LL at 3

It's been a few weeks since her birthday, but I wanted to record a few things about LL at 3 years old.

She continues to be a ray of sunshine with her upbeat attitude, funny expressions, and beaming smile. Sometimes she explains her humor, saying, "I was just being a joke!"

One of her current trademarks is an assortment of different sounds effects that she peppers into her interactions with us...I would describe most of them as growls, really, but they are cute little growls. She and AG like to act like tigers, and a few times this week they have approached me on all-fours, making their best tiger noises, and at the last second LL jumps up and tells me, "I'll save you from the rescue!"

For months now she has been telling us, over and over, the details of an episode of "Gilligan's Isligans" that she watched one time. There was an Indian in the episode, and she's had a preoccupation with Indians since then (which was probably also spurred on by reading a few "Little House" books...).

Like many kids her age do, she often shocks us by seeming to absorb things she sees and hears and then repeating them with great detail. She can quote huge portions of her favorite books word for word, and she has a great memory for Bible verses and other "memory work" even when we haven't truly "worked" on it!

She has a natural way of lavishing us with compliments and positive feedback. This often makes common interactions a joy because she has such a glowing, "can do" attitude! Of course, we also recognize a need to channel this tendency in the right way...and to be cautious about our own response to it sometimes! I mean, the girl has a little song she sings to me at least a few times a week; it goes, "I love my mommy, she's so cute and smart!" Watch out! (She may have a future in politics...)

On that topic, I have been amazed by how she's soaked up the bits of this campaign season that she's been exposed to. Months ago, with no prompting from anyone, she picked up on the names of the two major presidential candidates and she drops their names all the time in her play/talk at home, and even has gotten some funny responses from strangers when she says them in public (such as when she sees a photo of one of them and comments on it in Target...or wherever). "I approve this message" spontaneously entered her vocabulary and has been said more times than any of us can count since. And here's our exchange this morning:
LL: "Do I go to school today?"
Me: "No, it's not a school day. We are going to vote today!"
LL: "Is Sarah Palin going to be there?" (first time I've ever heard her say this name, and I don't think I've said it to her...)

We are so blessed to have this fun, funny, sweet, bright, loving little girl to share our days.

Trick or Treat!

Here are some pics of our trip around the block Friday night.

SJ made no protest about wearing the bee costume (which, being just her size this year, was too cute to leave hanging in the closet even though LL did just wear it last year!). However, she was not very enthusiastic about the whole process and was truly just along for the ride. Who needs candy with such a sweet thumb?


AG and LL (aka Tinkerbell and Cinderella), in contrast, were really excited about trick or treating. Here they are, in action, just before the door opened.


Happy with their loot!


Party of 5, Halloween style.


The next photos were taken for proof, because I could hardly believe this myself. When we got back home, of course the girls had a few pieces of candy. I half-jokingly offered them some carrot sticks since we'd eater dinner earlier than usual and I didn't want them to go to bed hungry. A little while later they took me up on the offer and, for the rest of the night, the candy was a non-issue.



Now, of course, we are in the midst of doling it out one or two pieces a day...and sneakily making some of it disappear from time to time. The "treat wave" time of year has officially begun!

Fall Festivities

Last week we had some fun activities, including the fall festival at LL's preschool on Friday.


AG, SJ, and I went along that morning to join the fun. AG especially enjoyed it; she participated in everything right alongside LL.

There were relays, hand-painting, a sing-a-long, a fun craft, bouncehouse, snacktime, and storytime, but I think the hayride was the highlight!

They also carved a jack-o-lantern with T the night before.


Of course all of this was leading up to the main event Friday night...trick or treating! More about that in the next post!

Day Trip to Mimi and PawPaw's

Saturday before last we went to Mimi and PawPaw's house and had a great time visiting with them, Nana and Grandpa, and the girls' great aunts, great uncle, and three cousins.

SJ got caught up with Nanoo, her birthday buddy, at the arts and crafts show where her pottery was displayed!


SJ also loved reading her new "buuh" (one of her favorite words!)


SJ visited with PawPaw, too...


Everyone enjoyed the beautiful day out...and LL and AG got their faces painted!


Hanging out with Nana


It was a fun day! We are already looking forward to another visit at Christmas.

How many carseats fit in the back of a Honda Accord?

I thought it was pretty amazing that T got 3 in there, but then LL went above and beyond and added another one! We rode around like this for a few days last week, and it made me extra thankful for our van!

LL's 3rd Birthday Party

Today we had lots of LL's friends and family here to celebrate her birthday. It was a fun afternoon packed with as much action and energy as you'd expect from a yard full of young kids. My favorite quotes of the day from the girls came this morning as they were helping me make the cupcakes. To describe how much fun the "funfetti" cake mix was, AG said, "Funfetti is like going around on the carousel!" LL asked at least a dozen times when she could have a "licker", also known as a beater from the electric mixer! (The girl knows her way around the kitchen :)

Here's the birthday girl just before blowing out her candles. The dessert stand had to settle for holding Sesame Street themed cupcakes today instead of the fine plastic food the girls prepared last night!


Cupcakes...certainly one of the highlights of LL's day!


Bouncing with a few friends...


The three-year-old club!


We were so glad to have all 4 grandparents and Uncle Matthew here! We enjoyed a bit of visiting in the midst of party prep and they all helped a ton, as usual! Here's a sweet shot of the girls with Nana and Grandpa at the end of the party.


LL gets some coaching from Uncle Matthew on "how many" she is now!


We are reminded on days such as this just how much we have to be thankful for!
One other birthday-related bit of info...Yesterday I took LL to the doctor for her well-check and found out she was now inthe 90th percentile on height. Wonder how long it'll take her to catch up with AG?

LL's Birthday Field Trip

Last Thursday two important events coincided: LL's 3rd birthday and her 1st preschool field trip! It was a fun outing for us 4 girls.

Cutest pumpkins in the patch!


Seems like just yesterday we were here with AG's class! Now she seems like such a big kid in comparison with LL's classmates...what a difference a year makes!


Loves jewelry, loves treats...the "cookie ring" is the perfect combination! By the way, snack time is apparently LL's favorite part of school, or at least it seems to make the biggest impression so far. Every day when she gets into the van after school, what she had for a snack is the first thing she reports!


AG sipping some "pumpkin juice"!

LL, the Birthday Belle!

Our sweet LL is turning 3 today! The last few days have been busy and fun-filled enough to more than make up for the icky way her birthday week started off. Yesterday, I took AG and SJ along to help out with skate day at LL's school. The best part was getting to see her all laced up and rolling on real, big girl skates! Of course, since they've only done this aobut 3 times, they still offer a little help in the form of carpet squares for them to practice on. What fun!




Today we went along on her class field trip to the pumpkin patch. Here is our cute little pumpkin with a cute little pumpkin.


I'll post a few more photos from our outing soon, but for now I'll just throw in this one to give you an idea of the birthday party prep going on around here. I got this cupcake stand yesterday to use for LL's party, and last night the girls just had to try it out!


LL, we are so thankful for you! Your laughter and sweetness never fail to make our days brighter! Your enthusiasm for life is so much fun. I pray you'll always have the joyful spirit and thankful heart we see in you now. Happy birthday!

Little Painters

AG and LL painted pumpkins a few days ago. They worked hard at it, and when all the paint was gone you could barely tell there were pumpkins under it! (especially since the only colors I had were Springish pastels. No, neighbors, those are not Easter eggs with stems beside our door :)




While they were painting, SJ hung out and played with the paint bottles, sticks, and leaves. Thankfully she is getting better about not putting things in her mouth all the time! She kept holding her leg up when I put her on the grass...I think she must not like how the drier grass feels on her skin. The other day she was trying to balance on her bottom and keep both legs up at the same time!

Reunited...

In the wee hours of Monday morning LL "had a throw up," and for her, the worst part of the whole experience was not getting to go back to bed with Ellie and Blankie. It took at least twice as long to convince her that she could sleep without them and to get that to happen as it did to bathe her and change her bedsheets! The whole next morning she waited on pins and needles until, at last...they came out of the dryer, fresh and clean after a much-needed bath of their own.

Bliss...


They don't call them lovies for nothing!

A Peek Into Our Weekend

We've had a few boxes around lately that were big enough for the girls to get into. They have had fun hiding inside, playing house, and packing up various items. Even SJ has goten into it, literally!


I had the pleasure of accompanying AG to the birthday party of a friend on Saturday. It was a "costume extravaganza," so we put her dance recital costume to good use again! She had a great time seeing her friend, whom she hadn't seen since she got out of school in May. She also got her face painted, had lots of good food, and played in a huge bouncer. I snapped a few pictures of her fun time...

Dinner, Music, & Fun

Last week AG officially turned 4.5! To celebrate, T took her out to Chili's Friday night. She was so excited and came home glowing, reporting that she had a "grilled cheese hamburger and corn without the cob." Here they are before setting out:


Also, last month T and AG began another new adventure together...weekly music lessons for kids which parents also attend and participate in! They are both enjoying it, and I can testify from hearing then practice, it is nice to have music (even from beginners:) being made inside our house. It is great time for them to spend together, too, and I am so glad T is up for being the parent on deck in this wonderful (but time-consuming!)commitment. T is really a natural when it comes to musical ability, though this is his first experience with any formal lessons. He's a great "partner"!


And finally, the big girls wanted to join SJ in the crib one day last week when we went to get her up from her nap. You can see that SJ was still waking up and a little unsure of what to think about the two overly-excited former occupants who'd jumped in with her!

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!