It’s been really great, and it’s not even actual Halloween yet! So I thought I’d share some pictures. Enjoy!
October so far…
Brace faces!
The girls both got braces this morning, and their teeth already hurt…
I think they’re slated to wear them for approximately 18 months, but there’s a chance they’ll come off sooner than that if everything goes according to plan and nothing breaks or goes sideways during their wear time. Fingers crossed! I foresee lots of Jell-O and applesauce in their future for the next week. 😉
The monkeys are definitely out!
We’re reaching the end of the first week of summer vacation, and it’s off to a great start!
Personally, I love summer vacation, what with the total lack of schedules since I cherish our lazy days and don’t make the kids do tons of activities and lessons in the summer. People keep saying oh man, how are you going to manage all 5 at home this summer, and I just politely smile and nod and think psshht, I got this. Just like any other day.
Lana finished up K4 the day before Della finished 2nd grade, and they both had such wonderful years. I can’t believe Lana’s first full year of school is already over!
But to kick off our summer break I’ve already taken all 5 of them on a run, we got the big 3 signed up for the summer reading program at the library, they had a picnic lunch in the backyard, the girls have both created and started filling nature drawing binders, the girls are also loving the daily entries in their summer bridge workbooks (a sure sign it’s still early in the summer since Della has never wanted to finish it by the time school starts up again), we’ve played at the school playground where Della and I raced on the monkey bars (totally a tie!), and Ryan’s taken them to various parks a couple times plus out to lunch. He’s home for 4 weeks right now finishing his paternity leave from the twins and working on the attic. Plus we play with friends every day. And by playing with friends, I mean all the kids run around together while the parents enjoy cocktails.
We also sold the little wooden playhouse we’ve had in the backyard since Lana was born. The girls were outgrowing it, even though they all still played in it a lot, but they all voted to set up a new picnic area in that space instead of fixing up the playhouse. So away it went, with us all waving goodbye to a good little friend. Fortunately we are all enjoying what I like to call my new cocktail lounge very much.
We’re going on a family trip up north next week, and we’re all really looking forward to that. Summer is here, and life is good!
Deck the halls
And all that jazz…
Our tree is up, tiny, and perfect for this year. I wanted a small one so Morrison doesn’t constantly trip and fall into the thing, ruining umpteen ornaments. Next year we’ll probably be back to full size. I think it turned out splendidly.
I’m pretty sure this is the earliest I’ve had all of our Christmas decorations up, and it feels great. Now we can just sit back, enjoy them, and soak in the spirit of the season.
Happy holidays, everyone!
They’re Frozen
I forgot to put one of my favorite pictures in Morrison’s update post last night, so I’ll just give it its own. Presenting my Frozen trio!
Well…maybe not
So, try as I might, I’m afraid I will fail completely in getting any 2013 recap posts up here before 2014 is rung in. So sorry.
I do, however, have a number of those posts to share, so hopefully I’ll find the time before 2015 rolls around. But in the meantime, I do hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season, whichever holiday it is that you do (or don’t) celebrate.
Here’s 1 final parting shot from our family to you as we count down the days until 2014. May it bring us all nothing but the best. Happy New Year!!
Summer lovin’
I am beyond thrilled that the weather is finally starting to turn. Huge emphasis on the finally. I swear this winter seemed to never end, no matter what date the calendar read. Having a newborn during those miserable winter months wasn’t the most fun either, but that’s not the point of this post…
This summer is going to be so much fun. Ryan’s place of employment allows them the full calendar year after a baby is born to take parental leave, so he has saved his and will be taking a good portion of June and July off. We get a summer vacation as a family this year! I can’t wait. First up will be a nice long road trip out to Colorado to visit my sisters and meet our brand new nephew, who should be making his appearance sometime in the next couple weeks!! (Marissa, if you’re reading, did you just poop your pants at that thought? 😉 )
But I think I will coin this the summer of music. We have more concerts lined up so far than I think we’ve had in any other season. Check this out:
- Kenny Chesney & Eric Church at Miller Park in May
- Tedeschi Trucks Band at Red Rocks in June
- Violent Femmes & The Avett Brothers at Summerfest in June
- Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Summerfest in June
- Rush at Summerfest in July
- The Eagles at Summerfest in July
- Paul McCartney at Miller Park in July
Come on! That is one hell of a lineup! This is going to be awesome.
And on a completely different note, I bought a new face lotion that I am loving. Despite containing a broad spectrum SPF 30, it’s super light and not greasy at all. This is something I definitely appreciate with oily skin. I just started using it so I’m not sure how truly effective its claim to reduce dark spots is (i really hope that works, though), but everything else about it is great. It smells really good too, which is a major criterion for me with any product ever since my sense of smell went haywire when I was pregnant with Della.
That’s about it for today; just some random thoughts for you all. Get out and enjoy the day – it’s supposed to be in the 80s here! The girls and I are going to the park for the first time in months, and D is so excited. I just ordered a double jogging stroller that is supposed to arrive today, and I can’t wait to test it out.