





My thumbsucker (or thumbsuckaaaa! as Charlie says. How's that for a shout out, Heather?)





I've lucked out and I have most of Monday and Tuesday free to get my stuff done. Today, I don't really feel like doing a whole lot so we'll see just how motivated I can get myself.

I can't believe that my little boy will be 2 in 3 weeks. Elise is 5 months old tomorrow... where is the time going?

It was seriously like being surrounded by wild animals. I can't believe Matthew was the quiet one here this morning. Both of my neighbors' boys were here this morning and it was nuts. I am exhausted... and I get to do it again tomorrow! We won't be on a consistent schedule until next week when school starts for the 7-year-old and I'll only have them after school then. Today I had them all morning. Oh boy.

Aside from all of that, we've been battling ants. I woke up yesterday to find them all over our walk in closet. We had to pull a ton of stuff out and spray. They were crawling all over the clothes I had folded on a shelf in the closet and all over the dresses I have hanging on one side. I have done about 5 loads of laundry so far today and still have about 4 more to go. I hate bugs. So gross.

Matthew wearing Uncle Jason's hat



They're so cute



Elise and my OB/GYN. I also have a picture of Matthew with the doctor that delivered him.



Passed out while waiting for everyone to be ready to go.





The other day I told Matthew to grab his cup so that we could go run some errands. Well, he did grab his cup... but he also grabbed an empty gatorade bottle, an empty bowl, and a tennis ball. Silly boy. Gilbert threw the empty bottle away before I got to snap a picture.



I've posted a lot about the Johnson family on here. I've posted several pictures of Matthew and Addilyn from the play dates we've had. Well, they decided to leave Houston and Nasa behind (Tyler worked at the Space Center). They're headed up to Chicago where Tyler will be going to seminary. We're going to miss them (I know I already do).

Playing with Elijah and George at the Johnsons' going away part.



Me and Erin



One last pictures of the mommies and the babies. It was fun being pregnant together and watching the babies grow together, too.



Saturday morning Gilbert had to work so Matthew wanted to help Daddy out with the lawn. The first thing he did was move the sprinkler so that the lawn would get watered evenly.



Then he mowed the lawn. Too bad his lawn mower doesn't actually cut the grass.





Then he tried to take Jason's car for a spin







He loves playing with his sister

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

Elise recently found her thumb but she always pulls it out of her mouth when I try to get a picture. Instead, here she is sucking on some other fingers.

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

Elise hadn't really been making the effort to roll over. She seemed pretty content to kind of roll on to her side and then just hang out there. This is about as far as she would go.



Until yesterday when I turned around for 2 seconds and turned back around to see this:



And then she passed out from all of that effort.

Untitled from Melissa S on Vimeo.

Getting ready for bed =)





Lastly... I thought we had left Raider Nation back in California... guess I was wrong... Bummer...

Long week here in the Saldana house. My best friend, Amber, came out to visit and we loved having her here. Matthew was so fond of her that he still randomly asks about her.

My kids are growing fast. Matthew is 22 months and Elise is 4 months.



Elijah got a hold of Matthew's Batman sunglasses at church last week and then they took a picture together.



We met up with Erin and her kids and took Amber down to Kemah one day last week... Once again, the fountain was not working... and we somehow ended up in jail...





Matthew kept running over to the water and telling me about Nemo.



Matthew and his new best friend



He really did love her, but right as I was taking this picture he heard the train and started to freak out a little.





Matthew and Addilyn looking at the fish



These fish actually grossed me out a little. They were all right on top of each other in a small area with plenty of open water right by them. They have a little machine where you can buy fish food from right in this spot so that's where they hang out... but it was still kind of gross.





Then we took Amber to Mooyah and Gilbert decided to label Matthew



Grumpy pants in the car on the way to downtown Houston



Elise on the way to downtown Houston



We took Amber to the Galleria, too, but we didn't take any picture of us wandering the mall. Does anyone really do that?

We have a little toddler splash park and seeing as the fountain down in Kemah wasn't working, we figured we owed Matthew some time to run through water. When we told him he was going to play in the water he thought he was going to run around the back yard and he cried when we put him in the car.He didn't quite get it when we told him we were going somewhere better. All of the tears stopped once we turned the water on at the splash park.

The creepy statue on the path leading to the splash park





This is what Elise did while Matthew played



and.... out...







Because the fountains alternated switching on and off, we were praying something new would turn on and get Jason soaked. It never happened.











After the splash park, it was time to take Amber to the airport and it bummed us out a little. It was fun having her here and hopefully it won't be too long before we see her again. After all, I'm getting a little homesick and would like to visit California soon... I still haven't met my nephew.

Car seat hair after dropped Amber off at the airport.