These Days

I was looking past at blog posts from a few year ago, and there was a lot more writing and fewer pictures. I guess as the years have passed I've been too busy to write much about what's going on...

These days, things have been a little crazy. I spend a lot of time driving kids to and from school, preschool, dance and swimming. I am also teaching piano again after taking the summer off to adjust to having a baby around. And, I've started school again!!

I was accepted to the Master's of Social Science program at Syracuse University. I'm really excited about it, and hoping that I can juggle a really full plate. I am hoping to someday get my PhD and teach at a University. But I have to get my first paper done first...

All and all, life is good right now. Mike and I were talking, and despite the bug problems we've had, the car problems, the fact that everything seems to be breaking, we are really happy right now.

Preschool

It was Avery's turn for a first day of school. This year she is attending an actual preschool three mornings a week from 9:15-11:45. We decided it was really important for our shy little girl to have an outside of our house and outside of people we know school experience before she heads off to all day kindergarten next year.

She was worried that I wouldn't have anything to do with her gone, and gave me permission to play with her toys while she was gone. What a sweetheart.

Elyse's Blessing Day

On Sunday, Mike blessed Elyse. It was a beautiful day, and we were so glad to have family in town to celebrate Elyse with us.

Here are my favorite pictures though. We really wanted to get a happy picture of our three girls, but that was not going to happen:

Despite the sad faces, I think these pictures are adorable! I think it makes Avery and Elyse look so alike with the same sad face on each of them. I guess they had had enough for one day.

Cousins

This weekend we had cousins in town. It was so exciting for Bailey and Avery that we hardly even saw them.

Aunt Val took some pictures of the fun things we did while they were here. We rented an eight person bike:

Watched Phineas and Ferb on a rainy day:

And basically just had a great time. 

Avery is FOUR!

Avery was lucky enough to have her cousins and her grandparents here just a few days before her birthday. We decided to celebrate it early so she should could party with her cousins.

When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted, she told me she wanted a rainbow cake like Bailey had, but with a princess on top. I told her she didn't have to have the same kind of cake, so then she couldn't decide between Blue's Clues and Backyardigans. I should have just made a rainbow cake- she ended up wanted a Backyardigans cake and I am not an artist. All in all, I think her Tasha cake turned out pretty cute.

As the procrastinator that I am, we didn't buy her gifts until the night before. She had asked for a piggy bank like Bailey's, but a chalkboard on she had seen at Target. Not really thinking it through, I set her gifts next to our bed, hidden behind Elyse's co-sleeper. However, sometime during the night, Avery came in to tell me she loved me and she saw the chalkboard piggy bank.

The next morning she went around telling everyone she had seen one of her presents- the piggy bank! Her Aunt Val told her it was actually a present for her birthday and Avery was not too happy about that. We decided we better not tease her about it. When it was finally time to open up her piggy she was in love:

Right now, Avery is:

• Very loyal. If she is at Wegmans with me, she asks for a sticker for Bailey too. She is always looking out for Bailey.
• A little comedian. She loves to make people laugh.
• A little dancer. She dances and sings all around the house.
• Learning how to play the piano and read.
• A great bog sister. 

Bailey looses a tooth

The time I have been dreading has arrived. Bailey has started to loose her teeth.

I have an irrational fear of loosing my teeth- I even dream about it. So, I was less than excited when in May the dentist pointed out to Bailey that she had some loose teeth. He told her to wiggle them every day, and soon they would fall out.

Bailey took his advice to heart. Morning, noon and night she wiggled that tooth. She was constantly chronicling how much looser it was getting. "Mom, look at it now!" I hated it! It was so gross. And it kept getting grosser the more she wiggled it.

Finally it was hanging on by a mere thread. It was awful. She was excited, and I was nauseated. Mike couldn't take it any longer and finally, in his words, "gave it a quick twist" and it came out. I'm glad he's used to blood and bones because there was no way I was pulling that tooth.

Here is our toothless beauty:

Bailey's first day of first grade

I couldn't have a blog without this post now could I?

Last week, Bailey headed off to first grade. It was tough to get up and get going- I am used to getting up with Elyse at about 8:30 every day, and that's the time we needed to be out the door.

Bailey was really excited about school this year- we are hoping for a great year.