First Piano Recital: A Success!

Maggie did not seem a bit nervous for her first piano recital, part of her teacher's annual Holiday Showcase.  She played "Up On the Housetop" and "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas." 

Kindergarten Round Up

It was touch and go for a while.

Despite being too excited to sleep the night before Kindergarten Round-Up, coming face-to-face with the actual event made Mags a little nervous.

As we toured the Kindergarten classrooms, the very classrooms she's been in numerous times visiting Cate and Ben, she clutched our hands tightly in hers and avoided eye contact with the teachers that she's known for years.

After the tour, everyone returned to the gym for "A Day in the Life of a Kindergartner" slideshow.  When it was time for Maggie to go back to the classroom, with the other kids but without the parents, she turned to us in a panic, "What if I can't find my way back to you?"

(Oh, sweet Maggie!  You have such a big personality that I sometimes forget just how little you really are!)

We gently reminded her that she has spent quite a lot of time in the school already and could probably find her way back to us blindfolded.  And, we pointed out, one of the Kindergarten teachers would surely lead the kids back to the gym.

She had tears in her eyes as she joined the line of kids leaving the gym, but when she came back she couldn't stop smiling.  She stopped just long enough for me to snap a quick picture before she ran off to chase her new friends around the room.

I have a feeling the first week of Kindergarten will be a little rough. 

For Maggie and for me.

I'm not ready for her to be in Kindergarten!

Cece: An Update

It's hard to believe that Cece is almost 18 months old.

She is a busy, busy little girl.  Who can blame her?  There's a lot to keep up with in our house.

She's starting to be quite the little chatterbox although her vocabulary is heavy on the names of her siblings' friends---Emmett, Henry, GG---and the neighbors' pets----Molly, Tessa."  Her demand for "more lemonade" is surprisingly clear.  And the other day we swear she said, "Let it go."  (We do listen to the Frozen soundtrack quite a lot).

Cece likes to do everything herself, including eating, and has recently started climbing everything in sight.  Her latest trick is to use her little piano as a stool that allows her to climb on top of the couch (see above).  She then tightrope walks along the top edge of the couch, burrowing into the pillows when an adult comes to pluck her to safety.

She adores popsicles, dogs (aka "woofs") and her siblings.  She loves to try on Ben's socks and shoes and walk around the house.  Today she brought a pair of Maggie's undies to us and proceeded to wear them over her diaper.

Cece has a fake cry that she will deploy when one of her siblings is up in her business and she wants her parents to intervene.  She has a "surprised!" face that never fails to make us laugh.  She hates her car seat and would play in the car for hours, if we would let her.

She is an astute observer of the world around her.  Earlier this summer we were in the car on our way to Cedar Rapids.  She and Maggie were sitting across from each other, buckled in their respective car seats.

Suddenly, we hear Maggie start to cry.

"Maggie! What's wrong?"  I asked.

"Cece's playing want-it-you-can't with me," came Maggie's response.

"What is want-it-you-can't?" I asked, confused.

"You know---want-it-you-can't!" Maggie says and pantomimes giving me a toy to hold and snatching it away from me just as I reach for it.

"Oh," I said.  "I wonder where she learned a game like that..."

"I don't know!" cried Maggie indignantly. "But it's not very nice!"

It seems as though things will get even more lively around here once Cece begins to really talk...

Maggie - Post Day 1

Maggie gave the first day of preschool two thumbs up telling me it was, "Awesomer than awesome."

When I asked what the best part of her day was she said, "Oh seein' you at pick-up."

Maggie's Second 1st Day of Preschool

Maggie had a hard time with preschool drop off last year.  And she had a hard time with the idea of going back to preschool this year.

Early in July we dropped of her preschool deposit.  This left Maggie in hysterics.  She sobbed, "Please don't send me back to that place."

She was so upset at the thought of going to preschool that even Cate and Ben, who usually have little patience for Maggie's flair for the dramatic, tried to console her.

"But preschool is fun!"
"You get to paint and do art projects!"
"You get to play with your friends every day---and your best friend will be there."

Maggie was unmoved.  She. Was. Not. Going. To. Preschool.

Ben tried to reason with her, "But you need to go to preschool so you can go to kindergarten.  And you need to go to kindergarten so you can learn math."

"I don't want to learn math," said Maggie.

"But you need math to get a job," explained Ben.  "All jobs need math.  Well, unless you're going to be a caveman."

There was a brief moment of silence as we all contemplated this wisdom.

Ben thought for a minute and said, "Actually, I think even cavemen need math so you should probably go to school."

This set off a new round of hysterics.

And so I was a bit worried about how Maggie would fare on her first day of preschool.

But, in the end, it couldn't have gone better.  She was up at 5:30am, and dressed by 5:35. 

The only person crying at drop-off was Cece, who was sad to leave her big sister (and the small sink and great toys) behind.

Traditional first-day-of-school photo on the front steps

Before school with her BFF

By her cubbie, wearing the outfit she picked out for the first day.  She insisted on the pink sweater to match her maxi dress.

Cece, plotting her escape

Cece and Mags

First Day of School 2014

3rd Grade

1st Grade

Mags, getting in on the action

My Crazy Crew

My Crew

A New Era

Last night we went for our second ever family bike ride.  In contrast to the first bike ride, Cece didn't cry at all.  We packed the Burley with books and her bink (in case of emergency) and made Maggie promise to "be a good friend."

We first stopped at Dairy Queen and then headed to "the lookout" on the way home. 

I think Chris and I are even more excited than the kids to have a family activity that everyone can participate in.

Baby's First Sweet Corn

Baby Artist

Otherwise known as anything-Cate-and-Maggie-can-do-I-can-do-too!

Baby's First Temper Tantrum

Sweet girl. 

About the only thing that can make her this angry is to not be able to do something the big kids are doing.

I wish I found all of my children's bad behavior so entertaining.

Baby Ballerina

Maggie participated in her very first dance recital on May 31.  Needless to say after sitting through numerous dance recitals, baseball games and school concerts for Cate and Ben she was thrilled to have an event that was hers and hers alone.

She and her classmates danced to "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen, a song that Maggie absolutely loves.

This was the one event that I was really, really sad to miss while I was in Europe.  But I am grateful for the technology that allowed me to see videos and photos almost instantaneously!

Last Day of Preschool

Where does the time go?  How is it possible that Maggie has already finished her first year of preschool?

I had to include the first picture of Maggie and her buddy Gavin.  I suspect a secret crush on Gavin as she gave him a plastic trophy on the last day of school.  The trophy is only significant because she and Ben have been battling over possession of said plastic trophy for about six months.

Cate's First Communion

Special thanks to Aunt Jenah for coming over early to do Cate's hair for this special day.

Our pew with the banner Cate made for First Communion

Beautiful!

With her Godmother, Aunt Amy

Blaise, Miss Nelson (Cate's 2nd grade teacher) and Kiki

Birthday Girl!

 

I think Cate had a great birthday.  She woke up to a balloon-filled bedroom and couldn't wait to begin the traditional scavenger hunt.  This year I made each clue a word scramble, and was worried it would be too difficult.  But she and Ben quickly put my fears to rest, solving each puzzle in no time.

 

Our aspiring gymnast was thrilled to receive a balance beam...and now wants some bars to help her hone her skills.

Happy Easter!

Attempt at a group photo...this was much easier last year before Cece was mobile.

My crew with their loot

What?!?!  There's something IN the eggs?

 

What a great holiday!



 

Cecilia - 11 Months

Likes: when Daddy walks in the door, peaches, being spun around in circles by Cate and Ben, going on walks, drinking whole milk in a sippy cup, "big kid" yogurt in "big kid" containers, playing in the freezer, crawling up the stairs, scooting down the stairs on her bottom, being chased, lift-the-flap books, baby faces, music, the bathtub, the shower, peek-a-boo, looking out the windows

Dislikes: her carseat, being spoon fed, being redirected, having her diaper changed, when Mommy and Daddy leave, 11-month stickers on her onesie

As you can see from these pictures, Cece was not too impressed with her 11-month sticker.  Immediately after I fixed it in place she tore it off, crumpled it up and would have tossed it on the floor but it stuck to her fingers. 

She is a busy, busy baby.  She is constantly on the go---both metaphorically because she has three older siblings that need to go places, and literally because she now has the ability to go wherever she wants.  She is taking more steps but will quickly drop to the floor and crawl if she needs to get someplace quickly.

She loves books and will crawl over the bookshelf, empty it(!) and then turn the pages of the books piled around her.  Her favorite books to read at bedtime and nap time are "Baby Faces," "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" and "Where is Baby's Belly Button?"

We've noticed that she ignores her own (baby) toys in favor of whatever Cate, Ben and Maggie are playing with.  This does not always go over so well.  It's almost as if she knows that if no one is saying, "No Cece!  You can't play with that" about a particular toy then it probably isn't worth playing with anyway. 

I think she is getting ready to transition to one nap a day.  The thought of my baby switching to one nap a day filled me with horror when Cate was a baby.  In fact, I remember crying (real tears) over the prospect.  But we are definitely looking forward to the increased flexibility that one nap a day will allow us (especially when it's time to go to the pool).

Cece is definitely starting to "talk."  We think she's said:  mama, dada, all done and bubba (for Ben).  The kids swear they've heard her say "no," much to my great chagrin.  She has a sound that she makes when she's happy or excited.  This is accompanied by bouncing up and down and hand clapping.  She also indicates her displeasure (e.g., tears, arching her back, kicking her legs) if a toy is taken away from her or if she is not allowed to dump a small container of cottage cheese on her head.   This, we suspect, is a sneak preview of temper tantrums to come.

She waves bye-bye, "dances" to music, and continues to delight us every single day.