B is turning 3

It happens every year, well really, four times a year. One of my babies gets a year older. Darn it! I can't stand it. As much as I want the "easier" times to come (like getting themselves dressed, taking a bath, no diapers, doing chores -could I be so lucky??), I don't want them to get to that next, not so easy stage. I love their little faces, and voices, and feet, and bums... boy do I love those bums! It just chokes me up even thinking about her turning three.

She, however, could not be more thrilled. She knows (for the first time) it is HER BIRTHDAY. She wants Dora there, a donut cake, and to get her ears pierced. She is getting a donut cake and her ears pierced, but no Dora... sorry. She asked to have her three best friends at her party... Jimmy, Daddy and Brady. Once again she will get two out of three... Daddy has to work.

She is really getting older and changing every day. Heck, she even went to, and stayed at, camp this week. Just two weeks ago she dropped out (although I may have dropped out of that last one too, sorry girls).

So here is a list of some of my favorite things about my TWO year old B:
She is cuddly, so cuddly and affectionate.
She loves her pacifier and gets so excited when she sees it, and so calm once it is in her mouth.
She plays, guess which hand, all the time.
She still wants to sit in the high chair at breakfast.
She loves chocolate milk.
She is spunky, really spunky.
She does not ever stop on the 1 or the 2 (when counting for discipline) you always need to be about to say 3 for her to stop.
She thinks she can swim; she can't; it is scary.
She picks out her own outfits.
She wears panties to bed already!
She loves her BFF's (Daddy, Jimmy, and Brady)
She loves to go anywhere, anytime.
Whenever a car pulls in the driveway she checks for a car seat... just in case they want to take her with them... because she probably would go.
She is great with Kerri when no one else is around.
She pinches Kerri when Kerri is not cooperating with her!
She does not like to sleep without Mags in the room.
She wants to be just like Maura.
She knows her ABCs and 123s.
When she gets mad she speaks very slowly and very loudly, and clenches her fists.
She is one of a kind.

Meatballs

Mags is usually the one with all the cute sayings, but B has a couple too... mostly to do with "private" body parts, but cute none the less.

She calls nipples, meatballs. Today she said, Mommy, you have big meatballs. My meatballs are small. See?

She calls the Diving pool, the diamond pool... kind of reminds me of the black diamond ski slopes.

She calls a pen*s. Peanuts. As in Daddy has a peanuts; Jimmy has a peanuts; I want a peanuts.

Swim team

Maura and Maggie have begun swimming for the Minis for Aronimink. I really wanted Maggie to do it, because she is a good swimmer ( for a four year old) and she is always just following in Maura's footsteps, I wanted her to do something for herself. But, of course, she said she would not do it unless Maura did it. I did not want to pressure them to do it, but I was really hoping they would. Maura eventually came around and decided to do it. I was really happy that mags would be doing it. When we got to tryouts, Maura jumped right in and was ready to go. mags started crying and almost didn't do it. I was kicking myself. the whole reason I wanted them to do it was for Mags and now Maura would be on the team and not Maggie! Darn! Well, Mags came around and swam her lap. She really is great. She can swim a whole lap freestyle with about a 2-3 second "freeze" in between four arm strokes. She can then turn around and come back and do it again. It is impressive. And she really like it. She just loves being in the water. Maura on the other hand, does not like getting her face wet (either do I so I know where she gets it). She is doing great at backstroke though!

The swim meets are more of a cocktail party than a swim meet, but I'll take it. The last one even had a DJ and dance floor (complete with lights) afterward! Fun! We were there until 10:00 when I had to drag the girls (and Sean) out kicking!

An adventure, a hike and an experiment

Inspired by our cousin Chrissy, we are going to attempt to do one of each (hike, adventure and experiment) every week this summer. So far, so good. This week we went to the Willows and hiked through a stream, up a "mountain" (large hill) and around a pond. We were met by some geese and swans at the pond. The swans came chasing after us. Maura and Bridget were both pond side when the swans came charging after them. They both turned to run-right into a bench. Maura was quick enough to climb over the bench and run out of there. B, not so much. She was stuck, and screaming. I wanted to help, I really did, but I had K in my hands and, well, let's be honest, I was afraid!! I yelled for B to run, but she couldn't get around the bench. I finally ran up to her, she made her way around, I grabbed her arm and drug her away. By this time, Mags is screaming. It really was quite a sight. I can see the headlines... Young girl gets pecked to death by swan while mom stands by watching!! I think that counts as an adventure, but just to be sure, we set up the tent and camped out in the back yard that night. Maura decided she would rather sleep in her bed (smart girl) so B, mags and I slept out. I was impresses, especially with Mags. Around 11:00pm, I thought about carrying them up to their room and heading to mine, but I figured if they could do it, so could I. Oh, our "experiment: was seeing what floated and what sank. Silly banz sink!


They had so much fun, we went back yesterday with daddy, and today we bought nets to catch tadpoles next time we go. Now let's see if I can stick to it. NB: I am also in a 40 day no yelling bet with myself. I may be asking too much of myself, it is summer after all!

Summer is in full swing

Well, here we are in the full swing of summer. How did that happen? Maura graduated from Pre-K (again), and B finished her first year of school. She is potty trained and ready for summer camps! We have started swim lessons (boot camp) at WCU. The girls are loving it. Mags really is a star! Maura was not loving putting her head in the water, but with some new goggles and a little more self assurred-ness she is ready to go. The girls have decided (as of today) to do swim team (that could change at any given moment!). We will see how that goes. Kerri is talking more and more. She really just makes me smile all-the-time. I can't take it. Even when she is bad, I think she is adorable. She just had her 18month check up. 25% for weight (really? she is a chunker) 50% for height and... wait for it... 90% for head. Too funny. She always has been a little top heavy... in the most adorable way, of course.

I am having a great summer so far. Gwen is "helping" out this summer a few hours two days a week. Amazing what a difference that makes. The girls have a few Bible camps planned ( I am too cheap to send them to real camp!). They are looking forward to it. The twins (Emily and Katie) are coming in two weeks... Maura is on cloud nine about that!!

So life is good. It is busy, and it is fantastic. I am looking forward to some fun summer memories!

Mother's Day Shows and why I am so proud.

I had three mother's day teas today. One right after another, actually two overlapped a bit... ugh! Well I had three very different experiences, but all filled with pride. This is just another example of how different my girls are. It is crazy!

Mags was up first. I was nervous, very nervous. The holiday show did not go so well. If you consider "so well" not even going into the room! I wanted to make sure we were there early enough because when she is late to anything, forget about it. Well, she did great. She walked right up on stage, and, are you ready, sang! She even did all the hand motions! I could have fallen over. I taped every last minute of it. I loved every second. I wanted to run up and squeeze her and grab her and tell her how proud I was of her.... right at that very second. Now, she did not wave to me, or smile, or really even look at me, but hey, she was on stage. She was doing it. I just am so darn proud of her and the growth she has made this year. On a side note, she was star of the week this week, and her teacher said she did GREAT. She loved making her poster... she decorated both sides. I wrote detailed descriptions next to each picture because I assumed she would not talk about it, and her teachers would have to tell the class about it. Well, I was wrong, again. She talked, and talked loudly and clearly about every last picture and drawing on her poster. Her teacher's aide (who is amazing) said she was so surprised and so proud of her too. mags has grown so much this year, in so many ways. She doesn't even drink milk anymore really! I know I am rambling about Mags, but geez, I am happy for her.

Next came Maura's tea. Well, Maura is like her dad, in that things come easily to her. So I was not nervous for her. I was surprised though that she was quiet and not really as animated as she was during the many hours of rehearsal at home, or as compared to her classmates. She would smile at me and give me a look or two, but no waving. She is all business. I think she is worried she will get in trouble. She told me later they were not allowed to move except when they had to stomp their feet for one song. She really does everything right. She knows all the words, all the motions. She does great, just like she does everything!! After the show she gave me her jump on me and wrap her arms and legs around me and make me let go, aka weird, greeting. She then does her pointing and poking but no talking routine. Interesting. But she is proud of herself and of what she does in the classroom, but quiet. I hope life keeps being so easy for Maura. It sure would be nice. Maura came up with me to B's party.

B was waiting for me when I walked in. She, unlike her sisters, drops everything and yells Mommy! and runs over to me. She talks al

ot and tells me everything that happened in the last hour. She now can enjoy her snack. She wants to hug me, hold me, pat my head, kiss me. She wants me to carry her down the steps. She is reluctant to get up on stage, but when she does, darn is she a cutie. She sings the words and does the motions, really it was just her and another girls doing anything. She gets so easily distracted. A little boy was kind of running around and crying, she was trying so hard to concentrate on the teacher, but it was SO hard for her. She kept getting distracted. She did all her songs great. She smiled and waved to her mommy, and as soon as it was over, she ran right to me and wanted to hug and cuddle. That is all right before she went running around the room and the halls like a mad woman, but boy was it great. I can't believe she is old enough to be performing on stage!!

What a wonderful morning to me a mommy!

Yeah!!

B is potty trained. Dry for a week now. Last Thursday I just decided to take off the diapers, and I did. We went for two days with no panties, no diapers, and many times, no nothing... nude. Panties went back on Sunday (shameless brag: when she was picking me up from my 10 mile race!). She has been in panties since. She has gone to school twice, to the gym, to restaurants, well, everywhere. Yeah. I hate to say it was easy, but it was.