First Steps

Isabel took two steps a few different times this afternoon! Max caught this picture.

These are from our morning girls time before the big kids woke up.

Springtime Fun

Biker Emma

Emma has been practicing riding the pedal bike for a couple days, and today she really took off! Everyone is so proud of her - even our neighbor friends. Max's friend from across the street ran out to the curb waving a big foam finger to cheer her on.

Clapping

Max was doing the Alligator Clap to practice his sight words for school this morning. To do the Alligator Clap he uses his arms like an alligator's mouth, and he claps to chomp each letter as he spells the words. Isabel was watching, and she started clapping for the first time right along with Max! She practiced clapping the rest of the day, and she even got a few claps in as I was rocking her to sleep tonight.

Max is pretty proud to have been her "clapeen teecher." 

Driveway Artists

9 Months!

Isabel is nine months old today! Her personality is really starting to show these days. She bounces when she hears music, and she is really starting to giggle and play more. She loves to play with the pots and pans and almost dives out of my arms when I open that cabinet door.

She has two bottom teeth, and two top teeth are on their way in. She has become a really good eater lately. She really likes chicken and noodles, scrambled eggs, fruit, macaroni and cheese, chili, anything really!

She walks well with her push walker and is starting to stand unassisted for a few seconds at a time. She says mama when she is sad or tired and wants me to hold her.

I cancelled her nine month doctor check-up due to the COVID-19 stay at home order. She isn't due for any vaccinations, and I don't have any worries or questions for the doctor, so the check up would have just been a fun visit to see how much she has grown and to talk about development. Even though we didn't really need to go, it's sad to have to cancel, and it feels so strange that this is our reality right now. I'll have to weigh and measure her at home because she is definitely a growing girl!

This last picture makes me so happy because I finally have a picture of her double ankle roll! Natalie and I love that little roll. She's just so squishy and snuggly! She still holds the title of favorite sibling, and she seems to be accustomed to all of the smothering and rough hugs that come with that title. We all love our sweet Isabel.

Class Chat

Natalie got to have a live chat with her teacher and classmates this morning! She was excited to see and talk to everyone again. Hopefully they get to do it again soon.

Max is 6!

Quarantine is weird, and quarantine birthdays are really weird. We tried our best to make today special for Max, and I think we succeeded.

We decorated the porch with a mishmash of balloons that the pharmacy tech was able to scrounge up and deliver to our van waiting outside their door (so strange).

Max got to his school work right away because we made a deal that school had to be done before he could open presents. Natalie bought a Lego set for Max with her own money, and it turned out to be one of his favorite presents.

Max spent the afternoon building new Lego sets on the front porch and welcoming a steady stream of visitors who came to drop off presents and wish him well from a distance. It was kind of a strange way to see family and friends, but it was neat to be able to spread the birthday fun out over the afternoon and evening.

Max and Chris came up with this Star Wars scene for his cake. Chris printed the pieces on his 3D printer, and Max helped arrange them.

I'm thankful for a care-free little boy who, despite the circumstances, declared this "the best birthday ever!" I told him that I couldn't believe he was growing up so fast, and he got teary-eyed and told me that he was never going to leave me. He has plans to live next door when he's a grown up, and that's fine by me!

Mom Shirt

When Emma tried on this new shirt, she happily declared that she looked like a mom because I have a navy and white striped shirt too.

Evening Stroll

Happy Easter!

Easter was very different this year with Mass on TV and no family visits, but we tried to make the best of it, and we ended up with a family day that was actually really special. We watched St. Isidore's Mass, ate Easter lunch on our wedding china, video chatted with family, and relaxed, laughed, and played the day away.

We took pictures of the kids in their Easter clothes on Holy Saturday because the forecast was for the temperature to drop dramatically on Easter Sunday.

Isabel might have had the best Easter of all of us because she lucked into finding some of Emma's candy left within her reach! I noticed that she was particularly quiet when I was washing lunch dishes, and this is how I found her!

Holy Saturday

The little girls were helping Natalie sweep the kitchen floor this morning.

Everyone was excited to dye Easter eggs.

Max missed his scheduled haircut a while back because of the stay at home order, so Chris played barber this afternoon and gave him a much-needed cut. 

Isabel and I are loving this spring weather and all the cute rompers that come with it!

Lots of Art

The kids have been creating in lots of ways while we've been home. Online drawing tutorials have become a favorite.

Little Sunshine

Our Weekend

We have been seeing some hearts in windows around town for the #aworldofhearts movement, and we joined in this weekend. 

The big kids have been playing "camping game" off and on for months. I know very little about this game other than that it involves the sweetest imaginary play and that it is probably everyone's favorite thing to play together. This weekend "camping game" included a hike as pictured below. 

We have been enjoying some late afternoon/early evening walks now that the weather is nice, and Isabel has been enjoying some late afternoon/early evening naps in the stroller.