What's New with Mallory

We have discovered that Mallory has a temper. She likes to scream, hit and throw things when she is angry. This is something new for us. The two older girls didn't give us much trouble with tantrums. She always says she's sorry when she calms down. She definitely holds her own with her big sisters. Unfortunately Molly has had a few war wounds after one of Mallory's fits. But 90% of the time she is the most adorable, loving girl. She has the cutest little voice and she likes to talk in a high pitch tone when she is very excited. She is very excited a lot. She also talks a lot. She is starting to play with the big girls toys like My Little Ponies and Littlest Pet Shop. She is very imaginative and has conversations with her toys. She also like to play with her kitchen and baby dolls. We've discovered that she is a whiz at puzzles and she loves to sort things and line them up in rows. We may have another engineer on our hands. Coloring is one of her favorite past times. Every night Mallory has to go to sleep with her personalized Veggie Tales CD playing. I can't recall who bought that for her, but she truly loves it! We started a parent and tot class once a week at the rec center. It gives her a chance to climb, play with balls, do somersaults, shoot hops, parachute games, etc. It's a great opportunity for her to learn how to share and take turns. We may have another good soccer player on our hands. She loves to kick and throw balls. It's really nice for her and I to have that special time together. She is very generous with I love you, You're pretty and You are my best friend. All of which melt my heart. It is time for us to get rid of the paccie, start potty training and put her in a big girl bed. I have been secretly avoided all of those things. Number 1, they are all three a pain and number 2, that will confirm that baby, most likely my last baby, is no longer a baby and I'm just not quite ready for that yet.

What's New with Molly

It is never a dull moment in our house with Molly. Some of the things she says really blow me away! She has an amazing memory. Except for when it comes to letters and numbers! At least that's what she wants us to think. That ensures that she gets more one on one time with us to practice. She is very dramatic and is working hard to accept that she can't always have it her way. The other day out of the blue she told me she was going to be a different kid from now one. She was going to do what she was told, listen in school and be nice to her sisters. I said, "I'll take it!":) Honestly, she really is a good kid with such a loving heart. I really don't have to tell her more than once to do most things. Sometimes she just does them automatically, which is so nice for me. I love to watch her interact with Mallory. They really have become the best of friends. Mostly because Molly is so willing to give Mallory her time, attention and lots of affection. Many mornings, Molly gets Mallory out of her crib. It is not uncommon to see them cuddled up on the couch together or to hear them said, "I love you". It's such a precious gift to a mother. I am blessed to see the love of sisters everyday. I always missed having that. Molly has taken an interest in roller skating. She is bound and determined to skate around like the big kids. Now it consists of her holding on to me with one hand and the wall with the other. She stays up about 75% of the time now. Every time she gets a little more confident. She continues to like gymnastics and is improving her skills alot. This spring she's going to try her hand at soccer. Kindergarten registration is right around the corner too. I remember when I was in my first trimester with Mallory. I was so exhausted, I could hardly get off the couch in the evening. Molly was always there for a cuddle on the couch and she is still my little cuddle bunny. Even though she's not so little any more:(

What's New with Madison

No words can express how thrilled I am with how Madison is doing these days. What a huge change from one year ago! She has a fantastic teacher in a school and school district that I am grateful for every day. She just got her report card and I am proud to say, she is right on track with everything. Math is something that she has to work really hard at. Unfortunately she gets that from me, not her father the engineer. But she has come a long way. She has even met her end of the year reading goal already. Nothing gives me more pleasure than to sit and listen to my first born read! I never tire of it. Last Friday Duane had to opportunity to visit her school for a "Living Museum". The kids in her class each picked a significant person from the United States that they researched. They made a special art project, collected information on the person and dressed like that person. To her father's delight, Madison chose Sally Ride, the first American women in space. She did a great job sharing her report with the audience. It was such a wonderful project. The kids learned so much. They'll remember the experience for a long time. Those types of things are the most valuable learning experiences. Madison is still enjoying gymnastics, but can't wait for soccer to start. In a few months she will make her first communion. She is getting so tall! I love her enthusiasm. So many of her traits that were challenging as a young child have really developed into valuable traits that make her such a wonderful girl. This is really special time in her life that we are blessed to be a part of.

Sledding

It was finally warm enough to go out and play in the snow after several days of very frigid temperatures. In the past I have had to stay home with a little one instead of going sledding. This year all the kids were old enough to go so I went along too. It always amazes me how fearless kids are. I am often put in situations that remind me how I'm getting old. They are the same things I did without hesitation as a child, like roller coasters, water slides and sledding. Now I have to force myself to do this things that my kids are more than willing to do. When I sat on the sled at the top of the hill, I spent a few minutes trying to convince myself that I could do. Madison and Molly went down ahead of me literally seconds after making it to the top of the hill. Mallory, my 2 year old went down with Duane next. A soon as she got to the bottom she said ,"I want to do it again!". So there I was all alone talking myself into taking the plunge. Finally, I did and it felt great! I immediately climbed up the hill and went down again. Madison and Molly were a team the whole time. Madison would pull Molly up the hill over and over and they went down together every time. I was so thrilled at how well they were getting along. I would take them sledding every day to have a little of that each day. Now that the kids are getting older, it seems that there are so many more things that we can do all together. I'm really enjoying that. We had a great day in the snow!

Happy New Years!

We had a great time ringing in the new year at home with some great friends. The Cloyd family spent the night. The kids played so well together and the grown-ups actually had a chance to have some spirits and catch up. Not to mention we didn't have to leave the house and everyone was in sweats. That's my kind of party! Funny how things change over the years:) The next day we put all the x-mas decorations away and had our tradition pork and sauerkraut dinner. I really get excited to put the holiday decorations out right after Thanksgiving. But I am usually really ready to put them away and get the new year started on Jan. 1st. I couldn't wait to get everyone back on a normal schedule. Like every start to the new year, I try to set some goals. To help myself improve my odds of following through, I thought I'd add a little pressure by writing in my blog for all to see and as a reminder to myself. So here it goes! This year I will "try"to:

1. stop biting my nails (I know...terrible habit)

2. eat healthier (probably the hardest one!)

3. add to my exercise plan a little

4. run more 5K's

5. take tennis lessons with my husband this summer (have wanted to do this for years)

6. go away for an entire weekend with my husband (with the help of a few willing babysitters:)

7. focus on my spiritual growth (I'm a work in progress)

8. have more patience and tolerance (especially in the most challenging situations)

9. smile more and focus on the positive (there is so much to smile about!)

10. stop to smell the roses (enjoy today more instead of worrying about what's to come)

I'm looking forward to another great year with wonderful family and friends. I have some hard goals but the journey will be worth it!