Kindermusik Fun

Hello all!  I have felt some pressure lately to get this blog updated.  It seems like forever since I last posted any pictures, and the whole reason I keep this blog up is because it's my digital scrapbook of our fun, family life!  Now that I have a few minutes to update, I'm finding very few pictures.  I guess since the last time I updated, I have been truly living life more, and documenting it less :)  I have found myself giggling and goofing off with the girls more, and we are having a blast together!  Cline's work has kept him crazy busy, lately, but we're hoping that will improve in a couple of months.  The last few weeks, we have done some traveling to celebrate various life events in his family.  Cline's twin brother and his wife had their 4th baby a few weeks ago, and the girls and I had a blast spending the day welcoming baby Katherine into the world!  (Cline had to work on delivery day, but we all went back as a family the following weekend).  Cline's parents, grandparents, and myself entertained 6 kids under the age of 6 for hours at Northside Hospital!  It was a fun day, and we got LOTS of strange looks :) This past weekend, another of Cline's brothers graduated from Law School at Mercer University.  Once again, Cline had to work the day we needed to leave, so the girls and I traveled solo.  He joined us in time for the actual graduation.  Unfortunately, I forgot the camera (but remembered everything else we needed, so I was pretty stoked)!  Here are some recent pictures of the younger two girls, though :)

 Elizabeth is growing like a weed, and learning new things every day.  She now cruises like a champ, and reaches for my fingers so she can walk around with assistance.  She loves her borrowed walker and push toy, but isn't too sure about letting go yet.  I recently taught her the "more" sign, and she associates it with food, milk, and entertainment, so she does the sign a lot!  She loves to be entertained and laughs hysterically when I smell her "stinky feet" while I'm changing her diaper.  She loves her board books, and we have integrated reading into our bedtime routine.  I made a small "mistake" and waited too long to start sticking bows in her hair.  They say with the 1st child, they're dressed to the nines with all of the matching accessories, and by the 3rd child, you're happy if everyone just has clothes on.  Definitely true, so I haven't done the whole "bow" thing as much.  (Plus, Abby Kate has incredibly short hair, and I didn't want her to feel left out by being the only sister without a bow).  Anyway, Elizabeth's hair is getting longer, and looks really cute with a bow in it.  I've started putting them in, then immediately playing "pat-a-cake" or any other game I can think of to distract her from pulling her bow out.  As a result, she will now grab the bow from my hands, attempt to put it in her hair herself, and then (after I stick it in) start clapping her hands and laughing.  It's soooo cute, and I love seeing her express her little preferences.

This semester, I got a babysitter for Elizabeth and took Abby Kate to Kindermusik classes one day a week.  It was such a special time for us.  If Cline was off work, he came too, so the "middle child" got both of our undivided attention for a little while.  I am so glad we did this, and Abby Kate had a blast!  Here she is at her last Kindermusik class, hula hooping.

Me and my sweet girl!  I love her spunky personality.  She laughs or gets upset with her whole body.  When she's happy, she lights up from head to toe and belly laughs.  When she's sad, she tucks her chin down, crosses her arms, pokes out her bottom lip, slumps her whole body, and blinks slowly and deliberately.  It's hard not to laugh at her being so dramatic, but it's just the way she is, and I love how she feels things so deeply.

Rolling a ball with Mommy!  These are the moments I want to look back and remember with my girls when they're all grown up.