iphone Photo Dump

Because my iphone is wayyy to convenient to take pictures of the kids on and throwing the camera in the bag is often one more thing I don't want weighing my pregnant back down:) Really though, I need to make more of an effort to use a better camera, because while these pictures may be cute, the quality could be so much better. I've been shooting lots of pictures on my Nikon N80 film camera and I LOVE not having to upload photos and having the prints in my hands right away -  seeing them for the first time is like Christmas morning. I think I can still scan in some of my favorites to put on here, I need to test out how well they come out after the transfer.

We have an independent ladder climber.

Dark, but shows his extreme pleasure with his climbing.

I've been trying to cram in lots of activities before our new baby comes, I remember doing this with Marissa too when I was pregnant with Oliver. Because, lets face it, it just isn't as easy to get out with newborn who needs to eat and poop less than every two hours:) Leo and I are getting ready to tour Marissa's KINDERGARTEN soon! EEK! I cannot believe my baby girl will be going to big girl school next year. I am so proud of the little person she is becoming. We also need to tour some preschools for Oliver because of the wait list factor. We will not be doing a coop again, although it has been a great experience in many ways, it will just be too much with three kids and with Leo working consistent 60+ hour work weeks. The good news is I think he will do great at a non-coop.  To give you an idea of how big he looks in real life, parents at Marissa's current preschool which admits kids at age 3+ years keep asking me if he will be starting school in the fall at Oneonta. Then I have to tell them, ummmm, "he is one." Yup, he is a big boy, but not an ounce of fat on him, he is just a strong, tall lil' guy.

Love this picture of my girl.

Rainy Day Target Shopping Trip,
(can you tell he likes to accessorize?)

Reminding me of Pippi Longstocking here,
she's really into the braids right now!

Yes, we spent approximately 45 awesome minutes
admiring the SoPas firetruck parked outside the farmer's market.

My Little Free Spirit

Marissa and her awesome light-up cowboy boots
 she got from Aunt Vicky for X-mas

Discussing Ripper's Ears With Me

Happy New Year!

Well, I may as well sneak this post in here for the Chinese New Year and our American New Year. It's still January, so it still counts right? Marissa celebrated Chinese New Year at preschool today (edit- last week, yes it's taking me a week to finish this post!), so that got me thinking that I needed to do some prioritizing in my life, including updating this blog more often. I actually love to look back at the blog posts, pictures etc. Yes, I am one of those hugely sentimental, nostalgic, can't part with anything people. Yes, it drives my husband crazy. Just because I am this way, doesn't mean I am a hugely productive organizer of our memories to my dismay however. I was telling Leo that I really need to put our honeymoon scrapbook/photo album together the other night, if that gives you some idea of my up to dateness on photo/memory organization.

Oliver and Marissa seem huge and so grown up compared to the last blog's entry. Oliver has so many more words than October, I really wish I had some sort of a comparison list to go by, mind you most of these are probably still only intelligible to us. Marissa is really loving preschool and is taking an amazing Fairytale Art class at Armory Center of the Arts (highly recommend their classes) that she may love more than preschool itself. I wish I was more organized in having in her in even more activities, and Oliver as well. He sobs huge buckets of tears every time we have to leave "sister" there. He is just slightly attached to Marissa/ I think he really wants to stay and participate too. He pretty much only refers to her as "sister" which I think is adorable. I'm hoping to sign Marissa up for ballet and Oliver for Gymboree on Saturday am's. I really hate to cut into family time, but since he takes whopper naps each afternoon and since M has preschool 3 am's a week, this is our best bet for scheduling.

In pregnancy news, time is flying, literally flying. I am finding myself forgetting what week I am in the pregnancy, something that definitely did not happen to me previously in my other two pregnancies. For the record, I am 23 (edit again, let's go with 24 weeks at time of actual post:) weeks this week! Baby boy is kicking up a storm lately, I'm sure he kicks way more than I even realize, but the only time I really have to pay attention is after the kids are in bed. His kicks are getting strong enough though, that they are starting to make me notice them at all times, regardless of how busy I am. I've been having a smooth pregnancy so far, just like the other two, so fingers crossed for more of that!

Here are some pictures from the Rose Parade which was our 4th annual this year. It is really fun when you have little kids. Oliver was definitely more obsessed with the blimp and snacking in the chairs than the actual floats, but he did like the parade too. Marissa really enjoyed all of the cowboys and said the Candy land float was her favorite this year. She got a lasso/lariat for Christmas this year and can even twirl it above her head like a real cowboy, she did it on only the first or second try, she has a calling I think! Now, if we can just find a ranch to take her to, because she is obsessed with this old book called Cowboy Andy and really wants to visit Cowboy Sam's ranch just like Andy does. So if anyone knows of a great local cowboy ranch please let me know!

Snacking was a big part of the day!

Mr. Shades

Rose Princess Wave

Best View, courtesy of Daddy

Relaxing!

Oliver was WAY more impressed with the overhead blimp than the floats.

Sunblock - It was Hot!

October

Oliver Takes Marissa for a tractor ride

Cuties, All of 'Em

Life keeps rolling along, time is a flyin' and it's probably my favorite time of the year, fall, Halloween all of that. I am only allowing myself tiny moments of longing for a proper Vermont fall, sniff, sniff. I am determined to make the most of it here though, and heck, the kids sure don't know any different. We visited Underwood Family Farms the other weekend during their tractor weekend. I love it there, I feel like we have as much fun as the kids do. And, I love that they have an Oliver tractor, how awesome is that. If only I could dig up last year's pictures for comparisons sake. If you look back at the 6 month post some of those photos are from Underwood. I can't believe Oliver was only 6 months old at this time of year last year. The amount both the kids have changed is just mind blowing. Oliver was fired up for the tractors, Marissa loved the pony rides (as always) and getting shaved ice as a treat. She picked root beer (well, "brown") as one of her flavors, I was surprised because she is such a pink/purple girl, but it was delicious! I have to say my favorite part was seeing the kids pick out pumpkins in the patch, Marissa went a little hog wild and we ended up with a whole wheelbarrow full. Oliver meanwhile amazed me with his strength, lifting pumpkins that were NOT light left and right. He has also been busy scaling the back porch metal trellis to scary heights. Yeah, he is not to be trusted. Hope everyone is having a great fall wherever you are!

Tractor Driving with Mommy

Tractor Driving with Daddy

Our big pumpkin picture, not a winner.

Riding Tinkerbell

Oliver with a really cool Oliver tractor

Wheelbarrow of pumpkins and a baby and a pretty sister

Heave Ho

Add caption

Tractor Ride

Dirty boy on the way home. He has turned into the best sleeper/napper, yay!

Back to School!

School has finally started back up as of last week. Marissa is at a new cooperative preschool, we were also at a coop last year, but this school is new to us. We had met her new teacher at a few back to school picnics, but not really any of the kids and most of them already knew each other from last year. I was pretty confident about her first day going well, especially since I had signed up to work in the classroom, so needless to say, I was really surprised that at the end of the day when she and I were walking to get the vacuum to clean up her classroom, she turned to me and her little eyes were filled with tears and she told me that she was "sad and lonely" at preschool today. And, oh my goodness, I had to do everything within myself to keep myself from crying. I felt horribly, I worried that we had picked the wrong school, I worried that we had picked the wrong class, and this was after serious agonizing over what preschool to choose for this year. When we got home and out of the car, it didn't get any easier, she hugged me and started full on crying, saying she didn't want to go back, etc. It was really, really hard. And, I am a big mommy wimp, I totally admit it. I actually thought about if we could switch her school for a minute, or skip a year. Well, flash forward to today, day three of preschool and she is doing AMAZING! She has made a great new buddy, a cute little girl named Tess and she had a gazillion stories to tell of them digging for treasure, playing pirate, and many more. Ahhh, cue Mommy relief. Only to arrive home to a beyond overtired Oliver who was with our sitter because his nap time falls exactly around preschool pickup time. Well, ever since I weaned Oliver, his naps have gone to you know where. This poor little baby boy has been so, so sleep deprived for weeks. Yes, I admit it, I used to nurse him back to sleep mid-nap because it would give him a great two hour nap. Before our sitter was putting him down, I had finally gotten him to go back to sleep mid-nap wake up after weeks of fussing around with how to get him back to sleep, because he wakes up ANGRY! I am talking, nothing, nothing will calm him down. Not going outside, not a sippy, not tv, not rocking, not reading, etc. It has been stressful! But, he finally was getting back to sleep mid nap, but for our sitter he has been waking up after only half an hour and today only ten minutes. And, oh my goodness he was a train wreck by 5:30 pm. Yes, I tried a second nap, but no go, well, 30 minutes of full sobbing was all I could take. I think these last two teeth that are coming through have been driving him crazy and taking forever to come through, I think he is having some major physical/mental growth spurts (he is talking up a storm!) In sum, I feel guilty, I hate it that he is sleeping so poorly, I feel guilty when I'm away from him and he is with the sitter, especially when I come home and he has been having a rough time, and I should say, I love our sitter and the kids love her. Oliver blows a million and one kisses to her at the window when she leaves and even cried for a second the other day when she left! But, ugh, I can't handle these terrible naps, he should be sleeping at least 1.5 hours a day. So of course, just when something starts going right, something else tanks. I really hope we get some of his sleep issues resolved soon, I'm just not even sure what to do at this point. Let me know if you have any tips at all! Oh and we went to the LA County Fair (my choice) and it was so ghetto, never again! I don't think the kids minded it, but someone remind me next time I am thinking of going that it is pretty nasty. I think the Vermont country fairs may have spoiled me just a bit!

Oliver hamming it up at the fair.

Marissa getting some assistance from Daddy with the ring toss.

Marissa and her beautiful prize.

Morning before first day day of school.

As good as a family photo got that morning.
Daddy was in Japan:(

FOUR!

Wow, I cannot wrap my head around the fact that I have a four year old. Marissa had a big birthday celebration this past weekend, and I think almost all the baby is gone from her (save for her very toddler pot belly that sticks out in tee-shirts:) She is little Ms. Social, she is so busy wrapping her head around how she fits into this world. I was all misty eyed every time I thought of her turning four the week leading up to her birthday, but I kept it all together throughout the actual day and party. I am so proud of the little girl my daughter is turning out to be. I am so thankful to have such a fun, loving, excitable, enthusiastic girl. I wish I embraced life with half the zest that you do Marissa. I can't wait to see what this year holds for you. Mommy, Daddy and Oliver love you so very much, Happy Fourth Birthday! Here are some birthday highlights:

At the top of her present wish list: "a balloon on a stick!"

Making Rainbow Pancakes for her breakfast with Mommy

Tada



A better picture of the final product.



She has asked to make Dora cupcakes for about 5 months,
this took a trip to a professional bake shop,
some serious time, I hope they are recognizable!
She loved them!

I think I should have piped her eyes and nose, oh well, live and learn.
Baking is not my forte.

Removing Ol from the dining table.



Oliver on the dining room table again!
 I had to remove the table cloth
and all decorations immediately post presents
due to the climbing machine.



At the scene of her party, Under the Sea.
Captain Daddy and Mermaid Marissa.

Rolling with Daddy.

Rocking the motorcycle at Under the Sea.

Magic with Ariel

Parachute Fun!





Happy birthday Sweet Girl!