North Family Adventures

Dora Junkie

2012-01-04T13:43:00.002-05:00

Check out the intensity on Sophie's face. This is the face of a "Dora Junkie". Sophie is obsessed with Dora the Explorer. If Dora comes on television, Sophie will stop whatever she is doing and head straight for the TV.

If I need a quiet few minutes to get some housework done, I will turn on an episode of Dora and let Sophie settle in for a bit.

Give her a bottle and her blanket and she is all set! Gretchen is a huge junkie as well, but she does not sit still like Sophie. Gretchen is more the "watching while dancing and playing" type.

I mean, really, is that the face of an angel or what?!

Gretchen Takes a Bite

2012-01-03T13:37:00.000-05:00

Santa left this tasty morsel in my stocking. While I was putting things away, I placed the candy bar on the table and didn't really think about it again. That is, until, while I was cleaning out the closet in Gretchen and Sophie's room, I needed a trash bag. I headed out into the kitchen only to find Gretchen sitting on the floor, candy bar in hand, enjoying a contraband treat. I was so shocked that, instead of grabbing the camera, I grabbed the candy bar and put it away from little hands.

The best part is that when I asked Gretchen why she opened the candy bar, she said "because I wanted it". Makes sense to me!

Sophie North -- Only Child

2012-01-02T22:20:00.003-05:00

With her big sisters spending the night with Nana and Grandpa, Sophie got to experience life as an only child for a day. We had the best time. We played and played and played some more. Sophie loved that she got to call the shots!

Of course, she did still have to take her nap. And she did still have her bath. But, overall, she pretty much got to do whatever she wanted to do when she wanted to do it.

What she wanted to do most was sit in her box and play. She loves to climb in and out of her box as well as sit in it and play with her toys. What a character!

Sophie was a little lonesome for her sisters, especially Gretchen. So, she was really happy when they finally came home tonight. I believe that Sophie loved all of the attention she received today, but she loves her sisters, especially her best friend and playmate, Gretchen, more.

New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T13:11:00.002-05:00

Last night, Geoffrey spent the night and Brian worked the hockey game. So, the kids and I had a little New Year's Eve party. I picked up some pizza at Papa Murphy's and some sparkling apple juice for dinner. I broke out the fancy glasses and the kids thought that was super!

Kaelyn, Geoffrey, and Gretchen were determined to stay up until midnight to watch the ball drop. I thought for sure that they would be asleep far before midnight . . . especially Gretchen, but they proved me wrong!

Sophie did not make it to midnight. She made it to a little after nine and then crashed -- hard. She did not stir until morning even with all of the noise that the kids made at midnight!

The minute the ball dropped, the kids and I grabbed our pots and spoons and went outside to make some noise to ring in the New Year. We banged pots and yelled "Happy New Year" for every one to hear. I am sure that our neighbors really appreciated our enthusiasm!

Happy New Year from our family to yours!

Our Family Motto

2011-12-31T15:45:00.004-05:00

I always tell the girls (mostly just Kaelyn at this point) that they do not have to like everyone they meet in life, but they do have to be kind to everyone. In fact, I tell them that I know they are not going to like everyone they meet in life. There is never an excuse to be unkind. To this end, Brian and I try to model this motto on a daily basis.

So, when I found this magnet at Kroger this afternoon, I just had to buy it and put it up on the refrigerator. Now we have a daily reminder that kindness is our daily goal.

Book Count 2011

2011-12-30T13:09:00.002-05:00

My final book count for 2011 is 52. Not only did I meet my goal, but I averaged one book per week this year. I still have a lot of books on my "To Read" list, so I am setting a goal of 50 books for next year with the hopes of reading 60.

Here are my final accomplishment for 2011:

Here is a complete list of all of the books that I have read this year:

1. Cross Fire by James Patterson
2. Being Polite to Hitler by Robb Foreman Dew
3. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
5. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
6. A Thousand Spendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
7. Tick Tock by James Patterson
8. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
9. Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
11. Room by Emma Donoghue
12. Toys by James Patterson
13. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
14. High Society the Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto
15. The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi
16. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
17. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
18. And Furthermore . . . by Judi Dench
19. Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
20. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson
21. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
22. Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
23. Ape House by Sara Gruen
24. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
25. Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Father, Cary Grant by Jennifer Grant
26. Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon
27. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
28. Now You See Her by James Patterson
29. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
30. The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
31. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
32. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbauch
33. Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross
34. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
35. Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson
36. Gone With the Windsors by Laurie Graham
37. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
38. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
39. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen
40. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
41. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen
42. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen
43. The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson
44. Vanish by Tess Gerritsen
45. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
46. Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy by Jacqueline Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy
47. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen
48. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen
49. Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
50. Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen
51. The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
52. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Sophie's Bad Day

2011-12-29T16:35:00.000-05:00

Poor Sophie! Today was just not her day. She was tired, cranky, and extremely undecided. She wanted to be held and she didn't want to be held. She wanted a snack, but she didn't really want to eat it. She wanted to cry and she wanted to laugh. She wanted to play with her sisters, but she didn't want to share her toys. She threw several fits throughout the day. When it was finally time for bed, she was more than happy to go. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day for the Sophster!

Matching Pajamas

2011-12-28T15:10:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, Gretchen and Sophie received three pairs of matching pajamas. We all know how much I love to dress the girls alike, so matching pjs are right up my alley.

Don't they look adorable dressed alike?

Snow Day

2011-12-27T15:00:00.002-05:00

This afternoon, Kaelyn wanted to take advantage of the new snow on the ground. So, she bundled up and headed out to play. There really wasn't enough snow on the ground to really play, but she headed out anyway and was soon across the street building a snowman with the neighbor girls.

Kaelyn came home a wet, muddy mess, but she had the best time playing out in the snow. She warmed up with a mug of hot chocolate.

Now, if it would only snow instead of rain all the time, Kaelyn would have a fun, snow-filled winter!

Christmas Day

2011-12-26T16:14:00.002-05:00

Last night we celebrated Christmas with Grandma and Grandpa, Great-Grandma Burhop, Aunt Laura, Uncle Chris, Joseph, Ryan, and Carly.

We had sloppy joes and macaroni and cheese. It was so yummy! After dinner, it was, once again, time for presents. Kaelyn and Gretchen were so excited . . . Sophie, not so much.

Gretchen was thrilled with her new Dora doll house. She could not wait to get it open and play with it. However, we were mean and made her play with some of her other toys. We finally opened up her doll house this afternoon while she was napping.

Sophie was pretty much over opening presents by this time. She did not really want to do anything. So, I just held her and opened her presents for her. When we were done, she wanted her bottle and a little snuggle time.

The girls had a fantastic Christmas. I do believe they each got everything they asked for from Santa and their grandparents. Now the trick is to find room for all of their new toys. I feel a clean-out and a trip to the Women's Shelter for toy donation in our future!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T15:16:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas! We hope that Santa was as generous to you as he was to our girls!

These are some pictures of our Christmas Tree before the chaos of opening presents and putting new toys together.

As you can see, Santa brought Gretchen a baby bed and high chair. He brought Kaelyn Lite Sprites -- the only thing she really, really wanted -- and he brought Sophie the Topzy Tumbler Carnival and a new ride-on toy.

The chaos of Christmas morning. Our living room was awash with wrapping paper, boxes, new toys, and happy squeals.

Sophie refused to open any of her presents until she was done playing with all of the ripped paper. If we hadn't cleaned up the paper, Sophie would probably still be playing with it!

Kaelyn had the best time playing with her Lite Sprites . . .

. . . and Gretchen and Sophie had fun checking out the new baby furniture (don't you love the matching pjs?!).

After playing with all of her new toys, Kaelyn could not wait to "plug-in" and listen to her brand new CD player that she got from Uncle Tico and Aunt Mimi last night.

We had a great Christmas morning. Later this evening, we are going to celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa. The girls are very excited to spend some time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Stay tuned for scenes from tonight's celebration.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:59:00.002-05:00

Tonight we celebrated Christmas with Nana and Grandpa, Uncle Tico, Aunt Mimi, and Geoffrey, and Uncle Andrew and Raven.

Brian and I took the girls to church then headed to Nana and Grandpa's for dinner and presents. The girls did not sit so well at church -- I think they were just a little bit excited for Christmas to finally be here.

Nana fixed stuffed sea shells, spinach salad, cranberry jello, and garlic/parmesan bread. It was so good! Finally, after dinner, it was time for presents. The girls were so excited! They all got a lot of fun new toys. I didn't get to take many photos because I was busy helping Sophie open all of her gifts.

Grandpa got Kaelyn and Geoffrey rockets. So, this spring or summer, when the weather is a little nicer, they are all going to go out and shoot off their rockets. To say that Kaelyn was excited is an understatement. She is thrilled with anything related to space and is so excited to shoot of her rockets!

Overall, I think the girls had a fantastic Christmas Eve. They are all tucked in bed and sleeping -- probably dreaming of all of the fun things that Santa will bring.

Kaelyn's Christmas Program

2011-12-14T13:47:00.003-05:00

Last night was Kaelyn's Christmas Program at school. It was great! She had a solo and sang just like an angel. Who knew she had it in her? I went to see her twice, once in the afternoon with Nana and Grandpa, and then in the evening with Daddy, Grandma, and Grandpa.

This picture is not very good, but it shows Kaelyn getting ready to sing her solo. There must have been about 500 people packed in the gym. She sang so beautifully that I cried both times!

Great job, Kaelyn! Daddy and I are so proud of you!

Christmas at the Bass Mansion

2011-12-11T17:08:00.001-05:00

This afternoon, my sister and I took Geoffrey and Kaelyn to the Bass Mansion. It is all decorated for Christmas, so we decided to take a tour. It was amazing!

There were several fireplaces throughout the home. They were all magnificent. They put the fireplace in my house to shame!

These are a couple of the ceilings in the mansion. Just exquisite!

These two little dancers were waiting on the bench in the ballroom for someone to come and fill their dance cards.

I loved all of the stained glass windows and light fixtures. I only wish I had a place to put a stained glass window in our house!

I love these old-school radiators. They look more like a piece of art rather than a way to heat the room.

On our way back to the car, we had the kids pose on the footbridge. Kaelyn was a little scared, but she walked out and let us take a photo. Once we were done, she hurried off the bridge and did not look back!

I had the best time touring the Bass Mansion. I love that my sister thought of me to take the tour with her.

When I was a little girl, we didn't live too far from the Bass Mansion. At that time, it was the library for the University of Saint Francis. In the summer, before we had central air conditioning, my mom would take us to the library and let us look around and read books. We mostly did this so that we could take advantage of the air conditioning, but it was fun to walk with mom and then be able to read books and stay cool for a couple of hours.

Gingerbread Festival

2011-12-10T20:54:00.001-05:00

This afternoon we took the girls to the Gingerbread Festival. It was fantastic! There are some really talented and imaginative people in our city. You can tell that a lot of time, effort, and imagination went in to each and every one of the gingerbread houses.

The girls had a great time walking around and looking at all of the gingerbread creations. Gretchen really wanted to eat the candy that she saw and was a little disappointed that she couldn't!

Each of the girls got a gingerbread cookie to eat on the way to church for Kaelyn's Sunday School Christmas program. Kaelyn did a great job at her program! I did not get any pictures because we were on the wrong side of the church, but, trust me, she was gorgeous and sang her heart out.

I think that we are going to make the Gingerbread Festival a family holiday tradition. It was so fun to get out and admire the creativity of others!

Nana's Helpers

2011-12-09T12:30:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend, Nana had a few little helpers to decorate her Christmas Tree. The girls had the best time decorating our tree, so they were more than happy to help out Nana. They did a great job! Nana's tree looked fantastic when her sweet little helpers were done decorating.

Sophie's Bad Hair Day

2011-12-08T14:01:00.001-05:00

Check out Sophie's hair . . . she is having the ultimate bad hair day. Her hair was just a little out of control this morning, but, after her nap, there was no saving it.

Sophie is still adorable bad hair and all!

Gretchen North, Graffiti Artist

2011-12-07T14:10:00.002-05:00

Gretchen got her sweet little hands on some contraband markers that Kaelyn left on the floor of her room. She proceeded to use them to color on the walls in the hallway and in Mama and Daddy's room.

She looks pretty proud of herself, doesn't she? I will say that I was impressed that she used several colors (she usually just colors with one crayon). She also did not limit herself to a small section of the wall -- she colored on as much of the surface as she could reach.

I have a feeling that Gretchen had a cute little partner in crime when creating her graffiti art!

Sophie Runs an Errand

2011-12-06T12:27:00.002-05:00

We had a few Christmas errands to run this afternoon, so we loaded up the girls and headed to Target. In order to keep Sophie entertained, we picked out a coloring book for her to look at while we shopped. She loved it! She read throughout our entire shopping trip. She was so quiet and patient. I think we will have to buy her a coloring book every time we go shopping!

Book Count 2011

2011-12-05T17:18:00.002-05:00

My book count is now up to 51. I have met my goal plus one! Now everything I read for the rest of the year is gravy. Also, I have finished the Rizzoli and Isles series by Tess Gerritsen. They were awesome -- sometimes a little spooky -- but great nonetheless! I am really proud of myself for meeting my goal. I still have a lot of books on my "To Read" list, so next year I may just try to read 60 books.

Here are my most recent accomplishments:

Here is a complete list of what I have read so far:

1. Cross Fire by James Patterson
2. Being Polite to Hitler by Robb Foreman Dew
3. A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
5. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton
6. A Thousand Spendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
7. Tick Tock by James Patterson
8. The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
9. Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
10. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
11. Room by Emma Donoghue
12. Toys by James Patterson
13. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
14. High Society the Life of Grace Kelly by Donald Spoto
15. The King's Speech by Mark Logue and Peter Conradi
16. Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
17. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
18. And Furthermore . . . by Judi Dench
19. Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo
20. 10th Anniversary by James Patterson
21. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
22. Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
23. Ape House by Sara Gruen
24. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
25. Good Stuff: A Reminiscence of My Father, Cary Grant by Jennifer Grant
26. Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon
27. Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
28. Now You See Her by James Patterson
29. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
30. The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon
31. The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
32. Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbauch
33. Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross
34. Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
35. Kill Me If You Can by James Patterson
36. Gone With the Windsors by Laurie Graham
37. Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
38. The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
39. The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen
40. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
41. The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen
42. Body Double by Tess Gerritsen
43. The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson
44. Vanish by Tess Gerritsen
45. Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
46. Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy by Jacqueline Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy
47. The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen
48. The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen
49. Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson
50. Ice Cold by Tess Gerritsen
51. The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen

Christmas Card Preview

2011-12-04T15:18:00.001-05:00

Last night, I posed the girls in front of the Christmas tree and took their photo for our Christmas card. Kaelyn, as usual, was right on task. She sat and smiled for the duration. Gretchen and Sophie, however, were a different story. Gretchen kept getting up and running around the family room while Sophie kept crawling toward her toys. In the end, I think we ended up with an adorable photo of the girls in their matching Christmas pajamas.

If you are on the mailing list, look for these three little cuties in your mailbox later this week!

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-03T17:04:00.001-05:00

This morning we took the girls to have breakfast with Santa. They had the best time! After feasting on donuts and cereal, the girls got to explore Santa's surroundings.

Rudolph made an appearance. Kaelyn could not wait to pose with him! Gretchen and Sophie kept their distance.

Gretchen did play in the train with Kaelyn. She had the best time peeking out of all of the windows.

Santa's dog even made an appearance!

After a long wait in a long line, it was finally time to see Santa! Kaelyn was first up and she could not wait to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas. I was very pleased when Santa told Kaelyn that she needed to help Mommy by cleaning up her room!

We were not sure if Gretchen or Sophie would sit with Santa, so we did not force them to do so. However, once Gretchen saw Kaelyn do it, she had to get in on the action too. By the look on her face you can tell that she immediately had a change of heart and wanted desperately to vacate the situation! Gretchen did not talk to Santa, but she did listen to what he had to say and eventually gave him a little smile.

We placed Sophie on Santa's lap and stayed very close, just in case. All of our worries were for nothing . . . Sophie did great! She was fascinated with Santa's beard and kept trying to pull it off!

This is the second year in a row that we have had Breakfast with Santa. I am sure that we will keep going until the girls no longer want to do so. What a fun Christmas tradition!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2011-11-28T21:40:00.000-05:00

With Thanksgiving over, it is time to start decorating for Christmas. So, Brian went up into the attic and brought down all of our Christmas decorations. While Kaelyn was at school and Gretchen and Sophie were napping, I managed to get everything out and placed around the house. I got the fireplace mantel decorated and the Christmas tree up, fanned out, and lighted.

After dinner and baths, we started decorating the tree. The girls had a great time decorating the Christmas tree. Gretchen was especially excited. She had the best time placing ornaments exactly where she wanted them.

Of course, once she learned that Daddy could reach up high, she used him to her advantage!

Isn't this fantastic? This is how Gretchen placed some of her ornaments on the tree!

Our beautiful Christmas tree. I must admit that I have a love-hate relationship with this tree. It is a pre-lit tree and all of the pre-lit lights do not work. So, I have to string lights, which is my least favorite Christmas activity. I do not like our tree until it is fully lighted and decorated, then I think it is beautiful.

You might be wondering where Sophie was during our tree trimming activities. Well, she fell asleep around 7:30 and we put her in bed. So, she missed out on all of the fun. Don't worry . . . next year she will be right in the thick of the action with her sisters!

Gretchen's Craft Day Nap

2011-11-25T16:15:00.001-05:00

Apparently, making crafts is exhausting. After making a few crafts, Gretchen had to take a nap. She slept for over an hour. Who knew that craft-making was so tiring?!

Craft Day

2011-11-25T16:05:00.001-05:00

Today was our annual Craft Day with Aunt Mary. Aunt Mary has a huge craft room and the kids love to make crafts with all of her fun stuff.

Sophie stayed home with Daddy, so only Kaelyn, Geoffrey, and Gretchen made crafts this year.

This was the first year that Gretchen was able to participate in the craft-making. She love it! She had the best time gluing, cutting, taping, and using stickers.

Thanks, Aunt Mary! We had the best time!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T15:33:00.000-05:00

This little turkey, along with her sisters, wants to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving! We are celebrating at Aunt Mary's again this year. We hope that you are all celebrating with family and friends and that you eat your fill of all of the wonderful turkey and all of the trimmings!

Baking Cookies with Nana

2011-11-23T22:24:00.000-05:00

Every year, on Thanksgiving Eve, the girls and I help Nana bake and decorate cookies.

Kaelyn had the best time frosting and decorating cookies.

Gretchen had fun helping Nana cut out cookies and eating cookie dough.

This year, even Sophie got into the act. She wanted to stand at the counter like her big sisters and help Nana cut out cookies.

Of course, I found two little turkeys hiding under the table after sneaking a cookie or two!

Sophie's Hidden Talent

2011-11-21T14:20:00.001-05:00

I am going to start this post by stating that none of the girls have ever held their own bottles -- none of them. While Brian and I both know that they were fully capable of doing so, the girls absolutely refused to hold their own bottles . . . until now . . .

Look what I caught Sophie doing! I was very excited because now, when Sophie wants a bottle and I am busy with one of her sisters or housework, I can just hand her a bottle and let her feed herself.

However, Sophie's hidden talent did not last. She held her own bottle for a couple of days and then she was back to wanting to be the baby and having us hold her bottle for her.

Oh, well! It was nice while it lasted!

Fun -- Sister Style

2011-11-19T14:57:00.002-05:00

I was putting laundry away this morning. When I was finished, I walked out to the family room to check on the girls. What I found made me laugh out loud.

Kaelyn had placed Sophie on the Chatter Box car and tied her in place with Gretchen's scarf. Then, Kaelyn and Gretchen took turns pushing her up and down the hallway.

Sophie was laughing and having a great time! She did not seem to mind that she was trapped and at the mercy of her sisters!

That is, until she fell on to her side and her sisters left her to fend for herself.

Sophie loves to play with her sisters so much that she doesn't seem to mind what they do to her. Poor Sophie! I am sure that this will not be the last time she is tied up and trapped by her sisters!

A Post for Grandma

2011-11-18T10:44:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, a lady who we go to church with, Miss Marie, was in the hospital. She was not doing well and she thought that she would not be able to make it to Christmas. She loves our girls -- Kaelyn and Gretchen actually sit with her whenever she is at church -- and she said that she had Christmas gifts for them. She wanted to the girls to have them before Christmas, just in case.

So, we went to see Miss Marie in the hospital and she gave the girls their gifts. She made each of the girls a Christmas stocking complete with their name and year they were born. They are beautiful! I told the girls that these are a really special gift made with lots of love.

I showed them to the grandparents, who all love them, but Grandma North is especially taken with the stockings. So, I am posting pictures so that Grandma North can show them to everyone's favorite Grandma (or maybe it's just me), Grandma Trzynka.

On a positive note, Miss Marie is doing much better and is actually going to be heading home from rehab in the near future. We are so thankful and happy that Miss Marie will be with us for awhile longer. She loves our girls and our girls love her!

So, here are the stockings. They have been hanging on our fireplace for the past few weeks. They really are something special.

Book Count 2011

2011-11-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

My book count is now up to 47. With only three more books to reach my goal, I am sure I am going to make it and, maybe, even surpass it. I will confess that I listened to the CDs that came with the Jacqueline Kennedy book as opposed to reading, but I did read some of it. So, I am going to count it.

Here are my most recent accomplishments:

Sophie's Curly Hair

2011-11-16T10:08:00.000-05:00

After having two girls with stick straight hair, imaging my surprise when Sophie's hair started coming in curly. She is so cute that her hair just adds to her cute factor!

I especially love Sophie's hair when it is super curly, like after a bath or if I spray detangling spray on it in the morning.

As much as I love Sophie's hair, I know that she is going to have fits with it when she is older. Her hair does what it wants to do no matter how hard you try to make it do otherwise.

I really hope that Sophie's hair stays curly. It is so pretty. Even if her hair does straighten out in the future, Sophie will still be adorable. I mean, just look at her. She doesn't know how to be anything but adorable!

Slip Sliding Away

2011-11-15T09:57:00.000-05:00

This week, for something different, I brought the slide into the living room for the girls. It has been too cold to play out in the garage, so I thought the girls would like to bring the outside inside.

Gretchen had the best time! She spent the entire afternoon sliding. Once Kaelyn came home, she had even more fun because she had someone to slide with!

Gretchen went up and down over and over. I loved listening to her giggle and laugh. Proof positive that bringing the slide inside was a good idea!

Not to be left out, Sophie worked and worked to sit on the end of the slide. A couple of times she was knocked off by big sister because she did not get out of the way fast enough! Gretchen and I had to have a little talk about not knocking our sisters off the slide just because they do not move when we want them to . . . at least until they are old enough to move faster or fight back!

Walk Like an Egyptian

2011-11-14T09:52:00.001-05:00

These days Gretchen and Sophie love to play with their Duplo Legos. They love to build tall towers and knock them down. Whenever Kaelyn plays with Gretchen and Sophie, she shows them how to build things other than tall towers. Today she showed the girls how to build an "Egyptian".

I don't want to brag (but I really do), but Kaelyn is so smart! Seriously, how many seven-year-olds build Egyptians out of legos?! Very creative, Kaelyn!

Sophie's Lollipop

2011-11-12T09:46:00.002-05:00

Every month, when the girls and I go to the beauty shop, Kaelyn and Gretchen always ask for a lollipop. Of course, they always get one. Sophie has never really shown any interest in her sister's treats . . . until yesterday. Sophie saw that her sisters had a treat and she was not going to be left out of the fun.

I will say that she does pretty good with it. She usually eats the whole thing without too much trouble.

However, when she is done, she is a sticky, sticky mess!

A sweet sticky mess!

Sleeping Beauty

2011-11-11T09:41:00.002-05:00

This is how I found Kaelyn when I went in to check on her last night. She was so burrowed in her covers that, at first, I could not see her! So sweet!

Walking

2011-11-10T11:22:00.003-05:00

Look who finally decided that she is ready to start walking with the walker! Gretchen wanted the walker set up so that she could fiddle with it. So, we set it up for her. As soon as Sophie saw it, she immediately crawled over, pulled herself up, and started walking. She took a couple of tentative steps at first, but, once she realized that she could move with it, she just took off and walked all over the house. Way to go, Sophie!

Book Count 2011

2011-11-09T13:57:00.003-05:00

Despite my lack of posting, I have continued toward my goal of 50 books by December 31, 2011. I am currently in the middle of my 46th book, so I do believe that I am going to make it! I have recently found Tess Gerritsen's Rizzoli and Isles series, and, thanks to Ms. Gerritsen and the ease and quickness with which I am able to read her books, I will most certainly surpass my 50 book goal. If you have not read these books, I highly recommend them!

Here are my most recent accomplishments:

Sophie the Trasher

2011-11-08T14:38:00.001-05:00

Sophie was unusually quiet this afternoon. When I went to check on her, I found that she had been very busy trashing out her room. This is out of character for the Sophster. She usually plays in her room without getting out a lot of toys. Sophie had made quite a mess . . . and was quite proud of herself for doing so! What a stinker!

Elton Kaelyn

2011-11-07T10:40:00.002-05:00

When I was young and one of us would put on a pair of adult sunglasses, my Mom would always say, "there's Elton [insert name here]".

So, when Kaelyn put on my sunglasses the other day, my mind immediately went there. I called Kaelyn "Elton Kaelyn". She giggled and said, "well, I do play the piano, just like Elton John".

Seriously, how many seven-year-olds get an Elton John reference? Only my kids!

Minnie Bunny

2011-11-05T11:12:00.002-04:00

Kaelyn and Gretchen were playing dress up this afternoon. So, Kaelyn broke out some of her old Halloween costumes. Gretchen was so excited about the Minnie Mouse dress. However, instead of mouse ears, she chose bunny ears to complete her ensemble. When I asked her if she was Minnie Mouse, Gretchen said "no, I Minnie Bunny". Too funny!

Little House Moment

2011-11-04T11:04:00.000-04:00

While we were at the park the other day, Kaelyn and Gretchen climbed to the top of the big hill and then ran to the bottom. Watching them do this reminded me of the opening credits of "Little House on the Prairie". I think I even caught myself humming the theme song while the girls were running!

Sunshine Day

2011-11-03T10:26:00.000-04:00

During one of the very last warm days a couple of weeks ago, the girls and I took advantage of the weather and spent the afternoon at the park.

The girls had the best time playing and running off some energy.

Sophie loved sitting in the swing while her sisters played on the playground. We went to Parkview Park. I really like this park because I can see Kaelyn and Gretchen at all times while I am pushing Sophie on the swing.

Of course, Kaelyn and Gretchen did a lot of sliding. Gretchen loves it when Kaelyn includes her, so she was thrilled when Kaelyn wanted to go down the slide with her!

Typical Gretchen . . . trying to go up the slide backwards!

I have a feeling that this will be one of our last visits to the park until spring. I hate that the weather is getting colder and our outside experiences are coming to an end. Hopefully, in a year or two, the little girls will be big enough to spend some time outside in the colder weather. Until then, we will just have to make do with some fun indoor activities until the weather gets warmer!

Gretchen's Tower

2011-11-02T22:45:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, Gretchen worked and worked on building a "tall, tall tower". With a little help from Mommy, her tower was finally tall enough.

I asked Gretchen to stand in front of her tower so that I could take a picture, but she insisted on standing behind it. Of course, as soon as I snapped the picture, she knocked down her tower and started building again. What a nut!

Charming Tuesday

2011-11-01T22:51:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, after Kaelyn's piano lesson, we headed out to Jefferson Pointe to spend an hour before picking up Daddy from work. Today, Kaelyn wanted to spend some time at Charming Charlie's. She loves it there! She loves to try on all of the fun hats, sunglasses, and hair accessories.

Charming Charlie's has a new line of feather hair accessories. Kaelyn was thrilled! She loves anything with feathers!

Of course, she had to try on all of the pretty headbands . . .

. . . fun slippers . . .
. . . and cool sunglasses. She had the best time!

I think Kaelyn looks adorable in this hat. If she were older, I might have gotten it for her. So fun!

What did her sisters do while Kaelyn was busy playing dress up? Well, they hung out in the stroller . . .

. . . and hung out of the stroller.

When they are a little older (and no so destructive), I am sure that Gretchen and Sophie will have as much fun at Charming Charlie's as Kaelyn does. Then I will have three little characters playing dress-up and posing for pictures. I can't wait!

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T21:35:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween! The North Girls dressed up as Shirley Temple, a monkey, and a chicken this year. We went to Grandma and Grandpa North's house and trick-or-treated in their neighborhood.

Doesn't Kaelyn look great! She was thrilled with her costume. I think she looked so sweet. She was so excited to trick-or-treat this year. It was hard to keep up with her while going from house to house!

This cute little monkey refused to walk. So, Brian pushed her around the neighborhood in the little car at Grandma and Grandpa's house. I did make her walk up to the doors to get her candy. As soon as she got her candy, she made a beeline for the car. What a nut!

Gretchen did warm my heart while we were trick-or-treating. She is fascinated with the moon. So, when she saw the moon while we were out, she pointed to it and said "moon outside. I outside with the moon, Mama." I have never seen a child so thrilled to be outside when the moon was in the sky!

This little chicken did not enjoy any part of Halloween. She did not like wearing her costume and, when we took her to the zoo, she did not enjoy trick-or-treating. So, she stayed with Grandma and Grandpa while her sisters were out collecting candy. She was much happier staying indoors. Of course, I don't think she minded being the center of attention for a couple of hours!

Another Halloween is in the books. Let the candy eating begin!

Jack-O-Lantern

2011-10-30T22:13:00.003-04:00

This afternoon Kaelyn and I visited a little pumpkin patch close to home so that she could pick out the perfect pumpkin for our jack-o-lantern. She looked and looked until she finally found the pumpkin that she thought was "just perfect".

Once we got home, and with a little help from Daddy, Kaelyn cleaned out the pumpkin guts. I overheard her say that the job was "disgusting" more than once!

Once the pumpkin was nice and clean on the inside, it was time to carve a face on it. Kaelyn told Daddy what she wanted and he drew it on the pumpkin. After Kaelyn approved the design, Daddy started carving.

Of course, the little girls had to get in on the action. All of the girls loved watching Daddy transform an ordinary pumpkin into an extraordinary jack-o-lantern.

Kaelyn and her new friend. Two cute little pumpkins!

Happy Halloween!

Trick-or-Treating at the Zoo

2011-10-29T21:52:00.004-04:00

This afternoon Brian and I took the girls to the zoo to do some trick-or-treating. Kaelyn and Gretchen loved it. Sophie was less than thrilled.

Gretchen was amazed that all she had to do was open her bag, say "trick-or-treat", and people handed her candy. I could tell by the look on her face that this was one of her best days ever!

The girls had a great time trick-or-treating, posing with "Broomhilda", running through the straw maze, looking at all the cool pumpkins, and, of course, seeing all of their favorite animals one last time.

Sophie was not a fan of our final zoo trip of the season. She did not enjoy her costume and was pretty grumpy for most of our time at the zoo. If she could talk, she probably would have said "get this chicken suit off of me this minute!"

Of course, we couldn't leave without playing on Little Poof one last time. After the real train, this is Gretchen's very favorite thing at the zoo. She would play in the train cars all day if we let her!

We had a great time trick-or-treating at the zoo!

Lalaloopsy Fun

2011-10-27T14:38:00.000-04:00

Kaelyn's latest obsession is Lalaloopsy dolls. She loves to play with all of her dolls and their accessories. She even has the Lalaloopsy tree house, school bus, and several mini play sets. She plays with her Lalaloopsy dolls nearly every day.

Not only does Kaelyn love her Lalaloopsy dolls, but her sisters do too. The only problem is that there are several small pieces that are choking hazards for Gretchen and Sophie, especially Sophie. So, Kaelyn is usually holed up in her room while she plays with her dolls.

However, this afternoon, Kaelyn happened to have a couple of dolls out and was playing with them on the coffee table. Once her sisters saw this, they wanted in on the action. Kaelyn was so sweet to share and even went and got a third doll just for Sophie. Gretchen and Sophie were thrilled! They must have stood at the table and played with their dolls for close to an hour.

Gretchen and Sophie were having so much fun that they even continued playing long after Kaelyn had moved on to something else. Fun times, indeed!

Let the Wall Come Down

2011-10-26T13:51:00.002-04:00

While we were at Nana and Grandpa's house on Friday, Kaelyn built this structure. When I asked her what it was, she said "it's the Wall of Jericho".

What a character! How many kids build the Wall of Jericho with blocks?

Special Treat

2011-10-25T21:40:00.002-04:00

Before we left Casa, I picked up a little treat to share with Kaelyn. Before Gretchen and Sophie entered the scene, Kaelyn and I use to treat ourselves to a cannoli every once in awhile.

However, it has been some time since we have enjoyed our tasty treat. So, I thought that it was time to resume our tradition.

So, after the little girls were in bed, Kaelyn and I indulged in our special treat. Kaelyn loved it (and so did I)!

Kaelyn really really loved it! I foresee more special treats in our future!

Sophie's First Casa Experience

2011-10-25T21:23:00.001-04:00

Last Friday, Brian and I decided to venture out to an actual restaurant with the girls. We rarely do this because Gretchen and Sophie have very little patience and do not enjoy sitting for very long. Despite this, we took the girls to Casa.

This was Sophie's very first Casa experience. She loved every minute of it! She and Gretchen shared a plate of spaghetti with butter. Sophie ate like she had been denied food for several days!

Brian helped her get the spaghetti on her fork and helped to feed her because she could not feed herself fast enough. She was so excited for every fork-full!

Sophie had the best time at Casa. Hopefully we have turned a corner and we will be able to venture out to eat with the girls a little more often.

Kaelyn tried the macaroni and cheese this time. She gave it a big thumbs up!

If you are wondering why there are no pictures of Gretchen enjoying her Casa experience, it is because she did not enjoy her experience. She whined and cried the whole time and was extremely defiant. She refused to eat and asked to "go home" over and over until we were all finally done eating. Anytime I aimed the camera at her, she just turned her head and said "no cheese". What a character!

Sophie's First Pig Tails

2011-10-24T21:18:00.000-04:00

Doesn't Sophie look adorable? She finally has enough hair to put up in little pig tails. I love it! She looks like such a big girl with her hair away from her face. Of course, even when her hair is a hot mess, she is still the cutest baby on the planet! I'm just glad that I finally have some options when fixing Sophie's hair.

Let Them Be Little

2011-10-22T09:33:00.002-04:00

This was the scene in our bed the other night. Both Gretchen and Sophie were up in the night and both refused to go back to their own beds. Every time Brian would try to put them back in their beds, they would immediately wake up and cry, thus prompting the return to Mommy and Daddy's bed.

If you have never slept with a child or children in your bed, let me just say that it is a miserable experience. We have a king sized bed, but with the kids in the bed, we have just the very edges to ourselves. The kids take up the entire bed!

While we do not get much sleep when one or more of the girls decide to sleep in our bed, I know that these days are limited, and, soon enough, they will all be sleeping until noon and we will have our bed all to ourselves (and finally get a good night of sleep).

Whenever I wake up from a night when one or more of the girls sleeps with us, I am reminded of a song by Billy Dean called "Let Them Be Little". I have heard this song a couple of times and it has stuck with me. Do not mistake me for a country music fan . . . I would rather listen to cats singing on a fence while I am trying to sleep (think Looney Tunes) than listen to country music on a regular basis, but the chorus to this particular song hits close to home.

So let them be little,

'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

If you have not heard this song, I suggest that you find it and give it a listen. If you have kids or are going to have kids and are extremely emotional about your kids (like I am), you will definitely need a couple of tissues handy while you listen.

So, I will continue to let the girls "sleep in the middle" and sacrifice any hopes of a good night of sleep because I know that, soon enough, they will be grown up and gone and I will wish that I had these days back.

In case you are wondering, here are all of the lyrics to "Let Them Be Little":

I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

I never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:

Please, let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

The so innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.

So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give 'em praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let them sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.

Let them be little.

Big Girl Breakfast

2011-10-21T08:25:00.000-04:00

This week, Sophie decided that she was done with baby food for good. She is now eating "people food" for every meal. This morning, Sophie decided that she did not just want her cereal poured on her tray like I do every morning. She decided that she wanted her cereal in a bowl with a spoon just like Gretchen.

So, I granted her request and she did a great job! Sophie had a little trouble keeping the cereal on the spoon, but she would just eat with her fingers and hold the spoon.

Sophie was so proud of her bowl and spoon. She even carried the spoon with her while she played after breakfast!

Sophie is such a big girl these days! I can hardly believe that our baby food days are gone for good. It makes me a little sad, but it is much easier to fix her the same meals and feed her at the same time as her sisters. Now, if we could just bid diapers a fond adieu . . .

Sophie's Sick Day

2011-10-20T20:54:00.003-04:00

For the past couple of days, Sophie has been battling a cold (she probably picked up some germs while "tasting" the trains on Tuesday). She has had a fever and a runny nose. She has been coughing and sneezing. And, she has been extra cranky and needy.

This morning I had to get some housework done. So, I set her up on my side of the bed, turned on her favorite channel (Disney Junior), and supplied her with her blanket, a pacifier, and a ton of books.

At first, she just laid pathetically against my pillow and watched tv, but when I went in to check on her, I found her reading her books.

It was so sweet! She looked like such a big girl sitting in the big bed and reading her books.

I hope Sophie is feeling better soon, but, if not, I am sure that I can set her up in the "sick bed" and know that she will be entertained so that I can get a few things done around the house.

Not a Box

2011-10-19T20:36:00.001-04:00

This is Gretchen's very favorite book (well, this and Not a Stick). So, this afternoon, after reading Not a Box for the hundreth time, she emptied out one of the toy boxes in the family room and climbed inside. When I asked her what she was doing, Gretchen said "not a box!"

Of course, Kaelyn had to get into the action . . .

. . . and so did Sophie. The girls had the best time playing in the "box".

The girls even propped the top of the box up against the side to fashion a make-shift slide. They had the best time, especially Gretchen. She spent well over an hour "sliding on her not a box".

I love that Gretchen is really starting to get into books and reading. She loves to sit and listen to stories for as long as someone will read to her. I love to read to her! She loves to go to the library and pick out books to take home and read.

Here are two of her current favorites:

Gretchen can even finish the sentence containing a repeating phrase -- like, "not a box", "not a stick", and "dot". I have a feeling that Gretchen may just be an early reader!

Train Tuesday

2011-10-18T22:02:00.001-04:00

This afternoon, after piano lessons, it was too rainy to walk around Jefferson Pointe, so we spent the hour between piano lesson and picking up Daddy from work at Barnes and Noble.

This was Sophie's first experience playing at the train table. She had the best time! She cruised around the table picking up train cars and trying to place them on the track. Gretchen was less than thrilled about having to share the train table. At one point, she took "her" train cars and played with them on the bench behind the train table. You can see her in the background -- too funny!

Once Gretchen got tired of playing without a train track, she returned to the table and just played around Sophie. I think Sophie's favorite part of her experience was "tasting" all of the train cars!

Sophie loved watching Gretchen. She even learned how to play with the train cars on the track by watching big sister.

Sweet, sweet Sophie playing like a big girl!

What did big sister do while her little sisters were playing with the trains? She sat and read and read and read and read.

Once Gretchen got tired of having to maneuver around Sophie and share "her" trains, she joined Kaelyn in the reading chairs. She loved listening to Kaelyn reading.

Gretchen really wanted her own book. Since Kaelyn was reading this one and would not give it up, Gretchen was forced to get her own book to read.

I love this picture of our two girls reading! I just wish I had some audio to go with it. Both girls were reading out loud!

With the weather turning cooler, I will have to find more indoor activities for us to do on Tuesday afternoons. I'm just glad that Train Tuesday was a big hit so that we can do it again!

Gretchen's First Hair Cut

2011-10-18T20:24:00.001-04:00

Friday afternoon, Gretchen experienced her very first hair cut. She did not have much cut off, just enough so that the back is even with the sides.

Of course, I just had to snap a few photos.

My hair dresser, Cheryl, does not like to be in any pictures, but I couldn't help but get her in them. Cheryl has been cutting my hair since I was six- or seven-years-old (so for about 30 years). She has done my mom's hair for the same number of years. Mom and I actually get our hair cut on the same day so that she can keep the girls occupied while I am in the chair.

Gretchen did a great job! She sat so still. You can tell by the look on her face that she took this first hair cut very seriously.

Gretchen and Cheryl. I dread the day that Cheryl retires and I have to find a new hair dresser. Maybe the girls and I will get lucky and she will never retire!

Who Wants to Ride a Turtle?

2011-10-17T08:11:00.000-04:00

During one of our last visits to the zoo, Gretchen discovered the tortoise statue on our way to the Family Farm. So, she climbed on and "ride the turtle".

Later in the afternoon, Sophie finally noticed Gretchen's V-Tech turtle and tried to climb on and play. So, I sat her on so that she could ride the turtle and play.

I found it fascinating that both girls "discovered" turtles in the same day. Turtles that they see or have seen on a daily or weekly basis.

It is just amazing how Gretchen and Sophie are so different, but their observation skills can be almost identical, just a few hours apart. I cannot wait to see what they discover next!

Sister Read-Along

2011-10-16T08:49:00.003-04:00

Kaelyn loves to read. Gretchen loves to listen to stories. As such, the two of them make a perfect reading team. Don't let Gretchen's face fool you . . . she is actually loving "Owl Babies". Gretchen has even gotten to the point that, if there is a repeated phrase in the book, she can finish the phrase. The trick is getting Kaelyn to remember to let her! I love to read to the girls. I especially love when Kaelyn reads to Gretchen (and sometimes Sophie).

What Happens at Nana's Stays at Nana's

2011-10-15T08:45:00.001-04:00

Check out Gretchen standing and walking on the counter top at Nana and Grandpa's house. There is nowhere else in the world where this would be seen as acceptable behavior. Proof positive that "what happens at Nana's stays at Nana's".

Sophie Wants to Watch a Movie

2011-10-15T08:30:00.002-04:00

One of Sophie's favorite things to do is sit in front of the DVD cabinet, open the bottom drawer, and pull out all of the movies. She loves to sit and stack the movies, knock them over, and, of course, chew on the cases. If she ever finds an Elmo or Dora DVD in the mix, I'll just bet that she would do everything in her power to crawl to the DVD player, figure out how it works, and start the movie all by herself. Sophie is one smart cookie!

Say Cheese

2011-10-14T08:49:00.002-04:00

These days, whenever Sophie sees a camera, she says "cheese" and smiles a huge smile. It is so cute! So, while she was busy playing the other night, I grabbed the camera and snapped some photos. She said "cheese" and gave me a big smile every time. So, so sweet!

Gretchen's Doggy

2011-10-14T08:42:00.001-04:00

Whenever we go to Old Navy, Gretchen has to stop and pet the dog mannequin at the front of the store. It doesn't matter which Old Navy we go to, she always has to pet the dog. She calls it "my doggy". Gretchen recently discovered that the dog is not actually bolted to the floor and tried to take it home with her. I have a feeling that, sometime in the future, we will be adding a "doggy" to our household!

Halloween Decor a la Kaelyn and Gretchen

2011-10-13T14:39:00.003-04:00

Kaelyn created this Halloween chain at Nana's a couple of weeks ago. With a little help from Aunt Mary, Kaelyn made a jack-o-lantern, bat, ghost, vampire, and witch. She taped each item on a long string of red construction paper. Then she drew the faces and other embellishments -- like the scary spider on the witch's hat. It doesn't show up in the photo, but the jack-o-lantern has a gigantic "boo" taped to the side of its mouth. I think she did a great job!

The little jack-o-lantern on the side was colored by Gretchen. I think she did a fantastic job! She even colored both sides!

Thanks, girls! I love, love, love our Halloween decor!

Sweet Sisters

2011-10-13T08:21:00.002-04:00

These days Gretchen loves to "hold baby". She situates herself on the sofa and asks "hold you, baby?" It is so sweet! Sophie is not always accommodating, but, sometimes, she lets Gretchen hold her. Gretchen is always so proud when she holds Sophie and Sophie just loves the attention from her big sister!

Gretchen North, Middle Sister

2011-10-12T20:57:00.004-04:00

We all know that Gretchen is the middle sister in our family. She is four-and-one-half years younger (six weeks shy of five years) than big sister, Kaelyn, and fourteen months older (five days shy of fifteen months) than little sister, Sophie. She is so sweet and loving with her sisters. She loves it when Kaelyn plays with her. It always makes her day when Kaelyn pays attention to her.

Gretchen LOVES Sophie. The two of them are partners-in-crime. They are the best of friends and the worst of enemies at the same time. They have the best time during the day. They play and laugh and play some more. Where I find one, I usually find the other. I hope that Gretchen and Sophie always get along as well as they do these days.

The point of this post is to point out the cuteness of Gretchen's shirt. Nana bought it for her when Sophie was born. She has been wearing it since then, but it has always been a little big for her. These days, however, the shirt fits just fine. I just love it! I think that when she grows out of it, I am going to place it in a shadow box with some pictures of Gretchen and her sisters together.

Gretchen is absolutely the perfect middle sister for our family. I hope her sisters know just how lucky they are to have such a sweet sister!

Tuesday Treat

2011-10-11T20:20:00.002-04:00

Once again, this afternoon the girls and I decided to get a little treat from Madeleine's Bakehouse. They were delightful!

Kaelyn chose a blackberry macaroon. I had a little taste and it was amazing! She got the last one out of the case, and, I must admit, that I was a little jealous that I could not get one of those little tasty treats for myself.

Gretchen, Sophie, and I shared vanilla and coconut Madeleine cookies. We have had the vanilla before, but the coconut were a first try today. They were so yummy!

Sophie especially loves getting a cookie treat. With every bite, she says "mmmm" and smiles.

I am a little sad that our Jefferson Pointe outings will soon be coming to an end once the weather becomes cooler then colder. However, once warmer weather returns and the girls and I are able to walk outside without risking frostbite, we will definitely hail the return of our delectable Tuesday treats.

Paradise Lost

2011-10-10T20:42:00.003-04:00

Gretchen and Sophie have a fascination with Kaelyn's bedroom. They love to go in, play with her toys, and, basically, make a big mess. We usually just shut the door to keep them out, but, recently, Sophie realized that if she pushes on the door, it will open and she can play with all of the contraband toys in paradise. So, we had to outsmart the Sophster (and her partner-in-crime) by placing a baby gate in the door way.

To say that this was upsetting to Gretchen and Sophie is a major understatement. The first day that the gate was in place, they both sat in front of it and cried. Gretchen has since moved on, but Sophie cannot quite get past the fact that there is now a gate blocking her entrance to paradise.

Hopefully, Sophie will be able to move on soon. It is really sad to hear her crying and seeing her sitting outside of Kaelyn's room and looking longingly at all of the toys she can no longer reach.

Count Chocula is Fantastic!

2011-10-09T21:08:00.002-04:00

Recently, I purchased a box of Daddy's favorite cereal, Count Chocula at Target (where else?). Kaelyn loves it too, and has had several bowls for breakfast. I gave some to Gretchen, but she was not a fan. She prefers Cookie Crisp or Berry Berry Kix. I have been holding off giving Sophie a taste of the chocolaty treat. However, Daddy gave her some for a snack this afternoon and she loved it! She especially loved the marshmallows. She loved it so much that she had it all over her shirt by the time she was finished.

With two girls and Daddy loving Count Chocula, it may just have to become a staple around our house!

Kaelyn's Supersized Drink

2011-10-08T21:26:00.001-04:00

Tonight, we picked up dinner from Dairy Queen. Kaelyn ordered a hot dog kids meal with a root beer. When we were handed our food, we received a medium-sized drink. We pointed out that we should only have a child-size drink. An employee made a mistake and we were told to keep the drink. Kaelyn was thrilled! I think that she actually drank more than three-quarters of her root beer. I was surprised that she did not float away from the table!

Three in the Bed

2011-10-07T21:33:00.000-04:00

On Friday nights, the girls and I snuggle in bed and watch TV together. We usually watch Tanked on Animal Planet, but if that's not on, we watch a movie or something On Demand. The girls love to watch TV and fall asleep in Mommy's bed. I have to admit that I love it too! I hope our Friday night snuggle fests continue for a long time into the future!

We do have a little trouble keeping Gretchen actually in the bed, but, once she settles down, she snuggles in and enjoys Mommy and Sister time.

Window Artist

2011-10-06T19:46:00.003-04:00

While I was at Target spending some birthday money, I came across these window crayons. I thought that they looked like fun for the girls. We have window markers, but they are a little messy for Gretchen at this stage. However, the crayons are perfect.

It took a minute for Gretchen to realize that it was actually ok for her to color on the windows. Once she got started, she just went to town!

Gretchen really had a great time coloring on the windows. The best part is that the crayon wipes right off with a little Windex and a paper towel for hours and hours of coloring fun.

Look on the concentration on that little face. Gretchen worked very, very hard creating her masterpiece. I felt a little bad cleaning it off of the window after she went to bed.

When Kaelyn came home from school she had a great time using the crayons, too. However, the batteries in my camera died so I could not take any pictures of her in creation mode.

Classic Sisterly Love

2011-10-05T22:12:00.003-04:00

All three girls were back in Gretchen and Sophie's room playing this afternoon. They were all laughing and having a great time. Suddenly, I only heard two girls laughing. Sophie's distinctive machine gun-like laugh was missing from the cacophony coming from the room. So, my "mom instinct" kicked in and I went to check out the action. What I found made me sad for Sophie and made me want to laugh at the same time.

Kaelyn and Gretchen had emptied out the cabinet under the changing table and had Sophie climb inside. Then, her older sisters proceeded to shut the door for a few seconds before opening it again in a twisted game of peek-a-boo. Whenever Sophie would try to crawl out, her sisters would quickly shut the door.

I quickly rescued Sophie (after grabbing the camera and snapping a photo) and explained to Kaelyn and Gretchen that this is not a fun game to play. I told them that if they think this is a fun game, they should climb into the cabinet and let me shut the door on them. Of course, they did not volunteer.

Poor Sophie! I am sure that this will not be the last time that I have to rescue her from her sisters. Such is the plight of the youngest child!

Nap Time at the Zoo

2011-10-04T22:04:00.000-04:00

Whenever we visit the zoo, Gretchen loves to play in the tents in the African Journey. She has never really paid much attention to the main tent in the center -- complete with cot and mosquito netting -- but, yesterday, she finally noticed it. Once she saw the cot, she had to climb up and take a quick nap. Gretchen pretended to go to sleep and even started snoring! We must have spent over 20 minutes going to sleep and waking up in the "big tent bed". I will definitely miss our zoo trips when the zoo closes for the season.

Mommy's Birthday Card

2011-10-03T21:42:00.000-04:00

This is the birthday card that Kaelyn made for me. She gave it to me this morning before we left to take her to school. I love it!

Kaelyn drew three little girls on the front. She told me that they are "Kaelyn, Gretchen, and Sophie".

I love the three little birds and the Mama Bird on the inside. Kaelyn did everything all by herself. She did say that she had a little help from Nana with spelling some of the words. She did such a great job!

Thanks, Kaelyn! This just may be the nicest and sweetest birthday card I have ever received!

Chef Gretchen

2011-10-02T21:59:00.000-04:00

While we were at Grandma and Grandpa's house last night, Gretchen decided to play dress-up. She came out in this little chef hat and just looked adorable!

Gretchen does like to play kitchen and help me when I fix lunch or dinner. Maybe we will have to find her a little chef hat and apron to help her when she plays.

What a sweet little chef!

Sophie Masters a Big Girl Cup

2011-10-01T21:49:00.000-04:00

After several failed attempts, Sophie has finally mastered the use of a big girl cup!

She has been trying and trying to be just like big sister, Gretchen, and using a big girl cup. Every morning I give her some milk in a sippy cup. Usually she tries to drink from it, gets frustrated, and throws the cup on the floor.

However, yesterday, she finally was able to drink all of her milk from a sippy cup. She was so proud of herself! Now, when I give her a cup full of milk in the morning, she will be able to drink it just like her big sister.

Now if we could only get Sophie to take all of her milk from a cup and get rid of the bottles for good, we would be all set. As much as Sophie wants to be a big girl, she still wants to hold on to some of her babyhood. So, I have a feeling that the bottle will continue make an appearance at nap time and bedtime for many months to come.

Not Too Big

2011-09-30T21:37:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while, Kaelyn likes to have Daddy carry her to bed. She usually walks to her room by herself and waits for me to tuck her in and turn on her music. Tonight, however, was one of the nights when she wanted Daddy to carry her.

These days are becoming fewer and fewer as Kaelyn continues to get bigger and more independent, but, for now, she is still not too big for Daddy to carry her.

Why Kaelyn Loves the Dentist

2011-09-29T21:17:00.001-04:00

Kaelyn loves to go to the dentist. She loves having her teeth cleaned and she loves getting a new toothbrush, pencil, and treasure from the treasure chest. However, the real reason she loves the dentist is their super cool fish tank complete with a white and red moray eel.

Kaelyn loves the moray eel. We actually have to wait and watch the fish until the eel makes an appearance.

If she could, Kaelyn would stand and watch the fish and eel at the dentist's office all day!

I think the eel is a little creepy looking myself, but Kaelyn just loves it. I guess beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder!

Kaelyn North, Future Milliner

2011-09-29T21:09:00.001-04:00

This is the hat that Kaelyn decided to make this afternoon. She used construction paper to make the hat and tissue paper to decorate it. I love the bow that she put on top. She did a fantastic job! Kaelyn worked and worked and worked on her hat. She was so proud that she was able to do the whole thing by herself.

I am constantly amazed at Kaelyn's artistic talent! It is amazing what she came up with using construction paper, tissue paper, tape, and glue. Way to go, Kaelyn! I love your new hat!

Honolulu Play Date

2011-09-28T21:03:00.002-04:00

This morning we had a delightful play date with our Honolulu cousins. Brian's cousin, Sarah, lives in Honolulu with her husband and daughter, Sam. Sam is nine days older than Sophie. Sam is adorable! The girls had a great time playing and snacking together. Kaelyn was a little jealous that she was going to miss the play date because of school, but she quickly recovered when she realized that it was really a "baby" play date.

Thanks, Sarah and Sam! We had a great time!

Nosy Rosey

2011-09-27T20:53:00.003-04:00

Whenever I am working in the kitchen and Sophie is in her high chair, this is what I see. She is so nosy! If I forget to turn her chair so that she can see me, then she cranes her neck so that she can see what is going on behind her. She is definitely the nosiest of the three girls. At least I will always know where she is . . . she is too nosy to wander too far from the action. What a funny girl!

Kaelyn North, Dress Designer

2011-09-26T20:46:00.002-04:00

Recently, fashionplaytes.com had a deal where they would give you a $5.00 credit for filling out a survey. Even better, they gave Kaelyn a $5.00 credit for filling out a survey as well. So, with our $10.00 credit, Kaelyn got to design yet another dress. This is what she designed. It is super cute and she looks super cute in it.

Kaelyn and I love fashionplaytes.com. As long as they keep offering credit, Kaelyn will continue to take her turn as dress designer!

Gretchen Plugs In

2011-09-25T20:38:00.001-04:00

Last night, we went to the Trzynka Family Reunion. While we were there, the wife of one of Brian's cousins offered up her phone so that Gretchen could watch some Dora. To say that Gretchen was highly entertained is a complete understatement. She was so quiet and sat so still during her very favorite program. It was really nice to have one less North Daughter to keep an eye on while visiting. Thanks, Ashley!

Kaelyn's Book Review

2011-09-24T09:06:00.002-04:00

How to be a Baby
by Me, The Big Sister
and Sally Lloyd-Jones
and Sue Heap

"I love this book. I think it is funny because it is about a baby and the big sister is telling about how baby things work. First the baby starts in a crib and wears pajamas all the time. Then it is how the baby eats books. Then it is how the baby doesn't understand TV. Then it is how the baby has to be carried everywhere. This is one of my favorite parts:

'When you're a baby, you are scared of your potty. Here's what else you are scared of: the ocean, Grandma's shiny black shoes, the Easter Bunny, Big Ted, actually lots of not-scary things at all.'

Here is another of my favorite parts:

'When you're a baby, you are a different shape. You are round. But then you get bigger and your legs stretch out and your tummy gets long so you don't look so fat like a big balloon with a weird belly button sticking out.'

Here is another of my favorite parts:

'Here's what else you do that's illegal: open other people's presents, knock over other people's castles, tear pages out of other people's favorite books, and scribble in them, poop on the carpet, other naught things like that.'

I love that the baby is in prison but it is really a play pen.

Here is another of my favorite parts:

'Here's what else babies are good at: burping, peeing, pooping, crying and screaming, sleeping, making a mess.'

I know what it is like to be the big sister. This book is the truth. If you are a big sister, you should read this. It is hilarious!"

Gretchen's Dora Bike

2011-09-24T08:48:00.001-04:00

Gretchen recently discovered Kaelyn's Dora tricycle. She loves, loves, loves, Dora, so this bike was like hitting the jackpot for her. She has been working hard on getting her feet on the pedals and riding like a big girl. So far, she can get her feet on the pedals, but she cannot make it move this way. So, she pushes herself with her feet. However, I am sure that it is just a matter of time before Gretchen joins the world of bike riders!

Kaelyn's Book Review

2011-09-23T08:57:00.001-04:00

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by A. Wolf
By Jon Scieszka

"I like this book because it is really silly and Alexander T. Wolf says that this is his side of the story. He says that 'this story is about a sneeze and a cup of sugar'. This book is also funny because the Wolf has a rat, bunny, lizard, mouse, chicken, ketchup, lettuce, mustard, pickle, cheeseburger sandwich. I think that it is also funny because the first little pig built his house out of straw, which is in the real story, and when the Wolf knocked on the door, the door fell right down! At the end, the Wolf is an old man who still wants a cup of sugar. That's the end. Done."

Gretchen's Treasure

2011-09-23T08:37:00.000-04:00

Recently, I was perusing items at the garage sale hosted by Kaelyn's piano teacher, I found this toy for Gretchen. Whenever we are at the pediatrician's office or somewhere where this toy is available for play, Gretchen is drawn to it like a fly to honey. She absolutely loves it! So, when I saw this toy, then saw that it was only $.25, I just could not say no. I brought it home and gave it to Gretchen and she has not stopped playing with it since. Usually she is very good at sharing with Kaelyn or Sophie, but this is one toy that she just will not share. In fact, she will take it to another room if her sisters are around so that she has it all to herself. I guess Gretchen knows a good pirate never shares her treasure!

Sophie in the Driver's Seat

2011-09-22T20:23:00.003-04:00

Whenever the girls want to play outside, I have to put Sophie somewhere so that she stays out of trouble. Usually, I put her in the wagon with some toys or in the exersaucer. Today, however, I put her in Gretchen's little pink car. Sophie thought she was big stuff! She loved turning the steering wheel, honking the horn, and pushing herself backwards. Sophie loved it so much that she was very upset with me when I had to take her out to go inside for dinner. I am so glad that Sophie has another place to play while her sisters enjoy the great outdoors!

Say Say Oh Playmate

2011-09-22T20:11:00.002-04:00

These days Gretchen and Sophie are best playmates. They love to sit and play and make big messes. It is so fun to watch them play together. The best part is that they make each other laugh. Sophie loves everything that Gretchen does and laughs and laughs at her antics. Of course, whenever Sophie laughs, Gretchen laughs too.

One of Gretchen's favorite things to do with Sophie is to push her in the little pink car. Gretchen loves to "make Fofie go fast" and Sophie loves to ride and giggle. I love these sweet sister moments!

Gretchen North, Future Rock Star

2011-09-21T20:01:00.001-04:00

Whenever we visit the zoo, specifically the African Journey, Gretchen has me stop at the drums so that she can have a little jam session. She loves music and anything musical, so the drums are one of her very favorite things at the zoo. She runs from drum to drum beating out various tunes. She has the best time . . . and she is really pretty good! Now you can all say that you knew her before she was famous!

Hyena on the Move

2011-09-21T19:49:00.002-04:00

This is a rare sighting . . . a moving hyena. Usually, when we visit the zoo, the hyenas are sleeping. Hyenas are nocturnal so they are most active at night. This does not make a very interesting exhibit for those of us awake during the day. However, this morning, the male hyena was in an agitated state and was pacing in front of the window. In between pacing, the hyena would walk to the top of the hill then turn around and charge the window. The main zookeeper for the hyenas was a little concerned with this activity, but it made for a special treat during our visit. The girls were thrilled! Both Gretchen and Sophie just giggled and laughed every time the hyena walked in front of them. I'm just glad I had my camera at the ready!

Stand in the Place Where You Live

2011-09-20T20:23:00.003-04:00

These days Sophie has become an expert at pulling herself up to standing. However, most of the time, if she notices anyone looking at her, she will fall to the floor with a look on her face that says "you didn't see me do anything close to standing, so just pick me up and carry me". This morning she pulled herself up to standing at the play kitchen. She was having the best time fiddling with the different things on the kitchen. So, of course I had to snap a few photos. Proof positive that Sophie is getting bigger every day!

When Life Hands You Apples, Make Apple Pie

2011-09-17T20:41:00.002-04:00

Since we have a TON of apples from our apple picking adventure, Kaelyn and I thought it would be a good idea to make apple pie. So, I let Kaelyn do everything but peel and slice the apples. She was so proud of her accomplishment!

Kaelyn's pie was so tasty and delicious! All of her hard work really paid off!

Kaelyn's apple pie . . . before baking.

Kaelyn's apple pie . . . after baking.

Great job, Kaelyn! I cannot wait to make another tasty apple treat with you!

Apple Picking

2011-09-17T20:03:00.003-04:00

This morning, Brian and I took the girls apple picking. Kaelyn mentioned a few days ago that she thought it would be fun to pick some apples, bring them home, and make all kinds of apple treats. So, we headed out to a local apple orchard and did some apple picking.

The girls picked almost all of the apples that we took home. Brian and I picked a few apples, but, for the most part, Kaelyn and Gretchen did the apple picking.

Gretchen did a little eating along the way. She decided that she could not wait until we got home to take a big bite out of an apple!

Kaelyn had a great time looking for "the perfect apple to pick", and Gretchen had a blast pulling apples off of the tree and placing them in the bag. She was so careful with her apples. She hugged them to her chest and placed them very gently in the bag. She was so fun to watch!

What did Sophie do while her sisters were busy picking apples? She hung out in her stroller and relaxed with her pacifier. She had the best time watching the action. Next year she will definitely be in the thick of the apple picking action!

Interesting

2011-09-16T10:11:00.003-04:00

Every time Gretchen sleeps in our bed, she snuggles in and has me hold on to her feet. From the time she was able to communicate this preference, I have done this. So, imagine my surprise when I went to check on her last night and found her snuggled up with her dolly and holding on to dolly's feet. What an interesting habit! I just wish I could get inside her head and figure out why she does this!

Sophie's Big Mess

2011-09-15T10:01:00.001-04:00

I left Sophie alone for a few minutes while I transferred clothes from the washer to the dryer. When I came back into the room, this is what I found. In the short amount of time that she was alone, Sophie somehow had gotten into the snack bowl full of Cheerios, opened it, and dumped them all over the floor. Sophie was quite proud of this accomplishment! She even tried to share some of her contraband snack! I do believe that I am going to have my hands full with the Sophster!

Large and In Charge

2011-09-14T14:36:00.003-04:00

Since Kaelyn has started school, Gretchen has really come in to her own. She loves being the "big sister" at home and especially loves telling Sophie what to do and what not to do. So, when I found this shirt at Old Navy, I just had to buy it for Gretchen. It says "Big Sister In Charge". Truth in advertising if I have ever seen it!