Setting up Camp

Contrary to the typo on the invitation below, we had Abby Jane's 3rd birthday party yesterday!

*Oops- had a picture of the invitation here, but then realized it had our home address- not brilliant for security purposes! It was pink, shaped like a tent, and you opened felt flaps to see the wording!

I figured if the twins had their own birthday runner, my eldest needed one, too!

I had a lot of fun doing 3 year old friendly camping treats, and here a few favorites...
Found this slice of tree- it's real!- at Hobby Lobby. I'm a little obsessed with it, so it's going to be fun finding excuses to use my coolest new serving piece.

It's here!

The day has come that we signed Abby Jane up for next fall's preschool! A dear friend in Malibu asked me which preschool I was getting on the waiting list for... when Abby Jane was only 8 months old! It blew my mind that you might need to plan so far in advance.


There were a lot of logistics this morning, but the Lord worked it all out, including letting an early morning meeting of Jake's get cancelled so I could leave the girls with him while I got Janie's name on the first come, first serve list at 7:30 a.m. My sweet friends Kristin (in black) and Lindsey (in white) grabbed my packet when it was ready before I returned with my kids, entertained them while I filled out papers, and fed snacks while I turned in my info. Not that this grainy pic is much thanks to you, but thanks anyways, girls!

In other news, I wanted to show you two options you have if you don't like your lunch. You can share with your sister on your right...

Or your sister on your left.
After lunch, Abby Jane told me she was building Samford Hall. I can definitely see the similarities.

Then Joy practiced winking.

Blythe thought that looked like a good idea. Blythe's efforts appear a little more successful.

As an addendum, I loved hearing people's responses on and off the blog to the post below and how others feel the same way about their husbands! "Husband-bashing" is a HUGE pet-peeve of mine, so feel free to comment below what you RESPECT about your man!

Respect

This picture is significant for multiple reasons. Jake was there at that party Saturday.

He has been under some intense writing deadlines of late, and we have not seen much of him. Last weekend was really vital writing time for him, but that man chose to keep his commitment to go to a men's conference he signed up for back in December, join us for the last part of that birthday party Saturday, and go to Sunday school yesterday... even though it would have helped him immensely to have just worked on school.

I respect the heck out of my husband.

Before we had kids, I thought I wanted a houseful of cute, football playing little Jakes. The Lord evidently had more pink than blue in mind when he created our family, and my man truly loves being THE man for his four girls.

He's not afraid of being left with all three little ladies and never was, even when they were brand newborns. He's confident going anywhere with them on his own.

I can throw a dress, a pair of tights, a bow, and a kid to him, and he can give me back a neatly dressed young lady ready for church.

He can tie a mean bow.

He bathes all three in the bathtub simultaneously and successfully cranks out three squeaky clean, non-drowned little girls. I only bathe the girls myself in dire circumstances- that's really Jake's rodeo.

He's king of our family dance parties and definitely the most popular partner.

He knows to ask what I'd like different people to wear and doesn't get frustrated with "complicated outfits."

He walks in the door from work and jumps immediately into "play" mode. Somewhere in between his office and our front door, he very successfully switches hats and is totally in the "Daddy" zone when he gets home, every time. This is especially significant because Jake's true personality is to be re-energized by some downtime. Downtime doesn't happen until after bedtime in the Gross household. But Jake comes straight home from work anyways.

He doesn't throw situations on me because he doesn't want to deal with it- he handles discipline issues head on and is a proactive, involved Daddy.

Every night, he prays over his children.

Jake does not back down, ditch out, beg off, or avoid any part of being the girls' daddy and my husband.

Not that he hasn't had a million excuses to do all of the above with everything he has on his plate and all the pressures of getting a doctorate.

But he doesn't make excuses. When he has to be away, he truly misses the girls and wants to come home for dinner- which is usually a bit chaotic- when he can, because he loves being in the circus that is our family.

I think about how flattered and flabbergasted I was (I think there was even a little hyperventilation involved there), when my friend Michelle told me that JAKE GROSS had been asking what my dating status was and if he could have my number. Even after I went on our first date, I remember being just encouraged that there were MEN out there like him, even if he never asked me out again.

I think how everything I knew then was just the tip of the iceberg. Jake Gross is a great man, I respect him above any other, and it's an honor to be his wife and the mom to his kids.

Glam party

Our precious little friend Fallon had her "Red Carpet Affair" 3rd bday party this weekend. We borrowed our big cousin Katie's princess dress to be appropriately attired. This is Abby Jane right before I marched up with three little dressed up girls, a present, a booster seat, and a tote bag... to the wrong house...

But then we found the right place and fit right in. Alaina and Reagan were quite accessorized...

Blythe and Joy's costumes were Jane's tutus. Joy, don't kill me in years to come for putting yours so high on you. You were tripping when it was lower...

These two little guys are best friends.

So are these.Mr and Mrs Almeda with their own personal diva.

Abby Jane was all ready to help Fallon blow out candles if she needed any assistance, which she didn't!

Blythe has a penchant for bling and was delighted to be allowed to wear some of her own.
And the owner of the above pictured foot was one tuckered out princess by the time we got home! This is so Blythe: two objects in her lap that had previously been in both hands (yes, a sand shovel is one), one shoe off, with a necklace, and her newly introduced friend named tutu. Bless our girl-filled home.

Gymnastics and welcome home

We signed Jane up for her first gymnastics class, and it has been a HUGE hit for her. It's so, so fun to see get pushed physically, respond to physical challenges, and enjoy learning. Gets me excited about sports to come...

She was the first little kid to keep holding on as the teacher pushed her both ways through a flip! This week she also walked an inclined balance beam without holding my hand and... she made a little friend on her own initiative: went up to a little girl and asked her name, then introduced herself. It was precious!
We came home, where Mimi and Bop Bop were watching the little ladies, and the Gillies had already arrived for our playdate! We haven't seen them since mid-December as they've been visiting Paul's family in New Zealand, so it was a sight for sore eyes! Those precious boys seemed to like the new play area...
And as always, Bop Bop held court with his grandchildren in the palm of his hand.
Welcome home, Gillies family- we missed you!

Celebration morning

The girls and I met Great Grandaddy and Granny Joan at my mom's new office last week. It was the first time the girls and I had seen her new digs, and everything looked great. My girls went straight to work demonstrating how fun it is to play in a play therapy room!

Just the night before, Jake had been telling Abby Jane how she would never be too big or too grown up to sit in her daddy's lap. Exhibit A...

Next up was lunch at Gabriel's to celebrate Grandaddy's birthday. Jake was able to show up and surprise everyone, and we had a wonderful time at a delicious spot!

Birthday kiss.Birthday laughs

It has been so lovely being able to leave the door open on these warm afternoons! I am so thankful for these breaks in the frigid winter! Crazy that we were snowed in just a couple of weeks ago.

Mornings and afternoons

Breakfast with Daddy- notice the double hair accessories chosen at 7:20 a.m. Notice also the hot husband who is winking mid-bite with his own bedhead. I love this man. Oh I also just noticed he is using the World's Best Dad mug I gave him right before Abby Jane was born. Appropriate.

THIS IS MY LIFE. My lap is always like this, but there's not many pictures because by the time Jake gets home, my lap needs to be fixing dinner and doing other things and is done with being a playground. It's that whole "embrace the camera" deal- I'm usually on the other side- so I'm trying to work on getting photos of the everyday so my kids know in years to come... I WAS THERE!!!!!

Joy has a new habit of going to the fridge and grunting... pretty good hint!

But if mom's close by, I'm not a bad second to a sippy cup.

Abby Jane made a mini-slide out of a diaper box on its way out to the trash.

I will end with the story of yesterday morning.

5:00 a.m. ran 5 miles

6something: quiet time, shower

7something: Abby Jane wakes up, I fix all the breakfasts and Jake's lunch.

7:45- Jake left for work, a little earlier than most mornings.

8:05- twins decide to join the party

8:30 planned to get out the door to practice driving to the preschool we're looking at for Abby Jane to see what traffic is like in the morning

8:57 actually got out the door

9:00 was talking to my friend on the phone waiting on one side of the train tracks for the light to change when the cross ties start coming down and I realize I'm about 6 inches too far forward. Start backing up, car behind me is on my tail. Get back just far enough just in time to not get a new hood ornament. Get front row seat for watching train pass. Abby Jane calls it the Polar Express- being so close must have reminded her of the train whizzing past the kids in the movie. And it was in the mid 30's and drizzly outside, which is sort of polar.

9:17 arrive at preschool, not bad time

9:35 arrive at JoAnn's, carry in everyone to grab some thread

10:02 arrive at Costco, meet my friends Ericka and Kristin and hang out for a few minutes while they peruse and I grab my essentials

10:22 realize that if we want to go to music and dancing time at community center, we'd better get going. Give Abby Jane option of staying at Costco with our friends or go to music time (hope she chooses Costo, but want to give option). She chooses music time. Which starts at 10:30.

10:44 roll into music time. Thinking it is crazy to go when it's halfway over. I was wrong- there were still plenty of songs and they did a few extra! A plus: my friend Lindsey was there and the kids all ran/crawled around after. See her post for pics and some undeserved words.

11:30 go home, make tofu burgers,

12:00 lunch- twins want to try Abby Jane's burger, became obsessed, had to cut them off

12:55- last child was in bed. On to naptime and making Abby Jane's birthday dress...

Most of my mornings have about 1/3 of that action, so I wanted to record it!