Park Love

One day last week it was not very hot (or so it seemed to me from my air-conditioned house) so we ventured out for a walk.  Now that I've settled into keeping five, only one has to actually walk, and my kids are there to take turns holding hands too so it makes it really easy. 

Usually Alice walks.  Duchess and O'Malley like walking with her, until they get tired of answering all her questions.  Then she helps me push the stroller and tells me things for a few minutes while their ears rest.  :)

I still am not entirely sure why I love pictures of kids walking so much, but I continue to take a ton of them and they make my heart squish every time.

We walked around the block and my kids were bugging to go home.  I had the brilliant idea to stop at the park instead.  The Merrybabies stayed in the stroller and I alternated between pushing it up and down the sidewalk in the shade while pushing the swings a few times.  It was a nice change of pace.

The blue swing, OF COURSE.  Alice's love of all things blue borders on obsession at the moment.  Duchess loves that about her- makes them kindred spirits.

Remy, serious and pondering as usual.  He's such a quiet little guy most of the time.  "Are you having a good time?" I ask with a big smile.  "Yes." he tells me very emphatically but with no smile.

Duchess and Perdita working through the mechanics of the big girl swing.  Didn't last very long but it was cute.

We only stayed about ten minutes and then we all were very hot and tired.  I walked back home pushing the quad stroller and herding Alice, who was dragging behind and wanting to sit down.  Finally I put her on my shoulders so I could walk faster.  I'm sure I looked like a crazy person, pushing the huge stroller and holding on to Alice with my other hand.  She didn't trust me a bit and was quite sure I was going to let her fall.  She kept putting her hands over my eyes so I had to stop and adjust.  We made it almost a block before she begged to get down.  So I put her in the stroller and gave Perdita a chance to run.  Girl can book it with the promise of ice water and Mickey Mouse.

It was so fun!!  But I don't think we'll do it again until October or so.  The back yard is about all we can handle these days in the heat.  :)

Friday Focus: Merida

My Merida is so deliciously chubby and squishy.  She has the best cheeks ever.  Almost everyone who comes into my house comments on how great they are.  I pick her up and nom nom on her cheeks and snuffle her neck an awful lot.  Just looking at her commands it.  Moral imperative.

Occasionally I have trouble finding cute pictures that are recent and correspond with what I'm saying for posts.  Not the case here- I have a bunch, but her family would prefer I not put pictures up.  I absolutely, always, follow those guidelines, so no pictures.  You'll just have to imagine the fabulous, roly poly, starting to be maybe a redhead, smily cheeky monkey.

She's pretty amazing on motor skills- I think being a third child ensures those skills are never just average.  All my youngest babies have either been way ahead of schedule because they're trying to keep up with their older sibs, or else they're a little late on milestones and don't care at all because there are so many people around to do things for them.  :)  Merida falls into the "fiercely independent and I WILL do it myself" category.  I took these pictures three weeks ago, when she was just over four months old.  We were sitting on the couch while she ate.  I put her down on the rug to look at the fan and I went to the kitchen to put the bottle away.  I was gone less than a minute probably.  Here's what I came back to:

Look, no baby on the rug!  And it's a big rug too.  I was quite impressed with a barely four month old rolling so far and so fast.  So where did she go?

Here's where I wish I knew about photoshop and picture editing so I could put a big arrow pointing at her toes.  Can you see her feet?  They're up in the air, right in the tiny space between the two car seats in the middle of the picture.  She rolled at least six feet.  Strong girl!!

She's my youngest until September, but I have a feeling she won't be my baby for very long.  Miss Merida is a force to be reckoned with.  So much fun!

I Hate It When That Happens

I wrote a long cute post updating all kinds of things and catching up on this and that.  I hit publish and it disappeared into the blogging mist, never to be seen again.  Now, not only can I not remember everything I said, but I feel like I already said it.  I keep having to go back to previous posts to see what I actually have published and what I don't.  Very annoying.

Thing the First:
Mater and Lady have graduated over to Ms. Kathy and are doing well from all reports.  I knew they would.  Transition time is inevitable, of course, but they were ready and once they get used to new routines they will be really happy, having more big kids to play with.  I made them slideshows, which are stuck in limbo in my computer.  At least they haven't disappeared, but I can't get them to burn to disc or publish.  Hopefully I can do both those things at some point.

Thing the Second:
Alice, Remy, Perdita and I have started The Three Bears curriculum through Read It Once Again.  They're glad to be back to reading and painting.  It's a good, fluid routine to our days.  Not always the same stuff, but enough consistency and predictability that it works for everybody.  Merryweather and Merida are sometimes awake in the mornings to read with us too, which is always fun. 

Thing the Third:
My fall spot is filled!  I'm excited about this family- they were the kind that I'd have felt sad if I didn't get them.  Remy will be going to Ms. Kathy in the fall and then this new little girl will come in.  I'll have all girls at that point!  Strange.  That hasn't happened in awhile. 

Thing the Fourth:
I know I've been awful about keeping up with Friday Focus, and probably nobody but me even notices, but now that Ms. Mimmie dances with the big kids on Friday mornings, I'm hoping to make that a blogging time if the merrybabies cooperate.  :)  Usually that is naptime for at least one if not both of them, but they aren't on a strict schedule and sometimes have other plans for me during that time.