One year later.....

I took a picture of Leah in her favorite dress up knowing I had taken it before.....I did not realize that it was 11 months before! The changes in her just floor me. It is that BIG reminder that time goes by so fast. There are moments when I try to picture the 'balancing act' of 4 young children and think "HOW??????", but then I see pictures likes this and it is a big reminder that everything goes by quickly. Too quickly.
Part of me misses Leah's baby cheeks, her baby sounds, and her ROLLS! She is getting so tall and talks in full sentences. Looking at this has helped me to take in every single moment of this pregnancy-knowing it will be my last (should it be????)-and I know I will certainly try to soak in every infant moment I have with our little princess to come.

Leah and all the Lovies

One of the greatest things about being a stay at home mom is catching all those cute little moments...that really are just moments that flutter away. This one was precious! Leah had grabbed up everyone's lovies-not easy to do since each girl is quite attached to their own. Lucky for Leah, the two big girls were outside!

So, with Bear-Bear, Blankie (Mayah's), and Baby (Chiara's-who I think named her "Violet") she sat on the floor.......

Everyone was tucked in....

I just love this look.....

She just sat and looked at them for a bit, as if content with life, and then....just moved on. Cute.

Happy Re-Birthday Daddy!

This Sunday we FINALLY celebrated David's 35th Birthday!!! Not only were we all sick for his birthday but he had to leave for business on his birthday....it was not fun and you can read about it here.

So, we bought his a gift and took him out for BBQ....we know him well! It was a great weekend and topped off by this yummy lunch.

Leah was all decked out in her monkey and monkey sunglasses.....she cracks me up!!!

David with his two big girls-the real present on your birthday is NOT sitting next to the youngest daughter! LOL!!!

The girls and I bought him two new shirts for work-practical, but also celebrating what GREAT shape he is in!

All ready to eat! Nothing like giving a man RIBS on his birthday to say WE LOVE YOU!!!

Special Time

David really does try and have special time with each of his girls....what a blessing! This weekend he took Chiara to the CG Chili Cookoff. They both had a good time and went out to lunch after. The other two would have hated all the walking around and would have been bored. Leah is quite happy when Daddy pushes her on the swing...and so he did. Mayah has been fascinated with dinosaurs lately and has really wanted to share that with her Dad. So, they watched Dino Dan this weekend (Nick Jr Show) and had some time reading the Phoenix Zoo Magazine (below) and the dinosaur books she checked out from the library. She felt loved.

The new view of Chiara

Oh, what a month can do!!!! It was only a month or so ago I could not get Chiara to pick up a book and try to read it (outside of school). We have a great variety of books in our home, but yet nothing was that interesting to her...and I think she was a bit 'book shy'. For Valentines Day I took a chance and bought her a chapter book-it was a bit hard, but she loved it! She could read most of it and really did seem to understand what she was reading. She is almost through our first grade reading curriculum and doing great with school reading, but those readers are used for teaching, not so much for pleasure. So, we went to the library and she got this fairy series and she has devoured 2 and just picked up her third. She has also been reading Amelia Bedelia (one of my favorites), and we found these cute ones about a girl named Amber Brown. I love hearing how excited she is about the plot and when she can recall details for me...wow! I am really seeing a change....she is becoming a lover of reading. I find her nose in a book often now!

Leah...What are you doing?

Leah, what are you doing?

I do this!!!!

You Don't have to be Supermom

I received this wonderful document from a dear friend of mine. She had no idea how much I had been talking about this idea that I do not have to be Super Mom anymore-especially when David is away. I hope this blesses anyone who reads this, as much as it blessed me.
This was taken from confessionsofahomeschooler.com-though I can assure you it relates to ALL moms.

Super Mom Vs Abiding Mom

Leah Gets Caught!

There are not many times during any week that I can teach uninterrupted. Mayah and Leah not getting along, Leah wanting snack after snack (bottomless pit), someone just needing something. Well, on those rare occasions I can teach without someone needing me I cherish them.....maybe too much. I knew Leah was unsupervised upstairs, but last I checked in with her she was in Chiara's room "playing" Barbies. She was up there for a long time.....I should have known...and I guess part of me did. Once Chiara was on her own doing some work I went upstairs to Chiara's room. No Leah. CRAP. "Leah? Where are you?" I hear her faint voice from my bathroom......and here is the scene I came upon:

She had painted her toe nails....and toes, hands, Pj's, and my mat. She got into my little makeup bag and decorated herself and everything around her. So, like any 'good' parent I walked downstairs, got my camera, and took a picture. How else can I prove my mental state????