Little Laundry Ladies

Yesterday the four of us girls were hanging out in the family room and I was attempting to accomplish a little laundry folding while the girls played. Occasionally they have helped me fold in the past, and they eagerly jumped in on the work. As I watched and listened, I couldn't help but just stop my own folding and wonder (and laugh!) at the ways each of them displayed her unique personality as she got involved in the very same activity.

SJ was cracking herself, and us, up by using her increasing leg strength to launch herself, face first, onto my stacks of freshly folded clothes. She rolled and giggled as if it was the most fun thing ever, then she would recover and do it again! AG was busily sorting through the baskets, determined to find only her own clothes to fold and then stacking the finished products on the sofa. She seemed to think SJ was funny but quickly suggested, with a very knowing tone, that I move my stacks to the sofa, like hers, so SJ wouldn't mess them up anymore. LL steadily pulled random items from the baskets with a constant stream of glowing comments: "Oh, look at this dress...isn't it pretty!" "Look at this little onesie...it's SO cute!!" "Here's a shirt...I like that shirt!" "Look at Mommy's shorts...they are SO SO big!" (Well, yes, they are, compared to those for toddlers!) They were so cute, just being themselves. So of course I took some pictures!






Doing the chores with three little helpers doesn't exactly make for the most efficient worktime, but it sure does make it more fun!

You know it's an election year when...

your almost-3 year old randomly finishes a statement with the phrase, "I approve this message." ?????? (Yes, we heard her right!)

A New Chapter Begins...

Funny how life sometimes seems to come in clearly defined segments, created when various big events coincide, making the "before" and "after" seem significantly different. A month ago we went on vacation with a "baby" who was just starting to pull up and a very minimally potty-trained two-and-a-half year old who'd spent all her days at home with her Mama. Now, following a whirlwind of a month (due largely to a literal whirlwind...), we find ourselves with a one year old who seems more eager and able to keep up with her sisters every day and a sweet new potty-competent preschooler who is weeks away from turning 3! And of course, their big sister is overseeing it all with a watchful eye and some new accomplishments and activities of her own.

LL started preschool on Monday! Here she is just before we left on that first morning. She was so proud!


The passing of the preschool torch! AG had some words of wisdom to share with LL in the days before school started. LL is in the same class with the same teachers that AG had last year, so we know what to expect!


All three of our sweeties smiling sunshine on a rainy Monday morning!


We all bid LL farewell and she happily went inside with a teacher, starting off on a whole new adventure! Somehow I managed to get away without any tears...of my own, I mean! I have no doubt LL will love school...just wish I could be a fly on the wall!

Then AG and I took SJ in for her 1 year well-check, and the big news there was finding out that she weighs 20 pounds 2 ounces, so we can turn her carseat around. I'm sure it was all that banana cake that put her over the 20 pound mark! She is our first to break 20 pounds so close to her birthday. When we got there we found out the flu shots were available, and that AG could get hers that day along with SJ. AG agreed to "show SJ how to get a shot like a big girl," and when the time came she stretched out on the table so bravely. I watched her face, and just as the nurse was about to give her the shot there was a moment when her brave face broke and she said, "I don't want it..." Of course, she got the shot and didn't even cry, but it was one of those moments when I was reminded that my "big girl" is still my baby, too! We came home and AG and I did some of our own preschool activities, which I hope will become our pattern on the days LL is in school.

So here we are after our first week of our new fall routine, and it seems like we are in such a different place than we were just days ago. I find myself realizing more and more how quickly things change, how quickly children grow, how quickly time flies, and it is bittersweet...exciting, wonderful, and a little sad all at the same time. I try to soak in all the little giggles, big hugs, dimply grins, quivering lips, funny words, sweet ideas...how I hope I can remember them forever just as they are now, even as we celebrate many more special milestones along the way!

Happy Days

It's been awhile! I had hoped to post the following pictures weeks ago, but due to Gustav, we had to take a bit of a detour...an "evacuation vacation" which ended up lasting 10 days for me and the girls! Our family has much to be thankful for considering the events of the past few weeks. We had two wonderful places to spend our time away (T's and my parents' homes), no damage to our house or trees in our yard, and the protection of our friends and family who stayed in the heavily affected areas during the storm. So, although the effects of the storm surround us, we are glad to be home and, I hope, will appreciate the big and small blessings and comforts of our lives a bit more..one of which, I must admit, is sitting down at the computer every now and then to record the big and small events of our lives! It seems appropriate that in this (200th!) post we can record the fun memories made two weeks ago, as we celebrated SJ's 1st birthday...even while planning to leave town the next day!

Here's the birthday girl before going to bed on her birthday night. What a big girl!


I love this one because you can see all her teeth, which she's been cutting like crazy over the last month. Three top teeth came in at the same time, so suddenly she has a really toothy smile!


We had her party at our house the day after her birthday. Here she is considering what to do with this big piece of cake we just gave her. After grabbing it and smashing it up a bit...


she figured it out and went for it with gusto...so much so, in fact, that after a few minutes T and I had to get her out of her seat thinking we were about to have to do the Heimlich! Thankfully we didn't, and she was fine, and she was returned to her seat and kept on eating...


but we managed her intake more carefully after that! She was just as happy with bits of cake as with the whole thing!


Here are most of our party guests...Uncle Matthew, Grandpa, Nana, Gran, Pop Pop, two big sisters, me and T. Behind the camera were two special friends from church, Mrs. Sheila (who came to keep AG and LL when we went to the hospital to have SJ!) and her husband, Mr. Tom. SJ is still preoccupied with those cake crumbs...


SJ had fun with her presents, though her sisters did most of the opening. Here's one that she quickly discovered and loves to pull up on!


She'll be taking her first steps in style with these cute new shoes!


Being one and wearing new shoes is exciting!


Tasting the new bath toys from her sisters...


She is such a delight to us all! In the last few weeks she's definitely started expressing her opinions about things more...like tonight when I took her out of her bath with her sisters before she was ready...so I know we are on the verge of getting to know her little personality even better. We look forward to seeing her blossom into a toddler, but oh how I treasure these fleeting "baby" days, too!