Tooth Fairy

My big girl lost her first tooth. 

I was cleaning my van and could hear her screaming over the vacuum cleaner.  When I turned to see her running down the sidewalk, all I saw was blood gushing out of her mouth and her hands catching the dripping blood.  I assumed she'd been hit in the mouth.  I ran to her as she was sobbing and then saw the hole where her little tooth had been.  I finally got the story out of her that she bit a nerf football.  The tooth was nowhere to be found. 

Once we got her all cleaned up, the excitement of "losing" her first tooth set in and she quickly wrote the Tooth Fairy a note...

"Dear Tooth Fairy, It fell out in the yard.  Love, Lilly"

 The Tooth Fairy came and left her $5 for her first tooth (she knows it will be $1 for subsequent teeth).  She immediately went to Target and bought a wallet and make-up with her earnings.  

The kid cannot save.

Every time I look at her toothless grin, my heart sinks that my baby girl is growing up.

Ella Turned 3!!

This post is long overdue.  Ella turned 3!

When Ella woke up Lilly gave her the gift she picked out just for her sister.  Ella loves Barbies and dogs so this was a perfect gift.

 It was a beautiful day.  Instead of a big birthday party (she wanted to go to a "gym") we just met a few friends at a local play place called Kid Junction.  Ella gets nervous easily and wasn't sure about having a party so we played it off as just a fun time at a gym and fun it was! Getting ready to leave...

 Fun in the taxi with Christina.

 The boys kept sliding off the seat and into the floor of this car.  It was so funny.

 I love this picture.  It makes me think of them as 17 year olds in a real car.  The way Gabe is looking at Luke cracks me up.

 Playing in the pretend diner.

 Birthday girl with Mommy and Daddy!

 Luke shopping in the pretend grocery store.

 The dads...

 The moms...

 Even though there were only 3 families, we had plenty of kids!

 We were the only people at Kid Junction.  It worked out perfectly.  We even got the run of the snack area.  We enjoyed dinner as the kids went in and out to play.

 Ella picked out doggie plates and napkins.

 Ella's doggie cake.

Happy 3rd Birthday sweet girl.  You are such a blessing in our lives.  We love you so much!

Spinning

Life is getting crazier.

I find myself saying, "Oh my gosh" often.

We have two toddling baby boys, one of which is very very active.  The other is observing and I fear will become just as active. 

They get into everything all.day.long.

 Luke climbs everything.  He's a little Lilly but stronger.  The boy is an ox.  This is not a flattering picture at all but while I was snapping pictures of his brother covered in cookie this is what he was doing.  He took off his own overalls.  He's my crazy boy.  That's an understatement. This boy can singl-handedly dismantle our entire home in minutes.

 They love the dishwasher.

No, Luke's not grabbing a knife.  It's a spatula.

 They don't like the fun to end.

 They kids are all wonderful but it's getting a bit hairy having the twins enter toddlerhood.  They unroll all the toilet paper, soak themselves and the bathrooms in the toilets, pull clothes out of drawers, pull plates, cups, and bowls out of cabinets, break everything, throw and slam anything that will make a loud bang, dump over all of the toy baskets, climb on the kitchen table (Luke), pull out all the baby wipes, play with all of Andy's tools, torture the cat (with love?!), rip paper, dig in the trashcan... I could go on and on.  The boys are busy.  Luke is much moreso than Gabe.

 They love to help.  I had a lot of help raking the yard.  

What is Gabe looking at?

 Lukey Luke...

 They boys are also starting to show love for one another which totally kills me.  They make one another laugh, put their heads together to show affection, hold hands, and hug.  It's the most adorable thing on the planet (besides my girls).

 Gabe is a proud new walker!!

 On this day we were walking down the block.  Luke went ahead of us and I saw him going around our neighbor's car and we turned to get him and ...

 He was in my neighbor's van buckling himself in.

These boys warm my heart so much.

All Grown Up

Somebody's having a birthday very soon...

 My baby girl is growing up.  I've noticed a huge change in her in the last couple of months.  We can have great conversations, she's creative and independent, she has opinions and likes/dislikes.  She's become a big little girl.  In two days she'll be three.  

I can't believe it.

 Ella is a sweet sweet soul.  She is kind-hearted and likes to please.  She is smart and hysterically funny.  She is clumsy and lovable and crazy all at once.  This little girl tugs my heart in a big way.

 Happy almost birthday silly girl.

We're Having a Boy!!

Possibly our boy at 1 day old.

Around Christmastime we're getting our baby boy.  

He will arrive on a plane from Illinois.
I am so excited I can hardly stand it!!

I have been on the edge of my seat waiting for (mom) Sally to go into labor.  She was due on November 3rd but they arrived on November 1st.  I was hoping for a Halloween baby but it is close enough!  I am definitely already thinking of a puppy costume 1st birthday party!

This is Sally, a St. Bernard, and the mother of our baby boy.

This is Bodie.  

He's a standard poodle and the daddy of our baby boy.

 Here is Sally nursing her nine babies (5 male and 4 female) just this afternoon.  What a good mommmy!

 They are so cute and tiny!  These St. Berdoodles are expected to be around 80-110 lbs.  They are known to have great temperaments and to be very bright.  They are also usually hypoallergenic which is why we chose this puppy since I am allergic to dogs.

 I cannot wait to bring our baby boy home!  It will be a long 8 weeks of waiting but it will surely be worth the wait. 

We weren't going to tell the kids but when I received these pictures today we wanted to tell them!  We couldn't wait.  They are soooo excited.  Ella said, "I will take good care of him and feed him my booby.  I will walk him too."  Lilly promises to walk him, pick up poop (as long as she doesn't get poop on her hand), feed him, and love him.  We're working on a name.

The Morning After...

Halloween 2011

We survived Halloween!  Ha!

Today I was invited to help with Lilly's Halloween party at school.  Her class is wonderful and her teacher is sweet.  I was very impressed with the kids' behavior on such an exciting day!  Lilly dressed as 'Barbie Fairy Secret Princess' for her party.  That was her first costume of the day...

Lilly with her teacher, Ms. Francolino.

  The Barbie costume gave Lilly a rash on her arm so she moved on to costume #2 which was a 'Fairy Princess' outfit which was my favorite.  Ella was also a 'Fairy Princess' and was so very excited to dress up like her sister.  After school we went out frantically looking for a way to make the boys' hats for their costume and then went back to Bret Harte for Lilly's school parade.

 

 Today was a beautiful fall day.  We walked to school for the parade.

 Ella waited with her friend Stephen.  Stephen's dad is a police officer.  They are too adorable together.

 "Hi Lilly!!!!!"

 Andy was kind enough to take the day off so I could go to Lilly's Halloween party and the parade while the boys napped. 

Me and my girls.

 After the parade I went home to try to make the boys' hats.  Nothing like last minute costume making...

 My babies.  

Fairy Mickey Princess (costume change #3), Fairy Light Up Princess, Thing 1 and Thing 2.

 Baby boy (Thing 2/Baby B) walked yesterday!  

Here he is standing like a big boy.

 My sweet baby boys.  They kept their hats on for 3 hours.

 Our family trick-or-treating with our friends the Longos.  

Nine kids between us...

 Me and my friend Stephanie.

 Luke walked up to a few houses.  He was adorable. He carried his pumpkin bucket and grabbed his blanket out of the back of the stroller.  He was so proud to get his candy.

 Two thirds of my boys.  This melts my heart.

Gabe wasn't feeling well tonight.  I love this picture because he is smiling.  He loves the dog.  Sweet baby boys and little precious Ella.  Lilly was ahead collecting more candy!

We had a terrific full day.  Happy Halloween!