{Emery}

This stinker of a three year old is a ham!  She is the most stubborn child I've ever met.  It's her way or no way and no amount of bribery, reasoning, love, patience, time-outs, ultimatums, etc can change that.  She is a ball of energy and is on the go all the time.  Her newest thing is to stick her butt out at people and do the tootie-tot dance.  Usually she lifts her dress up or takes her pants down while she does it, too.  So that's fantastic.  She loves to watch movies on the tablet.  She loves to play outside.  She loves cereal, turkey and cheese sandwiches, granola bars, yogurt, fruit, and anything with sugar in it.  She is totally potty trained and hasn't had any accidents in several months.  I usually wake her up around 10 to take her potty one more time before I go to bed, but if I don't and she wakes up in the middle of the  night to go, she just comes in to get me for help.  She LOVES her sunbeams class!  She has so much fun being in primary with the big girls.  She loves when daddy comes home and runs right out to his truck to ask for a piece of gum, every.single.day.  She refuses to put her seat belt on in the car unless I threaten means things.  She is always saying the funniest things that catch me off guard and I bust up laughing.  The other day she started singing "Uptown Funk" out loud like it was no big deal.  For some reason it was so funny.  A few weeks ago, Clint came home around 5 from work and I decided to go for a jog.  I left him in charge.  During that time, Emery managed to walk right out the front door to come find me and he did not notice.  She made it about a quarter mile away from  our house and was in the street with no shoes and her princess dress, when our neighbor from church happened to drive by and see her.  Thankfully.  She was gone for about 20 minutes and Clint didn't notice.  When I found out I was furious, to say the least.  Since then we've all been much more careful about keeping our eye on her.  She doesn't get scared of things which worries me.  Emery and I butt heads every day, many times a day.  She has been my most difficult child by a long shot but also my most endearing to me.  I love her so so much.  She captivates me and I could stare at her all day long. 

{IVY}

I haven't dedicated a little post to each individual kid in a while, so it's long overdue.  

Ivy has proven to be our sickly child.  She has been fighting colds and ear infections and random things since she was born!  Poor (and expensive!) kiddo.  She is totally healthy right now and is THE happiest toddler ever.  She dances to music all day and is always smiling.  She has yet to start talking but sure gets her point across when she wants to.  She loves to climb on everything and is always falling down.  She is about 22 pounds at 18 months.  She hates having a runny nose and will walk up to you with a kleenex in hand as her way of asking you to wipe her boogies.  She is super picky!  She hates strawberries, all berries, all veggies, all meats.  She will eat bananas, applesauce, yogurt, toast or granola bars all day but that's it.  I sneak bits of healthy foods into her by making her a green smoothie every day because she loves to drink from a straw and will guzzle her smoothie every day.  She has become very independent lately!  She doesn't like help with anything, and likes to pick out her own food and things.  Last night, for example--after family home evening, I let the girls pick a piece of candy from the candy jar for our treat.  I picked out some smarties for Ivy and she pitched the gnarliest fit, because she wanted to pick it out herself.  She does that ALL the time.  She loves her blanket and pacifier and I'm having a hard time taking either away from her since she's my last baby.  She'll be sucking on that thing till she's ten, I'm sure.  Her kidney is still acting up.  We went for our third VCUG and although the reflux is gone (yay!), her kidney is still very swollen.  Her surgeon is not sure if it's just taking a while to heal because of how infected it was, or if it was so infected that it is not healing itself.  At any rate, we go back in three months for an ultrasound to see if it is shrinking.  Fingers crossed that it is!  We love our little Ivy so much.  She makes our home so so happy.  Her sisters LOVE her and are constantly chasing her and smothering her with kisses.  She eats it up.  Sage and Charlotte are always saying they wish she would stay little forever.  Me too, kids!  Me too. 

March

March is over!  Crazy.  

Every day I plan to catch up on the blog and write down some of the things that happen, or funny things the girls say, or random thoughts I'm having.  And then....I don't.  Life is busy! 

Cheering on gym mates while they finish a workout with my crew + one.

Two of the most beautiful ladies I've ever seen!

Nightly routine is exhausting but worth it.  We read our scriptures, pray, and read a story together.  Then Em goes to bed while Clint and I read Sam books with Sage and Charlotte for school.  It's a process!

Most nights when I'm making the rounds to make sure everyone  is tucked in and safe, I find these two babes in bed with each other.  It's pretty magical.

Back on the baking train cuz I'm gaining weight like a fool and can't seem to stop.  These four make baking so much fun.

We stole cousin Kate and took the girls to see a Cinderella play and they all had so much fun.  (except Ivy!!)

After the play we went to eat at Rumbi's and then out for frozen yogurt after. 

Over Spring Break, we hit up our new local DQ several times.  Ivy had her first ice cream cone and seriously devoured it!

We went to the park lots of times

We went with cousins to see Cinderella!  Everyone but Ivy loved it.  Ivy survived about half way through thanks to a huge bag of popcorn, but after that she was way more interested in roaming the halls and driving the cars.

These two walked a fine line for several days between cats, fairies, and real human girls.  It was great.

February

Looks like I'll update once a month and clump everything we did in one long post.  Whatever works.

We've got loads of money invested in nail polish.  Our weekly mani/pedi's are a must.  Along with a gazillion band aids.

 Lots of snuggles with these two during the day

 

Lots of park days, and Sage doing whatever it takes to match Ivy.

Frozen Yogurt dates just because we can.

 

These two girls are the sweetest little gals.  I thank my lucky stars they are mine every day.  They keep me grounded on days when their little sister (s) are pushing me past my breaking point.  I love them so much.  I especially love the stripes on stripes and accessories they pick out every day.

Emery going potty at church:

"Mom I need to poop."

Ok Emery, go poop.

"Do you need to poop?"

Nope, not right now.

"Whoa!  That poop splashed my butt!"

Uh-oh.

"One plop!"

Are you done?

"Nope.  Two plop!"

Now are you done?

"Hmmm.  Yep.  All done.  I have splashes all over my butt!"

 

My little Charlotte is going to be an Olympian.  

In the jump rope event.

 

Little Ivy LOVES her grandma.  She sat and stared at her without blinking or moving for the longest time the other day.  I love this picture so much.

 

Her very first birthday party!  They had a bounce house and she about died of happiness.  She was so thrilled to be a "big girl" and go to a party like "Sagey-Charlotte". 

 

It's hard to tell here, but on our walk one afternoon, Emery fell down and Ivy ran right up to her to kiss her better before continuing on.  Such a cutie.

 Valentine's is a big to-do around here.  Not because I love it, but because the girls LOVE it.  We made our boxes basically like a month in advance.  The week leading up to the big day, they get "mail" in their boxes every morning.  Usually little love letters or cheap toys or candies.  It's the highlight of their day.  On Valentine's morning, we had our usual heart pancakes, simple little gifts, and the BEST love letters from daddy.  Valentine's weekend, they had their annual date with grandpa, but that's a post all of its own.

 We all took turns being sick the entire month of February.  It was awful.  Mostly Clint, Emery and Ivy took the brunt of it.  Sage and Charlotte caught little colds but nothing too awful.  I somehow managed to stay healthy.  (maybe not mentally healthy, but whatever.)   They look happy and healthy sitting here at the doctors office, but it's all a rouse.

 

Clint went out of town for four days and we partied hard the entire time.  We hit up Bosa donuts, where Ivy had her first donut all of her own.  It was such a fun thing to watch!!

 

 Lazy Sunday evenings are the BEST.