"Let's make a train!"

Going to our first shower

Abby Jane joined me to attend her first baby shower as such a grown-up girl last weekend.  The mama-to-be is one of Jake's coworkers.  Jake's staff is absolutely fantastic, and they just love on our girls so kindly, so it was fun to see those sweet faces and meet a few new ones as we celebrated the upcoming arrival of little Claudia!

 This is off-topic, but check out this precious blanket someone there made!  

The highlight of the shower, other than having a cupcake, was getting to help Miss Sharon open the biggest package of all, along with another small guest.

 Getting a little love from the guest of honor!

I'm looking forward to getting to bring along more ladies-in-training to more of these kinds of things to come!

Rainy Day Painting

It dawned on me in the last week or so that I have 19 months until Abby Jane is in kindergarten five days a week and the twins will go to preschool.  There's a lot of living that needs to happen in that period of time, and I'm going to be more intentional about making it happen, rather than playdating it through the week. Maybe I'm running more of a socialite factory than a home.

Secondly, my favorite discovery in the last month is the fabulousness of doing crafts and anything messy in footie pajamas.  When you're done, just peel the PJs off and put on clean clothes, and the only thing you're cleaning on your kids are their hands.  Or additionally, your cheeks and hair if you're Joy. Because who cares if there's some paint on your pajamas?

Please note: everyone is still in PJs (clean, non-painty ones).  It was a rainy day, we weren't going anywhere, and they really wanted PJs.  This is what I'm talking about: a lot of living has to happen in the next 19 month, even if it's just saying, OK, cool, wear your footies all day long if we're just home.  You're only two and four once.

Watching

Sometimes the best way to part with the things in our hands before a meal is if the animal, book, binoculars, or bucket, as the case may be, watches us while we eat.

Just wondering...

Anyone else's kids been playing with scissors lately?

Cattywampus Princess

A little friend of ours from church had a princess party last weekend.  As Jake received compliments on being one of only a very few brave dads there, he said, "My life is a princess party." Yes, I know, I've got a good man!

Meet Joy, the cattywampus princess, who adamantly did not want to take off the Auburn shirt she slept in and was still sporting that black eye. Like I said on facebook that day, there are some things that even tutus and butterfly wings can't change. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Here's Abby Jane and the birthday girl, Andie. Abby Jane borrowed a Snow White gown from a friend who has five dresses as we haven't given in yet to the slippery slope of princess- land (which only really will last a few more weeks, since she's having a family princess party herself next month).

 It would be truly impossible to articulate the degree of her elation and delight in wearing this dress. Let's just say it was a good call to accept our friend's offer of the dress. The "two year" post below shows Blythey in her own wings and tutu, going as a fairy princess.  She actually pulled off the look sweetly, made easier with a pink shirt vs. Auburn shirt and minus the black eye.

As I congratulated Andie's mom and dad on having a three year old, there were a few things that went through my head to mention about the age of three.

...

But since, as always, the fantastic and precious has outweighed the, shall we say, challenging... though the margin there was closer at times than in years past... I kept those thoughts to myself and just cheered.  Yea for turning three! YEA that our family almost only has a four year old and two two-year-olds.  Seems easier than having a "three".  We'll see.

They're Two...

They've been two for three months, but maybe if you have three kids, you can be three months late in a post?!

Joy: tempestuous, headstrong, physically strong and coordinated, family clown, hearty-voiced, loud laugh, kind and gentle-hearted, mostly likely to say "I love you", "Where's Daddy?", "Where's Bop Bop?", "Happy birthday _____!", and "Lockamy!" = "Look at me!" Loves riding tricycles, imitating Abby Jane, asking about Jake, horseplaying, building towers and train tracks, reading books.  Has a morning rest time if we're home and take a fat three- four hour nap in the afternoon.  Runs like a linebacker. Eats sandwiches from the flat part towards the center (as opposed to the side like most people), then peels it apart for an open-face sandwich.  Eats a small breakfast, medium lunch, huge dinner and is generally a very messy eater. Pulls out any bow or clip in her hair most of the time, thus the classic Joy crazy unkept look.  She's concerned when others get injured.  She ends a lot of sentences and questions with "okay" or "mkay".  She still is a pansy about elephants and trains, but she's getting better about diggers and loud noises. Most important bed buddies: blanket, Sally dog, and Muffin McLay (another dog), and... her paci (don't judge- we'll get to that at some point). We call her Joy-bird, Bird, Birdie, Joy Joy.  She calls us Mama/Mommy, Daddy, Abby Janie, and Byffe/Byffey or Bow (for Boo).

Blythe: delicate, feminine, giggles, quiet and high-pitched voice, likes to stick close to Mama, not usually going to join in the fray, independent heart that is completely content to do her own thing, not easily influenced by her sisters.  Loves baby dolls, baby strollers, all animals, shopping carts (which she always says she's taking to Costco), building towers and train tracks, reading books, wearing "bling" of any sort.  Same nap schedule as Joy. L.O.V.E.S. breakfast (always out-eats the other girls) and fruit.  Drinks one or two sippy cups of smoothie a day. Calls them "seemies".  After the big breakfast, eats a medium lunch and a small dinner (opposite of Joy.) Most likely to say, "Hosey mice!"= "Hold me!" (Incidentally, she is now capable of saying "hold me" but chooses to stick with hosey mice), "Wappened?"= "What happened?" "Big one, Mama!"= "look at my big bite!" Thinks it's really funny to show a mouth full of food.  She doesn't run... she scampers. Very, very ticklish and the girly giggle dissolves into a helpless/hoarse laughter when you're really getting her. Is physically ready to potty-train but absolutely does not want to sit on the potty.  Most important bed buddies: blanket, Polly horse, Minnie Mouse, and her paci. We call her Blythey, Boo, Boo Boo (when we're not thinking, it can accidently become Boozer or Boozie).  She calls us Mom, Daddy, Ah-Jane, and Jew/Jo or Biddie (for Birdie).

Together...

When one wakes up, they call for the other one and says, "Get up, ____!" They also like to play peekaboo in their cribs, and Sally dog and Polly horse have some very high-pitched conversations with each other from across the room.

Sometimes they have a VERY VERY hard time sharing, and other times they are so self-less and eager to help each other.

The two best parts about this age are:

 1. hearing their little conversations: "There's a pumpkin patch." "I see the pumpkin patch right 'dere'." "Don't touch my knee, okay?" "I won't touch your knee, mkay." "I need my milk!" "I get it. It right dere." [someone crying] "You okay?" "____, c'mere!!" and it goes on and on.

2. Shrieks of laughter at each other , especially when they're by themselves in their room during their morning rest time as they chat about seemingly hilarious stuff.  To be a fly on the wall and to understand their every word would apparently be to experience the comedy routine of the year.

That's not to exclude the obvious tantrums and the drama that accompanies this age and gender, but the fabulous part outweighs the not-so-fabulous almost all the time. I love my sweet girls!