Stream of Consciousness

**if you're not familiar about what a stream of consciousness post is, it's basically Oops, i've been bad at blogging, here's a catch up post***

SO here goes...

We have been CRAZY busy, and I do mean crazy!!!  I never would have guessed how much work one more baby would be.  I handled two with ease, but three...well most days I feel like I need 10 more hours in a day just to get everything done on my list.  And I mean just my daily lists, not long term lists!!  I'm not sure how women with four or five babies under five do it.  I couldn't imagine!  It goes without saying that I ADORE my children, but wow, this momma needs to find some back up.

When Maggie was two I was still working full time and she was in day-care.  I'm not saying she was a saint, but wow...nothing compared to Fionn.  Everyday I pray he just gets through the day in one piece and I'm still sane at bedtime.  

Almost daily I find this

 or this

 

I've hidden ALL the crayons, markers, colored pencils, pens, paint, chalk, etc...but I have a wall cleaning party weekly.  Just the other day he went up to the 3rd floor, and all I did was turn off the tv and went up behind him and he already had a (washable) purple marker and was making circles on my new windows, UGH!  This kid amazes me at how fast he can find his stash and go to town.  I tried to outsmart him and put the easel in his room so he could just color whenever IN HIS ROOM.  He showed me.  He colored his bed, his bed guard, the carpet, the side of the easel, but never got near his precious train table!  Go figure.  So now we put those crayons up to, and he has to ask for them...or just go find my nail polish....because you know that makes a GREAT alternative to coloring with crayons...I wish that wasn't a true story.

Then he smiles like this...

and does this.  Something as simple as giving his baby sister his "night night" and "bogey" when she is fussing and I forgive him of things like this:

Maggie thought she would like to try soccer this year, so we gave it a go.  Unfortunately we only got to go one week, and Fionn was soooo angry that HE wasn't going to soccer that we never got to go back.  Mag looks like a beast in that picture, but she was playing with the Kindergartners and this guy is just really little!  Fionn had a blast taking Maggie's ball.  He was dancing out in the field because he got away from me. 

On Labor Day, we headed up to Living Treasures Animal Park for a fun family day.   The kiddos loved the animals, and Fionn really seems to be fearless when it comes to them.  He chased the peacock, stared down a bear, and got down on the ground eye to eye with a chicken (who had a baby hiding under it's feathers)  He laughed as the goats and bison licked him, and begged for more carrots.  

Cate is SIX months now (her post is coming soon) and is already eating baby food.  A LOT of baby food at that.  Her check up in Thursday and I can't wait to see how much she's grown!

We have been making bagels...

and tutus...

I LOVE the tutus!  We're doing something special with them in the coming weeks, I promise to post information on it!

Sorry it's been a month between posts, I just can't believe how quickly the month got away from me.  I've yet to post about the Fair, or Trax, or a few other fun things we've been up to!  We even have a treat coming up this weekend, Greg is OFF for the WHOLE weekend and not only are we having a family day on Saturday, but we're getting Family Portraits done this weekend BY ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER...I will be IN the pictures, it's true!  I'm so excited! 

Dear Cate...month 5

 

 Dear Cate,

TODAY you are FIVE Months old!  You are such a beautiful little soul, so full of life!  You continue to make us smile with your bubbles and laughter.  Just last night you "sang" along with a song.  Granted it was GLEE, and J-Z but hey, you were digging it!  

You now weigh OVER 16 pounds and last month you were almost 25 inches long already!

You've had quite the month.  Not only do you roll over now, but you now reach for things on a regular basis and actually "play" with your toys.  You even have inched yourself forward a few times laying on your play mat.  Getting that little bottom off the ground still seems like it's going to take a while, but I'm sure you'll be up and crawling before we know it.  

You've changed so much just in the last month that I can hardly believe it.  You somehow skipped over most of your 0-3 months clothes and are making your way QUICKLY through your 3-6 months.  

At your last check up last month, doc thought that it was time to start you on food.  SO we started oatmeal a couple times just to try it out, and now just this week you ate baby food for the first time.  You weren't sure at first, but now really like meal time!

 You are so adorable, the way you go from serious to absolute excitement in a blink of an eye.  You also now do the "swim" ALL the time when you are excited.  You have to move both of your arms and legs at the same time in almost a doggy paddle.  It's how we know you're REALLY excited.  You do it when we lay you down for tummy time, and you crack yourself up when doing it!

 We originally thought you would be a thumb sucker, just like your big brother, but in the last month (since you started teething) you have really come to want your pacifier when you're really tired. 

 You still adore your daddy, and you and your brother still fight for his attention and time daily.  I'm happy to report that MY arms is still your favorite place to be and I'm happy to have you there.  

  

It's been a beautiful, blessed five months with you darling! 

Love, MOM

Comparison

 

Today our little princess turns FIVE months, and before I show you all her beautiful new photos, I thought I would show you just how much she does look like her big sister!!

 

This is Mag at 5 1/2 months, and yes this hat WILL be making an appearance soon!  I thought it would be cruel to pull it out when it's almost 90 degrees outside!

Wordless Wednesday

Clearwater, FL

Clearwater, FL

our Gulf Coast stop

On Saturday morning we got up early, it was going to be a BIG morning.  Our annual family portrait was on schedule!  We had already scouted a great spot over in Celebration (right next to Orlando) and had it all planned out.  It was sunny, but there were clouds moving in fast.  Fionn saw them and said "oh no, RAIN".  I ignored him, it was only a five minute drive after all to our spot. As you can see, we were both pretty upset about what happened to our plans.  It rained, and rained, and kept raining!  UGH.  ALWAYS when I make plans!!

 

So off to plan B (aka scrambling around w/no plan)  Remember that, we'll come back to that later...

After we finished up with the rest of the family, we decided to head off to the coast. 

 

As we drove it rained a little more, and we knew that there was still another storm brewing in from the Gulf, but we decided to chance it.  We were rewarded for our bravery very handsomely!  The waves were turned up just a bit, so the kids loved it, and the clouds were just BEAUTIFUL as they rolled in from the Gulf!  The Gulf sand is pristine and white, which shocked me.  I've only ever been to the Atlantic side of FL, so was not prepared for the beauty that met us at Clearwater!  

This is one of my FAVORITES of Cate with her daddy!  We opted out of the whole suit with rash guard for this trip and just went with swim diaper.  I LOVE it!!

Of course it's all about perspective.  Look how tiny my peanut is in this shot compared to the one above.  But LOOK at that sky, it was marvelous!

There's not a lot of Mag from the beach because she made a friend and spent most of the time playing with her.  I did get plenty of those shots, but wouldn't feel right putting other people's children up on our blog without their mommies knowing!

This sequence just cracks me up!!  When a wave would knock Fionn over he would get up and punch the next one that came to shore, so it became a running joke to "fight the ocean"  This is the Gulf getting a hit in.  Poor Fionn, lol.  He was such a trooper though!!  If you look closely in the next to the last one you see his little hands coming up out of the water, but that's it!! 

The sunset continued to dazzle us as we enjoyed our small amount of time that we had left of daylight.

 

Sadly though it was time to call it a day and head to the truck as the daylight faded over the Gulf!  

Thanks Clearwater, you were an amazing end to our trip!!

Cocoa Beach, FL

Cocoa Beach, FL.

(our first trip to the beach during vacation)

Since we were staying in Orlando, and you know didn't REALLY you know, want to do something as silly as read a book (or relax for that matter on vacation this year) we decided that it would be ambitious to try to take our kids to BOTH the Atlantic and the Gulf Shore since we were directly in the middle of the state.  Yes, AND go to Disney.  It was a BIG week.  I mean HUGE! 

 I mean really, who goes to Disney and BOTH shores in one week.  

We are THAT family it seems.

It was a nice hour(ish) drive over to the Atlantic and honestly we saw a billboard for Cocoa Beach on the way over, so headed there.  We found a spot just south of Cape Canaveral and just north of the pier.  It was a great spot.  We got there a little after 5pm and missed the craziness of the beach crowd.  It was lovely.  Just a few other families around us, but we had plenty of beach space.  Fionn belongs on the shore, and we know it's just a matter of time until we lose him to the call of the ocean.  We just pray he stays East Coast.  Last year the boy cried when we left the ocean for the last time, and he was soooo excited on the way there this year when we told him where we were going.  

As you can see, big sister loves the shore as well.

and the baby girl.  She is seriously the calmest baby I've ever met.  She just chills and rolls with life.  We can take her anywhere, and she is cool with whatever we're doing.  The ocean, no big deal.  We sat there with her for a long time and she just sat and watched the waves come in and hit her feet.

Toes in the Atlantic for the first time.  Less than 4 months old.

The rest of the family drove out to meet us after a little while and the boys had a BLAST digging on the beach together.

Pop-pop with his girls!

oh did we enjoy our evening in Cocoa Beach!  It was a perfect way to split up the crazy of Disney!

Friday Funny - Vacation Style

So many of you know that we just got back from this HUGE trip.  I've been a slacker and have not posted a darn thing about it.  It was Wonderful, Fabulous, Exciting and EXHAUSTING!  We have just been SO tired since we got back.  I'm sure we walked MILES in the nasty, humid-late August heat in one of the most crowded places we've ever been, but still.  

E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D.

So until I can get my wits about me, and get this new routine of the school year on track, you only get snippits. Your first snippit is a video.  If you get motion sick, you may not want to watch.  If you DO watch, don't say I didn't warn you!

ps.  Sorry for the crazy laugh.  It's what I do on rides.  And of course when I hear myself doing it, it only makes me laugh harder.  You should have heard me on Space Mountain or the Rockin' Rollercoaster, I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face, this is mild!
What can I say, Disney was FUN!