New Shoes

To say that Audrey has been an easy child would be an understatement. She rarely cries, never has meltdowns, pretty much goes with whatever we say. If I could find a way to clone her sweet and agreeable personality, I would be a trillionaire.... Audrey is one easy going kid, with minor exceptions:

1. There will be days that she wants to wear her knit poncho outside. Typically when it is 90 degrees or hotter. We just go with it; it's just not worth arguing with her over it.

2. She insists that she needs to periodically carry an umbrella... Indoors.

3. Trying to get her to wear shoes other than her pink crocs has been a challenge. We know that she can't wear them forever, so we put her in a pair of Lucy's old shoes, and it was a complete meltdown. Poor girl, she was crying so hard, she could barely catch her breath. She would take off the shoe, show it to kyle or me, and say ", No. No shoe." and throw it back into the shoe tub.



All by herself in the car!

So today, I took just Audrey to the store. She stood at the front door waiving bye to Nolan and Lucy, a bit confused of why it was just her. As we went into Target, I explained that we were getting her new shoes. She became excited and did her typically skip/jump walk down the aisles until we arrived at the shoe department. She quickly picked out a pair of purple/pink shoes and helped put them on her feet. She was so proud to show off her NEW SHOES!

First Day of Preschool



Lucy woke up this morning saying "today is my big day!" And it most definitely is.

We read the note that her daddy had left her. Telling her that he loves her and that he is proud of her.

She told me "mama, I'm going to do good listening and use my words. I will use the little-big potty and Ms. MaryAnn will wait until I'm out of the bathroom to flush it. The potty at preschool is green with Ladybugs. Nana just loves green. I'm not going to put my hands in my mouth. I'm going to treat others with respect." The poor girl had a list of things she wanted to do at preschool today and was trying to remember them all. I am so proud of her. I walked her to preschool and got a little choked up as her teacher led her up the stairs and into her school. She has gotten so big, and I am amazed at the polite little girl she has become. She was excited to see me when class was over, and proud to tell me about her day. I just love my little preschooler :)

Yummy...

Our schedules were turned around this week and I ended up with all three kids solo Wednesday night. So I did what any mom of 3 whiny toddlers would do. We put on our PJs and rode our bikes to get ice cream... 

We went to Bubs, which is a change up for us. Typically we walk over to Auntie Em's. 

She's a smart one...

Me: what do you want to do to today?

Lucy: we could go to nana's.

Me: you did that yesterday. Is there something different you would like to do today?

Lucy: maybe we could go to daddy's mom's?

Dear Nolan - 18 months

Dear Nolan,

You are definitely a boy!  (Not that there was ever any doubt.)  You like playing with cars and trucks, you pick on your sisters, and you love to throw things.  Yep, definitely a boy.  I have a feeling you are going to join your cousins, Ben and Jacob, to form a trio of havoc pretty soon.

But you certainly are, first and foremost, your Mama’s little guy.  While you call pretty much everyone “daddy”, nobody can make your face to light up like your Mama.  You live for her.  She’s your first, second, and third choice of who to go to.

You (and your sisters) love playing outside.  You love the swings and the slide.  We’ve been working on your baseball swing.  You also like to watch Daniel Tiger or Frozen.  But your favorite thing is to ride on Mama’s back in a carrier (sensing a theme here?).  You will immediately drop anything you’re doing if you know you have a chance to ride around like a Koala on her back.

You are very good with technology already.  I’m amazed at how you can navigate Lucy’s iPad or my phone and find exactly what you want to watch.  You don’t talk much yet, not like Audrey, but I can tell in a lot of other ways that you are a very bright kid.  At this point, you’re probably content with Lucy answering questions for you.

You are a very sweet guy.  You like to snuggle, you are great at blowing kisses and giving hugs.  It is always so nice when I get home and you yell “Daddy!” and come running over to give me a hug with a giant smile on your face.  Speaking of which, that smile may be your meal ticket in life!  Even immediately after you’ve intently destroyed something, you’ll flash that big grin that makes it tough to get mad at you.  I hope you always have that smile to share with the world.

Nolan, I love you very much.  I know sometimes I forget that you are only 1.  You can definitely be a little tornado at times, but I need to remember that you’re just exploring and learning at your pace.
I can tell that you have a big heart and just love being loved.  And you are loved, just the way you are.  But… please stop biting Mama and your sisters!

Love always,

Daddy

Dear Audrey - 18 months

Dear Audrey,

It is hard to believe our little Podge is already a year and a half!  The first thing that comes to my mind to say is that you are absolutely Lucy’s little sidekick.  You adore Lucy and love to do whatever she is doing.  If Lucy is crawling on the floor pretending to be a dog, you are crawling right behind her.  If Lucy is jumping on the bed, you are jumping right beside her.  We try to warn Lucy to make good choices, because we’ve quickly figured out that you will do whatever she does, whether a good choice or not.  You always have such a big smile on your face when playing with your big sister.

You have always been such a quick learner and that has definitely continued.  You can already count 1-2-3 and say some of your letters.  You love doing songs with hand movements, like the Itsy-Bitsy Spider and the Wheels on the Bus.  It is amazing how good you are at those!

Just like Lucy, Nana has a big place in your heart.  You run to her whenever you see her.  And you hate leaving her!  Whenever we have to leave or if we are just stopping by briefly without going inside, you will be inconsolable.

You are so beautiful.  You inherited a lot of the Kawaguchi traits (Nuna’s side of the family).  You took Nolan’s share of those traits too apparently.  We saw Nuna’s three sisters recently and they all marveled about how much you take after them.

You make me laugh every day.  You have the cutest expressions.  You also get so excited about things that your feet just go crazy.  It makes me smile every time.

You are a great eater.  You always finish your plate and usually eat whatever Nolan and Lucy don’t want.  You are already looking after Nolan.  You will ask about “Noley” and share things with him.  You are such a good talker.  You are a little fighter though.  You will go with the flow most of the time, but you definitely know how to stand your ground.  If there’s something you really want, you can get pretty stubborn.

Audrey, as always, thank you for being so easy to care for.  I know this can cause you to get less attention at times than Lucy and Nolan, but you are never overlooked.  Mama and I love you so much and you always brighten our day.

Love always,

Daddy

Dear Lucy - 3 years

Dear Lucy,

Yesterday you turned 3. We celebrated by walking to breakfast at Bub’s (just you, daddy and I), and then we went to the zoo with Nuna, Nana, Papa, Nolan, Audrey, Aunt Kelly (it was her 30^th birthday), Jacob, Benjamin, Stacey and Eli. You were smiling the entire day. We had dinner and cake at Nana and Papa’s after the zoo.

You love your grandparents. And they love you. Your bond with your Nana is the strongest bond I’ve ever seen between a grandchild and grandparent. You love to play, draw and read books together. You love when she takes you to the library. You also love your brother and sister. 

You had to become pretty independent much younger than most children. Since I only have two arms, often times you have to walk when you would prefer to be carried. You can get everything ready for breakfast all by yourself. Each night you go to each dresser and get pajamas, and then you get a diaper for each baby, plus lotion. You told me that “getting stuff ready for bedtime is my job”. You are very proud to be able to help.

You have the kindest heart of any child. You constantly think of others first. When I give you a cracker, you always ask if you can also have one for Nolan and Audrey. You often worry about where they are and how they are doing. When your daddy tucks you into your bed at night, you always remind him that he needs to check on Audrey before he leaves.

You and Audrey share a room. I asked if you would prefer that she and Nolan share a room, so that you could have your own room, and you told me “No mama. Audrey and me share a room.”

You are also very smart. You can write your name, read and spell many words, and your memory is impeccable.

You are very polite and you treat others with respect. You always remember to say please and thank you. You are often trying to find a way to make someone else happy. You get concerned if you  see someone who is sad. You do a great job communicating your feelings.

You have become a daddy’s girl. You tell people that you are “daddy’s little princess”, and you are. You guys have lots of “Daddy & Lucy things”, like when you switch the caps on the markers, daddy pretends not to notice and says “I’m just going to use this blue marker” and then he goes to color and it is orange, and you two will laugh and laugh about how you switched the caps. You love to ride on his back and go on “lion hunts” as you guys search for baby lions (AKA Nolan and Audrey). Though, you usually ask to walk, your absolute favorite mode of transportation is on your daddy’s shoulders.

You enjoy playing games. Memory card games and a Daniel Tiger game are your favorites. You put together 48 piece puzzles in minutes by yourself. Lately you’ve been asking to play Go Fish after Nolan and Audrey go to sleep. You also love to play Duck, Duck, Goose and Ring Around the Rosy with your cousins and siblings, though you always ask to be the “line leader” (the phrase you have coined for the person getting to go around the circle saying ‘duck/goose’).

You make me so proud every day. You are selfless and confident. You tell me that you are beautiful, and you are. You are the most beautiful 3 year old, on the inside and outside.

I wish that I could relive this last year over and over again. Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. You bring me so much happiness. I love you so much. I am excited to see all of the things this next year will bring.

I love you, little Goose.

I’ll always love you anyway,

Your mama

 

Tax day!

Not only is April 15th the deadline to file your taxes, but it is also the birthday of 2 beautiful women. 

Happy birthday Susan and Auntie Donna. Hope you both had a wonderful birthday :) 

My Date with Lucy

This post is a little belated, but I wanted to write it down anyway.  A couple weeks ago, Lucy and I got to go out on a Daddy-Daughter date. Just the two of us. Lucy wore a cute dress and kept telling me that she looked so pretty. She did!

We walked around Toys R Us looking at all the different toys. We picked out a purple ball for the backyard and a Frozen coloring book. Then we went to get ice cream and play at Chick-fil-a. Then we decided we better head home to check on Mama and the twins.  I know... not the most extravagant date ever, but it was perfect.

Lucy, you are the sweetest, most amazing little girl. I try hard to remember all the special times we get to spend together, but I know those memories can fade over time.  I think this memory is one I'll be able to recall clearly for a long time, but just in case, I'm happy to have this post to look at when you're all grown up.  I love you sweetheart.


Love, Daddy

Podge

Today I just wanted to say thank you to an adorable little girl. 

Audrey has been sleeping through the night since she was just a few months old. Every night she goes to bed at 8PM and every morning she peacefully wakes at 7 AM. 

When it's bedtime or naptime, just lay her in her crib (even if she's wide awake). She will lay her head down and go to sleep.

When she's in her highchair and finishes what she's been eating,  she patiently waits for you to finish your own food and get her down. 

She will eat whatever you feed her, which often times is whatever her brother and sister did not want.

She cries less times in a day than her twin brother does in an hour.

She does what we tell her to do, and rarely ever causes any trouble. 

I pray that every mom gets a Podge, as a well rested and easy kid makes for a happy mama.

Photo overload

The Easter bunny ordered me a new camera. It's nothing super fancy, but I'm learning. So far, I figured how to use the automatic mode only :/ 

It comes with some photo editing software, which I'm sure I will figure out during my freetime... You know, all of that freetime that I have :) 

Happy Easter!

This short clip melts my heart! Love my girls!!

http://youtu.be/mqCkcUArAPY

Swingset!

We have been super busy today! 

The house is a mess.

Our backs are sore.

But just a few more things and we will be ready to swing!

Thanks to my dad for all of his help (and Steve too). Couldn't have done it without you!!

The most fun you've ever had for $1

The other day I spent $1 on a bag of plastic balls. The kids just love them!