T-ball

Emma and Josh started t-ball this year.  Josh, who wanted to play in the worst way is an absolute terror when it comes time to actually play and Emma who has no grace or coordination (like her mother) is surprisingly good.

Right now, we are half way through the season.  They have a great little team named the Sharks and two really nice coaches.  They practice about 1-2 times a week and have 1-2 games a week.  Both kids are great batters and Emma does really great in the outfield.  Josh struggles with the outfield and you can tell by watching him that he is bored out of his mind.  I've decided that he is just too young to understand the concept of standing around waiting to see if a ball ever comes to him.  With each game, he's lasted a bit longer before the tantrums, throwing the glove, and folding his arms and turning his back on the game begin.  Maybe next year will be a bit better for him. 

After trying soccer, karate, and dance, Emma seems to have found her groove.  Though she loves to dance, she wasn't so sad when we took her out of the dance studio she'd been attending.  She gets excited for both practice and games.  I hope for her, that this continues and that she is ready to play again next year.  Even though I have no idea how we'll make this baseball season thing work when the kids play on different teams next year and we have two small ones.  Thank God it's still a year away!

 

Master of Disaster

Elizabeth is into everything!  I mean everything, the girl drives me nuts!  I always wondered why people would need locks on their toilets, I now know why.  I'm not sure if I was more watchful when Emma and Josh were babies but whatever it is, Elizabeth moves at the speed of lightening and before I know it, she's in something.  Here's the rundown of things she can do at this point in her little 16 month life, 

* climb in and out of the bathtub (thank God, only when it's not filled with water, she's too slippery when wet)
* climb the bunk bed stairs, getting into the top bunk
* pull everything off the bottom 2 shelves of the pantry
* climb the first 3 pantry shelves.
* climb up chairs and pull herself to stand
* climb up step stools
* understands pushing any object to the couch and climbing it to get on the couch
* has flipped herself out of the crib twice
* throws everything out of my bottom cabinets (which are all baby friendly items) and sits inside
* flushes the toilets
* unrolls the toilet paper
* lifts the lids to the toilets and then lets them drop down, laughing at the loud boom they makes
* pulls every sheet from the tissue box or diaper wipes box (if left where she can grab them)
* opens clothing drawers and pulls out every piece of clothing inside
* pushes the button on the water dispenser
* opens the trash can and pulls out trash to either eat or disperse around the house
* can pull the top tray off her high chair

Seriously, I think I could keep going, the girl is a disaster!  We've officially resorted to shutting every door in the house and giving her the iPad when I'm making dinner or I can't give her 100% attention.  Should be interesting when the new baby comes, God help us!

2012

I realized today that 2012 is the only full year that we will be a family of five, in a few short months we will be a family of six!  This year has blown by and the kids are growing so fast, I can't believe another year is already here.  Being pregnant and having three little ones sure does drain you, hopefully I can capture the year in one post.

Emma turned six in October and is definitely little mother.  She is constantly telling Josh what to do and what not to do, she can be quite bossy sometimes and has a flair for overreaction.  She started Kindergarten in August and though she struggles with being very advanced compared to her classmates, she is doing well and has made a good deal of new friends.  She is reading so well now and does a great job sounding out words she doesn't know, she is constantly asking to read to me and I hear her reading to Josh at night after they've been tucked in.  Being very smart can be a wonderful thing but it also can be a challenge.  Emma likes to be right and gets very upset when she thinks she is and you try to challenge that.  She and I knock heads often when I'm trying to teach her something new and even though I probably say the same thing her teacher says (who's never wrong in Emma's eyes), I can't possibly know more than a smarty pants 6 year old.  Emma has always been one to do things in her own time and right now our battle is her bike riding.  The training wheels came off months ago but now she has decided she wants them back on and absolutely refuses to ride without them.  Eric tries to take her out so she feels more secure again (in AZ there is not much bike riding over the summer) but the second she starts wobbling, she gives up.  The girl drives me nuts but I know when she's ready, she will start riding her bike again with no problem.  Emma has lost 5 teeth this year and has another 3 loose in her mouth, the tooth fairy is going broke!  She is still in dance class and seems to really like it, I'm not such a fan of the studio or the cost we are paying but she wants to continue, so for now, she will.  After a year in the child care center at church, Emma began coming to mass with us every week and is doing great.  I can see that her catechesis classes are making an impact on her and that she is beginning to have a genuine love for Jesus.  She loves singing at mass and really loves our pastors last name and runs around saying it often.  Emma is a beautiful little girl and though she really does make my eyes twitch most days, I know these days are few and that she is growing to be such a wonderful young lady.

Josh will be four soon and is a great helper around the house.  He is still a cuddler and will snuggle any chance he gets.  He is still very much attached to his stuffed friends Dog Dog and B and though they are disgustingly ratty, I'm not sure when he'll part with them.  Lately Josh has become whiny and throws a fit about almost everything.  For such a sweet little boy, it seems so abnormal coming from him.  I truly feel he's feeling his place out in our family and isn't sure where he belongs right now.  I'm hoping having another little boy in the house will help, but for now, we are trying to spend some quality time with him so that he knows how important he is too.  Josh started preschool in August and though he puts up a fight every morning that he has school, he gets upset on the weekends when he doesn't have school and talks about it all the time when he's not there.  Josh has a great imagination and when he and Emma are playing, he tends to come up with all the ideas.  He has a soft heart and his feelings get hurt very easily when Emma is nasty to him (which is often) or when he gets left out.  He loves catechesis class and is very excited to go each week.  He has a great time in the child care center on Sunday while we attend mass and as soon as he can sit through mass without needing to get up every five minutes, whining about being bored or wanting a snack, we will start bringing him with us.  Josh has a genuine love for others and will pray for almost everyone he knows during his nightly prayers.  It is heartwarming to hear his prayers that need no prompting, that are from his heart and are so easily said.  Josh is obsessed with Superheros right now specifically the Avengers and Spiderman.  He loves ASU, the AZ Cardinals (we're not really sure where that one came from), movies, tv, riding his bike, and being outside.  He is so excited to have a baby brother and even more excited to start playing sports in the spring.

Elizabeth turned 1 year in October and has been the biggest joy.  She was so quiet for the first seven months of her life and then she found her voice.  She is SO dramatic it's hysterical to watch, she will literally throw herself to the ground when she doesn't get what she wants and flop all around making sure she is getting attention.  We've found the less attention you give her when she's doing this, the sooner it stops.  Lizzie is still a terrible eater (compared to the other two) but has developed a love for milk.  Unfortunately the milk comes to her in bottles and I am still struggling to get her to drink it from a sippy cup.  The girl downs juice and water in a cup but that's not the case with milk.  It was the doctor who suggested I give it to her in bottles and I resisted but finally caved when she just wouldn't sleep (her belly was never full enough).  Lizzie still takes two naps a day except for Sunday when she misses her morning nap because we are at church.  She does great in the child care center and has undivided attention in the baby room since she's the only one in there most weeks.  On Christmas Eve, she took her first real steps and by New Years Day, she was cruising around the house.  We took her to get her first pair of shoes and it is adorable to watch her toddle around.  Lizzie loves being outside and is content in her stroller as long as we are moving and she has things to look at.  She loves playing with toys and loves pushing anything with buttons that cause something to light up.  Like Emma and Josh, she already has about 10 words.  Our favorite and hers is Emma, said more like Emmmbaa.  I'm pretty sure both Josh and Emma are Emmmbaa to her and she calls out to them whenever they aren't near to her.  It will be interesting seeing her when the new baby comes, she definitely has baby of the family syndrome and wasn't to sure what to do when I was holding our new niece on Christmas day.  Despite her flair for drama and craziness, she has been a wonderful baby and I am excited to watch her continue developing her personality in this next year.

Eric moved branches again at the end of the summer and seems much busier at work now.  He went out dove hunting a few times and even took the kids once (they still talk about it).  He cracks me up because he can't see a dove now without making some sort of comment or shooting noise.  He hasn't been doing much photography lately but helped a few times with Life Teen events over the year.  A few months ago he and my dad started the tile in our bathroom.  So far, it looks great and I can't wait until it's finished.  He played Fantasy Football again this football season and did really great in both of his leagues.  I don't mind football but having it on all day, every Sunday gets a little old (okay, alot old).  Eric was excited to hear we are having another boy but I know he would have been just as happy to have another girl.  Eric is a great father and one of the only dads I know who spends his midweek days off with his kids.  The kids all love their dad and love spending their time with him too.

As for me, I am almost 24 weeks along now and this pregnancy has been great.  When I was pregnant with Elizabeth, I didn't feel as good as I did with Emma and Josh and really thought she might be our last.  It's funny how things happen and though I'm nervous to be that mother with 4 small children, I am excited for this new little guy to come into our family soon.  I don't feel like I have done much over this past year but somehow I've been really busy.  I guess with working, running kids to different activities, having an infant, being pregnant (again), trying to maintain relationships, have me time, and all the other good stuff that comes along with life, I have been busy.  I'm ready for life to slow down a bit but does that ever really happen? 

I didn't make any resolutions this year, I pray that 2013 will be a healthy, happy year for our family.  I'm sure the year will not be perfect but I trust that we can learn from all that isn't perfect.  I look forward to where God will take us in this new year and for all that He has planned for us.

        

October

I love the month of October!  I'm not sure if it's because our weather is finally getting a little nicer, because the house is decorated for fall and all the holidays are coming soon, or because Emma was born in October and I have so many memories of the last week of being pregnant with her and the first month of her life (not that I don't have the memories of the other 2, the first is just a bit different).

We have been plenty busy since school started this year and once again I feel like life is moving too fast.  Thankfully, I've been on October Break for the past week with Josh and Elizabeth and am taking a few days off from work over this next week to spend time with Emma at the Happiest Place on Earth.

All 3 kids are growing like weeds (literally like weeds).  I busted out the winter clothes from last year to see if anything still fit, perfect in the waste line but not so much in the length.  Guess we'll all be shopping for new clothes this winter.  Today, I hit 12 weeks pregnant with number #4 and unfortunately I've hit that in-between phase, my clothes are no longer buttoning and maternity clothes are still too big.  This is my least favorite part of being pregnant and you'd think by now, I'd have figured it out but, sadly I have not.  Other than being pregnant, not much new is going on with me.  I'm still working, doing bible study with girlfriends, trying to keep the house in order, and reading a few new books.  Eric and I have been able to sneak about one date night in a week and are so blessed to have the babysitters we have.

Eric was promoted at the end of August to a new branch and made the switch from his old branch after Labor Day.  He's been really busy so far and doesn't have much time to think but it seems like he's been home more with the different hours that this branch has.  In September, he was able to get out dove hunting a few times and even took Emma and Josh once.  I thought they wouldn't like it, I was wrong and they had a great time.  Eric has already decided they are going to be competitive shooters by the age of 10 but I'm still not sure I want them having their own gun before age 10.  Eric has also started shooting clays and tries to make it out with a friend but not nearly as often as he'd like.  He's all pumped for bigger game but with the lottery drawings on those, who knows when his time will come. 

Emma has been having a love/hate relationship with Kindergarten.  One day, she loves school and can't wait to go.  The next day, she'll tell you she's bored and knows everything that they are doing in class (which she really does).  I've been in plenty of contact with her teacher about challenging her, knowing her and what she's capable of, I know she needs a challenge and can't just be left alone to be average.  Does that make sense?  Emma started dance in August and goes every Monday night, she loves what she is doing, I hate it.  I feel like I'm paying a fortune for a giant class and my daughter is coming home showing me somersaults.  I keep asking if she still wants to dance to which she always replies yes, secretly I'm praying that when we get Josh going in sports in the spring, she wants to try that instead.  Emma is still our little cling-on.  She will draw and write by herself at times but still wants someone to play with constantly.  She gets so upset if Josh won't come outside with her and if I don't drop everything when she wants to play dolls, she melts down.  She's been going through a bit of a nasty streak lately and thinks it's funny to tell me NO.  Tonight I turned it back around on her and began keeping track of her No's and for each one she gave me, I gave her one back on what she wanted.  I may have found the answer to this one, we'll see.  Emma loves reading and has been reading every night from the old school Dick and Jane books her Ya-Ya got her.  Pretty soon she's going to be reading chapter books and I can't wait for all my old favorites to come off the shelves!   

Josh has been having a ball in preschool and all October Break he has been begging to go back to school.  We are working really hard on him writing his name.  He does a great job tracing it but really he could care less if it looked nice.  He's so opposite of Emma in that manner that it makes me laugh.  Josh still loves to snuggle and will lay with you forever, he plays independently and has such an imagination.  He's rotten whiny sometimes and it drives me nuts, he can also be a bully to his big sister but knows how to turn on the water works making things seem liker her fault always.  Josh is happy being alone and will watch a show, play on the iPad, or play with his cars.  He's not a loner though and loves being around others and is a friend to any stranger on the street.  Josh will talk your ear off about anything and everything and isn't shy when it comes to being around anyone. 

Both Emma and Josh started Catechesis of the Good Shepard a few weeks ago and they both instantly liked it.  I love watching their relationship with Jesus Christ come alive and am excited for them to grow deeper in their Catholic faith through these classes.

Elizabeth turns 1 year old in a week.  She's finally pulled her belly off the ground this week and began the real crawl but, if she realizes she's going too slow, right back to the belly and off she goes.  She's into everything, she loves pulling the tupperware from the cabinets, will get in the toilets if they aren't closed, has flipped herself in the bathtub a number of times, and is starting to cruise the couches.  Her eating is finally turning around a bit and she is excepting new table foods.  She still drinks multiple bottles through the day but only because she will only drink 4oz at a time and three hours later, she's starving.  I've tried so hard to make it different, it hasn't work.  The doctor tells me she's just that kind of eater, little bits all through the day.  Makes sense, not everyone is made to pack all their food into 3 meals and be happy.  She is still napping twice a day and goes to bed at 6pm. She sleeps until 5 when I shove a bottle in her mouth while she's still asleep and then she wakes up happily at about 6:30.  I have learned that if I don't feed her then, she's up for the day at 5:15 and that is torture!  She's still a terrible teether and I can't wait for those darn things to all come in, she is so happy when they aren't bothering her and such a wreck when they are. All in good time I suppose!

All in all, we are good, maybe October can be the month of more than one post!  Who knows, it could happen. 

Emma's first day of Kindergarten

All summer long Emma had been asking when Kindergarten would start.  Finally her day arrived!  After all the obligatory school shopping for clothes, supplies, and shoes she was ready.  Until she decided the day before school she needed a dramatic haircut.  Goodbye long locks, hello short.  Emma is definitely my child when it comes to her hair, grow it out then chop it off and repeat. 

We set out her favorite dress the night before and packed her a special lunch in her new Hello Kitty lunchbox.  I'm pretty sure she was up at 6:00 or earlier because when I got up, she was already dressed and ready to go.  Waiting 2 hours for school to start was like torture for her.  At her school, they ask all kindergarteners to go to their classrooms the first day and luckily Eric and I were both able to take her.  Emma did great until it was time to say goodbye, I'm pretty sure the few kids crying hysterically in her classroom may have given her some anxiety.  When we bent down to give her a kiss and hug goodbye, I could see she was fighting back tears and as we walked away, I could see her wiping tears from her face.  Of course this caused me to cry as Eric and I walked back to the car and then I proceeded to cry the whole way to work.  I'm such a wimp!

Thankfully when she got home that afternoon,  she was all smiles and had a great day.  She even told me about all the kids crying that day and when I asked her if she cried she quickly replied "no way" and when she asked me if I cried, I replied with the same.  ;O)

 

Josh's first day of preschool

Josh has had a crush on Miss Carrie since Emma began preschool two years ago and now that it's time for him to go to school with her, he's ecstatic.

When Emma went to preschool, we bought a backpack for her but not new clothes or other school supplies.  Josh, seeing that his big sis was getting goodies for school needed to have his too.  We bought him a few outfits and a box of crayons but what he really wanted was a Spider Man lunch box to match his Spider Man backpack.  I tried explaining a thousand times that he doesn't eat lunch at school but he wouldn't hear it.  Hopefully Spider Man will still be cool two years from now when that boy starts Kindergarten because his lunchbox hasn't been used once.

I'm so excited for Josh to start school, he is definitely different than Emma when it comes to academics.  Josh is our story teller, class clown, ham, social butterfly.  To this point hasn't cared at all about spelling or writing his name, he'd rather smack himself in the head to get a couple of laughs.  I'm eager to see if this changes over his two years of preschool or if I will need to start practicing my apology speech to his grade school teachers now.

  

New beginnings

Next Tuesday, Josh starts preschool and next Wednesday, Emma starts Kindergarten.  I'm am so excited for them to start school and at the same time sad.  Where has the time gone?  When did they get old enough to both be in school?  I remember my mom always saying that when you get older, times goes so quickly.  I didn't understand that statement when I was a teenager but I get it now.  Part of me would REALLY like time to slow down but I am also ready (and the kids are too) for this new journey we are about to begin.  I've been chanting to myself all week, "I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry" hoping that it gets me ready to not be a mess next week as I drop them off.  Seeing as I'm already crying while typing this, I don't think it's going to work. :o) Oh well, here's to next week and our new beginnings!