What a Wonderful World

This picture has absolutely nothing to do with the post. Nothing. Except the picture is cute, it makes me happy, and this post is reflecting upon a happy week.

My birthday was Monday and was enjoyable. Mother Nature heard my plea -- or was it my Facebook post she listened to? -- and gave me a wonderful present of cool weather (30 degrees difference in highs from Saturday to Monday) and rain rain rain rain rain. Did I mention it rained? Approximately 10.5(ish) inches of the set stuff licked, pummeled, dripped, and bowled its way across our area of the state here this week. The clouds still have yet to move away, and that's okay too. Chris was home for two days, and that was wonderful too.

While we have had some stressful moments with daycare, we had to make the hard decision to move on to a different daycare. I am not going to go into details, because they are all very subjective, but it is something that I feel we just need to do. We will miss all of the teachers very very much. Clara and Hadley will begin their new daycare next Friday, when I go in for my workday. We are happy with this decision.

All in all, we've had a great week. I have one more week of break/maternity leave. I can not say that I am excited to get back to work, but all good things must come to an end I suppose. And, this quarter is so jam packed with pre-holiday and holiday festivities that it goes so quickly. Time to start looking into our Christmas trip to the mitten.

Good Vs. Evil

For several weeks now one of the top questions I have been asked about Hadley is "is she a good baby?". I find that a really funny question. I know what people are really meaning when they say that. I know they don't really mean 'is she a good baby, or does she rack up a cell phone bill the likes of which have been nearing the national debt?' or 'is she a good sleeper, or does she wake you up practicing her numchuk skills against the cat at 2 in the morning?'.

Nevertheless, it's just not a way I would phrase a question, and I always have to think for a minute before answering.

"Is she a good baby?"

Why yes, it was just yesterday she was telling me how it was time that she was awake less at night in order to give me the much needed rest I so crave and deserve. Right after she paid the bills and helped take out the recycling. Good doesn't even begin to describe her.

In all seriousness though, she is a "good" baby. Her tummy issues are slowly calming down, she is finding less evening discomfort, and the evenings are a bit more relaxing. She continues to eat like a champion and I look forward to her two month checkup next Monday to see how much she weighs and all of the other good statistics, while I dread the two month vaccinations. She is getting very smiley and happy, and while she loves to be held, she has also started to do these weird tummy crunches to try to sit up. I think she needs to see what her sisters are doing (or she is learning to have all eyes on the ready for when Clara comes near so she can be prepared....)

Good baby, yes, very good baby.

I Have

Have you ever felt this sleepy?

I mean...that's really really sleepy....

So sleepy that even when you wake up, and that rubber still sticks to your lip as you twist and turn your face into gnarly positions because everyone is laughing at you because you have rubber stuck to your lip and it just makes you really mad but still your mom laughs and then exclaims how she wishes that she had her camera on again....

Have you ever been that tired?
Clara has.

And yes, I'm well aware she is far too old for a pacifier, it's a hurdle we're going under right now.

Come on Now....

It's the First Day of Fall, many people's favorite season. Up north, I'm a fan. Down south, I'm annoyed. Fall doesn't "begin" down here until -- Christmas. It is going to be at least 94 degrees today, not including the heat index. Come ON Mother Nature. Enough is enough already.

This year alone, we have had approximately (give or take a couple) 87 days ABOVE 90 degrees. Nearly a quarter of the year has been warmer than 90 degrees, and we are only 3/4 through the year. It's driving me batty. Seeing as my ideal temperature is anything 75 degrees and lower, this just doesn't cut it. It's 75 degrees at 6:00am.

The 10 forecast shows some promising temperatures, and I can only hope that 79 degrees with a 50% chance of rain on Monday holds true. What a perfect way to celebrate my birthday with some refreshing temperatures, some much needed rain for our drought which is now 'official' as we are over 8 inches below normal rainfall for the year. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Hmmm

We are trying to get Hadley interested in a bottle, because 2 weeks from tomorrow is her first day at daycare. She is not interested in a bottle. At all, so far. I hate this part, because not only does it force me to come to grips with being away from my baby(ies) for the day, but it means back to work, which means more work in general since all the stuff I get done during the day has to get done some other time. But this is not a post about that.

So I had this bottle of freshly pumped milk sitting on the table by my bed.

And I saw Clara holding it as I was brushing my teeth.

And I saw the gleam in her eye.

And she saw me looking at her, narrowed her eyes in ways only Clara can, and said "I have some Mommy?"

And I paused, and said no.

And again "I have some Mommy?"

And I paused. Shrugged and said "Sure, go ahead." She won't. She wouldn't.

She did.

And she liked it.

"I have some more Mommy, it's good."

I really didn't know what to think about that. My mind said "ew" my brain said "what's wrong with that" and my frugal side was busily thinking "wow, you could save even more money if you could make enough breast milk to feed Clara too......"

Nah.

Hadley photo session

Create your own photo album

This picture was taken approximately one hour after a visit to the dentist upon which Greta was awarded with what is quite possibly the most wonderful and life-altering news of her 5 years:

A. Loose. Tooth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Having a loose tooth is so exciting!"-

Morning Conversation

This morning we were sitting at the kitchen table and I had just finished opening the windows since it was a lovely 64 degrees outside and the fresh air was delightful. We have a big bush right outside of the window that occasionally is visited by a cardinal couple, and if they aren't there, they usually aren't far away as I believe they have a nest in a neighboring bush. We heard some lovely birds nearby, and Clara commented on hearing the birds, and Greta said she thought she heard a woodpecker. The following conversation then ensued and ended with me choking back tears of laughter.

Clara: I have a woodpecker.

Me: You do? Where do you keep it?

Clara: Ummm, outside.

Me: Is it a boy or a girl?

Clara: It is a boy.

Me: What is your woodpecker's name?

Clara: Owl.

Me: Oh, Owl is a nice name. What does Owl like to eat?

wait for it....

are you ready?

did you read the previous post, because it won't be as good if you didn't read the previous post....

Clara: He eats chicken nuggets mommy!

You Better Watch Out....

The journey to Santa has begun. It might seem a tad early, but as Chris and I start looking at the calendar and shopping airline rates for our journey northward you can be sure that the man in red is surely going to get a mention. Usually it's in the form of " You know, Santa is watching you..." spoken in that menacing parental threat....

So with the thought of holidays on our brains, I believe we are all starting to make secret wish lists (I wish my kids won't get any toys...there's no room for more -- here me Santa?)

Greta has kicked it off with a request -- though perhaps not from Santa until I told her to ask him -- for a pair of Nike tennis shoes. Our newly brand conscious five year old has determined Nike to be the "it" brand of her young life so far. It began with her soccer cleats and shin guards. Both Nike, not for any reason, those are just the ones that had the best fit (and the best price). I don't even recall ever mentioning the fact that they were Nike, or having any kind of brand-conversation, or ANYthing...but she comes to us and reports that she wants Nike gym shoes because her soccer cleats are soooooo comfortable we were surprised. I mean, where does she get this from? The only tv channel she watches is Nick Jr -- no commercials on it. I'm not sure if they talk about it at school or what.

Then I asked Clara what she wanted for Christmas. Without skipping a beat, she turned to look at me and said:

" Chicken nuggets. Yummy chicken nuggets."

Okay Santa, do your stuff.

Say Hey...Macarena!

Evidently it is the perfect dance to do while learning the months of the year if you are a Kindergartener. Go figure.

Soccer Day

2nd week of soccer -- Greta loves it, now.

Alone with the ball, leaving her team in the dust!

The ONLY team member following directions.

Another break away -- Go Greta Go!

Almost a score! See anyone else around her? I don't either!

One of 2 goals she scored today! (Okay, so one she was going the wrong way, but hey they don't keep stats or scores so we can count it in the memory book!)

Mom's Brag Book

Greta has completed her first quarter of elementary school. It's hard to believe nine weeks have just gone by! I had her report card conference with her teacher this morning, and am pleased to brag about her accomplishments. She is doing even better than I thought she was doing, and has matured greatly in the past few weeks. She is the top reader in the class, and is almost at the reading level Kindergartners are expected to be at at the end of the year, so that is fabulous. Her writing is also excellent, and she is beyond where many students are. Math seems easy for her as well -- hmm, doesn't get that from her maternal side -- and lately she just loves everything about school. She comes home sharing so many things that she is learning -- which she would not do in the beginning of the year. Her favorite thing right now is !. That's right. !. Thanks to her teacher, she LOVES exclamation points and delights in finding them everywhere. She knows that they mean to say something in an exciting way, and does a very good job reading them appropriately. It's amazing the skills they not just learn but need to master in Kindergarten. So much has changed just in the 5 years since I have taught first grade. This year, they are going to have to SPELL certain words, and they even need to know what a comma is and what it is used for -- it is a pause, luckily they don't delve too deeply into that whole comma thing yet, still confuses me. I will probably create further posts espousing the ridiculous things that the Kindergartners of today are required to accomplish. I understand some of it, but my goodness these poor children! Fortunately, even though she is one of the youngest in her class, if not grade (and probably THE youngest) Greta seems to be handling herself well and tackling the obstacles she is given. I am very happy and confident that she is receiving top notch education, and that she really likes learning. Her (our) 3 week break starts Monday, and her teacher is going to send home some stuff and I have some stuff too that I think she will enjoy working on. We don't have too many other plans, though we will probably meet daddy for lunch once a week, run errands, and I'd really like to have a picnic somewhere. And, if it cools down fit the playground in there maybe even with some friends. This is the first time she has been home with me because when she was at daycare before I didn't keep her home, I had to pay for it, she might as well go. Plus she really liked it, honest! <---- !

So that is my bragging for now. We look forward to daddy's weekend off, and that today is a cloudy day so a brief respite from the heat. (Did I mention that we just broke a record and have had 84 days this year above 90 degrees and we're not done yet?)

Happy Friday everyone!

Feng Shuy?

However you spell it, isn't it supposed to be better to group things in odd numbers, especially 3? Does that go for decorating only? Oh well.

Score 4 for subject matter, 0 for composition....

You might not know it, but this pictures speaks 1,000 words.

Trying very hard to set a good example.

If this pictures is any indication of future sibling photography attempts, then it will be many many years before we have a portrait worthy shot of all 3 sisters together. You wouldn't believe, or maybe you would, how many pictures had to be taken to find one usable shot. And by usable, I mean that someone wasn't curled up, tickling someone else, rolling over or whatever.

Not to be forgotten...

And when we weren't taking pictures of Clara this weekend, Greta was showing us her new skill: impressions. We're considering dressing her up as a KISS band member for Halloween this year.

I kid I kid.

The Bear

Once again denied her 'time' behind the camera I devote this moment to our little bear, the one and only, smiley, sassy, silly, chock full of personality one minute and recluse and shy another minute, ready for anything, favorite two year old:

Clara -- the bear -- Noll

Who, incidentally, immensely enjoyed her first snow cone, and miraculously did not spill a single drop -- which, for anyone who has spent 2 minutes around Clara knows this in and of itself constitutes a miracle.

A Penny for Your Thoughts....

And the first Milestone for the baby book:

Snapped with my phone's camera because I had it right there and I didn't want to disturb the moment by running across the room to get another camera, I know the quality of the actual photo is not the greatest, but I think the subject matter one ups that entirely. They look a little better in black and white than color so that's why I changed them.

Hadley has been smiling in her sleep since day one, including a few giggles every now and then. Even the nurses in the hospital commented on that. The other day I noticed when I tickled her lip she gave a little smirk -- incidentally I think she is going to be very ticklish because she has always squirmed when I try and do anything with her neck or under her chin. I will have to keep this a secret from her sisters.