Toddlerhood

Fashionista

Her version of getting ready includes a PJ top, a skirt (always a skirt), and leggings.

Linguist 

She adds a "-y-" to every sentence that ends with a consonant,

I want a nappy, I want to sit in the lappy, I need a cuppy, more milky.

 Athlete

Running is her main mode of transportation,
explaining her perpetual state of bumps and bruises.

Diaper-dodger

We've officially conquered the potty training saga.

Now if we could just curb some of the independence I wouldn't have to deal with

the doitherself potty-emptying and bottom-wiping wreckage that ensues.

Mind-developer

A fabulous imagination,

where eating-utensils become pets and toothbrushes are families.

Entomologist 

She loves the worms and potato bugs,
bringing me her findings daily.

Hair-stylist

Those curls.  How I love the curls.

Not-a-baby

She will correct you if you call her so.

Though always my baby,

she will be bumped from her position as youngest

sometime in mid-November

when she becomes...

Big Sister.

March Madness

Cousins visiting, birthday celebrating, temple attending, tax filing, working, potty training, test taking, presentation preparing, and pioneer trekking.  This month has been occupied with so many activities that it has zoomed by while simultaneously giving the impression like the time lapsed has transpired over a longer period of time.    

******

At the beginning of the month, we had cousins from Vegas visit for a week.

Grandma planned a week full of activities for the girls. 

There was stories, special crafts, and an early Easter party.

They loved every minute and had an incredible time.
These girls have an awesome grandma!

******

We celebrated Grandpa's birthday this month.  Raquel wanted to do something special for him. After a couple of ideas, she decided to take him to the local discount theater to see Tangled.  She used her own money to get the tickets, which says a lot coming from the girl who performed self-inflicted tooth extractions to get money from the tooth fairy.  Grandpa was very touched, as was I.

******

Two weeks ago we were asked if we could be "parents" for youth conference.  This year our stake organized a pioneer trek.  The youth were divided into "families" and they needed "Ma's" and "Pa's" to be in charge of each handcart company.  Grandma-costume-maker-extraordinaire did an amazing job with our outfits.

We had a great family of 6 girls and 5 boys.

I was surprised by the authenticity of the whole experience.  The trail was uneven, rocky, rough, steep, and muddy.  The weather was also representative of what the pioneers may have experienced because it was FR-EE-ZING.  I came to understand the usefulness of bonnets.  Seriously, those things were not worn as a fashion statement--they shielded the wind, dust, and fire smoke/heat.  I wore mine the entire time, and not because I was trying to stay true to character.

We reenacted several of the experiences that the pioneers faced such as Hole-in-the-Rock.

The second day, the men were called away to the Mormon Battalion leaving us women alone to push the carts. 

I had a small glimpse of how those pioneer women may have felt.  Now that I have a family of my own, I thought about how I would have felt if I had been there in the cold, crossing the plains, with none of the comforts of home, trying to care for 3 little girls, and then having Mike leave.  Not knowing when or if he would come back.  I can only imagine the despair and anguish these women experienced.  Yet they moved forward with strength and faith.  So moving and inspiring.

We faced the hardest parts of the trail alone, and just when we were about to call it quits, the guys arrived. There was sincere joy and cheers from the women.

After the trek was over, they had several games for the youth and
our handcart family won the tug-o-war championship.

It was memorable, eye-opening, exhausting, educational, and overall enjoyable,
but I won't be jumping to sign up for the next one any time soon.

******

More March updates to come later.  This post was becoming ridiculously long.

Sisters

If we ever have a boy, we know what his name will be. 

Not the case with any of our girls, whose names where not decided until 2-3 days after they were born,
and only because we were being threatened by the nurses at the hospital. 

He will be set in the toy division.

Mike has been collecting boy toys since Raquel.
Toys he would have loved to own as a kid. 
Toys that compel other boys in the neighborhood to ask if they can play with Raquel
(because of the toys that are part of the package). 

He will have his very own personal instructor,

that can teach him break dancing, gymnastics, and martial arts.

He will have virtually the entire collection of NES games.

And if he gets any of his father's looks,

he will be set in the female department.

This kid will have it made.

Yet if we never have a boy...

One thing is for sure,

I am so glad my girls have each other.

There is something incomparable about having/being a sister.

I can't really describe it other than there is a unique bond that dissolves inhibitions

and despite how different you may be, allows you to be yourself and feel completely at ease.

I am fortunate to have a sister. An awesome sister, too.

Today is her birthday.

Happy Birthday Rebe!

Strength in Numbers

"How is it really going?"  Is the question that is often asked after I respond positively to having my in-laws living with us.  I can see the skeptical look in their eyes as they stare back at mine as if trying to uncover the actual truth.

The truth is--it really has been great.  Really.  I've come to understand first hand that there is strength in numbers.  Having them here has maintained balance and normalcy in our family's life that, with the craziness of PA school and my working schedule, would otherwise be pretty chaotic.

Not to mention the fact that my girls adore them, they are learning a ton from them,

and

they are having a blast.



2 of a kind

A couple of months ago Mike received an orthopedic book in the mail.  After taking it out of the package we both excitedly poured over its pages, oohing and aahing over its content as if we were 2 little kids who'd just received the latest Toys R Us Christmas catalog.  It was then that Mike's dad, who had been observing from the corner (and whom we had forgotten about due to the obvious distraction) said, "Wow, you two are something else."

I realized at that moment, that we do have something kinda unique going on.

We totally and completely get and understand what the other is doing when "at work."

On our free time, sometimes you can catch us doing dermatological procedures on each other.

Mole removal on scalp, Aug. 2010

The disturbing thing is that this kinda stuff makes us giddy.

We love it.

I love that I have someone with whom I can share literally everything.

And I think he likes it too...

You can see it in his eyes...he loves it.

Happy Valentine's Day!



Active Parenting

Instead of a ball pit, I (without Mike) took the girls to Pump It Up this past week.  Mike is usually the one that gets right in and plays with the girls as I document from the side, but due to his absence it became my duty to slide down the slides with Gracie, joust with Raquel, and race-jump with Elena.  And you know what? I had a blast!  I need to do more of that.

February Beach

This weekend we met up for dinner with some of Mike's childhood friends in Costa Mesa.  Given the proximity of the beach, we headed out early and spent the afternoon at the beach prior to eating.  I dressed the girls semi-warm, expecting windy and mid 60s weather.  In retrospect I should have heeded their pleas to bring swimsuits.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  Little to no wind, mid 70s, and slightly overcast.  Plus the best parking spot we've ever had at the beach, literally steps from our feet touching the sand.

   

   

  

They chased seagulls, collected sea shells, caught crabs. and pursued the tide. 

I took pictures.