Pumpkin Patch

Lily with Gracie looking on

The Sisters

Sweetie pies

Too sunny to look right at Mama

Sweet Lola

Pretty Lily

Our chapina Gracie

At least Lily is still looking forward

Lola picked out her pumpkin quick

Okay, let's go-got my pumpkin

Fun in the wagon

What a gorgeous day with gorgeous babies

Lola still with her choice

Pretty babies

Gracie helping Mama carry our pumpkins

Lola

Gracie loved scooping out the pumpkin guts

Finished product

Lily in her first pigtails

Fun full day with family

Quick update before the first big Halloween for us. Spent Saturday with entire family at local pumpkin patch. So fun, girls and Don and I all had a blast. Looking forward to this week and all the festivities!

Happy Sunday!

Love, Mel

October Update

Gracie riding first pony at the fair

Lily, not quite understanding where to look for the corndog
photo-op

Lola our little corny dog

Mama and Gracie on flying bumblebees

A little chapina's dream: jumping and flying!

Happy, happy girl

Guess who walked first?

Not too far behind...

I love this pic, but have recently

looked at it and hoped we don't

have another one of these poses

with police officers as a teenager

Super sweet

Watch out world, we're walking!

And we are coming for you!

Blogging is becoming very hard to do. Time is increasingly short. My attention and help is needed by somebody around the clock.

It will probably be more likely to blog on a monthly basis, but I do miss posting and sharing every little bit of these precious girls' lives.

Here's what we have been up to:

Gracie continues with preschool and is doing extremely well. I have probably jinxed myself by saying that, and next week we will have some major breakdown. However, she is listening well, loving her teacher and her friends. I am extremely happy with the preschool we chose and love that it is bilingual. Gracie is using her Spanish and is really understanding that some people speak Spanish, some speak English and some speak both. I really feel it has helped her understand the concept of family and belonging as well. My favorite Gracie moment of the month has to be when she asked me if I was her friend. I told her that I was her Mama and therefore I was her best friend. Gracie replied, "Cool." Funny, sweet girl. Above pictures show her at the fair. This child loves to do and see all things. Scared to death, but going to ride that pony no matter what! English continues to build, but it is still difficult for most people to understand what she is saying. We'll get there.

Lily and Lola are both walking! HOORAH! It was actually Lily that started first. She is more of a daredevil than Lola and really "got" it when she was cruising. Lola started shortly thereafter, but still is doing an Elvis version and going really, really slow most of the time. Won't be long though. It is a whole different world around here. Someone is always getting into something. Lily and Lola both are babbling, talking and squealing all the time too. Lily says Mama, Papa, Gracie, Tilda, thank-you, pretty, and hi, and probably something else I am forgetting-she talks all the time. Lola says Mama, Papa, Gracie, Tilda, and hi. They both imitate all the time, blow kisses, wave hi/bye, clap, dance, pretend to eat food, etc. etc. This is truly a magical time in their development. They love their big sister Gracie and love it when she plays with them.

It has been a really busy month. I have returned to work, very part-time and mainly when Gracie is in school. The babies stay home with our great new sitter that we love-thank God. So far, it is working out pretty well. We feel so fortunate to have found both the great sitter and the great preschool.

Don remains in the hospital, this Wed. will be 6 weeks. He is scheduled to come home on Friday, Oct. 16th, our 10 year wedding anniversary. He is healing well and just working on getting stronger at this point. We all miss him so much and can't wait for him to be home.

We are excited for our first Halloween with all of our children together and then all of the big holidays as well. It is truly a time to celebrate, as we are so fortunate to have these kiddos and love them all so much.

Take care! Mel

Gracie's First Day of Preschool

All ready to go with backpack and lunchbox

THE Tinkerbell backpack, complete with Gracie's name

What a beauty!

Here she is with her sisters

Outside school, waiting for the bell

Just a little bit longer until school opens

One more by the tree

Gracie and Ms. Lore

Mama not too happy to be leaving her baby at school

Well, preschool has begun. Gracie had her first day this past Wednesday. Gracie has been saying every day for two weeks that she is going to school "in TWO weeks". So, it finally rolled around to being "TWO weeks".

I thought I was so ready for this, but I was SO not. I woke up at 3 am the night before with a terrible lump in my throat, already sad for me and nervous for her. Gracie had been asking the entire "TWO weeks" if "Ninos go home" after school. It was really heartbreaking. I just knew that although she had to go, it was going to be a big test of trust for her. And also confusing.

That morning, Gracie was excited, yet nervous. I was so proud of her, she held it together well. She was beyond thrilled to finally get to use her Tinkerbell lunchbox and backpack. When we got to school, she had to tell me to stop holding her hand so tight because it was hurting. :)

She was appropriately clingy-but not too much. We made this storyboard sequence of pictures to help her understand that she would leave home (picture of home), ride in coche (picture of coche), go to school (picture of school), see Ms. Lore (picture of Gracie and Ms. Lore) and then Mama would come pick her up when she was finished (picture of Gracie and Mama AT home). I put it in her backpack and I really think it helped.

Gracie's teacher is a total doll and a native of Mexico. The preschool is bilingual Spanish/English and Gracie is already talking more in Spanish after two days. I am really excited about this next year for her, particularly the opportunities it gives her to use her Spanish.

As I left her the first day, I was bawling in the halls. I mean, complete nonsense- dig- down- deep- to- stop - it kind of blubbering. It was ridiculous. I shocked myself. School is only 3 days a week for 5 hrs. I guess it just really reminded me how quickly it all goes.

When I picked her up, she RAN to me, grabbed her things and headed for the door. She was totally exhausted, but "Ninos" did go home after all. It was the best. Of course I couldn't get anything out of her except "No like sleep, eyes shut tight". (there is a naptime at school).

Today she told me I was her "FAVORITE mama". That was about the best. She has been saying everything is her favorite: papa, phone, food, movie, book, etc. but had never mentioned me. She also told me that she "Like home" which was also just great.

We have had some rough luck around our house. My husband has had two surgeries in the past month and will be hospitalized for the next 4 - 6 weeks. We all miss him terribly and he is just sick that he is missing this fun stuff at home. Prayers, thoughts and good wishes appreciated.

Enjoy your weekend!

Love, Mel

Sisterly Love

Stop! I'm coming through.

Tickle, tickle or in our house Gracie says "pickle, pickle"

Lola soooo excited at her turn to push Lily

(look at Lola's face)

A train of sweetie pies

The "toy" that eventually pitted sister against sister

" I wanted this toy to myself," thought all involved.

It's about to get ugly, although mom doesn't know

it yet.

The winner!!!!

Never one to start anything ugly with any of

her sisters :)

Clapping, clapping, clapping

Reaching, reaching, reaching

Going, going, going ALL the time!

Where has the summer gone? I cannot believe it is August. Someone told me when I was pregnant that the days go by so slow, but the years go by so fast with children. These past few months have certainly FLOWN by.

A few exciting developments. Still no official "walking" without hands, chairs, etc. However, it is literally any minute for both Lily and Lola. They push chairs and Handy Manny ride toys across rooms walking behind them all day long. Hard to say who is going to be the first walker. Lola's motor skills are slightly more refined, but she is no risk taker. I will definitely not discount Lily as the dark horse to come from behind and walk first. She is so determined behind the Handy Manny ride toy and is much more of a risk taker. We'll see...

Gracie has now slept by herself in her own room for two weeks! She is really turning a page maturity wise and language wise. She has done so well sleeping alone, I couldn't be prouder. Gracie is very interested in everything. Loves to go anywhere and meet anybody and do anything. However, a few things rank higher than others. Right now she loves, loves, loves Mary Poppins and I have even caught her trying to pick up her toys by a shake of her head. Sadly, it didn't work:) She has a great imagination and sense of humor.

She also loves, loves, loves the mall. Today, as soon as Gracie saw where we were headed she started screaming "Yea!!!!" and clapping her hands excitedly. It's not even like she gets something every time or most times that we go. She just truly loves to look around at everything and everybody.

We are watching "sisterly" love develop before our eyes. We first began calling it "twin smack down". It started with Lily and Lola taking each other's toys. They used to think it was funny when the other one would take something. Not so much anymore. Today, I had to break up Lily and Lola two times. Lola bit Lily's arm over a Tupperware lid. Lily got close to Lola's ear and screamed bloody murder while pulling at her arm over a changing pad. I mean, no doubt about it they were hacked off and they were going to get the other one. I put them both in the Pampers box thinking it would be fun. Oh no. Hair pulling, dress pulling, wait let me try to stand up by using your head for balance etc. etc. Apparently Pampers boxes only fit one little girl at at time.

We do see some sweet sisterly behavior. Gracie always asks whoever coughs "Are you okay Lily/Lola?". She also tries to calm them by singing. She has been known to tell the babies "Gracie is a tiny baby, easy hands Lily/Lola!" when they take a swipe at whatever she is holding. Lily and Lola move as close to each other as they can in their separate cribs and talk and sing and laugh at each other. They also pass bottles/sippy cups back and forth over their highchairs and think that is really funny.

Anyway, I am sure we will have more of both types of sisterly "love" over the years. We will just roll with it and realize that we are so very lucky to have our family of girls.

Have a great weekend!

Love, Mel