Tuesday, June 24, 2014

things we love // June

Picking peonies from the Z's backyard and filling my whole house with them.  We love our besties.
My girls and their growing friendship and bravery.  
2 dates in one week!  2!!!!!  Thanks, ma.
My mom doing ALL of our laundry this week.  At this moment EVERY single piece of clothing is clean and folded because she insisted on doing one last load last night before bed.  #spoiled
Finding little bits of Reagan's imagination all over the house.  Here are "yias yia's welcoming people."
Easy summer dinners.  Leftover grilled steak.  Oven fried bacon.  Chopped greens.  Tomatoes.  Blue cheese.  Vinegrette.
Digging for worms.  Props to Hudson for leading us all to this new favorite hobby.
Visits from the cutest niece that has ever lived, Mackie!!  
Our youngest.  The sweet, the steady and the calm of our family.   

Monday, June 23, 2014

Elle // no more mullet.

Last week I gave my very first hair cut to my sweet little Elle.  We are happy to have 3 children without mullets again.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

ellie grace // almost 16 months

This girl.  Such a cuddly goof ball.  So compliant and gentle spirited with a side of sass and daredevil. 
Jose let her sit on a bar stool this weekend and now her main activity of the day is sitting on a bar stool, sucking on her blankie, watching over her brother and sister.  She is our care giver.  Offering blankies and cuddles to everyone, especially if they are upset, and especially to her brother.  
If you ask "Ellie come give me kisses," she wanders over with her fast little trot and gives you a huge kiss, usually square on the lips plus a bear hug.  
When Jose walks in the door she squeels with delight and is the first to run into his arms.  She also has a particular love for her Grandpa Tom and Chantel.  She is still a mama's girl and has the hardest time of all my kids being left anywhere, especially the gym.  She is slowly getting better and I love the extra cuddles. 
She has the oddest and most intense obsession with shoes.  Putting them on, wearing them, hoarding them.  Her shoes, Reagan's shoes, my shoes, Jose's shoes.  We think it's the funniest thing in the world.  
And she's always climbing something.  
And hardly ever falling.  She is so focused and determined.  
She is my least picky eater so far and so neat, especially when compared with her brother.  The small mess on the side of her chair in the below picture is not from her.  James carries over his mess to her tray.
 We treasure you, Ellie Grace.  I love how you will sit in my lap for many hours of the day just because you want to.  I hope you always seek me out like that.  I still PRAISE GOD for your perfect sleeping skills.  You are pure fun and a total DELIGHT!  

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

jamesey v // almost 16 months

I love mothering a little boy.  It's so different and so fun.  James has been God's grace to me lately, needing little more than a full tummy (which can be a somewhat daunting task) and a bit of comfort when he falls (often).

He is so independent and finds joy in the smallest things, particularly any picture or figurine somewhat resembling an "EEEEEEEEE." His word for "doggy."  The other day I tied an old shoe string on a plastic dog toy and he pulled his little EEEEE around for an hour smiling, talking and laughing.  He also likes to lay on the floor, sometimes for as long as 5 minutes, until someone, hopefully Rea, finds him and gives him some tickles.  Then he starts belly laughing in such a way that the whole house turns to joy no matter what the circumstances.

He's by nature an early riser.  My girls are NOT...they are those funny little ones that enjoy sleeping till 9am.  I have gently trained him to go at least until 7 and today as I write this at 7:40a he is still sleeping.  On days that he wakes before his sisters, we embrace it.  He has breakfast alone while I sip my coffee and we usually go outside and water my flowers and tomatoes.  
He loves playing in the water, playing with balls, and playing with his sisters.  And food. He adores eating and making huge messes while he eats.  Ellen's tray is usually spotless and neat.  James' tray and the floor beneath tends to be a disgusting mess.  A typical breakfast for him these days: 1 banana, 1 piece of toast, 2-4 scrambled eggs OR a big bowl of oatmeal.  Tank.
When he wakes from his nap he says "mama" in his deep raspy voice and wants me to himself for at least 10 minutes.  There is nothing I would rather do than cuddle his mushy little body but the nature of our current life sometimes requires me to end that time early with the only other thing that will comfort him post-wake up, a snack.  
Thank you, James, for your calm, sweet presence.  Thank you, Lord, for creating him for our family.  Thank you, JD, for allowing me the luxury of having the best job in the world!  





Sunday, June 1, 2014

our sweet Rea // three and a half

Loves helping in the kitchen, especially baking.  Fruit, tomatoes, oatmeal and olives are her favorite foods.  And "bunny bars" (any granola or homemade protien type bar).  Still calls hummus, "pumice" for some unknown reason. 
An amazing pretender.  She can make a game or a story out of anything.  Lately loves baking with playdough.  Role playing is also her jam and she likes to control the dialogue. She tells us to repeat whatever she wants us to say by asking us "may you say ______?"
Loves people OUT LOUD.  Not afraid to tell someone she loves them or has missed them or that they are beautiful.  Speaks her feelings.  Comforts us all, especially her "little sweeties."  Known to smother the twins in huge hugs and proclaim mushy things like:
"It's okay little Ellie bellie boo"
"You'll be alright my little Big Jimmy"
Still a tall drink of water.  And killing all the old ladies at Trader Joe's and costco with that red hair.  A conversation from about a month ago that I wrote down:

Me: what's that scratch from, honey?
Rea: oh it's just something only people with red hair have.
Not the girly girl y'all would expect me to have but does enjoy nail painting and her new princess dress (a prize she picked out for giving up her BELOVED pacifier).  She loves the park, jogging over the highway overpass, kicking around soccer balls, and pretending to be a dinasaur or dog much more.  
An intense focuser.  A constant listener.  A sponge.  She asks why and doesn't usually ask it again about the same thing.

Rea: "why does my skin heal so fast?"
Me: "because god is an amazing creator."
Rea: "well that sounds difficult." 
She cut her paci all by herself.  It might seem intense but we had to do something permanent and real. She is too inquisitive for anything else.  She misses it but has done very well.
Spirited.  Spunky.  Sweet as they come.  Stubborn as her parents.  Still has a Bostonian accent with many words 
"pawk"= park 
"chowrch" = church
"tawlit paper" = toilet paper etc.

We love you for all of these things and a thousand more, Reagan Rosalie.  Thanks for making our life brighter and helping God prune us, day by day.