Enjoying the Autumn Sun

Such a beautiful afternoon, warm and sunny! We headed outside after naps to play in the backyard. William practiced sitting up solo, much more successful when leaning against the ball. Probably because he isn't fond of the grass. Ellie blew bubbles and enjoyed talking on the telephone for a half hour. I think we are in big trouble in about ten years! Nick played Star Wars and perfected the art of the death scene. My personal favorite was when he was "shot" by a Stormtrooper on the play structure and spent five minutes in the throes of death whilst simultaneously sliding down the slide.

Look! There's Snow Up Here!!

Nick wanted me to mention that he has found the first snow of the year in Breckenridge. He was very excited to see it in September! Ellie would not pose with the snow or her brother. But she did particularly want her photo included in this post, so here it is!

Sunday Misadventures

One of those days where nothing seems to go right...

We were late leaving for church this morning due to the big kids stalling and fighting, and the little one's cranky mood. Once in the car with sleeping children (Yeah!), and having missed church by this time, we decided to go for a drive. And ended up in Breckenridge. It was pretty, very sunny, and cold up there! We discovered on removing the children from the car that Ellie had an accident in her car seat (no potties on the way up, probably wishful thinking to tell a three year old to "just hold it" for an hour's drive) I scrambled through the various diaper bags and the trunk and managed to find a clean "outfit" for her if you can call it that.

After a brisk walk about the town we headed back to the car but now everyone was hungry. Lunch was Wendy's in the car. Smashed french fries and spilled milk on the back seats. A very pleasant addition to the stench already wafting from the backseat courtesy of the previous potty accident.

The drive back consisted of the two big kids in a WWF punch up in the back seat and William screaming non-stop. All accompanied by the musical stylings of Eleanor singing "Mountains are booooring" over and over. Think of Stillwell Angel from the movie "A League of Their Own" for a mental picture.

We arrived home just in time to throw everyone in the house and change their clothes for swimming class. While I was frantically running about gathering the towels and dry clothes, Paul was frantically cleaning the filth from the back seat of the car. We did make it on time though, so I guess one thing went right! Everyone was starving after class, and we arrived back home to discover the cupboards were bare. Oops! We had forgotten to do our grocery store run. Peanut butter sandwiches everyone?!

Finally it's bedtime for all. Best time of the day!

My Little Helper

"Helping" Mommy make spaghetti sauce. He's really just there for moral support, big smiles, and entertainment. But William likes to think he is contributing to the meal by keeping a wooden spoon at the ready.

William at 5 months

Wow, have the months gone fast! My little baby is five months old already. He is really a great little guy (most of the time). He has a fairly low threshold for discomfort, so when teething he can be an absolute bear 24 hours a day. But when those mean old teeth aren't acting up he is just as sweet and happy as can be! He has discovered his toes in the last few weeks and those are the favorite toys right now. Socks are a joke, he pulls them off and eats them! William discovered the joys of the fake cough recently and loves to play "sick". He has already learned that nothing gets him sympathy from the ladies faster than a couple of fake coughs! He laughs often and loudly, especially when tickled on the feet. He finds his siblings endlessly amusing, but bursts into tears from fear when Nick and Ellie get too rambunctious in his proximity. Smart boy! He does not like to eat cereal anymore, retching and gagging whenever we offer a spoonful. So we'll keep working on that. He takes three naps during the day and is in bed from 7pm to 7am. Unfortunately he doesn't sleep continuously during that entire time. Sigh. Another baby of ours who is a night owl! The boys are going to share a room later and we are hoping they will amuse themselves on their nightly awakenings and leave us to sleep in peace! He weighs approximately 13 pounds, 5 ounces and is about 23 inches long. Still a peanut!

Swimming Class

The big kids started swimming classes today at the Rec Center. In the past Nick has hated swimming lessons, and we actually had a couple of classes where he never made it into the water. Whereas Ellie has always loved water and is our little fish. But not today! Nick was awesome, he loved every minute of it! He followed directions, encouraged the other kids, and was the first to volunteer for each task. Ellie however wouldn't put her head under water or blow bubbles, and cried when she had to float on her stomach. She did perk up a little when the kickboards came out towards the end of the lesson. Strangely enough the biggest hit were the showers afterwards. Both kids jumped into the hot showers in the locker room. I ended up just as wet as they were from hauling them out so we could rush home for dinner. Thankfully, they both loved the lessons and can't wait for next week!

Fall Weather

Wednesday afternoon was so hot the kids were out swimming in the pool, but by Friday morning everyone was in sweatshirts and jeans! William and Ellie out in the brisk morning air at the school playground while we waited for Nick.

Cooling off on a hot afternoon. Ellie trying out her brand new Corolle Tidoo Swimming doll in the pool (works great and really floats!) and Nick doing some sort of aquatic karate.

William's First Swim

It was another hot afternoon here and the kids wanted to go swimming in their pool. Now that we have a backyard this seemed like a good idea. We decided to try William in the pool too. He looked really cute in his little swim suit (Thanks Big Cousin Henry!) and was all smiles until he hit the water. He didn't cry, but he wasn't thrilled about it either. We let him get his feet wet and then I rescued him with a dry towel.

And Last, but Not Least, the Presents!

Such a lot of beautiful presents! Pretty clothes, toys, jewelry, books, singing skirts and purses, a ride on pony. Thank you to all, Ellie loved everything!

Make a Wish!

She blew out all three of those candles by herself. Hope it was a good wish!

Yeah, Cake!!

Ellie's one request for her birthday was a pink Barbie cake just like the ones on display at Kroger for $35 a piece. So here is my version of it for much less than $35. I think she likes it! (I haven't mentioned to her yet that it isn't a complete doll on the top, just a torso/head on a pick stuck into the cake. I'm not sure if that will be traumatic or not?!)

What a Great Day at School!

Everyone loved the cookies, and Ellie got to wear a beautiful pink birthday crown to boot! Her teacher Mrs. Lovely (perfectly named teacher for the little princess) gave her a lovely card too. What a great day!! I did get a little teary eyed at 10:22 (12:22 Michigan time) thinking about how she was born three years ago that very minute, and now my little baby is off at school!

The Birthday Girl is Off to School

Our big three year old is off to her second day of school, complete with birthday treats! Ellie is soooo excited to pass out the hot pink frosted cookies to her new friends today.

Just had to post this shot of our little cutie!
(P.S.- Thanks for the t-shirt Jake and Luke!)

Post Haircut Photo

And here he is looking like a boy at last. William didn't mind having his hair cut, unlike his big brother! (Afterwards, I was running about like a madwoman trying to collect the pieces of blonde hair flying all over the deck for his baby book. At least the kids were entertained, and probably the neighbors too)

William's First Haircut

These are the "before" shots of William with his shaggy, long blonde hair.

Our Little Girl Goes to School!!

Ellie was up bright and early this morning to get ready for her first day of school. She was very excited to wear her new sparkly pink tennis shoes and use her Dora backpack. Drop off went perfectly. I wanted her to stop for photos but Elle had no time for that nonsense (hence the goofy pictures). It was time for school Mom!! She remembered which room was hers and where to hang up her backpack. Ellie said "Hi" to her teacher, gave me a quick hug and kiss, and marched off to play with the kids. I refrained from crying until I hit the car. Sigh, two babies at school I can't believe it! I'm off to hug my little William now...

Done at last!

At last the back yard is done. A play area for the kids; green, pretty grass; and a privacy (or as I like to call it "containment") fence. The play structure is a bit of a tease at this point since the grass has to grow for a week or so before we let the dog and kids out on it. Ellie just gazes longingly at her "park" from the kitchen window. And bonus, we can no longer see the wreck of a backyard in the empty house next to us! It has been enjoyable to sit on the deck and listen to the people walking by on the path commenting on how great the yard looks this week. I'm really glad I didn't hear any of the comments from passers by over the last year though, I can only imagine what they were saying about our dirt farm.

Look, it's grass!