November

It seems like we were just trick-or-treating, and now Thanksgiving is in four days. This month, Lydia and Audrey started swim lessons again, Lydia started skating lessons again, Lydia learned how to ride a two-wheeler (she taught herself!), Charlie has been making progress with potty training, and Charlie also learned how to ice skate (very slowly and cautiously, and only a couple feet at a time).

Charlie has also given up naps for the most part, much to Jayson's frustration. She doesn't go to bed well either, but it's actually kind of humorous because she sings to herself and tells stories and will randomly yell things, and eventually fades off to sleep.

Yesterday we had a very busy day. Caribou for coffee, Trader Joe's for groceries, Target for some odds and ends, Buy Buy Baby for some missing crib parts (yes, Charlie is still sleeping on a bed frame and we still don't have the correct parts to convert her crib into a bed, and we finally made some headway, but once again got the wrong parts.), Penzey's for some spices, Hockey Haven to sharpen some ice skates, skating at the Pettit for Lydia's lessons and then open skating with the family, Sam's for some pizzas, then our friends came over to eat dinner with us and watch the girls while Jayson and I had our bowling night.

The lack of naps caught up with everybody as evidenced by the breakdowns before we even ate breakfast and the constant arguing. So, after lunch today, it was family nap time. Usually family nap time isn't entirely successful. Usually one kid just isn't into it. Today it was Charlie, of course. But, after a while, she fell asleep too and the whole family was able to catch up on some sleep. The reward was sundaes after dinner.

Where We Are Now...

Just little updates for now!

Lydia - Has been having a hard time behaving at school, but always feels badly when she gets into trouble. Skating lessons have been going great. We're working on reading and she doesn't really like it, but does well. She gets sick of sounding out words herself and just wants me to do it. I'm looking forward to her getting just a bit older so we can read Harry Potter.

Audrey - Quite possibly the goofiest girl I know. Makes silly jokes and laughs at everything. Finds the word "butt" to be particularly hilarious. She has the best facial expressions. She has been taking swim lessons and is very proud of the fact that she puts her head in the water and blows bubbles. She refuses to wear jeans, so she lives in leggings and athletic pants.

Charlie - Talks SO much. She knows so many words and is learning new ones all the time. She loves to give her sisters hugs and kisses. She loves eating too, and if somebody else has food and she doesn't, she screams and points until she gets some too. She chases her sisters around the house and wants to do whatever they do.

Updates...

Lydia is a drawing and writing machine. She was writing on random sheets of paper and leaving them all over the house, so Jayson gave her a notebook to use as her journal. She loves it. She draws pictures and writes word and does math problems. She likes to ask me math problems that she doesn't know (like 18 plus 18) and tells me she wants to remember them so she can ask the other kids in her class and she'll know the answer. She must be the life of the party.

Audrey has finally let us change her earrings. We went to Claire's and she picked out three cards of earrings for a total of about 20 pairs and she has worn new ones every day. She walks up to people with her hair pulled back and leans into them smiling until they notice. She was very picky about the earrings too. I figured she'd just pick out the first three cards she saw, but she really pondered the decision. We went to Sear's first and they had some kids character earrings and she wanted nothing to do with them. I asked her, "I thought you liked Dora?" and she told me, "Yes, to watch. Not for earrings."

Charlie is talking up a storm. She spouts out new words every day and has even started saying "I love you ____________" to people. She loves her sisters and yells for "Audie and Id-ya." She grabs the Roku remote and yells, "Roku!" I think her favorite word is "No."