Oops! I forgot something!

Picture this:  Harper, out of the bath, brushing her hair, putting on some red santa socks and her one piece pajamas that snap all the way up. It takes her 10 minutes to get dressed. Then you hear, "Oops!  I forgot my underwear!" And the process starts all over again.  Only in a 3 year-old's world.

Watch out bad guys!

They are a fierce threesome: Captain America with his big muscles, Super Girl with her green cape and mask, and Captain America 2 with her karate chops and kicks.  We are definitely safe in this house, until the princesses take over.

Friends in funny hats

See a theme here?  Short.  Two years old.  Big cheeks.  Funny hat.  Hanging with your best bud. 

Awesome shirt

Uncle Hunter made the kids awesome t-shirts for Christmas.  Lucy's is an astronaut outfit, without having to wear the whole enchilada.  She wears it about once a week- she loves it!  harper's is a purple tshirt with fairy wings painted on the back and Graham's is green with tiny little T Rex arms painted on the front.  They are all awesome and they each love that they are made special for them , with their interests in mind. 

Daisy trip to Gadsby's

Lucy with her friend, Spencer, at Gadsby's tavern where they learned how to "Prepare for a Ball".  The girls learned an 18th century dance, talked about grace and manners and made "hedgehog cheese".  The best, Lucy got to take her friend, Spencer who isn't in our troop.  They got a special trip to the candy store after the field trip where they terrorized the poor teenage boy working the register by asking him over and over again about every piece of candy in the store, just for giggles. 

Cute day

Zoo with Charlie

Harper had a play date on Monday with her new buddy, Anna, so Graham and I grabbed his buddy, Charlie and headed to the zoo.  The boys loved chasing the meerkats, watching the orangatans going across the O-line, and seeing the lions.  Wagon rides, waterfalls, snacks and chatting about moms in the backseat of the van and you've got a pretty good day with your buddy. 

Tethered

Lucy got a tetherball for Christmas and it has changed her life.  Literally.  She is obsessed.  It doesn't matter how cold it is, if it's raining, snowing or windy.  She wants to be out there.  It started modestly enough.  We put it outside about a week after Christmas and she took a few miserable swats at it.  Lots of whiffs.  Not much game.
But now, watch out.  She can hit it forehand, backhand, with power and with finesse.  She is a tetherball pro.  She, of course, commentates the entire game and only hits her brother in the head with the ball a few times a week. 
It will be interesting to see her tennis game this spring.  For now, we are tethered to the tetherball.

Gonna make you itch

Last week was a doozey.  We were wrapping up a busy weekend with Lucy going to swim practice.  After swim she heads to the showers.  She changes and since she had been quick I put her under the dryer to dry her hair.  I am combing through her hair when I see it.  A bug.  Not just any bug. Lice.
Never in my life have I gotten out of a place faster.  Within minutes we are in the car and I am calling home to tell Ian to keep up the little ones before bedtime and I have notified her friend whom I am picturing over and over again with her head against Lucy's as they tell secrets.
I get home and the worst case possible lies before me: all 3 kids have lice.
I begin treating them and Ian goes to the store for more meds, sprays, etc.  I then spend the next 4 hours picking nits out of the kids hair.  Gross.  I mean really gross.
12:30am I finally put the last one to bed and Ian heads off to bed (he had already done several loads of laundry, treated all the mattresses, vaccuumed, etc.)  I then continue to de-lice the house until 3:30am.  Thankfully we were out of school for a few days due to teacher work days and the kids didn't have to miss school.
Several days of nit-picking and 21 loads of laundry in 3 days, vacuuming every soft surface every day for a week...
I don't wish it upon anyone and dread getting it again.
Sorry.  I know, it makes you itch just thinking about it.  Feel free to scratch now.

Is today Monday?

We were riding down the street the other day listening to the radio and the song, "Moves like Jagger" came on.  Harper declared, "I like this song, but I choose not to sing it today.  I usually sing this song but only on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays". 
Total nonsense, but that about sums up many of Harper's grand statements these days. 

Teenage Dream

Harper is very eager to become a teenager.  She asks me everyday "how many days until I am a teenager?"  She also wants to know what a teenager is.  She also wants to make sure that teenagers are not adults, but does not like the explanation that they are "big kids".  Whatever, she thinks they are awesome. 
Another favorite topic?  When her hair is going to change color.  After looking at baby books and seeing that her hair used to be darker brown and seeing pictures of me when I was little and seeing that my hair used to look like hers does now, she is obsessed about her changing color.  She says things like, 'I wish my hair would change color!  It's just not fair.  I want to be a teenager with brown hair."
If only she could see into the future and add up all the money she will one day spend to have hair the color she has now, she would cherish it!

Thumbelina or Ballerina

She's tiny enough to fit into the palm of most adult's hands, but our little Thumbelina has become a bonafied Ballerina!  Here she is waiting for class to start.  And yes, those are legwarmers on her arms.  She has decided that she would rather not get a long sleeved leotard, she likes the versatility of having legwarmers that can not only be worn on her legs but also her arms.  That girl is all about fashion.  No tutu either.  She noticed that the 'teenagers' that help out at the ballet school don't wear tutus and since she is all about wanting to be a teenager that means tutus are out, unless you are just going to the grocery store, then they are totally appropriate.

Better late than never

Ok, so I've been slacking in the blogging department, but here are some photos from the Fall, more to come...

 Lucy with her friend Ashleigh, as pilgrims, for their Thanksgiving feast at school.

 A little bathtime with the cousins.

 Harper in her Cindy Lu Who candycane ears at her school holiday party. 

 Graham chillin' with Chloe, on her bed.

 Lucy with her Build-A-Bear dog, Sean, which she created for her birthday present from Pops and Grandma. He now has a mini friend who looks just like him that she named, "Ice". 

 Graham and best bud, Charlie, in the leaves.

 Harper and Graham at bottom of slide after chuting into a giant pile of leaves.

Lucy at her school's Boosterthon.  She did 36 laps!

Good Kid

This is the third of such letters or emails I have gotten since the beginning of the school year about Lucy.  I thought it was about time to share them with family and friends.  We couldn't be more proud and are happy that Lucy takes my mantra to heart, which I repeat to both she and Harper everyday before school: "Do your best and be a good friend".  Read below a letter from a mom of one of Lucy's classmates:

Hi Sara,
I wanted to share with you something Antonio told me yesterday...very sweet! Antonio wore his cub scout uniform to school (all scouts were instructed to do so for cub scout anniversary). "Brian" started laughing at Antonio's uniform and said how stupid he looked and had everyone laughing. Antonio was in tears and Lucy spoke up and said how much she liked antonio's uniform. Antonio said what a good friend Lucy is!!!  She is the best!