I love weekends.
On this particular weekend, we were making a trip to my parents house. We left Friday when Daddy got home from work and we meandered up the canyon. Along the way we stopped for Daddy to make a quick errand. But the girls were becoming increasingly loud and distracting so I hauled them outside for a walk. We passed a Pets Smart store and my brilliant little girls bolted in to pet the ADORABLE dogs and cars that were almost too charming to resist. I rather fell in love with one in particular and had to have Daddy talk some sense into me before we did something I would probably regret. I love animals. and I really want a dog. but I'm already raising three kids and have to remind myself that I truly cannot handle a fourth right now.) eventually we made it to my parents house, ran around like wild monkeys for awhile and went to bed. except Lovely. She hit a second wind and crawled around with lightening speed until nearly midnight leaving a disaster or toys, snacks and all other forms of clutter in her wake.
Saturday was a blast. Having been joined by my brother and his five kids, we played and lounged around the house all morning. The girls dragged out all the dress up dresses and played princess. In the afternoon, we sent the men and boys to the gun range while the girls watched a princess movie and did at-home spa pedicures. (even little Lovely got her toes painted.) Then we headed to town for some shopping and a playdate at the park with more cousins. Daddy and I had to sneak away for a couples baby shower and had a great time teasing the soon-to-be-parents. After the shower we rejoined the family for pizza and more playtime in my brother's backyard, enjoying a perfect late summer evening. The kids ran and laughed and played. The babies crawled and explored and giggled. The adults lounged on the grass, chatting, watching kids and devouring pizza. What a great night.
On Sunday morning, we showered and readied the girls for our third attempt at family pictures this summer. (the first attempt went well but the photographer turned out to be a crook, the second attempt was with a great photographer but cranky kids.) So we met a long time friend (who happens to be a photographer) up the canyon for a photo session in the beautiful red and orange leaves. The kids loved throwing the leaves around and were generally cooperative and as always, adorable.
In the afternoon, we returned to Grammy's house, attended the temple dedication being broadcasted at their stake building, made a feast for dinner (chile rellenos--possibly my new go-to recipe for impressing company) and played with cousins again.
All in all, a great weekend.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
milestones
Lovely
Height: 30.5 inches, 87%
Weight: 22 lb 4 oz, 68% --hands down, our smallest baby!
New achievements:
-traversing quickly and confidently. still crawling at lightening speed (her occasional "peg-leg" crawl is adorable). can free stand for a good length of time and has taken one or two steps at a time but seems to be holding off on actually walking. like many things lately, she seems determined to let us know she is her own person. Perfectly sweet but independent, mischievous and completely in control of everything.
-I love her babble and squealing. her vocabulary is still very limited because even though there are words we've heard her say at least once or twice, it's usually only once or twice. but she's incredibly expressive with her face and hands (my favorite is her grasping reach when she wants someone/something). she also signs "more".
-she loves to climb! she has mastered the stairs both up and down but is still easily distracted so I have to watch her like a hawk. she also loves to climb onto stairs, the fireplace, into the dishwasher, etc.
-she sleeps 12 hours solid every night (and has for months). she is without a doubt, the best sleeper in the house. she sleeps much more soundly than her sisters did and loves to cuddle in her sleep. Her sisters were "stinkbug" sleepers at this age but Lovely seems to prefer being stretched out.
-we moved her into a forward facing carseat and she sang and babbled the whole way home. and then cried when I put her in her old carseat again.
-so far she only has her bottom two teeth (very different from her sisters who both had a full set by now. Butterfly even had her molars already). Teething seems much more drawn out and bothersome for her. She's much more fussy and sensitive than I remember her sisters being and the teeth take much longer from when I first notice them to when they actually break the surface. She's currently working on both eye-teeth (has been for at least two weeks and I suspect will be several more).
-she dances. mostly when sitting in her high chair or when standing, holding herself up. When encouraged, "dance!" she grins, ducks her head and rocks out, alternating her shoulders and throwing herself side to side.
Favorites:
-zero interest in tv. instead when in the playroom, she heads straight for the art easel to play with (and scatter) the magnetic letters or so the play kitchen to play with (and scatter) the plastic food. she's also discovered the little slide/swing unit and climbs all over it. or she attacks the basket of puzzles so she can teeth on the cardboard pieces. also loves the mega blocks and music table.
-she LOVES the swings at the park and will audibly giggle the whole time.
-favorite foods are bananas, yogurt bites, pancakes, cherry tomatoes, marshmallows and ice cream. so far, she's my pickest eater. not because she has limited tastes but because she's very demanding in what and when she eats. For example if I bring a new food to the table, she will refuse to finish whats on her tray and only wants the new food.
favorite moments:
-when I put her down for a nap, I wrap a blanket around her and she tucks her knees up. We cuddle into her chair and she nestles down into my arm and suddenly my fast growing almost toddler feels like a tiny baby again. She drinks her bottle and drifts off to sleep peacefully, with an angelic and serene glow.
-when Daddy gets home, the girls and I have a long standing tradition of racing to him and showering him with excited hugs and kisses. We hear the door open and race off, usually leaving Lovely behind. She scampers after us, hurrying to Daddy as fast as she can, squealing for her own round of kisses and demanding to not be left out.
Ladybug
Height: 40.5 inches, >97% - our tallest girl
Weight: 33 lb 6 oz, 75% - with only 10% body mass index which means she is solid muscle!
New achievements:
-potty trained! it's been slow and generally awful with accidents nearly everyday and no ownership/initiation from her. But last week, we seemed to have turned a corner and without any specific trigger that we know of, she is doing great. She initiates and stays dry all day, has good understanding and its suddenly not a problem anymore. And she's very, very proud of her panties, announcing them to pretty much every person we met.
-she loves school and is doing fantastic. she thrives on getting to be a special helper (both at school and at home) and has become increasingly helpful and cooperative. she's still stubborn and mischievous but so wonderful. She's sweet and good and I'm crazy about her.
-she loves dance class, still bouncing off the walls excited but settling into the expectations and rules of class.
-she knows her letters, most of their sounds, the colors, most shapes and we are working on numbers
-sleeps great through the night, still naps every day (love naptime!)
-she's my little dancer. put on some rock music and she can jam and wiggle all day long. it's hilarious and has me quite concerned about her teenage years already.
Favorites:
-foods: she's my bottomless pit and eats everything we give her, particularly fruit, ramen noodles, cheeseburgers and will eat anything dipped in ranch or sour cream.
-color: purple
-toys: her hair style salon, books, character figurines
-characters: Tiana, Rapunzel, Mickey
-loves movies and rotates favorites, especially Bolt, Rapunzel, Tiana, Ariel, Winnie the Pooh, TinkerBell, Alvin and the Chipmunks
-tv shows: Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, SuperWhy, Leapfrog Letters
other favorite activities: coloring pictures, going for a popsicle walk, reading books, calling Daddy/Grammy on the phone, helping Daddy in the garage, swimming
-sidekicks: Yellow and Panda (of course. but recently noticing less attachment during the day to them. they aren't involved in every game and playdate but are reserved for movies and bedtime now). Bebug (her crazy ladybug stuffed animal), her cell phone (my old cell phone that broke) and a stack of books.
favorite moments:
-our one-on-one moments, she gives the best cuddles, holds my hand when we walk and talks to me with lengthy sentences that I don't hear very often.
-She's her big sister's little shadow, always eager to play whatever sister suggests and yet completely independent and determined to do things her own way.
-She delights in being "mommy's Ladybug". If I use another nickname, she is insistent, "no! mommy's ladybug!"
Butterfly
New Achievements:
-she's my budding artists and draws beautiful pictures everyday with realism and clarity and bright colors. she also will fill a whole page with letters and then read me the "story" she wrote.
-doing great with her assigned chores. she helps set the table, unloads the silverware from the dishwasher and keeps her room clean, including making her bed.
-turning into a great storyteller. she tells long rambling "once upon a time" princess stories with dramatic flare and animation. She makes up wonderful songs to sing to the baby, usually something about "my heart" or Heavenly Father or "dreams come true".
-she loves dance class and seems to have a knack for it. she takes it very seriously and is a studious, graceful student. after class, she's always eager to demonstrate what she learned.
-doing great at school, eager to learn to read and is working on sounding out words
Favorites:
-foods: fish, grilled zucchini, mushrooms, "smashed 'tatoes", fruit and any form of dessert/candy. She's definitely a slow eater and is almost always the last one finished with her dinner. She meanders though a meal, more interested in talking than eating.
color: pink
toys: princess dolls, tea party set, her razor scooter, dress up clothes
characters: Belle and anyone/anything princess, TinkerBell, Barbie
movies: Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted
tv shows: Shaun the Sheep, Angelina Ballerina, My Little Pony
other favorite activities: playing pretend (princess/family/doctor/school/chef/fighting badguys), sidewalk chalk, playdates, helping me cook, reading books, puzzles
sidekicks: a little tin case with flavored chapsticks and increasingly present is some kind of jewelry. I've discovered her habit of hiding items under her pillow, usually a favorite little toy, a picture, book, sticker or some kind of trinket.
favorite moments:
-she wakes up from her nap before her sisters and comes to the office where I am usually working. She settles herself at Daddy's desk and diligently and studiously draws me a picture.
-She dotes on her baby sister and loves to help her by telling her stories or singing songs to her.
Height: 30.5 inches, 87%
Weight: 22 lb 4 oz, 68% --hands down, our smallest baby!
New achievements:
-traversing quickly and confidently. still crawling at lightening speed (her occasional "peg-leg" crawl is adorable). can free stand for a good length of time and has taken one or two steps at a time but seems to be holding off on actually walking. like many things lately, she seems determined to let us know she is her own person. Perfectly sweet but independent, mischievous and completely in control of everything.
-I love her babble and squealing. her vocabulary is still very limited because even though there are words we've heard her say at least once or twice, it's usually only once or twice. but she's incredibly expressive with her face and hands (my favorite is her grasping reach when she wants someone/something). she also signs "more".
-she loves to climb! she has mastered the stairs both up and down but is still easily distracted so I have to watch her like a hawk. she also loves to climb onto stairs, the fireplace, into the dishwasher, etc.
-she sleeps 12 hours solid every night (and has for months). she is without a doubt, the best sleeper in the house. she sleeps much more soundly than her sisters did and loves to cuddle in her sleep. Her sisters were "stinkbug" sleepers at this age but Lovely seems to prefer being stretched out.
-we moved her into a forward facing carseat and she sang and babbled the whole way home. and then cried when I put her in her old carseat again.
-so far she only has her bottom two teeth (very different from her sisters who both had a full set by now. Butterfly even had her molars already). Teething seems much more drawn out and bothersome for her. She's much more fussy and sensitive than I remember her sisters being and the teeth take much longer from when I first notice them to when they actually break the surface. She's currently working on both eye-teeth (has been for at least two weeks and I suspect will be several more).
-she dances. mostly when sitting in her high chair or when standing, holding herself up. When encouraged, "dance!" she grins, ducks her head and rocks out, alternating her shoulders and throwing herself side to side.
Favorites:
-zero interest in tv. instead when in the playroom, she heads straight for the art easel to play with (and scatter) the magnetic letters or so the play kitchen to play with (and scatter) the plastic food. she's also discovered the little slide/swing unit and climbs all over it. or she attacks the basket of puzzles so she can teeth on the cardboard pieces. also loves the mega blocks and music table.
-she LOVES the swings at the park and will audibly giggle the whole time.
-favorite foods are bananas, yogurt bites, pancakes, cherry tomatoes, marshmallows and ice cream. so far, she's my pickest eater. not because she has limited tastes but because she's very demanding in what and when she eats. For example if I bring a new food to the table, she will refuse to finish whats on her tray and only wants the new food.
favorite moments:
-when I put her down for a nap, I wrap a blanket around her and she tucks her knees up. We cuddle into her chair and she nestles down into my arm and suddenly my fast growing almost toddler feels like a tiny baby again. She drinks her bottle and drifts off to sleep peacefully, with an angelic and serene glow.
-when Daddy gets home, the girls and I have a long standing tradition of racing to him and showering him with excited hugs and kisses. We hear the door open and race off, usually leaving Lovely behind. She scampers after us, hurrying to Daddy as fast as she can, squealing for her own round of kisses and demanding to not be left out.
Ladybug
Height: 40.5 inches, >97% - our tallest girl
Weight: 33 lb 6 oz, 75% - with only 10% body mass index which means she is solid muscle!
New achievements:
-potty trained! it's been slow and generally awful with accidents nearly everyday and no ownership/initiation from her. But last week, we seemed to have turned a corner and without any specific trigger that we know of, she is doing great. She initiates and stays dry all day, has good understanding and its suddenly not a problem anymore. And she's very, very proud of her panties, announcing them to pretty much every person we met.
-she loves school and is doing fantastic. she thrives on getting to be a special helper (both at school and at home) and has become increasingly helpful and cooperative. she's still stubborn and mischievous but so wonderful. She's sweet and good and I'm crazy about her.
-she loves dance class, still bouncing off the walls excited but settling into the expectations and rules of class.
-she knows her letters, most of their sounds, the colors, most shapes and we are working on numbers
-sleeps great through the night, still naps every day (love naptime!)
-she's my little dancer. put on some rock music and she can jam and wiggle all day long. it's hilarious and has me quite concerned about her teenage years already.
Favorites:
-foods: she's my bottomless pit and eats everything we give her, particularly fruit, ramen noodles, cheeseburgers and will eat anything dipped in ranch or sour cream.
-color: purple
-toys: her hair style salon, books, character figurines
-characters: Tiana, Rapunzel, Mickey
-loves movies and rotates favorites, especially Bolt, Rapunzel, Tiana, Ariel, Winnie the Pooh, TinkerBell, Alvin and the Chipmunks
-tv shows: Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, SuperWhy, Leapfrog Letters
other favorite activities: coloring pictures, going for a popsicle walk, reading books, calling Daddy/Grammy on the phone, helping Daddy in the garage, swimming
-sidekicks: Yellow and Panda (of course. but recently noticing less attachment during the day to them. they aren't involved in every game and playdate but are reserved for movies and bedtime now). Bebug (her crazy ladybug stuffed animal), her cell phone (my old cell phone that broke) and a stack of books.
favorite moments:
-our one-on-one moments, she gives the best cuddles, holds my hand when we walk and talks to me with lengthy sentences that I don't hear very often.
-She's her big sister's little shadow, always eager to play whatever sister suggests and yet completely independent and determined to do things her own way.
-She delights in being "mommy's Ladybug". If I use another nickname, she is insistent, "no! mommy's ladybug!"
Butterfly
New Achievements:
-she's my budding artists and draws beautiful pictures everyday with realism and clarity and bright colors. she also will fill a whole page with letters and then read me the "story" she wrote.
-doing great with her assigned chores. she helps set the table, unloads the silverware from the dishwasher and keeps her room clean, including making her bed.
-turning into a great storyteller. she tells long rambling "once upon a time" princess stories with dramatic flare and animation. She makes up wonderful songs to sing to the baby, usually something about "my heart" or Heavenly Father or "dreams come true".
-she loves dance class and seems to have a knack for it. she takes it very seriously and is a studious, graceful student. after class, she's always eager to demonstrate what she learned.
-doing great at school, eager to learn to read and is working on sounding out words
Favorites:
-foods: fish, grilled zucchini, mushrooms, "smashed 'tatoes", fruit and any form of dessert/candy. She's definitely a slow eater and is almost always the last one finished with her dinner. She meanders though a meal, more interested in talking than eating.
color: pink
toys: princess dolls, tea party set, her razor scooter, dress up clothes
characters: Belle and anyone/anything princess, TinkerBell, Barbie
movies: Princess Diaries, Ella Enchanted
tv shows: Shaun the Sheep, Angelina Ballerina, My Little Pony
other favorite activities: playing pretend (princess/family/doctor/school/chef/fighting badguys), sidewalk chalk, playdates, helping me cook, reading books, puzzles
sidekicks: a little tin case with flavored chapsticks and increasingly present is some kind of jewelry. I've discovered her habit of hiding items under her pillow, usually a favorite little toy, a picture, book, sticker or some kind of trinket.
favorite moments:
-she wakes up from her nap before her sisters and comes to the office where I am usually working. She settles herself at Daddy's desk and diligently and studiously draws me a picture.
-She dotes on her baby sister and loves to help her by telling her stories or singing songs to her.
Monday, September 24, 2012
storytime
On the way home a few nights ago, I asked Butterfly to tell the baby a story. She was sitting next to Grammy in the backseat and said she had to tell a Grammy story. This was the story as best I remember...
Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named Grammy. And she had two pets, a cat name Sophia and a dog named Ella. And the dragon of the mean king came. His name was Charmont and he was green and Grammy was so, so scared. And the bad king had two pets, a dog and a cat and the dog didn't have a name and the cat name was Ugly Old Man. And the dragon had sharp claws and teeth and Ella fighted with the dragon and beat the dragon. And Grammy was hiding under her bed. And the handsome Papa prince came but he couldn't climb the tall tall tower because she didn't have long hair. So he had a dragon that was gold and his name was Gold and he was so huge and he took Papa up to the tower. And Papa took a step and another step and fell down and down and Gold saved him! And then he went up the tower and Grammy got her married dress on and her married necklace and married earrings and married tiara. But the door was locked and Papa didn't know how to open it and he was so, so sad. And then he found the key in the door and opened it. And they went to the temple and she kissed him on the cheek and they married and lived happily ever after.
Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess named Grammy. And she had two pets, a cat name Sophia and a dog named Ella. And the dragon of the mean king came. His name was Charmont and he was green and Grammy was so, so scared. And the bad king had two pets, a dog and a cat and the dog didn't have a name and the cat name was Ugly Old Man. And the dragon had sharp claws and teeth and Ella fighted with the dragon and beat the dragon. And Grammy was hiding under her bed. And the handsome Papa prince came but he couldn't climb the tall tall tower because she didn't have long hair. So he had a dragon that was gold and his name was Gold and he was so huge and he took Papa up to the tower. And Papa took a step and another step and fell down and down and Gold saved him! And then he went up the tower and Grammy got her married dress on and her married necklace and married earrings and married tiara. But the door was locked and Papa didn't know how to open it and he was so, so sad. And then he found the key in the door and opened it. And they went to the temple and she kissed him on the cheek and they married and lived happily ever after.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
quote of the day
Butterfly saying her prayers: "and please bless my daddy and thank you for a daddy that loves me and I love him so much." I don't think it gets any sweeter or more sincere than that.
...unrelated, then we were cuddling for our bedtime talktime and she asked if she can have earrings. She had obviously given it a lot of thought already and was very hesitant, as if she thought I would say no and she really wants them. So we talked about what a big responsibility that is and how it happens and what she would need to do. She agreed she will show me she's responsible enough by keeping her room clean and sleeping in her bed all night, every night (we are struggling with that again). And if she can do this, she can get her ears pierced for her next birthday. three days down, six months to go and so far, so good.
And Lovely's new word is "marshmallows". She doesn't say things like "milk" or "bottle" or "kitty" but she can say "marshmallow". yep, that's my kid.
...unrelated, then we were cuddling for our bedtime talktime and she asked if she can have earrings. She had obviously given it a lot of thought already and was very hesitant, as if she thought I would say no and she really wants them. So we talked about what a big responsibility that is and how it happens and what she would need to do. She agreed she will show me she's responsible enough by keeping her room clean and sleeping in her bed all night, every night (we are struggling with that again). And if she can do this, she can get her ears pierced for her next birthday. three days down, six months to go and so far, so good.
And Lovely's new word is "marshmallows". She doesn't say things like "milk" or "bottle" or "kitty" but she can say "marshmallow". yep, that's my kid.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
quote of the day
We went through a Winnie the Pooh phase and borrowed every movie we could find. One of the favorites was "Piglet's Big Movie" in which Piglet makes a scrapbook and his friends break the book and go chasing after the pages while calling them "Piglet's memories".
So yesterday, the girls found a stack of post-it notes and proceeded to take them apart and draw on each one. Some pages have a little picture, some have a few random letters and most look like hurried scribbles. They presented them to me with great excitement, "look mommy, our mem'ries!" and then carried them around for the rest of the day. Sometimes they would intentionally drop a few pages and chase after them, "come back mem'ries!" or show them to other people, "my beautiful mem'ries!"
Who knew post-it notes could be so fun.
So yesterday, the girls found a stack of post-it notes and proceeded to take them apart and draw on each one. Some pages have a little picture, some have a few random letters and most look like hurried scribbles. They presented them to me with great excitement, "look mommy, our mem'ries!" and then carried them around for the rest of the day. Sometimes they would intentionally drop a few pages and chase after them, "come back mem'ries!" or show them to other people, "my beautiful mem'ries!"
Who knew post-it notes could be so fun.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Lovely's 1st birthday!
Time flies! I can't believe our little baby is already a year old. She's adorable and sweet, and perfect and lovely in every way.
She got to have more birthday festivities sprinkled through the weekend. We don't mean to drag out birthdays just to spoil them unnecessarily. We have a birthday party when the schedule allows and then try to do a special family dinner on their birthday.
But this last weekend was a crazy weekend full of fun. On Saturday, we joined the Color Run. Originally, I was planning on running this crazy 5K by myself. I couldn't find any local friends to run with me so I planned to join some cousins once I got there. But at the last minute, Grandma went down as a volunteer to help stuff registration packets and got the whole family signed up. My cousin is one of the directors so our fantastic family teamed up to support him. So on Saturday morning, we loaded the girls up, drove down and readied ourselves for the happiest 5K on Earth. The start line is a mass of white. 3 miles and 4 color stations later, it's an explosion of color. My little family, joined by grandma, grandpa and auntie all started together. But my partner was Butterfly and she took off running. So we stuck together, running when she wanted to run and walking when she was ready to walk. Ladybug started in the (covered) stroller but quickly decided she wanted to run as well. Lovely patiently hung out in the stroller the whole time, grinning or napping and generally being the perfectly sweet, easily content angel that she is. We had a fantastic time and ended up plastered in the colored powdered. The girls loved it and bounced around running and laughing and dancing and being silly. We made it to the finish line, helped ourselves to the drinks and snacks, said hello to family and then hung around on the lawn watching the girls dance and play.
Eventually we decided to go. The 5K (and accompanying party had all been hosted right behind the mall). So as we got cleaned up and loaded our stuff into cars, we decided to head into the mall food court for lunch (and Lovely's birthday meal). We found food, devoured food and moved quickly onto dessert: crepes, churros and ice cream for a very happy Lovely. We took the girls fro a carousel ride and Lovely loved it! She was tentative at first, as I plopped her onto the horse and buckled her on. But as it began to move she began to squeal and giggle and bounce. It was make-me-melt adorable. After our ride, she also got to open her last present from Grandma and one from big sister. We took a few extra minutes to play with her new toys and eventually loaded everyone back into the car for some quick errands and the long drive home.
The rest of the evening was a little rough. Lovely is an amazing baby with a very predictable schedule. But we've learned that if we upset her schedule, she has a rough time adjust and recovering. So the evening was spent at home, doing some cleaning up, taking care of some honey-do jobs and cuddling and playing with our girls. After we put the girls to bed, Husband slipped over to a neighbor's house to watch the last quarter of the big game (go Utes!, a rather messy and weird end to any game but a well-earned victory nevertheless).
Sunday was her official birthday. So we kicked off with breakfast (she got a whole chocolate chip pancake to herself and ended up a complete mess), had a quick round of baths, struggled through stake conference (she eventually fell asleep on me and it was a wonderful cuddle), went home for naps and then spent the evening at a friends' house. They have three little boys for our three little girls to play with so the kids played, we feasted on the greatest chili rellenos ever and finished it off with caramel apple cheesecake. We didn't bring a candle for Lovely we did have a quick round of singing and let her dig into her dessert. She showed off her new standing skills, practiced racing up the stairs (always giggling as Daddy patiently followed since she can't go down very well yet) and even took her first unassisted step (it was just one so I don't think we will count it as walking yet but she's getting awfully close).
Finally at home, very worn out from our crazy fun weekend, she gave everyone kisses and I slipped in her to jammies. We cuddled in her chair until she was asleep, having a rather sentimental moment reflecting on her growth over the past year, her amazing and sweet disposition and the wonderful perfection that she is. Happy birthday my little Lovely.
She got to have more birthday festivities sprinkled through the weekend. We don't mean to drag out birthdays just to spoil them unnecessarily. We have a birthday party when the schedule allows and then try to do a special family dinner on their birthday.
But this last weekend was a crazy weekend full of fun. On Saturday, we joined the Color Run. Originally, I was planning on running this crazy 5K by myself. I couldn't find any local friends to run with me so I planned to join some cousins once I got there. But at the last minute, Grandma went down as a volunteer to help stuff registration packets and got the whole family signed up. My cousin is one of the directors so our fantastic family teamed up to support him. So on Saturday morning, we loaded the girls up, drove down and readied ourselves for the happiest 5K on Earth. The start line is a mass of white. 3 miles and 4 color stations later, it's an explosion of color. My little family, joined by grandma, grandpa and auntie all started together. But my partner was Butterfly and she took off running. So we stuck together, running when she wanted to run and walking when she was ready to walk. Ladybug started in the (covered) stroller but quickly decided she wanted to run as well. Lovely patiently hung out in the stroller the whole time, grinning or napping and generally being the perfectly sweet, easily content angel that she is. We had a fantastic time and ended up plastered in the colored powdered. The girls loved it and bounced around running and laughing and dancing and being silly. We made it to the finish line, helped ourselves to the drinks and snacks, said hello to family and then hung around on the lawn watching the girls dance and play.
Eventually we decided to go. The 5K (and accompanying party had all been hosted right behind the mall). So as we got cleaned up and loaded our stuff into cars, we decided to head into the mall food court for lunch (and Lovely's birthday meal). We found food, devoured food and moved quickly onto dessert: crepes, churros and ice cream for a very happy Lovely. We took the girls fro a carousel ride and Lovely loved it! She was tentative at first, as I plopped her onto the horse and buckled her on. But as it began to move she began to squeal and giggle and bounce. It was make-me-melt adorable. After our ride, she also got to open her last present from Grandma and one from big sister. We took a few extra minutes to play with her new toys and eventually loaded everyone back into the car for some quick errands and the long drive home.
The rest of the evening was a little rough. Lovely is an amazing baby with a very predictable schedule. But we've learned that if we upset her schedule, she has a rough time adjust and recovering. So the evening was spent at home, doing some cleaning up, taking care of some honey-do jobs and cuddling and playing with our girls. After we put the girls to bed, Husband slipped over to a neighbor's house to watch the last quarter of the big game (go Utes!, a rather messy and weird end to any game but a well-earned victory nevertheless).
Sunday was her official birthday. So we kicked off with breakfast (she got a whole chocolate chip pancake to herself and ended up a complete mess), had a quick round of baths, struggled through stake conference (she eventually fell asleep on me and it was a wonderful cuddle), went home for naps and then spent the evening at a friends' house. They have three little boys for our three little girls to play with so the kids played, we feasted on the greatest chili rellenos ever and finished it off with caramel apple cheesecake. We didn't bring a candle for Lovely we did have a quick round of singing and let her dig into her dessert. She showed off her new standing skills, practiced racing up the stairs (always giggling as Daddy patiently followed since she can't go down very well yet) and even took her first unassisted step (it was just one so I don't think we will count it as walking yet but she's getting awfully close).
Finally at home, very worn out from our crazy fun weekend, she gave everyone kisses and I slipped in her to jammies. We cuddled in her chair until she was asleep, having a rather sentimental moment reflecting on her growth over the past year, her amazing and sweet disposition and the wonderful perfection that she is. Happy birthday my little Lovely.
Ladybug's 3rd
it will be a shocking realization someday when my kids find out that birthdays are actually only one day and that we have been spoiling them by dragging it out so long. lucky girls.
We celebrated Lovely and Ladybug's birthday at the combined Splash Party and what a blast. Then Ladybug's actual birthday fell on a Wednesday. Wednesday means a quick breakfast, taking big sister to dance class while we run a few errands and then taking all the girls to storytime at the library. They sang songs, played the games and listened to stories about A-oriented characters like alligator. The library was packed and chaotic so we didn't stay to do the craft, deciding to take it home and do it later.
Instead we met Dad, Grandma and Grandpa at the state park for some time on the play ground, feeding the ducks, fishing and a picnic lunch. We even took a little cake and candles for Ladybug (my girls LOVE to pull the candles out and lick off the frosting. sometimes repeatedly. I did not teach them this.) So we had a little cake and Ladybug got to open one last present from Grandma and one from big sister (grandma took her shopping...but she can't keep a secret so she had regularly announced what it was).
After naptime, we watched a movie and cuddled until dinner. Daddy had Young Men's so he wouldn't be staying to play with us. Instead we invited Ladybug's best friend for a playdate (especially since her mom happens to be one of my best friends and her husband had meetings too). So we had a girls night of a quick dinner and lots of playtime. Towards the end of the evening, my tired Ladybug collided with her best friend and Ladybug got the worst of it and has been sporting a black eye ever since but all in all, she had a great day. Happy birthday big girl.
We celebrated Lovely and Ladybug's birthday at the combined Splash Party and what a blast. Then Ladybug's actual birthday fell on a Wednesday. Wednesday means a quick breakfast, taking big sister to dance class while we run a few errands and then taking all the girls to storytime at the library. They sang songs, played the games and listened to stories about A-oriented characters like alligator. The library was packed and chaotic so we didn't stay to do the craft, deciding to take it home and do it later.
Instead we met Dad, Grandma and Grandpa at the state park for some time on the play ground, feeding the ducks, fishing and a picnic lunch. We even took a little cake and candles for Ladybug (my girls LOVE to pull the candles out and lick off the frosting. sometimes repeatedly. I did not teach them this.) So we had a little cake and Ladybug got to open one last present from Grandma and one from big sister (grandma took her shopping...but she can't keep a secret so she had regularly announced what it was).
After naptime, we watched a movie and cuddled until dinner. Daddy had Young Men's so he wouldn't be staying to play with us. Instead we invited Ladybug's best friend for a playdate (especially since her mom happens to be one of my best friends and her husband had meetings too). So we had a girls night of a quick dinner and lots of playtime. Towards the end of the evening, my tired Ladybug collided with her best friend and Ladybug got the worst of it and has been sporting a black eye ever since but all in all, she had a great day. Happy birthday big girl.
Monday, September 10, 2012
birthday celebrations
Ladybug's and Lovely's birthdays are four days apart. so this weekend we celebrated both birthdays with a crazy fun and fabulous time. (I didn't want to do a combined party but Husband eventually convinced me it really did make more sense. Especially when considering out of town family and the general busy chaos of September. Sorry girls.)
We spent the morning playing with babies and decorating birthday cakes (they turned out pretty fantastic if I do say so myself). For my Ladybug, I made a chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling and buttercream frosting Abby Cadaby cake. And for Lovely, I made a heart-shaped bunny bliss cake (kind of like a cinnamon carrot cake with a smoother texture) with white cream cheese frosting decorated with pink roses. We tried to get the girls to take naps but lately they've been begging to sleep in the same room. Sometimes this works, but mostly they just play quietly together. This was one of the latter occasions. yea for playing together but generally this means they will be nap-deprived and cranky later.
The official celebrating kick off activity (at Ladybug's request) was going to the pool. Some of our friends were able to meet us there and the girls had a great time running in every direction, splashing, floating, going down the waterslide and playing with friends.
The party continued back at our house, now joined by grandparents and more friends. Guests trickled in as we finished setting up, fired up the grill and let the kids run around. Daddy/Grill-Master-Extraordinaire grilled chicken and hot dogs to have with fruit, veggies and chips. We played some party games starting with our own little variation of "hot potato" except that instead of a potato its a contraption that runs off a timer and when the timer goes off, it bursts a water balloon inside all over the person holding it. The kids loved it. Then the kids worked with a partner using squirt guns to clean eachother's feet from the whipped cream I sprayed on top (hilarious!) and threw a ball into the basket hoop floating in the pool. (We called it a "Splash Party" because we continued the water theme after our swimming adventure, playing water games, using kiddie pools and generally making a soggy mess of the backyard.)
Next the kids gathered around for the pinata (a purple flower chosen by Ladybug) and the poor pinata barely made it through all the kids who turned out to be especially adept at smashing it. Everyone got their fill of candy and even Lovely (held by Papa) took a turn holding the bat and looking around in confusion. We brought the cakes out and sat the birthday girls side by side. Ladybug was grinning from ear to ear and Lovely was ready to burst into overly-tired tears. But she managed to hang on through our quick rendition of Happy Birthday and then Daddy encouraged Lovely to touch her birthday cake. Ladybug needed no prompting and dove in with huge, giggling bites. Then she happily helped me cut the cake with our special birthday knife (our wedding knife) while Lovely warmed to the task and began to grab handfuls of frosting and smear them everywhere. Our once near-tears baby forgot her tiredness and happily slapped at the cake, devoured frosting and made a giant mess. We quickly cut the cake in half so there was some left to eat while she demolished her half (in my defense, I did not let my baby eat half a cake. she ate very little. instead she smeared it all over her face, in her hair, all over her high chair and on several family members that dared stand too close.). Eventually Daddy was feeding her bites of ice cream and she managed to give herself a brain freeze and began to cry. But after a quick cuddle and warm shower, she was clean, content and ready to play again. So we brought out the truckload of presents to finish out the evening. (okay, maybe half a truckload. but between it being a double birthday and the generosity of our friends and family, our lucky little girls were very spoiled.) Lovely sat on my lap, Ladybug sat on Daddy's lap and Butterfly was our runner, retrieving new presents for them to open. They got some great stuff and managed a few sincere and adorable cries of thanks and dashes for tight hugs amid the flurry of present opening.
Cake devoured and presents opened, we did a quick clean up and bid goodbye to our guests as they trickled out. Some family lingered and watched as the girls began going through the stack of presents again, playing and investigating, declaring each one to be the favorite. We got to skype and say hello to some family that wasn't able to make it but the girls didn't last long so I put Lovely to bed and Daddy took the girls to cuddle and watch a movie in our room. When I checked on them a few minutes later, everyone was sound asleep. What a great day.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
first day of school
you know those kids who cling to mom, sometimes even crying, begging her to stay, terrified at the separation? Yeah, not my kids.
you know the moms who sit in the car and cry after dropping their precious baby off at the first day of school? I thought that might be me. But no.
(...There might be something wrong with us.)
The first day of school was fantastic. It actually started two days ago when Butterfly and I went to Parent-Teacher Conference. The genius of this plan is that she gets to meet her teacher for a one-on-one interview, at the school, before the official first day chaos. We dropped Ladybug off at dance class and went to her school. Walking to the school, I reached out to hold her hand and she shied away. Almost apologetically she told me no. ??!!! That was the saddest moment of the week. But I respect her independence. We met her teacher and she acted like a perfect little lady. She sat properly in her chair, quietly listening and gracefully retrieving forms from her backpack when asked for them and then delicately folding her hands in her lap again. Eventually I confessed that this was all rather deceptive and she would soon be her talkative, super friendly, full of life and energetic self.
This morning I cuddled my two big girls for a few minutes as we all descended into wakefulness. Then I bounced on the bed, playing and shouting "first day of school! first day of school!" My plan worked perfectly and they were instantly excited, hurrying through showers, dressing and breakfast. We stopped for a quick photo shoot on the front step and loaded into the car.
Butterfly will be attending three days a week, Ladybug will be attending one day a week at a two year old program (since she doesn't turn three until next week). I suspect hers will be more of a structured playgroup than an academic experience but it will be good for her. Their school starts at the same time and both happened to have their first full day today. So we took Ladybug to school first, all of us piling out of the car, arriving 10 minutes early and having to wait around outside for a few minutes. While we waited, Butterfly and Ladybug nosily bounced around, peeking the windows and enthusiastically greeting her classmates (all of which promptly hid behind their moms). We were welcomed into the school, had a brief little flurry of "here's what you do" instructions, picture with new teacher, hang up backpacks and Ladybug ran off to play. She didn't even give me a second look, let alone a hug or a goodbye.
So we raced over to Butterfly's school where parents had been invited to stay for the first half hour. Daddy met us there and she was thrilled to see him. We were greeted by her teacher, did a similar "hang up your stuff" routine and then watched as the kids played a few games with their new teacher and classmates. Butterfly was quieter than usual and surprised me when she shied away from a boy that excitedly declared he knew her. What a reverse from the usual! After the games, the kids lined behind teacher and chugged away on their train, waving goodbye and cheering and chugging. I got a quick picture of her with her new teacher and then the school's head teacher welcomed us and ran through the orientation info.
And then we were done! No lingering hugs, sad goodbyes or anything. So me and Lovely headed out for our errands, loving the one-on-one time (and the ease of running errands with only one mischievous, curious, rambunctious munchkin!) We took the car for a safety inspection, renewed the registration and renewed my driver's license (which expired on my birthday two weeks ago, a fact that was recently pointed out to me by the officer when he pulled me over for failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign with no one near it!...except for the officer parked in a parking lot half a block away. But I dutifully accept the consequence of my mistake--which was an interesting conversation with my kids sitting in the back seat. I had to explain to them what I did wrong and that it was a consequence of my naughty choice. Butterfly tried to comfort me by pointing out he only gave me a paper but I didn't have to go on time out. I wish kid. anyway. happy birthday to me.)
We picked up Ladybug from school who was full of excitement and indiscernible chatter. Her teacher spoke to us for a few minutes to offer her observations of the day, commenting that she was very friendly and helpful...in fact a little too helpful and we needed to help by reminding her to take care of herself and let others do the same. Apparently she was quite mothering to the other kids. Eager to help and yet, smothering. But she had a great time and was eager to show me the picture she drew.
A friend from the daycare picked up Butterfly from school since I was in a required GroupKick rehearsal. On her way to the daycare, Butterfly passed by the window, spotting me and excitedly shouted things I couldn't hear and blew me happy kisses. Fortunately, I got to see her shortly after and she has rambled about the picture she drew, her new friends at school (who have some seriously odd names. I think this state wins for tried-too-hard-to-be-unique award. as well as the wanted-them-to-be-unique-but-really-I-just-can't-spell award.), her new teacher and all the activities they did.
They both had a great day and were thrilled to see each other again. They played, we had lunch and then slept soundly through long naps, thoroughly worn out from what must have been a very busy, wonderful first day of school.
you know the moms who sit in the car and cry after dropping their precious baby off at the first day of school? I thought that might be me. But no.
(...There might be something wrong with us.)
The first day of school was fantastic. It actually started two days ago when Butterfly and I went to Parent-Teacher Conference. The genius of this plan is that she gets to meet her teacher for a one-on-one interview, at the school, before the official first day chaos. We dropped Ladybug off at dance class and went to her school. Walking to the school, I reached out to hold her hand and she shied away. Almost apologetically she told me no. ??!!! That was the saddest moment of the week. But I respect her independence. We met her teacher and she acted like a perfect little lady. She sat properly in her chair, quietly listening and gracefully retrieving forms from her backpack when asked for them and then delicately folding her hands in her lap again. Eventually I confessed that this was all rather deceptive and she would soon be her talkative, super friendly, full of life and energetic self.
This morning I cuddled my two big girls for a few minutes as we all descended into wakefulness. Then I bounced on the bed, playing and shouting "first day of school! first day of school!" My plan worked perfectly and they were instantly excited, hurrying through showers, dressing and breakfast. We stopped for a quick photo shoot on the front step and loaded into the car.
Butterfly will be attending three days a week, Ladybug will be attending one day a week at a two year old program (since she doesn't turn three until next week). I suspect hers will be more of a structured playgroup than an academic experience but it will be good for her. Their school starts at the same time and both happened to have their first full day today. So we took Ladybug to school first, all of us piling out of the car, arriving 10 minutes early and having to wait around outside for a few minutes. While we waited, Butterfly and Ladybug nosily bounced around, peeking the windows and enthusiastically greeting her classmates (all of which promptly hid behind their moms). We were welcomed into the school, had a brief little flurry of "here's what you do" instructions, picture with new teacher, hang up backpacks and Ladybug ran off to play. She didn't even give me a second look, let alone a hug or a goodbye.
So we raced over to Butterfly's school where parents had been invited to stay for the first half hour. Daddy met us there and she was thrilled to see him. We were greeted by her teacher, did a similar "hang up your stuff" routine and then watched as the kids played a few games with their new teacher and classmates. Butterfly was quieter than usual and surprised me when she shied away from a boy that excitedly declared he knew her. What a reverse from the usual! After the games, the kids lined behind teacher and chugged away on their train, waving goodbye and cheering and chugging. I got a quick picture of her with her new teacher and then the school's head teacher welcomed us and ran through the orientation info.
And then we were done! No lingering hugs, sad goodbyes or anything. So me and Lovely headed out for our errands, loving the one-on-one time (and the ease of running errands with only one mischievous, curious, rambunctious munchkin!) We took the car for a safety inspection, renewed the registration and renewed my driver's license (which expired on my birthday two weeks ago, a fact that was recently pointed out to me by the officer when he pulled me over for failure to come to a complete stop at a stop sign with no one near it!...except for the officer parked in a parking lot half a block away. But I dutifully accept the consequence of my mistake--which was an interesting conversation with my kids sitting in the back seat. I had to explain to them what I did wrong and that it was a consequence of my naughty choice. Butterfly tried to comfort me by pointing out he only gave me a paper but I didn't have to go on time out. I wish kid. anyway. happy birthday to me.)
We picked up Ladybug from school who was full of excitement and indiscernible chatter. Her teacher spoke to us for a few minutes to offer her observations of the day, commenting that she was very friendly and helpful...in fact a little too helpful and we needed to help by reminding her to take care of herself and let others do the same. Apparently she was quite mothering to the other kids. Eager to help and yet, smothering. But she had a great time and was eager to show me the picture she drew.
A friend from the daycare picked up Butterfly from school since I was in a required GroupKick rehearsal. On her way to the daycare, Butterfly passed by the window, spotting me and excitedly shouted things I couldn't hear and blew me happy kisses. Fortunately, I got to see her shortly after and she has rambled about the picture she drew, her new friends at school (who have some seriously odd names. I think this state wins for tried-too-hard-to-be-unique award. as well as the wanted-them-to-be-unique-but-really-I-just-can't-spell award.), her new teacher and all the activities they did.
They both had a great day and were thrilled to see each other again. They played, we had lunch and then slept soundly through long naps, thoroughly worn out from what must have been a very busy, wonderful first day of school.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
catch up
Throughout the day I think of clever little things to describe the chaos that is my life. Too long for a facebook update (which is generally why I quit using facebook after I started blogging) but something short, sweet and filled with wit. Perfect for a quick blog post. especially since short ones are easier to follow than my long rambling journalling. But then I forget it and realize it's been a week since I posted. whoops.
We started dance classes. Butterfly has taken two years of gymnastics and loved it, but begged to do dance instead. Poor Ladybug didn't really get to choose. We just signed her up along with big sister. (which was crazy bytheway, they should warn first-timers that the registration open house is a mad house. but I guess that says good things about the studio if it's in such high demand. we chose it because the classes fit into our schedule.) Ladybug went to her first class and came out all grins, telling me about "hippy-dippers" and "popping bubbles" with her toes. Butterfly's class is the next day and she's a precious little ballerina. The few minutes I peeked in on through the window, she was perfectly attentive, graceful and followed directions. Either she's a natural or has seen too many ballerinas on tv. Spying on Ladybug was a little less reassuring. She's enthusiastic but easily distracted and loves to hang like a monkey from the ballet barre. (honestly, who let the two year old in there?)
GroupKick workouts/rehearsals continue. We have to practice so many weeks before we can officially launch and do our video certifications. I started to attend a few of my regular classes again because I thought my muscle soreness had worn off. Nope. It hadn't...hasn't...maybe next week.
Lovely started giving high fives. She thinks it's hilarious and I think it's adorable. Mostly because she barely even taps your hand and then laughs so hard she misses on every subsequent attempt. She's also started giving kisses. Sometimes she INSISTS on giving kisses. Except that her version of kisses is when she leans in open mouthed, and without moving her lips AT ALL, she smushes them against my lips or cheek and then leans back with a triumphant grin. She's traversing easily and even trying to free-stand for a few seconds at a time. I tried to convince her to stop growing which prompted Butterfly to say "Then don't give her food because the food will make her grow but if you don't give her the food then she will be sad and she will cry so you should give her the food and let her grow and not cry." I can't argue with her logic.
We had our second garage sale of the summer (second of my life actually). It rained on and off throughout so at times, it really was a garage sale since we had to drag the tables into our garage. And since the house is for sale, technically someone could have bought the garage but no one did. We did have another showing though (I think 7 or 8 so far) and we were pretty confident that the last would make an offer but no word from them yet. Send lucky wishes our way please. Mostly its the logical, level-headed part of me that wants it to sell soon but part of me secretly wishes for one more Christmas here before we move. That's probably not too unrealistic to hope for in this rather slow-moving market but we shall see. And then there's the tiny part of me who regularly changes her mind completely and wishes we could stay here forever. As for the garage sale, it was fun, surprisingly successful and now there is less clutter in my house. win win.
For being such good sports about the garage sale, I gave each of the girls a dollar and we went to the dollar store where they each picked out a jump rope. Then we went home and they used them to tie each other up against the pillars in the backyard and pretend to be Abinadi.
To calm our nerves about selling the house, we wander the mls listings. It started as an attempt to reassure ourselves that we would be just as happy elsewhere. But now we are kind of obsessed and do it just for fun. But the upside is that even though our intention is to "downsize", we don't feel like going to tone of these more modest homes would even be a downsize. Beautiful home, perfect for our needs, easier to take care of and would put us in a better financial situation. I love this plan. Now we just need the house to sell.
Labor Day Lake Party! We have an annual get-together with my husband's mother's side of the family. These are cousins that we LOVE, are our age, similar interests, are so much fun, etc. But because of all our very busy lives, we hardly ever see them. But we know we can count on our annual lake party, if nothing else. We had a fantastic day. Arrived at the lake, helped set up and then spent the day lounging in the sunshine, gabbing with cousins and playing with our girls. The weather was perfect except for a small breeze so the girls got to play in the water, I took them out on a little boat for a ride, they played with new toys from grandma, participated in the beachwear costume parade (fairy wings and tiaras) and the day was generally blissful. Even Lovely must have enjoyed it because she stubbornly refused to nap but played with her new toys, tried to chew on rocks and got some quality playtime with grandma.
Eventually we took the girls home for a late nap and quick clean up. After which, we joined all of the family again at Grandma and Grandpa's house for more time with cousins and a BBQ feast. It was a pretty spectacular day.
Today we went to the "welcome back to the school year library storytime kick off" party. (It probably had a shorter title.) Well done StoryTimeLady! The theme for the year is the Reading Express so the girls were greeted by our StoryLady dressed as a train engineer, she presented them with their own blue and white striped hats and we had a great time. My big girls sat in the very front row, singing along with all the songs (and chastising me if I tried to skip out on doing all the accompanying hand movements). She read them stories, we colored pictures of trains and then went outside for popsicles, train whistles and to play in the train shaped bounce house. It was fantastic.
This week Butterfly and Ladybug start preschool and we prepare for Ladybug and Lovely's birthday festivities, stay tuned...
We started dance classes. Butterfly has taken two years of gymnastics and loved it, but begged to do dance instead. Poor Ladybug didn't really get to choose. We just signed her up along with big sister. (which was crazy bytheway, they should warn first-timers that the registration open house is a mad house. but I guess that says good things about the studio if it's in such high demand. we chose it because the classes fit into our schedule.) Ladybug went to her first class and came out all grins, telling me about "hippy-dippers" and "popping bubbles" with her toes. Butterfly's class is the next day and she's a precious little ballerina. The few minutes I peeked in on through the window, she was perfectly attentive, graceful and followed directions. Either she's a natural or has seen too many ballerinas on tv. Spying on Ladybug was a little less reassuring. She's enthusiastic but easily distracted and loves to hang like a monkey from the ballet barre. (honestly, who let the two year old in there?)
GroupKick workouts/rehearsals continue. We have to practice so many weeks before we can officially launch and do our video certifications. I started to attend a few of my regular classes again because I thought my muscle soreness had worn off. Nope. It hadn't...hasn't...maybe next week.
Lovely started giving high fives. She thinks it's hilarious and I think it's adorable. Mostly because she barely even taps your hand and then laughs so hard she misses on every subsequent attempt. She's also started giving kisses. Sometimes she INSISTS on giving kisses. Except that her version of kisses is when she leans in open mouthed, and without moving her lips AT ALL, she smushes them against my lips or cheek and then leans back with a triumphant grin. She's traversing easily and even trying to free-stand for a few seconds at a time. I tried to convince her to stop growing which prompted Butterfly to say "Then don't give her food because the food will make her grow but if you don't give her the food then she will be sad and she will cry so you should give her the food and let her grow and not cry." I can't argue with her logic.
We had our second garage sale of the summer (second of my life actually). It rained on and off throughout so at times, it really was a garage sale since we had to drag the tables into our garage. And since the house is for sale, technically someone could have bought the garage but no one did. We did have another showing though (I think 7 or 8 so far) and we were pretty confident that the last would make an offer but no word from them yet. Send lucky wishes our way please. Mostly its the logical, level-headed part of me that wants it to sell soon but part of me secretly wishes for one more Christmas here before we move. That's probably not too unrealistic to hope for in this rather slow-moving market but we shall see. And then there's the tiny part of me who regularly changes her mind completely and wishes we could stay here forever. As for the garage sale, it was fun, surprisingly successful and now there is less clutter in my house. win win.
For being such good sports about the garage sale, I gave each of the girls a dollar and we went to the dollar store where they each picked out a jump rope. Then we went home and they used them to tie each other up against the pillars in the backyard and pretend to be Abinadi.
To calm our nerves about selling the house, we wander the mls listings. It started as an attempt to reassure ourselves that we would be just as happy elsewhere. But now we are kind of obsessed and do it just for fun. But the upside is that even though our intention is to "downsize", we don't feel like going to tone of these more modest homes would even be a downsize. Beautiful home, perfect for our needs, easier to take care of and would put us in a better financial situation. I love this plan. Now we just need the house to sell.
Labor Day Lake Party! We have an annual get-together with my husband's mother's side of the family. These are cousins that we LOVE, are our age, similar interests, are so much fun, etc. But because of all our very busy lives, we hardly ever see them. But we know we can count on our annual lake party, if nothing else. We had a fantastic day. Arrived at the lake, helped set up and then spent the day lounging in the sunshine, gabbing with cousins and playing with our girls. The weather was perfect except for a small breeze so the girls got to play in the water, I took them out on a little boat for a ride, they played with new toys from grandma, participated in the beachwear costume parade (fairy wings and tiaras) and the day was generally blissful. Even Lovely must have enjoyed it because she stubbornly refused to nap but played with her new toys, tried to chew on rocks and got some quality playtime with grandma.
Eventually we took the girls home for a late nap and quick clean up. After which, we joined all of the family again at Grandma and Grandpa's house for more time with cousins and a BBQ feast. It was a pretty spectacular day.
Today we went to the "welcome back to the school year library storytime kick off" party. (It probably had a shorter title.) Well done StoryTimeLady! The theme for the year is the Reading Express so the girls were greeted by our StoryLady dressed as a train engineer, she presented them with their own blue and white striped hats and we had a great time. My big girls sat in the very front row, singing along with all the songs (and chastising me if I tried to skip out on doing all the accompanying hand movements). She read them stories, we colored pictures of trains and then went outside for popsicles, train whistles and to play in the train shaped bounce house. It was fantastic.
This week Butterfly and Ladybug start preschool and we prepare for Ladybug and Lovely's birthday festivities, stay tuned...
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