Sum Sum Summah Time!

Whew! We are more than halfway through the summer, and I haven't blogged at ALL! We have been so busy. For the first time in... well, a long time, we are truly enjoying summer- throwing all schedules out the window and just livin' life. If something comes up, naps go out the window. Hattie does pretty well (as long as we don't miss too many days in a row) and Ruby adapts by sneaking teeny naps in her carseat driving from one adventure to the next! 

Parties, swimming, art camp, cello lessons (for Maggie), park visits, movies, bowling, tie-dying, sleepovers, trips to Door County, art projects, more swimming, board games, more parties, puzzles, more parks, rummage sales, bike rides, storytime at the library, Tae Kwon Do classes (for ALL the Salmon ladies- even mom!), baseball games.... we are tired.... but have another 6 weeks of summer left to enjoy!

While I mourn having a baby in the house, I truly think this is God's way of showing me what great adventures we have to look forward to as the girls get older!

 First Brewers game for the girls! We made it until the 7th inning!

 Maggie bridged from Brownie to Jr. Girl Scout!

 Tae Kwon Do- Hattie was quite the fierce little warrior!

 More Tae Kwon Do

 Gorgeous summer sunset!

 Ruby has found that she LOVES the park swings...

 Volunteering with the big girls at Feed My Starving Children. 

An INCREDIBLE experience that left quite the impression!

 Shoe shopping?

 4th of July parade. It was hot. Ruby was tired. 

 Another gorgeous sunset... while watching the Kenosha Kingfish play!

Hattie experienced the ice cream truck for the first time!

 Got all fancy and traveled to Evanston for cousin Dylan's baptism

 A super fun visit from our cousins from Chicago!

 Ruby has her first Oreo...

 Strawberry picking!

 One of MANY afternoons spent in the pool out back!

 We were blessed to spend the 4th of July in Door County

 We found this inchworm on our beach towel!

 Egg Harbor parade

 Celebrating Papa's 69th birthday in Door County

 Visiting a one room schoolhouse in Ephraim, WI

 Ruby taste-testing pizza dough

More swinging...

 Different day... different park. 

Art projects!

Time to "Lego" of six... and celebrate seven!

This past Saturday, our Lucy Elizabeth celebrated her 7th birthday with her first ever "friend" party. She wanted to include her entire class, so she was adamant about a theme that both the girls and the boys would enjoy. It didn't take much to come up with a Lego theme...as they are one of Lucy's favorite things! Invitations were sent home with all 20 of her classmates, and in a brainless "mom" moment, I included a "Regrets Only" line instead of an "RSVP" line. Duh. I knew of one little girl that was unable to come, but still had absolutely no idea of how many to expect, so... better safe than sorry, we planned optimistically for 18... which was awesome, because SIXTEEN kids showed up! Oh, and did I mention it was raining? So I had all SIXTEEN (actually 18 including Lucy and Maggie) in my kitchen and family room. Plus the five moms who decided to hang out. It was... crowded. 

As the kids came in, they were directed to a table to decorate a "Lego head" to be used for a later activity. These turned out so cute! I love that one little girl turned the "knob" on the top of his head into a bun of hair! Then, the kids were able to pick a Lego (OK- cheap knock-off but still Lego compatible!) car kit to assemble. When they were finished, we had a racing ramp set up for them to take turns racing their creations. We also had a table in the porch set up with the girls' Lego collection for a "free build" type space. This was, by far, the most popular. Pretty certain a few pieces walked out with the kids, but it was certainly worth it! They had so much fun! We used the aforementioned Lego heads for a game of "Pin the Head on the Lego Man," played a few rounds of "Don't Eat Pete!" (a fun game I found on Pinterest) and even bashed open a homemade Lego Head pinata (my first... and last.... attempt at pinata making, by the way) We ended the party with gift opening, cupcakes (topped with more of those knock-off Lego figures) and juice boxes. 

Overall, it was a huge hit. The kids seemed to really enjoy themselves, regardless of the cramped spaces and profuse sweating (mostly by me.) Everyone had a blast, and Lucy, our beloved happy-go-lucky-stuck-in-the-middle-child, wore an ear to ear grin the entire time and loved that it was all about her for a change...exactly what SHOULD happen on your birthday! 

(Unfortunately, there are no photos of many of the activities- as I won't share pictures of other people's children on my personal blog. Just trust me when I say a talented pinata maker I am NOT) 

 Did you know there is this cool block candy that you can actually BUILD with? So expensive... but so awesome. 

 Yes. These are felt Lego masks. Yes. I made all of them.And, I thought they were so fun I made a few extras. 

 My birthday girl...waiting for her guests to arrive!

 Lego goody bags- full of block candy, Lego masks, a Lego word search and maze, and room for pinata candy, the vehicles they built, and the Lego figure from their cupcakes!

 Scrap wood makes an awesome makeshift racing ramp!

 Design your own Lego figure!

 I drew all these faces on the plates we were going to use for cupcakes. Then decided cupcakes didn't need plates and these would make better decorations. 

 Cupcakes and (Lego wrapped) juice boxes!

 See? You can't even tell they aren't "real" Lego figures, can you? 

A few hours before the party started, I decided she needed a Lego shirt. $3 yellow Hobby Lobby t-shirt + paint pen = PERFECT!

Smile!

Today Hattie went to the dentist. While this typically might not be a "blog worthy" event, after today's visit, I just HAD to share. 

Rewind. This time last year. Dentist appointment for all the big girls. Hattie's first scheduled dental visit. It was a hot mess. While the two oldest LOVE our dentist and get really excited to go for their cleanings, to say Hattie was terribly apprehensive would be a gross understatement. Thank goodness for an amazing dentist and patient and caring staff (if you need proof, check out this blog post here) Essentially, we got as far as getting Hattie into the exam chair (flanked by her 2 big sisters) before we called it a day. 

Fast forward a year (don't judge... between a new baby, Dan's new job, and change of insurance, we went a bit longer than normal between appointments). It was time to try again. Early in the week, I told Hattie she had a dentist appointment. I was quickly met with teary eyes and "I don't waaaannnnttt to go!" I had my work cut out for me. We read "Going to the Dentist" books. We talked about what was going to happen and what flavor polish she'd choose. We guessed how many teeth they were going to count. We speculated about the toys in the dentist's "treasure chest." I even *may* have bribed her with the promise of a "whirring" (battery operated) FROZEN toothbrush. 

So- this is what transpired. 

My 4 year old was a dental ROCKSTAR today. Like, I wondered if I was in some parallel universe. It went freakishly well and I was so. darn. proud. After some initial hesitation, she warmed up and everything went off without a hitch. She smiled. She talked. She laughed. And... she got a "whirring" FROZEN toothbrush. 

Here she is... ready to go... but still a bit uncertain...

But THIS was by far my favorite part. Waiting to meet Gramma and Papa for lunch after her appointment, I let her sit in the front of the van with me. She promptly pulled down the mirror and could not stop admiring her "shiny" teeth!

Bye, bye Baby

I just put my baby to bed. For the last time. 

Tomorrow my last baby will wake up... as a toddler. 

For an entire year, I have tried to dig my heels in, forcing time to SLOOOOW down and truly experience every moment with my sweet Ruby. I am so very, very grateful to be able to be home with her this year and have the opportunity to really savor every precious moment of her baby-ness... and to be the one to put her down for a nap. And to be the one to greet her when she wakes up from that nap. And to watch her pinch for another Cheerio. And to play Patty-Cake and sing "You Are My Sunshine." But, alas, the day has come. While she won't know the difference tomorrow, I will. She will no longer be an infant. Sigh. 

 I love being a mom. I love being a mom of babies. My heart is heavy knowing the days of sleeping babies on my chest, dimpled fingers, and Baby Magic are coming to an end... far, far sooner and faster than I ever wished. While I love watching my girls grow and learn and sing and dance and dream and become these amazingly awesome... people, I'm having a really hard time turning this page and starting this new chapter. I know some moms can't WAIT for their kids to grow and be independent and do fun thing... and stuff like getting rid of their infant tub or transitioning to a new carseat or disassembling their cribs are just new, exciting parts of the journey. But I'm not one of those moms. Each milestone, while exciting in it's own way, frays the edges of my heart just a little bit. 

So, tonight, while I nursed and rocked my INFANT daughter, I cried. I'm crying now again as I type this. Life is good. I just wish it would slow down a little bit. 

11 months

Today is a bittersweet day. 11 months. My baby girl is 11 months old. 

This morning Dan reminded me that this is the last month she will be an infant.      
This time next month, she'll be a toddler. 
*tear*

We have a big month coming up.

Maggie's birthday. 
Disney. 
And weaning my final babe off the boob. 

*tear* 

In the meantime, I'm gonna love on my munchkin like crazy...

Work on planning an AH-mazing first birthday bash... 

And avoid looking at a calendar. 

I Heart Spring.

Oh, spring. 

I love you so. 

This is a fairly new phenomenon. I used to be a "fall" girl... cooler weather, jeans, changing leaves, pumpkin flavored crap... all of it. Then, something changed. I think it was around the time my beloved gramma passed away (in October) and fall wasn't so appealing anymore. The crunchy leaves, wilting flowers and shorter days were all a little depressing. 

Then, I started having babies. Spring babies to be exact. One in March (ok- still technically a "winter baby, but bear with me) One in April. One in May. One in June. Whew. Spring became a time of anticipation, excitement, and new life. I started truly appreciating the green buds on the lilac bushes and the sounds of the birds chirping outside my bedroom window in the morning. There is still sunlight when Dan gets home from work. Sheets can be hung out to dry on the clothesline. And... Easter. 

I think growing up, Easter just kinds of falls in the shadow of Christmas. Don't get me wrong... I LOVE Christmas... but I think I love the hunkering-down-and-snuggling-in-coziness of it. Even the vision of the swaddled up newborn Jesus makes me feel all warm and cozy inside. Easter, however? Such a different emotion altogether. Maybe as I get older, I am finally realizing the true power and beauty of the Easter story. For the umpteenth year in a row, I cried through the choir singing "I Am the Bread of Life" during mass. Teaching my first grade faith formation classes about the events of Holy Week has become my favorite lessons of the entire year. 

So... this blog post. What's the point? I'm not quite sure... other than to share my love of the spring. The newness and beauty and freshness of all the things around us. The joy of Easter Sunday. And the excitement and anticipation of celebrating FOUR birthdays! 

Out with the old... in with the new....

I have never been a big fan of New Year's celebrations. I would much rather crawl into my warm bed and wake up to a new year than stay up late with a bunch of loud drunks (well... maybe I felt differently in college... ) This year, however, New Year's couldn't come soon enough. To say I was OVER 2015 would be putting it mildly. The past 12 months brought our family it's fair share of struggles, and I was more than ready to slap a new calendar up on the wall and get a fresh start. 

In the spring, my mom suffered a fall after her knee replacement surgery, and ended up with a fractured back. She spent a week in the hospital, followed by more time in a rehab facility. Because of the pain medication, those weeks were lost on her. She "missed" Maggie's birthday, her First Communion, and only started turning a corner in time to for Ruby to be born. I selfishly feel cheated... for not being able to enjoy my last few weeks of pregnancy because I was stressed and worried about my mom, but even more so because I wasn't able to truly share those last few weeks WITH her. She wasn't able to come help me wash and fold onesies and get the baby's room ready. She wasn't able to visit at the hospital during my labor. She wasn't able to pick up the baby for a long time and was only able to hold her for short bouts before it just hurt too bad. I know she feels cheated, too... and it's breaks my heart a little bit to know she won't get that time or those opportunities back. 

Knowing Ruby was our last baby, I was looking forward to going into labor naturally (I was induced with all the other girls) and having a quick and easy delivery.. she was my fourth, after all! After an elevated blood pressure reading and my "advanced maternal age" (ahem... 36) I was scheduled for ANOTHER induction. I was not pleased. Baby was not ready. I labored for 30 hours before she was born. Thank GOD for my amazingly patient OB who truly believed in me and didn't rush me into a c-section (and was able to manually turn my breach baby with some olive oil from the hospital kitchen!) Obviously it all ended amazingly, it just wasn't the experience I wished for. 

In early fall, I lost my aunt. Because hers is not my story to tell, I won't. She was sick for a long time, and it was a sad and heartbreaking journey. She deserves so many more words, but at the same time, there are not enough words to write that would accurately tell how much she's missed by us all. 

The same week we lost my aunt, Dan lost his job. We were blindsided, shocked, and numb. Again, not my story to tell... but it was a stressful and tense six weeks. We chose together not to tell the girls, as we didn't want to add any more sadness or worry to their lives. It all ended well, however, and Dan started a new job, much closer to home, in mid-November. 

So... in short, 2015 was not a "banner" year for me. While I want time to SLLOOOOWW down (my baby will be 8 months old tomorrow!) I am more than ready to see what 2016 has in store. There's a trip to Disney World in the works. I will throw my final "first" birthday party and become a mommy to a 9, 7, 4 and 1 year old. Hattie will begin 4K in the fall (huh, what?) Maggie will compete in the state archery tournament, and Lucy will probably lose more teeth. Dan will bid on new construction projects and hopefully shoot a deer (we can hope, right?) Our family will laugh a bunch, fight a little, love a lot. And, while the "bad" of 2015 were BIG "bads," there was also a ton of little "AWESOMES" like these: 

Ok, this one might fall into a BIG "awesome" category!

"As the year comes to an end, don't look back on yesterday's disappointments. 

Look ahead to God's promises yet to unfold."  - Buky Ojelabi