Mia's Highs and Lows

Our dinner time routine is to go around the table and say our "high" and "low" for the day. Wednesday is what we call daddy's long day. He leaves a little before 9am but then doesn't usually get home until after 10pm. Our precious Mia marks her calendar by daddy's long day and daddy's day off. Her bond with her daddy is like no other I have ever seen. As hard as it was not to go to China with Dan(pic above), I would not change that decision for the world.

Wednesday Daddy rearranged his morning and came to Hadley's Halloween Parade at Preschool. Mia's class also came into the church sanctuary to watch. Last night (Wednesday) when I asked Mia what her "High" and her "Low" were for the day here was her answer: "my high was getting to see daddy this morning and my low is that it is daddy's long day". My precious, precious baby girl. She is a sweet, sweet delight to our souls.

Hadley's Preschool Halloween Party

Hadley was way too cute as a fairy. Her preschool does a Halloween parade through the church sanctuary. So parents drop them off in the car line as usual and then go park and sit in the church sanctuary.

Dan was not planning to go but at breakfast Hadley turned to Dan and in the sweetest voice said "Daddy are you going to be there?" Dan visibly melted right before my eyes and said "yes I will be there". That man is putty in his girls' hands. I think he also wanted to see if he could check out the boy that has apparently been holding his daughter's hand at recess. Paxton!

Wednesday night Hadley said her high for the day was holding Paxton's hand at recess. Heaven help us!

Their First Concert

Monday night the girls spent almost an hour setting up the audience for a "concert". It was an elaborate logistics project that required items to be transported from all over the house. I was honestly awed by the creativity and care with which the audience was positioned. Here are just a few pics. The pictures do not do it justice at all.

Barbie's riding horses and doggies

Mommy and Daddy Patches (the beloved Guineas)

And my all time favorite. "Fearless" also called ""BoBo"" and "Patches"

A New Day

Since the girls decided to give up napping, we decided that it was time that they start doing some chores and earning an allowance. So I of course hit the internet to find out a good way to track and monitor chores. I was about to order some fridge chore charts when I came across the cutest idea with detailed instructions from this site: http://www.howdoesshe.com/chore-chart-for-multiple-kids

So I hit the garage that afternoon and began creating my own. Well, I have a whole new appreciation for artists and people that do crafts. Drilling the holes in the wood was right up my ally but the rest, well the rest, was a stretch to my patience and skill. It took me three days and hours upon hours of cutting, gluing, sanding and staining. When I first started the project I thought oh this is going to be my new gift to all of my firends but now "NO WAY".

But here is my final product:

The cutest part to all of this is that the girls LOVE doing their chores. The minute I told them they they were going to start earning money they all three ran up the stairs. I asked them where they were going and they said "to make our beds". If only I could capture this enthusiasm and bottle it to be opened in say 10 years.

And I finally found a solution to staying on top of the laundry. BRIANNA. She daily hounds me to do laundry. She is my chief laundry helper. She loves sorting, folding, loading and moving the laundry. I asked her why she loves it and she said so she can have clean underwear. Pretty bad when your 4 year old tells you that.

A Sad Day

Well, one of my dreaded days is here. The day that they ALL decide to mutiny and NOT nap. Brianna hasn't napped since she turned three but I could always count on Mia and Hadley.

Well Mia's soccer was during naptime on Saturdays this fall and I flippantly said this better not make her give up her nap. Soccer is over and I think she only napped once last week! And Hadley, like Bri, turned three and suddenly thinks she doesn't need to sleep.

Trying to enforce the "naptime is not over yet" with one child was exhausting, but now with three it is downright difficult to do anything. I might have to invest in two "Tell Me Time" children alarm clocks. Mia can already do a pretty good job of telling time so I am hoping she won't be jealous.

Meanwhile I am mourning the loss of a few moments to myself in the middle of a loud and crazy day.

7 Girls! Last Friday Night We Had 7 Girls! CRAZY!

Hadley's Birthday Party at Nana and Poppy's House

Hadley and the Mud

Part 1

Part 2

Hadley's Thank You

The Sweet Life

This is what our life looked like when Dan got home after work 3 years ago.

We dreamed of the day when we could do this - just sit and watch the girls play while having adult conversation. We didn't necessarily dream it would be on my(Elise) grossest nightmare (the McDonalds playland). But we will take it. We will take it.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Bye Bye terrible twos! Our baby girl turned 3 yesterday. We had a small birthday dinner at McDonalds with our best friends the Gazaways then went to worship and communion at church as a family. Hadley got to pick one present to open on her birthday. The other presents have to wait until we celebrate this weekend with her cousins, aunties and grandparents.

She picked her gift from Butde and Papa to open. Wow, is she now a happy girl. She has her very own Barbies. She no longer has to beg Brianna to let her play with hers.

Happy Birthday, baby girl. We love you. We love your fire, determination, cuddles and sweet heart. We are so thankful for our biggest surprise.