Update On The Little Three...

Lately I have not done a great job at posting updates on the kids.  I guess we've just been busy getting back into the routine of school and football season.  So in an attempt to catch up, here is a bit of what they've been up to:

Mason is enjoying the first grade.  His favorite part so far is the AR (Accelerated Reader) program.  At his school, when a first grader reaches a certain amount of AR points by reading and testing on AR books, that student gets to "Pop The Top" of a canned drink given to them by the principal, in front of the entire school via their televised morning announcements.  While it might seem silly, it's quite a coveted honor amongst the first graders.  I guess you could call it their initiation into a new world of independent reading.  Mason made the proclamation to me yesterday that his biggest goal this year is to become the first 1st grader to pop his top.  I don't know if he'll accomplish this, but he is trying really hard--bringing home new AR books to read and test on every day.  Even if he doesn't reach his goal, I'm so proud of his desire to try.  And I know that through this, he is improving his independent reading skills, which is ultimately the most important goal!

The funny thing is this though--Mason is pretty much a tea/water drinker only, so he doesn't have a lot of experience with the tabs on canned drinks.  The other day he was concerned that when the time comes for him to 'pop his top' in front of the school, he would have trouble opening the tab on the can. (And for a first grader, this is embarrassing stuff!) So he asked me if I could buy some canned drinks at the store so he could practice at home.  What a funny boy!  Can you guess what's on my shopping list this week.  :)

Ellie turns 3 next month, and she is becoming increasingly independent.  Picking out her own clothes and putting them on by herself is one of her favorite things to do.  (And it actually helps me out a lot that she can do this now, when I'm trying to get 4 people ready and out the door to get Mason to school in the mornings.)  The only problem is, she tends to be a little eclectic when it comes to her choices in outfits.  They always seem to be mis-matched, ill fitting, or seasonally inappropriate. 

If this isn't enough, she also likes to wear both her underwear and shorts/pants backward.  I frequently give her the 'tag goes in the back' reminder, but she is always quick to notify me that her tags go in the front so she can see them.  So, there she is looking very unique for the day.  But since I'm confident that she won't be going off to college still wanting to wear her pants and underpants backward, I concede and let her be...well...unique.

And as for Mollie--my sweet little Mollie--She is 10 months old now and is turning into a little monkey!  This girl loves to climb.  She will climb up anything that is within her reach.  In the last week I've caught her climbing onto the lowered dishwasher door, she uses a little rocking chair to boost herself up onto the toybox in her room, and I've even found her teetering on the arm of the sofa.

 She has been rising up to the standing position without holding onto anything, and just this week she started taking a few steps by herself--usually between 2 and 4--before crashing down on her bottom.  She thinks this is great stuff, and it is pure joy watching her excitement.  She is a go-getter and will readily handle herself against Mason or Ellie.  If they take something from her, she has no reservations about climbing right over them and taking back what is rightfully hers!  All four of her 1 year molars are coming in, but it doesn't seem to be bothering her at all.  She still wakes up to nurse at least once during the night, and she is eating about 30% baby food and 70% table food. 

These kiddos sure keep me busy!  I love watching them continually develop into the little people God is creating them to be!

Friday Fort Nights (And Other Random Fun!)...

Lately Mason and Ellie love to make forts--and two out of the last three Fridays, they have even had overnight 'campouts' in them.  I'm not sure what the appeal is here (believe me, I got in it for a while with them and it was definitely not comfy) but I guess there is something exciting about the break from their normal bedtime routine.  I had no trouble getting them to bed in their fort that night.  They were so excited to read books by the light of their glow sticks, play with their stuffed animals, and tell ghost stories (I'm pretty sure this one was Mason's idea).  They stayed up really late playing in their fort, and I heard them early the next morning at 6:20 a.m. laughing and reading books again!  I love that they find excitment in the little things and that they are building great memories together.

Speaking of excitment in the little things.  Here is something else the girls like to do while Mason is at school. (Actually Mason would love doing this too, but he's getting so big, I'm afraid he'd break my sofa). 

Who would've thought that when you take a few pillows off the couch it becomes as much fun as a little jungle gym? 

First Day, First Grade...

Yesterday was Mason's first day of first grade!  I have to admit that I did get a little teary yesterday, but it was nothing like the flood of emotions I experienced last year when he started kindergarten.  But I sure did miss him during the day, and I couldn't wait to make that afternoon walk down the street with the girls to go get him and hear all about his day.  (Over the summer we talked about how in first grade he will start being graded on his work with actual grades and not just smiley faces and check marks.  The idea of this is very exciting to him, as he is a perfectionist and a high-achiever when it comes to his school work.  And a good grade from the teacher is just the kind of pat-on-the-back that this kid is looking for!) So when I asked him how his day was, I was a little confused when his response was: "First grade is boring. We didn't even do any real work on the first day."  Hmmm, I guess he was hoping for a cumulative exam to start off the year.  He definitely inherited this attitude from his dad.  His mother, on the other hand, loved the laid back first days of class because no overly-challenging work was done.  Anyway, I'm glad he is anxious to get started, and I'm looking forward to sharing in his excitement when he brings home that first good grade!  In keeping with tradition, here are his first day of school photos as we're about to leave the house, and standing outside the school.

Ready for first grade:

Lipstick Lady...

I caught Ellie putting on my lipstick today...

...and I've gotta admit she looked a wee bit scary--kinda like one of those clowns who is a little more creepy than he is fun.  But on the bright side--I was impressed that she did at least get most of it in the general mouth region.

At The Park...

Yesterday we met up with my good friend Kelly and her boys at the park.  It's been so hot outside, so we've been avoiding anything other than swimming that is done outdoors.  But with school starting up again in less than two weeks, I decided to suck it up and brave the heat to give the kids a chance to enjoy some outdoor time together.  This family has become very special friends to us, as they've been a part of our lives for three years now.  We have 7 children between the two of us, so there is never a dull moment when we are all together! 

We started out doing some exploring in a rocky ravine behind the park.  I think the kids loved this even more than playing on the playground:

Mason found a baby dragonfly in the water (it was so tiny, you can barely see it on his finger). 

We did some swinging:

And some jumping out of swings: 

Luckily this park had a swingset big enough for our crew.  :)

The morning started out overcast and a little breezy, so it was actually quite nice for a little while.  We played for more than 2 and a half hours though, so by the time we left it was sweltering.  I can't wait until the weather turns cooler so we can enjoy more playdates at the park like this with our friends!

Mollie's Mischief...

Mollie is 9 months old now, and she's starting to get into plenty of mischief.  She is still my most laid back baby, but her little personality is really beginning to emerge and we're starting to see another side of her.

She is cruising around on our furniture, and has even begun climbing.  Her favorite no-no place to climb is up into the fireplace (just like Ellie did at her age).

She is starting to eat a little bit of table food, but just this week she started getting really bad about putting everything into her mouth at one time--especially while eating Chick-fil-A nuggets (who can blame her?) or goldfish.

She likes to try to keep up with Mason and Ellie and she is fascinated by most things they do--especially the loud stuff.  Although she likes to play by herself for short periods of time, her favorite place continues to be riding around on Mommy's hip, and she gets really upset when I leave the room without her.

She likes to swat at my face and pull my hair, and when I say "Ow!", she laughs and does it even more. 

She won't lay still for more than two seconds, so changing her diaper right now is like wrestling a small bull.

My silly girl!

Baby It's Cold Outside??...

Ellie must not have gotten the memo that it's 108 degrees outside, because a few mornings ago she emerged from her room dressed for the day in this "get up":

Trying to hide so I couldn't take her picture: