There are some days that I feel like I'm going to go crazy if I have to pick up one more toy, clean up one more mess, or wash up one more child, but I am also always amazed at the creative ideas that these girls come up with in their play. Each day brings new adventures and projects and I'm so thankful that we aren't to the "I'm bored" stage yet......although, if boring is less-messy, I might be ready! :)

Making crowns on the computer, and each pet needs one, too, of course!

Applying stickers all over the couch kept these two busy for a very long time! I did check to make sure they came off easily before I let them continue playing. They were making matches and "families" with their animal stickers...

Belly dancing in full costume while singing "Arabian Nights"

Clara's trusty sidekick, her camel!

Sleepover party!

They all disappeared long enough to turn into "ladybugs", complete with Dot Marker spots all over their bodies...

Playing "baby" all in diapers!

A little mermaid....I think the other two were Sleeping Beauty and Snow White!

And, amazingly, this can all sometimes take place in a single day! I can't imagine what they will get into when I am distracted by a new baby!!!

Little girl...

A haircut can make a baby boy look grown up overnight, and I think a ponytail can do the same thing for a baby girl! I'm amazed at how much older Eliza looks when I put a ponytail or clip in her hair!

Here's her "almost 2 squint smile".....I LOVE it!!
She really has grown up so much lately, and now completely fits in with her older sisters, keeping up with their games and activities and chatting right along with them. She loves building with her blocks, and brings me her creations telling me that it's a "boat" or "airplane" and it almost always has a part that she is excited to show me "it spins!"

She has started doing a lot of pretending with her dolls and doll houses, and set this up the other day with the dog and his food and the baby rocking in the bed upstairs....I often hear her chatting the dialogue between a mommy and her baby, or the mommy and the daddy saying "Hi, Mommy" "Hi, Daddy"

She loves to dress herself, and often puts on something of Clara or Hannah's .....let the clothes wars begin! She put on these pants of Hannah's and came to find me to "roll them up!" After I rolled the first pant leg, she told me "the other one!"

Hannah got her started on the potty, and while it seems to be a fun way to spend time each day (which has already gotten annoying for Mommy!), she does actually go several times each day! She is very deliberate about getting the set-up just right with her Dora potty and step stool and is already requesting "privacy" which sounds more like "pi-cee" and asks me to leave!

She loves to dress up in princess dresses and Halloween costumes, and one of her favorite games with Hannah is to be a mouse or puppy and crawl around the house and eat from a bowl on the floor. Another favorite is her beloved "choco milk"!

Eliza loves to sing, and sings the Clean up song, Happy Birthday, Jesus Loves Me, Twinkle, Twinkle Little star, Row row your boat, Baba Black sheep (which she requests white or purple for the second verse) and most of the Chipmunk and Mama Mia soundtracks (which play constantly in the car!) She has moved on from labeling things to much more conversational talking, telling us things are "so soft" or "too slippery" when she was wearing tights or picking up something and telling us "it so heavy"!! My favorite is still when she finds something small, she'll always tell us it's "teeny tiny" She politely tells me "Excuse me Mama" when she wants me out of her way and "I'm sorry Mama" when it is of her own accord (otherwise, there is NO WAY you will get her to say it!!) She is still extremely stubborn and demanding in most ways, but has a quick smile and giggle and loves to play! She liked listening to Isaiah in my tummy at the last doctor appointment and kept looking in all the rooms on our way out, asking me "Where Isaiah?" I'm pretty sure she thought we were going to get him at the doctor appt! She'll tell you he is coming out "after Christmas" and loves to talk about helping me take care of him. Giving him her crib, though, has not been a fun idea for her, so we'll see how the transition to a bed goes! We are loving watching her grow up, and I think she'll take on the role of big sister great!

Ronald

I have had a pretty strict "no pet" policy in our house. It's not that I don't like animals, but something about 4 kids, age 5 and under sounded busy enough, without adding anything else to take care of! The girls absolutely adore animals and LOVE playing with friend's, family's and total stranger's pets! They've done a nice job of creatively finding their own pets around the house, also. We have "Mr. Squirrel", who lives outside in our backyard, they had pet worms (the paper towel rolled up and spit on kind!) that lived in a nice little bowl, and recently we had plastic frogs living in a water "aquarium" container on the kitchen counter. I've been very accepting of any pet that I don't have to clean up after! I thought this rule was pretty much set-in-stone until I came home from work on Monday afternoon to 3 ecstatic little girls, who couldn't wait for me to meet....RONALD!!!

Daddy is the current hero in our house, as he took them to buy their first pet this week :) Hannah wanted to carry around Ronald's container so that she could "hold him".
She checks on him throughout the day, never forgets to feed him, and gazes at him adoringly...

Ronald refused to eat the food flakes that they had originally bought, so 3 days later, I was taking them back to the pet shop to get these gross bloodworms that he has been enjoying ever since. I also have to add that the container had to be cleaned out because too much food had fallen to the bottom during Ronald's food strike, and I, of course, was the one who had to clean it!

I'm not a big fan of Ronald, but I do love watching my kids enjoy their first pet.....and I am incredibly thankful that Daddy didn't let them bring home a puppy!!!

Busy days...

We love afternoons when our good friends Austin and Saleen come to play! These 5 kids play hard together and spent the afternoon out digging in the dirt! You can see the bathwater is practically brown-we actually had to drain the water just to rinse the kids! My amazing friend, Val, actually bathed and washed the hair of all 5 of these kids while I made dinner (and she's pregnant too!!)

Sweet, clean, hungry kiddos!!
Silly bands are all the craze at our house right now! The girls love wearing them by the dozen! Hannah is especially generous at handing them out to friends and kids she just met wherever we go...

She usually sleeps with them on, and they go with her in the bathtub too!

Hannah dressed Eliza up in her Halloween costume...

Practicing for trick-or-treating....

Visiting Utah...

Eliza and Mommy had a fun long weekend in Utah, visiting Uncle Tommy, Aunt Bobbie and cousins Boden and Nele. The weather was incredible, and these kids had so much fun playing together!! They had a picnic dinner in the backyard...

My adorable niece and nephew!!
Playing in diapers...these two also loved running around naked and going potty outside, on the floor, and even sometimes in the potty :)

Working out at the Crossfit gym.....the gym is just a block away from the house, and only 2 blocks from Starbucks :)

Playing a little too....

Staying busy pushing Nele and some footballs around...

Giving his sister a ride....

Pretty girl...

So cute!!

Chocolate ice cream face...

Another one...

Fun rides on the bike with Uncle Tommy...

This makes Mommy a little nervous, but the kids think Uncle Tommy is lots of fun!!!We did a little bowling during the one rain shower...

Happy standing girl...

Coming to get my camera!

Bobo and Eliza spent a lot of time playing trains together....they would usually start out here first thing in the morning!

They also spent lots of time in the sandbox...

And working together to fill up containers with all kinds of things!

Eliza looked like a seasoned traveler on the way home....DVD playing and sipping her coke :)

We had such a fun, busy 4 days and miss our Utah family!!! We can't wait to play again soon!!!