Olivia draws

She's finally started to show some interest in drawing more, and her handwriting at school has really taken off.  She can write her name pretty well now and she draws pictures for pleasure, actually, haha!  Also you can see Leesie's scribbly artwork next to her.  And you can see that she still hasn't grown out of the occasional uncontrollable drawing all over her body.  Nice.

And today she was singing a made up song that went like this:  "My mommy is so beautiful, my sister is so beautiful, I am so beautiful.  I don't know why I'm singing this, I guess I'm just so nice. . ."  Haha!

Just because pics

It's the time of year where winter and rain seem never ending.  So we're trying to keep busy.  But the clouds just don't seem to want to go away.  Go away clouds.  Hurry and get here spring!

Our days are filled with school, and dress up, and playing with toys, and going to the YMCA, and homework, and swimming (for the boys), and the occasional birthday party for a friend, and family get togethers. . . Going to the y keeps me sane.  

Getting out

We've had a few occasional days of warmth.  One afternoon the girls went out and jumped for a little bit, and I so desperately feel in a picture taking slump that I took a few pictures of them.  Annalise's hair was cracking me up!  She is growing up so much and it makes me a little sad.  She's speaking a lot now, and pretty much I can understand most of what she says.  She's out of diapers.  She's like a full blown little kid now.  All the tears for that.  

But I guess I knew this was what was coming.  And it's kind of exciting to be done with the baby stage in our family.  Especially the part about her being out of diapers.  

Chuck E. Cheese

Family excursion to Chuck E. Cheese a couple of weeks ago.  January is dragging by, as is always does, and the slowest and most boring month of the entire year.  I haven't picked my camera up much.  And even typing this makes me feel bored.

So here's a few highlights of the month:  Annalise is potty trained now.  Although she is doing this annoying thing where she just holds her poop for days and days.  Which is annoying and nerve wracking.  So hopefully she gets over that soon.  When she does finally go number two, she goes in the potty, but I have to give her stuff to basically force her to go.  Silly girl.

And that's pretty much all we got for January.  The boys are swimming three days a week to give them something to do.  The girls are going to bed early most nights because they don't nap, so that gives them something to do.

I think I'm ready for spring. 

Dancing in the sunlight

The look of Liv's face in the first picture looks so grown up to me.  I can imagine her making this face a lot as a teenager.  And that kind of makes me sad.  But also kind of makes me excited to see what the future holds for my baby girl. 

The kids were playing in their room the other day.  And then I turned some music on for them.  Or actually, I turned the music on for myself as I was doing the dishes and Cameron came and stole the blue tooth speaker and brought it to their room.  But I'm so glad he did. 

Because then this dancing ensued and these are my favorite pictures of these four ever!