Wednesday, April 2, 2014

March 2014 Newsletter


Dear Riley,

School girl, big sister, Mama's helper, artist, tumbler, you have many titles! I think you love being a big sister the most. You LOVE to play with Ella. Your favorite is "school." I can totally relate to you in this respect. I remember playing school with my little sister, and I, too, was always the "teacher." Always. That part wasn't negotiable and it isn't negotiable with you. Ella is a little harder to teach than Morgan. She's still a little small for that game. So, when Ella gets tired of playing school with you, you like to draw in your room. ALONE. Ella may not enter during this time. If she happens to sneak in, she will be manually removed. 


You are a very smart and mature 5-year-old. Your questions, which are constant, are sometimes hard to answer. You make conversation with any one who will listen to you. You love to brag that you have asthma and are allergic to dogs. 

Grandad is your best friend. When I was growing up I never would have believed that my daughter would be best friends with my Grandad. Since his knee replacement surgery, you've spent the night with him and are a big help. You love to run and fetch things for him. Grandad tries to make things extra special and memorable for you, and one day when you're older I know you'll be so appreciative. I am forever grateful for everything Grandad does for you. 

Ella, 

I can't help but smile when I think of you. You are so sweet and so intense and so demanding, all at once. You are definitely our firecracker! 


You have completely mastered the spoon. You love any opportunity to sit in your high chair and use a spoon. Your favorites are yogurt and apple sauce. High chair, you say? Yes. You're almost two and I've started trying to get you to sit at a little table and small chair while you eat your meals. It's not working. You will sit and eat a bite or two, and then you're off running around the house while still trying to eat. Food gets everywhere. I know you're not ready, but someone is crowding you out of the high chair. 


We finally caved in and just gave you one of your old pacifiers back. Even though you don't "need" it during the day (not to mention I think you're too old for one), if Nolan has a paci it's not fair to you. Now you and Nolan both have a pacifier the majority of the day. Most of the time you trade them out, back and forth. One interesting thing, you don't call a pacifier a paci, or anything close to that. You call your pacifier a "bobby."

You love tennis shoes and you love to play outside. You really love it when someone oohs and aahs over something you're wearing or your hair. You love wearing new earrings and will bring a new pair to me when you want to switch them. 

On the list of words you can say: Mama, Daddy, Riley, Nolan, more, drink, bye-bye, puppy, remote, come here (m'here!), Paw-paw, Grandad, Mi-ma (Aunt Ma), No!, potty. Maybe a very few more, but that's it. You understand SO much more, though. You, too, love to help me with chores. I can get you to follow me all around the house helping me put up clothes. You love to help. And you love for me to tell you good job. You can say that as well. 

Every night when I get you out of the bath tub, you walk naked into the living room to get your diaper and night clothes on. Every night when you get to the carpeted living room, you tee-tee. All over the place. Sometimes you jump on the couch and tee-tee there. I'm so thankful for a leather couch! With these new developments in mind, I started trying to get you to use the potty when you get out of the bath tub. You love to sit on the potty, and you demand toilet paper to wipe yourself. You have yet to actually tee-tee in the potty and even after sitting on the potty you will tee-tee on the carpet. I feel like you're a little young to be potty-trained, but if you are consistently tee-teeing at the same time every night, then I think it's fine to start the process. Will update next month. 

Nolan, 

Someone asked me the other day if having a boy has been any different from the girls. Not yet! You're still just a baby and your dirty diapers stink just as bad as the girls'. But, you are just the sweetest little thing in the world! Oh my goodness, I just love to hug and kiss and snuggle on you. 

You are super ticklish. Several people have commented about that. Your neck and under your chin seem to be the most sensitive spots. 


Just like the girls, you love your daddy. Sometimes you just gaze at him like a school girl in love. You will lean or fall towards him so he will take you. You are very attached to your daddy! 

You must be growing because you want to eat all day long. You are warming up to desserts now, but your favorite is still vegetables. I sometimes give you Cheerios when you are in the high chair, and you work very hard to get those into your mouth. You're best at picking them up, but not so good about turning them lose in your mouth. This creates a lot of frustration! 


Lots of people we know talk about how much you look like your daddy. I agree! You both look a lot alike. 

Your favorite time is bath-time. I've started laying you on your back in about two inches of water. You kick like you are riding a bronc. Laughing and kicking. You must have a wash rag to chew on the whole time. If you don't have one, you roll over and get a little water up your nose. You dislike that and demand to be removed from the tub. 

You three kids are a lot of work. I can not imagine what I did with all my free time before you. How nice that must have been! The dirty laundry pile grows and grows, and no matter how much laundry we do, there is still more laundry to be done. I doesn't seem like I will ever get to stop changing diapers. We change so many! If Nolan has a dirty diaper, Ella will have a dirty diaper. The dishes! The messes! And on and on I could go. 

You three kids are a lot of joy; without you I wouldn't be a mama. Without you I wouldn't have this burning love in my heart for you. You are my blessings. 

Love, Mama

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