The first day of school

Ella started kindergarten this month and, although it hasn't been a totally smooth transition (she had to be pulled off me on day #5), she asked me today when school would come again (it's Saturday) and I told her that it would be two days and she said "I really like school."  This was a step in the right direction.  She has a great teacher (two in fact) and some very nice classmates, so I think that there will be good times ahead.  Here are some shots from day #1.

Up high!

Ella and Liam both love climbing and seeing the world from up high. 

More siblings

Here are few more pair shots.

Siblings

Ella and Liam are best friends, there's no doubt.  But there's a healthy dose of competition there, too.  Ella wants to teach Liam, and sometimes boss him around.  He follows her around and does almost anything she asks.  When Ella gets home from school, Liam practically tackles her.  It is very sweet.

Family shots

It is not easy to get five faces turned toward the camera...  and smiling!  Here are some rather comical attempts.

I'm huuuuge!

Sweet little Nora Jane is growing so rapidly that it boggles the mind.  I guess I've forgotten how quickly babies change, but I know that I'd better savor each moment, because she will be sitting up before we know it!

Up close and personal

I have been a little camera happy these past few months and have gotten some close-ups that I really love, so I wanted to share.

The madness of three

It is such an adventure, every day in our house.  Having three kids in such different stages is wonderful, trying, hilarious, exhausting and amazing.  I am reminded how lucky I am at so many points of the day, as I watch Ella and Liam wrestling on the trampoline, as Ella comes in for yet another huge smooch on Nora's thick cheeks, as Liam tells me a two-minute story, of which I only catch 10%...  Life is rich.

Love

Ella is smitten with little baby No-No...  Very sweet.  I love Nora's expression in these last two where Ella's wearing ear protectors.

Let's go for a hike!

One of the best parts of our trip north was hiking around Grammie and Gop's property, doing "Ella's Loop" which takes about 10 minutes with Ella galloping along and 30 minutes at Liam's pace, but with the height of some of the ferns and fallen branches that you have to step over, it is impressive that he can make it all the way around!  Here are some photos and a video from those trips.

A great trip to the ADKs

We had a wonderful week in the Adirondacks with Bill (Gop/Bop) and Sue (Grammie/Banyae) - in fact, on the way home, Will and I agreed that it was probably our best trip up there with the kids.  This was because we got to show them so many new exciting things - like the rocks under the covered bridge in Jay, the top of Whiteface mountain, the cool water of Copperas pond and more.  Here are some photos from the trip.

Run, marbles, ruuuuuuun!

Ever put a toy away for a few months like parenting books recommend and then bring it back out and it feels like new?  Well, I did that inadvertently with our marble run that David and Deanne gave to the kids for Christmas.  It sat it the closet for a couple of months and boy, has it been the hot toy lately!!

Waking up in the mountains

We arrived in the Adirondacks last night for a one-week vacation with Grammie and Gop. The kids are all very excited to be here and we plan to get some good hiking, swimming, playing time in while we're here!

Nora, looking older!

News flash - Nora is no longer a newborn!  She has already grown one inch and two pounds and is looking older every day.  She has also moved into the fussy phase of infancy, but is really quite pleasant most of the time, so we aren't complaining.  She spits up a great deal, but to no great worry, as she is packing the pounds away with no trouble.  We all adore her.
This is a goofy shot, but I love her look - there's a lot of personality breaking through.  We even got some screams from her the other night, which worried her parents less about her physical discomfort (she was obviously okay) and more about what's to come in future years...