Date with Bugs

After the crazy hockey schedule of Mike's hunting weekend, Fiona explained to me in a very mature way (truly - I was quite proud of her) that she was feeling very overshadowed by hockey. And I told her that was fair. So we made a deal that we would go on a date the following weekend when Mike was back in town - just the two of us. I proposed that we would go to the Minnetonka General Store and pick out a Christmas decoration for the new house together. She loved that plan!

Then Saturday morning, Quinn found out she was playing goalie for the first time versus another association and she was pretty nervous. She asked Fiona and me if we would come watch her, which we said we would. But Fiona felt slotted behind hockey again. I explained to her that, while this did involve hockey, we adjusted our plans because her sister needed us. And that I would do the same to her siblings when she needs us. As a consolation prize, we drove separately to the game and went on a mini-shopping date that afternoon. She got a couple new tops, some new lip gloss, and a whole lot of one-on-one time. We had a blast and she was beaming from ear to ear when we got home.

Our General Store date was happening on Sunday. So when Q's ride after soccer texted us that they were no longer going to practice, I pulled out all the stops to get that child transported from the high school to the rink (where Mike and Dec were) because there was no way I was canceling on Bugs again. 

Ultimately, I got the original Ms. A (our first day care provider) to pick up Q and bring her to the rink. She met the very stringent requirements of 1) available, 2) can pick my child out of a crowd and Quinn knows her so won't freak the frack out, and 3) has a driver's license. Ms. A brought the added skills of loving Q to the core of her being. In fact, she thanked me for letting her pick up Q. I mean ... you are welcome, Ms. A. Happy to do you that favor! 

Once all the puzzle pieces were in place, Fiona and I headed out for our date. We got to the General Store right when it opened, so started on the second floor to avoid the crowd. Fiona.was.in.heaven. She had so much fun looking at all the unique crafts throughout the store. We even found a new ornament for the tree and were able to get it personalized. After one pass through the store, we took a break in the little cafe and ate popovers and a smoothie. Then we did one more walk-through and headed out with our treasures. She talked me into a book about "advice for teenage girls" and I smile every time I see it open on the window seat. My favorite advice page: "hug your mom every chance you have." Yes!

We stopped at Michael's on the way back to Shakopee and let me tell you, girlfriend can spend a lot of time looking at sparkly scrapbook paper. She also found the saddest looking small Christmas tree ever and asked if she could have a small tree for her room. I told her "absolutely" - but not that one. A better one. Then, as expected two other small Vannestes wanted in on that room tree situation too. You'll be happy to know that three small trees were procured, delivered while we were in quarantine, and are lovingly decorated and festive in their rooms.

We ended our date by swinging by the rink to pick up Quinn. And I ended up leaving both girls there for Mike to bring home while I picked up the groceries and a few things at Target. Fiona and I had the best time just visiting and shopping and hanging out together. A perfect date!

Seven Facts: Dec at 7

I thought I'd mark the auspicious occasion of Dec turning seven with seven fun facts about the dude ... only one month after his actual birthday. 

Fact 1: Dec's seven year well check went great. He is a completely typical Vanneste child - long and lean. Dr. H told him to continue to work on eating more veggies (he's not a fan), keep up the good work on fruit (he is a big fan), and to stay wonderfully active and healthy. He was almost 45 lbs (17th percentile) and 47.5" (42nd percentile). Of note, his feet are suddenly so big - so I really think there is an imminent growth spurt.

Fact 2: When D's final report card for 1st grade came, so did the results from his first attempt at standardized tests. Dec always tells us he's smart, which makes us laugh [apparently there is no humbleness to a third baby]. Turns out, D was right. His reading has just taken off and his test scores really showed how much he has gravitated towards books. And math has always come naturally to him. He says he likes reading better, but also seems to like the challenge of math problems. 

Due to the current Harry Potter obsession in the house, he is trying the first book again and is slowly but surely picking his way through it. He's highly motivated and enjoys it. There are just so many big words when you are seven. However, Auntie gave him Harry Potter glasses and a Gryffindor scarf for his birthday, so he can dress the part while he reads (or watches the movies). 

[Fun related fact: through very unscientific methods, we have determined that the Hogwarts House for each of the Vs ... Hufflepuff: Quinn; Ravenclaw: Fiona and me; Gryffindor: Dec and Mike. Although Auntie isn't entirely sure Q wouldn't end up in Slytherin ... ]

Fact 3: All Declan wanted for his birthday was a fish. He's quite honestly been talking about it non-stop since we had the offer accepted on this house. Today, at long last (he's been really patient while we got our bearings after the move), we went to the pet store and bought ... a tank. Apparently you need to nitrogenize the water for a few days before you put the fish in. So there is a brand new tank in his bedroom with all the special rocks he's been collecting in it. And later this week, we'll go get a few guppies to live in it.

Fact 4: If you want to know anything about any animal, ask Dec. For real. I fact-check him all the time (he has very odd facts) and he is rarely wrong. One morning, I swear he told me three dozen facts about jellyfish before I could make my coffee. Which is impressive because 1) making coffee doesn't take that long and 2) how are there THAT many facts about jellyfish!??!?! Ocean animals are particular favorites. As are things in the panther family - like cheetahs and jaguars. He's in bed right now - otherwise I'd ask him what the scientific names are. Because he knows. 

Fact 5: Declan is still our early riser. But we are starting to see a small shift. He has his own bedroom now (with blackout curtains) - and is starting to get to stay up later. So he is sleeping in more often. A couple times, he's still been asleep when the nanny arrives and we don't see him before we leave for work. This is unusual. But a year ago, it was unheard of. What he doesn't like is that when he sleeps in, Quinn beats him downstairs and gets to pick the show ... which means he's likely watching a cooking show first thing in the morning. 

Fact 6: D has a wonderfully balanced summer activity schedule. He's playing baseball two nights a week (for a couple more weeks), is currently in skate camp to keep his hockey skills sharp, has started piano lessons once a week (and loves it), and will be attending a week-long drama camp at the end of the month. He's a little nervous about drama camp as Q is too old for his level and will be joining Fiona in the bigger kid camp. But it will be good for him to go at it solo. He's used to having his own personal fixers in the hovering sisters. A little independence will be good for a guy.

Fact 7: Declan is so funny. He both enjoys jokes and is quick to find the obvious (or subtle) humor in things. Mike taught him the alternate definition of "balls" and he thinks it is so funny to make a joke about balls - and then say "not these balls, daddy" while pointing for added effect. Boys. 

He still delights in being the class or family clown and is willing to do just about anything for a laugh. We are working on the finer points of both delivery and realizing when you have crossed the line into not.funny.anymore. It's a work in progress. 

One of his favorite days in the new house is when I found the box with his joke book in it. He's always good for a great one-liner. The current favorite ... "Why are there only 25 letters in the Christmas alphabet?" Because there is Noel. 

Bonus Fact: the answers to the annual birthday questions

Favorite color: Red

Favorite friend: Andrew

Favorite show: Bluey

Favorite book: Science Comics: Coral Reefs

Favorite movie: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (but not the werewolf part)

Favorite song: Carrying the Banner

Favorite food: Corn dogs

Favorite thing to do: Play hockey

Be when you grow up: a vet

"Big" News

Fiona had her ten-year well check yesterday. Conversations about puberty aside (I can't. Already? What?!?! How? Help!), it was a great appointment. 

Do you guys remember how we've been clinging to the basement of the growth chart at fractions of one percent? Or us going to several endocrinology appointments where they tested and poked and prodded and measured her to make sure she was growing?

You guys, Miss Fiona Grace Vanneste was 9.33% on the height chart! I'm in marketing and almost always round up ... which means 10 percent! Double digits, just like her age. This is BIG news (see what I did there?)! Our doctor, Fiona, and I all cheered wildly when we looked at the chart. Our pediatrician's resident probably thought we were all crazy. I guess I have to thank puberty, since it delivered this spectacular growth spurt.

Official 10 year stats are ... 51" inches tall (9.33%. Up four plus inches from last year!!) and 54.6 lbs (4.7% - and probably the last year I'll publish her actual weight). She is wonderfully healthy and solidly the current tallest Vanneste kid. 

Big Boy Life

As the world has ground to halt (who knew that could actually happen!?!?), there are things that refuse to stop. Like Declan growing.

During the first week of Lockdown Life, I was tucking D into bed and he said, “my knees hurt when I get up in the morning because I can’t straighten my legs.” It was official. The toddler bed was too small, and it was time for us to figure out how to fit a third twin bed into the shared bedroom space.

After multiple discussions, a lot of research, and a couple shipping speed bumps, we decided on a mid-height loft bed that included a bookcase, dresser, and desk that tucked under it. I’m most excited about the dresser … drawer space is a premium right now and everyone’s clothes keep getting bigger. Heaven help me when we need shorts AND pants in drawers. However, the additional bookcase shelves are pretty exciting too! We have lots of books and trophies that are excited for a new home.

D waited with great anticipation and was SO excited when four boxes were delivered last Tuesday. Mike used the bed to his great advantage to inspire willing helpers (Q and D) to get their schoolwork done quickly on Thursday. Thus, Thursday afternoon became Shop Class for the two. They were great helpers and had so much fun. It’s really fun to see them engage in a project and have ownership in the finished result. I think Mike enjoys teaching them as well. [And I enjoyed Fiona sitting at the desk next to me finishing up her schoolwork for the day.]

Currently, the bed and bookcase are complete – and the kids are using the open space underneath as a fort / reading nook / homework space / anything else they can think of. They know eventually that space will be consumed by the other furniture, but there isn’t a big rush. Currently, we take advantage of things that bring joy.

As expected, when bedtime came on Thursday night, Dec wanted his old bed and decided he was afraid of the new one (sigh …). Then he realized that he and his seven stuffies had lots of room to stretch out and he figured he’d give it a try. One night and he was fully adjusted – and quite delighted with the extra space.

The room will continue to evolve in the coming weeks as we add the other furniture, redistribute items, and maybe even retrieve a few things from the storage unit. But for now, the dude is quite content with his big boy bed, his new shark sheets (there are also dinosaur ones), and the fact that his bed is the new cool hangout spot.

Thoughts on Election Day

A couple weeks ago, Fiona came home with a flyer from school about upcoming Student Council elections. As a 3rd grader, she is now eligible to run for office. I asked her if she was interested as I was about to throw it in the recycle pile - and was quite surprised when she said she was. [Recycling halted]

I kept the flyer and occasionally asked her over the next few days. She consistently said she wanted to run - so last week, we made a pit stop at Target to buy supplies for her campaign poster. We finally had time to sit down on Sunday to work on it. When she said that she didn't want to anymore. After a few questions, I determined that she was backing out because she was nervous about the speech she had to make. I told her that I would support her no matter what she chose, but if she was not doing something she was excited about because she didn't want to make a speech, I thought that was a pretty bad reason.

After a couple deep breaths, Fiona agreed. She would do it. So we set about making her poster. Because although she has an incredibly artistic bestie and a mom who makes a living through words, she decided to have ME help with the poster and Ev help with the speech [I also took a couple deep breaths]. Thankfully, I perfected the art of bubble letters in my middle school years and put that superpower to work. I bubbled lettered and she very carefully painted her poster. It turned out great - and her sibs got their own posters to work on too.

Then she sat down with Mike to write her speech. She did such a great job and wrote it all herself (with just a little coaching from Mike and me). She practiced it multiple times (including FaceTime with Auntie) and was ready and confident. Ev was also running for 4th grade student council so these two rather shy ladies were really boosting each other up. It was awesome.

Tuesday morning, before she left, I reminded her to speak loudly, slowly, and clearly. And that we were proud of her no matter what happened. And how important it is to be both a gracious winner and a gracious loser. So if her head wasn't spinning by the time she got on the bus, well, she probably wasn't listening to me ...

She smiled at me at pick up that afternoon. I asked her how it went. She said she didn't win. But it was okay and she was proud that she tried - and that there was always next year. Ev didn't win either. No lie, Ms. Katie and I were hoping they either both won or both did not.  I think they are both sad, but will continue to boost each other up in their disappointment.

We've had just a couple sad moments the last two evenings. But overall, she knows she did something out of her comfort zone and she feels good about it. That's what I want for her more than anything. She should be proud! She also told me that she congratulated the girls in her class who did win and is genuinely happy for them.

So ... she worked hard, spoke from her heart, tried her best, and was gracious in defeat. Maybe all Election Day candidates can learn something from our youngest politicians ...

Dec's Preschool Graduation

Last Sunday, we attended our very last day care/preschool summer party (a bittersweet milestone as we've enjoyed these) and watched the final V walk across Ms. A's yard in a cap and gown to receive his preschool diploma. Next week, off he goes to Kindergarten!!!

Two years ago, we moved the boy for the third time to his third Ms. A - something that we wrestled hard with as we just wanted him to feel some stability. It was the best thing we've ever done for him.  This school has been the perfect fit, with a great group of friends, a great learning environment, and a teacher who hugged him at pick up on his last day and made him promise to call her and tell her about his first day of Kinder. D has blossomed and there is no doubt he is ready for the big kid school.

The party started out with a visit from a local lady and her pets, which the kids could learn about and touch. Fiona and Dec thought it was great and decided the hedgehog and chinchilla were their favorites. Quinn made it way longer than we thought she would before she decided to play on the swings and in the mud kitchen. Truthfully, I was with Quinn and also kept my distance from things like a bearded dragon lizard.

After a picnic lunch, the kids put on a program where they sang three songs - and D was even an astronaut in one of them. Then they each received special superhero awards from Ms. A to recognize their superpower. Declan was the "Super Assistant" because he is always helping out his friends. We can totally see that and he was very proud of his award.

He was officially done at Ms. A's on Thursday. He seemed okay with it - but we're not sure he completely gets it as he continues to talk about going back when there's no school, or after school, or when it snows too hard. So that could be a surprise for him ...

We are sad that he's done there too because it's been so great. But we are not sad that we've made our last day care payment [happy dance because it's been eight and a half years, you guys]. Or that starting next week, we only have ONE PICK UP AND DROP OFF! Or that school after care doesn't close at 5pm and we may actually have a bit of breathing room on our commutes.

We are soaking up the last bits of summer this weekend, but are also excited about the changes the start of the school year will bring.

Milestone Weekend

The basement had officially reached Category 5 hurricane level by last Friday. Or more accurately, it looked like a hurricane had picked up a Barbie store and dumped it in the playroom. So Saturday after lunch, I told the kids that we were winning the basement mess battle. It took a lot of work, but we finally found the floor! [You probably think I'm exaggerating. I'm not. It was terrifying!]

As a reward for surviving the cleaning process - and because it was a simply beautiful day out, we decided to spend the afternoon at ValleyFair. It was really busy (we had hoped the State Fair would have cut the crowds), but the lines weren't too long. Poor Fiona got a bit of a wobbly tummy from a couple of the early rides, so I wouldn't let her go on a few of her favorites. But overall, everyone had a fun time. We hit up some of our usuals and checked out a few rides that the kids are getting close to being tall enough to ride.

We had promised the kids that they could stand in the path of The Wave on the way out so they could get wet. When we got there, Mike realized that the girls were finally tall enough to actually go ON the ride. So they did. And once Declan realized what was happening, it did NOT go over well. He was pretty ticked off as that boat climbed the hill, but hurried over to the sidewalk area to take advantage of the splash.

Because of the wind, it wasn't a great splash and he was bummed. So when the people started exiting the ride, the boy ran in the exit door to meet his dad on the bridge. Quinn ran fast enough to miss the wave of the next boat, but Mike and Fiona did not. They were sooooo wet! And then Mike stood in two more waves with Declan - because he's the best!

Fiona proclaimed that it was the best ride of her life and both girls are so excited to do it again. This big kid thing might have some advantages after all! Dec can't wait until he's tall enough too. Until then, I suspect he will continue sneaking on to the bridge!

We hurried four soaking wet Vs to the car, giggling all the way at how wet they were. I was mostly dry - except for a Declan-shaped spot where he managed to catch me with a hug! Hitting that magic height goal was a very exciting milestone for the girls.

My major milestone of the weekend ... being able to go downstairs without my eye twitching from the mess!

Quinn is Seven

Gma and Gpa J called last Thursday to wish Q a happy birthday. I handed the phone to her ... and realized that at 7 years of age, she honestly had no idea how to hold a phone. I had to line it up for her and then realized halfway through that she couldn't hear Gpa and he couldn't hear her because the mic was at her ear and the speaker was hanging out in the air. For as tech savvy as these kids are, basic phone functionality was beyond her. Soooo funny!

I just looked back at last year's post and smiled at my closing thoughts around how we hoped year six would bring confidence and joy as she started to discover who she is. Well ... that is exactly what year six did. Quinn is finding her voice, her passions, and her courage - and watching her grow into herself is a true privilege.

As she has always been, Quinn continues to be our child of opposites. Mike and I did a quiz about our children and had a good laugh at our answers. Most stubborn child? Quinn. Most laidback child? Also Quinn. Bravest child? Quinn. Most cautious child? Also Quinn. Most talkative child? Declan ... (c'mon, she can't win them all!)

Last fall, I finally convinced her to try gymnastics at an actual gym and she loves it! She moved up six levels during the last year and will be starting in the Intermediate level in a couple weeks. Quinn has also decided to play hockey this year. She is doing a cool "Learn to Play" program sponsored by the local NHL team and then will be playing 6U girls hockey starting in October.

Q's birthday celebration was pretty low-key and she seemed just fine with that. She, Fiona, and Nanny N went to a local malt shop for a special lunch (complete with a cherry malt for the bday girl) and we had cheeseburgers and crispy crowns for dinner. She got quite a bit of new "American Girl" (target brand) accessories and has delighted in playing with her new stuff for the last week.

Then on Saturday, we met our neighbors at the pool for a couple hours of swimming and then took them out for birthday Dairy Queen. She told me it was a great celebration. I think the highlight for her was that even though she is still an inch too short for the waterslide at the pool, her swimming teacher was the lifeguard, knew she could swim well enough, and let her go. Holy happy group of big kids! (holy sad Declan who really is too short!)

We had her well check this morning and she is wonderfully healthy. At newly seven, Quinn is 47" tall (34th percentile) and 45 lbs (23rd percentile). She is wickedly smart, devilishly funny, a great help in the kitchen, crazy coordinated, and so very stubborn. Quinn is a truly strategic thinker and has no problem "doing the time" if she thinks "doing the crime" is worth it. Raising her will keep us on our parenting toes in the best way!

Finally, here are her answers to the annual set of birthday questions:

   Favorite color: Orange

   Favorite friend: Evelyn and Jonah

   Favorite show: Odd Squad

   Favorite movie: Newsies

   Favorite book: Bad Kitty

   Favorite song: Can't Stop the Feeling (Justin Timberlake)

   Favorite food: Salsa chicken

   Favorite thing to do: Go swimming

   Be when you grow up: Chef

Fiona is 8. And a Half. Which is Really Close to Ten.

Last week was Fiona's half birthday. She wanted to do something special. So I let the kids each eat their last Rolo from St. Patrick's Day - and that worked for her. Proof that one or two things are still relatively easy at eight. It's hard to believe she will be nine in September. And near impossible to believe that the next birthday will be double digits. I'm pretty sure this was yesterday.

We've been going through a bit of the winter blues the last couple months and it has been bumpy. Fingers crossed, I think we are pulling out of it a bit. Some of the bumps are new and some are just a continuation in our pursuit of life skills. It's hard to power through a school year when you have a delightful imagination and there are just so.many.rules and math lessons. This year, Fiona has a lovely teacher who gets her, but also expects her to learn the math lessons. It's a balance. It will be her whole life. And that's okay. We want to teach her to both be herself (because she's awesome) and to be respectful and productive. Don't we all need a refresher on that lesson occasionally?!?!

Bugs continues to love to read and is bouncing between Babysitters Club and biographies. We spent some time this weekend reading her new library book about famous artists. Little bro joined our art history session when we read about a few Italian artists named Leonardo (da Vinci), Michelangelo, and Raphael. Who knew famous artists were named after Ninja Turtles?!?! She also makes up the best games with her dolls or Barbies and I love hearing how her thoughts come out in her play.

She's been outside a ton the last week (hello, spring!) and her big muscle skills are hanging in there with her peers. She is a biking and scootering machine - just like the rest of the neighbor kids. She and Mike have worked really hard on adapting her technique and it's paying off big time.

Fiona is in week 2 of her drama class and comes home glowing from it. She was assigned her part tonight and will be the comedic relief as Boppy the Clown. They nailed her casting and she will be so great. She is in class with her friend Ellie and the two of them are also enrolled in a musical theater camp at the dinner theater this summer. She's so pumped and is ready to get to do "her thing" after several disappointments over the winter of classes being cancelled.

She doesn't like me taking her picture anymore and asked me this weekend if something made her look fat. We are hearing stories about "mean girl" behavior at school (she doesn't understand it). The bigger big kid issues are creeping into our world. We do our best to ensure she knows she can talk to us about anything. And assure her she's not fat (while desperately trying to instill positive body images). And force her to still take pictures because we love her smile. As long as we can see her sitting out on the driveway, drawing with chalk and giggling with her buddies, life is mostly good in an eight-year-old's world.

Race Car Birthday

Happy Birthday!

Fear not! We continued our annual streak of throwing the world's hottest birthday parties! It was so hot that my sister apologized the day before the party for anything she might say in the heat of the moment. Oh, Auntie!

Declan requested a race car birthday party, so a few weeks ago, Amazon Prime delivered a big package of fresh new Hot Wheels. He was so excited when we opened them. And so not excited when I told him that he couldn't play with them because they were for the cupcakes at his birthday party. He spent the last couple weeks carefully choosing which car he wanted on his special birthday cupcake. Final decision: a blue convertible Corvette Stingray. 

Dec and Otto

The day started out with much excitement when Gma N drove up in the joint birthday present for all three kids ... a purple dune buggy! They each took a turn driving it and both Fiona and Declan spent the morning cruising around the yard and showing off their skills. Gma also made D a green baby dragon that he named Johnny.

We had a great turnout for the party and the kids had so much fun playing with their friends and cousins. At one point, I watched Dec, Grayson, and Jack launching Hot Wheels off the seesaw and bursting into belly laughs - and was so happy that our little man was enjoying his special day. Dec was also crazy excited that his cousins Otto and Huxon came. He's still talking about how he got to play in the sprinkler with Otto and hug Huxey Boo. The only bummer of the day - the blue Corvette that he has been admiring for weeks went missing. Hopefully it will show up in the sandbox or bushes ... and hopefully not in the lawnmower blade.

This year, Declan couldn't wait to have everyone sing Happy Birthday to him. He proudly sat in his chair, holding his cupcake, and sang right along with everyone else. It's hard for a guy who loves music to not join in - especially when it's a song just for him!

Their new car!

The Determined Child

I don't often refer to Quinn as quiet. Because she's not. Not even a little. She's typically referred to as the "loudest person on the planet" around these parts. And I'm not certain we are exaggerating! However, Quinn is also one of the most determined people I've ever met. And she is extremely quiet in her determination. When she sets a goal, she gets down to the business of accomplishing it - without a lot of fanfare. 

I was not surprised, on Friday, when I picked her up from school that she wanted to play at the playground with her sibs. But I was pleasantly surprised that she wanted to play because she wanted to show me what she could do. She has been working on getting across the monkey bars all year and she can finally do it! It was just the best to watch her accomplish her goal and to celebrate that milestone with her. Even though we got it on video, we went back on Saturday so she could show Daddy in person. Sometimes the live show is just better!

Losing It

Don't forget Declan!

We got up Friday morning with big hopes of doing Fiona's flush, grabbing some breakfast, loading the car, and heading north. Mike and I had finished most of the packing the night before and all the bags where piled by the stairs. Declan was a little worried that we would lose him in all the stuff, so he positioned himself right next to the bags - just to be sure we wouldn't forget him.

We got on the road just before 9:30 and made it all of 20 minutes before Quinn was sobbing in the back and saying that she was going to puke. We were not close to anywhere to stop, so Mike did some fancy driving and we ended up in a church parking lot. The second she got out of the car into the cold, fresh air, she felt better. Back into the car we went. And ten minutes later, we hit repeat. Except this time we stopped at an ice arena. Q and I went inside to the bathroom and took our time. She was totally feeling better, so we knew it was carsickness. We had a long talk about whether she wanted to go home or keep going north. She wanted to keep going, so we talked about being a trooper and if we had to stop again to puke (or try to puke), that we were going to need to go home. She did her best to power through, but it felt like a crapshoot of who was going to lose it between Minnetonka and Elk River - Quinn or Mike (it's not very fun to have to come up with puke spots on a moment's notice).

She once cried (wailed) for
150 miles straight.
Now she is a road warrior!

We stopped at the infamous McDonald's in Elk River (where she puked last year) to take a break and give them a chance to run around in the play place. We also stopped at Walgreens to get some children's dramamine. Game changer! Made the rest of the trip up so much more pleasant for all. Luckily for Quinn (or unluckily, since that's probably where she got it), both Mike and I had issues with carsickness as kids too ... so we are extremely sympathetic to her plight. It really really sucks!

When we got to GR early afternoon, Fiona was done messing around with a very loose tooth. Once we unloaded, she and Mike got to work and she quickly lost that sucker! Thankfully, the tooth fairy is super smart and two quarters found their way under her pillow - even in Rapids! She has already decided that she wants to "donate it to people who don't have much money. so it will help them." If she keeps this up, the tooth fairy may need to be more generous.

The cold she was fighting plus the dramamine made poor Q super groggy and tired for the day. We spent the rest of the day hanging out, watching a Christmas show, and heading to bed early-ish. Oh, and Grandpa made the night for the littles and built a fire in the fireplace. Since we don't have a fireplace, this was a first for them - and they thought it was pretty amazing! It was an eventful early portion of the day and a much quieter, relaxing end to it.

The stockings were hung ...

One more [bottom] tooth is out

The Big Kid Room

The final vestiges of Baby-dom are disappearing from our home. On Saturday, while Fiona, Dec, and I went to F's well check, Mike and Q disassembled the crib. This crib has been up and occupied by V babies for almost exactly six years (Fiona came home from the hospital on Oct 2, 2010 and the crib left the bedroom on Oct 1, 2016!). It was fun to look back at the nursery set up before Fiona was born and to see how much that room has changed to now accommodate three babies!

Little dude thinks he is BIG STUFF in his new toddler bed. And - since he dorked around during nap on Saturday to the point that he fell out and clunked his head pretty good, he now also stays in his toddler bed! For our sanity, we also hooked the video monitor back up and reattached the gate. We'll make sure there are no late night wanderings before we completely remove the gate again. [He also inadvertently found where I had stashed - and then forgotten about - his pacifiers. He was super pumped. So they got tossed in the garbage! I'm done pulling the plug on the gang.]

Since we painted the room, the bunk beds have been assembled, the new dresser has been painted, and the crib has been replaced. I still need to work on some of the finer details of the organization and we have some wall space to fill. But I love how it is coming together - and the occupants really love it too! While it is bittersweet to see the crib pieces stacked in the garage, we are really excited for them to have a Big Kid space that they are proud of and that is growing with them.

**Ignore the poor lighting in the photos. Their room was clean, the beds were made, and I had five minutes. Those pieces don't always come together at the same time.

I spy a little guy who is proud of his bed

Bunked. Q on top, F on the bottom. For this month.
They switch on the first of every month.

New dresser in the corner
And Gopher hockey figurine on the top.
So they know which team to cheer for.

The one wall with stuff on it. They love the photo collages.
And their letters are their favorite part of the room.

Labor Weekend

We took the Labor Day weekend off, relaxed, and played at the park. However, during all that relaxing, we finally found the bunk bed arrangement we wanted for the girls - at a good price. So bunk beds and mattresses were ordered. I've been telling Mike that once we made the move to bunk beds, I wanted to paint the kids' room. It was a newborn yellow color, perfect for a baby nursery. Except ... there are no babies in there anymore!

We didn't have plans last weekend, so we doubled down, made a team game plan with the kids, and got their room painted a lovely shade of smoked turquoise. We emptied a few things out on Friday night. Saturday morning was the big move and a lot of wall prep - washing, patching, sanding, etc. We got the first coat up during naptime. We let each of the girls paint a little V on the wall before Mike finished rolling it. They loved to be part of the painting! Quinn stood in the doorway for almost 20 minutes, just watching me trim and Mike follow me with the roller. She was really intrigued by the whole process!

Little painters

Since the room wasn't finished by bedtime, we had a family sleepover in the basement on Saturday night. We brought the girls' mattresses down and Dec got the pack and play. Once they were settled in, we painted the second coat. The late evening lighting wasn't the best - but we made it work. And it was worth it -  because everything was dry in the morning.

On Sunday morning, we hit our stride - aided by the 90s Pop Hits station on Pandora. We "amazed" the kids with our outstanding duet on Everything I Do, I Do It For You (formative years in the 90s. Knew every word, thank you very much!). Dec totally rocked out to Backstreet Boys (that's my baby!), Quinn was partial to Spin Doctors (she has good taste), and Fiona, as always, prefers Spice Girls (she makes Auntie proud). By D's naptime, all the furniture was back in the right spot. 

When your beds are in the living room,
you may as well watch cartoons from them

We haven't hung anything other than the curtains. We'll wait until all the new furniture is in place before we put holes in the fancy turquoise walls! The bunk beds came this week and hopefully Ben and Uncle Kyle will help with assembly over the weekend. The girls are super excited for their new beds - and a little more room when they sleep. 

Overall, we were so impressed with how well the kids did with the chaos and busyness of the weekend. They are so proud to have a new big kid room - and they gave us so much hope around getting some other projects done around the house. A little teamwork, a well-timed trip to the park, and some 90s pop go a long way in the V house!

This Guy

Don't think that the blondes are the only ones growing up at rapid pace. Little brother refuses to be left behind and has logged some major accomplishments in the last couple weeks. Who needs school?!?! He's still got lots to do.

• His tennis shoes were getting tight so I looked in the bag from C and found an old school pair of Adidas soccer shoes. Dec loves them. But even better ... daddy has the same(ish) shoes!!!! Mind blown. He will only wear his soccer shoes now and expects Mike to do the same.
• I was holding him a few days ago, glanced in the mirror, and wondered where all that leg came from. A quick walk to our growth chart confirmed - he's grown an inch since his birthday!!!
• Declan and I got a little extra time together on Thursday as Ms. A closed early. We were sitting at the table having snack and he started making a face. I asked him if he needed to poop and he said he did. And asked to go in the potty. And THEN HE DID! It's a tiny step. He will ask to try once in a while. We aren't pushing him. But it was still a big deal!
• On Friday, Declan said "buh-bye, nookie" and we pulled the final "plug" from bedtime. Compared to when I pulled Fiona's plug, there was a lot less crying and drama. It was decidedly quieter. There was, however, much more bed jumping and throwing of crib contents at Quinn. 

There are moments when he is SO big. He carries on complex conversations (for a 2-year-old) and always wants to know what is going on. He's the family clown and delights in making us laugh. But then there are moments like naptime today, when he will still snuggle with me ... and I can pretend, for a minute or two, that there's a tiny bit of baby left in there.

Declan Sings

We had a super busy weekend - with a fun birthday party for the girls, lots of time with family and friends, and an attempt at recovery from the first week of school (the exhaustion is no joke!). More on that to come.

In addition to all the busy, Declan has decided that the ABCs are his favorite. He can't help but to sing them! And we all think he does a pretty great job at his rendition.

Why Am I Talking about Boys to My 5-Year-Old?

Last day of PreK

You guys, I can't believe I'm writing this story! But I figured those of you who have already launched humans will laugh ... and laugh ... and laugh. And those of you who still have littles, please ... suffer with me!

Bugs has a sweet little friend, Makai. You may remember him from skating lessons or as the friend who visited her after her surgery. They went to preschool together and he also used to go to new Ms. A's for day care. His sister is old enough to watch him this summer, but he has been coming on occasion to Ms. A's. Bugs could not be happier on those days.

Until yesterday ...

Let me rewind a touch. Since the end of preschool, apparently Makai has been referring to Fiona at home as "my girlfriend." The whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing at this age is so innocent, so Mike and I have chosen to treat the terms with intentional neutrality. My neutrality was tested on Monday night, when Bugs, for the first time, told me that Makai was her "boyfriend."

Which brings us to pick up yesterday. Where I walked to in to find a tear-stained Fiona who was also drawing a picture of someone crying. When I asked her what was wrong, she burst into tears and told me that she had drawn a picture for Makai and, when she gave it to him, he ripped it, laughed, and winked at her. Ms. A and I tried to explain to her that sometimes boys do that when they think someone is cool. She looked at us with disbelief and rubbed my leg with a look that said, "mom, if you don't start making sense, I may need to put you in the home."

As we drove home, she told me that Makai was also lying during the day. Like when she drew a chalk picture, he would say that he drew it, while laughing. I tried to explain that he was teasing, not lying - like Daddy does to me. She finally said, "So he ripped my picture, teased, and hurt my feelings because he LIKES me?" When I answered, "yep," she sighed and said, "Mom, I don't get it!"

Tonight at gymnastics, he brought her a picture that he had drawn. And all was right in her world. For now. Also, the parenting books did not say that I had to navigate conversations about boys at age 5. I'm NOT ready!!!

Practically Perfect

Several months ago, my dad had a coupon for a local dinner theater's production of Mary Poppins. He was surveying the family to see who would want to go and I mentioned that Mary Poppins would be a play that I would consider bringing Fiona to. That was all grandpa needed! Tickets were purchased for July, including a ticket for the Bug, and the wait began.

Since it was over seven months between ticket purchase and our show, I marked it on the calendar and kind of forgot about it. Except playing the soundtrack for the girls (and D) over and over ... and showing them YouTube video clips of the movie on my phone while I nursed Declan.

All of a sudden July hit and I realized I hadn't let Fiona watch the movie yet. And had promised her that she could see it. So one weekend in early July, we watched it. Fiona loved it (not surprising) and Quinn did too (more surprising as she's not really into movies ... I guess she's a live action girl). They watched it again during the drive north for camping. And again on the ride home. We were fully Poppins-ed!

The day of the play arrived and Fiona was so excited. She got all dressed up and we did fancy hair. When we got to the theater, she was so ready. As it was a dinner theater, we had to eat first. She actually ate, which surprised me, while staring at the set the whole time. She was very intrigued by the stage and wanted to know what everything was for. We had great seats, really close to the front, and she had a great view.

It was pure magic to watch her watch the play. The stage magic was magic to her. She's so serious when she watches stuff, but every once in a while, I would hear her giggle, see her gasp in amazement, or hear her sing along with one of the songs that she knew. She loved the songs and the dancing. And the chocolate cake that Grandpa ordered for intermission (I convinced her to NOT tell Q about the cake ... we'll let it be a surprise for when Quinn is old enough to go). I was very impressed that she held in there for the whole 3 hours of the play. She was ready to go home when it was done, but she enjoyed every bit of it.

And she's been singing Mary Poppins songs all week. Thanks, Grandpa! Apparently Chim Chim Cheree will never get out of my head!

A side story on Mary Poppins ... an email conversation with my sister.

Me: Spit spot. (I wanted her to do something)
Em: You would be a great Mary Poppins.
Me: I am practically perfect in every way.
Em: Sigh ... That's on me. I set you up for that.

Focusing Four

Three in a chair

Our pediatrician laughed at me during Fiona's four year well check. I was asking questions about attention span and listening ... basically asking if my child had ADD without actually asking it. I didn't think Fiona had it - but dear heavens, the child can look right at me as I tell her something and then still not do it because she "didn't hear you, mama." Our pediatrician said "every four year old on the planet has ADD. That's being four." [Our pediatrician is awesome and she totally understands that some kids do have ADD. She was making a point about four for me.

Fiona twirls through life. It is so incredibly endearing. She flits and floats, makes up stories and songs, holds hands with her imaginary kids, goes on imaginary trips. Her mind is so creative and we love to watch what she thinks up.

On the flip side, all that imagining means there is no space in her life for forward progress. "Fiona, please go brush your teeth." And she runs past the bathroom to her bedroom. "Fiona, what are you doing?" Oh, clearly going to kiss Declan. "Fiona, brush your teeth." And she runs past the bathroom to the living room. "Fiona, what are you doing?" Oh, going to get Clifford. "Fiona, brush your teeth." And somewhere in this, I've gone from asking to seething. But she doesn't read the cues yet. So when I finally can't take her running by the bathroom one more time and NOT brushing her teeth, she's surprised when I yell. [I'm not wishing away the years because I actually do love four and her wanting to climb in my lap and kisses and all that good stuff. But I'm hoping at some point, she'll read the eye and lip twitches and maybe, just maybe, act before I have to go bat crap crazy! ... probably not]

We are working on our patience and clearly explaining expectations to her. She truly is working on listening better. Some days are better than others - but isn't that the case with any of us.

Our Big Girl

Quinn has grown up so much in the last week. I'd say I don't know how we feel about it ... but I do know. Slow down, baby girl!

She's apparently taking this "big" sister thing very much to heart. In the last week or so, here are some of the things she's been doing:

• Drinking from a regular cup during meals (she reminds herself to use "two hands")
• Taking a bath without a "pull up" (you may remember the fear of bath post from earlier. Our solution was to put her in a swim diaper. I've slowly been taking it off earlier and earlier in the tub. The last three baths have been pull up free!)
• Sleeping in her big girl bed. Since Saturday night. Yay to Gma Nash who got her to do it while we were out of town. She's asked a couple times for the crib, but we've convinced her to hang tough in the big bed. She's enjoying the extra freedom - and access to the bookcase.
• Tonight, as the girls and I were getting ready after their bath, we were talking about tomorrow and the baby coming. Q asked if they would see me. I assured her that Daddy would bring them to visit. She walked over, gave me a hug, and said "I miss you, mama." And I melted!
• She's really embracing having jobs and responsibilities. The girls were going to a birthday party tonight and I needed to cath Buggy first. I asked Q to go pick up the blocks while I did that. And there was not a block on the floor when I came out. Everything was put away! 

It's awesome to see her gaining and embracing her independence. And a little bittersweet to see how quickly she is growing up. We love this big girl!