Audrey Catherine is six and a half!

Audrey is full of energy and super delightful. She makes me smile when she enters the room.

She is creative. Always making things, always drawing, always writing, always asking questions.




This past week she attended engineering camp, just a few hours in the morning each day. We're looking into joining Mathnasium as well. She's doing a Field Day Fun camp in a couple of weeks. She just loves to learn, loves to stay active. She even loves to sit with me and watch HGTV :)

Audrey is kind-hearted and sweet. She just loves to love, and be loved.



It's sounds strange when I think of her being in 1st grade in a few weeks. As "old" as she is, she cannot get enough of her Momma's hugs, kisses, and snuggles. She asks for them all the time. I am so thankful for that.



Sweet Audrey Cate is a blessing beyond belief. I love being her mom.

Grateful

Abigail had her preschool performance and it was beyond adorable. I was so happy to see her front and center, smiling and singing and excited as could be. I feel lucky that she's so happy at school. I am grateful that she still has a whole year of prek-4 ahead of her (although I cannot WAIT to have her at school with MEEEEE!!!) Her very last day of school was actually at the park. Chris took her and then brought her to me afterwards. She loved hanging out with us, and my kids were so sweet with her!






Audrey had her kindergarten musical (she was a mama bear) and awards afterwards. I'm actually having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that she'll be in first grade. That just seems so OLD to me. I watched Chris pick her up and talk to her about how proud we were of all her hard work this year. I almost couldn't breathe...all I could see was him holding her as a newborn in the exact same spot in our kitchen. This is going by way too fast. I am grateful she had an incredible year, and maybe that's part of why I'm a little sad that it's over. Her teacher appreciated Audrey's silly, active, social personality. She encouraged Audrey to be creative. She taught Audrey things that were beyond Kindergarten objectives (Audrey told us all about centrifical force one morning before school as she spun her purse around super fast and, "NOTHING FELL OUT!!") I am grateful for her amazing Kindergarten experience and all of the sweet little friends she has.


Staci came to our second grade awards program since her daughter is in my class. She brought Annie along :) As I sat with my class, I would glance over to where they were standing. Annie had grown bored of the stroller so Staci was holding her. Every once in awhile she would kiss her and tickle her, snuggle her and just LOVE all over her. I am so grateful that Annie has her. She is so loved by that family, and trust me when I say that the feeling is mutual. A few weeks ago I asked Staci if she would take time and consider doing this again next year...I barely finished my sentence when she she said she didn't even have to think about it and that she'd be offended if I hadn't asked, lol. I am grateful that our baby is loved and cared for just as much as when she's with us.

I am grateful for my job. I love spending my day with kids, even when they're rotten, lol. We become a family over the school year and it's very hard to say goodbye. Having the summer off eases the pain a bit ;) One of the best things about the school year ending is planning for NEXT year! I have some meetings over the summer, plus my Pinterest boards will be filling up with amazing ideas for my new crew. We never stop!!

I am grateful for all the things we have to look forward to this summer. Recital. Soccer. The house starting. New niece. Camps. Beach. Packing. Mostly I'm grateful for time with my sweet girls.

Summer is so close!

The school year has flown by! I wanted to take some time to write before the break.

Audrey- she is sad that school is winding down ("Does it have to end?") My sweet little scholar. She loves everything about school (except P.E.- just like her momma!) Kindergarten was an amazing time for her. She loves her teachers, her friends, and learning. She was accepted into FOCUS for next year and we're very excited for her; she needs that extra outlet for her creativity. Her motivation for learning is pretty astounding. She's constantly looking for something to read or write or create. I love seeing her thrive, but seeing her so happy and engaged and enthusiastic...that's the best!

But, hello mouth! Lately she's gained some sass! I'll tell her to do something and I get, "I AM!" or an exasperated, "OKAY!" Ummmm, what?!? Or if she really wants something, she won't let up. First comes the begging ("Please? With a cherry on top?"- I tell her that I HATE cherries.) Then comes the "I'm going to slowly walk towards the drawer/cabinet/closet and in very slow motion go for the candy/snack/item that I want while looking straight into your eyes and smiling" move. I don't know. I guess since she's always been so good about being told "no", this comes as a sudden surprise. We'll deal. I can tell she's struggling with expressing her wants while trying to please us. Sweet girl!



Abigail- our spitfire! I think she'll be happy for the summer break. Like me...I love school, but I love home, too! She is so imaginative.. when she is singing and dancing, she hears and sees NOTHING. She's in her zone. I can't wait to see what she does in her first recital this year. She's unpredictable, which is part of her charm.

Talking to her can be infuriating, lol. You might have to ask her the same question 5 times before she'll answer. She basically only talks about what she wants to. Or, even better, you think whatever you're saying to her is really sinking in...then she responds with something COMPLETELY off topic (usually something she was talking about or doing just moments before.) Le sigh.







So we have one back-talker and one non-listener. Awe. Some.



That brings us to Anne, the favorite. Just kidding! Maybe.



There is not a day that goes by where I don't think to myself, "Thank God we had her!" Honestly- thank the Heavens above that we were blessed with this darling girl. I remember being so scared about having a third child and then wanting so badly for it to be a girl. Anne is more than we could ever ask for.

She is talking up a storm! My favorite? She says her sisters names SO clearly. "Aud-dee! Ab-bee!" Swoon! At mealtimes she'll say, "Aud-dee! Wanna bite?" "Ab-bee! Wanna bite?" She's starting to sing more of "Let it Go." She'll ask to "go outside?" and "get down?" She says, "I want cack-ah (cracker)" and "I poo (pooped.)"

Sometimes on the drive to school I'll say, "Raise your hand if you're going to have an awesome day!" or "Raise your hand if you're going learn new things today!" Of course this was directed at the big girls, but one day Annie started chiming in...she raises her hand and says, "Meeeeee!" She cracks us up.



She can be so bashful. I love how she'll bring her fists up below her chin and squeeze herself when people address her. She's so cuddly. She lets me rock her for a few minutes before bed. Then she sits up, looks at me and says, "Night night!" Grandma taught her how to wink ;) She loves carrying around a blanket (draped around her shoulders super-hero style.)

We think she likes animals more than people! Staci recently brought her to Field Day and she did not like all the kids coming up to her and touching her (I get it!) But man can she love on some doggies! She's so gentle and sweet with Grandma's dogs. Smaller dogs make her laugh and she loves watching them run all around her (she really loves throwing the ball for them!)

I'm extra excited about this summer because our new house will be under construction! We made our selections but currently I'm backtracking and considering a white kitchen. I think I've been watching too much HGTV! I plan on watching a lot more of it this summer as I purge and pack for the big move!

Thank goodness for summer break. It's so awesome to have time with my girls and reflect on the school year (and start planning for the new one!) I'm so excited for a fun, productive summer!!

Abigail Mae is FOUR year old!

She is incredible. Smart, sweet, and sassy. Independent and headstrong. She has so many qualities that are going to be so beneficial to her when she's all grown up...but make it a bit challenging at times to be her parent ;)

Abby is now our early riser. She loves snuggling with me on the couch first thing. She is pretty good in the mornings but will occasionally grumble about going to school. If she's staying home with dad, she gets upset when I leave. If it's dad's day to take her to school, she gets upset that I'm not there to get her ready. Those are some rough mornings and I feel so bad for her (and Chris!) She's just a big time Momma's girl. When I ask her about it, she says, "I just love/miss you too much!" Love her.

She's so imaginative...she loves to dance around and sing. Still very much a selective listener, lol. She gets into the zone and does her own thing.





Bedtime is probably the only time of day I get SUPER frustrated with her. She gets out of bed 1,000 times. She needs a drink, a story, a snack (I'm still hungry!), to tell us she loves us, to give us one more hug & kiss...etc. We end up walking her back a trillion times each night and usually she's asleep about an HOUR after she originally went to bed. I try not to talk to her or give her any attention when I walk her back...it's all business. I do tuck her in (oh how I wish I could strap her down!!) and kiss her and tell her, "I love you." Because I know she won't always do this. It actually calms me to pick her up, have her lay her head on me, and squeeze her as I walk her back. I won't always be able to do that, and what if this is the last time? What if tomorrow she starts staying in her bed? A part of me will miss the 30 seconds I get of holding her, kissing her, tucking her in. I can suck it up.

I often wonder how she can be SO different from Audrey. But I find that they really compliment each other. Where one is easy, the other is more challenging. They keep us on our toes and there is never a dull moment.

She loves school, her teacher, and her friends. But I honestly can't wait until she's in Kindergarten with ME. Having Audrey with me is such a joy. I hate to wish time away, but I'm just so excited! She has a whole year of preschool, thankfully it's at a place we all love!




She's perfected the teenage scowl!

She doesn't like to be told no, and she doesn't always handle it well. I think she's a little bit immature in that aspect. We're working on it! You never know how she'll react. Sometimes she stomps and cries and yells. Other times she'll say, "Ok!" and be perfectly happy. I'm up for the challenge. I always win ;)

Abby loves dance class. Such a difference from just a few months ago when I had to push her in and close the door! A few weeks ago I told her we were skipping class because she'd had a small cough just the day before. She insisted that we go. We did and she was absolutely fine. I love her spirit. I am so curious to see how she'll do at recital. She's really looking forward to soccer this summer. I can't wait to see her in the pool. She's so determined, I know she'll be a little fish! Because she is so different from Audrey, seeing her do new things is very exciting!



One of the best things about Abby is how she treats Anne. She is just the most incredible big sister! She is kind, patient, very tolerant. I love watching them interact. She really enjoys teaching Annie new things. Such a sweetheart!

Every single day I look at her and realize how lucky I am to be her mom. She is beyond amazing and I love watching her grow. Our beautiful little Abigail Mae is such a blessing.

Anne Elizabeth is 18 months old!

She is amazing in every way!

She has the cheesiest smile and her front teeth stick out. It's too funny. She knows when her picture is being taken and says, "Cheeeeeese!!!!!" She loves to dance and sing. Our house will NEVER be quiet, and I'm so ok with that :)

She loves trying to keep up with her big sisters, and she can be aggressive towards them if she wants something. When they're brushing their teeth, she'll walk right up and try to edge them off the step stool so that she can brush hers, too! She will push one of them off my lap if SHE wants to sit with mom. She has this really bad habit of hitting- even me!- if she's upset. I'm working hard to break that, but it doesn't help when the big girls laugh and think it's funny :)

Annie is pretty vocal, I guess you'd have to be in this house! She says, "I wan da!" which means, "I want that!" She points to the iPad and says, "Let it Go! I want that!" It's her favorite songs and she's actually been saying "Let it go" for months now (arms up and everything!) After her bath she says, "I co!" which means, "I'm cold!"...something she hears both of her sisters say, lol. She says "please" and "thank you", "night night", "uh oh", "hi" and "bye." She blows kisses and gives air kisses if you're too far away :) It's sounds like she tries to say Audrey, but it comes out as "Awdaaaaaaay!!!!" Yeah, she yells. A lot.

She's by far our most affectionate baby. She loves to be held and cuddled. She is always laying her head down on our shoulders. Sometimes she'll just walk up and give hugs and kisses...it's especially cute when she does it to her big sisters. Love her.

She's a great eater, but super messy. She just loves to smear food in her hair and throw it on the floor. She's allergic to peanut butter :( Completely breaks out in hives on her face and gets super itchy. Luckily everyone else can eat it and still be near her.

She loves Miss Staci! When I leave her in the morning there's no tears! Such an awesome feeling. They're quickly becoming her second family. We could not have asked for a better arrangement. Staci says they feel the same; they are just as grateful to have her :) The way she loves on Anne and talks to her...I feel like she's with another me, and that's all I want for her!!!

She has a wonderful routine. She wakes between 6-7 am. Will take a morning nap around 9-10, then again around 2-3 pm. She goes to bed between 7-8 pm. She's an amazing sleeper! We put her down wide awake with her paci and some music and she eventually falls asleep. I always go in to check on her before I go to bed. Sometimes she'll still be awake, just quietly laying still. I love her so much.

Her big sisters adore her. They are so sweet to her, even when she is NOT sweet to them, lol. She always wants to be involved in what they're doing, she wants to be wherever they are. Annie is the sweetest little baby, we are so lucky this precious girl is in our lives!

Moving: Making Selections

I love this part of the building process!

Luckily we have similar tastes. It helps that Chris does this for a living, so he gets to see what looks good. I have Pinterest, so that makes us about even ;)



Kitchen: This was our biggest challenge. I either wanted to go with really dark cabinets or really light cabinets. The kitchen in the model is light and absolutely gorgeous. BUT with small children (and pets in the far future) they made us nervous. I flip-flopped so many times but Chris remained pretty steady. We picked espresso cabinets, white granite (with some gray streaks) and white beveled subway tile backsplash. One of my worries about having dark cabinets was that it would make the kitchen look small. However, with it being so open I don't think we'll have that problem. Our appliances are stainless steel and I think we'll have plenty of natural light. We're getting an induction cooktop...can't wait to use that baby!


Flooring: a few weeks ago we had some browse time at the design center. We chose a REALLY dark wood hardwood floor (another reason I was hesitant about dark cabinets.) When we actually made our selections, I spotted a lighter floor with 5" wide planks and fell in LOVE. I think the wider planks are beautiful. We are running hardwood throughout the entire first floor, even in the kitchen (still undecided about mudroom, though!). I'm a little nervous to see what the espresso cabinets looks like the with the floor. I think once we have furniture, area rugs and curtains it will all come together and flow nicely.

We chose a gray tile for the mudroom and laundry. We might change the mudroom to wood for a nicer flow into the kitchen.

I'm excited about our stairs...we're doing wood on the stars, but we're painting the bottom planks white. I think it will look great, especially with our wood railing. We'll definitely have a carpet runner (light gray) so the girls don't slip and slide and take tumbles down the stairs.

The upstairs carpet was a bit of a battle. I like the look of a lighter carpet, but that's what we have now and it just shows EVERYTHING. Chris wanted to go dark, but the light brown that he picked...I didn't like at all. I just don't think it'll go with anything. I chose a dark gray. It's darker thank what we have now, and I think it will look beautiful with the paint colors we'll eventually chose for each bedroom (pinks, yellows, blues.) Chris is not loving it, apparently nobody chooses it. I think it will be beautiful!

We're doing standard paint for now, but I can't wait to pick custom colors in the future. We like a blue/gray color for the entryway and dining room, then gray for the main living area. Each girl gets to pick her bedroom wall color :)



For our master bathroom we kind of flip-flopped from the kitchen. We picked white cabinets, a gray tile floor/shower, and a silvery blue granite. I think we were feeling dangerous ;) The girl's bathrooms will be a light beige tile with marbleized counters and espresso cabinets.



I think we are most excited about the exterior. Our house is Craftsman style, garage right. We picked blue siding and...a YELLOW DOOR. To be honest, Chris picked it months ago and I was completely surprised! I love it, and I think it will look very cheerful and welcoming.

I've been inside the model a couple of times. I've seen pictures of two other Emersons online. Since we wanted our garage on the right (we don't want to see the garage as we drive up to the house) it's switched around. I tease Chris and call it "backwards" :) I'm having a hard time envisioning everything being the opposite of what I've seen. So when we enter the house, the stairs wll be on the left, not the right. Even the dishwasher is on the other side of the sink!

Our contract was ratified, now we wait for permits. In the meantime I'm focusing on this house, packing and purging. I love this part of the process, too!

MOVING!

We are so excited that this is finally happening! We found a great location and an AMAZING house. We signed the contract and we're making selections at the design center tomorrow.

We are very happy to be moving closer to school and work. We'll have so much more time in the mornings and in the evenings to be at HOME!

I'm a little obsessed with our new home. Chris took us to see the model back in December, but I never thought we'd actually be building it.

The main area is an open plan, which I love. There's a mudroom off the garage, which we totally NEED! There's a ton of space in the kitchen PLUS a huge walk-in pantry. Behind the kitchen there's a small room that will be the girl's playroom (Audrey calls it their creating space!) It has a small pocket office, perfect as a command center.

There are 4 bedroom upstairs. Our master has a lot of windows, separate closets, and a nice big bathroom. One bedroom has it's own bathroom and the other two bedrooms share a Jack and Jill bathroom (Jill and Jill? HA!) It will be very interesting adjusting to life in a two story house...I REALLY love the closeness and convenience of our current home.

As excited as I am, it will be so sad to leave this place. It's where our family was started and where it has grown. We moved here in December 2006. Time just absolutely flew by. There will be plenty of new memories to be made. I'm looking forward to seeing the girls grow up the new new house...this might be the house we're in until they're grown and gone!

Snow Days

They are my favorite for sure. There is nothing better than getting bonus time with my sweet girls!



Last week we had a few inches and super cold temps that put us out all week. The girls loved playing in the snow! Audrey liked sledding down our little hill while Abby preferred to pretend like she was Anna climbing the North Mountain (LOVE!!) We made chocolate chip cookies and drank hot chocolate. We stayed in our pajamas and played all day, every day.


The back deck was turned into Audrey's clinic. She would go to "work" and do her "rounds." LOL!

It warmed up a lot on Sunday so I took some pictures of the girls. I love how they turned out.


I cannot get over this one of Abigail. She looks like an American Girl doll!


Anne was SO excited to be out and about with her big sisters!


Sweet Audrey Cate :)







It snowed early this morning, so we're off again today. Good timing- Miss Audrey isn't feeling well. I'm looking forward to another day of snow and snuggles!

Audrey lost her first tooth!

Audrey minus one tooth :)

Crazy...I still remember writing about GETTING her first tooth:

http://littlebabyburns.blogspot.com/2009/08/time-to-buy-toothbrush.html

It's been wiggly for a few weeks, but last night she was really working it back and forth. She moved it around so much that she was able to get it out in no time (creeped me out!)

I knew I'd be a little nostalgic when she lost her first tooth...but then it hit me- she'll never look like this again. Her smile is going to be constantly changing over the next 10+ years. She will never look like this again:



Sigh. I think it'll take awhile to get used to! It's a good thing that kids are still cute with missing teeth, lol. My students MAYBE have a full set of teeth between all of them ;)

Audrey is 6 years, 1 month, 3 weeks old