Bridget Turns Three

Miss Bridget celebrated her third birthday today.  We've had such a relaxing, but fun day.  I'm all about those kinds of days lately.  :)

 

She requested waffles for breakfast.  She opened presents.  We took Marshall to school, came home, and she played the morning away with her new toys.  We picked Marshall up, came home, and the two of them played the afternoon away with her new toys.  I enjoyed listening to their dialogues and stories they were inventing as they played.  Tonight after dinner we had the Hassells over for cake and ice cream.  Low key day for sure, but good memories made. 

 

 

She is looking so grown up.

Bucky!  Birthday wishes do come true!

Jolly Roger!  Even more thrilled!

This picture cracks me up.  She would not stand still for one second for a picture so I just snapped it and hoped for the best.  Not the best, but definitely expressive.



The End Is In Sight!

I have an inkling that spring is finally creeping into Milwaukee.  The high today was 44!  That is a good 44 degrees from what we are used to.  Never mind the snow that is coming tonight.  It sure has been a doozy of a winter and I am relieved and overjoyed to see it coming to an end.  To celebrate we made an afternoon trip to the zoo today.  It was great to be strolling outside; we haven't done this in months!  As I read on a friend's blog this week, we haven't seen our grass since before Thanksgiving and we've had 47 days below 0 degrees Fahrenheit.  Geez.  Thanks for the stats Karisa.  :)

 

Anyway, the zoo was wonderful.

 

Marshall got a good workout pushing these two almost the entire time.  No small feat.

Despite these frigid temperatures, we've still managed to have some fun, largely thanks to great Milwaukee friends!

 

Story Time at Yo-Mama.

An evening of Star Wars music and characters at the Domes.

Play dates with Max.

An afternoon at the art museum.

These two and their poses...

Family bowling outing.

More Max.

Krispy Kreme tour.  Marshall is crazy, stir-crazy that is.  See my hand pushing him back???

A trip to the public museum.

A humid room full of butterflies at the museum.  Bridget wanted so badly to have one land on her.  Marshall was freaked out though so his jerky movements made things tricky for Bridget.

 

Brunch at Blue's Egg with five moms, five kids, and three babies!  It was a success!

Gymboree class.  These two were pros with the ducks.

Come quickly spring.  We're ready to play outside.



5 1/2

Marshall is 5 1/2 years old today and he isn't letting anyone forget it.  We do absolutely nothing to celebrate half-birthdays around here, but he has been looking forward to this day for weeks. 

 

 

Marshall on Mis-Match Day for school.  It took some convincing, but he finally agreed to this outfit.  :)

 

Marshall has been growing up by the week.  I am so proud of him and the good choices he is making (most of the time) and the independence he is gaining (most of the time). 

 

 

Marshall has been so fun to talk to today.  He is convinced that he has grown, can jump higher, and is learning more things today all because he is 5 1/2 years old.  All day long I've heard, "Mommy, do you remember that I'm being like a 5 1/2 year old today?  Will you always remember it?" 

 

He's such a spirited little bowler.  :)

This winter is taking its toll on Marshall.  The last week he has been bouncing off the walls.  He has resorted to shooting arrows and playing baseball in the living room.  Honestly, I don't have the heart to put a stop to it because we are all so stir crazy and I feel bad for the little guy.  He has gotten quite good at smacking the baseball.  Fortunately nothing has broken, may it stay that way...

 

 

Most of the time, Marshall is one fantastic brother.  On these cold winter afternoons I sometimes feel bad that he is cooped up with us three girls, but he certainly makes the most of it.

 

 

He is so quick to entertain Rachel when she is sad and he loves Bridget to play with him. 

 

A few more random things about Marshall at the wise old age of 5 1/2...

 

*I have to beg him to eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day. 

 

*He is quickly catching on to reading.

 

*He organizes a football game almost every night in our living room.  He is the only player and it just exhausts me to watch him.

 

*His favorite topics of conversation are sports, rhyming words, and the workings of the human body.

 

So glad we have him.  Happy 5 1/2 buddy. 

 

 



Really Done

I am very much done with winter.  Longest winter of my life.

 

I took these pictures on February 5th.  Tomorrow is March 5th and we still have all that snow, plus probably eight more inches.  Geez.  I just shoveled again today and I think more is coming tonight.  Boo.

 

 

 

If you ask Marshall he thinks the snow will finally be gone in September.  It is sure starting to feel that way.



Getting Back In The Game

I have been very absent from the blogging world due to a new church calling...Relief Society president.  Yikes.  Just getting things organized has taken over my evenings.  We get the kids to bed about 7:30, I do Relief Society stuff, fall asleep on the couch at 9:00, Richard wakes me up at 10:00 to go upstairs, and then I'm up about 11:00 again to feed Rachel.  Geez.  That girl has exhausted me.  Good thing she is so darn cute and squishy.  It makes these too frequent night time feedings mostly bearable.  But, that is for a different post. 

 

My darling kids blessed me with the perfect afternoon today. 

 

 

Look at that darling little Rachel!  I didn't even ask them to look at the camera.  I snapped the picture and caught her little smile out of the corner of my eye.  Goodness I adore that girl.

 

Back to our perfect afternoon...both girls took long afternoon naps.  Heaven.  Marshall and I made chocolate chip cookies.  He then spent a good chunk of time playing with his Angry Birds in the living room while I took cookies in and out of the oven while reading People magazine in between.  Bridget woke up happy and joined Marshall in the playing.  Rachel woke up happy and also joined in on the fun.  It was glorious!  I needed this afternoon.

 

 

 

 



Sunday at Home

Church was cancelled today due to the furnace being out and the building being 43 degrees.  We've enjoyed our day at home.  Wish every day was like this!

 



Rachel Videos

These are really entirely for grandparents.  We were lucky enough to see grandparents in August, September, October, and November.  I am SO glad that all four grandparents got to see her when she was still so new and small.  But, now she is growing up and changing so quickly and it makes me sad that they won't be seeing her again until June, by then she could be crawling!  So, without further adieu, here is darling Rachel, who while I type this is pooping.  This next diaper is on Richard.  :)