Why yes, yes I am.

Or rather, I was. Things seem to have mellowed. He's sleeping all night and so am I. I still have way too many things I'm trying to juggle. But you are not supposed to complain about the choices you voluntarily make, right? And having Nate take a job that he works 10 hours a day with a 40 minute commute was a choice we made and moving again with a newborn was a choice we made and so was homeschooling the girls. The only thing I regret about all of it is not being able to just sit and gaze at his awesomeness all day long. Thanks Auntie K for the onsie, I needed the laugh!

Out.

This little man loves to be outside.  He'll stretch his face towards the sun and smile at the wind.

Ah, the power of Fletcher.

Love that they clamor over the job of reading to the baby. Now if I could just convince Evie that he needs to learn his math facts.

mama chicken

Juju and the famed mama chicken. Mama chicken lives across the road but she doesn't ever cross it. Pity.

random shot that makes my heart trip

She look so sweet and non-devious....

ho ho ho hat

Just some Christmas fun. That bottom L might be the closest I'll come to catching her squinty eyed funny girl look. The one that she does on purpose when she's being silly and wants to make me laugh. I love that look so much.

cookies!

My two "cooker" girls. Evie would much rather play during the work and then just eat the goods later. Those are peppermint oreo truffles .... mmmm, one of my new favorite holiday cookies. Thanks to my sis in law (who first intorduced em) for those extra pounds !
Don't you just love those serious faces and those little toddler hands so studiously rolling!

dec 17 - smiles are starting

But he's got his cheeks ready and waiting for those big grins.

making it pretty

the great tree disaster

We try and wait to put up our tree so it's closer to actual Christmas and so we properly celebrate the Thanksgiving and Advent seasons.  It's so hard on the littles that are absolutely bursting full of Christmas wants though. Rosie was especially bad this year, she was literally bouncing up and down with Christmas joy several times during the season. This year was hard - new place, new baby and one tired, overwhelmed, exhausted Mama. So we made our bucket list and I crossed my fingers that I could make it happen. She talked about THE TREE constantly and asked 3, 547 times a day when we were going to go get it. All I can say about getting the tree is that we did it... the tree farm was an overpriced joke - do you see how bare it was? All they had were those trees that won't hold heavy ornaments but we did happen to find this one sort of scratchy pine that the girls loved but had Nate and I laughing. And did I mention Fletcher was screaming the entire time which made me completely frazzled because he does not do that. Or how about that the only place to park was right in front of where the workers were so I couldn't nurse him in peace. Oh, sit the ground?  This was the first sunny day in forever, it was a squishy wet mess out there. And the kicker? Paying for our scrawny, patchy tree (seriously, the dudes working looked at it and said "we didn't know we had any saleable ones of these left") at the same time a tv crew was interviewing Mr. Tree Farmer.... while Juliana shreaked in pain  because we mistakenly thought putting some chapstick on her chapped lips would help. Not exactly the warm fuzzy memories we were hoping for but more than a little funny in retrospect.

Can I leave?

Another one that lights up when Daddy gets home. Sometime, could I maybe leave the kids so I can get that reception?

two months

And oh so loved.

Coming soon ...

... to a mail box near you. I can not believe I managed to get Christmas cards mailed out this year.  If you don't get one, please don't think we forgot you. Instead, just think about my horrible memory and lack of organizational skills, then forgive me and  send me an email with your address.

10 hands.

 

Number needed to give baby his first bath.

what you like madame ?

Waitress - her very favorite game at the moment. She particularly likes to tell us we can't have what we ask for. She pretty much serves only coffee and hamburgers! I enjoy her self dressed outfit, I think she's got most of the animal prints covered (the under shirt has zebra).

4 weeks

I'm sure if I were a better writer I could come up with something way humorous for these. But I'm too busy laughing at my little dude to even attempt anything. Can't believe you're 4 weeks old!

3 weeks

Sorry buddy, Mama forgot to take your 3 week pictures on the right day. And on 3 weeks & 1day, we were leaving for your first big roadtrip. So yes, I kind of just threw you on the rocker and snapped a quick pic. But look! I themed you up. Does that count for something? We had to document, no matter that Daddy and sisters were already in the car. Because you GREW SO MUCH. I swear you doubled in size overnight.

my helper

out and about

I think we've had maybe 3 days of sun since Fletcher was born, just gloomy around here. It's been raining so much our roof is leaking and the yard is flooded and all the water is messing with the cable and internet. Interesting times, for sure, because on top of having a newborn tyrant to deal with, I've had 3 stir crazy girls to distract with. I guess after awhile even puddle splashing gets routine. So last weekend when the sun was spotted  we hurriedly threw leftover turkey in the cooler and declared it a picnic kind of day.  Fletcher did not approve of the paparazzi lurking about, he's gotten pretty good at his "no pictures please"  gesture.

are you talkin' to me?

We're easily amused around here.

2 weeks

1 week

10 days late to the party

but well worth the wait!

s'mores

 Because I am a horrible Mom, I shot down any fall camping plans. But it turns out that really all they wanted was the chocolate and marshmallows.  Easy fix and a new fall tradition!

Something to tide us over

No, not a thing happening. But we do have a little news to share. It's definitely helping with the waiting!
Nathan and I certainly didn't care but the girls so wanted a little brother, glad we could oblige.

boo, no baby yet

but it was a great Halloween anyway .... we had a rock star, a puppy and one of the greek godesses (she never could quite make up her mind but the thought of a golden bow and arrow was tempting)

we missed you lazy sunday afternoons

It's been far, far too long since we've been able to enjoy a weekend. I'm not a fishing person (I expend my patience elsewhere) but I enjoy an activity that has Daddy doing all the work while I sit back and read!

cheap, clean fun

Shaving cream on the back deck .... keeps then entertained for at least 2 hours. And I like that I can sit on the other side of the sliding doors and just watch!

next month .... so nice to say!

How is it possible?

How could I have forgotten what it is like to have a toddler? And why, oh why, miss juju ? Why do you have to be so especially TWO?
When you wake me up by popping up an inch from face with a  a loud and cheery "time to get up" how can I not? And when you bring me a handful of toys and ask "you play with me mama?" - really, I how can I say no to that? Or when you jump out and yell "purprise", don't I have to give the obligatory hug that follows? I have no idea what I'm going to do with you come November. Because it's not that you are the rotten sort of two, it's just that you are so, so much of everything. And it's going to be mighty interesting to see how that mixes with a newborn

snugs

I was going to write something about her habit of having to rub bare skin but then I decided she doesn't ever need to know how I really feel about that. Let's just say that when juju needs cuddles she has to be touching bare skin so she can love and that she doesn't particularly care if the only place she can reach is your face - with her foot.

back to school picnic

 

So, how do celebrate back to school when you're not feeling good and while trying to be responsible about spreading  your germs around? You head to a state park and have a picnic dinner that you picked up from the subway drive through. You skip rocks and you roll down hills, staying out till bedtime because you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn to catch the bus!

It's that time again

Yesterday we had our first day of school. Meant to start last week but we had a delay with a curriculum shipment and then the older 2 got sick.  Of course Juliana had to wait a bit to come down with what seemed to be the flu (yes, the flu, in August!) so we again delayed a bit but I was tired of waiting. I'm not going to lie starting school with a sick 2 year old was not my best idea ever and neither was not checking that the drink at the table was water instead of orange juice or leaving an opened bottle of glue atop the science folder unattended. So yesterday felt exactly like the bottom row of pictures, except imagine you have a cold yourself(we visited a museum last monday and apparently it was a hotbed of germs).
I know everyone is always curious about what we do so I thougt I'd share, we tend to do a mix of different curricula at whatever grade I feel is appropriate. I'm toying with the idea of adding a couple of things but first we'll see how this goes.

• History - picking up at Greece 
• Science- new approach this year with premade lab sheets, previously Nate had been doing it but I needed something a little more um, non science person friendly so I could tackle it 
• Phonics. Handwriting and Math are done with workbooks from the same company 
• spelling
• grammar  - finishing up from last year
• Evie reading 

Appropriate, no?

I realize it's more a judgement on my parenting than her but it was still amusing that while I was making this outfit she was dumping out an entire jumbo size box of cheerios. And a carton of cottage onto the kitchen floor but I didn't document that.

Her better side.

Nothing to say, just sharing a prettier view of my for now baby.

my genius girl

Slight exaggeration maybe...  but this week she did figure out the potty thing all on her own. With the help of a few skittles. The bribery offer has been long standing but I certainly haven't been in a position to be proactive about it. I just threw it out there every now and then. And this week she decided to take me up on it. Smart girl!

no toys

This is how to entertain yourself when Mama hasn't unpacked your toys but has unpacked the art room. Note, it also helps to have a patient dog (yes, the same dog the neighbors think is vicious). And I have no idea what was up with that face, she was obviously telling me something and I either wasn't understanding or was telling her no. Possibly she was wanting another victim and I wasn't cooperating? Regardless it's a look I get quite often. She could learn  little about patience from the dog.

8... in pictures

Rosie's eating all the herbivores!

Overheard last night.

the summer of swim

Finally. Finally! I have children that love the water. Evie was terrified of it until she was like 4 and even as late as last summer neither one of them would really get their faces wet (although, Juliana as always been a water baby ). So finally, after many, many swim lessons and a whole lot of hotel pools this spring , the big girls are officially swimming(and real swimming not the doggy paddle they were previously calling swimming). Today is the last day of this round of swim lessons and we're debating more. They have had the best instructor this time and I've been so impressed with the whole program. If we do go another round it would be for stroke development, how cool is that?  However, none of that really has anything to do with playing in the baby pool on the deck...

6!

Look!

I have a computer that can talk to both my camera and the internet. Amazing! I'm not promising anything though - life is kicking my behind just right now ...