And then they were NINE!

There was a time when I thought I would dread my children outgrowing the "early childhood" years. And somehow, despite my best efforts, they did. Somehow, they stopped looking like this:

And started looking like this:

Nine years old. Fourth grade. Riding bikes and taking walks around the block...without me. Sitting in the cafe at the grocery store, reading books while I shop instead of riding in the cart. Oh, girls... You are bright, independent, out-going, creative, and loving young ladies. 

Elise... your nine-year old spirit shone this past school year and made me so very, very proud. You became bonded to a classmate with pretty intense behavioral needs. A classmate who had outbursts and aggression and a frequently disagreeable nature. But none of that phased you - you would tell me "mom, I can see that look in his face when he's getting mad, and I'd just leave him alone but he's one of my best friends". You chose this classmate to play with at recess... he chose you for earned lunch buddies with teachers. Your gooofiness is strong right now but your acceptance of twists and turns along the way is equally as strong.

You are rarely far from colored pencils and paper... drawing, tracing, detailing somebody and their fashion. Speaking of fashion... you like crazy prints and mismatched socks... styling your own hair in anything from a bun on top of your head to pigtails. 

Abby... your nine-year old spirit shined bright this year and made me so very, very proud. As your piano recital approached in May, you started to stumble. Your songs tripped you up and the day before the recital you insisted that you couldn't do it, that maybe I should let you sit this one out. But guess what? You didn't sit out and you played beautifully and flawlessly on stage in front of a crowd. Your emotions are powerful right now but your courage is equally as strong. 

You love your pens and, at a moment's notice, are fast at my side when I sit down to practice handlettering. You can be quiet and serious, carefully forming letters or coloring minute details on a picture. Your methods are precise and necessary - the nightly straitening of your quilt and blankets is clearly memorable however slightly maddening. ;) You like your hair pulled back and tidy - however the "messy bun" has become a go-to style this summer and I couldn't love it any more. 

Happy Birthday, sweet baby girls! You are so loved by so, so many! 

It's all about the LOVE

Over the weekend, Abby and Elise had a little Valentine's worksheet that involved defining "love" according to the dictionary, their parents, best friend, and on their own. They included Anna in this exercise and her response left us all smiling in agreement: "it just makes your heart feel better". 

You're nodding aren't you? Right?!?!?! Toddler speaks the truth... she also takes great pride in her flamingo pose.

Abby and Elise spent the last several days carefully crafting Valentine's for everyone in the family: Anna's had the little pig characters from some of her fave books drawn on it; John's was decorated with pants and referenced reading Harry Potter together; mine had a ball of yarn and crochet hooks. As I was sitting here typing, John walked in the door with handmade dark chocolates and a cherry sour beer from a local brewery. That is love. 

Happy Valentine's Day from our hearts to yours! May you find/do/be/say/see/make something, just even a little something, today and everyday that you LOVE. And, while you're at it, feed your body a little something it will love, like these super tasty and new favorite breakfast cookies!

Crisp and Delish Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from My Darling Vegan: Gluten Free Breakfast Cookies

- 1 C organic rolled oats
- 1/2 C organic almond flour
- 1/2 C organic unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 local eggs
- 1/4 C melted coconut oil
- 1/3 C organic creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 C maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 C raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 C dried fruit (I used chopped pineapple but cranberries would be great!)
- 1/4 C chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredents; in a separate bowl mix wet ingredients; add wet to dry and then fold in dried fruit, seeds, and nuts.

Bake for 13-15 minutes or until browned a bit - I made approximately 18 cookies out of this recipe. 

New year, new pictures.

As I slowly try and reincorporate blogging into my routine, I'll try and catch up with a few fave photos from the past months... from starting soccer to the annual monarch butterfly crop to a family road trip (Lawrence to St. Louis to Indianapolis) to Halloween shenanigans to holiday traditions.

Abby and Elise LOVED playing soccer and are eagerly awaiting the start of the Spring season. They continue to excel at piano (Elise keeps us moving with "The Entertainer" almost daily and Abby has mastered "Colors of the Wind" with such emotion)... Speaking of piano, I missed their last recital as a certain someone couldn't stay quiet for even 30 seconds and we spent the next 35 minutes in the car. Four of us (sans Anna) read The Hobbit together and then enjoyed movie nights to see it in action - A and E are now working their way through the fourth Harry Potter with John as their nightly read-aloud. They joined student council at school and we got to enjoy a proud parent moment when a teacher from STUCO emailed and used the words "kind" and "mature" and "amazing". Speaking of teachers... third grade will be hard to beat. I practically have to drag Anna away each morning because it is the most inviting, nurturing, and upbeat learning environment (they are in the same class again this year) - the girls have each missed one day of school and even that was too much, in their opinions. I think I can count on one hand the number of times I have NOT done Abby's pigtail braids for school; I can probably count on one hand the number of times I HAVE helped style Elise's hair for school. When fixing lunches each morning, no matter the question ("Do you want a cheese stick or a babybel?"), Elise always answer "I don't care". When Abby is asked, she always answers: "What kind of cheese stick? Is it a white cheddar babybel? Actually, do we have any of the cheese I like from the Merc? Can I have slices of that instead?". This. is. them.

Anna continues to serenade us with "The Twelve Days of Christmas", sometimes loudly in the shopping cart at the store, sometimes quietly through the monitor at night as she yammers endlessly before falling asleep. She was caught marching around Gran and Grandpa's coffee table just last week, chanting "Organize your life! Organize your life!", which is a perfect example of her charismatic personality - she listens to everything around her and we are so entertained by her selective use of certain bits she's heard. I am happy to report that Anna's back-seat driving has subsided... while I thought I was enriching her world with colors and information, little did I know that tuning her into stoplights would result in nonstop directives from the backseat: "Mom, it's green. GO!"... "There's a green arrow. YOUR TURN!"..."It's RED! You can't go on RED!". The latter was the most difficult - toddlers don't seem to quickly grasp "right on red". Sigh... Over the holidays, the official "first movie" was enjoyed and, if you've been with me for awhile, you might remember that Abby and Elise's first movie was "Mary Poppins". While I continue to hold steady on limited to no screen time, Anna's first movie was "Elf". Yes, Will Ferrell. She loved it and told everyone after "Buddy - that's a good name for an elf". At least it followed the real-people rule instead of animation, right?

We took a road trip in October - first stop in St. Louis to see Crazy Uncle Cousin Scotty, Traci, and Uncle Bob. A and E LOVED the apartment John booked for our night there - bunk beds and all... which I think made up for the fact that they had to endure a carsick little sister in St. Louis rush hour traffic shortly before arriving. It was a one-and-done incident, probably thanks to the help of Dramamine thereafter. We hit Fitz's for the world's biggest root beer floats and then spent a good portion of the next day at the zoo. My cousin Scott was a wonderful tour guide and provided unlimited laughter and entertainment.

From there we headed to Indianapolis to see Cousin Mark and Lisa. This was our third trip with Abby and Elise and Anna's first. It is always a weekend of relaxation, wonderful company, fun outings, and 5-star treatment. We went to the Children's Museum, found a couple wonderful playgrounds, and carved/decorated pumpkins.

Halloween brought us Hermione Granger, a Dark Fairy, and a Cat Ghost - how can you argue with those choices????

We are fortunate during the holidays to have ample time free of commitments - with family nearby, we don't travel... John's job allows him to have at least a week off... and we just roll at a steady and slow pace. Anna loved the lighting the "benorah" each night of Hanukkah, she STILL asks to see Christmas lights when we're out after dark, and the taking-down of our tree triggered a meltdown of epic proportion. I think she actually went through each stage of grief over the course of her hour-long episode: sadness, denial, anger... as she was finally calming, I said "I love you", to which she replied "I love you too but I can't talk right now". Tree-trauma aside, 2016 ended quite peacefully.

Off they go - THIRD grade!

These two celebrated their 8th birthday last month. And now on the eve of their first day of third grade, not a day passes that I don't catch them intertwined in each other's business. They are like magnets - sometimes repelling each other with great intensity but, in an instant, drawn back together where they happily remain.

Abba Zabba... You have spent countless hours over the past year perfecting your handwriting. It's really lovely. You read faster than I can do anything. Really. The minute anything starts happening in the kitchen, you are underfoot: "Can I help???". You have mastered the new espresso machine and, while your energy level is absolutely fine uncaffeinated, Daddy and I are enjoying your budding barista services. You read Anna 14 books straight one night so I could finish dishes and take a shower. And that's not an unusual occurrence. Your hair is long and you like pigtail braids almost everyday, unless I'm willing to blow-dry/straighten (which I've only done twice. ever.) because you really wish your hair was straight. You asked for Gran to make crab legs for your birthday Sunday dinner - the amount of crab you cracked yourself and consumed was incredible. Well done. Anna's trip to the potty, the date/time of my next Baby Sing and Sign class, Elise's scraped knee, Daddy's work schedule... EVERYTHING concerns you. ;) Your latest daily activity involves keeping a detailed record of each day - no minute shall go undocumented with you around. That is the epitome of YOU: attentive and particular with a side of sensitivity.

Elise, aka "Huggy Bear"... Your dedication to making rainbow loom bracelets/pencil toppers/macarons/poptarts/dancers has blown us away. We should be selling your goods. ;) You are reckless in ways that lead to frequent scrapes and bruises but also in ways that give you the needed gumption to leap off the diving board like a pro. You are the current go-to in the car to ride beside Anna - she's not always the most polite of little people as a passenger and we appreciate your ability to ignore as needed, even when she's digging her toes into your arm. Sorry about that and thank you. You are in a cheeseburger phase of life and we dined out for your birthday at a restaurant chosen specifically for the burgers. That choice, combined with your recent affinity for making up knock-knock jokes ("knock, knock"... "who's there?"... "oliver"... "oliver who?"... "oliver our lights are on!"), proves that you are your Daddy's daughter. ;) Your drawings of characters are becoming detailed beyond belief, with such intricate lips and names like "Kukaquola Tamata".The entire family has recently started busting out your amazing happy dance and it's the epitome of YOU: confident and carefree with a side of silly.

What I want you both to know is that, because of you, I have all but forgotten what it feels like to be lonely. Just your absence when you spend a night at Gran and Grandpa's changes the entire feel of our house. As you head off to school tomorrow, you will be so incredibly missed. I am not in a season of life right now that craves "me" time. I crave "us" time. And because of that, this summer was damn near perfect. Daddy's flexible work schedule combined with our commitment to under-scheduling gave us family time at the pool, family time at the library, family time at the farmer's market, and slow mornings, lazy afternoons, and dinner around the kitchen table together nearly nightly.

It was the summer of Ace of Cakes during naptime, memorizing Go Away by Weezer, handstand competitions at the pool, hosting your first slumber party (the two of you plus a friend), and reading The Hobbit with Daddy.

My mama heart swells with happiness knowing that you'll be in the same class again together. You both have the ability, like magnets, to break free and stand on your own with such power but when you are reunited, it is a force to be reckoned with.

Off you go my third graders! Do your thing and then hurry home... "We" are incomplete without you!

And she's TWO!

There is no better occasion to return to this place of memories than a birthday. Two. Two years since we became a family of five. Two years since they placed our third baby girl into our arms. Two years since the big girls became the big girls. Two. years. old.

Dear, sweet Anna baby... you are a walking, non-stop talking, never-a-dull-moment, notice-everything, engaged-with-life toddler. You wake up with a "Momma, come get the baby!!!" (often referring to yourself as "the baby", much as we still do), followed by "Hey Daddy! Whatcha doin? You shaving?", and then "Good morning, Abby! Good morning, Elise! May I come sit with you in the green chair?". Next it's "Momma, I'm HUNGRY! Can I have a waffle?" and "Look! I have a teeny tiny blueberry". You stopped a stranger on the street, asked her what was in the to-go box she was carrying, and when she told you it was a slice of pie, you're face lit up as you said "Ohhhh, that will be SO delicious!". This stranger then gave you her fresh piece of pie because she was overwhelmed with your response. You walked to the car, carrying the box, saying "Momma, let's go home and eat some pie!". 

Your manners are often pristine, very carefully enunciating "May I have another peanut butter cracker PLEASE" or "Excuse me, Grandpa" (squeezing past to throw away a kleenex) and "When you're done, would you please read a book to me?". You LOVE storytime at the library, galavanting through the house saying "I'm dancing about Michael... I'm so excited about Michael" at the mere mention. Your first toddler mommy-and-me dance class at the Art Center has been a treat, watching you share, participate, take turns, and squirrel around like the "goof goof baby" that you are! (That's what Abby calls you). 

I couldn't choose a favorite food for you because you happily eat it all - just in the past month you FINALLY took a liking to avocado, which makes this momma so relieved. 

You answer nearly all questions with "how come?", such as "Anna, let's put jammies on!"... "How come?"... "Anna, it's time to come to the table!"... "How come?"... "Anna, go pick out two books to read!"... "How come?". Get the idea? Your other favorite phrase is "But how can we do that?" as in "Anna, have good manners for momma while we change your diaper"... "But how can we do that?". It's really quite hard to keep a serious face when you put it that way. ;) 

After a bout with the stomach flu, you had a little lego bird upside down in a little lego bucket, saying "Look! He's getting all the yuckies out of his mouth!". You picked up two stomach bugs just 6 weeks apart, which we didn't see coming as it had been at least 6 months since you'd even had a runny nose. You managed to find the humor in the situation by cracking yourself (and us) up with "Hey Daddy! Knock knock?"... and your punch line response to "Who's there?"  was "PUKE"! During the second round of stomach stuff (23 months old) you got a taste of your first screen time - one episode of Sesame Street. In two years, you have had less than two hours TOTAL of any kind of screen time. I feel so strongly that your ability to play, interact, self-entertain, and communicate are very much a result of that parenting choice. Clearly, like your sisters, you are handling the screen time deprivation just fine. ;) 

You love books, your felt board, coloring, playing with little tiny toys, destroying arranging the dollhouses, watering and rearranging your fairy gardens, building with blocks, drawing with chalk on the driveway, riding in the stroller while I run, snuggling up and reading books with Daddy, dancing and dressing up with Abby and Elise... You are easy to entertain and so very, very entertaining. 

We find ourselves often stifling laughter when you do get angry: if we ask you to clean up, you might drop your toy on the floor, give us your best scowl, and say "She threw it on the floor", again, referring to yourself as "she". More recently, you've become rather fond of the phrase "I will not" instead of just saying "no". Again, quite polite and proper but it is a treat when you say "I will" instead. I thank you for deferring to the serious, silent anger rather than a tantrum. 

A recent conversation between the two of us will forever hold it's place in my mommy memories. 

Me: "Anna, what does Daddy say to you?"

Anna: in a deep Daddy voice "Good night, sleep tight"

Me: "What does Abby say to you?"

Anna: "Good night Anna banana"

Me: "What does Elise say to you?"

Anna: "Good night Anna banana"

Me: "What does Momma say to you?"

Anna: "Goodnight... LAY DOWN!"

I've made a conscientious effort since to silently tuck you back in on those nights when your legs are flailing about through the crib, banging against the wall while you sing yourself to sleep... You love to sing "Mr. Sun" and "The Pina Colada Song" (yes, the one about being caught in the rain).

The relationship between you, Abby, and Elise is amazing. I want you to know that, at two years, your big sisters NEVER get upset with you. And do you know why? Because the second you turn on the tears, any impending battle instantly ends. Abby swoops in at the slightest whimper or reprimand to rescue you. As fast as she might have withheld a prized possession from you, she hands it right over if you show signs of distress. Elise, on the other hand, may not be your knight in shining armor, but if I had a dollar for every time she approaches you and says "Do you know what I need?", which is her way of asking for a squeeze... The mutual love and adoration between you and "the big girls" is just. the. best. 

I referred to you over the weekend as our "grand finale" and you treat everyday as if it is so incredibly grand. We couldn't have a better finale for our five! Happy Birthday, Anna!

Belated Birthday THANK YOU!

I always pictured myself following the cookie-cutter kids pattern: have a baby... wait a year and a half or so... have my second (and last). Abby and Elise annihilated that mold by coming as a pair, which in turn, for the sake of our sanity, made us decide to wait a bit longer before considering another. Now the anticipated 2-year gap became almost 6 years and instead of the final babe being #2, she was #3. Cookie-cutter DESTROYED. 

And it's amazing. Abby and Elise perfectly compliment one another in their relationship with Anna: Abby often nurtures; Elise entertains. They hold her hands together for ring-around-the-rosy; they tag-team reading books or rolling the ball to give the other one a break while I switch laundry. And somehow over the past year as they entertained and nurtured, they kept growing... and then suddenly July arrived and they turned SEVEN. 

As we rapidly approach the start of their second grade journey and first year in public school, my very belated birthday thoughts to these two can be simply stated in two words: "thank you". 

Thank you, Elise, for the amazing Padme Amidala costumes, for the crossed-eyes-tongue-sticking-out-make-the-baby-laugh faces, for taking ownership of one of my favorite hats, for playing your piano recital song as fast as you possibly can (perfectly), for doing countless cartwheels inside the house regardless of how many times you were told to stop, for always wearing a bow/headband/braid and sparkly shoes, for stating that "Anna will probably read early because Abby and I read to her all the time unlike us - we had nobody", for announcing every song that comes on the radio in the car because you can see the screen and Abby can't, for checking the weather before you get dressed every.single.day even in the summer when it's the same every.single.day. Thank you, Elise.. for everything... I love you.

Thank you, Abby, for confidently starting your first day of Jedi Academy with a single braid in true Anakin fashion, for always saying "good morning" to Anna first and then letting the dog out while I'm still in bed, for thinking the greatest haircut you ever received was the day the hairdresser straightened your beautiful curls, for writing notes that say "this beer is quite delishis" in beautifully decorated letters, for still believing that the cure to a hard moment is a familiar lap and a squeeze, for wanting to start a stuffed animal babysitting club, for playfully saying "are you tickling me?" when in actuality, Anna is painfully digging her toes into your arm in the car, trying to get a rise out of you. Thank you, Abby... for everything ... I love you. 

Over the past year, you two soared through dance class, art class, drama class, and piano lessons. You made friends with ease in our Wednesday homeschool group - exploring parks, learning about farm life, and springing around gymnastics like a couple of gazelles. You performed on a stage at least 3 different times without the slightest glimmer of nerves; rather you shone as bright as I could have ever imagined my babies would. And not a single day passed that, if the award for "best sister ever" was being given, you both would have received it. Happy belated 7th birthday, girls. Public school is about to be ROCKED by you both!

Sisters... sweet, sweet Sisters

Anna's 10(ish) month update has to wait a minute. I don't have much experience with big sisters to compare, but let it be known that the two big sisters under our roof are amazing. Make that Amazing, with a capital A. How many little sisters get a personal performance in the mornings, while waiting for breakfast, complete with music, masks, and costumes? If something makes Anna giggle, she gets to enjoy it over and over again because why would one big sister miss out on the fun? Guess who loves books? Oh, that would be the babe AND her big sisters... which means Anna has her own personal readers at her beck and call. Car rides? Always fun when there's a playmate on each side to tickle you, sing to you, and share prized possessions (such as a Han Solo action figure) because anything is better than a fussy babe in the car. We are over 10 months into this baby gig and even on our roughest day, the big sisters shine. John and I were talking the other night and, with the ups and downs of homescooling this year, the bonding that has taken place between Abby, Elise, and Anna is hands-down making it worth every single day. And as I sit here and write this, I want to print it out and post it on the refrigerator as my own personal reminder that we're doing okay. At the end of the day, Elise's messy printing... Abby's insistence on wearing only certain articles of clothing... the disaster behind the couch that was either a fort or a spaceship... the bikes in the front yard... the books in the tree... Elise's boycott of scrambled eggs... Abby's boycott of muffins... none of it really matters. It's so hard some days to see past all of it and to breath. smile. relax. We're doing something right.

Speaking of smiling...

Anna Michele. 10 months already. Right here, right now: PAUSE. I want the "pause" button. As you snuggled in the other day, nursing your way to sleep, I looked at your face and realized that this is a moment in which I want time to stop. You're blowing kisses, saying "bye bye" while waving, pulling to stand, eating whatever we put on your tray, signing "please', "more", "milk", "dog', "ball", "play", "music", "daddy", "all done", "cat", "bird", "tree", and your newest favorite sign: "book". Brown Bear, Brown Bear is your absolute favorite and you also love lift-the-flap books, which you very carefully lift each flap with your precise little pointer finger. You had your first cold, which made for a miserable 24 hours, followed by a viciously grumpy babe for 3-4 days until your top two teeth busted through. Abby and Elise never had any signs of teething; Miss Anna, however, showed us why so many parents talk about teething with grunts and groans and cocktails. Can you say "baby tantrums"? Wowsers. We were elated to see those tiny pearly whites because they were accompanied by the return of your happy face. That happy face of yours absolutely glows under the big sky - you have found such joy from the sky since you were tiny and now it brings you a whole new world of entertainment as the birds, planes, or balloons pass by - you point, you smile, you giggle, your feet kick, and you sign "more please", "more, please". The St. Patrick's day parade was worth the crowds and the cold wind just to watch your face and hear you laugh with every stray balloon that escaped and floated away - you didn't miss a single one. I think Gran and I watched you more than we watched the floats. You are just that, though: totally, completely, and captivatingly watchable.