Went on a walk, drop off to Zumba Kids, onto Bounce U for a double birthday party, left to pick up from Zumba Kids, back to Bounce U, home again, home again, quiet lunch with a tuckered out Em girl, visiting boys ready to play, inside, outside, perler beads all together, a magic trick at Owen’s, ragtag dinner, bedtime…

Reading some Valentine books with Miss Em, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with O, and Sarah, Plain and Tall with Lily.

Getting prepared for the Backyard Bird Count at the end of next week and a visit from Grampa Robert.  Possibly an outing the the Aviary (of course–birds) to meet up with some new BraveSchool friends.

Go so slow…

When I took Emmy swimming, just she and I, all she wanted to do was Superman Glide, jump into the pool from the side and Motorboat.  Lily told me tonight, while Ollie and Lily and me had our turn together, that Motorboat was for babies…but she still liked it☺️. It is hard to believe last November neither could swim much and now…little fishes!  Ollie is getting the hang of “rest” instead of barreling along and eventually going blub, blub , blub.  Lily has the most precise and controlled flip turn.  We all had so much fun; we plan to do it again soon!

Because Emmy loves (obsesses over) him and he is back from India…since January 2. But the excitement never wears off.   
   

Take it away, Lily!  She is a Periscope pro👀👍🏻 

Early morning letter writing to stuff our newly created letterboxes full of news and love notes.  Two kids to the dentist, a third to school. Superior check ups and flavor combos (orange vanilla+orange and chocolate mint+orange). A treat of a lunch at Panera. Back to get little one. Home to read and write more letters to neighbors and friends. More reading. Outside to jump, then explore. Down I to the woods for a long hike and discovery of a fox den. Back by sundown (which is now 6!!!!!!). Dinner. And more letter writing and reading. 

I talked to Elise yesterday about Baby Owen and sleep.  How I still don’t have it figured out and that my kids weren’t sleepers.  Except for maybe Ollie :-).  But it made me think about how each of the three babies I have (had?  *sob*) were so different from one another and they came into the world that way.  Just born that way.  How Lily didn’t really like being held or cuddled…and while she does like to cuddle up now-especially if you throw in hot chocolate, Dr. Heater and a book, she remains a bit more aloof than most.  She still emotes strongly.  She loves a bath.  More dependent on routine, finding comfort in things that repeat.  And then there is Ollie Boy.  Smiles and spit ups and sleeping while sweating.  I just left him, sound asleep in minutes, on the floor…or where-ever!  Could he be the most easy-going?  I mean, besides the crying.  But he doesn’t dig deep with the emotions and crying, its more just the way he continues to express frustration.  More snuggly than his sisters and was that way as a baby, too.  And my Emmy.  While content to look around or play by herself as a wee one, she still can keep herself occupied…with anything off limits-like M&M’s by the handful and any lotion/gel/cream/makeup/fill-in-the-blank unguent.  She has always been noticeable; now she is just a lot louder–to compete with the bigger ones.  She wants to hang out the most of any of the kids and I can definitely say she was the one I wore as a baby the most.

I re-read this list and I hope it doesn’t sound like I am complaining.  There are three unique and wonderful individuals asleep (well, maybe they aren’t all asleep) upstairs right now.  They are the most interesting people I’ve ever met and have made me grow more than any others.  What fantastical creatures (fish, gorilla, monkey) they each are, such wild, distinct kids.  They were just born that way.