Kindy Ready

Look at Maddie! She is so thrilled with Kindergarten.
She has so much to tell me about her days! She is loving it.

Maddie's Big Day

Today Maddie started Kindergarten! She has been waiting for this day for a long time.

There she is. What a big girl. She wanted me to take a sideways photo so her backpack would show. We went to Mike's office after school and she wore her backpack in. She was super proud of her big girl backpack!

Aw! There's my tiny girl looking so grown up! Seems like not too long ago that she was accompanying my to Mikayla's first day of Kindergarten as a little toddler.

The money shot. The kids hate doing this photo in front of the flagpole, they are always worried what their friends might think. HA! I'm not worried:)




Maddie, Madison and Doreen.



Sweet girl on the carpet square. I just know what this means.

Once they start school the years fly by and they get so big so fast!

Ladybug Party

Yesterday I had the pleasure of putting on a party with 3 other friends ....

This is Miah. She was adopted from China by our friends Kim and Drew. Isn't she a cutie?

HERE is her story.

Ladybugs are a sign of good luck in China so we went with the ladybug theme for this shower.

There we are, the party planners, our sweet friend Kim (l-r Gabriele, me, Kim, Cheryl & Amy), and her "little lady" Miah.

There are a lot of photos of the details over HERE at the Fig & Ruby blog! Go check it out!

GG's Chandalier

I went into Cranberry Junction yesterday (and fell in love with most everything in the store) and noticed this fantastic chandelier. Upon closer inspection, I knew this chandelier! About a year ago I brought my Grandma's chandelier in and sold it to the owner. I had grand plans of refurbishing it myself but no confidence to back it up so I let it go. She paid me 50 bucks and that was that. When I saw the "new" made-over chandelier in all her glory yesterday, I wanted to buy it back!! I asked the owner and she said it was "vintage" and not for sale and that she really likes it! I am satisfied to see it ever day in the window of the store as we drive by after school. Oh, and I took some pictures, isn't she pretty?

Mommy #4

Maddie is Caitlyn's Mommy #4. (I am #1, then Mikayla, then Mailee...) Maddie is a nurturer at heart. She loves animals, collects and snuggles all her stufiels, and mothers Caitlyn night and day. She is quite intense about her "loving". Most of the time she is so great with the baby. She can entertain her longer than the other two girls can and she is a natural when it comes to shooshing. Sometimes she gets carried away and the loves begin to feel a little overpowering. Cait is not always so sure how to take the abundance of mothering. These pictures pretty much say it all!

(not) Sleeping Beauty

Cait Cait is teething and has spent the last two nights awake for hours, crying and whining and

well, NOT sleeping. I hope she gets out of this nocturnal pattern soon. I am tired!

Back To School

Grade 4!!!

Grade 3!!

Mikayla and Mailee are officially back at school...YAY! They were so excited to go! Later today Maddie's kindergarten teacher will be coming to our house for a visit and then next week Mads starts kindergarten!

The girls picked out their own outfits, they didn't need any help packing their backpacks and they chit chatted with their friends as soon as we arrived at school. It's amazing how independent they have become!

Cousins

Caleb was done with the photos but I needed one with Caitlyn!!

Basement Today

So here is the current status of the basement. The tile and flooring guy is downstairs right now so there will be big changes in the next few days!!!



Mailee and Maddie's room...


Mikayla's room...

"Media Room"...



Last weekend we tried painting baseboards as a family. The kids were excited to be let loose with paint but it was raining out so once we did 6 baseboards we had to stop and let them dry. We let that be the end of our painting baseboards as a family experience :)

Check back soon for more updates!!

Big Girl in the Bumbo

Hippo Hugs

Cait got this adorable hippo from Grandpa Russ and Lenore when she was born. Maddie was showing it to her and she was reaching for it..seemed like she was really loving her hippo. Of course Maddie the pet lover was feeding right into this! She was talking baby talk to Caitlyn "oh, you wuv your diddle hip hip" "yes, you wuv your hip hip, give her hugs, give her big hugs..." It was an adorable scene all around! Wish I had had the sense to videotape it...I didn't... but I did grab the camera so here ya go!

Luvin' Our Baby

Look at her cute little smiley face! What a sweetie!

4 Months Today!!

Today Caitlyn is 4 months old! Where has the time gone?