A & B

These two ladies are quite the pair. They do it all together. 

Yesterday in church during sacrament meeting they munched on their snacks and were "nom nom noming" in harmony. The surrounding benches found them quite entertaining. After several seconds of shushing they finally ate with less sounds, but I find it is almost physically impossible for Addison to eat without making some sort of satisfying noise and whatever Addi does Brie follows. 

During lunch time Brie watches Addi and takes a bite of her sandwich when and how Addi does. If Addi wants a high five so does Brie. If Addi wants to push a baby in the stroller so does Brie. They love each other fiercely which sometimes results in a few pushes and smacks. 

I am so glad my days are filled with these two little ladies. 

Toothless

3-29-2015

She lost her first tooth...

How can she big this big?

Have Courage and Be Kind

She has always been my little princess, and so when there was a princess movie in theatre we had to go and see it together. She dress up donned a crown, lipstick and some sparkles and off we went.

She is becoming a little lady. There were times during the night when I almost forgot she was 6 and not 26, but then she squeals and does a happy dance when I say she can get a root-beer and I remember she is still my baby. We chatted about this and that while sharing a popcorn (which we finished before the previews even started.)

We stopped for ice cream on our way home and Taycee told me about 10 times it was the best day of her life... it was pretty high up there in my book too. 

Have courage and be kind. It was kind of the message of the movie. I think that often what I lack is courage. Courage when life isn't going as planned, courage to embrace change. It would seem that faith and courage often go hand in hand. So I am trying to be more courageous, and the world can always use a little more kind. 

The princess and her prince

I set up a little photo shoot last week to get updated pictures of all the kids together. (Which can be found in the previous post.) The vision I had in my head didn't exactly come to fruition but after 20 minutes of coaxing and bribing and making monkey noises I called it a wrap. Everyone dispersed we had about 2 hours until we needed to leave for church so I put Brie down for a nap and went back to the bedroom to scroll through my camera and see what images I had got.  When I went back into the room with camera in hand I walked in to find this. 

Off flew the lens cap and I started snapping. It was effortless and painless. There was no coaxing or monkey sounds I just sat and captured this precious little girl love her daddy.

She loves me too I am sure of it, but she adores him. He is her prince, her knight, her hero. She has the best of daddies and I think she knows it.

Side note: When I finished editing these pictures Chris said "I should print these out and give them to her when she is 16 so she remembers how much she loves me." He is a realist folks.

Fabulous Four

These kids. They are my lifeblood. My every day revolves around these 4 small, yet ever growing bodies. I start my day with their excited chatter and I kiss their cheeks each night before I go to bed. They make my days hard, and so easy all at the same time. Their success feels like my success and their tears often pull out tears of my own. They are the purpose to my days. Being, or rather becoming, a mom is constant and yet loving someone this much is so easy.

I had the strangest experience last week. I was at Kaden's baseball practice standing behind a group of other moms who were sitting on the bench chatting about their boys. "Oh, he was a complete accident. The product of a drunken night!" one mom said laughing. Another chimed in, "OH so was mine, (then with a giggle) but I didn't want to say it." Their chatter went on as they talked about how they couldn't bear to have another. Too much money, not enough time, work wasn't stable, the reasons were many and all the other moms nodded in agreement. They were almost speaking as if some plague had settled in on their home and they couldn't imagine having to go through any other malady. 

I. WAS. DUMBFOUNDED. 

Kaden wasn't planned. Let's be honest, NONE of my little ones were. (okay Addison was) They were all little surprise gifts sent from Heavenly Father. My body is very efficient at the baby making thing, or all birth control is very inefficient, but I digress. Life has not gone according to my timeline when it comes to babies but never have I viewed them as accidents. Surprises yes, unplanned perhaps, but each and every time when I held them in my arms for the first time I knew they had come precisely when they were suppose to. My heart was always thankful for this new tiny piece I hadn't known it was missing.  

Kids are hard. I could nod in agreement to that statement. They take work and time and tears, they cost extra money and make life unpredictable, but it's just so much more than that. Kids are joy! My kids make my laugh on the daily, they help me to see past the things that don't matter to the wonder of simple things. My kids stretch my limits and force me to learn and grow. They make me better. Each one has their own gifts and strengths and I love watching their unique personalities develop.

Kaden is a lover. He has the most tender of hearts. He doesn't mind a kiss on the cheek or an extra hug no matter the location. As he was getting on the bus one day he yelled "Bye mommy I LOVE YOU!!" Our neighbor who was standing by me asked if he was a momma's boy. I thought for a moment and said "He is an everyone's boy!" and it is so true. He loves everyone almost instantly. He is the happiest most excited person I have ever known. I often wish I could see life the way he does. His enthusiasm often gets the best of him and his teachers are always reminding him to raise his hands and lower his voice. Watching him start baseball has been so fun. He is determined and unabashed. He doesn't mind that all the other boys have been playing together for years, in his mind they are all the best of friends and they are all there to cheer each other on. He is the first one who made me mom and I couldn't have asked for a better teacher.

Taycee is my girliest tomboy. We went on a date last weekend to see Cinderella at the movie theater. She wanted to wear a princess dress complete with crown. I laughed as I brushed the leaves and twigs out of her hair so I could give her a princess hairdo. That is my Taycee, leaves twigs and dirt one minute and sparkles, heels, and lipstick the next. She is a doer and once she sets her mind to something nothing stands in her way. She got a pogo stick for Christmas and couldn't bounce more than 2 times in a row on it the first day. She practiced and practiced and practiced, and fell and fell and fell. In a matter of about 2 weeks she was bouncing all around the house on it. She is athletic and graceful, a tease and a nurturer, a sass and a sweetheart. She is the most perfect of oxymorons. If I ever need help she is the first one to come. She skipped going to the gym to stay home and help me clean the kitchen and make bread because "she didn't want me to do it alone." The babies adore her. They yell for "TEECEE" the minute they see the bus coming. Addison sleeps at the foot of her bed every night and make a mess of her covers but Taycee never complains when she makes her bed in the morning. She was sent to be the oldest sister and it suits her perfectly. 

Addison is the sweetheart of the family. Perhaps it is because she has dealt with so much in such a short time, or maybe that is just her personality.  She is my hardest in many ways though, she makes me reevaluate my mothering ability constantly. I worry that I am not adequate to give her everything she needs.  I find myself pleading on my knees constantly for guidance in teaching and helping her. She also provides some of the most tender moments I have as a mother. Last week she said her very first prayer on her own with no prompting or assistance. It was short and not every single word was understandable but it was a prayer and it was her own. My heart burst, I swallowed down the lump in my throat and then we had dinner. Addison is my greatest teacher in patience but also in love. There is something so sweet and Christ-like about her presence. Since she was a baby she has been gentle. When she was little and being held she would softly lay her hand against your cheek. She still does that at times when she is snuggling her daddy. She is the best cuddler. We often play a game where we are running away from a bear or something equally as scary because I love the way she wraps her arms around my neck and says "save me mommy! It's SCAWY!"  She is her own little person and she has always done things in her own way. Her newest phrase she says on repeat is "YES! I can!" and I have a feeling she just might.

Brielle is my baby who isn't. Somehow she went from a sweet little bundle to this roaring running rambunctious toddler. She is on the go all the time and never stops unless she is sleeping. She always has something to say and usually it involves asking for food. She is obsessed with shoes, dollies and her sisters. I still scoop her up every morning and snuggle into the crook of her neck while she giggles. She is feisty and full of life. She has mastered the eye roll at 20 months and when I tell her "no more crackers" her glare could compete with any teenagers. Her laughter truly is medicine and she is ticklish everywhere. Chris claims her most ticklish spot is her calf. She loves to dance but her most favorite place to be is "owshide" (outside) She sucks up all my energy and all my love right along with it.

These kids. These fabulous four are everything. And as I sat and listened to those moms talk about how they couldn't handle more I felt so sad at what they would miss out on. Watching them grow and learn is awesome, but watching them grow and learn together it is an unmatched happiness. They need each other just as much as I need them. They are what make our house a home. When I walked up to practice the next day with my 3 girls in tow one mom said "wow, you have your hands full!" and I thought, 
"Yes I do...and so is my heart!" 

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks

Kaden started his first season of baseball last week. Chris took him to his first practice on Saturday and then played catch with him later in the day. I think Chris might have been even more excited than Kaden was about the whole thing. He said this might be the happiest day as a dad I have ever had. He sure loves his kids, and I sure love him.  Kaden hasn't been too into the sport scene thus far and with all of the moving that happened in the past 2 years we never put him on a team. It seems like everyone has their boys in a sport by age 5 and I was a little worried Kaden would be quite behind the other boys on the team. After watching his first few practices though he has a knack for the game. There are some technical things he doesn't quite get yet but he catches on quickly and you would never know this is his first season. 

 Miss Taycee can never be left out and after Kaden and Dad's first catch session we headed straight to the store to find the little lady a mitt. Her coordination and athletic ability is pretty impressive. She had a fast and fairly accurate throw and she a a good little catcher too. 

Kaden call his mitt his "mitten" and Chris about dies every time. I think it's hilarious. Chris has now insisted we just call it a glove. 

 Kaden has a 2 hour practice 2 nights a week which has significantly tightened up our weeks schedule, but watching him do something he loves is worth it. 

Wacky!

Taycee's kindergarten class had a Wacky Wednesday last week which was pretty much Taycee's dream come true! When she was pulled on her pants backwards she couldn't stop giggling. When she got home off the bus she said that most of her class forgot it was Wacky Wednesday and nobody was a silly as she was. I asked her if she felt a little embarrassed and she looked at me with such disbelief, "No way mom! It was awesome! Everyone just kept talking about how crazy my hair was!" One thing is for sure she has never shied away from the spotlight.

 

Snow Days

Since the beginning of January we have had 10 snow days. TEN days of canceled school due to bad weather conditions. Coming from Utah it all seems a bit ridiculous, but I do understand that Virginia isn't as equipped for winter weather as Utah is. However the end of the world rush to the grocery stores that leave all the shelves bare... yeah that seems a bit over the top. 

For at least 5 of those days there was actual snow on the ground to play in. Two of those days Chris also had work cancelled. The kids had so much fun playing outside with dad, and many snowball fights ensued. 

Look close or you'll miss that giant snow-boulder Taycee hurled Chris's way. 

Most of the other days have been canceled due to icy conditions. We have had several ice storms this past month. Church was even cancelled one day due to freezing rain on the roads. Ice makes me far more nervous than snow does and I am always glad when Chris doesn't have to drive on icy roads. The ice also created some beautiful settings for pictures.

A morning with the littlest

Life with my littlest baby is busy, and full...of messes. :) She is the most curious of little people and I spend all day following and cleaning up after hurricane Brielle. She is exhausting and more than once a day I think "HOW does one little body create so much CHAOS?" but then she looks up at me with those huge blue eyes and that little smirky grin and I forget the orange paint on the carpet and the broken toys that were flung over the top balcony. She owns me, let's pray she never figures that out. I know one day, that will feel like it came to soon, my house won't have little hands creating messes at every turn. In an effort to remember this busy crazy ever going stage with the littlest I spent a morning with a camera around my neck taking pictures of her normal day. 

She is a huge fan of washing clothes, so much so that she resets the washer 2 or 3 times during every load. I love having a front loading washer for lots of reasons. Brielle's ability to reset the load mid wash...yeah, that's not one of them.

She is sneaky and not afraid to climb on anything. She knows there is a little dish of candy on the computer desk and she takes every opportunity to climb up and get herself a treat. ( I generally stop her the moment I catch her starting to climb. I promise I don't let my kids climb on high furniture to eat candy.) 

She is ever so helpful when it comes to unloading the dishwasher, and can put cups in as fast as I take them out. 

 She is also very good at throwing the silverware from the dishwasher into the silverware drawer. 

When it comes to lunchtime, or food in general, Brie will eat pretty much anything that is put in front of her. But first she must pull it apart, inspect it and smear a bit on the table. She then proceeds to consume it in full. 

Speaking of tables, it is one of her very favorite places to be. I think I pull her off the table at least 6 times a day. She LOVES fruit and the fruit bowl  I keep on the table is just to tempting. Banana's are her most favorite. 

BABIES.  And strollers, purses, makeup, hairbrushes, or anything else she finds girly. We spent a lot of time finding and then wrapping up baby doll. She insists that the baby remains wrapped up in her blankie at all times.

One of the greatest buys of the year was this $20 tent. It is her own little hideaway. Many times when we are playing a chasing game (or more accurately when I am trying to put a diaper or clothes on her and she doesn't want it) she runs in and then giggles hysterically at how sneaky she is. It is also the perfect reading place and both the babies love books. 

Chapstick...so much chapstick. We go through several tubes a month between all 3 girls and no matter where it is kept Brielle will find it and smear it all over her face. 

 I mentioned this earlier and it is probably one of the more frustrating activities she has found.  Brielle loves throwing toys over the upstairs banister down onto the wood floor of the entry way. I tell her no, and she just grins down. She sits in time out quite often because of this fun game. There is a large doll house just to the right of her in this picture, and many of the little wooden furniture pieces have fallen victim to this act. Wood glue is my new best friend. 

All of the above mentioned activities are fun but access to mommy's bathroom is the holy grail. The amount of entertainment she can find in that one room is amazing. She loves to turn on the water in the tub and thrown any item she can find in. I have fished out books, clothes, toys, brushes..really anything that her little hands can grasp is fair game. She also loves to spray hairspray into her hands and then rub them together like soap. Oh and when she finds actual soap, (or dog shampoo or body wash) she dumps copious amounts onto her head. But NOTHING beats being able to play with mom's makeup, preferably her lipstick. Pink is her favorite color. 

When mom finally announces it is time for a nap (all of that happened before noon people) there is inevitably a melt down on the floor with tears and tragic sobs.

 And then just 10 minutes later she is sound asleep with baby and book in hand. The crazy part about it all is when I watch her long eyelashes flutter on her chubby cheeks and look at her tiny pigtails and perfect little lips, it takes everything in me not to scoop her up in my arms and squeeze her until she wakes up and we can do it all again. Instead I quietly walk out of her room, shut the door behind me and start repairing the damage from the mornings events. 

I had intentions to follow her through the entire day but didn't pick the camera back up after nap time. So not pictures was the orange finger paint all over the carpet, the play kitchen sink over flowing with water, and the toilet paper roll strung from the bathroom to the couches. You might think that I just don't watch her during the day. I mean how can a child create that much havoc if her mom is paying attention to her. My answer is, I don't know, but she does. She finds the moments I am looking up the recipe for that nights dinner, or I am helping Addison draw a picture. She waits until I am wiping a bum in the bathroom or helping with homework. I often thinks she has a radar for the moments my full attention is not on her movements, and then she strikes. 

Brielle,

  Baby girl you keep me on my toes, (or hands and knees depending on the mess). You are so full of energy and curiosity. Life with you is so full, of messes and happiness. But even when I am cleaning all the noodles out of your high chair because you dumped your bowl of dinner on your head, I am still so grateful you are mine.

All my love baby girl.

...and energy.

-Mom