It is HERE!

After a very mild early November the kids were counting down the days until snow! We were fortunate to have the warm temperatures as we were moving to our rental house. Conveniently enough the rental is only 4 houses away from our old house so we could walk everything across the street (in t shirts!). We are renting while we look for the house we want so we can buy and can take our time doing it. A few light flurries had the kids dressing in head to toe winter gear. Jake got a bit of a surprise when he misjudged his foot wear and stepped in a pile of snow with barefeet in his crocs. I think he will remember boots next time!
The snow is covering the street and trees tonight and it hard to deny how beautiful it is. The first and last snowfall of the season are my favorite:)

5 Months

Matthew is 5 months old already. What a boy! He is just the best little guy. We love every inch of him...those rolly thighs, dimpled elbows, gummy smile, soft brown hair, stinky little toes (he has the sweatiest feet!).
He has a belly laugh that we will go to great efforts to get out of him but generally he is quick to laugh...especially if there is a raspberry kiss headed to his tummy. He is giving kisses...big gooey slobbery awesome face dive kisses and is sleeping well now that he can roll over on his stomach to sleep. He sits on his own now and is interested in his toys. Everything goes into his mouth but no teeth yet! He has started to eat a few foods as he is nearing 6 months. Avocado and sweet potato are so far a big hit. He puts them in his own mouth, tries to chew and swallows so he seems ready and enthusiastic. So far no one is a picky eater...far from it! These kids LOVE to eat...and he seems to have been encouraged by watching their enthusiasm. Every time he takes a bite of anything he grins around the table at everyone, so pleased with his big self! I have a feeling, based on his growth curve so far that appatite is not going anywhere! I put him in a 12-18 month outfit recently that barely fit! He weighs close to 18 pounds and is very long.

We are just crazy about this sweet baby! How lucky we are that he is ours!

Miss Ella

Queen Elsa Elizabeth Annabella Joy as she prefers to be called is growing up so fast. She is such a delightful girl and makes us laugh every day! She loves her ballet class, her brothers, who she calls her sweeties and everything princess. She is also tough and bossy, a kind helper and a good friend.
Recently she was talking sternly to Ben about something as he was not listening to her and said - ELIZABETH ANNABELLA JOY! YOU LISTEN TO ME! he laughed and said - But Ella! That is not my name! And she shrugged and said...ya but I dont know YOUR whole name!
Ella loves to play Mommy, in which she imitates everything I do. It is so funny to see how she perceives me and how she remembers all the smallest details of things I do that I dont even realize until I am watching her. If I invite her to help me grocery shop it is the highlight of her week! We sure love this little cupcake!

4 Month Sibling Comparison

I had a little photo shoot with Matthew today to document his 4th month and was curious how he compared to his siblings. I see each of them in him but also his own little something! Whatever it is, its working! 

 Benjamin

 Jacob

 Elizabeth

Matthew

4 Months Old

What a happy little man our Matthew is! He is always ready with a smile and loves to laugh. He has a deep belly laugh and conveniently very ticklish armpits! He loves to be worn in his carrier and will fall asleep nearly instantly. He is beginning to sit on his own and can roll easily from stomach to back. He is still working on back to front which is convenient for me because I can lay him down and know he will be in relatively the same spot when I return...but not for long. He is determined to get on the move and keep up with the kids around him! Admittedly and unapologeticly  I  am babying this little boy of mine and plan on keeping it up as long as he will allow it. I am in no hurry for the next milestone this time as it is so easy to do with a baby. While each is exciting I know too well how fast it all passes. Savoring where is at right this minute is an enjoyable way to celebrate him...and celebrated he is! I didn't realize the interest the kids had in each of his new developments, no matter how minor. I learned quickly however when I put him in an excersaucer for the first time to see if he could hold himself up in it. Ben walked in and was appalled that he was not informed. "You are suppose to TELL me!". Whoops! He certainly has a loyal and enthusiastic cheerleader squad.

Big Sister

Oh to be three with your own real live baby doll. Ella has filled her role as big sister just perfectly. I remember her little shaking hand the morning she woke up to find an hours old brother in our bed. She was so scared to touch him but with tears in her eyes I knew she was amazed and overwhelmed at such a sight. She sure loves this little brother of hers. I heard her whispering goodnight to him recently in her little falsetto. "Goodnight little sweetie. I will love you and make you smile again in the morning". She kisses him gently and goes up to bed. He is a lucky boy!

Ella's New Bed

Ella is unwilling to sleep in her bed suddenly. She has been sleeping in a bed since she was a year old and started climbing out of the crib. She has napped for 3 hours each afternoon and slept 11 hours at night with no issue ...until now. She has been sleeping on her floor or ours for the last few weeks and we finally accepted that weather we like it or not this phase is lingering longer than we had hoped. We found a little daycare cot that can fit under her bed when she is not using it and still gives her the sensation of floor sleeping without ACTUALLY being on the floor. 

She was excited to help set up her little cot but she kept calling it a "pot". 

"Ella it is with a C, with a C sound." 

"Oh okay. My C-pot!" 

Jon told her not to jump on it or it would collapse and she ran upstairs to call down Ben and Jake to show them her new "c-pot". 

"I can't jump on it or it will claps!" as she claps her hands. Ha. This girl always keeps us on our toes with a laugh.

September

My favorite time of year always brings a feeling of new beginnings no matter how many years out of school I am. I still have the urge to buy new shoes...and maybe a backpack!

Since we are still enjoying home schooling...we settled for the apple orchard (and the kids all got new shoes anyway:)

We  enjoyed summer temperatures into the end of the month, savoring every moment we can in the sun knowing that the sweaters we carry in the evenings are a sign of the inevitable colder days.

Jacob and Elizabeth are having so much fun at farm school and cooking classes on Saturday mornings while Ben is still an avid soccer player, martial artist and pianist. He is hoping to start trumpet lessons this fall as well. They are all eager to get back to swimming in the springtime.

Ella has started ballet classes during the week and as much as I enrolled her just because she looks adorable in her dance outfit, she really enjoys it and counts down the days until she can go back to "Ms. Casey's dance class". She feels like such a big girl with a class all on her own to attend.

We are also enjoying two home school classes during a moms group that I was lucky enough to find mid week which is something we all can look forward to!

 ***Jacob is wearing is snake shirt on backwards for fear the snake would scare Matthew when he looks at him:)

August

We discovered a little gem this summer. A perfect little beach not a half hour from our house. Why we hadn't gone before baffles us now as we wake up early each Saturday to beat the crowd. Often we are there just as the dew is evaporating and the sand is freshly raked. We find the perfect spot on the grass, and enjoy our private spot only to turn around and discover the small field behind us filling up with blankets and picnic baskets. Matthew and I sit in the shade and watch the kids play. It is hard to think he will be filling a bucket with his own shovel next year! The rest of the month was full of markets and playgrounds, splash pads and even bowling- a first for everyone! As always we blinked and the summer was over...but it was a good one!