Sydney's August POTD

I almost didn't publish this post when I realized I basically have 1 good photo for the whole month. Packing, moving and unpacking really cut a hole into the measly 24 hours in a day. In the end, I decided 1 photo is enough for a post (especially if  I throw in a couple of random videos). Besides, I have a few things to say about this beautiful little creature!

Check out my HANDS!

Sydney has plumped up to the point that she is just lusciously chubby! I love her dimpled hands and elbows. I can't get enough of her multiple thigh rolls. When I change her diaper, her round belly just begs to be tickled. And those cheeks!!! When I kiss them there's an oh so satisfactory "smack" that follows. Even writing this post makes me want to swoop her up into my arms and just hug and kiss her until she protests at my smothering. It's adorable when she tries to give me an aggressive baby growl. Just makes me want to hug and kiss her some more.

Always so happy!

I'm so grateful she is ours!

Guest Post by Brigitta

Hi there! This is Brigitta and my baby sister had a huge blowout! While Mom is cleaning up that mess, let me tell you how you can get picture perfect hair like me!!! HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!

First just rummage through a drawer in Mom and Dad's bathroom. If it looks neatly organized, that's probably the one with all the good stuff.  Ready for some fun?

First rub in this:

 And since the container looks similar, some of this too:

 Then try this! It's kind of like play-dough so be sure to roll it around in your hands and wipe it on your clothes.

 Using the rule that the containers look alike so you MUST use both, put this on as well!

 Turns out that isn't so much like play-dough so it might drip in big globs on the floor. Next, squeeze as much as you can out of this one!

 Since this is a pretty bottle, pour this on your hair too. It will actually help sop up the shellacked helmet you've made on top of your head.

 I've seen Mom use this on her teeth but I think outside the box. Massage this one in down to the scalp! Another bottle that's fun to squeeze and drip all over the floor!!!

 To set the look, add a good quantity of this stuff. If you can't smell a thick fog of it (it smells like pee, even in small amounts), then you aren't using nearly enough!!!

Wasn't that fun?

Oh, I forgot to mention you should take a break in the middle of all this to go to another room and make some noise. If it get's too quiet, Mom gets suspicious and cuts the fun short with a really loud, "SERIOUSLY????". If that happens, just give her an adorable smile and say, "I did it!" as you pat the top of your head repeatedly and splatter the mess some more. All will be forgiven.

Also forgot to mention, having Mom shampoo all of this out isn't so much fun.

Liesel's First Day of School

The start of school was something I was going to stress about until it was over. Getting registered, buying supplies, and taking care of meal tickets, gym shoes, and "spirit wear" which is apparently done every Friday happened in a whirlwind. Even though the schools in this area are rated higher than the one Liesel attended in Iowa City, she adored her teacher and had tons of friends. If she didn't mesh well with her teacher and wasn't able to make friends, I was pretty sure I was going to cry. We're here to stay and even though Brent and I love it, a good experience at school would ensure Liesel loves it too. 

I love the casually crossed legs. It's clearly not her first time at the rodeo.

Liesel's bus driver is named Ron... just like the bus driver in Sky High who puts on the cloaking device and flies it through the clouds. Liesel loved that. 

She was more thrilled to ride the bus than to actually go to school! And believe me, this girl loves going to school.

 While Liesel didn't report any immediate BFF's, she said she made some friends on her first day. Phew! And now Mom can breathe again...

Tidbits

From Ireland: "My belly's not interested in food, it's only interested in chocolate milk."

Brent and I were trying to make phone calls regarding our house hunt while Liesel and Ireland were begging for some ice cream. I tried to explain to them that we needed to have it quiet while we talked and besides, would they rather have a house so the family could be together or ice cream? Liesel sadly admitted she wanted a house. Ireland perkily told me she wanted the ice cream. As I gave Brent a look that said, "What are we going to do with this girl?" Ireland remained determined and repeated she wanted the ice cream... in case I didn't catch it the first time.

Brigitta got into my makeup:

And the Butt Paste:

And chipped her tooth (best pic I could take since she was screaming and crying):

Of course that happened within a month of her dental check-up:

I've repeatedly (and I mean repeatedly) told the girls not to bother me when I'm on the phone. Ignoring this completely, Ireland came bounding up to me to ask about something when I was deep in conversation with my sister. I lost it and said, "#1- Don't EVER interrupt me when I'm on the phone! It makes me want to beat you to death with my shoe!!!" Ireland considered that for a second and not even a bit intimidated said, "And #2?"

I was folding laundry when I picked up a sweater of Sydney's that happened to match the swimsuit Liesel was wearing. Jokingly, I told her to put it on and without a thought, Liesel slipped it on and zipped it up. That Liesel of mine is one tiny girl!

The time came for me to get my Hep A booster (I'd had the first shot before our trip abroad). I purposely brought Liesel and Ireland so I could show them that even though I hate needles, I could get a shot without being difficult to the nurse or crying. When it was time, the girls were much more fascinated in watching the nurse stab me, than in seeing how brave I was. The Hep A shot is one that actually hurts more afterwards and between the pain and my two girls grotesquely wanting to witness the blood and gore part, it all made me... want to cry.

A pretty good braid:

We found out Liesel will be taking the bus to school this year. I'm ecstatic about this little development and I excitedly told her, "Did you know I took the bus when I was a little girl?" She pragmatically responded, "No, because I wasn't there."

In the midst of moving madness, I was called to jury duty. This is my third time and I've never actually had to serve so I gambled rather than following the instructions on what to do if you cannot actually serve. I should have factored Cook county's high crime rate in my thinking, because I was actually called to serve. I had to file for an extension... whoops.

This is how Liesel falls asleep every night:

Love my little book worm!

Brigitta is TWO!

Oh this girl. This girl is putting me through my paces. She is by far more mischievous than the rest of her siblings... combined. Gita has the ability to get into trouble, even in plain sight. Keeping up with her older sisters makes her brazen, fearless, and determined. I'm reminded these will all be good qualities to have someday. I'm not sure what her ability to create massive messes in stunningly short amounts of time will come to, but she has that in her pocket as well. Little Brigitta also seems to be rather accident prone. When I think of the things she's managed to ingest, I simultaneously cringe and gag. Brigitta can scream like a banshee... something she demonstrates often. Right now she is challenging me as a mother every minute of every day.

As I've mentioned, Brigitta had a case of chicken pox the week prior to the photo shoot. She also had a bad fall and hit her cheek on the pedestal foot of an office chair so that's the lovely yellow-brown bruise. She has a scar on her left eye from another bad fall many months ago. The chip on her front tooth is from trying to dive under the water in the bathtub. Just for fun, the day before the shoot, she had two mosquito bites just under her right eye which made it very red and swollen. I'm surprised no one has called Child Protective Services based on her appearance alone. 

I debated putting on some concealer but in the end decided these photos were never about perfection; they are about capturing the children at different stages of life. To cover up all those bumps and bruises would be akin to covering up Brigitta's personality.

This close-up gives a great view of the chipped tooth, the bruise and the lingering pox. And yet she is genuinely smiling. That's my Gita!

I first spotted this dress on a trip to Solvang, CA. I fell in love with it (those shades of blue and turquoise on a blue-eyed little girl? Heaven!) but Brent discouraged me from buying it as our vacation was getting plenty expensive. When I saw it again in another store in Boston, I snatched it up without a second thought. Liesel and Ireland wore it and I felt it was the perfect dress for Gita to wear for the photo since she has a summer birthday.

 Seriously? I mean... SERIOUSLY?

That's better.

Much, much better.

For the next year I will be in the trenches with this one as she rides the Terrible Two's. I know it's going to stretch me to the limits of my energy and patience but I also know it will be filled with eager kisses, proud proclamations of, "I did it!!!" and crooked smiles with that chipped tooth. 

I love you Brigitta, with all my heart and soul.

We Bought a House

At closing when we'd finally signed the last document and our broker handed us the keys, I turned to Brent and cried, "OH MY GOSH WE'RE IN SO MUCH DEBT!!!!" Our attorney and broker exchanged glances and I was keenly aware the typical buyer skips into the parking lot with their keys and little concern otherwise.

I did feel secure that we had done our research. We rigorously reviewed school ratings. Brent called utility companies and got average, high and low usage figures. I contacted the county to see if any ferocious dogs were registered in the neighborhood. We checked the Illinois sex offender website to see if there was anything concerning nearby. I called the local police station and asked about crime in the area. 

The schools are excellent. The utilities are doable. There are no pit bulls, doberman pincers or German shepherds nearby. There's no registered sex offenders anywhere near the area. The most reported crime is theft from unlocked cars in public parking. Not to mention we loved the house. The girls did too. Brigitta cried when we left after the initial showing. 

While Brent and I were closing on the house, my father-in-law BJ watched the girls. He treated them for a light lunch and then met us at the house afterwards. While the financial obligation still weighed heavily on me, everything bounced back into perspective when I saw the girls playing in the backyard. Brent gave me a reassuring smile. Between the two of us, we can navigate any financial situation... we have before!

We are finally together again as a family and this is a home we will cherish. 'Nuff said. 

Moving

In my head, it was all planned out. I'd been packing for weeks so all we had left were the last essential clothes, bathroom and kitchen items. Easy peasy. On Move Day I'd scheduled Sydney's 9-month pediatric appointment thinking that would give me a full 3 months until her next check-up. After all, I didn't want to try moving and then work in her check-up amidst the chaos. I thought I was brilliant. I also scheduled haircuts for the 3 older girls. After a long summer of sun and chlorine damage, they were in desperate need of a trim. If I did it on Move Day, their hair would be as freshly cut as possible for the start of school. Again, I didn't want to try and find a place, schedule appointments and take them in when we'd be trying to get settled. Brilliant, right?

WHAT WAS I THINKING?!? Move Day was chaos. The things we needed to pack up suddenly multiplied... and scattered themselves haphazardly around the house. I found myself throwing random items into our very last moving boxes, laundry baskets, and horror of horrors- industrial sized garbage bags. A dear friend came the night before to help wipe down walls and cupboards, dust, Windex, etc. Many more friends came the morning of the move while the older girls were at a play date. I apologized repeatedly as I ran from one appointment to the next. When all appointments were taken care of, I rushed back to the house and found everyone had left but there was plenty more to do. 

By the time the truck was packed and the house was clean and buttoned up, I was dirty and winded. Brent and I checked, rechecked, audited each other's final check of the house and we finally hit the road around 3:30. 

I still can't believe this little truck holds all the valuables for our household of SIX!

Ireland announced she would take the first shift driving the truck with Grandpa. She was pleased as punch.

Once we checked into the hotel and I was able to soak in the hot tub, I realized how tense I had been. I was still concerned about closing on the house the next day. My mind was searching for any tiny thing we could have left unresolved with my parent's house. It was getting late and I wasn't sure what we'd do for dinner. I was hoping beyond hope the girls would completely wear themselves out in the pool and quickly fall asleep (yeah, right). But seeing my girls laugh and splash in the pool with their daddy made me inexplicably happy.

BJ moved heavy furniture and boxes all morning, then drove the moving truck 4 hours, then frolicked with the girls in the pool. I don't know where he found the energy. Brent and I were glassy eyed. 

BJ even managed to wear Brigitta out in the pool- something I thought was an impossibility.

Should we have to move again in the future, I'm going to remember a few things:

1- I will buy waaaay more boxes than I think I'll ever need. I can always return unused ones and it's just better to have them on hand.

2- Be on hand during the actual move. Don't assume a couple of hours with just myself, my husband and father-in-law will suffice.

3- No matter how minimally I lived in the past (right up until I was married, I could fit all my earthly belongings in my Honda Civic), I have a family now. By today's standards, it's a big family and we have stuff. Lots of stuff. Maybe it's a lot less than the average family of six, but it's still a lot of stuff.

4- Before attempting to move, throw out half the stuff. I will trash it, donate it or sell it. Get down to the bare minimum to survive. Take a look at what Gandhi left behind when he died. Try to emulate that.

5- I hope to always have good friends who will love me even when I'm a mess on Move Day. They make not just the move, but life in general so much sweeter.

Sistows!

A pride of lions. A murder of ravens. What do you call a group of little girls? Brent and I have decided it is a drama of girls. But underneath the teasing, the tears, the territory-mongering, there is a heart-melting sweetness to sisterhood. Observe:

With their babysitter Amanda

  

With cousin Elizabeth

I'm so glad they have each other! There's nothing in this world like sisters.

Sydney's 9 Month Photos

Confession time: Sydney is technically 10 month old in these photos. I'd planned to get her 9 month photos taken at the same time as Brigitta's 2 year photos. A couple of weekends were taken up with the move. Then Brigitta got the chicken pox... and she's HAD the vaccine! Apparently it's not 100%. The good news is that it wasn't severe and didn't last too horribly long. The bad news is that we had to cancel the photo shoot. By the time Brigitta was recovered, Sydney was barely 10 months old. Well at least Sydney's sisters can't accuse me of favoring her as the youngest! At one time or another all these kids feel the crunch of a bigger than average family. 

Ready for some cute pictures? Here we go:

We had to do the traditional bathtub photos!

I'm not usually into crazy pattern-on-pattern kinds of outfits but when I saw this one, I fell in love with it. I knew the colors would bring out Sydney's strawberry blonde hair and she wears it well.

Oh how I adore this swimsuit!!! I absolutely, positively HAD to have professional photos of Sydney wearing it. This one of her from behind is my favorite. She was beyond tired and fussing so badly the photographer couldn't get a decent photo. Brent handed her his iPhone which quickly engrossed her. This was the last photo of the day.