Three!

I'm really behind in my posting. As I catch up, I'll probably post things as it is convenient rather than in order. 8 )




Guess who recently turned three (in May)? In case you don't know - that is this many:




Our bright EasternStar turned three around Memorial Day. Around here, birthdays are a big deal! The birthday girl (or boy in Stranger's case) gets to pick their favorite foods for breakfast, lunch, and dinner AND the type of cake that they get. They also get to pick (within reason) what they want to do on their special day.

EasternStar chose waffles and sausage for breakfast, hot dogs and mac and cheese for lunch and "cheese hamburgers", baked beans, and salad for dinner. Cheeseburgers are her new favorite food. Sometimes she'll come to me during the day and say "Mommy. I need cheese hamburgers". So cute!


As for how to spend the day, she chose to spend it at the zoo. Isn't that what we call our house?? 8 )


Here's a shot of the birthday girl at the zoo:

Look at how excited her sisters were to be there!

Ha!

In the afternoon she wanted to help make her birthday cake. She chose a yellow cake with chocolate icing. Yum!

What's a birthday without getting to lick the spoon full of batter?

Sprinkles were courtesy of TinyDancer.

I can't believe that our baby is three! She is getting so big. Her physical therapy is going great. She can jump up and down - and loves to on our neighbors trampoline -and is working on jumping forward. She can also ride a tricycle - which she has been doing at therapy for months but only just started doing at home. We are still working on her balance and her core strength. I didn't think that she would like it - but she loves to do her "homework" and wheelbarrow walk on her hands.

Speech is going well. Her big sister has taught her all kinds of useful phrases like "Oh, come on, really Mommy?" and "I'm going I'm going I'm going". Nice, huh? 8 )

Potty training is a work in progress. She stays dry most days and we are working on her pulling her pants up and down by herself.

I don't want to wish the summer away because we are having a blast - but I'm excited for her to start preschool in the fall. I know that she is going to love being around kids that can do the same stuff that she can and I hope that she'll gain some confidence in her abilities.

Happy Father's Day!

Whew! The last few months have been a whirlwind! I can't believe that I haven't posted in almost 5 months. The blog needs to be updated with all of the fun stuff that we've been doing, but today, the girls would like to wish their dad, Grandpa, and Paw Paw a

Happy Father's Day!

Stranger's present was updated photos of the girls. I went intending just to purchase the cheap package - you know the one - a million copies of one pose for ten bucks. Of course, once you get there they shoot individual shots of the kids "just for fun" and then you get suckered in to way more than you need. Or is that just me? 8 )

Here is what we went for:





We also got some nice pictures of my two camera loving princesses:

(By the way, who brings a rocking chair to the beach? Well......EasternStar for one.....) 8 )

Getting shots of RainbowBaby was tough. She loves to pose for the camera at home but she was not into the professional photo shoot! She wouldn't stay on the "set" until this chair was brought out. Then she was all over climbing in and out of it!

Of course, what's a photo shoot without two of your kids fighting, right? Like RainbowBaby, EasternStar loves anything that is small enough for her to sit in by herself. Once this chair was out, the two little ones kept fighting over it. That is EasternStar's hand that you can see - reaching out to pull the chair out from under RainbowBaby. I wish that there was more of her in the photo - I'd have bought that one! 8 )

Anyway, happy father's day to all of the dads in our life!

Big girl!

I will gum this pretzel or die trying!

I swear that RainbowBaby thinks that she is a big girl.

She was very offended today when the big girls had pretzel rods for a snack and she got broken up animal crackers. I picked her up out of her high chair and she grabbed mine.

It took a while, but she eventually took the entire thing out!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from our little love bugs!

Baby love

Want to see something cool?

Of course you do, right?


I have almost the same picture with all four of my girls!



Here are TinyDancer and I when she was just a few days old -

Here I am with SleepingAngel when she was 11 days old -

This is the closest one that I have with EasternStar. This picture is from our first trip to see her. It was our last day and she was not feeling well - she had a fever and a runny nose. For most of our visit, she just nuzzled in my shouler. She was 11.5 months old in this photo.

And last, here I am with RainbowBaby just a few days ago - at 9.5 months old -

Funny how without trying we've taken almost the exact same picture!

Countdown!

Notice anything new about the layout of the blog?


Don't hurt yourselves now! 8 )


Look to the left - see the countdown clock?

Things have been rough the past month. Stranger has worked almost everyday since the beginning of the year. Bluch. Stranger worked 27 out of the 31 days of January and he is working everyday but 3 in February.

Seriously. This is ridiculous. I'm SO OVER training. Add to that that I didn't even want to do this in the first place AND the emergency medicine lifestyle is the anti-Me.

Seriously. I need a schedule. I need consistency. And so do my kids. EasternStar has asked for Stranger all day for the past three days. Daddy home? (When is daddy coming home?) Daddy snack? (Will daddy be home for snack?) Daddy lunch? (Will daddy be home for lunch?) Daddy nap? (Will daddy be home after nap?) and on and on and on and on......



So, to make the bleak seem less ..... bleak - I added a countdown to the end of training. A year and four months is a long time - but it will be nice to see the counter go down.

Here's hoping we make it!!

Can I add one more Blech!

Blech!

Blech!

and


Blech!

Working girl!

Know the *only* thing that I miss about working full time?

Well, besides the paycheck?

Sick days!

Every girl in our house is sick - either with a fever or teething or a cough or a runny nose. Some of us have all of that or a variation of that. Blah! I miss being able to drop the kids off at daycare and come home and get better!

Everytime I bend over my head spins and I cough like a 90 year old smoker. And with a 2 year old and a 9 month old, you bend over a lot!


I want a sick day!

Or at least my mommy! 8 )

Daisy Scout

TinyDancer recently had her pinning ceremony for her Daisy scout troup. Her sisters were pretty excited to stay up past their bed times:

Well, perhaps one more so that the other!

How cute is TinyDancer in her uniform? She looks so big! I love that the patches are iron on now as opposed to having to be sewn on. My sewing maching and I have a love-hate relationship. I really, really want to love sewing, but my sewing maching hates me. I'm glad that I don't have to figure out how to sew on circular badges!

Here is my big girl getting her pins!

Happy February!!

Hopefully my blogging vacation is over and I'll have more time to update everyone of the fun stuff that is happening at our house. Yesterday I came home from work to three little girls all dressed up and ready for some fun! Here is a shot of one of them -

Just in case anyone is still reading.....

Just in case anyone is still checking our blog -





We've been super busy with a few projects but those are wrapping up. How I've missed you, computer! 8 )

Favorite things

My favorite thing that I've gotten to say to my kids so far this year:


Yes, I know that your sister is wearing a helmut. You still can't hit her in the head with your scooter.


8 )

Oh happy day

Do you know what is better than being able to see running water outside, like in the video below?






Anyone?





When you can see running water *inside*!


For the last week we haven't had running water. Well, that's not exactly true. We've had water gushing out of a leaky faucet in the shower. And we've had the water turned off. 8 )

Of course, the part needed to fix said leaky faucet was only available at one plumbing supply store in the entire city - and they, of course, were out of it for a week.

I am so excited that I won't have to run downstairs to the basement every time I want to wash my hands tomorrow!!

If I were a butterfly......

Way back in November, TinyDancer's school had a special Mass for Thanksgiving. The kindergartener's read the petitions and sang a song. You can't really see TinyDancer in this video as she is on the opposite side of the alter from where we were sitting. If you look really really really hard, you can see here in the center, facing the very front of the church. She is wearing a long sleeved white polo shirt.

The video is cute anyway.

Alphabet song

EasternStar is working hard to learn the alphabet. Last year for Christmas she got these fridge magnets from my brother. She loves to push the button and have it sing the alphabet. Here she is singing the parts that she knows:

Happy New Year!

Welcome 2011!!

The girls had a great time ringing in the new year last night. We went to a neighbor's house for a yummy appetizer dinner and treats.

The little ones and I hit the hay early, but Stranger and TinyDancer stayed up to ring in the new year with the neighbors. I guess that I get the "LAME-O" award! 8 )


Here's to another great year!