Andy & Mara's Family

Children's Museum of Phoenix

2011-08-25T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today the girls and I made a trip up to Phoenix to visit with our friends and former neighbors. We met at the Children's Museum, which offers free admission to members of the Tucson Children's Museum on the 25th day of each month. We had a great time and of course wanted to stay longer to play and visit, but it was a Thursday and that is babysitter day, so we had to be home by 3.

One of the girls favorite exhibits was this mock car wash that you could ride a variety of bicycles through. They must have gone around 15 times, and even Chloe found a push bike that she could ride.

The market and kitchen area were another favorite. Here is Zoe showing off her cooking creation.

Chloe did some shopping while at the museum

School!

2011-08-08T20:59:00.000-07:00

School has begun for the big girls, and today Chloe hadn't gone down for her morning nap yet and was not about to be left out of the fun! She got to do a modified version of the fish mosaic that the big girls created, and it was enough to satisfy her curiosity and make her ready for a good rest.

Hello Tarantula!

2011-08-07T15:46:00.001-07:00

Today while helping us do yard work, Chloe discovered a furry little creature hanging out under one of the bushes. She reached to pick it up only to stop when daddy yelled, "NO!!!" So what was the furry little critter that she spied???

It was this guy - friendly Mr. Tarantula. We were trimming up the bushes because that's where snakes like to hide, and we've already had one run in with a rattlesnake this summer. We were surprised to see the tarantula - this isn't the time of year that they usually come out. We trimmed around him and left him alone. These furry critters are great to have around because they eat the scorpions! It's hard to tell from the picture, but the tarantula was a little smaller than my hand. In the past, we've seen them as big as dinner plates!

Read to a Dog

2011-08-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Our local library hosts this great program called Read to a Dog. Twice a week children can read to a trained dog that won't correct them, ask them annoying questions or cringe at hearing the same book over, and over, and over. After months of talking about going, we finally made it there.

Zoe read one of her Bob books and was much less shy than usual!

Sophie read a book about Simba, from the Lion King.

The lady who hosts the event wanted to know what grade the girls were in. When I told her their ages, she was shocked! The girls loved going, and we will definitely be doing this again. Although next time I'll have to figure out a better way to occupy Chloe, who loves dogs and spent the entire time trying to climb over everyone so she could pet the dog! Is it too early to teach her how to read??

Hot Day at the Zoo

2011-08-02T14:47:00.000-07:00

We're always looking for ways to stay cool in the summer. Today we went to the zoo. It's not the most obvious choice when the temps are in the triple digits, but we made it work and ended up spending over three hours there! We met up with friends from Temple and had a great time.

Zoe found a shady spot to rest and drink some water

We spent quite awhile in the indoor (air conditioned) education room, where the girls got to pet a snake, an armadillo and a chicken!

Here's Chloe feeding the giraffes for the first time - she had no fear and immediately asked to do it again after feeding Denver the giraffe two carrots

Here's the best reason to go to the zoo in the summer: the splash park! In the middle of the zoo is this great little splash pad with all kinds of fun ways to stay cool.

After cooling off in the water, we walked some more of the zoo while the girls' suits dried. It turned out to be a really fun day!

Art by Zoe

2011-07-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

We frequently post pictures of Sophie's artwork, but Zoe has shown that her artistic abilities are impressive too! Here is a recent picture she made for Sophie. At the top, she wrote "For Sophie From Zoe". Okay, so she spelled "from" wrong, but who cares? She did it all by herself and I was totally amazed!

Playing Store

2011-07-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Chloe is really into playing pretend these days. Here she is calling for a price check while playing store. She also loves to take care of her baby dolls, and lately she's been spending time crawling on the floor and pretending to be a dog!

International Wildlife Museum

2011-07-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today we visited the International Wildlife Museum with some friends. The museum is filled with animals found around the world. There were a lot of questions from the children about whether the animals were real. They were, they just happened to be dead, and stuffed. There were lots of things for the kids to touch, like animal hides, tusks, antlers, even a stuffed javalina and a giraffe!

Sophie's favorite part was the lions. Here she is sitting on one of the statues outside of the museum. Zoe's favorite part was the butterfly room, and Chloe really loved the giant giraffe that you could walk under. I didn't get any good pictures inside of the museum. My camera abilities aren't good enough to adjust for the weird lighting, but I can promise that fun was had by all, and I really enjoyed finding another air conditioned activity for the kiddos!

Pizza Night

2011-07-26T14:02:00.000-07:00

Everyone had fun making this semi-homemade pizza. We've been buying fresh pizza dough from our local market, and the girls have lots of fun stretching and rolling the dough, spreading the sauce and sprinkling on the cheese. My favorite part is eating the pizza!

Got Mud?

2011-07-11T21:24:00.001-07:00

Looks like Chloe has been practicing for the mud run in September!!

Swim Class

2011-06-23T20:44:00.000-07:00

All three girls attended swim classes 4 days a week for the entire month of June. It made for interesting mornings since swim class was right during Chloe's morning nap. Fortunately, she loves the water so much that once she got in she stopped fussing about being tired. She also ended up taking one big nap in the middle of the day for those 4 weeks. Fortunately we're back to our regular 2 naps a day and a somewhat normal schedule (whatever normal is!).

On the last day of each session, all of the students get to have popsicles. The girls did great this year. Chloe was in the parent-tot class. Whenever the teacher asked her to blow bubbles or kick her legs, she would say no. It wasn't until the second session that we figured out that if we just sang the song, "This is the way we blow our bubbles etc..." she would do whatever was that they wanted her to do! Zoe was in level 1 again this year, but she made a lot of improvements. She still doesn't swim on her own, but she goes all the way under the water now and jumps into the pool in the shallow areas where she can touch. She really wants to be able to swim and keep up with Sophie, but she's just a little nervous still about not having at least one toe on the bottom of the pool! And Sophie made amazing strides this year. She started in level 2 and then advanced to level 3 where they learn the breast stroke and the back stroke. After the second session they advanced her to level 4, but we weren't planning on doing session 3 so we'll have to wait for next summer. Sophie is very interested in being on the swim team. They have had six-year-olds before, as long as they can swim one lap without stopping and without help. Right now Sophie can swim about a half lap (maybe more) using the free-style stroke without stopping. We'll have to see how much she improves by the end of the summer, and how much she forgets between then and next summer!

The other babies in the parent-tot class didn't get popsicles, but this third child was not about to miss out on what her big sisters were getting! She may be a little bit spoiled, but at least she has a generous heart.

Another Masterpiece

2011-06-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a recent example of Sophie's art. She spends hours every day drawing princesses, horses, flowers, fairies...really anything that she reads about or happens to see during the day. One of these days we'll have to get a picture of Andy's office down at the lot. The walls are covered with original masterpieces by Sophie and Zoe!

Happy 80th Gigi!

2011-06-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

There was a big celebration for Gigi's 80th birthday. Grandma Laura made a beautiful party for Gigi at the Skyline Country Club - a place that we love to visit for our own personal reasons! Many of the guests got up and told stories or performed songs about how special Gigi is to them. Even Sophie got up and said Happy Birthday into the microphone!

Here is Gigi surrounded by people who love her

The Gieseke family all dressed up for the celebration

Staying Cool

2011-06-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Now that the pool is open, you can find us there almost every day! It's only a dollar for the whole family, there's a slide, zero-depth entry and splash buckets, and it takes 3 minutes to get there. Clearly a no-brainer!

Here is Zoe going down the slide with a lifeguard

Sophie showing off her swimming skills

Chloe drying off after a fun day at the pool

Flutterby Butterfly

2011-06-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Zoe got this great butterfly habitat for her birthday from Grammy Harriet. Once the habitat arrived, we sent away for the caterpillars. The whole family had fun watching the caterpillars grow bigger and bigger, and then one by one they began to form their chrysalis. Once the painted lady butterflies hatched, we observed them for a couple of days and then released them in the backyard.

Chloe loved checking on the butterflies throughout the day. Here she is saying bye-bye to them before the big release.

Zoe watching one butterfly escape to the wilderness while Sophie and Chloe watch to see which one will be next.

One of the beautiful butterflies before taking it's first real flight

4 Years Old!

2011-05-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

Happy birthday to our middle princess! This year Zoe's birthday was extra special, because her birthday party happened to be the same day. She chose to wear this adorable dress from Grandma Laura for her birthday party, and also for her picture she asked to wear the tiara from my wedding. Isn't she a pretty little lady?

And Zoe is quite the lady these days. She is growing up so fast, trying to keep right up with her big sister. Zoe has the sweetest, most loving and generous heart. She is a happy girl that is usually very easy to please. She loves to color, play dress up, and play pretend with her sisters. She is just starting to read, and loves for anyone to listen to her read her Bob Books. She also is always ready for someone to read to her, especially the Magic School Bus series. Zoe loves science, and she never gets tired of learning about nature, space, weather and anything science related. She did really well keeping up during school this past year. She completed most of the pre-k curriculum and has begun some of the kindergarten curriculum. As expected, she loves any science projects we do, but she also does well with her math, reading and writing. Zoe has expressed some interest in piano lessons, but she hasn't started them yet. This past year she enjoyed taking ballet class, and she will continue them in the fall. When Zoe isn't busy with all of these activities, she can be found in her pink princess room listening to her Barbie CD player. She loves all kinds of music, but her favorite is Taylor Swift. Many times I have walked into her room and found her standing on her bed, with a brush "microphone", singing along to Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band, as well as classic folk songs. It's a very cute sight to see!
Here is Zoe checking out her new Tinkerbell bike from mommy and daddy. Just like her big sister Sophie, Zoe learned to ride on a balance bike and has gone straight to a two-wheeler. No training wheels for these girls! Zoe's official stats at her check up were: 42 in. tall (90%) and 39 lbs (75%). We think she's beautiful inside and out, and we can't wait to see what this next year brings for her!

Birthday Party!

2011-05-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

This year, Sophie and Zoe had a flip-flop themed pool party. We started the festivities at our house. Andy manned the grill while I had all of the kids decorate canvas bags that had a flip-flop design on them. Those became the goody bags, which I filled with goggles, flip-flops, and squirt toys for the pool.

After eating hot dogs, burgers and of course birthday cake, we all headed down the street to the pool. The girls had so much fun with their friends, and kept thanking me for making such a nice party for them. That right there made it worth all the time and trouble.
Most of the time for the party was spent on this cake. I have to thank my friend Jennifer for coming over the day before the party with her fondant and other cake decorating supplies. It was a lot of work to get the cake just right, but I think it came out fantastic. Wonder how I'll outdo myself next year??

15 months old

2011-05-28T21:43:00.000-07:00

Check out our bundle of joy! Chloe's personality is big, big, big (in case you can't tell from the picture)! This little girl is full of energy and is always busy busy. She can usually be found running around the house (usually with a pony or Barbie that she has stolen from her sisters), or asking repeatedly to play "trot trot". She also loves to get into the markers and crayons, and can frequently be found with blue lips or green tongue since she still puts everything in her mouth. Chloe still does not use a lot of words, but she has no trouble getting her point across. She is great with her signs, recently adding "help" to her repertoire, and she is starting to say more words. She tries to Pumpkin (the cat's name) and watermelon, which is one of her favorite foods. She frequently grunts and points and somehow her sisters know exactly what she wants and are happy to get it for her, so really there is no motivation for her to expand her vocabulary! Another of Chloe's favorite things to do is dance. I've never seen a toddler with such a variety of moves, and the instant she hears any music she breaks out into a little dance routine. It is really adorable to watch. People just love Chloe. The most common comments from friends are that she is a riot, that she is so funny and cute, and that she has so much personality. It's true, but what would you expect when she's got two sisters to compete with!

Chloe's official stats for this month are: Height - 32 inches (75%) Weight - 23 1/2 lbs (50%)

Spa Party

2011-05-20T14:14:00.000-07:00

The girls went to their friend Sydney's 5th birthday party today. It was so fun! All the girls got their hair styled and manicures. Sophie and Zoe had so much fun, and Chloe was really disappointed that she didn't get all dolled up, since she doesn't have enough hair to curl and she'd be licking the wet nail polish off of her fingers! She did eat plenty of birthday cake.

The Great Outdoors

2011-05-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

We made one last visit to the Desert Museum before the hot summer temps set in. We met up with some play group friends, and the girls had a great time.

Sophie and Chloe on the javalina statues out front

The oldest and youngest Gieseke girls being silly

The two big girls exiting the winding path of the cave. They kept going back in again, and again, and again! Chloe was very patient and clapped excitedly each time they reappeared.

Zoe digging for fossils

We watched this bear for a long time. When we arrived at his exhibit, he was lying on his back with all four paws in the air. He stretched lazily and quite dramatically for awhile, then rolled onto his tummy, stood up and stuck his tongue out at the kids. They thought it was hysterical. We continued to watch the silly bear for about 10 min. while the kids ate snack.

Happy Graduation!

2011-05-18T13:44:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Uncle Josh! He graduated from Basis High School and will be attending Emerson College in the fall to study film. We are so proud of him!

5 Years Old

2011-05-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our oldest child! The years seem to be going faster and faster! And this little girl is changing before our eyes. She is growing out of those toddler years and into such a big girl.

Sophie is a joy to watch grow up. She is a very talented young lady. She continues to take piano lessons and attend ballet class. She has been reading for about 9 months now, and has moved from the beginning phonics books to more in depth readers. She loves to draw and make up stories and songs. Her favorite activities at home are coloring, reading and playing dress up and pretend. She mostly loves to pretend My Little Pony. Outside Sophie loves to ride her bike, and in the summer she turns into a fish that you can't get out of the water. She is a great swimmer, mostly swimming under water and just now learning some different strokes in her swim class. In school this past year, Sophie completed about 2/3 of the kindergarten curriculum, which we will continue to work on throughout the summer. During school time, she prefers hands-on activities and art projects. She writes well for her age and is doing well with her math (addition, fractions, counting by 5's, calendar etc.) but they're not her favorites. She loves to make up stories, but she prefers to dictate the story and have me write it down for her, and then she'll illustrate it. And she is quite the artist for just 5 years old! Her drawings have become more complex and detailed, and there have been a few times that I accused her of claiming a piece of art as her own that I had assumed the babysitter or someone else drew! Even mommy has to say sorry sometimes:)

Sophie is very social and makes new friends easily. This past year we continued to go to our play group, and Sophie made new friends at Sunday School and ballet. As much as she loves to spend time with her friends, her favorite people to play with are her sisters. And Sophie is a very helpful big sister. She is quick to entertain Chloe with a book or do a puzzle with Zoe so that I can fix supper or make a phone call.

Sophie's official stats are: 45 inches tall (90%) and 49 1/2 lbs (90%)

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

I had the most wonderful Mother's Day. In the morning the girls and Andy took me out for breakfast. Then we went home and while the girls got some daddy time, I got to lie in bed and read for a couple of hours. It was heaven! Then we met up with Grammy Harriet and Gump, and Grandma Laura, Papa Chuck and Uncle Josh for dinner at Pastiche. It was great to spend time with family. I just might be the luckiest mom I know - I have three amazing daughters and a loving supportive husband, and all of my friends and family in the wings helping me to be the best mom I can be!

Sunday Breakfast!

2011-05-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

Going out for breakfast on Sunday mornings is a favorite tradition of ours. The girls almost always choose Cracker Barrel, and after our meal we always sit outside on the patio for a game of checkers and relaxing in the rocking chairs.

Chloe loves the tradition too! She is taking after her sisters and is very easy to take to restaurants. We feel very fortunate that our kids have great restaurant behavior, because sometimes this mommy just doesn't want to cook!

Happy Birthday Andy!

2011-04-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to the best father, husband and friend a girl could ask for.

This year, Andy got to celebrate with Papa Clark too. Unfortunately, by the time we got this picture, some of our children were only interested in getting home to have birthday cake.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T21:42:00.000-07:00

Zoe was the first to find her Easter basket this year.

Sophie was happy with her loot.

And during Easter dinner, Chloe (and we) discovered she likes corn on the cob!

Let's Paint!

2011-04-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

I recently went through the boxes of stuff from my classroom and found bottles and bottles of paint. The big girls have been enjoying it so much that we're running out of places to hang their masterpieces! And with the girls so busy with the paint, Chloe doesn't have to share the crayons and markers:)

Sprinkler Fun!

2011-04-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Road Trip New Jersey

2011-04-11T22:13:00.000-07:00

Chloe and I got to make a special trip to New Jersey to meet baby Quinn and visit with the rest of the Gilligans. Sophie and Zoe were a little disappointed that they didn't get to go, but I wanted to be able to help with the baby and didn't think bringing 3 children with me would work! Chloe was very excited about the trip.

She was a great traveler on the airplane, but had a rough first day adjusting to the 3 hour time difference. After some untimely naps (napping in the grocery cart was a first for her) and a little fussing, by day 2 she was back on schedule.
The Gilligans have a busy household: 3 kids, 2 big dogs and 2 cats. Chloe was in heaven. She spent much of the visit looking for the kitties, petting the dogs, kissing the dogs, getting into the dog food and water...I'm still so amazed at her fearlessness. Cooper and Otis are good dogs, but they are big, and Chloe didn't mind one bit!
Chloe also enjoyed spending time in the dog cage. I found her in there many times during our visit. Sometimes she would crawl in and crawl right back out, and other times she would lie down and just enjoy the space.
Here's Chloe enjoying some quality time with Uncle Brian.

Play Ball!

2011-04-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

T-ball that is! Chloe and I got to go to Tanner's T-ball game. It was so cute watching all the kids, and Tanner of course was the best player!Chloe looks good in winter clothes! She had fun at the game too, but mostly she just wanted to run onto the field or play football with the players' siblings that were on the sidelines.
Fortunately the game was at a park that had a great little playground. Chloe loves to go high on the swings now, so we spent a lot of time doing that.
Here's the biggest brother Chase living up to his nickname as an infant (Monkey)!

Family

2011-04-09T22:39:00.000-07:00

Chloe and I had such a good time visiting our East Coast family. We spent most of our time with Michelle and Quinn, since Chase and Tanner go to school and Uncle Brian had to work. Here's the little angel we couldn't wait to meet - she is sweet and petite and a total mini version of her mom!Chase and Tanner are great big brothers. They let me help out while I was there so their tired parents could get a few extra minutes of sleep. It was fun for me to spend time with the boys and experience activities that the girls aren't into: T-ball, flag football, legos, kickball...
Aunt Charna and Cassie stopped by for a visit too!

Visit at Grammy's

2011-04-03T16:21:00.000-07:00

On our way up to Grammy's house today, we got to see a fleet of Army vehicles being transported by train. There had to have been over a hundred of them!

In Grammy's new neighborhood, the mode of transportation is not Army tank, it's golf cart!
Here's the front of the new Smith residence!

Welcome to Arizona!

2011-04-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to have more family living in Arizona! At the end of March, Grammy and Gump moved into their new home in Eloy, just 45 minutes north of us. We went up there to bring them dinner and give them a distraction (3 little girls) from all of the unpacking.

Chloe had fun roaming around amongst all the boxes

And she especially loved following around the kitties and trying to catch Stella

Day at the Park

2011-04-02T12:46:00.000-07:00

With summer temps already here (it was 96 yesterday) we've been hitting our favorite outdoor spots as much as possible. The other day we spent several hours at the Continental Ranch Park and playground. We packed a picnic lunch, and the girls ran, climbed, slid and generally wore themselves out. Now that Chloe can walk, climb, run and slide by herself, she likes the playground a lot more! This first picture is of her ready to catch her sisters at the bottom of the rolling slide.

Sometimes she likes to go down with her big sisters. Sophie especially likes to put Chloe on her lap and take her down the big slides.
Sophie is also fond of "posing" like a model as she goes down the slide. She actually like posing and acting like a model in general. With those long legs, she just might have a chance!
Zoe likes to climb and swing at the playground. I love that the girls can swing by themselves, because with Chloe on the run, I can't be stuck pushing children on the swings!

Desert Museum

2011-03-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

We managed to squeeze in one last trip to the Desert Museum before our membership expires. We still have several guest passes that will get us in if we really want to go, but once the temperatures rise, being outdoors gets crossed off our list!

On this particular trip Chloe spent a lot of time out of the stroller, which meant that the big girls were way ahead of us on the trails. I also was very focused on keeping Chloe out of the cacti, so I didn't get too many pictures. I did manage to capture this cute moment of Chloe picking a flower (a big no-no at the museum but no one said anything) and sniffing it.

Since I didn't get any pictures of the big sisters at the museum, we took some once we got home. They both happened to choose purple sundresses for our excursion.
Sophie designed the set for her photo shoot, including the hair accessories, dress up shoes and vanity stool.

Me Too, Me Too!

2011-03-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sophie and Zoe love to play dress up. In fact, pretend play is their absolute favorite thing to do. Chloe likes to get in on the action now too. Here she is dressed up like a ballerina for an exquisite performance of Swan Lake. She had help putting on the tutu, but she frequently finds necklaces, bracelets and other accessories that she puts on all by herself. She can also be found carrying a purse, putting on "lipstick" and attempting to wear the many pairs of dress up heels that we have.

More Visit Pics

2011-03-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pictures that were taken during Grandma Ann and Papa Clark's visit.

The whole family on Chloe's birthday

Grandma and Chloe at the Desert Museum

Sophie and Zoe dressed like fairies

Chloe loves to ride in the wagon

Grandma Ann and Papa Clark Visit

2011-03-06T22:01:00.000-08:00

We were so happy to have Grandma Ann and Papa Clark come for a visit. In addition to having them here for Chloe's birthday, they were also here for our 5th wedding anniversary. We got the best anniversary present too: 3 days of babysitting so we could go to San Diego for a little getaway! The girls didn't miss us too much since they were having a blast playing with Grandma. And we hear that Papa and Chloe became good buddies during our absence.

Grandma Ann with the birthday girl, who is all decked out in her birthday crown

These girls don't look at all upset by their parents' absence!

Happy Birthday Chloe!

2011-02-28T20:54:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to my sweet baby girl! What a fun year it's been too. Chloe continues to be the easiest baby ever. I hope she doesn't pay me back when she's 16! This little girl is quite adventurous too. She can often be found climbing onto things that one would think are much too big or tall for her. She's walking all over and occasionally attempts to run to keep up with her sisters. This usually results in falling, followed by speed crawling. She's just starting to figure out how to stand back up without having something to pull up on nearby. Chloe is quick too, and I don't mean speed. She picks up on absolutely everything. We've only put sunscreen on our faces one time (the little stick that you use on your face), but when she came across that stick a few days later, she held it and pretended to rub it all over her face. She loves to pretend telephone, and when she hears a phone ring she immediately slaps her hand on her ear and says, "Dada!!"

She can also be found combing her hair, erasing the chalkboard, putting on "lipstick" and trying to put her shoes on by herself. She can point to some body parts: hair, teeth, nose (and she says nose), tummy, toes. When she hears music she immediately breaks into some nifty dance moves that she must have picked up from me or the girls. She loves to go into Sophie's room and push the buttons on the CD player.

Chloe continues to be an amazing eater and sleeper. She still takes two 2-hour naps a day and sleeps 7 - 7 most nights. Occasionally teething will disrupt her sleep, but only for a day or so. She has 4 teeth: two bottom centers and two top eye teeth. Yes, she's a vampire baby. At least that's how she looks! The doctor said it's normal for the teeth to come in out of order. I've never seen it before, but I'll take his word for it! Chloe still doesn't say a whole lot. She has about 10 words, but she mostly loves to point at things and say "that", which means "tell me what that is." Her favorite thing to point to is any light that she sees, and she says "light" pretty clearly. She also likes to go through the animal sounds, although she says every animal says "woof." Once in awhile she'll say "meow" for cat. Speaking of cats and dogs, Chloe gets beyond excited when she sees animals, especially dogs. She also enjoys watching the bunnies in the yard and the birds in the sky.

Chloe's official stats at the doctor were: 31 1/2 inches (75%) and 21 1/2 pounds (50%)

Here's the cake that the family got to eat during Chloe's birthday dinner celebration.

Here's Chloe enjoying her own personal cake that she did a great job of destroying!

Precious Moments

2011-02-17T20:50:00.000-08:00

This is one of those precious moments that I managed to capture before it was over. Listening to Sophie read is one of my favorite things to do these days. Here she is reading a book to daddy before bed.

Happy Birthday Grammy!

2011-02-15T20:54:00.001-08:00

We got to celebrate Grammy's birthday with her again this year. Last year Grammy was in Tucson helping mommy - who had been on bed rest - and wondering if she might get a new grandchild on her birthday. This year Grammy and Gump were in Arizona getting their new home ready for their big move next month. We all went out to dinner at Sauce and then went next door for gelato at Frost. Yum!

Here's Grammy with her granddaughters

Chloe was tasting everyone's gelato, and then she discovered the source of all things yummy!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

We had a very happy Valentine's day here in Tucson. There was lots of love to be shared and we even got a visit from Grammy!

Zoe eating her Valentine cookie

Our morning began with heart-shaped pancakes

Sophie had special Valentine kisses for her baby sister. Chloe was more interested in her food.

Play Group Field Trip

2011-02-03T21:20:00.000-08:00

Today our play group headed over to California Pizza Kitchen for a field trip. The kids got a tour of the restaurant and kitchen, then they got to make their own pizzas. They all had so much fun. We don't see our play group friends as much as we used to since many of them go to school 5 days a week. And most of them will start kindergarten in August. It's hard to believe that all of our kiddos have been friends since before they could even walk! We hope to do some more fun activities together before life gets even busier!

Zoe putting sauce on her pizza dough

Sophie's pizza is ready for the oven

Ready to try her pizza

Yummy! We'll have to come back and use the gift certificates they gave to all of the kids!

11 Months Old

2011-01-28T20:02:00.001-08:00

It's hard to believe that next month we'll be celebrating Chloe's first birthday! She's growing up so fast.

I only got a few pics of her with Pooh Bear because she climbed out of the chair about 5 seconds after I put her there. That's one of her favorite tricks: rolling onto her belly to climb down - off a chair, off the couch, off Sophie's bed. Anyway, each picture was so cute and really showed off her personality, so I decided to include them all.
You can see what a happy baby Chloe is. She really only fusses when hungry, tired, or being tortured by her sisters. She loves to play outside, and she will open the screen door and head right on out by herself. She is completely fearless and adventurous. She loves to be on the trampoline while the girls jump. She still loves stroller rides but also loves to ride in the wagon - standing on the seat up front like the scene from Titanic. She's starting to develop more preferences and favorites now. Her favorite books are Goodnight Moon, The Very Busy Spider, and Pat the Bunny. Her favorite songs are The Wheels on the Bus (she does the hand motions which is adorable) and Open Shut Them. I wouldn't say she has a favorite food because she eats absolutely everything. Sometimes she surprises me by eating a very large quantity of a new food. For example, she tried blueberries recently and ate bowl after bowl of them for about three days. Tonight for dinner she ate about 2 ounces of halibut, rice, beans and diced tomatoes. She is the most amazing eater! I've started teaching her how to use a fork, and so far she seems to prefer her left hand.
One thing about Chloe is that she does not like to sit still. She is always on the go, mostly walking from one piece of furniture to the next, pausing to check out a toy and then moving on. She has several push toys that she can move very quickly across the house. She is also fond of pushing the toy stroller and shopping cart, as well as the kitchen chairs, trash can, and anything else that's not permanently attached to the floor or wall. The other day she pushed one of the kid-sized arm chairs over to the train table. She then climbed onto the chair, then onto the arm of the chair, and then up onto the train table. She really is the boy we're never going to have!

Chloe is a smart girl. She doesn't seem to talk as much as her older sisters did, but who could get a word in with them around anyway? Chloe does respond to my requests though, such as to sit in the tub during bath time (she likes to stand in there too) or to "spit it out", something that I am constantly saying since she still puts everything in her mouth. We also have a routine with her pacifier (she's allowed to have it in the car seat and in her crib). When she wakes up in the morning or from nap, I pick her up (the paci is usually in her mouth) and I tell her to put her paci away. She takes it out of her mouth, tosses it into her crib and waves bye bye to it. It's one of my favorite things that she does. She also blows kisses and gives high fives now.

As far as Chloe's health - she has two teeth that she loves to brush. She weighs over 20 pounds now and has been riding forward facing for a few weeks due to her getting car sick. She saw a urologist a few weeks ago and will be seeing a pediatric urologist on March 1st. We're still hoping to avoid surgery, but we probably won't know if she'll need it or not for awhile. Otherwise Chloe is healthy, happy and just tons of fun!

Chloe on Camera

2011-01-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

Not only do I have less time to update this blog, but I've noticed that lately I take a lot less pictures. Andy is always at the ready with his fancy phone, and he uploads his pictures instantly to Facebook. But I'm still old-fashioned. I rarely even use my cell phone, and my hands are always so full dealing with the girls that I haven't been good about carrying my camera. The other day I tried to get a picture of Chloe's teeth while she was eating. I captured this picture instead - there's rarely a moment that she's not putting food in her mouth while in the high chair! In this picture I see a lot of my family's features, but in other pictures she still looks a lot like Andy as a baby. The red hair and blues eyes though...we get teased a lot about whose child she really is.

Lucky for me, Sophie is great about taking pictures with her camera. Here's Chloe ready for her close up.

Little Miss Sunshine

2011-01-10T20:31:00.001-08:00

Chloe is such a sweet and happy baby. Even through all her illnesses, cutting teeth, hospital and doctor visits, her personality is so loving. She's growing up so fast - I can't believe she turn 1 next month! She's starting to develop her own relationship with each of us too. Any time Andy walks in the room, she blows raspberries at him. It's so funny because she doesn't do that to anyone else! With Sophie she likes to make loud noises and she can always count on Zoe to play kitchen or ponies with her, or just sit and look at books together. It seems like these days she almost too busy to sit and cuddle with mommy, but then every so often she wanders over and reaches up as if to say, "Just checking in mom!" and then she smothers me with kisses. Of course a few seconds of that and she's climbing back down to continue the fun!

Here's our sweetie enjoy story time with daddy.

Here she is after trying blackberries for the first time. She loved them and ate almost the whole container. Of course this was the one time I forgot to put her bib on!

Princess Days

2011-01-10T20:26:00.000-08:00

We spend a lot of time playing princess related activities in our house. I have become an expert on all things Disney Princess too. I can name each of the princesses as well as her respective prince, pets, nemesis etc.

Here is Zoe during one of our princess tea parties.

A princess fort that the girls made. Chloe was not allowed in after she caused some destruction.

Zoe dressed up as Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Sophie dressed up as Rapunzel from the new Tangled movie.

Snow!

2011-01-02T18:20:00.001-08:00

Ever since we started talking about winter, Zoe has been certain that it was going to snow in Tucson. Well, she was right. We didn't get snow at our house, but around the city there were reports of flurries. Some friends of ours invited us to a cabin just north of Tucson to check out some more substantial snowfall. The girls were ecstatic - they have never touched snow, and only seen it far away on the mountain tops. We spent about an hour playing in the snow before everyone got too cold.

Sophie loved going on the sled and throwing snowballs.

I was in charge of keeping Chloe warm. After growing up with lots of snow, I was not all that impressed with the cold wet stuff:)

Zoe had a blast until she slipped on some ice and fell on her butt - ouch! She was the first one to hop on the sled and go down the hill, and I'm pretty sure she tasted some snow.

Even daddy got in on the action. He got on the sled and threw some snowballs. Chloe had fun watching the kids and didn't seem to mind the cold.

10 Months Old

2010-12-28T19:11:00.001-08:00

Chloe spent a good part of the past month being sick, and today was no exception. She woke up at 3:30 am after puking in her crib, and continued to vomit for the next 8 hours. I did wait until she was feeling better to take her picture:)

It's definitely been an exciting month, although I'm hoping for a little less excitement for this next month. Besides the stomach flu that started today and the 3-week cold that she had at the beginning of the month, Chloe also got to spend some time at the doctor and hospital for testing. It turns out she has some issues with her kidney and urinary system and will be seeing a specialist next week. Some of the good things that have happened are: her first tooth; her first words: ball, mama, dada, baba - and saying them appropriately, and today she said duck; if you ask her where Sophie or Zoe is, she will look at the correct sister; she can point to the balloon in the book Goodnight Moon, and she loves to point to the real moon in the sky, in fact pointing in general is a favorite of hers. She's great at spotting birds, butterflies and airplanes. She loves dogs and gets ridiculously excited when she sees one.
Chloe loves to join in the fun with her big sisters. Here they are playing "party." This could mean anything from a birthday party to a fancy party at the ball - princess style. I think this time it was a party on The Magic School Bus, a new favorite book series. Chloe usually plays the role of Ralphie, Zoe likes to be Wanda, Sophie plays D.A. and I get to be Miss Frizzle. It's an exciting life here in the Old Pueblo!

Swiper No Swiping!!

2010-12-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Chloe has turned into a real swiper these days. She can be found tearing pictures off the walls (the ones the girls draw and hang up with tape), stealing pieces from games like Connect Four, and swiping food off the big girls' snack tray! Here she is stealing an apple slice. We have to be careful because a lot of the girls' snacks have things that Chloe can't have yet, like peanut butter or orange slices. She also loves to get into the cabinets - way more than I ever remember Sophie and Zoe doing. Trash cans have moved up onto the counters in the bathrooms and lots of other things are slowly being moved higher and higher! She's growing up so fast...this morning her first tooth cut through and she's said her first word: "ball" She's pointing to everything and tries to say "moon" and "kitty". My favorite thing that she does though is snuggle. She is the best little snuggler and she's starting to give lots and lots of kisses - they're a little wet but I'll take them!

Foggy Day

2010-12-19T08:57:00.001-08:00

The other day it rained for the first time in I don't know how long. The next morning we woke up to major fog - a rare sight in Tucson! The girls thought it was pretty cool and wanted to swing through the fog. I'm not sure what they expected, maybe that they would wipe through it like fog on a mirror? It had burned off by noon and since then we've had beautiful weather. Can't complain this time of year in Arizona!

Happy Hanukkah!

2010-12-08T20:42:00.001-08:00

Tonight was the last night of Hanukkah. It's been a great 8 days. We've had our fill of latkes, candle lighting, presents and fun! This year the girls actually seemed to have a decent understanding of why we celebrate Hanukkah. They also got to participate by helping light the candles on the menorah, and they did a great job with the Hebrew blessings!Here is our menorah that we won at the Babies and Bagels event we went to a couple of weeks ago. It was plain white, and the girls painted it themselves with colors that just happened to match our candles!

Chloe's Update

2010-12-01T20:55:00.001-08:00

And the official numbers are: 19 lbs 2 oz (50%) and 28 1/2 inches (75%)! She's on track developmentally, does not have a tumor in her belly (as Andy has believed for months now) and still has no sign of any teeth. She was very busy during her exam and did not need any shots!
Chloe loves trying to climb into her chair, and when I finally pick her up and put her into it, she loves to lean forward and fall out of it to try again!

9 Months Old

2010-11-28T20:11:00.001-08:00

Chloe has officially been out of the womb longer than she was in the womb! Boy has she learned a lot and changed so much in these 9 months. She's such a fun age - lots of smiles and interested in everything. She's crawling all over now, but mostly to the nearest thing that she can pull herself up on. She's especially fond of getting behind a chair and pushing it all around the house. When she wakes up from her naps or in the morning, she's usually standing in her crib with big smiles, and it's such a joy to open her door and see her shining face waiting for me! Other new things...she no longer likes pureed foods, so she's getting all finger foods. She loves meat, and this morning at breakfast we discovered she likes pancakes - just like her sisters! She still loves to sleep, although her morning nap seems to be getting shorter - about 1 - 1 1/2 hours long. She still takes a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, and most nights is in bed by 6:30. Her favorites right now are banging on the piano, getting in the way of her sisters playing, and going to storytime at the library, where she squeals with excitement for most of the 30 minutes. This Pooh Bear picture was taken by Sophie, photographer in training. Check back after Tuesday for updates on Chloe's stats, and pray that she doesn't have another bad reaction to her shots!

Sophie Behind the Camera

2010-11-28T20:05:00.000-08:00

While taking pictures of Chloe in her chair the other day, Sophie asked if she could have a turn behind the camera. I let her have a go at it, and surprisingly, she did great! Of course, Zoe kicked Chloe out of the chair and proceeded to make lots of silly faces (and one cute one). You can see the last of the bruising on her face from the big accident a week ago. She complains once in awhile about her lip or nose hurting, but for the most part she seems to be healing nicely.

Thanksgiving

2010-11-28T19:54:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed a beautiful Thanksgiving Day at Grandma Laura's house. We have so much to be thankful for this year, especially our wonderful, smart and healthy children. We're also thankful for the love and encouragement we continually receive from our friends and family. We are truly blessed! After filling our tummies with delicious food, Eric and Elizabeth (Lynn was sick) headed to our place for a sleepover. The girls had lots of fun playing during Black Friday (on which I don't dare leave the house for fear of a panic attack) before Elizabeth and her daddy had to make the long drive back to Prescott.

Things Are Changing

2010-11-06T21:51:00.000-07:00

Our angel baby is changing to an almost toddler with an opinion. She has been fussy for over a week now, and we know she's not teething. Up until about a week ago, if Chloe cried for 5 minutes in a day, we would wonder what was wrong with her. Now it seems like a break when she goes more than 5 minutes without crying!
The only thing I can come up with is that she's in between stages, on the verge of a developmental breakthrough. The two things that make her happy right now are eating and standing up. If I don't manage to cram enough food into her, she wakes up early from naps to eat again. And the fact that she can pull up to standing and use her body more seems to wake her up or make her reluctant to go to sleep. Ahhhh....the joys of parenting. The girls have gotten used to it and no longer get mad at me for ignoring the monitor.

So now we're just surviving this momentary setback. We spend hours a day outside, either in the backyard or just walking around the neighborhood. I try to remind myself that this too shall pass, and that I can't complain because I had it way too good for the past 8 months!

Eating is one thing that makes Miss Chloe very happy. Of course, now she prefers to feed herself and is eating less and less pureed food and more finger foods now. She has had pork tenderloin and shrimp, and she liked them both a lot. It's amazing what she can "chew" with no teeth! Her absolute favorite food at the moment is graham crackers, and she also really likes melon and cheese. Hopefully next time I write this fussy phase has passed and our sweet-tempered baby will have returned!

Happy Halloween!

2010-11-05T20:26:00.001-07:00

We spent almost a week celebrating Halloween this year, and by the time Halloween night came, we were all Halloweened out! The girls had fun wearing different costumes to each event. Zoe wore a Barbie Princess dress, a Princess Tiana dress, and a Tinkerbell costume to various parties. Sophie chose a bunny costume, a bride costume and a Snow White costume. Chloe only dressed up for one party. She got to wear the Pooh Bear costume worn by her big sisters a few years ago. She mostly tried to get the hood off and kept pulling at the footies, and she was asleep shorty after we arrived at the party so we ended up undressing her to put her to bed.
After Halloween night, the girls came home and sorted through their candy. They got to pick 10 pieces to keep. It was so cute watching them choose. Zoe decided she only wanted chocolate and quickly picked 10 different chocolate bars and then went off to play. Sophie spent about 30 minutes debating and deciding on her 10 pieces - it was agony watching her!! The rest of their candy got put out for the Great Pumpkin to come and pick up. In the morning the girls were so excited to see that the Pumpkin left them each a digital Tinkerbell watch, and I was glad to get rid of all that candy!

Sophie in her bride dress

Zoe in her Princess Tiana dress

Chloe's First Zoo Trip

2010-11-01T21:15:00.000-07:00

Last week I took the girls to the zoo with Grandma Laura and Aunt Cynthia, who was visiting from New York. It was Chloe's first trip to the Reid Park Zoo, and since we didn't get there until lunch time, we missed the giraffe feeding. She seemed to enjoy the outing, but her absolute favorite part was playing inside of the turtle shell sculpture where we stopped for lunch. She spent a long time banging her hands on the shell and listening to her voice echo. Her fun ended when she sat up and bumped her head, but the tears stopped quickly and we moved on to see the rest of the animals. Now that we're members again (we took a break for the past year) I'm sure we'll be making lots of visits back there!

8 Months Old

2010-10-28T22:03:00.000-07:00

Chloe is a busy little bee these days, and it was hard to get her to stay still for her picture with Pooh Bear. Although she isn't technically crawling (forwards that is), she is getting around in her own way. She goes in circles, crawls backwards and rolls herself to get to things she can't reach. She's also started pulling herself up and cruising some. She mostly prefers to walk while holding my hands.
Some of her latest developments are babbling (she says mama, baba, papa and some other random sounds), clapping hands and eating finger foods. She's getting really good at getting those little Gerber Puffs into her mouth. She also likes cheese, tofu and pasta. She is drinking out of the cup more and can tip it all by herself now.

Chloe still loves to sleep more than any baby I've known. I've decided it's because that's her only escape from the constant noise and activity of her sisters. During Chloe's awake time, she is so busy and the environment is so stimulating that I think she just gets worn out! She loves being with her sisters, and it seems like she just can't wait to get up on her own two feet and play with them. Chloe's other favorite activities are going for walks in her stroller or in the wagon, jumping in her jumperoo, reading books with mommy, and petting Takoda, who is the most tolerant cat ever! He lets Chloe pull on his ears and whiskers, while I try to teach her to be gentle. She just adores the kitties and gets incredibly excited each time they come in the room. Pumpkin doesn't get too close yet, but she can frequently be found in the nursery during Chloe's nap time.

Here's Chloe at the end of her photo shoot. Her nickname, "Monkey Doodles" certainly fits!

Grandpa Dan Visits!

2010-10-28T21:54:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we got to visit with Grandpa Dan. The girls were super excited to see their Grandpa and to show off Chloe, who he was meeting for the first time.

Grandpa and the girls on a haystack at Buckelew Farms. We were there for a birthday party, and I was sure glad to have Grandpa's help. One mommy is no match for three girls and three pumpkins!
Chloe and Grandpa bonding at the pumpkin patch.

Carving our pumpkins (into Disney Princess characters of course). As expected, Sophie dug right in and Zoe said, "EWWWW!!!!"

Where's Chloe?

2010-10-16T21:49:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed that Chloe was missing from the pictures of our trip back east. She was there - I promise - but she (and I) took advantage of all those extra hands, and mostly she was being held and played with!

Chloe with Aunt Mimi, who has the newest cousin in her belly, due to make an appearance around the end of January.

Grammy holding Chloe at Cassie's Bat Mitzvah, with cousin Gab looking at her.

Chloe with Daddy at the Crayola Factory. She spent most of that trip in the Purple Studio sleeping on the couch with Daddy.

In the backyard at Grammy's house tasting a crunchy leaf that she found.

East Coast Travels

2010-10-16T21:23:00.001-07:00

We recently returned from a trip back east that took us through 4 states (okay so we only drove through Delaware), but we spent time enjoying activities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. The reason for the trip was to watch cousin Cassie become a Bat Mitzvah. She did a wonderful job and we were honored to be a part of her special day. Other activites during the week included: a trip to the Adventure Aquarium in Camden followed by visiting with cousins; a trip to the Crayola Factory; and lots of time outdoors enjoying the fall weather and collecting fall treasures (acorns, pinecones, leaves, walnuts) for some crafts we're going to do. We had a really great time seeing lots of family and introducing Chloe to those that didn't make it out to AZ.

The girls riding bikes at cousin Chase and Tanner's house.

The 5 cousins at Cassie's Bat Mitzvah - from left to right: Michelle, Cassie, Gabrielle, Mara, Andrea
Grandpa Pollack started taking pictures of his granddaughters when Gab (who is now a pediatrician practicing in Maine) was just a baby and Michelle used to hold her in the pictures. We always make a point to take a picture of the girls when we're all together.

4 of the 5 cousins (soon to be 6!) at the Adventure Aquarium. Sophie's favorite was the sharks, which she got to touch. Zoe's favorite was seeing all the different fish, and my favorite was "petting" the rays. From front to back: Tanner (4), Zoe (3), Sophie (4), Chase (6)

Zoe at the Crayola Factory. This has to be one of the most family friendly places I have ever been. They even sold pacifiers in the vending machines and opened a special room for Andy to sit in while Chloe slept. This isn't the actual factory where they make the crayons. It's more like a hands-on musuem where the kids can try out every Crayola product you can think of. When you get your tickets, they give each person a bag for holding art projects, and boy did we make lots! We got to paint, make puppets, make leaf rubbings use their model magic clay and more. I would definitely go there again.

We really enjoyed the true fall weather while we were away. The girls had lots of fun playing with the crunchy leaves and looking at the beautiful colors. We took lots of walks, went to the playground and just took in all that fresh air. And of course we returned to temperatures in the upper 90's back in Tucson, where Zoe promptly reminded me how much she doesn't like living in the desert.

Chloe Gets Promoted!

2010-10-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Chloe learned how to turn on the kitchen faucet, so she can no longer get bathed in the kitchen sink. Tonight she got promoted to the bathtub, and the girls decided to join her instead of taking their showers. Sophie and Zoe had lots of fun showing Chloe their toys, and Chloe just couldn't take her eyes off her big sisters.

Old and New

2010-10-01T22:19:00.001-07:00

This morning the girls took turns wearing a new Super Girl outfit I found on sale. It's technically a Halloween outfit, but Sophie is sure she wants to be a bride for Halloween and Zoe wants to be a princess, so this will just be for everyday dress up. I spent about 30 minutes getting rescued from various dangerous situations and from evil villains. Then this afternoon I broke out some boxes of toys for Chloe. I think the girls got more excited and had more fun with the baby toys than Chloe did!! They kept saying, "I remember this toy. I remember this book - read it mommy!!" It was cute to see them reminisce together. Chloe's favorite toy though was Zoe's favorite as a baby: a set of stacking rings that Jace gave her from India. She couldn't put the rings on the pegs, but she had lots of fun taking them off!

7 Months Old

2010-09-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Meet Chloe, the eating and sleeping machine. It seems like that's all she does these days! In fact, her eating has thrown me for such a loop that I called the doctor about it (a big no-no for a third time mom!). Turns out she's just fine. I was concerned that she was weaning herself off her bottle since she's only been taking 12 oz of formula a day (the recommended amount is 24 - 32 ounces a day) and eating 8 ounces of solids three times a day. She's just ahead of the curve in the food department I guess. She's just started to get the hang of her sippy cup and can do it herself some of the time, so I've been giving her formula that way too now. Her latest foods that she's tried are kiwis and cauliflower - she loved both. She's taking 2 naps a day now, one from 9-11 and an afternoon nap from 1-4. She sleeps from 7:30 pm - about 7am. She definitely likes her sleep!

Some other things to note: she knows her name, she can't crawl yet but she can go round and round in circles on her belly, she loves to walk while holding hands, but she walks sideways (I have a vivid memory of Lauren doing this!), her favorite things in the world are her pacifier, the cats, and her big sisters. She also really enjoys stroller rides, has a great smile and laugh, and is the easiest and happiest baby I've ever known. I guess I paid my dues with Sophie and Zoe so the man upstairs gave me a break!

God's Grace Homeschool

2010-09-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are interested, check out our homeschool blog. I'd love to hear your comments, questions and concerns (yes, I am aware that there are concerns - out of love of course!), and if you like what you see, sign up as a follower and pass it on to anyone that might find it helpful!

Little Pishers

2010-09-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

The Little Pishers is a program at our temple for preschool children. It's kind of like a preschool Sunday school that meets twice a month. Today we went to celebrate Sukkot. It was supposed to be a potluck under the Sukkah, but it was too windy so we just ate in the classroom. The girls got to make birdfeeders (pretzels "painted" with peanut butter and coated with bird seed), shake the lulav and smell the etrog, play games and listen to stories. It was lots of fun, although it was hard for me to keep track of all three girls. Fortunately the other moms were quick to lend a hand, but I think maybe next time I'll either bring Andy or Grandma Laura, or else leave Chloe at home.

Charlotte's Web

2010-09-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at Pima Community College's production of Charlotte's Web. The girls' friend Shea and her parents and Grandma Laura came too. We all thought the play was done very well. Sophie and Zoe's favorite was Charlotte, but Laura and I agreed that the goose and the gander were the best! Even Chloe watched intently and got excited during the scene where the Zuckermans chased Wilbur back to the barn. We'll definitely be keeping our eye out for more kid friendly, affordable live productions in Tucson!

Busy Busy

2010-09-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

It has been a very busy week for us, and our weekend is looking like it's going to be full also. It's great to have so many activities and friends and family to see. Our weeks are getting to be pretty booked. Mondays we do school in the morning and then the rest of our day is free for a playdate or just to hang out at home. Tuesdays we do school in the morning and then the big girls go to their TOTS program after lunch. Wednesdays we have dance and gymnastics in the morning, TOTS after lunch and then Andy comes home early so I can take the big girls to family yoga. Thursdays we have playgroup, and we've just started with a regular sitter from 3:30 - 8:30 so I can do some errands and Andy and I can have a date night. Fridays we do school in the morning and then we're free the rest of the day. This week was extra busy because on Wednesday we went up to Casa Grande (about an hour north of us) to see where Grammy and Gump's new house is going to be, and today we had a playdate after school followed by a trip to the grocery. Tomorrow we are making up a dance/gymnastic class and then meeting Grandma Laura for lunch. After lunch we're all heading to the community college to see Charlotte's Web. Then on Sunday the girls have Little Pishers at the Temple from 9:30 - 11:30 and Sophie has her piano lesson in the afternoon. Sundays are also Daddy day, since the girls are usually just getting into bed when Andy gets home. It's a full life for sure - full of fun and joy!

Zucchini Bread

2010-09-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

Zoe waiting patiently for her turn with the mixer. The zucchini bread came out delicious too. I wonder if that counts as a vegetable....

Thanks Aunt Liz!

2010-09-18T14:32:00.001-07:00

The girls wore their new skirts that Aunt Liz made for them to Yom Kippur services this morning. Aren't they cute?

Beets are Yummy!

2010-09-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

Chloe likes her latest foods that we've tried: beets and plums. She still won't eat bananas for some reason. Oh well, she's got plenty of other fruits and veggies to choose from!

Good Morning!

2010-09-15T21:44:00.001-07:00

The girls cuddled up for a sisterly hug this morning before getting changed out of their jammies. A nice way to start the morning!

Here's Chloe...

2010-09-15T21:39:00.000-07:00

...in all her glory. Our baby girl had a little bit of naked time on her blanket today, and she was just so cute and cheery that I couldn't help but grab the camera. Check out her baby blues and baby rolls!

L'shana Tovah!

2010-09-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

In honor of the New Year, I gave all of our children baths tonight. Actually, the big girls take showers now, so I can't really get pictures of them anymore, but Chloe really enjoys sitting tall in her bathtub. Bathtime happens less frequently with three children, but the result of cleaning such grubby children is more satisfying!

Chloe's Update

2010-08-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

The results are in, and Chloe is...following in her sisters' footsteps! She weighs 15 lbs 8 oz (50%) and is 27 inches tall (90%), tall and beautiful. Our appointment was uneventful. The doctor said he didn't know what to tell me since by the third child you're expected to know what you're doing! Chloe got three shots and once again did not do so well the rest of the day. This is a new experience for us since her big sisters never had reactions to their shots. Chloe spent the day crying and vomiting. Being outdoors seemed to help along with regular doses of motrin. She seems better today, and fortunately it will be 3 months before we have to go through it again.

Road Trip Indiana

2010-08-29T20:17:00.000-07:00

We had a great trip to Indiana last week. In addition to the family reunion, we went to the Indiana State Fair, the Indianapolis Childrens Musuem, and we got to visit with some of Andy's old friends. We used our new Flip more than we did the regular camera, so as soon as we learn how to upload and edit the videos, we'll post the more interesting footage on here.

On the plane headed to Indy

Indiana State Fair

At the 114th Martin Bash Smith Family Reunion

Sophie dressed like Spiderman while visiting Andy's friends

Chihuly Glass Exhibit at the Indianapolis Childrens Musuem

Barbie Exhibit

Egypt Exhibit

Rockstars Cars and Guitars Exhibit

6 Months Old

2010-08-29T09:49:00.001-07:00

Here we are, half-way through Chloe's first year and still having a blast! Chloe is such a great baby. She's continuing to develop by the book, sitting up on her own just a couple weeks before turning 6 months. She also can retrieve her pacifier by herself now, which is very helpful since she seems so attached to it. She still loves to eat and remains a great sleeper. She seems to be ready to transition from three naps to two naps a day. She has developed some stranger anxiety, and she definitely knows her sisters and gets very excited when she sees their faces. We go for her check up tomorrow, so check back for her stats!

Day at Grandma's

2010-08-10T22:16:00.000-07:00

On Saturday we spent the day at Grandma Laura's. The girls had fun swimming and playing dress up with Grandma's skirts, and of course snuggling with Papa Chuck!

East Coast Visitors

2010-08-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed having Grammy and Gump come visit us, and we also got to see Uncle Brian for a few days. The girls loved having a larger audience for their "performances", and I appreciated the extra helping hands. Andy and I even got to sneak out for a date!

5 Months Old

2010-07-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Really? 5 months already?? Time with baby number three is going at a supersonic speed for me! Why don't pregnancies go this fast...Anyway, about this cutie pie, Chloe is just super cute right now. This is one of my favorite ages. Chloe is very predictable and adaptable. She usually downs her bottle in 15 minutes, and since she only gets 4 feedings a day, I spend a lot less time feeding her and a lot more time playing. In addition to avocados, she's also now eating sweet potatoes. I made them myself with the food processor (I shouldn't say "made" since all I did was cut them and push a button) and it was so cheap and easy! Chloe's favorite form of entertainment is her sisters, and finding things to put in her mouth. She is a terrible hair puller and she's very grabby. Needless to say, my hair is almost always in a ponytail and I don't wear hanging earrings. She still takes three naps a day and sleeps through the night from 8:30 - 6:30. Check back next month when she'll be halfway to her first birthday, and we'll have some stats to share too!

Weekend News

2010-07-25T21:07:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our weekend, which was interesting and busy. I spent Friday and Saturday in Phoenix at a home school convention while the girls stayed home with various caregivers. Everyone survived without me, although Sophie did get a black eye while playing with uncle Josh (completely by accident). It was great to get home to my family and Sunday was a typical day for us. I captured the girls playing Candyland with daddy, Sophie during her piano lesson, and the beautiful sunset to end the day.

2010-07-19T21:30:00.001-07:00

A is for Avocado

2010-07-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

As much as I wanted to wait until Chloe was 6 months to start solids, this little girl had different plans. Chloe is constantly grabbing for food, opening her mouth and licking her lips while watching us eat, and you can just forget about trying to drink anything while holding her because she thinks it's for her. One day while slicing an avocado, she almost started hyperventilating in her bumbo watching me. I decided to mash some up with a little formula and see what she would do. Well, she's a fan. She opened her mouth nice and wide for the spoon and after each bite she squealed and waved her hands in anticipation of the next bite. She's had avocados three days in a row now, and she finished every morsel each time. It's been fun for me and a completely different experience from her older sisters who never cared for those first baby foods. Time to start making lots of baby food!

Got Drool?

2010-07-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Chloe is a drooling machine lately. She also loves to blow raspberries, which just give the drool more distance. Check her out demonstrating her new trick in her new exersaucer!

Gymnastics

2010-07-10T22:31:00.000-07:00

Sophie and Zoe started gymnastics last week and loved it. Zoe's favorite part was the tumbling and trampoline, and Sophie's favorite was the balance beam (or balance "bean" as Zoe calls it). Both girls have been asking everyday if they can go to gymnastics again. Tuesday mornings just isn't enough for them I guess!

Surviving Summer

2010-07-01T15:56:00.001-07:00

It's the most brutal part of the year for us here in Tucson. Temperatures are close to 110, and the humiditiy is rising. We got a few raindrops today, but we're waiting anxiously for the skies to open and cool everything. We spend a lot of time inside of course, so the girls are getting more and more creative about ways to keep busy. Today they played one of their favorites, "obstacle course" with a twist: naked! They also ran through the sprinklers, and after dinner we're heading to the pool, where Sophie now swims under water and can doggie paddle her way around. Zoe mostly sings and dances in the pool, and Chloe has even taken a dip in the water!

July Crafts

2010-07-01T15:47:00.000-07:00

In anticipation of the 4th, the girls have been doing some crafts in red, white and blue. It also gave us a reason to use my new craft punches! The girls have been learning all about the American flag, and I've also been teaching them a few patriotic songs. Sophie was singing "God Bless America" as we did our grocery shopping yesterday! They love to march around the house waving their flags that Andy bought them, and Chloe enjoys the entertainment!

4 Months Old

2010-06-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

Chloe is a roly-poly girl! Her favorite thing to do right now is roll around, and she fusses when confined to a particular spot, such as in her swing, activity chair or bouny seat. She does like to sit in her Bumbo a lot, and she has become very interested in food. That will have to wait a couple of months though. Chloe has grown into a very nice older infant schedule: she sleeps 10 - 12 hours at night and takes 3 naps a day. She is healthy and developing perfectly. She's very much a "textbook" baby. Her official stats are: 13 lbs 1 oz (50%) and 25 inches (75%).

Creative Sophie

2010-06-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here are a few of Sophie's latest creations. She has just started drawing things other than people. Here is a picture she drew of our family (she chose not to include Chloe) and also a picture of a dinosaur. Then she got behind the camera and took a picture of Zoe and me. She's also doing a great job with her piano lessons and continues to amaze us and her teacher each week!

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-22T20:45:00.000-07:00

I think Andy enjoyed his first Father's Day as a Daddy of three. We started off the day by going out for breakfast, then headed to the movies to see Toy Story 3. After relaxing at home and Sophie's piano lesson, we made our way over to Grandma Laura's to celebrate and have dinner. We are blessed to have such an amazing father in our family!

Bath Time

2010-06-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight I realized that I didn't have any pictures of Chloe getting a bath! She loves her bath and is starting to really kick and splash more. And of course she's got that great smile!

Little Sisters

2010-06-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

Since the big sister likes to sleep in, the little sisters have been getting some bonding time in the morning while mommy drinks coffee and checks the news.

Tough Girl

2010-06-17T21:32:00.001-07:00

Last week Sophie cut her chin after swim lessons and had to get 5 stitches. She was so tough about it. She wouldn't even let me hold her hand while the doctor put them in. Her chin is healing nicely now and she'll have a good story to tell about her scar!

Beautiful Girls

2010-06-07T21:36:00.001-07:00

I can't say enough how fun it is to have all girls. Chloe loves to watch her big sisters play, and I'm sure she can't wait to join in on the fun! The big girls also adore their baby sister, and Sophie especially seems to be developing a special bond with our baby girl.

Musketeers!

2010-06-07T21:29:00.000-07:00

The girls love the movie, "Barbie and the Three Musketeers." All for one, and one for all!

3 Years Old

2010-05-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

Zoe is finally 3! She's been asking for weeks if she's three yet, and Zoe was thrilled to get to celebrate her "real" birthday. She also was excited to get her birthday present from mommy and daddy: a princess vanity. Zoe has lots of jewelry and lip gloss, so she really needed a place to keep all her girly stuff. She spent a lot of time today sitting on the stool and looking in the mirror. When I asked her what the best part of her birthday was, she said, "Just playing." Zoe is pretty easy going and very easy to please!

3 Months Old

2010-05-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Chloe is 1/4th of the way to her first birthday. She knows all about birthdays because we've spent the last 2 weeks celebrating all of the May babies. Chloe has some new achievements in the last month. She's been sleeping through the night for a couple of weeks now, she can roll over from her tummy to her back, and she can hold toys and put them in her mouth. Chloe loves to talk and can carry on a conversation with anyone who will listen to her. She's a happy baby with a great smile and we just love her to pieces!

4 Years Old

2010-05-17T23:30:00.000-07:00

Check out our oldest girl! Say bye-bye to the toddler years, because Sophie is all big girl now! On her 4th birthday, she got on her 2 wheel princess bike (no training wheels) and rode off like a pro. She was so proud of herself. A couple of months ago she also learned how to get on the swing by herself and pump her legs to get going. This is a big help to me, and one of my favorite things to watch her do now. Sophie is fearless, determined, strong, smart and so loving. She started piano lessons a few weeks ago and can already play the first part of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star all by herself. Sophie's favorite thing about being 4?? Being allowed to chew gum, which for the first few days she asked for about every hour! The novelty seems to have worn off, but I've discovered that the reward of getting to chew a piece of gum sure does come in handy!