Isabelle as of late

This kid.

Oh she is great- 3 1/2 is such a fun age. She is so sweet and saucy at the same time- she wants to do everything herself and do it her way. In the morning she gets up before everyone else, often tiptoes around the house to find things she needs (including dad's ipad.) and plays in her room until she hears us up. Often she is already dressed up in her tap shoes or a hat or also sometimes totally naked.

Busted. With panties on her head.

She is super opinionated (both of my kids are. where did that come from.) and I find that if I give her a couple of choices (outfits, breakfast, cup color etc) she is pretty happy to pick. Some days she wants "softie clothes" basically anything made out jersey or cotton, some days she wants a dress and others she prefers shorts and a t shirt. As soon as we get back from errands she takes off her shoes and pants, since those are obviously unnecessary in the comfort of our home. She loves pink the best of all.

Every day she has about twenty minutes to read in her room before her nap time. It helps her unwind and get a little bit sleepy before she gets into bed. Most of that time is not spent reading but rather finding random crap to dress up in, and then she parades out to find me to show me. Makes me laugh every time.

Trenchcoat. Supposed to be sleeping.

future baton twirler. supposed to be sleeping.

supposed to be sleeping but HAD to tell me that she needs a "sweepy hat" just like the pigeon

hey look, actually sleeping

She loves Taylor Swift. I'm like, how old are you, 14?

She loves to visit Grandma and Grandpa. She always asks to go over and visit, and every time we do it is the highlight of her day. She loves to swim and swing and play upstairs in the big open playroom full of toys. It's not just the stuff, my mom always stops what she is doing and plays with the kids. She gets on the floor and sets up tiny tea parties and dresses baby dolls and zooms cars around. They love it. She always has a new puzzle or some special watercolors she has been saving just for a rainy day and Isabelle loves to see what she has.

Isabelle loves to go to the library and check out new books to read, sometimes getting ten at a time. We are working on her letters, mostly her name although its kind of long and tricky. She plays really well with Lincoln, until he snags something of hers and then it is GAME OVER. When Lincoln is sad she often grabs his toy or his fox to bring to him to cheer him up. Or his paci, Lincoln's drug of choice. She has learned to wink- and sometimes when I am leading the music in primary I look down at her and she gives me this huge wink like it's a secret just for me and her. It is my favorite.

She says the FUNNIEST things.

• "I am just looking in the mirror...to see if I am goooood."
• "Mom I have to show you this... it is so amazing."
• "Well that is a bummer."
• "Mom, I am a sea creature. I am not your little girl anymore."
• "Don't you shush me!"
• "Mom, you are so dramatic."
• "That is ridiculous!"
• "I will go underwater tomorrow but not today."
• "Just one lucky hot dog minute?"
• "Mom when I get big I will baby sit Winc but I can't be alone so my friends will come over too."
• Me: "Isabelle how did you get so cute!?"    Iz: "Heavenly Father, silly!"
• "Please, I will promise!" (she is not promising anything, not even sure she knows what promise means)
• "I has an idea!"

Mo/Sabs do you recognize these?

Loves burrito bandito. it's a genetic thing.

supposed to be sleeping again.

I love this one. Just such an Isabelle picture.

Isabelle will be doing preschool this fall- she has two whole years of preschool before kindergarten since she barely misses the age cut off to start school. This year we are doing a fabulous preschool co-op and next year we hope to get her into a transitional kindergarten that is half day few times a week. She is ready. She is ready to learn more and I can tell just "playing" at home is not enough for her. I try to have fun activities that help her explore different things and I always have that mom guilt when I'm splitting my time up with housework and errands and Lincoln and being a wife. There is always stuff to do and I need to spend more time with Isabelle because I know she will be in school before I know it. This is going by so quickly, she is almost four years old. Agh.

At night when we tuck her in, we always talk about the best part of our day. We read a few stories and chit chat and she always asks me to stay a little longer. She can talk and talk and talk, and her voice is so tender and precious. She loves this pretend spider game that Jazz made up- its cute because its just a thing that they do together. Jazz loses track of time in there and sometimes it is 8:45 before he comes out from "tucking her in." 

I love her so much sometimes I want to burst. Sometimes I want to roll my eyes and put her in time out. But most of the time, its the bursty feeling. 

IsaSabs.

Isabelle looks exactly like Sabrina. Just sayin. 

"nobody's going to top that."

did anyone catch the arrested development reference. ten points.

Eek, the last birthday in my twenties!

We had a super good day. We ran some errands. We had my most favorite pizza. We had a glorious nap time (myself included) and then we bought a van.

Whaaaat!

I'm the first one to admit that I did not see this coming. I have been very adamant about 1) not ever buying a van and 2) if I have to have a van it won't be until we are strapping our kids' car seats to the roof because we are out of room. Just because I know you are wondering, no, I am not expecting. (Thanks for asking though-- people at church. Can't a girl just have a few extra seats in her car?)

Jazz has been trying to talk me into a van for a few years, probably since we had Isabelle and my answer has always been the same. A resounding helllll to the no.

Well, the idea of automatic doors persuaded me to accidentally start looking at them. Jazz started pointing out other features such as an automatic lift gate! Push start! Back up camera! Navigation and bluetooth! Built in sun shades for the kids! Crazy gas mileage! We test drove a Sienna and I hated it.

And that was the end of that.

But then later, we drove a different model of Sienna, and it was like a totally different car. We started talking numbers and Toyota said they would give us a CRAZY amount to trade in our Camry. We shopped around, and realized that we would never ever be able to get that amount out of the Camry at a later time so....

We bought a van. It had to be brought in from another dealer because I was very specific on the color (look if I'm going to drive a van for ten years it betta be the grey color I love.) I didn't think it would arrive for a few days but lo and behold, at 5 pm on my birthday we signed a billion papers and got the fob (NO KEY BECAUSE ITS PUSH START!) and rolled out of the Toyota lot.

Hi this is our new van that mom won't let us eat in.

After we picked up my smokin new car, we went to my moms for a great dinner and dessert with my family. This is the 29th time my mom has celebrated my birthday and she always does it just right. 

Red velv!

Thanks Scott for the photo bomb. And Mo and Sabs for my cute necklace!

We ate a really nice home cooked meal and shared cake and the kids ran around all crazy. I talked to every one of my siblings on my birthday and everyone made me feel so special. My parents gave me this amazing post-war canvas map that I found in Maui in loved, but didn't buy. They are trixy and bought it for me and now I get to pick out the framing and hang it in Lincoln's room. I mean, are they the best or what.

Jazz jokes that he can't get me out of the van. I'm like WHERE CAN WE GO. The best thing is the auto sliding doors. I press a button, both doors open. Bam. Isabelle can open the door, hop in, close the door, and buckle her carseat. She loves it! Also, I can unlock/lock from the outside it by holding my finger to the handle if the fob is in my bag close by. It's like magic! It recognizes my pandora from my phone and plays it when I get in the car. And it has my entire phonebook from my iphone loaded so I can call anyone without even holding my phone. It has an adorable little 8th seat that stows all sneaky in the back side of the trunk. You can set an alert for your oil changes. Like every 5K miles it will say hey micci, change my oil.

I'm officially converted.

Jazz's birthday is next week and I'm not sure how I can compete with a shiny new car?

PS. I was casually mentioning to my dad that I've for sure lost any remaining "cool" factor I had by buying a van and he said, "Don't worry mic, you'll always have swagger up the wazoo." Thanks dad. At least he thinks I'm cool.

the fourth with four.

I know the fourth is OLD NEWS but I'm just getting around to dumping my camera to my laptop. Whatever.

We made special muffins for breakfast. Blueberry. And Isabelle added red sprinkles to hers. Naturally.

He eats like this all the time. Keepin' it classy.

Then we went to my parents' for some swimming time and an impromptu barbecue. Mom always has the food. Like whoops these cookies accidentally baked themselves! Here have three.

Lincoln's life jacket is a souvenir from 1988. Michael Sumsion strikes again.

One moment mother, I forgot my water bottle.

Later in the evening we had two fabulous guests for our very first cousin sleepover. Scott and JaNae moved into their new home that weekend- and so we had their girls over to play while they moved. Four kids under five, let's do this! They were SO excited. Isabelle kept asking "is it time. is it time. is it time." like a hundredy times that day. We watched a movie and ate popcorn, and the kids actually went to sleep. Well...yes, we separated them eventually but it was adorable listening to their little conversations and giggles.

Movie time, glasses courtesy of Jazz.

Their faces! 

nigh-nite.

The next day we had all sorts of fun things planned including decorating sugar cookies. Me and Iz baked them the day before so I just put frosting into baggies, taped the tops shut and let the girls have at it. Linc mostly just ate frosting.

And what is cousin playtime without some dress ups.

Unitards.

3/4 kids napped at the same time so I even got a shower. Winning. We had a super fun 24-hours and when I took the girls home- it was to their new house! All ready for them- Ta-da! I'm pretty sure having the girls sleep over was the best part of Isabelle's whole life.

the luckiest.

Lincoln was a turd today.

He didn't sleep very well last night, and hasn't been napping as long the last few days.. maybe his teeth are bothering him... I don't know but he was a fuss face. By the time we hung out at my parents for cake and ice cream after dinner (Mom's bday) I was just done for the day. DONE. I had every intention of putting his jammies on and tossing him over the crib railing- GOOD NIGHT KID. Go to sleep. For 12 hours.

But I read him some stories and he nestled in my arm all reclined and cozy. I turned off the light and we talked. We talked about our day and all the things we did and I told him I was sorry for being impatient. I'll be better tomorrow, I said. I'll be a better mom tomorrow. Today wasn't my best day.

To my surprise he just sat there. The boy that didn't stop moving ALL DAY just laid still beside me, listening to me talk. I ran my fingers through his hair in a little circular pattern over and over. I sang our favorite lullabye songs. His little body was limp and sleepy, but still awake. When I stopped moving my hand on his head he lifted his arm to my fingers and made sure I kept going- if I stopped singing, he made some noise to let me know to continue.

For a half hour, he sprawled out on my lap nearly asleep. I forgot about the tantrums and the fits. I forgot about when he climbed on the counter and when he dumped out my makeup bag. I forgot he woke up too early this morning and that he ran smack full speed into the wall this afternoon and that he also pulled all the clean stacks of laundry off of the bed. I forgot he stole all of Isabelle's favorite toys and tried his hardest to roll away from me when I was changing his diaper. I forgot he somehow got a hold of a ballpoint pen (!) and once again, totally refused to drink any milk.

Tonight when I go to sleep I'm not going to remember the grumpy parts of my day, but the perfect thirty minutes we spent together just me and Lincoln, my fingers tracing circles in his fluff hair and his little feet resting on my knee. His eyes fighting to stay open and then finally succumbing to sleep.

One of my favorites to sing, the luckiest by ben folds

I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot
Now I know all the wrong turns 
the stumbles and falls brought me here

And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it every day

And I know
That I am
I am
I am
The Luckiest

insta-update vol 21

 

done with the high chair/ sleepin on my lap

 

matching matching/beating the heat

stuff you find in the craft bucket

 

edna mode. and guest/ teeny tap shoes

 

nite nite/me, margo, and my mexican

 

matching!/ three hours later...not so matching.

 

lips and cheeks/ fraggle baby

 

perfecting the triple dip/ zucchini phone. i was tired.

did you want to exit this door? hold on lemme be crazy cute to distract you.

 

third hair cut/ always with olivia

 

all he wants in the world is a dog/ happy fourth!

 

Izzie's berry bounty/ pool day

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