Shoeing a bubble

Getting ready for school little buddy!!! I am so excited for this! Not only are you super ready, I am almost ready, pretty much there, just a little bit longer.

We went to StrideRite to get you some school shoes and you had a whole plan in mind. When we arrived and got you fitted, you kept pointing to the gray and blue shoes. "Oooooooo!" you said and bounced them up and down. I tried ignoring you.

I had another plan. A dark blue plan. A plan that had shoes that wouldn't show stains and mud kind of a plan.

You kept saying "Momma! Ooooo" and showing me the shoes. I felt my plan growing weaker. Dang it! I like solid plans!!

I lovingly continued to ignore you and with the help of the clerk went through every pair of shoes I liked and tested them to see if they were easy to put on your bubble, I mean your foot.

My little man - your foot is so cutely and deliciously fat - but neverthelesss it is incredibly hard to shoe. Said clerk gave me some super helpful tips on shoeing wriggly bubble footed toddlers (thank you!) and after finding the blue ones (above) that open suuuuuper wide - we were in business.

Or so I thought.

After we tried on the blue shoes you showed me the gray ones again and said "Momma! Oooooo!! ALL DONE!!!!" LOL LOL Ok - little buddy, ok. We'll try them on.

Once the magical shoes were on your feet you said "YAY!!!!! ALLLLL DONE!!!" And hopped down. And you still love these shoes 3 weeks later.

Scenes from a photoshoot

The camera is always making it's way out 'round here.

The pic above is one of many I am amasing to create a thank you card to a friend who hands down a TON of awesome clothes for your my dear.

This only took 77 seconds to get, three "move please!!" and one swat at your head

because you would much rather do this.

This is a classic picture. It says boat loads. Can you tell?? No?? You must not have two siblings in close age range that are the opposite sex.

To me this says - Charlotte loves Lucas (or likes to push is buttons rather) and Lucas doesn't like girlie germs. Run Lukie! COOTIIIES!

Oh my. "Line up guys real quick! Just a quick picture" doesn't usually do the trick. There is pulling, and man handling, and bribes - usually.

But then magic happens. William is a pro poser. He's all about them these days.

And that lasts 3 seconds and then he requires toys or candy. Today we chose a toy. 

Sweet lord it's nice to have pics like this to look at. These days here in the midst of learning to homeschool and having two babies underfoot are super challenging.

Thank you Luke. I know this took a lot of your part.

My sweet love angels.........(not!) More like firecrackers. Sweet firecrackers but never the less dangerous. Not kidding. 

Love the Willsie pose face. This includes biting teeth kinda funny and making plastic grin. I love it. A lot.

Charlotte - you deserve a shout out. I have started calling you the professional sister. You are the most amazing sister ever on the planet ever. You are always right there with a blanket for comforting, a toy for fixing boredom and a bottle for hunger. You are a nurturing soul and I don't know what I would do without you.

Yosemite - the trip that almost rocked

My good friend Jill Carmel had the radical idea of getting together her favorite people and doing a yearly vacation. I was all in. Jumped head first. Didn't really think it through. That's my style though. 

So after thorough research (understatement) she chose a primo spot in Yosemite. Evergreen Lodge. 

And the vacation that should have rocked starts......

(thank god I did Yosemite a few years back)

Stress Marker #1: The car ride......lots of moutain driving and after such a LONG car trip to Utah and Back Wills thinks he should be allowed to roam the car as he pleases the whole car trip long. Oh really little buddy? Is that so?? Yes, yes it is mom - check me and my fab juice box. Notice how we are in front of the carseat to which I will fight you about sitting in. Hear me roar!

Stress much? 

Stress Marker #2: My love angel. Well she is not the source of the stress - but her precious sleep is. She normally sleeps like a queen and smiles all day long. But when siblings are in the close quarters of a car  with her for 7.5 hours - well then - all hell breaks loose and she turns to the the dark side. The supreme, unstoppable, can't console, dark side. Oh help me.

But let us admire the beauty specimen that she is. Siiiiiigh

Luke - oh Luke - why are you always even-keeled and wonderful?! I love you. You are no stress marker my friend. Quite the opposite.

But wait - let's go back to my Puti (short for Puttanesca - my adsurd nickname). Isn't she a doll??? xoxo

First stop - side of road upon entering Yosemite. Savannah's diaper situation required two adults to get under control. But it was a blessing in disguise as we all needed a little leg stretch. Luke finds fungus specimens to examine. Sweet! The smell in the forest is like no other. Amazing. Invigorating. Exciting. I could just feel my lungs getting happier by the minute.

Stress Marker #3: The inability to see and experience the sights. Our next stop: the Observation Deck at the South Entrance. Did we stop??? No :((( The babies were sleeping. Ahhh, isn't parenting bliss? LOL So we drove, oh so slowly by........this is one of my favorite spots of Yosemite. It's breathtaking. I asked Luke to snap this shot from the front seat as I drove by with a sad face.

More amazing views....... Yosemite you are breathtaking. 

This sequence was an adorable moment. One I am just beside myself with and pinch myself to remind me it's real...yes - but one I am a lucky fool to witness. You kids are amazing.

 And next we have one of many cool children's spots throughout the resort. The older two loved this! Wills was napping with John and Savannah was in the stroller. This was about the extent of our "family time" - a few with each other here and there..........vacationing with babies = not a vacation. Stress marker #4. The vacationing with babies part - not the super cool kid's spots.

You two loved this.

A lot.

Here you said "Mom! Watch me! I'm going to jump! Get it on camera!"

Another awesome thing? The family room. Equipped with a pool table, two fooseball tables, shuffleboard, and a small children's area that was very thoughtfully laid out.

I love this shot sequence! VICTORY!

Wills and the fooseball became buddies.

Well - with my inability to sleep for the two days we were there (stress marker #5), and the fact that we didn't have a kitchen (what was I thinking?!) stress marker #6, and the fact that we had NO cell service (stress marker #7), and the fact that we had to be at the cabin with a napping baby ALL THE TIME (stress marker #8) all added up to = it was time to leave, a day early, and come back when Savannah turns 5.

Lesson Learned. 

Beautiful Sights seen from car window.

A bit o time spent with friends from Highschool.

We will be back Yosemite. Oh yes - we will be back.

Tear jerker

We had such a lovely time at Savannah's Naming Ceremony back in May. I never posted about it. FOR SHAME!

I love this shot of my Dad holding Savannah. He did such a great job on the ceremony. I like having a Minister for a father.

We do love our Dorie cake's

My sister Gab sang a beautiful, beautiful song for my baby girl at her Naming Ceremony.

Please click and enjoy like mad!

Savannah's Song by my sister Gab

(as a note the little voice in the background is Willsie's best bud Owen and he's saying "Adelle! Adelle!" over and over because well.....Gab sounds like Adelle (the singer)

$5.26 toward my future

Recently I have been on a major soul searching journey. Mostly through my parenting principles. After a particularly amazing day at a seminar - I came away a better person.

I have searched forever to find something that will be my life's work.

Raising children is truly where it's at for me - but deep down I knew I needed more.

Plus as much as I can fantasize, I can't keep having babies into my 80s.

Back to this turning point of a day though; something clicked during the seminar and all the pieces of the past 10 years seemed to come together at once. I knew I was finally where I needed to be to see that what I have always wanted to do was have a preschool and teach in a very particular style. More on that later.

It's funny that I didn't fully see this years ago. Hours of my time were spent reading books on preschools, watching video interviews with successful preschool directors and in general researching education. I do this nonstop. Really? Yes. Passions can't be explained.

So I came home and shared with the kids my goal "for when I grow up." Lucas said "That's probably going to cost of loooot of money" and I agreed.

Lucas walked away and came back with this pile of coins.

He smiled and said nothing. I knew. And smiled back.

"Mom, this is for the preschool."

Seeing this Charlotte brought some of her money too...

and seeing THAT Lucas brought more...

This was a gesture that can't be beat. To give all the money you have to someone else's dream is beyond words.

You two are beyond words.