Como, Como, how we've missed you!

As we wait (every so impatiently) for spring to arrive, we headed over to Como today with some friends . The girls were giddy excited as we waited for them to arrive. This particular hallway was filled with warm sunshine and their laughter as they swung each other around in circles. 

 At a minimum, we were able to soak in the smell of spring today. The sunken flower garden is my absolute favorite. It really never gets old. Ever. All of us adults were overcome with the smell of flowers, and we each commented on it as we walked in. 

 I love how my girls know to get into "posing" mode and never bat an eye when I ask them to 'quick turn around' for a picture. They simply smile and, if you're Sidney, tilt your head to the side to show just how cute  you are :) 

I got them all to line up nicely too, not bad. 

The girls have been gracing this room since they were wee babies, I really should do a side-by-side of all the pictures I have over the years. 

 This was the best we got for a family photo....sorry Regan! 

And as per tradition, after a run through the conservatory, we had to make our way through the zoo. Many of the animals were sleeping (or pacing), guess it was just one of those days. This chimp was born in 2007, and it amazes me that he grows at roughly the same pace as a human. For years he has seemed so small, and now, he's definitely in "kid mode" as he relaxed in a corner curled up in a blanket instead of jumping up and down on his mom like he usually is doing. 

Thanks for a great afternoon guys! 

Can't wait to head back again when it's WARM!

Lots of lots of kids

I took on a big job today while the kids were off from school (still not sure why we get all these random days off from school!?). Random Fridays off from school are easy for me, since I don't work Fridays. But they aren't so easy for parents that do work. So today, I offered to watch a friend's 3 kids in addition to my own. We had 3 six year olds, a 5 year old and a 4 year old. Wowzas. 

Boy did we have fun! 

Fashion shows, dance parties, art time and games were among some of the things that we did. The girls did great sharing their toys/space and enjoying the day. I was exhausted, only because it's a lot of work to keep up with the "can you get me ____", "I need a push" (David LOVED the indoor swing!),  "I spilled", "can we have a snack?", etc.

I was happy to help out and my good deed was repaid tonight as Leigha came over to babysit and Ryan/I went to see a movie! It all works out :) 

Best Friends

Twenty years ago I met the best friend a girl could ask for. And our friendship grows stronger each year. We've multiplied a bit, and getting together is often a bit louder and more chaotic than it used to be but I wouldn't change it for the world! 

This weekend, Kari and the kiddos came up for three days of fun! The kids couldn't wait to hop into the pool Friday morning, just begging even though it wasn't even 10am. Little did we realize just how easy it was going to be, and that by putting water wings on the youngest two, all of them were completely safe and independent floating around. 

Which meant we were left on the pool deck taking silly pictures of ourselves when we weren't in the pool playing around. 

Not to worry, we had 3 very attentive lifeguards watching over the kids while we acted like 15 year olds with a camera. 

William was NOT going to drown this weekend. Noodles, water wings and a kick board. Oh yea, and a floating shark...he was definitely safe!

Sidney was in and out a lot, as per her usual. She stole my sunglasses and made silly faces for the camera. I'll take whatever I can get out of this sweet-over-the-top-full-of-attitude 3 year old. 

The kids played in their pajamas all Saturday morning until they changed directly into swimsuits. They stood next to our fence, watching the neighbor play lacrosse/fetch with the dog.
Talk about cheap entertainment. 

But when you take 5 kids, mix in a lot of sun, 7+ hours in the pool each day, and no naps, you get a little drama. Especially from the girls who all managed to get themselves into break times this weekend. 

But when we were happy, we were all smiles, chatting away, stealing my lawn chair spot and having a wing-ding of a time. 

Boy o boy did we find some fun. From playing "mermaids" to "races" to practicing "diving", it was a full weekend. 

Oh yes, and let's not forget some fun water balloons! We quickly taught the kids to toss the balloons on the grass near their target which proved not only to be less deadly (fewer red welts on bellies), it also was more productive as they popped on contact. 

Come back any time guys!! We love having you!

Play dates turned pool parties

With the weather warming up, our play dates are turning into pool parties. Ryan realized recently that pretty soon, Regan will be out in the pool all weekend with her friends and it will be hard for the parents to get a chance to swim. For now, we will rejoice that they still require parent supervision and it gives us a chance to get wet too.

 Our friends brought us a tasty (healthy) layered dessert of cool whip, blueberries and strawberries. YUM!

Friendships

The girls have become increasingly busy with their social calendars, and keeping everything straight is a full time job. I must admit  though, it's a lot of fun to help foster friendships and enjoy their ability to learn to share, play and grow outside of school and siblings. We were on playdate #3 of the weekend today and Sidney got to spend some time with her BFF while I and BFF's mom got to enjoy catching up. We took a break and busted out the cameras to watch them play with the Dora car and laughed as we thought about this scene in 13 years when they started to drive.....

First it was Sidney navigating while Ava drove

Sidney then took over and managed to get them hung up in a pine tree; what you can't see is Sidney on the left literally stuck in the tree!

 Then it was Ava to the rescue as they started their getaway!!

Give them roots...

then give them wings.

I packed a bag and grabbed her sleeping bag and off she went to her best friend's house for a night. I prepped her, encouraged her and then let a few tears roll down my cheeks while she wasn't watching as I let Regan go on her very first sleepover. 

I love her so very much it's hard for me to let her grow up; but she's reminded me that she won't be staying little forever, much as I try.

She was super excited, talking for the days leading up to the big event and then on the drive to Katie's house, became slightly nervous with questions like "what if I get scared?, do they have a nightlight?". We rehearsed and boosted her confidence and once she walked in the door, all anxieties were calmed....for her.

All I can say is "thank goodness" for texting. I was thrilled beyond words when I received a text around 9:30pm saying things were going well and the girls were in their "nests" settling in for the night. No tears, no apprehension, just excitement. 

Our little girl is growing up.

I can tell this is the first of many sleepovers in her future. And I'm doing my best to relax and just take it all in stride, watching as she grows into a confident, happy, secure little BIG girl.

Strike....well, not really

Given the lack of snow around, a scheduled playdate for today went from "let's go sledding!", to "let's go bowling!". The kids were just as happy and it was so much fun to watch them try something new. 

The girls were ready, sporting their shoes (though it took some coaxing to convince Sid)

Regan had more of a walk up and toss it with two hands mentality; she wasn't real interested in technique. But she had a great time! 

Sidney's shoes were slightly over-sized but she didn't seem to mind. I think she looked adorable in her stripped tights (picked out on her own, in fact, she put them ON all on her own!!) with bowling shoes. 

 Sidney was the only one to use the ramp, then again, she is the littlest by a long shot. She took charge, moving the ramp back and forth during each of her turns. And our little Miss Independent carried her 6 lb ball independently to/from the ramp on every turn. 

 Regan was oblivious to the fact that anyone was keeping score; I just wish the kids didn't gather around this monitor at the end. She had a good time despite her score! And clearly Sidney did quite well on her very first bowling outing!

Summer fun

I love summer. Good weather, though not warm enough if you ask me, and great times with friends OUTDOORS! This weekend we headed to some friends for dinner and to hang out in their back yard. Talk about fun! The girls seem to pick up where they left off after their last play date and get right down to business. This time it was jumping on tramps and playing in an amazing playhouse.

We heard lots of "a tomato is coming" from their little peanut and "a tornado is coming" from the older two as they scurried from the tramp into the playhouse. Oh, it's fun to watch their imaginations.

Tonight we hung out in our own backyard with the neighbor kids and Ryan's buddy, Bob. Regan devised a new game with the parachute and round-and-round they went

until each person ended up like this:

Oh how I love summer!

Long weekends and big playdates

To help Ryan celebrate not only his birthday, but also his moving on to a new company, we hosted some friends this afternoon for a large play date!

The storms threatened the skies but indoors, no one seemed to mind as the girls (ages 5, 5, 4, 4 and 2) played dress up and ran around as princesses! There was one prince in the gang and he crawled away faster than I could get a decent picture.

Once the sun came out, it was on to outdoor playtime. I know that it appears that Sid is about to be smacked in the head by the glider, but she was actually a safe distance away as she waited her turn :)

Our precious beauty, again waiting her turn (this time it was for a chance to bat during t-ball). Amazingly, our 2 year old didn't do so bad with sharing this afternoon! That isn't always the case with her independent-let-me-do-it-now personality.

We held dinner pool side which is the best place to eat and makes clean up a breeze!

And it wouldn't be a play date without the boys who started out as friends in college!

Double the fun

Yesterday we had two play dates, that's double the fun!!

First we headed to the biggest indoor germland, I mean, playland, in the area. We met our former neighbors and their two youngsters and prepared to burn off some energy. It was great fun and good company too. I long for the day when I can be that parent just sitting on the sideline watching instead of in the thick of it as a participant. Oh, who am I kidding?, I love spending time inside this place. And besides, there's going to come a time, all too soon, where neither one of our girls is going to want us to follow them around like shadows.

Isn't this just the cutest picture of the oldest two? Grace and Regan have the same head tilt as they devoured a quick snack before heading back inside. Sidney, on the other hand, took her time eating her snack and was a good 15 minutes behind the other two. She just couldn't keep up!

And because 2 year olds aren't real good with transitions, this was the face of Sidney as we transitioned from play to lunch.

The second playdate took place at our home. And because I'd rather not show a picture of our children, half dressed, (some cross dressed!) in play clothes, this is the only shot you're going to get. The kiddos had so much fun playing dress up with old dance costumes and Halloween outfits. Regan gave Sidney a spin in a wagon built for a doll; but of course, our little tyke fit just fine!

Stay-cation -Day 1

Ryan and I took the week off from work, another "stay-cation". We have a lot planned but all fun! Kari brought the kids up again for a fun play date; the only downfall is that the day seems to go by too fast! We had a gorgeous day to play outside in the pool and all of the kids got to enjoy it this time, even William! He seems to be the star of the show lately, our girls just can't get enough of him.

Both girls were on hand as William got ready to take a dip.

My attempt at taking a group shot during snack time, what was I thinking!?

More lovin' on William! Regan had fun pushing him around on his little boat.

Thomas tossing a pitch to Ryan who tried using a noodle as a bat. They had a pretty good game going for a while!

And yet more time showing William some affection. I think Sidney would've jumped into the pack n play with him at naptime if we would've let her! Kari promises they'd want to give him back after just a few hours, but I'm not so sure!