18 months

My girls

My beautiful baby girl is now a giant, wiggly, talkative, walking-everywhere 15 month old toddler.  And she might just be the cutest, sweetest little girl I've ever met, besides of course, her big sister.

Speaking of her big sister, she just turned SEVEN.  That is so crazy I can't even believe it.  That is halfway to 14.  She is a wonderful big sister, daughter, and student.  I love her so much.

I'm slacking again

But Leo had a birthday too! He turned 3 :) 

Happy birthday

To the best baby who ever existed :)

Sarah says at least 12-15 words, and decided today was a good day to take her first steps... To Madeleine! We are so blessed to have her. 

Memory

So we are continually amazed at John Paul's memory.  He remembers and tells me things that happened even before he was 2.  (and I have NO pictures printed out and he doesn't look at the computer so he doesn't see them either.)  Like he will tell me about the time he flew down the driveway on his tricycle and bumped his nose, and he said he remembered breaking his hand and told me what happened -- then I asked what color his cast was and he said Black!  (It was!)

But the other day we were in the car and he was asking about his belly button.  I told him about the umbilical cord and how it was attached to his belly button and gave him food inside Mommy's tummy.  He goes, "Oh!  I remember that!  That's when I was swimming in the pool next to the big pink thing!"

LOL!!!!!!!

Soooooo

Photographing that birth was one of the most awesome experiences of my life!!! I'm so glad it worked out perfectly and I was able to be there. They didn't know the gender and found out when she was born. After two boys we were all so thrilled it was a little girl!! 

I won't show the actual birth pics but they came out great too ;) 

I could totally do this for a job, if it weren't for that pesky problem of finding a last minute babysitter! Maybe someday!

Unofficial quick takes.

1. Trying to get back into blogging just a little, if only so my kids will know stories about their childhoods. 

2. M is a voracious reader. She usually reads about 4 hours a day because she wants to. She loves reading chapter books, her favorites are little house series, and she is getting into the older American girls and Ramona. She also loves reading to Leo.

3. She's done fabulous with her glasses! Leaves them on all the time and never messes with em. Looks super cute too. 

4. Sarah is standing by herself! Looks like walking is right around the corner.

5. Leo still won't give up his crib. And he is graduating from First Steps speech therapy in just a few weeks, but he's doing so well we decided to keep his speech therapist and pay out of pocket for her. So glad.

6.  John Paul is on lesson 50 of Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy lessons. Woooooo! He also constantly pretends he's a cat named Focus.

7.  Leo has ruined two ball popper toys. The first one he stuffed a million matchbox cars down in there and I couldn't get em out. The next one he spit a whole cup of chocolate milk down the hole, mouthful by mouthful. Savages. 

Bonus quick take: I get to photograph a birth today!!!!! Nervous and excited!

Big boy room

I know I stink at blogging but I wanted to remember this.  This past weekend we fixed up John Paul's room and got it ready for Leo to move in.  Leo is still in a crib in his room and Sarah is in a crib in our room.  She's almost 1 and he's almost 3 so I wouldn't mind getting Sarah out of our room one of these days!  Mom and I cleaned out his entire room and closet, got rid of the big changing table/dresser/hutch, unbunked the beds, moved 2 new dressers up and moved the chair and toy box around.  It looks fantastic in there.  We showed Leo his new big boy bed and he just started sobbing and said he wanted to sleep in his crib.  (The boy is a creature of habit - you shoulda seen when he outgrew his last pair of shoes.  Wasn't pretty.)

Anyway we told him he could sleep in there when he was ready.  Tonight we asked if he wanted to sleep in there with John Paul and he tentatively said yes.  So we went through his normal routine, read stories, etc and got him all tucked in and cozy in his big bed.  I went in to say good night and gave them both hugs and kisses and then went out and listened outside the door.

JP:  Don't worry Leo, I'm here with you now!
L:  I'm SCARED.  (sounding like he was about to cry.)
JP:  I will protect you Leo.  I'm here to protect you!

then quiet....

JP:  Uh oh I forgot my kiki (blanket) downstairs.  I better go get it.
L: {started quietly crying}

I went in there and he said, "I want to go sleep in my crib!"  I asked if he was sure and he said yes, so I told him I'd take him there.  I put him in there and he looked around the room and said,

"Not scary at all!"  

Love that boy.

2 posts in 2 days???

Yes!  So today I was driving the kids to the candy store after school was over, (I have been promising them I'd take them there for a week!) and all of a sudden this new light came on.  (The check engine light has been on for months.)  It was the temperature gauge light.  Then I looked closer and saw that the actual gauge was up to the H in the red zone.  THEN, the car started beeping like crazy.  So I pulled over in a parking lot and called Ken.  He told me to go to this car place just a block away.  I got there and waited 2 hours in the lobby while they checked it out.  Bad water pump, they said.  Ken talked to them on the phone and they agreed to fix it.  Mom came and picked us up and we came home.  A little while later, Ken called and said they had called and there was much much more wrong with it than they thought.  So...... we have no van.  Hopefully we will have one by this weekend!  And I need to go get all my stuff out of the old one!  Stay tuned for part 2 of this story..... when I know what happens!

Feast of St. Therese

Well it's no secret that I stink at blogging lately.  There are a few various reasons for that - the main one being that I feel like my kids are getting older and now they have their own stories to tell, that maybe I shouldn't be putting them out there.  But here's one that is blog worthy...

Today we learned about St. Therese the little flower.  We talk about her a lot around here, and she is one of M's favorite saints.  She has been very good about doing things when I ask her lately, and I think it's because of St. Therese's influence - her little way.  Anyway, we read the story of St. Therese this morning, and I told her that sometimes she sends people roses.  M got really excited and said a prayer she memorized, asking St. Therese to help her.  Then I said we needed to look for some roses.  At the end of school I was reading her a chapter of Mary Poppins, when all of a sudden, she said, "Mommy!  Roses!"  I had just read about Mary looking at herself in a store window checking to see that the pink roses on her hat had not turned to common marigolds.  I totally wouldn't have even noticed that part if she hadn't pointed it out to me.  (The chapter was about the bird lady- "feed the birds, tuppence a bag.")  Then at the very end of the chapter there was a picture of Mary's hat with roses on it!  M had a big smile on her face the rest of the morning.  :)

Halfway to 7.

When I started this blog, I was about 12 weeks pregnant with her.  Now she is 6 1/2 today.  Can't even believe it.

PSA

If you're trying to make homemade salsa, a little jalapeno goes a long way.  If you accidentally use too much jalapeño and take a big bite and your mouth, eyes, nose, lips and tongue is on fire, do not I repeat do NOT put ice on it.  Bad, bad, idea.  DO eat yogurt directly out of the container.  Do eat bread.  Do drink milk.  Do NOT put ice on your lips.

Hours later if your eye itches, do NOT rub it.  If you do, run to your fridge and pour yourself a glass of milk and pour directly into eye.

I would like to thank Dorothy and Nicole C for googling this information for me when I couldn't see.  Hypothetically speaking of course.

I'm going to Starbucks now.

Playtime

The kids like to sample all different playgrounds after school in the morning.  Lots of time we pack a lunch and we are enjoying this beautiful weather.  M found a giant disgusting beetle, JP and L made a new friend and S had a good time swinging.  Life is good.

Quick takes.

1.  Leo had his first steps annual evaluation a few weeks ago and blew. them. away.  They couldn't believe the words he was saying, his sentence structure, the fact that he knows his letters and numbers, etc etc etc.  They ended up saying he is above average in every area except articulation.  We can work on that.  Pray for us as we decide the next step for him as he ages out of first steps in Dec.

2.  We just finished week 3 of first grade.  M is doing great.  It's such a blessing that she loves school.  She asks to do more and more every day.  I'm really amazed at how much she learns outside of our sit down school time.  And if she thinks anything is "school" she is all over it.  Baking bread, painting, etc.  The boys were REALLY into painting this week.  Btw I need some ideas to keep them busy during school.  Hooligans.

3.  Sarah crawls and sits up now.  It's like a full time job to keep the floor clean.  At least she takes 2 awesome naps ;)

4.  Ken built a fire pit in the backyard!  We have had a blast with "campfires" as Jp calls them and/or "fireworks" as L calls them :)  He thought the fire was going to be loud!  haha poor boy.

5.  So I am loving photography and editing my pics in lightroom as most of you see on fb.  LOVE it.  I try to learn a little more every day.  Hopefully I can keep improving.

6.  I downloaded the Lose it app this week and I'm already frustrated with it.  It's kinda hard to figure out the calories of stuff I make.  Like a serving of Brussels sprouts with bacon, olive oil, s&p?  It ain't in there.  Roasted chicken breast with skin?  They have every single possible chicken breast you can buy in a package on there but what if you roast the dang chicken yourself?  You're outta luck.  So I'm estimating a lot and not sure if that's gonna work or not.  But I'm down 2 lbs the first week so that's good I guess.  I'd really like to lose around 20.

(no chubby pic for this one)

7.  We went to the fair twice in the past few weeks.  The kids all rode their first fair rides and LOVED it.  We saw lots of fun animals and ate some delicious fair food.  Hence the reason for number 6 ;)

8 months!

Sarah went from barely rolling to crawling everywhere this month. We had to put up a gate, we have to keep the floor vacuumed and keep all the little toys away. Jp crawled at 7 months but M and L not til 9-10 months. Her brothers and sisters just love her and still fight over who gets to play with her and talk to her. She is an awesome napper and a terrible sleeper at night. Last night up every 2 hours! Luckily I like coffee. 

First day of first grade!

M was so excited about starting first grade we went ahead and started this past Monday. I had everything ready to go so I figured we'd try the balanced schedule that a lot of schools are following around here. The first 3 days have been great! We are loosely following Mother of Divine Grace again with some additions. We started Miquon math orange book, we are continuing with modg poetry, religion and art, Getty dubay handwriting, story of the world for history (ancient times), Kids Nature book (and various encyclopedias) for science, then all kinds of literature including Aesop's fables, fairy tales, and classics like Robin Hood, Secret Garden etc. I'm really excited about this year and so is she! Jp is doing reading lessons and so far so good! 

What JP wore Wednesday

Summer days

Sometimes it gets really frustrating around here.  It seems like I'm constantly breaking up fights, listening to tattling or whining, cleaning up messes, doing laundry, and it NEVER ENDS.  There is always more to do.  I get one meal done and served and cleaned up and it's time for the next meal.  Someone always needs something from me.  Someone is always making noise.

Then sometimes I get a glimpse of a peaceful loving family.  Kids who play nicely together and make up elaborate games in the backyard.  Kids who love each other so much.  Leo who adores his big sister and wants to do everything with her - including their new favorite chore; collecting the trash.  A big brother making his baby sister laugh and laugh.  I know these are sweet days that won't last forever.  Days when all my kids are little, days when my kids fight over who gets to sit in my lap and hug me.  Days when we don't have all kinds of scheduled activities and can pretty much do what we want every day.  Days when I can bring the kids to the candy store, spend $1 and make their day.

I remember once putting my kids in the car at the grocery store, and an older lady came up to me and said, "I would give all the money I have just to spend one day with my kids again these ages."  My friend's dying grandmother was talking about when her grown children were toddlers - that was what was on her mind in her last days.

So Im enjoying these last few weeks of the summer of 2013.  These days will never come again and I will miss them when they are gone.

7 months

Is it just me or does 7 months sound really old??  It's closer to one than birth!  Sarah is such an awesome baby.  We've been going a lot of places with my friend who is a nanny for a family, and she says Sarah is the most "portable" baby she's ever met... meaning, we can take her anywhere and we barely know she is there!  I wrap her a lot on my back and she just hangs out, taking everything in, hardly making any noise.  There's been a few times we've gone somewhere for several hours and M or JP didn't even know she was with us!  (They're a little oblivious but still!)
I take back everything I said about her being a good sleeper though.  She goes to bed around 7:30-8 and then usually gets up around 12, 3 and 6 to eat.  Luckily she is an awesome napper, takes 2 really good naps, about 2-3 hours.
Lately she has really started liking playing with toys on the floor.  She can roll and pivot herself around but cannot sit up on her own yet.  We started solid food and she has had bananas, avocados, sweet potatoes and a bite of watermelon.

She adores her big siblings and just lights up when she sees them.  They all fight over who gets to talk to her and play with her... good and bad!  Mom stayed with all 4 kids when we went out for a few hours on our anniversary.  I tried to pump throughout the day and leave her a bottle but I only got 1.5 oz.  I fed her and put her to bed right before I left and she never went to sleep.  Mom got her up after she put the other kids to bed, she sucked down the bottle no problem, and played on the floor til we got home.  Maybe I should try to pump a little more ;)

She's finally getting a little hair!  And it's very light.  I just love her so much.

Same outfit

6 years ago and today. Poor M. My photography skills and camera were sorely lacking back then.