Little Big Brother

Some friends of ours had a baby boy (also their fifth) one month before Genevieve was born. That mom and I agree that it is not the fifth baby that makes our lives...um...challenging. In both cases, it is the fifth baby's toddler brother that makes things...um...challenging.

Oliver is 20 months now. I wanted to document was he is up to and in to these days.

He loves his cars and choo choo's.

And getting stuck going after them, too.

He loves talking on his plastic banana phone.

And sharing plastic grapes with "Baby"
"Gigi" is what he is calling her more and more.

He also shares plastic broccoli

and what else did he get at the plastic food store??

Ah yes, plastic red pepper!

When I remove her from the situation, he rests from all that shopping and sharing in her cradle.

When he sees me holding Genevieve, he'll often drop to the floor on his back and pat his chest, saying "howd baby"

He loves his Daddy.

He still loves to "cook", so he can be found waiting at the front door for his Noni while carrying around a skillet.

At first I discouraged him from climbing into the baby swing, but once he pops the tray down into place, he is stuck. Now I let him, and enjoy those few moments that I know he is not making a mess.

Becaue he is getting pretty good
at making messes.

He likes to play "down, set, hut"

and kiss his "Baby Gigi"
until he is plain worn out.

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