pictures from today

Sara is almost ready to start sitting. Here's a picture from today. She was able to sit long enough for me to get two or three pictures before falling over. I don't think she has realized yet that she can sit up.





And here are the girls in black...I got dressed this morning and when Caroline dressed herself, she was also in a black shirt. So...when Sara needed to change clothes, we put her in black as well.

Caroline-isms

twobana - that yellow long skinny fruit

see ya later after crocodile - the phrase to use when leaving somebody

August pictures - part 6 (togetherness)

One night, Daddy took Nathan and Caroline for a bike ride while I got Sara to bed. They all had a great time!



Here's Caroline's frog pool that she got for her birthday (in January) and we finally got out (in August).


Nathan wanted to try holding Sara. He did pretty well. It makes him seem like such a big boy!


Caroline has fun playing with Sara. And Sara thinks that she is very interesting.

August pictures - part 5 (kiddos)

I was taking some pictures of Sara one day and Caroline wanted in on the action. Nathan was close by, so I made an attempt at getting a picture of all three of them.


This is not an easy task...especially not alone!


But at least I got one full of personality! (and with William...the fourth child)


Then, I decided to try and get individual pictures. I was able to take ones of Nathan and Caroline outside, but the one of Sara was inside by the same kind of brick.

August pictures - part 4 (Sara)

Sara is getting so big. She has been moving all over the place. She isn't going backward or forward yet, but she does very well going in circles. We're starting to have to watch what's around her better because she can get to lots of things. She is following well in her brother and sister's footsteps - she found the tags on her play mat!


She's a very sweet baby. She really doesn't cry at all unless she's sleepy or it's time to eat. And she loves to jabber. She seems to do it more when she's tired. She also loves to laugh...mostly at her brother.


We finally got out the exersaucer. She's really enjoying it. I think she must have been taking lessons from Nathan and Caroline on silly face making!


But she also has a beautiful smile! I just love how her eyes light up. This day, Caroline was playing with the couch cushions and it created the perfect hole for Sara to sit in.

August pictures - part 3 (Caroline)

We have enjoyed watching Caroline as she develops her personality more. At times she's very independent. She is also Nathan's shadow and copycat. She LOVES her big brother. Hearing her directly repeat somebody is always fun. She's talking very well, but still has lots of fun mispronunciations and incorrect usages of words. I took this picture because I thought it showed some typical Caroline - in a skirt (girly) and tennis shoes (not) with nothing to keep her hair back.


She's a silly willy. Yet another reason why it's hard to get a good picture of all three kiddos.


I can occasionally get something sorta like a good smile, though. She really has a beautiful smile when it's real!


One day, I was sitting at the computer and heard Caroline calmly calling "Mommy, I need some help. I can't get out." I wondered what I was about to find. And this was it. I laughed out loud and got the camera before freeing her. :)

August pictures - part 2 (Nathan)

Nathan has started soccer again this year. He's having a good time and is getting in there better than he did last year. But honestly, I don't think he's really into soccer all that much. Mostly, he just wants to be on Daddy's team. And that's great, too!




He still likes to play with his cars, trucks, and trains. He plays with them with Caroline and sometimes at his down time. He also spends a good bit of his down time reading and listening to music. He LOVES music. His favorites are hymns and usually the older ones. He says he wants to be a choir director when he grows up.


He still likes to be silly. I've had a hard time getting him to cooperate for pictures lately. And that makes getting pictures of all three kiddos together a bit difficult.


In this picture, Nathan wanted his picture made because I was taking one of Caroline. I'm not really sure what's up with the "roar" pose, but we'll go with it. :)



This morning Nathan told me "I love everyone in the family more than 5,000 universes stuck together with bubble gum."

August pictures - part 1 (swimming)

This last month, we have taken the kids to swim several times. They have really done well. Caroline is a little fish. She is everywhere in her swimmies. No fear. Unfortunately, no fear isn't always good. The last time we went, Caroline decided that she could swim by herself (while no adult was beside her). Grandma had to get in the pool with her clothes to get her. Afterwards, Caroline's recollection of the event is that she got in the pool and was jumping (and it was fun).



Nathan has improved SO much since last summer. He swims pretty well with swimmies and will even jump in the deep end and swim. He will also jump in the shallow end with no swimmies (since he can stand up). He has started working on swimming without the swimmies. Right now he can't keep himself above the water so he's working on swimming under water.



What's better for an after swim snack than some popsicles?


Oh...maybe fresh blackberries!


And then it's off to work. Nathan jumped in to help granddad mix concrete. Caroline looked but couldn't see any way to help. She tells me that there wasn't anything she could do.


So she headed off to the back to do who knows what by herself.