around the dining room...

i don't know what it is about dirty mouths, but i love them so much on my children. in fact, i think it's a favorite phase of mine. 

everybody else is like, ew, wipe his/her mouth and i'm all like *heart eyes emoji* and let me take his/her picture ASAP.

i typically leave my mama camera around the table for easy access so these are some of the shots i've taken over the past few weeks. however, i still keep my phone nearby for easier access :) 

let me start off by saying that after two years with no dining table, i love having a table! i love that the boys set the table, how they fight over who's turn it is say a prayer before dinner, and how we all sit together to eat a meal that i slaved over. *i'm that drama queen*

most breaksfasts & lunches, though, it's just elena, jonah and me. we have a late breakfast and the yummiest of breakfasts, too. 

like yogurt, cereal, pancakes and strawberries. they really dislike eggs so i don't make them eggs that often. something about the texture and pepper. kids, man.

and then lunch looks something like left overs and lots all-natural weenies or chicken nuggets and veggies...
another phase i love is when they start feeding themselves! she's such a pro, too. here she is glorifying her eye & hand coordination for successfully using a utensil.
GOOD JOB BABY GIRL!

and my lovely jonah bear. he's such a lazy eater. not a picky eater. he just plays and talks and gets distracted about everything. and complains about not being hungry. and he could just piddle all live-long day.

most dinners are battles with this little guy. they'll end with spankings or the absence of ice cream.

but when he likes something? it's gone. and he'll finish by saying, "thanks for making ______ for me, Mom, it's just what I wanted!!!" 

and you would think he's the funniest kid in the world by the way she laughs at him. i swear i love this kid 'to the death!' i'll be hoping she won't be too lonely in the fall when Jo begins kindergarten. we'll see.

do you have company for lunch often? we do. they're colored blocks and called lego's. they're like a must around the table. always his latest fastest rocket launcher spaceship with blasters that shoot the fastest like pshshshhh  brbrrrrr kkkkkpawwwwww!

how about my oldest? he's losing teeth left and right. first, he had a window. then a door. now he looks like Tetris the game.

that doesn't stop him from eating like a champ. he will slurp, suck, wipe everything everywhere as long as it doesn't have spices which include pepper. if there's 'stuff' on his food, he will pick it all off. 

he loves bland food and that's just a no no in my kitchen, so he pouts and whines, but he still eats. he is the one who is the broodiest and the most sensitive all at once. he will finish first and jet off before i get chance to sit down to eat my meal. he is the one who hates having his picture taken so i rarely get a good shot of him.

and granted, the picture above was not taken around the dining table but i absolutely adore this shot. his inquisitiveness and that all-in face is just too good to pass up. this boy. oh my heart.

have you ever had a baby fall asleep during her meal? 

well this one passed out before she even took her first bite-- which means she must have been just exhausted...we had skipped morning nap and i guess this was a good enough time as any to crash. 

don't let her fool you though...most meals she looks like this. a food monster with an attitude. and yes, that attitude is spot on in this photograph...little miss elena's got some 'tude in her.

do you enjoy your meals with your babies? love those messy faces or hate them...?

have a great week everyone!