Friday Firsts

Our girls have started actually playing together more and more recently. Which means they've really started needing significantly more guidance in learning how to play and share.

...which means I spend a LOT of time refereeing, and it can be utterly exhausting.

Tuesday was particularly exhausting for various reason, one of which being that I was tired and didn't feel well. I lost count of the number of times I'd used the phrases: use your words, you may not yell at your sister that way, try again, no screaming, how can we show kindness?, you need a time out from that toy, let's take turns, please be patient, try again, try again, try again.

So when Addie wanted to join in rolling-the-ball with the little girls, I wasn't holding my breath that it would last long or end well. The littles couldn't quite understand a third person joining their back and forth (sort of) game, so i plopped them down next to each other; and sweet Addie took turns rolling the ball to each little girl.

And it was sweet and priceless and a perfect reminder that our girls are learning to share, take turns, demonstrate patience, and show kindness...however so slowly, it is surely!

(click here to see on a mobile device) 

and i quietly thanked God for His strength and His blessings and His gentle reminders of the why.

Serious Play Dough Fun

Addie has been playing with play dough for a while now, most recently making animal footprints in it. we've managed to keep it out of the carpets, mostly off of the floor and out of her mouth!

but the little girls are getting to experience play dough much earlier because of their big sister.

and they are serious about their play dough time!

serious about spooning it

and digging it!

serious about flattening it out.

and dumping it!

really, no matter how you look at it; these girls are serious about their play dough!

Wordless Wednesday

Horsin' Around

Wordless Wednesday...

...with an explanation.

I'm always hesitant to pull out paint. i've grown braver as addie has gotten older, but i've never let the little girls paint.

until the other day.

how else can you make a snow scene or "drive" through a snowstorm without white paint?

so i put the table (we all love it, gramma!) in the foyer and carefully taped down the babies' papers. everyone got their own paper plate of paint, a q-tip and later a plateful of matchbox cars!

we made beautiful snow pictures with q-tips and then i poured paint on a new sheet of paper and they drove cars through it...creating a snow storm.

and had a blast!

i only had to clean paint out of one mouth. the table easily wiped clean. i think we managed to keep it all in one location. and we made 6 wonderful creations!

that is until i went to wash the cars off and realized i could hear audrey kate and addie in her room, but it was eerily quiet in the foyer.

yeah...i should NOT have left the 500 count q-tip box where Anne Perry could reach it.

but everybody helped clean up, some more willing than others!

and just in case you're wondering, we painted the next day (and the next) too ;-)

Mud Bath

I was ridiculously blessed this Christmas to get a few new lenses. And so in an effort to learn them, I pulled out the 85mm f/1.8 and 200mm f/2.8 and took Finn outside during nap/rest time.

While he's actually doing fairly well in his obedience training, Addie's ability to follow directions is still far superior to his! So I let her get up from her rest time a little early to play outside let me take pictures of her!

And did she ever put on a show!

It's rained here for almost 2 days straight. I mean rain like monsoon rained.

Rain boots on, she carefully walked through the puddles curiously investigating what they held.

Errrr...that is until I had the bright idea of what awesome pictures we could make if she JUMPED in the puddles!

And I think it's safe to say that we both had a blast!

And then she and finn got a real bath!

Feeding the Ducks

A few weeks ago {yes, it's inevitable that I'm behind}, I took the girls to feed the ducks and have a picnic at the park. The weather was gorgeous, and I {bravely} brought my camera along.

When people comment on the little girls behavior {one being the mean one or one being the loud one or one pitching more fits or one being more laid back}, I've started to respond with only one thing: they are about as different as their hair. Because they are, and there are very few people {really just the people who live with them 24/7} that have any room to compare them, especially framing one of them in a negative light.

But feeding the ducks brought out their differences {of the day}. I never know who's going to be shy in situations and who's going to be shy with other people. I never know who's going to be more cautious and who's going to be daring.

Because it literally changes all.the.time!

As you may remember from this post, one was feeling a little more daring than the other that day...

And it carried right over into feeding the ducks.

Anne Perry would have attempted to walk on that water had I let her get that far. There wasn't a hissing goose or a jumping duck that deterred her!

Audrey Kate, on the other hand, stayed right about here. Can you see her wrapped securely between my legs with Addie's hand sweetly resting on her head?

Addie was being so brave, but a duck (or goose) came up behind her and nipped at her hand...

...and she came undone!

So I led my little ducks back to the car, and we headed to the park for picnic!

This little one continued to be less adventurous and tended to sit or crawl on the playground rather than run around.

But this little one {quite determinedly} went head on into things.

I love how different our little girls can be. I love how similar they can be. I love who each of them is individually...and how perfectly wonderful they are all together!

Perfectly wonderful...not perfect! ;)

Happy Monday (or Tuesday as it is now!)!

Today

Yes, Today! Actually today: Wednesday, July 15th.

Not yesterday. Not 3 days ago. Not 3 weeks ago!

It's been a long time since I've actually blogged about a day--the day of!

Today wasn't anything special. Nothing {too} monumental occurred.

I put my 50mm lens back on my camera. Not a first, but a {first} in a very long time when photographing our girls!

It started with breakfast, which involved a real {first}.

First time {successfully} eating with a spoon!

With a little help maybe.

Then off Addie and I went to her third day of swimming lessons.

Day 1: cried/screamed the whole 30 minutes but obeyed right away.

Day 2: cried/screamed the whole time and refused to do what she was asked, pitching a pretty big fit standing on the edge of the pool demanding to go to the bathroom to avoid jumping in!

Day 3: cried for the first half. refused to jump off the side (after she'd just jumped off a half dozen times to the main instructor) and demanded to go the bathroom. we'd just been, so I would not take her and informed her that she would need to straighten up...or else. stopped the crying. figured out she couldn't manipulate the situation. and check this out...

another {first}!

then it was off to lunch with friends.

back home for early naps/rest time. Addie's reward for straightening up and obeying right away at swimming lessons: rest time on the sofa with a dvd instead of nap in the bed. We'll see if she can earn some Nancy's tomorrow with no crying!

dishes. done. laundry load #2 and #3. diapers outside to dry. finished smocking a bubble.

everyone up way sooner than i'd prefer.

but worth it to see them play and smile!

great day.

great {average} day to remember and give thanks for!

And yeah...there were some pretty monumental things about it too!

Psalm 118: 1, 24

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; 

His love endures forever. 

...the LORD has done it this very day;

 let us rejoice today and be glad.

Dirt = Cake = Singing = Pictures = Memories

I think one of the toughest things about having three little ones age 3 and under is just that...

there are 3 of them!

Ok. and two of them are a year old and have to be carried everywhere!

Don't get me wrong for one second here. I know how tremendously blessed I am. I would not trade this season of my life for anything. But i'd be lying if I didn't say that it's utterly and completely exhausting at times.

Addie was an only child for 2 years. (I know. Many oldest children are. I'm just pointing it out).

She not only had my undivided attention, she had her Daddy's and RieRie's and Papa Ray's and Gramma's and Grandpa's and Nana's and really any other adult she was around.

Spoiled? Maybe a little, but it was just part of being the first child and the first grandchild on one side of the family for a year and on the other side for two years!

I wish that I could say that I spend quality one on one time with Addie for an extended period each morning while the twins nap. But the reality of that is that it's impossible. Impossible because I need to eat breakfast before 11am and maybe dress and shower? I need to at least start the laundry and load the dishwasher if for any reason so we can have clean things. I might need to pick up around here every once in a while too. But on a good day, I have enough energy (and motivation) to get it all (or some of it at least) done super fast and spend some of that one on one quality time with my big girl. On other days, I just ditch it all and go play with her! 

Last week, we headed outside in the cool of the morning to play. We played hopscotch and I pushed her in the swing. We laughed and of course...it all ended in the dirt! I think it's her favorite place to play.

In addition to loving the dirt, she loves making cakes or cupcakes or tea or ice cream cones (with sand/dirt/sticks) and singing Happy Birthday!

Finn even jumped into help protect her!

She had worked super hard to make these sticks stand up in the dirt on her cake! And it was time for ME to sing happy birthday to her. I asked her if I could take pictures while I sang (I can't multi-task like I used to; but the lighting was gorgeous, and I was determine to do this!). I was practically laying on the ground and got my camera settings straight BEFORE I started singing. ISO. Aperture. Exposure. Done. 

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday to you.

Happy Birthday dear Addie.

Happy Birthday to you!

I am beyond thankful for this time I have with our girls. God continues to teach me daily (hourly? minutely (is that a word?)!) about patience and gratefulness and the importance of raising our girls to be Godly women.

And none of that can be done without spending quality time with Him and with each of them! The laundry and dishes can and will wait. It's no longer about me feeling like I've accomplished something on the daily checklist. It's about investing in these precious lives God has blessed us with!

I Thessalonians 5:16-22

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil.

Road Trip: Birmingham

A few weeks ago (yes, I'm that behind), Addie, the little girls, and I went to Birmingham to visit our sweet friend's the Lewis'. Long, long, long overdue visit!

There's something about this family that when you leave them you feel a bit refueled, encouraged, and always uplifted. They have a way of reminding you that you're loved and valued, that you are doing a good job juggling 3, and that joy comes from being with family and friends!*

(*disclaimer: I am not saying many, many others in our life are not this way as well; but this post is about the Lewis' ;)

It was an absolutely breathtaking day, and the 4 big kids ate lunch outside! Can you see Addie watching Abigail?

The mamas went in and out and mostly chilled inside with the little girls. You see Audrey Kate trying to sit up here? I do believe she was on her 2nd or 3rd outfit by then.

Anne Perry was in our bouncy seat from home, but they both got the treat of playing with a new toy!

If only there were big sisters for borrow. I'd have to have an Abigail visit us on a daily basis. She was so helpful with the little girls and with Addie! You see Addie and Izzy laughing hysterically here at Abigail rolling back and forth?

Well of course Addie had to join in the hilarious fun!

Oh but wait, now all 3 big girls are being silly. I do believe Audrey Kate was amused!

Allison's two younger ones (Jack and Izzy) went down for a nap, so that left Addie and Abigail to watch some videos on the computer and play outside some. It got really quiet though, and then Abigail appeared at the door: Come look what I made for Addie! {Allison and I exchanged looks} And this is what she'd created...

Yes, we did promptly put a stop to the two barefoot girls under the deck playing with the disassembled swing set (nails and all). Considering they weren't supposed to be down there in the first place, they were having quite the time. It was so sweet of Abigail to make Addie a slide though.

That's another reason I love visiting this precious family: what better a role model for Addie to have! I pray she has a heart as sweet as loving and as giving as Abigail's!

And I leave you with these few pictures I took while the big kids were eating. I don't often get a smile on camera and even less often get a smile with eyes...so I kinda fell in love with these!

Thanks for letting us come visit you Lewis'!

Loving the Fall

It's been perfectly beautiful, absolutely amazing fall weather.

You think they might agree?

We've had lots of fun outside with various contraptions and toys to entertain the little girls.

Except it doesn't take much to entertain Addie...and Abbey. Should I be concerned that they are both fascinated by the same thing...

...sticks.

chalking it up to a phase...

for now at least.