The Trio Turns Three!!!

Maggie Lou and her siblings turned 3!!  Holy SMOKES I cannot BELIEVE it!!  Some days I feel like I'm still waddling around with the 3 of them swimming inside of me, spending days and days inside the SLCH NICU, and other moments I am blown away at my happy, smiley, beautiful toddler! Maggie has grown so so much this past year: she is feeding herself so well, started sitting up, enjoys playing with her sisters, and just last week she started taking steps.  We are blown away at her growth- she continues to roar her way through life...

This year her birthday fell on Labor Day weekend which also ended up being a time that Pete's parents were able to visit!  I love decorating for special occasions and the idea of Maggie's theme came to me: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.  Maggie has always loved music, but the past 6 months she has been crazy about Twinkle, Twinkle... She even sings the melody herself- it's incredible.  I find it especially beautiful, as she has two twinkling stars watching out for her (yes I'm a nerd like that;)).  I thought it would be perfect- so I themed her birthday decor and the memorials for the babies as Twinkling, glittering stars- so fun.  I enjoyed being able to share our decorated new home with Pete's parents!!  I was SO excited to have them out.  We had such a nice time visiting, working on house projects, and celebrating Ms. Maggie.  

The first project we knocked out: hemming the curtains in my kitchen.  This required Darla being patient enough to give me a crash course on how to use the sewing machine... ha!  

Second project: painting the garage- ceiling and all AND building a workbench and shelving!  Wow it was an undertaking, but we wouldn't have been able to get it together without their help- THANK YOU!!

Lastly: the puzzle.  Bought for Harper to enjoy, that ikea puzzle sucked us in!!  If you couldn't find one of the adults or a child, check the dining room and there they were quietly working away at the 555 piece puzzle.  Thank goodness we completed it during their visit... we were bound to get nothing accomplished until it was done... HA!  Thanks again, Tom & Darla!

{Evelyn sitting up with the big boys at the counter snacking on cheese and crackers;)}

We took a break from the house projects (and puzzle building;)) to spend a morning celebrating Maggie!  We went back to one of our favorite parks, Elm Creek, and enjoyed swinging her and walking... it was a beautiful morning.

{Grandma and Grandpa and their grand babies... pretty precious}

Maggie's FAVORITE outdoor activity: riding the round swing.  I LOVE that she can enjoy with her sisters.  She is totally content and could spend forever, rocking back and forth in the breeze- so sweet!!!

 

 

Afterwards, she slept a bit and then woke to a yummy dinner and CAKE!!!  What fun we had decorating a bit for her celebration, singing to her, and helping her open presents.  She got a swing for the basement- PERFECT, a gymnastics mat, play toys, a play mat, new outfits, and a silver half-dollar engraved just for her.  Special girl enjoyed her day.... 

   

...and fun getting ready for her siblings celebration as well.  I enjoyed making fresh arrangements for their memorial to be mailed to their Arkansas home and Harper made sure to wash up their memorial rock in front of our Minnesota home.  I had a bit of a rough time knowing I wouldn't be able to visit them this year on their birthday, but I have an incredible 'fairy godmother' who was more than willing.  I wrote Jack and Nora little birthday messages, attached them to the flowers, and mailed them away.  Jen and her beautiful family spent some time with them on their birthday weekend, sang to them, made birthday hearts for them, and decorated for us.  I'd say those munchkins (and us:)) are pretty lucky....

Thank you, Pate family for being so special to our family.  We love you dearly and it means the world that you visit our babies while we are away... thank you.

...and this sweet boy, and his momma, created this special present for Jack.  Nothing like sharing your Transformers with our angel baby.  Oh man, I'm sure Mr. Jack would be all OVER those Transformers with you, Connor- love it SO MUCH!

Thank you sooooo much Megan and Connor for thinking of our sweet boy on his angel birthday!

Harper's first night of swimming lessons.  September 15.  Such a bittersweet day for me as it is the day Ms. Nora passed away.  Hard to say goodbye to Nora after saying the same to her brother a couple weeks before.  Sweet knowing they had each other.  Was comforting to me knowing they were together forever...

I saw this beautiful double rainbow as we came out of swimming lessons that night and snapped a picture of it before hopping in the van.  On the way home, my neighbor snapped the other picture of our house with the other end of the double rainbow I saw at the gym, going into OUR yard, stating that our house was the pot o'gold at the end of the rainbow.  I thought it was a beautiful birthday celebration from my angel babies in Heaven: a sign to say I love you, straight from Heaven to our Minnesota home.

Our neighbor is a professional photographer.  She ran back in to snap this beautiful pic as the rainbow faded... LOVE.

Thank you SO much, Jen for the thought and beautiful image.  I am SO grateful.

This time of year is always a little rough on Pete and I.  We celebrate all the blessings, the miracle of Maggie, and the happiness we have together, but there will always be two pieces of the chaos missing.  What we wouldn't give to have Nora and Jack bopping around the house with us.  No doubt, those sweet babies have bestowed so much on our family.  September is a month of sad moments, but also of celebration of ALL those three were and continue to be... 

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY, MAGGIE, JACK, AND NORA!!

First Day of School...TIMES 3!!!

 

So this happened: biggest sister, big sister, and little sister are ALL enrolled in school!  How can this be?!?!  HA!  Within a couple weeks all 3 of my babies started school.  Bittersweet for sure... of course their schedules alternate so I have added taxi service to my list of full-time jobs {I needed a good excuse to get to know Plymouth a little more right?!")}, but I love hearing all about their different days....

  

Just before school started we had a couple fun things planned: Daddy's work picnic (of course being a General Mills picnic it needed to have a baby pool full of cheerios- HA), our first Minnesota birthday party learning how ice cream is made and then indulging in it;){Happy Birthday, Nora:)}, and a Daddy lunch date with his girls at his fancy new office;).  It was fun to do a couple fun and different things together before the school schedules smacked us in the face ;)....

Labor Day Weekend came and went (more on those fun times later;)) and the school year began!  Had to take the pic in front of her school (thank you, Megan for the idea;)) and I got Harper and I matching charms of her new mascot (a cardinal) to wear as she got used to school... a way to let her know I was thinking of her even if we weren't together (thank you for that idea, Jen;)).  To say Harper was ready for her new school year would be an understatement...

She was BEAMING ear to ear the morning of her first day!  

So excited for her new outfit {I mean, everyone needs a skirt full of pom-poms, right?!}.  

So excited for the bus ride.  

So excited for her book bag and lunch box.  

So excited to sit by her friend, Connor on the bus and walk with him into her first day.  

SO EXCITED!

Parents were invited to surprise the kids by being at the school sidewalk to cheer them into the doors on the first day.  It was SO COOL!  Chaos as you can imagine, but pretty darn adorable to see Harper head into this brand new chapter... beaming the whole way!!

Can we say Harper withdraw?  Seriously folks... day 1 having to sit in the waiting room while Maggie was in therapy WITHOUT her big sister.  You can see I tried snack (previously attempted story, puzzle, and toy;)).  After the snack obviously failed, I pulled out my phone to play some music for her.  There was a picture of Harper on the screen.  She immediately stopped crying and through sniffles said 'Barper- Barper'.  Hahaha.... I think someone missed their Barper (aka: Harper).  She walked around a good 20 minutes with Barper on the screen totally content.  Sweet sisters.  That's why I have them all right?!?!  LOVE SISTER MOMENTS!

Little sisters and their momma were happy when Harper hopped off that bus day 1.  Good first day in the books... 

Week 3 and she's doing well: working on that focusing stuff and remembering all items before hopping on the bus, but she enjoys her school day, continues to tell us all about her day, and enjoys her homework.  My favorite: her HUGE smile as she runs to me when she gets off the bus and  the 'special prizes' she draws for me during free time each day.  She may forget her jacket, her binder, her lunch bag, and her water bottle often, but those special drawings she clutches as she gets off the bus filled with hearts and 'i love you's' get me every time;)...

Cardinal Crush!!  Well, we already had Harper's first fundraiser and school event.  Cardinal Crush raised enough money for the principal to sleep on the roof for a night- ha!  The kids had SO much fun coming out by grade and doing some sort of physical exercise around the track for 20 minutes.  The kids were doing all kinds of things, but I LOVED that I was able to jog hand in hand with my little squirt!  It just so happened to be my very first morning without littles... they were ALL in school... I participated without a stroller, without a little one strapped to me, and enjoyed with my oldest.  So crazy!!!  I joked with my mom later that day: my first outing after having my babies was always Target.  My first outing by myself after putting them all in school: Target.  Haha... I have to say it was pretty nice: actually pushing a real life cart with only my purse in it, and have a whole hand to hold onto a coffee that didn't spill once.  Glorious.  But ya... all I did was shop clearance racks for the muchnkins.  Of COURSE;)!!

Harper also started gymnastics... loves it of course...

 

...and swimming lessons made extra special because she swims right alongside her buddy, Connor!!

And then it was this one's turn.  I mean WOW!  I remember the feeling I had when I found out this summer Maggie would be starting preschool this September.  Although I was beyond exited, it just all seemed surreal.  I honestly never knew if this would be possible and to see her get on a school bus and head off to school- my goodness did I ugly cry.  So happy for her and all she is doing.  I wanted to hold her hand the whole way that first bus ride.  Be down on the ground helping her learn her classroom.  And be there to tell her teachers her likes, dislikes, and quirks.  To say I had a bit of a rough morning would be an understatement....

...but when I got these pictures of her at circle time with her para, eating snack with her teacher- I cried happy tears.  My baby is growing up and I couldn't be more proud.  This school district is truly incredible.  The page or so of notes I get after each day she is in school say it all: there are quite a few people that care for our Mags... she's in good hands;).

Here she is hanging at home- happy baby!!

 

She got another round of botox injections and is REALLY enjoying pool therapy.  She is exploring gait trainers (like a walker;)) and learning to use a switch that says words so we can finally hear her 'words' to communicate.  She is taking giant strides and growing up before our very eyes.  I think her Daddy and I are beaming with pride, yet choking back the tears as we watch her roar her way through life...

And the tiniest muffin started a Mother's Day Out type-program as well as 2 days a week at Goddard Preschool.  Evelyn has NEVER been away from me and I struggled a bit, but we all knew it was time.  She needed something just for herself and we knew she would love getting to know other little ones her age.  She loved leaving for school just like her big sisters: I think her lunch bag and book bag are as big as she is, but hey... she was totally game!!

Daddy took her (and continues to take her;)) to school and she did just fine!  I was nervous as to how she would do since she was so much older than Harper when she started school but she's doing just fine.  A bit timid at times and still learning the classroom routine, but getting pictures like this shows me she's doing just fine;)... Her teachers tell me she carries around her pink jacket like a security blanket.  So funny, but sure enough when I went to pick her up today: her jacket laid on her lap while she eat lunch- silly girl!!

 

  

{Love the moments sent from school;)}

At home this child is ANYTHING but timid!  Ha!  She continues to be into everything, climbing it all, and trying out anything that looks sort of interesting- ha!  She enjoys taking her clothes off, splitting her meals between she and the dog, rough housing with her sisters, bushing her teeth, helping put away the dishes in the dishwasher, and pretty much anything that the older two are doing.  She seems to want to potty train (hold the phone- this mommy is NOT ready:)) buy telling me every time she poops in her diaper (before and after)... oh dear.  I'm REALLY not ready.  Seize the moment they say?!?!

She has become a little bit crazy as she has bit her sisters and pulls hair... girl can hold her own even if she is the tiniest of the bunch.  Anyway, pulling hair and biting aren't in the house rules, so.... time out has begun.  Her spot: the bottom stair.  You can see her from that spot anywhere in the downstairs.  It's so hard not to scoop her up when I see her sitting there, but after a minute (or after she calms down:)), we go to 'make it right' with whomever she's hurt... which usually means bear hugging the heck our of bigger or biggest sister.  Either way: hoping this little rugrat is learning kindness is everything- hehe!!

I had to enlist in a fridge-magnet schedule to try and keep the chaos straight.  The days are filling up. We are POOPED come Friday, but it has been fun to see the routine FINALLY come together!!!

Last weekend we took advantage of the good weather and scoped out a local zoo!  Fun times!!

Evelyn shocked her Daddy and I by wanting to be a part of it all: she wanted out of her stroller at every exhibit, wanted to scope the animals, and tell us all about them.  Of course Harper LOVED it all.. she and Evelyn were hand in hand most of the day...

... and this cutie and I enjoyed our walk in the sunshine!!

We celebrated Fall by putting the deck and patio on the back of the house.  Glad we did it, so we could enjoy this NON snow-filled view for a little while longer... hehe!

I was happy to spend an evening sans kiddos and husbands to get to know a couple new friends in the area.  It's funny: you take time away from your families and chat for a few- what do you spend the majority of the time talking about?  Our families.  Such is life as a momma- hehe!  

LOVED the friend time.  When do we do it again, Kim and Megan?!

School has begun.  Fall has arrived.  Routine is FINALLY here.  I am soaking it in: enjoying the quest moments, time I get with the munchkins one-on-one, and all the festive times of Fall.  Already in crazy baking mode with my second jar of pumpkin... oh the yumminess of this time of year!

Happy Fall y'all!!