Little fishes

Dan and I have been taking the girls to swim at the YMCA pool quite frequently this summer. It's nothing short of amazing to see the progress Beth has been making in swimming lessons. On Sunday afternoon I stared in amazement as she climbed onto the starting blocks, took a deep breath, and leaped 3 feet into the air. She landed deep in the water and swam 3 or 4 strokes while submerged before popping up and dog paddling her way to the edge of the pool. She climbed out and did it again. And again. And again.

Erin and I stayed in the shallow end and splashed, and each time I caught a glimpse of Beth out of the corner of my eye, I remembered the first swimming lesson she took, about 3 years ago. It was the middle of the winter, so at 2 years old she couldn't remember ever having been in a pool before. She was terrified. Dan had been looking forward to this weekend bonding experience, but she screamed and kicked so hard that he couldn't even get her into the pool. They were actually asked to leave about 10 minutes into the lesson, and Dan came home with a hysterical Beth. He was so upset and discouraged. He persevered, however, and gradually she learned to accept these lessons...and eventually even began to look forward to her outings at the pool.

Wouldn't a crystal ball be nice sometimes? Dan and I would have been much less frustrated by those early swimming days 3 years ago if only we had known that she would eventually conquer her fears! Life with 3 little girls certainly can be challenging at times, but the wonderful surprises that they provide us with can make the hard work all worth it.

We're proud of you, Beth! Keep swimming!

Potter Mania

I must apologize for the lack of posts. The nausea and fatigue continue, and whenever there are a few spare moments, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows beckons from my bedside table. Don't worry, though. I have only 200 more pages left, and then I will return!

Clothing battles

This morning, as we went through the usual morning getting-dressed chaos, Amy insisted that she wanted to wear a skirt to church. A dress would not be acceptable...it had to be a skirt. I plowed through her drawers and found a cute little blue "skort".

"Look, Amy!" I said, holding it up for her inspection. "From the front, it looks like a skirt. From the back, it looks like shorts!"

She moved closer to get a better view. After carefully examining the front and the back, she agreed that it would be acceptable.

"Okay", she said. "But since I want to wear a skirt, I'll only wear the front. Not the back".

Speech!

Erin's verbal skills are improving daily. The changes are so drastic that each time she opens her mouth, we're shocked by her sudden ability to converse so well. Just a few short weeks ago she spoke only in single words, but she now combines multiple words to make short sentences. I couldn't believe my ears the other day when she piped up with "Daddy go work - white car". My mouth dropped open as I praised her, and affirmed that yes, Daddy went to work in his white car! This week we witnessed the arrival of pronouns in her vocabulary. Instead of her cries of "Baby"! whenever she sees something she wants, she now uses "mine" or "me!" When I entered her room to get her up from her nap this afternoon, she proceeded to point at all the objects in sight, claiming "My books, my bed, my clothes, my dolls", and ending with a proud "My Mommy!"

We've been through this amazing development twice before, with Beth and Amy, but it still fills me with wonder. Each accomplishment is so special, and it is incredible to me that this little girl was only a helpless bundle, less than two years ago. She's now one of the crowd, expressing her opinions, taking care of her needs, and playing alongside her sisters. She's growing up so quickly, and I miss the baby that she once was...the baby that she'll never be again.

But luckily she still needs long cuddles before bedtime. And so, tonight we once again rocked in the chair in her room, while she sucked her fingers and put her head on my shoulder. I think I can still squeeze a few more months of "babyhood" out of my little girl.

Camp update

They're doing fine.

When we pulled into the parking lot yesterday, Amy whimpered "I'm scared!". But once she saw some familiar instructors and a few friends, she was excited. The girls are enjoying hours of gymnastics, arts and crafts, games and dance classes. Their favorite part of the day?

Snack-time.

They love bringing their new lunch boxes packed with water, fruit and crackers. Amy says it makes her feel like "a big kid at school".

But I still have that same sad feeling when I wave good-bye and drive away with two empty car seats each morning. Somehow I don't think that will ever change.

Off to camp they go

Tomorrow morning Beth and Amy are off to gymnastics camp.

When I signed them up for camp, way back in February, it sounded like such a great idea. The two of them could have this experience together. It would help Amy deal with separation issues before school starts in the Fall. They could spend hours jumping and flipping, playing at their favorite sport. And Erin and I could spend lots of time alone together.

But now? As I pack their lunches and get their leotards ready, I feel somewhat nervous and...well...empty. I'm worried about Amy being away from me for so long. I've asked Beth to watch out for her little sister, but I am still concerned. After all, she's only three years old. Is she really ready for camp? Alone? Without me? Will she be well taken care of? What if she gets hurt? Will she be scared? Will she make friends?

Beth is fairly confident and self-sufficient, but I still have some nagging worries about her, too. Hopefully she meets some new friends, too, and enjoys her week of gymnastics.

I'm not sure I'll be sleeping too well, tonight. I do plan to do some fun activities with Erin, and I'm sure Beth and Amy will have a wonderful time at the gym.

But I'll be counting the minutes until I can go pick up my other two babies from the gym. And when I do, I'll hold them close for just a few extra minutes.

Get Ready...!

This afternoon we picked up Beth's new school uniform. She raced into the house, shedding her play clothes as she crossed the threshold, desperate to try on her new outfits. (I do wonder if she will still feel the same way after nine years of wearing this same uniform...) The jumper is a bit roomy, but she really does look adorable. She begged to keep the dress on for a bit, so that she could "play school". She colored and cut out some pictures, did a few pages in her workbooks, and thoroughly enjoyed her practice school day. When finally the time came for her to put away the school clothes, she moaned and groaned. I've promised that she can have another fashion show tonight when Daddy comes home.

September will be here before we know it...and I think Beth is ready to go!!

Squeaky Clean

AMY: Mom, I'm getting so tired of taking baths and showers. I think I'll just make tonight's be my last one.

Late night popcorn and fun

Last night we let Beth and Amy stay up a bit late to watch the Boston Pops fireworks special, which we had videotaped on Wednesday night. We had a wonderful evening, complete with popcorn and lots of cuddles, and the girls really enjoyed watching the night sky lit up with colorful sparks.

Today, however, I paid dearly for our evening of fun. The girls awoke this morning ready for battle. Within minutes, they were fighting with each other, arguing with me, and crying, crying, crying. Sleep deprivation does not make a happy and cooperative child, and so we fought through this long day, complete with many time-outs and temper tantrums.

After their bath (during which they battled over tub toys and washcloths), a quick story (finally chosen for them, after a screaming argument about which story to read) and prayers (completed without any major incident) they are finally tucked in. Thank goodness.

And the moral of this story? When you plan a late-night event, be very, very certain that you are working the next day.

Independence Day

We celebrated such a relaxing holiday yesterday. We spent the morning simply sitting outside with the girls and chatting with neighbors, while Beth, Amy and Erin rode bikes with their friends. After Erin took a short nap, we headed to Nana and Grampy's for a cookout, and enjoyed spending time with cousins Liam, Ciaran and Meg. Liam is now old enough to play along with Beth and Amy, so they had a wonderful time running around with him.

Then we headed down the street to meet Ella and Charlie for the parade. Cousin Jack opted to remain quietly at home, rather than expose his ears to the loud cannons that he disliked so much last year! Despite some light drizzle, the kids thoroughly enjoyed watching the many (very loud) fire trucks screech through town, followed by the politicians and various marching bands. We did have some minor difficulties with balloons accidentally soaring skyward when tiny hands lost control of them. Many of the Mommies, Daddies, Aunts and Uncles made frequent trips back to the balloon truck for more free balloons from the various politicians, until finally we tied the balloons onto little wrists.

We headed home with three wet and tired girls, and all three were happy to have a warm bath and collapse into bed. Dan and I enjoyed watching the fireworks on television, and we videotaped them for Beth and Amy to watch tonight. We're looking forward to a fun evening of popcorn and fireworks with the girls.

I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July, too. We're very thankful to live in this wonderful country, and are so grateful to the troops who are fighting to keep our country safe. God Bless America!

Wedding Day

Aunt Mary and Uncle Mike's wedding was absolutely perfect. The weather was made-to-order...sunny but not too hot, with a pleasant breeze blowing throughout the afternoon. My sister was a gorgeous bride, simply glowing in her beautiful dress and veil. The groom was quite handsome and seemed so happy. The ceremony was very special, with family and loved ones participating throughout, and having Uncle John home from Rome to witness the vows made it even more poignant.

And the kids? They were picture-perfect. So many children were involved in the wedding, from flower girls to ring bearers to babies watching from the pews. And they all behaved wonderfully. Beth and Amy looked so pretty in their dresses, and they performed their roles with pride. They carefully marched down the aisle, dropping flower petals all the way. Beth was so anxious to get going that she trotted ahead of Amy and Ella, but it still looked adorable. The ring bearers were handsome in their tuxes, and they also made it down the aisle perfectly.

The reception was one of the best I have ever been to. Beth, Amy and Erin had a blast dancing up a storm with the bride, groom, aunts and uncles, Grandparents, and anyone that would grab their hands. Beth finally lost her spark at 8:30pm, at which point she begged for someone to put her into pajamas and help her find her bed, so we headed for home.

After the girls were tucked into bed, Dan and I sat up for awhile and talked about the beautiful day. We were so proud of our girls, and we are thrilled that Mary and Mike's day went so smoothly. Now they are off on their honeymoon! Congratulations, Mary and Mike!! We wish you happiness always!