March 18, 2013 1:00 pm Jillian is 4

Jillian is Four!
  Hey little lady!  I can't believe the girl you are growing up to be.  All girl and always prepared with a bag full of trinkets and treats.  Not just treats for yourself either, you pack for your brothers, your dad, your mom and sometimes even a girlfriend. You are responsible and have a great memory.  I rely on to remember things for Mommy all the time.
  You love dress up, and you a wonderful fashonista with all the accessories you can fit on your little four year old body.  You love playing pretend.  You usually are always the mommy and Jace is the Daddy or your puppy. You and him play pretend for hours and hours. You love to tease and and you tease the boys incessantly.  Your most favorite trick is stealing their toy and running off giggling. You continue to run and giggle until they catch you.  Then the giggles quickly turn to tears because you get really mad if they tease you back.  You are selective about the people your share your smiles with, but when you do your face lights up. You have to feel good about the person before you engage or interact with them.
  Your favorite color is sparkle diamond.  You love ballerina and "bolleyball" and you love hanging out with mom. I love that you are becoming my little shadow. Your Dad is smitten with you, he becomes someone I don't recognize sometimes when he interacts with you because you have a way of instantaneously melting his outer tough intimidating shell.  All you have to do is pucker up and say, "Daddy... Kissy..." and he bends down to see you eye to eye, then you grab his cheeks with your dainty hands and you lay it on him.  I love it!  I am so glad we have you sis.  I love you so much and I love watching you grow and gain a little more courage each day.  You are sweet and spice and everything nice!  Always be your true self and stay focused on your dreams!
Love Mom

March 18 2013 1:02 PM Jace is 4!

Jacer!
  Four... that seems so old. You are my little charmer.  You have all sorts of tricks you use to melt my heart! You are quick to share winks, a hug or lately some cuddles, and I love it.  You have started to get some bad growing pains so I find you snuggled in my bed with your fuzzy head and your soft cheeks, honestly if it wasn't for those cheeks I might have the energy to walk you back to bed.  I miss your big cheeks, they are slimming down and making you look like a full on little boy now.  So I am holding on to what is left for as long as I can.
  You are fearless and determined.  You often take on the role of the scapegoat and will sacrifice your body or handle any consequence to help your brother or sister out of a sticky situation.  I can often find you scaling the counters and cupboards to make your way to the top of the fridge to retrieve an item that your brother or sister may have lost.  I admire your bravery, but sometimes your judgment scares me to death.  I need a helmet for you because you are constantly hitting your head.  Recently you were using a stool to get on the trampoline and fell off right onto the concrete.  I wish they made bubbles for small boys, then I think I would feel better.
  You have developed quit the swagger this year.  I am not sure if it is because of your new found speed, (you really are fast) or your new Karate skills, (I love your running jump side kick) but you have gained an independence and confidence about yourself that I love!
  You are a great, courageous, passionate boy Jace.  I love that I get to be your Mom!  I love that you can be stubborn and obstinate.  You really need all those skills in life.  You keep up the good work Roo and fight the good fight.  Stay true to yourself and always look for ways to help other people.  Love You! Mom

March 16 2013 Jace and Jillian turn 4

Jace and Jillian turn 4!  For the big day they each got to invite a special friend, and pick out a cake.  We had scouted out Costco a few days early and Jillian found a rainbow cake. Jace found basketball cake!  They were very excited about there cake.  And so I was.  I love Costco cake.   Jillian requested Taylie and Jace requested Kingston to join them for their party.  We were so lucky they were able to celebrate with us.  We started the party by heading to the Y to go swimming.  After we had enough of the water and we were all pruney we headed home for some birthday cake.  Kingston met us at home we were all excited to see him.

March 10 2013 3 Deatherages in a Tub!

I know they will kill me when they are older... but sometimes I just can't resist.  Nothing like bath time fun with bubbles!

March 5 2013 Swimming Lessons.

Swimming lessons! 

 We had played in the pool with Jace and Jillian before but they had never been in swimming lessons that were official.  It was a little overwhelming tackling swimming lessons with just Mommy (getting three wet kids into dry clothes and keeping the dry ones dry and safe is a work out) but the guilt about Jace and Jillian getting lessons outweighed the fear of taking three kids to the pool by myself.  So I signed everybody up and went for it.  I put Jillian in the very beginning class because she enjoyed playing with her family in the pool but never really enjoyed the water.  Jace I put in the class just above Jillian because I thought he wasn't a true beginner and Colton advanced to a class that they started teaching strokes in, and they really had to work at swimming lessons.  

The first day was an adventure.  Colton was a little intimidated by his teacher.  I know you shouldn't judge a book by the cover but she looked like the witch in snow white... (he was spot on in celebrity look alike.)  Jace was wet and in the deep end before I could put my bag down and Jillian was glued to my thigh.  So I started with Jace.  His teacher was sweet and very complimentary.  She had her work cut out for her keeping him on the steps and out of the water for instruction.  He loved it and had a blast.  Colton, although nervous, got in and got out.  He did what he needed to do for class and kept a safe distance from the teacher.  Jillian put her foot in and by the end of class had progressed to the step.  As I was watching I was in awe of how independent and different my kids really are.  I know that "kids are different" but sometimes when some of them share a womb you anticipate that they might have some similarities... but nope.  I watched Jace jump off the edge into the water at least 20 times on one end of the pool.  On the other end I watched Jillian use all the courage she could muster to sit on the step.  Then in the middle I saw Colton cautiously doing what was necessary.  In the end I was very proud of all of us.  

March 5 2013 Jace is a good brother.

I am not sure how Jillian convinced Jace to help her with her hair.  But he did.  He was concentrating so hard to get it right.  Mom had to help a little but I love he is willing to help.

March 3 2013 Family fun with almost four-year-olds.

Its never to early to celebrate my favorite three years olds getting close to turning four.  We had a little Jammie party with family so that we could see Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Jo.   We had grapes and pancakes as requested by the birthday kids.  And then Jace and Jillian got to rip open some presents early.  We love birthdays!