Memorial Day Weekend

What a weekend!!! It was packed with outings and lots of fun with the girls. We skipped morning naps all three days which I think in retrospect was little ambitious. By the end of the day Monday they were incredibly overtired!!!

The weekend started off with a day spent at Busia and Papa's house. Chris was busy moving furniture from various rooms in the house to the basement. He got a bunch done and was even able to fit in 9 holes of his favorite sport!!! The girls had a blast, we went to Wirth Park in Brookfield, this park has a lot of memories for me. We lived really close growing up so I would walk there with my friends all the time to play at the playground. This weekend there was a rummage sale, so we checked it out and then headed to the Tot Lot. The girls loved the swings! It was really neat for me to bring my girls to the place I used to spend so many Summer days.
Taylor
Syd Brooke We then took a paved trail back to the car and Brooke and Taylor ran the whole way ahead of us loving their freedom, it was really cute. Syd was having a grand ole time walking hand and hand with Busia.

The girls also got a kick out of the flowers on the coffee table at Busia and Papa's house. They kept going over to them and sniffing them all afternoon, not totally sure if the knew they were not real! Then, they got into Busia's magazines, never a dull moment around here!

Sunday was another great day! We started off early at the Zoo. The whole Zoo pass thing is so great, it makes going always an option on a day we are looking for something fun to do. It was a beautiful morning and felt good to be outside and get in some walking too. The girls seem to enjoy checking out all the animals and people everywhere. After naps, rain and dinner we took the girls on a nice long walk. The girls were hilarious, totally laughing and tickling each other in the stroller. They were having a ton of fun and enjoying the fresh air. Not a peep at bedtime! Love those nights!

Monday was another action packed day that started with breakfast at The Original Pancake House in Brookfield, my absolute favorite place for a family breakfast! The girls really like the strawberries and bananas with whip cream and of course the pancakes are delicious! They have been really well behaved the two times we have been there, the crayons keep them busy and the delicious food fill their tummies well! We then headed to the Memorial Day parade in Merton with Busia and Papa. The girls enjoyed sucking on the lolli pops that were thrown out by people in the parade and we even went out for custard at the little custard shoppe in Merton.
BrookeSydney Daddy with Syd and her lollipop
Taylor checking things out with BusiaBrooke with Papa getting ready for the parade to begin
After parade custard stop
Brooke's blue lips from her lollipop
After a shorter nap than I would have liked, and I felt they needed it was go time once again. All I really wanted was a nice long nap, I guess I can keep wishing, but reality tells me that is pretty much not an option for the next oh, 4 years! We decided to go back outside and enjoy more of the beautiful day, it was actually hot!!! Chris set up the water table and the girls went nuts, they were soaked in minutes and were really busy for a really long time. It is actually a sand and water table we got them for Christmas last year, but I decided to forgo the sand simply because I didn't feel like dealing with the mess, maybe a different day! They also loved getting sprayed with the hose which I imagine we will be doing a lot of as the weather is consistently hot. Dinner and baths and the fun filled exhausting weekend was over...well except that Taylor decided she was not into going to bed, she was up until 9, that is a long day for a little girl and for this girl too!
TaylorBrookeSydney

Sydney's Pony Tail

I couldn't resist this, it is too darn cute not to blog about! The pony tail is also a good way to get rid of the mullet, at least temporary since I will not allow Chris to cut her hair! I can't wait for two piggy tails, and for her sisters to grow enough hair to join the pony tail club!

Growing Up So Sweetly

Time is ticking with only 4 weeks until our little boy is born! I simply can not believe how quickly time is flying! The basement project is complete and we are slowly getting things organized around here. The girls continue to crack us up and provide joy to every day! They suddenly seem to be growing up very quickly with the development of their vocabulary and their ability to understand so much of what is going on around them. They don't grasp the concept that they are going to be big sisters, but they have made the correlation when I say come say hi to your brother, they will come over and touch or kiss my belly. You can imagine how touching this is to me! I can not wait to see how they will react, I hope they love him so much. They have a cradle, changing table and highchair for their baby dolls that they have been playing with a ton. I love to see them love their babies and feed them with little bottles. I think I will have three little helpers, most likely on their terms.

There are so many adorable things that go on throughout the course of the day, but I will just mention a few.

Taylor still loves to dance and spent at least 5 minutes yesterday watching her reflection dancing in the glass of the fireplace. She was putting on quite the show...for herself! She also loves to sing her ABCs. She picked up on the song really quickly, and does a great job through G, then it sort of dwindles, but she sings it all day long! Although I hate to see her cry, I have to say it is pretty cute, because she opens her mouth really wide and closes her eyes really tight and walks around. I tell her to open up her eyes so she doesn't hurt herself, but of course she doesn't, except once in a while she will peek to see if someone is watching her. So, I think it is part sad/upset/hurt, part an act. Huh, we may be in for a wild ride with this one! Taylor is still an awesome eater, she will eat almost anything. Never a worry about her, although when she is done she is done. When she decides she is finished we must swiftly remove the plate before she begins to play which has a tendency to get real messy! Oh, and she no longer walks around, she pretty much runs everywhere. She loves to be chased, unfortunately I have little energy for this these days.


Sydney is a character! She has the best giggle and seem to find humor in her sisters the most frequently. Last night she seemingly sang her sisters to sleep, it was adorable. Chris and I were sitting downstairs and around 7pm still heard her. She was singing softly while here sisters were quiet. She will repeat a word over and over, louder and louder until someone repeats the words and confirms that they are listening to her, then she will stop. Pretty cute. She really doesn't eat much for lunch, but chows down on breakfast and dinner, often scoping out here sisters' plates for leftovers. Syd also loves to point and name her body parts. Usually it is her eyes, ears, head, hair, etc. She also like to point to her sisters' parts, sometimes putting her finger in their mouth and getting the unpleasant surprise of a bite. She has also become so much more social with new faces.

Brooke is still the little clown. She loves to get attention and do silly things to make us laugh. She has the best little smile that is filled with mischief, I think I have pretty much said that from the get go. She is very into accessories, the first thing she notices on visitors is accessories, watches, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, etc. Brooke loves to play with hair, she can't get enough of playing with a pony tail, no matter who it belongs to! Her new game is to get your attention, and chase her around. The giggles/screams she let out when you catch her are awesome, she loves that part the most! She still loves her morning nap, whether her sisters join her or not it makes no difference, she needs it and awaits it!
They enjoyed these beads...kept them busy all day long! Gotta love that!

Cassandra

Well, the decision has been made and with a few weeks under our belt I could not be more pleased! We finally made a decision on a "Nanny", although I think a more appropriate title would be "Mommy's Helper" because she is a BIG help! Cassandra was our choice after many interviews and trial days. She is wonderful and a perfect fit for our family. The girls absolutely love her and so do I. She is a HUGE help and seems to just know what to do without out me asking. She is also a lot of fun to be around. She and I have a lot in common, although she is 15 years younger than me, it's pretty cool. She will be with us 2-3 days each week. I feel so very fortunate to have found her and to have help with the little guy's arrival so near!

I love this picture! Syd was not into her afternoon nap, so she chatted herself to sleep in Cassandra's arms!

Carmen...Will Be Greatly Missed

The decision has been made and Carmen is officially in her new home. It has taken me this whole week to even start this post because I am so emotional about this decision. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would decide to give up both of my little doggies. I also never thought in my wildest dreams that I would have triplets, and another on the way at this point in my life. I would not change a thing, but it is difficult for me because I LOVE my dogs!
The main reason we decided to find Carmen a new home is that this house is a little too chaotic for her. She is by nature a dog with high anxiety, she is jumpy, she is a princess and not comfortable around a lot of craziness. Her life in the condo with me, alone all day sitting in the sun and snuggling with me all night long was her speed. Although, she was really really sweet with the girls when I would hold her and they would pet her, if she was not in my arms she was very scared of them. She would either sit in the corner and shake or run directly into the bedroom to take cover when the girls were running around. She would usually stop in the master bathroom and leave a pee spot on the rugs on her way to take cover in our bed. I would still snuggle with her in the evenings after the kiddos were in bed and we ate dinner, but I know she was not a happy little dog. She is indeed a little princess and has been from day one. When Carm doesn't like what is going on she will let me know. It was one of the most difficult decisions I have had to make in my life so far. I love her so much, she was my first baby, I took her everywhere with me and have so many great memories with her by my side. I know, however that this is the best decision for our family and things are only going to get more and more crazy and the girls get older and the little guy is born. I will have very little time to dedicate to her and she would have major issue with that.
All this being said, I am so thankful to have found Bridgette as her new owner. Chris works with Bridgette and I had met her a few times. She is in her late 20's, no children and loves the idea of having a little dog as a companion. First, she came to the house to meet Carm and then she took Carmen for a weekend a few weeks ago as a trial and things went extremely well. Bridgette fell in love with Carm and her funny little ways. She definitely is a dog with A LOT of personality! As expected Carmen takes a bit to warm up to new people, but it sounds like after a week together Carmen and Bridgette are getting along great and Carmen seems to be making herself at home. I guess that is all I can ask for when all is said and done.
I miss Carmen like crazy and wish there was someway we could have figured out how to make everything work and for everyone to be happy. But, since that was not the case, I am grateful for Bridgette and hope for her sake that Carm has bonded with her new Mama. Our house seems to have a new sense of peace with out all the barking, although I have to admit I miss her sitting next to me and staring at my plate when I eat dinner every night. I miss the greetings when I come in the door and the kisses and snuggles at night. She was my best girl for 6 great years! I think Wrigs is missing her too, he has been super clingy to me, or maybe he is scared he is next.

Dead Ants

Well, the ants have been taken care of thanks to our crazy bug guy Mark. He came by about 15 minutes after I called him and gave the buggers a hefty dose of spray, and we haven't seen a live one since. I am praying that is the last we see of them inside...ever.

Ants in the Playroom...no not Aunts...ANTs

Yuck!!! Last night the girls went down to bed like champs, we ate yummy burrito casserole, Chris then went to the garage to work on his desk and I hit the flower beds to weed and turn mulch. Sounds like a great productive evening right? Well, when we were both done and about to sit down to watch the results show for Dancing with the Stars, I asked Chris if he would help me move all the toys so I could vacuum the playroom quick. I went in and eeeeek, what did I find but many little ants hauling away pieces of the girls' snacks from the last few days. Yes, I get it, it is my fault. I really should vacuum the carpet daily to prevent this activity, but let's be honest, it is a huge pain in my back to move all the toys and most nights I simply don't have the energy. Lesson learned. Spring time in WI, ants come around and they have made their way into the casa. We vacuumed them up and took whatever measures we could think of that were not toxic to the girls and turned to Google for answers. I was freaking out all night long wondering what I was going to wake up to this morning, but it wasn't too bad, there were some ants, but not tons. I thought I had it under control. All day I watched the situation, vacuuming, steaming the little buggers our of where I thought they were coming from. Didn't even call our bug guy because I thought I had 'em.

Then, during dinner Brooke was being a rascal and dumping her plate so she was headed to blanket time when I noticed a ton of ants in the corner and all over under the windows and under the girls' chairs. They were not there earlier, because I checked. Freak out!!! Vacuumed them up again, waiting until the girls went to bed to make a specific plan. Chris did the research and I went out to by 1) corn meal, deadly to ants when they eat it and then drink water, it expands and kills them (sounds a little brutal) 2) talc powder, a preventative measure to be taken when they are gone and 3) Borax, when mixed with syrup it is used as a bate mechanism to attract and them, then they take it back to the nest and it kills the whole colony. I am starting with the corn meal because it it the least toxic and will not hurt the girls or dogs.

We will see what happens in the next few days, oh and the bug guy will be getting a call in the AM!

Monday, Monday

Today was a great Monday! I met up with two of my best girlfriends, Lisa and Kelly and their little girls at the Zoo for the first time this year. Since we are pretty much back to two naps again, it is always my hope that when we skip the AM nap the afternoon nap will be close to three hours. That is what is in the back of my head whenever I make plans for an activity for the morning. Anyway, the Zoo was wonderful it was 60ish degrees and sunny, so very comfortable out and the girls really love seeing the animals and trying to make the animal noises. A morning with good friends, happy babies and great weather is a great way to start the week. I know we will get a ton of use out of our Zoo Pass this year! I can't wait to go back with Chris and the girls so he can see how much fun they have!

Did you know giraffes have 18inch tongues, yuck! They sure are beautiful animals!

Naps were awesome this afternoon almost three hours long which enabled me to get a few things done and even sneak in a short nap of my own, ahhhhhh! Then, another good friend Donna, stopped over with her little cutie pie daughter, we always have a good laugh together! All the girls polished off their dinner, and then Daddy came home a bit early for bath time.

I am so glad Chris was home to see what happened next. Sydney climbed the stairs, literally, no crawling, no knees. She stepped up each stair, holding on obviously, but made her way up the entire staircase. Not sure where this came from, but it is a huge accomplishment. A little back story: Last week I took Syd in for a walk evaluation where she used to go for PT. They suggested we work with her on climbing to strengthen her core. We also have been working with all the girls on stepping up steps instead of getting down on their knees and crawling. All of a sudden, Sydney started trying to climb up on the sofa and various other objects, and then this! I am so proud of this little one, she did it all on her own!

19 Months Old

What a fun age this is! The girls are filled with energy and joy! We pretty much have music on around here non stop and the girls LOVE to dance! We have dance parties multiple times each day and it is so cute to see their moves. Taylor definitely has the hip action down. They also love to play the "night night" game where they pull the pillows off the sofa and snuggle on the floor and jump on the pillows, they are so sweet. Then they all yell out night night over and over again. All three girls' vocabulary is growing like crazy! They are saying so many words all the time, and although many of them you have to listen very carefully to make out, they are getting more and more clear every single day. One of their favorite words is bubble! I can even differentiate between Elmo and Mama now, there were a few days where I kept thinking they were saying Mama, which they have said for awhile now, but I sadly realized that they were trying to say Elmo. They sure do love that furry little red guy!
Syd
It still amazes me the new things they are learning everyday. I love hearing their little voices discovering new words. Sydney likes to repeat a word over and over loudly until she gets someone's attention. When they look at her and acknowledge the word she smiles and stops repeating it. It is pretty cute.

All the girls love to "shoot hoops". They do a great job putting the ball through the hoop and Taylor gets so excited she usually gives herself a round of applause!
Brooke's new thing is when I am making dinner, or any meal she wants to snuggle with my leg. She figured out that it is pretty fun to walk through my legs and so that keeps her pretty busy while she is waiting to eat. They all love to play ring around the rosey and pretty much are up for anything that involves singing. We get tons of hugs, kisses and snuggles these days which is absolutely the best thing in the world!

Giggling Girls

Auntie Ang's Visit

Ang and Brooke
Ang and Sydney
Ang and Taylor



We had a wonderful weekend with Auntie Ang in town! Friday was awesome because I brought the girls over to my parents house for the day and Ang and I got a chance to have some sister time. We went to lunch and shopping!!! I love spending time with her, I only wish I could do it more often. The girls hung out with Busia and Papa and had a blast with all the toys they have at their house. The had three vanities set up in the family room. They also had the kitchen set and china cabinet filled with play food which always seem to get the most attention! Although the house is totally child proofed, the girls barely explore things they shouldn't with all the great toys to keep them occupied. Auntie Ang is an awesome photographer, so she took over 500 photos over the course of the weekend!
When Ang and I got home we took the girls outside because it was a gorgeous day! (We really have to take advantage of these days because they are very few and far between...even though we are well into Spring!)

Brooke
SydneyTaylor
BrookeLove this shot of Syd seeking comfort from Papa, she gets a little freaked out about the texture of grass. She will get used to it!TaylorSyd and MamaSaturday we had a great time just hanging out playing with the girls and again, taking many pictures! The girls love dancing so we pretty much always have music of some genre on. We are also spending more time running around the house instead of the majority of the time in the play room. The girls love hanging out in the foyer, there is always a lot of noise and giggles!
TaylorSyd and Wrigs exchanging kissesBrookeChris and I had a wedding that evening so Papa, Busia and Auntie Ang fed the girls and put them to bed! This is what dinner time looked like...not all that unlike the day to day, maybe a little more ALL over the face! It looks like they had a ball!

All dressed up and me looking mighty pregnant, 8 weeks to go!
BrookeSydneyTaylorSunday was another day of hanging around the house and having fun! We did venture out to the grocery store to pick up things for dinner. My cousin Catherine and her fiance Kirk came up from Chicago for the night. It was great to see and spend time with them! Unfortunately I was not on top of it and failed to get a picture of them with the girls.

Brooke was interested in pretty much whatever Auntie Ang was doing and learned a lot from her over the course of the weekend. She loved her camera and couldn't get enough of watching her take pictures and then looking at them when she was done.
Brooke also now definitely knows what a cow is and says moo when we ask her what sound a cow makes. That teaching moment occurred when Ang was drinking a Spotted Cow beer. Brooke enjoyed holding the bottle, making the drinking face with her lips and looking at the label with the cow on it. She even learned how to properly make the Ahhh sound after a sip. Who knew one beer could teach so many things to a toddler. Now, to make sure she does not take a liking to it too early, who am I kidding she is a product of Chris and I, yikes!!!
It was a wonderful weekend and the girls definitely loved hanging out with Auntie Ang, we can't wait until June for another longer visit!!!