ONLY panties…

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We potty trained Harper over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend in January.  By the end of the weekend, I think it is fair to say that she was potty trained.  Granted she still needed to be reminded to go; she wasn’t pooping in the potty; she wore pull ups for car rides, public places, naps, and night time.  Fast forward to May and while we had long stopped putting her in a pull up for car rides and public places, she was still wearing one at naptime and night time.  She would continually wake up dry though so just last week, I decided that we would try panties at night.  We are going on our fifth night now with no accidents.  I’m so proud of her.  So Harper now sleeps in panties….only panties!  Avery stopped sleeping in pajamas months ago and now Harper wants to be just like Avery and wear only panties to bed just like her big sister.  Here is my little cutie patootie.  Seriously I love that litle tuchas!  I could (and do) just squeeze it all the time!  

Okay mom, will you take my picture already!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

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The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

For many “the most wonderful time of the year” is the Christmas season.  But for me, the most wonderful time or even weekend of the year is Memorial Day weekend!  I have always loved that weekend!  It’s the unofficial start of summer….ideas and plans for the entire summer are just coming to fusion.  It’s three days away from the office…and usually three days of fun, sun, and friends!  And of course for those in Vienna, there is Viva Vienna!  I loved Viva Vienna as a kid, reminisced about how much I enjoyed it as a kid in my 20’s and now in my 30’s love going again as my kids LOVE Viva Vienna.  For them Viva Vienna means rides and soft serve ice cream! 

This  year Harper was finally able to go on rides (other than the choo- choo train).  The height requirement was 36 inches and truth be told, she is probably only 35 but while most ride attendants measured her, they all let her go on the rides.  Avery and Emerson have each developed a knowledge of the types of rides they like and the ones that they don’t.  Avery doesn’t like “bumpy” rides and Emerson doesn’t like “boring” rides so they refrain from those respectively. 
 
The weather was perfect…hot and humid, but what is Memorial Day without hot and humid weather!  We went twice…Saturday and Monday and the girls had a great time each day.  Memorial Day Weekend is simply my “most wonderful time of the year”!

“Oh The Places You Will Go”

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My first born babies graduated from pre-school today!  It’s hard to believe….the past two years at VPC Pre-school have just flown bye.  The girls were in separate classes this year allowing them to develop and grow as individuals.  Both girls had a really successful year.  Emerson has really come out of her shell.  She enjoys playing with other children and having her own friends.  She knows most the letters in the alphabet and can write her own first name and last name. She likes to do artwork and puzzles and enjoys doing beginner math!  Avery loves doing art work and her drawings and paintings are already surpassing my level of skill.  She knows all her letters and can write her first and last name (although sometimes still backwards). She likes to do puzzles and loves imaginative play.  

The last day of the school the girls had their end of the year concert.  They had been rehearsing their songs at home some and while they knew all the songs, I was a little nervous that they would have some stage fright.  The girls stood next to each other center stage and they were awesome…they were loud, knew their words, and had good accompanying hand and body movements.  Seriously, I was so proud of them….they did awesome.  And we have it documented forever!  (Last week Justin and I bought a video camera….as much as we love photographs, I wanted to have their little voices and funny sayings and special moments on video.  My long term goal is to put together a video highlight each year so that the videos are actually watched in years to come).
 
Justin took video of “concert” and I was supposed to take a few pictures, but where I was sitting, I could barely see Avery and Emerson so taking pictures were out of the question for me, but Justin managed to get one while he was also taking video. 
I also had them pose for theit obligatory last day of school picture in the same spot as their first day of school at VPC two years ago.  Avery was ever so slightly more into it than Emerson…this was the best we could get.
 
While VPC has been great and we are sad that Avery and Emerson’s time there is up, we are excited about them starting kindergarten and excited that Harper will be at VPC for the next two years!  
 
Happy Pre-school graduation day Avery and Emerson!  “Oh the places you will go!”

Life Recently

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Life recently has been busy…..Emerson has been sick on and off the last few weeks.  I traveled for work last week to Tennessee.  Harper has been sick running a fever the last few days.  Appointments and schedules have been non-stop the last few weeks between medical, vision, and grooming appointments; school related meetings; and extra-curricular activities (ballet, gymnastics, and swimming).  Weekends have been busy but overall a good mix of pleasure and play.  Work has been very busy and because of all my appointments I have been going to during the day, I have been working late at night many nights.  My schedule and the girls schedule will continue to be just as crazy through May.  While it is busy, I really am trying to enjoy the little moments because I know they won’t be little forever.

Meadowlark

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It’s been a year since we were last at Meadowlark.  We didn’t have a lot of time today in between gym, cleaning up the house and going to my parents for Passover tonight but we managed to squeeze in a little over an hour there.

My mom and I took the girls to Kohl’s yesterday and I bought them (okay mostly Avery and Emerson) new clothes to play in.  I really didn’t buy them much last year and they literally have only a few pairs of pants left that fit them and are without holes or stains.  Everything was 50% off and I had another 30% off coupon so I the dresses that Avery and Emerson are wearing I got for $7 each.  And the dress that Harper is wearing is a hand me down from Avery and Emerson….Gigi actually got it for Avery and Emerson a few years ago!

We have been coming to Meadowlark at least a few times a year since Avery and Emerson were born and just watching all my girls run around non-stop, I just take it all in….I can’t believe that they are already this big!  I adore each and every one of them….they each have so many qualities that just make me smile…I am so fortunate to be their mama!

Exploring Playing in the tea garden and attempting to get them all in the same picture (playing a game of who is taller) 

Running

Watching the fish and turtles

Attempting to get a picture of Daddy and his three girls.

Easter 2016

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The girls woke up a few minutes earlier than normal today in anticipation of finding what the Easter Bunny had put in their baskets.  He brought each girl their own jump rope, bubbles, coloring activity, and chocolate.  They were very excited!

We decided to go to the 11:00 Church service so we didn’t have to rush.  That gave me time to make pancakes and sausage for breakfast, which is usually a hit with the girls.  Avery loves the pancakes while Emerson and Harper are all about the sausage.

This year Avery and Emerson went to Sunday school during the service and Harper came with us since she was still too young for the Sunday school class.  That was fine by me as she wanted to cuddle with me the whole time and for one hour, she had all my attention and love.  After the service was over, we picked up Avery and Emerson (who had a great time and requested to go back to Sunday school again) and made a quick stop at Giant to pick up the rest of the groceries for the week.  We ate a quick lunch and then it was time for the Easter Egg Hunt in the yard.  We started in the back.  The girls were so excited that they ran out the porch door so quickly that it slammed on Harper and she fell.  She was not a happy camper and Ludmila helped her pick up her first few eggs.

Meanwhile Avery and Emerson were having the time of their lives running around to find eggs.

We eventually made our way to the front yard where the girls found more eggs and we attempted some posed pictures.  Avery and Harper cooperated but Emerson was not in the mood.   We got new mulch two weeks ago and our yard is so beautiful this time of the year with the cherry blossoms, even without the majority of the tulips blossoming as a result of the crazy warm weather we had in December.

We attempted to move picture locations a few times in the hopes that Emerson would partake. 

We had a little luck at times.