The Very Middle Child

third of five
Exactly half way between the ages of the oldest and youngest
(Kilian - 9, Camille 4 1/2, Genevieve - 0)
Older blond brother and brunette sister AND younger blond brother and brunette sister

I don't know any specifics of "middle child syndrome"

but in your case, it must mean: amazing, fun loving, girlie little ball of sunshine.

May you never get "lost" in this growing family

although I just don't see it happening!!

7!

2 weeks after Kilian's party, we celebrated Lucy turning 7.

I had purchased some cute clearance gingerbread man invitations (probably meant for a Christmas party) a couple of years ago. I came across them in my closet when getting out my maternity clothes last summer, and they set the stage for a fun, after-school, Friday-in-December, first-snow-of-the-year, kind of party!

I purchased some inexpensive children's aprons and painted the brown gingerbread man figure on each one.

Then we set out fabric paint and turned them loose. They turned out really cute, but I sure hope there were no mishaps on the ride home because even though we had them work on these as soon as they arrived, they didn't have time to dry completely.

We also had them decorate a gingerbread man cookie to take home. Putting one between two paper plates and stapling worked well.
The cookie cake
The small favors
and the book read by Noni (my mom)

I could have gone crazy buying much more gingerbread themed "stuff" - it is everywhere this time of year! So far embracing Christmas themes and activities for birthday events seems to be working well for us. December birthdays sometimes get a bad rap, but they aren't all bad!

(side note: Kilian had the option of an activity with more friends, but he chose having two friends spend the night. I don't want to seem like we are unfair. Not that life is always fair...)

7 words to describe Lucy

1. Helpful

2. Funny

3. Talkative

4. Picky (eater)

5. Clever

6. Sweet

7. Musical

Lucy is becoming quite the reader! Our trips to the library are resulting in chapter books now.

9!

Kilian had a small but fun little birthday party with two friends. At least I think I'm remembering the details correctly because Genevieve was 13 days old, .

It was our first time to host a sleepover with friends (we do have some cousin experience though!). It was so easy! Brad took them to eat at IHOP, then to a neat little neighborhood to see Christmas lights, ride a horse carriage, and play in the "snow" (which tasted like soap). No camera made it on this outing.

They came home and sang to Kilian while one friend played the piano. Then they automatically put on pj's and brushed teeth after watching Charlie Brown Christmas. As Brad, Grammy (his mom) and I were discussing setting a bed time limit, we looked around the corner and they had their sleeping bags out by the Christmas tree and were saying prayers. They were asleep in no time!


The next morning Grammy helped them make Jolly Rancher ornaments. They look like stained glass after they cook.

A couple of days later on his actual birthday, Kilian placed an order for specific types of donuts for us to acquire during the school day. That evening he made his own "cake" with some interesting architecture. Totally his idea, but it worked for me...I got Red Velvet cookies made for his class at school, but no other official cake at home.

9 words to describe Kilian:

1. helpful

2. curious

3. creative

4. focused

5. reader

6. serious

7. analytical

8. polite

9. tumbling

Finally, a picture of his Benjamin Franklin milk jug project/report from the fall that never made it here.

Miss G

Before birthday updates for big kids, I will catch up on quickly changing Genevieve over her first 2 months...

1 week
2 weeks

3 weeks

4 weeks

helping me with laundry (or laundry helping me with her?)
5 weeks

6 weeks

7 weeks

I love these little leg warmers, yet Brad cannot stand them!

cute cozy hat from her cousins

8 weeks
all dressed up

love these tights

9 weeks

almost 10 weeks

Hello Again

I've been away so long - I don't even know where to start. So, here are some random thoughts about life as a family of 7 before I go back to starting December birthdays/events in chronological order.

1. Our mom's group from church met at an indoor play land a couple of weeks ago. I made it (almost on time) with the youngest two. You would think that this being my fifth time around I would have remembered a diaper bag. Nope.

2. I heard Oliver saying "Ahhhh Ahhhh" and found him sticking his arm into Genevieve's crib with his toothbrush in hand trying to give her gums a good scrub. This is just one example of why we always have to put her in the back right corner of her crib.

3. I am amused when I get the "Wow, you have your hands full" comment when I'm out and about with only Camille and Genevieve.

4. Several months before Genevieve was born, I posted here about Kilian's preferences on the baby's first name, so that we could spell something cool with their initials. G.L.O.C.K. is not what either of us had in mind.

5. For at least 19 months, I've been meaning to update the profile picture on the right so that it includes Oliver, now what a waste that would have been. Efficiency is the key for me in 2011. I'll add two babies to it at the same time.

6. No nickname for Genevieve yet - except when emailing. Miss G or just G seems to work well. 9 letters make for a long name! I imagine that we will start calling her Genny or Genna or Evie at some point. Oliver very generically still refers to her as "baby".

7. I find myself asking Kilian to do lots of things to help with the others while Brad is not home, yet at the same time I hear myself telling him to stop parenting. I don't have a very good answer when he asks for clarification on what he should and shouldn't do!

8. I have regained the skill required of all new moms. I typed this entire post with one hand while holding Miss G.