Thursday, December 31, 2015
Monday, November 30, 2015
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
September
What I'll remember:
Caroline is 15 months! The screaming has stopped and has been replaced by a cute "Pee-ah!" with sign for "please," and an always enthusiastic "Na-Nee!" for thank-you. I love the way she whispers "wow" every time we pass the stain glass windows at Margaret's preschool. She calls her pacifiers "froggy." She is on a constant path of destruction, which makes accomplishing anything at home especially difficult. She loves running water in the sink and flooding the bathroom, is still found playing in the potty practically on a daily basis (despite my best efforts to prevent her!), and loves getting out her own zip-lock bag and pointing at the snack cabinet when she's hungry. She's also REALLY into walking around with a toothbrush and toothpaste that she has procured herself from the bathroom. Oh, and climbing up on the table to finish her sisters' leftovers. She found a piece of Libby's gum recently, unwrapped it, and began to chew it. Her "cheese" smile for photos is hilarious and adorable. Oh, and I found her carrying a SNAKE across the yard recently (dead, but I couldn't tell at the time!). I still love kissing her sweet cheeks and am trying to soak up every moment with my baby while she's still a baby.
Margaret is my new little bedtime buddy, as she insists on having me lie with her at bedtime and I usually end up falling asleep myself. I'll make it back to our bed at some point, and then some time later she'll try to crawl in bed with us, at which time I'll have to take her back to her bed and end up falling asleep there again. In the meantime Libby has probably been up at least once to potty, and likely another time to come in and ask us how much longer until morning. And at some point Caroline will wake as well, likely twice, and Joe will go in to put her back down. This is pretty much our night at this point in our lives. Every. Single. Night. At least Siena sleeps. We had ONE night recently where every girl slept the entire night through, and it was like the stars had aligned. That definitely has not happened at least since Caroline has been born. Strangely, I think we've both just become accustomed to the interruptions... Unfortunately I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep through the night again, even after the kids do.
Otherwise we're getting into the swing of school around here! I have to admit, with Siena and Libby away all day and Margaret in school part-time, this year is already feeling a LOT different from last year. Dare I say easier? There's still the morning craziness and tons of running around with drop-offs and pickups, and life with Margaret and Caroline at home is certainly busy, but I'm not feeling like I'm drowning all the time anymore... a nice change!
Some fun photos from September:
Caroline is 15 months! The screaming has stopped and has been replaced by a cute "Pee-ah!" with sign for "please," and an always enthusiastic "Na-Nee!" for thank-you. I love the way she whispers "wow" every time we pass the stain glass windows at Margaret's preschool. She calls her pacifiers "froggy." She is on a constant path of destruction, which makes accomplishing anything at home especially difficult. She loves running water in the sink and flooding the bathroom, is still found playing in the potty practically on a daily basis (despite my best efforts to prevent her!), and loves getting out her own zip-lock bag and pointing at the snack cabinet when she's hungry. She's also REALLY into walking around with a toothbrush and toothpaste that she has procured herself from the bathroom. Oh, and climbing up on the table to finish her sisters' leftovers. She found a piece of Libby's gum recently, unwrapped it, and began to chew it. Her "cheese" smile for photos is hilarious and adorable. Oh, and I found her carrying a SNAKE across the yard recently (dead, but I couldn't tell at the time!). I still love kissing her sweet cheeks and am trying to soak up every moment with my baby while she's still a baby.
Margaret is my new little bedtime buddy, as she insists on having me lie with her at bedtime and I usually end up falling asleep myself. I'll make it back to our bed at some point, and then some time later she'll try to crawl in bed with us, at which time I'll have to take her back to her bed and end up falling asleep there again. In the meantime Libby has probably been up at least once to potty, and likely another time to come in and ask us how much longer until morning. And at some point Caroline will wake as well, likely twice, and Joe will go in to put her back down. This is pretty much our night at this point in our lives. Every. Single. Night. At least Siena sleeps. We had ONE night recently where every girl slept the entire night through, and it was like the stars had aligned. That definitely has not happened at least since Caroline has been born. Strangely, I think we've both just become accustomed to the interruptions... Unfortunately I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep through the night again, even after the kids do.
Otherwise we're getting into the swing of school around here! I have to admit, with Siena and Libby away all day and Margaret in school part-time, this year is already feeling a LOT different from last year. Dare I say easier? There's still the morning craziness and tons of running around with drop-offs and pickups, and life with Margaret and Caroline at home is certainly busy, but I'm not feeling like I'm drowning all the time anymore... a nice change!
Some fun photos from September:
 |
| Margaret's first-ever day of school! |
 |
| Fun at home with these two silly heads... |
 |
| ... while big sisters are off to Kindergarten and First Grade |
 |
| 15 months |
 |
| Cheese! |
 |
| Snake! |
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
August
I'm sure there are many things to report about this month... Finishing up our travels in Colorado, starting a new school year, etc, but the only event that I will likely remember was losing my beloved dad to cancer on August 19th. We were so blessed to have spent two great weeks in Colorado with him, saying goodbye just ten days before he passed away. Obviously I could go on and on about Dad... what a brilliant man he was, his generosity, his humor, his quirks, his love for his grandchildren. He really was at his best when spending time with his granddaughters, and I consider myself very fortunate to have witnessed many of those special moments over the past seven years since moving back home and starting our family. Picky will be missed so much, and I hope I can keep the fun memories of him alive for our girls. Here are a few of them... We love you, Dad!
 |
| Meeting his first grandchild! October 25, 2008 |
 |
| Siena with her best bud. |
 |
| Christmas 2010 |
 |
| Baby Libby with Picky and friends |
 |
| A walk with Libby at Dinkle lake |
 |
| Laughs over oatmeal |
 |
| With baby Margaret at Disneyland |
 |
| Bubbles with Margaret |
 |
| Joining Libby in her favorite activity |
 |
| So many books read together... |
 |
| Snuggles with Caroline! |
 |
| More stories with Margaret |
 |
| I'm eyeing your glasses, Picky! Caroline and Picky had such a cute bond. |
Monday, August 10, 2015
July Travels
We've had lots of fun around home in July -- an awesome 4th of July party and fireworks right in our neighborhood, swim team practice, and just the regular antics that come with all four girls home for the summer. The best times, however, have come in the trips to visit our grandparents and extended family. Trips to Wisconsin to visit Grandma and Grandpa Yak and to Colorado to see Winnie and Picky created many a memory, and sharing good times with aunts, uncles, and cousins made them even better. Here are a few photos of each:
Fun in Wisconsin!
And a big trip out west to Fly Low!
Fun in Wisconsin!
 |
| Can you tell that visiting a big water park with all of these little ones may have been a bit ambitious? |
 |
| Our hotel's pool was much better... We loved time with Auntie Em and sweet new cousin Charlie! |
 |
| All of the little Sustar cousins with Grandma and Grandpa Yak |
 |
| Siena picks mulberries for pie wearing a bonnet she stitched with Grandma Yak... it's a fun step back in time here at the Domes! |
 |
| Yummy mulberries |
 |
| Caroline's first visit to the Domes |
 |
| The gang's all here! |
 |
| The Domes from below on a beautiful day |
 |
| Enjoying a stroll on the land |
And a big trip out west to Fly Low!
 |
| Margaret is 3! Celebrating her "Sparkly Silver" birthday |
 |
| Enjoying handmade gifts from her sisters |
 |
| A bit of pink and purple icing, perhaps? |
 |
| Crowning the Birthday Girl |
 |
| Lounging on Picky's "bed" in the back of Winnie's car |
 |
| We took a fun hike as a family near Aspen... Fun, that is, until the skies opened up! |
 |
| A trip to Fly Low wouldn't be complete without roasting marshmallows |
 |
| I'd like S'more, Mom! |
 |
| Special times with Picky. This would be our last visit with our beloved grandpa. |
 |
| Elaine is here! Enjoying a snack with our cousin. |
 |
| Where to, Elaine? |
 |
| Gorgeous rainbow sunset over Mt. Sopris |
Margaret Rose is THREE!
Ah, three year olds... I just LOVE this age, and with little Margaret it's been especially sweet. I've loved witnessing her little personality really solidify, and cherish the fun conversations to be had now that she's one of the "big girls." Margaret has a lighter (dare I say aloof?) personality than her older sisters, which can be a welcome change when emotions are running high around here. She's unusually compliant for a 3-year-old, which I'm sure will change, but is a breath of fresh air when I'm trying to get the girls to bed, out the door, etc. She plays very well on her own and her favorite activities include coloring (which she could probably do all day long) and playing in dirt. Seriously, she loves dirt/sand and also seems to be physically drawn to the ground, often lying down in the oddest places (parking lot? driveway?) just because. Sandboxes are pretty much the best thing ever in Margaret's book. She still hasn't figured out how to say her "R's" clearly, which makes her sound like a little British girl and is just the cutest. "Birds and worms" comes out "behds and wehms," and we loved celebrating her "spawkely silveh" birthday this year. She continues to love numbers and letters and is already starting to write her name and attempting to sound out words. She does thumbs up with her pointer finger and loves to say "mmm, good stuff." Her curly hair is just the best. Though for the most part she is funny and sweet, she certainly holds her own when scuffling with her sisters and likes to dabble in potty humor thanks to her big sister Libby's influence. ;)
To sum up Margaret, here's a fun excerpt from a recent conversation while snuggling her to sleep after she'd just gone potty:
Margaret, wiping her wet hand on my face: "I'm putting some hand sanitizer on your face."
Me: "Why are your hands wet? Because you washed your hands after going potty?"
Margaret: "No, I just licked them."
Happy 3rd birthday, Margaret Rose! We love you so much!
Ah, three year olds... I just LOVE this age, and with little Margaret it's been especially sweet. I've loved witnessing her little personality really solidify, and cherish the fun conversations to be had now that she's one of the "big girls." Margaret has a lighter (dare I say aloof?) personality than her older sisters, which can be a welcome change when emotions are running high around here. She's unusually compliant for a 3-year-old, which I'm sure will change, but is a breath of fresh air when I'm trying to get the girls to bed, out the door, etc. She plays very well on her own and her favorite activities include coloring (which she could probably do all day long) and playing in dirt. Seriously, she loves dirt/sand and also seems to be physically drawn to the ground, often lying down in the oddest places (parking lot? driveway?) just because. Sandboxes are pretty much the best thing ever in Margaret's book. She still hasn't figured out how to say her "R's" clearly, which makes her sound like a little British girl and is just the cutest. "Birds and worms" comes out "behds and wehms," and we loved celebrating her "spawkely silveh" birthday this year. She continues to love numbers and letters and is already starting to write her name and attempting to sound out words. She does thumbs up with her pointer finger and loves to say "mmm, good stuff." Her curly hair is just the best. Though for the most part she is funny and sweet, she certainly holds her own when scuffling with her sisters and likes to dabble in potty humor thanks to her big sister Libby's influence. ;)
To sum up Margaret, here's a fun excerpt from a recent conversation while snuggling her to sleep after she'd just gone potty:
Margaret, wiping her wet hand on my face: "I'm putting some hand sanitizer on your face."
Me: "Why are your hands wet? Because you washed your hands after going potty?"
Margaret: "No, I just licked them."
Happy 3rd birthday, Margaret Rose! We love you so much!
 |
| Her first trip to the dentist. "Just chillin', Mom!" |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
