Look who's on two wheels...

After just a few short lessons with T running alongside, she took off. Just one of the ways our eldest is reminding us that she's growing up...

365 Days

It's official: our son is 1! We celebrated RL's first birthday for the first time a week early while our families were here on LL's birthday. Since Nana's birthday is the 17th and RL's the 23rd, after LL's Narnia party we broke out another cake and partied all over again!

Nana and RL, the guests of honor


His first real cake...a yummy carrot cake Gran made


He gobbled it all up, probably in record time!


The almost-birthday boy with his admiring sisters


Gran, PopPop, and Uncle David with the kids on the 16th


Last Saturday, the 23rd, was RL'a actual birthday. We went to Boo at the Zoo that morning...a fun outing to mark his big day! He rode along and watched all the action of the dressed up kids around him (and maybe noticed a few of the animals, too!) with great interest.




That afternoon, he got a fun new toy and had a great time figuring it out with a little help from AG.



He got so excited with the hammer that he banged himself in the head a few times and didn't even mind.


Birthday dessert: pumpkin cheesecake. Not the least messy option, but he enjoyed it!






Our time with him so far has flown! He is so full of energy and ready to take on the world now, it seems. "Ligh" is still his only consistent word and "more" his standard mealtime sign, but his range of sounds is very impressive! He's starting to cruise and balance for a few seconds, but he seems in no hurry to walk as he can cover some territory quickly as a crawler. Favorite foods: bananas, peas, cheese toast, oatmeal, and anything with a touch of marinara. He loves the attention of his sisters (thankfully!) and still requires one of the two raggedy-eared "Ralphs" at nap and bedtimes. And, be still my heart, it appears he is a hugger! Getting a little squeeze with his little arms around my neck is precious enough to make me glad I got woken up at 5:00 a.m.! While he's happy to see me in the mornings, he's definitely glad to see T when he gets home from work. He immediately wants to go to T...understandably...he's been surrounded by girls most of the day! And, after 51 weeks of ups and downs with his sleeping, I am thrilled (and yet a little wary) to say that we're now on night 11 of his sleeping through from about 7:30 to about 5:30...major progress and relief! And another notable skill he's developed in the last week: drinking from a sippy cup. Previously, he was only interested in them as a throw toy, or maybe to occasionally chew on. Now he is really drinking, and today he even had some milk from a cup. We are all so thankful for his little guy and look forward to seeing how he grows and what he learns in the coming year.

Our LL is 5!

She made her entrance into our lives 5 years ago with surprising speed, and since then she has continued to display energy, eagerness, and enthusiasm in so many ways. We are so thankful for her, and for the way she brings such fun and joy to our home and hearts.

The last few months have seen her start music lessons, learn to read, and enjoy getting to "present" to her CC class. At home she is quick to offer her little brother a helping hand or a word or act of comfort or kindness when he needs it. She can easily outdo me when it comes to the memory work they are learning, and she is within centimeters of catching up with her big sister's height. But she still clings to her lovies with unwavering affection, though they now show close to 5 years wear, and she would be quick to tell you that the currency of choice here is often "Daddy snuggles"!

T is finishing up the Narnia series with them again, and LL requested a "Narnia party" a few months back. We did our best, though my creativity is lacking and Narnia items are hard to find since the L, W, and W movie is as old as LL is. But it was a fun day, and she was pleased. Here's a peek at LL's birthday festivities:

She opened her gifts from us that morning and was so happy to unwrap her own Bible, which she'd wished for out loud in previous weeks! She also got a couple of Narnia books on tape, and as she said tonight, "I can't stop listening to this story!"


A drill can come in handy in the most unexpected situations...


5 little princesses of Narnia...


The birthday girl and her big sister


SJ applied lipgloss non-stop!


I planned a balloon-popping game, not realizing that LL's toddlerhood wariness of loud noises would be unexpectedly revisited! She kept her distance and let her friends do all the popping...


The cake. Not exactly Cair Paravel, but it didn't fall apart :) We had "Aslan" standing nearby...though he didn't get in the photo. He was a little heavy for the top of the castle.


All the kids (and Gran holding RL) after singing Happy Birthday to LL


No turret was left standing. SJ said later, "I like turrets!"


RL enjoyed the party, too. Little did he know that right after LL's party he'd have one of his own...but more about that soon!

Countdown to his big day...

We're well past his 11 month mark and RL is all about making things happen. Grabbing things, banging, dumping out containers, falling into the laundry basket, and chewing on everything in sight (including shoes, ugh!) as his second front tooth is about to come through any minute...surely. He's not really cruising, but today I saw him keep his balance while standing without holding onto anything for the first time.

Here are a bunch of recent pictures of RL in action, playing with a ball in the backyard and laughing at his sisters and watching cars pass as he sits in the stroller. The video at the end shows two big milestones: his first word ("light!") and his first sign (more), which he does sort of haphazardly in the video, but with great precision at other times!

Life as we know it...

Since August 23, when we "officially" started school at our house, our normal pace of weekday life seems to have changed dramatically, and I am realizing that is not a temporary phase we are going through...it's apparently just the way it's going to be most of the time. I guess we are entering a new stage altogether as the older girls are truly not so "little" anymore. It's exciting and a little scary. And tiring. But fun! We have been doing two new "school" groups on Monday and Friday mornings for the last 6 weeks, and that has provided lots of fun and interesting new learning experiences for the girls and a good amount of accountability and "academic assistance" for me. In between, we do as much "school" at home as we can, and squeeze in music and dance lessons and practices and, for the last week and a half, lots of outside playtime because the weather has been awesome! Here's a collection of photos taken over the last month or so:

Can you find the cutest "doll" in the toybox?


Taking a walk and stopping to pose with "PJ" before letting go of their balloons from the dentist's office. Actually, SJ's balloon had gotten away pretty soon after we left home. She was pretty distressed as it floated away and we watched it for a long time. She asked, "Is the string stuck on a cloud?"


SJ, unlike her big sisters, continues to add to the collection of lovies she sleeps with. She has her "thumb-sucking lovies" (which are the little blankets with animal heads attached) but alot more stuffed friends have become bedtime buddies.


She conked out during Narnia one night...


LL and RL in the crib with their lovies one morning


Giggle time!


SJ is not quite old enough to be in AG and LL's dance class, but their teacher has been kind to let her join in for the "free dance" song they do at the end of class each week. Of course she's been dressing for it!


Weekend before last we went to a doll museum as part of SJ's birthday present from Gran and PopPop. Such fun!