Waiting for XMAS

Now that somebody is old enough to remember last XMAS we spend a lot of time talking about when Santa Claus is coming. We just put up our tree and it took us two days to finish hanging the ornaments (even though the tree is much smaller than previous ones we have had!). I guess we are just busier this year. Now that Hazel is pulling herself up and crawling I have to be careful not to keep anything breakable lying around and that means no fragile ornaments. So far we have only broken one!

I had the girls write letters to Santa the other day. Zelda just wants to be surprised on XMAS and Portia didn't ask for anything so we will see what they get.

Parenting Moments I'm Not Proud Of

Recently life has been a little challenging. Nothing crazy, just sleepless nights and sister fights. The weather is a little colder which means there are more arguments about coats and appropriate shoes for school. Hazel is moving around really fast and every day I am kicking myself for not having put up the baby gates yesterday. With all of the busyness there are many things I forget to do and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and realize I never made it out of Portia's bunk bed. These are a few of the crazy mistakes I have been making lately...

In Hawaii Portia, Zelda (and sometimes Hazel shared a bed). Hazel was teething terribly and I was always giving her the plastic giraffe teething toy called Sophie that she loves to chew on. In the middle of the night if she was fussy I would reach for it and give it to her to chomp on and (maybe) get a little more sleep. One night while reaching for it and grabbing what I thought was Sophie, I heard a little scream. I opened my eyes and realized I had given Hazel Portia's finger to chew on. 

Yesterday afternoon Portia started to do that little dance which means I need to go potty. I told her to run to the bathroom right away. She did but told me she needed help because she was wearing a diaper. I ran up to remove the diaper and only then noticed I had put it on over the pair of undies she has been wearing that morning which were now very dirty. 

The other night I came home after everyone was asleep. Peter had left the kitchen door open for me which I could access through the garage. I didn't know this so I tried the front door, the back door and quietly knocking. I tried calling his phone (which I then realized I had, oops) and looking for our spare key outside, which we don't have. What I didn't think to do was open the garage and go through the kitchen. Instead I reached into my pocket and pulled out about ten of those plastic pouch tops and I began to throw them at Peter's window in hopes we would hear. Only about 6 actually hit the glass and where they landed I have no idea. I finally just rang the bell until Peter came downstairs and immediately told me I could have come in through the garage. Next time I hope I remember that.

Aloha!

We recently went to Oahu, Hawaii for 8 days. It was a big trip for 3 little people. The hotel the Disney Aulani was gorgeous and the beach was beautiful. Our little family hung out mostly by the various pools and on the sand but we did take one trip to the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

 

It took us a couple of days to get to the beach. There were a bunch of different pools to swim in, our favorite was the playground pool with slides and ladders. 

Had to get shaved ice, it's the perfect poolside dessert.

The kids club was a big hit. The girls got to watch movies, make Space Goo and play dress up.

It took a couple of days to get over the jet lag.

Our hotel room had a kitchenette and a separate bathroom for the tub. Hazel slept there while the girls and I had the bed and Peter had the pull out couch. In the morning the girls jumped on the beds and while Peter and I had coffee on the balcony.

This baby enjoyed rolling around the hotel room and she got to see a lot of the lobby. Peter would take her on strolls in the baby carrier when she was awake at 2am.

She was teething and didn't sleep very well, but she did come back to Larchmont with a new tooth!

On our trip to the Dole Pineapple Plantation we took a train around the pineapple fields and walked through the world's biggest garden maze. The pineapples had just been harvested so we didn't see any on the tour. We did get pineapple ice cream!

 Our flight home was a red eye and the two bigger girls slept almost the whole way! Poor Hazel's gums hurt but the seatbelt was an excellent teething toy.

Nappy Pants

Portia stopped napping very early, I think she was about 2 when she refused to sleep in her crib. Occasionally I can take her out in the stroller mid day and she will fall asleep but mostly she is awak from 7am to 8:30pm. Every once in a while though she gets super sleepy and falls asleep in some random place. I wish I could nap like that.

This Time

We are in a really, really good stage. Hazel is always happy, even super tired and super hungry she smiles and coos. She LOVES her sisters and is always so excited to see me or play with one of her rattles.  Portia and Zelda run up to her and give her lots of hugs and tickle her. Every once in a while they get frustrated when she grabs a toy of theirs but mostly they are super sweet together.

Now that we have been in Larchmont for a few months it feels like home. I know the fastest way to school in the morning, I remember all the names of my neighbors. I have figured out the finicky parts of the house so I'm not surprised when the lights in the kitchen go out (it's because I have the toaster oven and the coffee maker on at the same time). 

We are all excited about Halloween although the girls keep changing their minds about what costumes they want to wear. What they don't know is that I don't have costumes for all the ideas running through their heads (Ariel, Belle, Aurora etc.). Portia loves anything princess these days.

Right now..

Z has a great appetite. She will sit down to lunch or dinner only to proclaim she hates everything on her plate. I tell her that is too bad, but then she eats almost all of it! 

Z has the worst chapped lips but refuses to put on chap stick. She calls it chop sticks and says it tastes funny. 

Z LOVES to play with her sister, but when she gets home from school they fight for at least 20 minutes before they become friends. 

Z is obsessed with friends and play dates, after leaving one friends house she wants to go to another play date. Sometimes we have 3 in one day! 

Z is a night owl and does not fall asleep before 9pm, then she sleeps hard and wakes up around 8am. 

Z is growing up way too fast.

Good Luck

Hazel is here, there, everywhere. She is grabbing my hair, the dog's tail, anything that she shouldn't be chewing on, she is. She is super ticklish under her arms and loves to have her hands clapped together when I sing to her. Hazel has a brand new little bottom tooth and like any teething baby she is always drooling (Zelda hates it, she calls the drool, spit up, and makes me wash it off Hazel's shrts immediately). My littlest lady is easygoing, smiley and super noisy. When I am out with the three I ALWAYS hear, '3 girls...good luck.' Usually I can't ask the stranger talking to me what they mean by that because I am too busy grabbing at their little hands, picking up the sweaters they have dropped or running after them. I think it means that 3 girls will keep me busy, but it's good to be busy, so far (with three) my life has been busy and this new one has been so sweet.

Fall - Blah!

The fall is usually my favorite time of year. I love the colors, the slightly colder weather, I love celebrating Z and P's birthdays and I love Halloween. This year, I am ready to fast forward to winter. Two weeks ago I was running down the stairs and broke my foot. It's not a bad break, but I hate having to wear a big boot and not being able to run after the girls (they are so fast!). It's not a big deal, my foot will heal in about a month, but in the meantime I can't do everything I was excited about doing. No long walks in the chilly evening, no big trips and no driving around town for a little while.

What We Are Reading...

Right now the only real time we get to read is before bed or when we go to the library. Zelda LOVES all books and would be happy to have me read to her all day. Portia loves to pretend to read and especially loves to read princess stories to me.

Zelda and I are almost done with this book.

Peter is reading this book to the girls.

Portia has always loved this book.

I'm reading Hazel doesn't this book because it's such a classic.

Ice Cream Time

You can't tell but 20 minutes before this ice cream treat both girls were on the floor in tears. They were so excited to see a friend of theirs for a play date but then he cancelled at the last minute. Z and P broke down crying. I felt so bad that I suggested ice cream and it wasn't until they got to the ice cream parlor that they let me dry their tears. Somehow 2 scoops of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream makes everything better. It used to be when we went to the ice cream shop I would take a little bite of Zelda's and that was it, now I don't hold back. Last time I bought 2 scoops of double chocolate chip. It was awesome. 


 

Peak Baby Time

Hazel is now 6 months old! She is at that amazing point where she is happy almost all the time. She can always be found laughing and cooing or giggling with her sisters. She is the sweetest. I love this phase, Hazel isn't crawling yet so I can put her down without checking to make sure the outlets are covered. That will change soon so I am enjoying this time a lot!

Just Making Conversation

Zelda: "Portia, when you are daddy coffee tastes like juice."

There Were Three in a Bed

It's rare that all 3 girls get up and decide to cuddle together in the morning. This little love fest happened late in the evening last week after I had told Z and P not to get into my bed! Before bed they become super naughty and make the biggest mess and run all over the house. It's also the time when I get cranky and short tempered (I'm working on that). Instead of yelling I stand outside for a couple of minutes or walk to the driveway and clean out our minivan for a little while (it's always dirty, every day there seem to be candy wrappers, yogurt spills and dirty diapers inside). It's one of the best things about our new house, I can take a moment to myself and then run back inside to deal with the chaos. It's also nice and I try to remind myself that the little monsters creating the chaos are super cute and cuddly.

Hello

Soo... our little family has moved to the suburbs. We said goodbye to Brooklyn and hello to Larchmont. It has taken a few months to feel settled but the girls are very happy and Peter and I have begun to call this new town home. So far we are really into our backyard (the swingset that came with the house has been VERY fun, we have been filling our blow up pool with water and placing it at the bottom of the slide, one of the best ideas ever) and really into our dead end street. The girls ride their scooters and play hop scotch on our walk way. They run out the door without their shoes on and I can walk outside without grabbing my cell phone, my keys or my wallet. It's so nice.