Cute, clean, pajama-ed and 5 minutes to bedtime. This is what I dream about all day long, especially at 6:30 AM when they are all up and fighting about breakfast. Serenity now!

proud

Erin is on day three of no diapers! It's been a long time coming, and we are so proud of her. She is loving underwear and basking in praise and rewards....Kate and Annie are also reaping the benefits of lots of stickers and M&Ms. Happy, happy kids!

ready for school!

zoo day

I'll admit that I've mostly avoided braving the zoo alone since Annie was born...the ratio of three to me seemed a bit too overwhelming and I was convinved that I would lose one of them. The girls convinced me this morning, though, and we had a great time. Merry-go-round, train, elephants, giraffes....all on a fantastic, beautiful Sunday morning. This was Annie's first trip to the zoo on walking legs, and it was so fun to see her with the goats. I'm pretty sure she hugged every single goat in that pen this morning. I'm pretty sure she still smells like a goat, too!

I will admit this one was captured on my cell phone.....out for a walk today and loving the beautiful Wisconsin (almost) fall weather!

delighted

Annie loves a good game of tackle.....I mean tickle. She likes to turn the TV off if Kate is watching just for Kate's reaction......she lunges at Annie, carries her across the room, and, well....you can see what ensues! This sweet little third baby-of-mine is going to grow up tough!

what did get done vs. what didn't get done

Piece by piece, it's coming along. The next project is painting the bathroom and closet, finishing the floor, and re-installing the toilet and sink. I admit that this is one exhausting, time consuming project! Someday, it will all be done, and we will have three happy little girls with an upstairs room to call their own. (cardiology boards in November? Nooooo problem.....)

traveling buddy

Annie probably feels like she spent the weekend in the car traveling to Lowe's and the Home Depot. Dan's idea of a weekend off: moonlighting Friday night and Saturday night, installing pergo flooring in both of the upstairs window dormers, painting, and installing a new tile floor in the upstairs bathroom. (Thanks to Nana and Papa for ALL the help!) It's 9:00 Sunday night, we're finally cleaning up, and I can't even complain about being tired to my husband who is probably more tired...

no more tears

Kate has been having a hard time understanding why Dan is always at work. I've been trying to explain to her that daddy works hard to help people when they are sick, but also that daddy needs to work so we have money to live in a house, buy food and clothes, etc....(and to explain that the money in her piggy bank is just not enough to cover our monthly expenses!)

Anyway. Last night, in a moment of pure frustration (while trying to attend to three needy bedtime children) I said "Where is Daddy?!" and Kate promptly answered "Well, Mama, he's probably still at the hospital trying to find all that money he made today!"

daddylove

go, Badgers!

superbaby!

Annie is loving her new skills. She walks everywhere and if she falls, she's back up in a second. Maybe someday she'll actually put her arms down....

freddy

Much to the delight of all her nieces and nephews, Maggie got a new puppy. He is tiny and sweet and spunky. I'm not even a dog person, but I really love this dog!

Danny

happy birthday, Willard!

When you're the oldest of 8....soon to be 10....cousins....you will always have help blowing out your birthday candles. Happy birthday, buddy....6 years old! Wow!

a rough day for Erin

Her hands are completely road-rash free, which tells you (and shows you!) what caught the brunt of this fall!

I really need to start paying more attention.

The pictures of Erin are how she smiles when I tell her to smile. She makes me laugh out loud.