Gimme 5!

Today was Mae's birthday but we celebrated on Sunday. This was her first "real" birthday party that she got to plan. It turned out wonderfully.

Posing with the Minion piñata that Grandma & Grandpa hauled back from Nevada.
And then spent three weeks in the third row of our minivan.
[Cutest photo bomber ever.]

We hired Pete Everett to put on a magic show.

He is amazing!
[If you would like to hire him to provide a show for you I'll definitely hook you up!]

Then it was time for the Costco dinosaur cake that she picked out.
But ended up only eating a few bites of.
You can't win them all I guess.

Anticipation!

Russell liked his piece!

Then came time for the piñata beating.

It was sturdy!

I think Etta was more excited for the day than Mae was.

We tried to get a group shot. This is the best we could do.

At the end of the day you could hear Mae walking around the house singing, "This was the best day EVER!"

Success!

12 Month Annibirthery! Ie: 1 Year Old!

Yesterday this Little Man turned one.

At one month old. A wee little tyke.

One year old.

One year ago we received a call that would change our lives. Our baby had been born in Nashville, TN. But you can read all about that adventure here.

The month of July to this point has seen Ethan change dramatically in his gross motor skills. He is "inch-worming" his way all over our house. Late afternoon/pre-dinner time is the worst for him. He mournfully follows me around wanting to be picked up. He works so hard to get to where I am and then suddenly I am off to the next chore. He isn't pulling himself up quite yet. Although, when I am filling the dishwasher he can almost heft himself up onto the open door. And he can support himself on one of the "table toys" that we have. He is a bit behind where the professionals would like to see him, but overall we are not concerned at all.

Everyone was home for the annibirthery picture this month!
It was quite the party.

Trying to get him to lie still and smile and look at  me.
Bob is in the background trying to help out.

One little smirk before taking off.

Freedom!!

He does pop on his knees a bit.

Hi mom!

Ha ha!

Getting ready to get in the car to head to Libby, MT for a weekend of
horseback riding and hiking.

Etta turning one.

Mae turning one.

Russell turning one.

One year stats:
Weight: 19 lbs 10 oz - 22%
Height: 30 inches - 54%
Head Circumference: 44.5 cent - 11%

36

Two weeks ago today I turned 36.

Ever since I turned 22 I haven't liked my birthday very much. The growing older, the more responsibility, the growing older, the let down after the amazingness of birthdays when I was young, the growing older ....

Okay, okay, okay - I know that I'm not old. I get that. I'm in the prime of life actually. And this year I finally fully felt that way. My expectations for life are shifting slightly. I am so Type A in all that I do. But having four kids changes that a bit. Don't get me wrong, I think Type A helps me to parent four children. (Sleep schedule anyone? The only reason I lack sleep is because I choose to stay up too late at night.) But having four children keeps me from being too Type A.

Our days are fluid. While we have an overall schedule we follow I have learned to let go of the minutes. My stay-at-home-mom's schedule looks markedly different than my previous go-to-work schedule. Our lives do not run on school bells and I get more done before 8:00 a.m. and after 8:00 p.m. then I probably ever did when I was working outside of the home. That is hard for me. It has definitely been a hard transition. Our society dictates what is "work" and what is "not work". I'm not trying to say that one is better than the other. I am trying to illustrate that both paths are different. Drastically different. Incomparable. 

I'll get off my soap box now.

My main observation is this:

I am happy. I am happy with the flow of our lives right now. The ups, the downs, the rushed time, the calm time. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Birthday #36 was a perfect time for me to reflect.

Every day Russell illustrates to me how boys are just different
than girls. I can guarantee that neither of my girls ever tried to ride
a trike on a narrow, elevated walk wall. Granted, it's not that tall
..... but still.

We headed to Hell's Gate with sub sandwiches and chips from Winco to have a quiet Thursday evening dinner. There really were no other people there and the weather was perfect. 

It. Was. Wonderful.

Ethan has started finger feeding. He was quite content to stay put on
the blanket and enjoy his Puffs.

The three older kids are all to ages where they can play independently from
grown ups and just with each other. So much easier when you
are trying to relax.

We took their bikes down so they could get a different view than just
our block. Illustration #2 for the day of how boys differ from girls.
Russell found a slight incline at the top of the path near the parking
lot. After Bob came out of cardiac arrest and figured out that he
wasn't trying to ride to certain collision with a car we just sat back and
watched. He would waddle himself up to the parking lot, push off, lift his
legs and coast back to where we were sitting. I just see the wheels in his head
turning and exploring in a very different way than the girls. I am
almost (but not quite) dreading the time when he and Ethan put their
little heads together to dream up adventures.

The girls are to the age where they can play by the water all by themselves.
I am far away at this point. My camera being zoomed in almost as far as it
can go. But I know that they won't try to swim/wade/drown themselves if
I'm not right there. I'm sure Russell would have tried to swim to Asotin at this
point. (But he was busy coasting.)

Ethan has the most expressive face. This is his "smug" look.
"Look. I'm at the table. Just like I wanted. Ha!"

Last Saturday night we dropped off the kids with Grandma & Grandpa and headed out to Lindsey Creek Vineyards for Amy (Norgaard) and Mike Grow's wedding. It was a lovely evening.

#itsgrowtime

I think this picture captures me at 36 perfectly.

Seven

Etta turned seven last week.

When did that happen?

It does not seem like it was seven years ago when she entered our lives. Then again, it seems like she has always been with us.

She is her own girl. That is for absolute sure. There are some ways that she is exactly like her father (some good and some bad), and some ways that she is exactly like me (some good and some bad). But she is definitely ALL Etta.

She loves to be outside. Running, playing basketball, riding bikes, skateboarding, playing pretend, digging in the dirt, getting wet. She would be outside all the time if we let her I think.

Except.

Legos.

She got quite a few Lego Ninjago sets for her birthday. Now we can hardly get her out of her room! It is so amazing to watch this little person, who less than three years ago I had to help put puzzles together, put together these Lego sets. With no help from me. Her interest in reading has also been sparked by Lego books. Hey, anything that will get her reading is good with me!

Etta is an amazing big sister. Although she has told me repeatedly that "4 kids is really hard". When we talked through it I realized she meant being a big sister of three siblings is hard. She is quite introverted and after a long day at school around people she often needs her own space and quiet time when she gets home. Which is hard for extroverted Mae, who after a long day with me and two boys that don't do much, just wants to play, play, play with her big sister.

Just over the last few weeks Etta has really bloomed and grown in her maturity. Many, many tasks that I used to have to do for her all the time she can now do herself. It gives me hope for the future.

And while she and I often clash, we always seem to come back around.

Love you Etta-girl!

Taco party/giant playdate that she and I planned together.
The kids got to eat at a table all by themselves. They even
included Mae and Russell. Love it!

I think she is getting ready to claw through her presents.

CHEESE!

Showing off the loot.

Enjoying Choco-Tacos that I made myself. No candles, but what can you do?

Group shot. These are Etta's three very best school friends.
[And if you look closely you can see a tiny photo bomber
who was not allowed outside.]

I see you Russell!
[Another photo bomber in the background. House host Grandma Cathy.]

Birthday morning waiting for Etta to wake up.
The bouquet was for Etta's birthday twin, Kate Cannon, a first
grade teacher at McGhee.

Getting ready to dig into her gifts from Aunt Molly, Grandma Cynthia and Aunt Marj.

It was her first birthday where we let her invite her own guests, pick her own dinner and really, over all, just celebrate her completely with out trying to turn the day into something for us.

I love this girl!

Day 11 - Bike rides and Birthdays (Day 2)

Yesterday the girls and I took their bikes down to the levee for some exercise and sunshine. I was slightly nervous as they were riding helter-skelter all over the path with the river on one side and the hill down to the busy road on the other. But they both did well.

Starting off.

It was a very beautiful day and a wonderful ride.

 Then we headed up to Steve & Cathy's for a birthday dinner, birthday pie and one last present.

Opening up his Grandma Cathy quilt.

Look mom! It's mine!

Ole!

Thanks for the blankie Grandma Cathy!

Day 10 - Happy Birthday Russell!

Russell turned two today. It has been the hardest turning-two for me yet. I don't really know why. I have a baby who will also be turning two, so it's not like it's my youngest. Yesterday the girls and I played a game of "the-last-time-Russell-will-________-as-a-one-year-old". Ie: The last breakfast as a one-year old, the last nap as a one-year old, etc. He was a sport as always.

Russell is a super fun kid. He has his own sense of humor, and while he doesn't string words together quite yet, he will yak your ear right off. He has spear headed his potty training over the last week and his preference is to be naked. He always keeps just a bit back so he goes 10 times in a row. But he is doing really well and I am really glad that it is not a fight.

He would also like to spend most of his time outside and is constantly bringing me his shoes and coat and saying, "Out! Go! Out!" He also gets quite upset when sisters get to play outside or go places and he is stuck watching from the picture window of life. It would help a lot if he would stay in the yard or close to it. Nope. Not this kid. He rode his trike down the block one day and right off into the street at the other end. It is a lot of time on task for me to be outside with him. But we will be spending time out this summer when he is (hopefully) fully potty trained and we can utilize pants!

He loves cars and Duplos. Little People. His "baby" (stuffed animal). Ethan. Giving kisses. On the lips. To whomever is willing to allow that to happen. Yesterday, for the first time ever, he came to me, wrapped his arms around my legs and said, "Up mommy!" Snuggling is one of his favorite things to do. He also likes to "read" books and have books read to him. He is quick to smile and has a gut rolling laugh that is not to be missed. [But don't let me fool you. He is also learning about expressing his feelings in other ways. Throwing toys, throwing tantrums and throwing punches or kicks. And yesterday when Mae did "something" to him he turned to her, grabbed two big handfuls of hair and yanked. Hard. He seems to be all sunshine and roses, but there is an ornery kid in there.]

We love our Russell the Muscle and are excited to see what the next year brings!

The children enjoying some Dick and Jane as read by Etta.
While mommy and daddy cleaned up a "present" that Russell had released on the floor.

For Russell's birthday party Etta & Mae wanted to hire our friend
Pete to put on a magic show. Pete is amazing. His magic is amazing.
I totally recommend that you hire him for your next party!

Getting the show started. 

Staring intently at one of the tricks.

Waiting for cake. Enjoying his new hammer from Grandma Cynthia.

Funfetti cake with funfetti frosting.

Russell wasn't sure about what to do with the candles. Good thing Mae is a professional.

Enjoying the spoils of his day.

Six Month Annibirthery! (And a few more too...)

One of my favorite things about blogging is being able to mark time in pictures.

I don't take the very best pictures. I don't consistently take many pictures. But one set that I do take is the kids' annibirthery pictures. (To those of you new here, annibirthery pictures are pictures on the "Foot Rug" each month for the first year of each child's life.) I started with Etta and have been pretty good at getting everybody.

With my computer being out of commission I wasn't able to post each month of Ethan's progress. I did get his one month annibirthery up before black out.

But now we can get back on track.

Two months.

Links to the others at 2 months.

While jammies are not required, they are a pretty consistent theme also.

Cheese!

Three months.
Still a very serious kid.

Three month links.

Mae is johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to photo time.

Four months.

Four month links.

Seriously. What are you doing?

There it is! The elusive smile.

Five months. The smiles are coming easier.

Five month links.

Russell wanted to be in the pic but was having difficulties following directions.
Okay Russell, lay down.

No, turn the other way.
...
The other other way.
(I got a few more of these but they all look pretty much the same. It was actually hysterical as it was happening. Check out the look on Mae's face in the above pic.)

Okay, everybody is laying the right way AND Ethan is smiling. I absolutely love this shot. Too bad Etta was at school.

Six month links.

Six months.

Today Ethan turned six months old.

Six months.

I can't believe it.

Six months ago we received "the" phone call that changed our lives forever. A tiny baby was born, thousands of miles away. We had only found out about his existence one week prior. The whole thing still blows my mind.

On a daily basis.

At six months Ethan is almost sitting on his own. Almost ready to start some solid food. Almost rolling over. (He has a few times, starting last Friday, but since has shown very little interest.) Almost sprouting teeth. (One has broken through, and then receded, and then broken through. Repeat.)

He went from being off the {growth} charts to the negative side to being the biggest of our four kids by five months old.

He is a champion sleeper with three 2+ hour naps during the day and a solid 7-8 hours every night. He is very content, very happy, not afraid of strangers, knows who is mom and loves Mae the most. (Sshhhhh, don't tell the other kids.)

We are so blessed to have him as a part of our family and are looking forward to the next six months!

[I won't have current stats until his appointment Monday. I'll try to get them added after we see the doctor.]

6 Month Stats:

Weight: 16 pounds 12 oz. = 34th percentile
Height: 25 3/4 inches = 14th percentile
Head Circumference: 42 cm = 13 percentile