Life Lately

Life has felt a little hectic lately.  I feel like it's always "hurry-up-and-go!" right now.  Hurry up and get Lyla to school!  Hurry up and pick her up!  Hurry up and get lunch in bellies and kids down for naps.  Hurry up and make dinner!  Hurry up and EAT YOUR DINNER.  Hurry up and baths and bed and sit down for maybe just a second of quiet...until someone gets out of bed and needs something.

We have 3 year old drama and 5 year old drama, and learning how to respond to all the sibling fighting is a whole new parental curveball.  There's also been at least a little bit of pregnant lady drama.  I've had a couple of my own total meltdowns, and more nights have ended with tears than I'd like to admit. 

This stage is so, so wonderful, but it is also so hard.  I want so badly to be able to soak it all in and enjoy these little people while they're still little, but sometimes they just make themselves a little hard to enjoy.  And sometimes I want to run screaming.  But I sit here and look back at my pictures and all I see are smiles and a heck of a lot of love, and all I can think is that life is so good.  There are plenty of difficult moments, but there are so many more good ones.

This weekend happened to have a lot of those good moments.  We were as busy as ever, but we had so much as a family.  We had an early morning donut date in our jammies, a date night (!!!), a birthday party and an impromptu family night at Chuck E. Cheese. 

Love these people so much.  None of us are perfect, but we're so perfect for each other.

- K

Birthday Dinner!

As we approached Evie's 3rd birthday I kept asking her where she wanted to go to dinner to celebrate.  Every single time she'd quickly reply "McDonald's!", and every single time I'd try to talk her into something a little fancier - Rainforest Café or Cheesecake Factory or the hibachi place we went to for Lyla's birthday.  After probably the 10th time with the same response I finally realized how silly I was to push some "fancy" idea on her.  McDonald's?  What baby wants, baby gets!

Before we headed to McDonald's I found Lyla and Evie in Lyla's closet getting all dressed up and applying makeup.  They were the perfect combination of Fancy Nancy and Jem and the Holograms.  They were the fanciest girls at the restaurant, and they had the best time I think they've ever had at any dinner.  Evie ran around the Play Place with her gigantic ice cream cone like she owned it, and told me it was the "best party ever!" over and over.

It was the cutest birthday dinner for the cutest 3 year old.  :)  Happy birthday, Evie Sis!  We love you so!!

- mama

A Birthday Party!

I think laziness has to be the key word for this third pregnancy.  I just cannot bring myself to do almost anything, so when it came time for birthday parties it was an easy decision to skip the whole fancy customized party I usually love for a joint birthday party for both girls.  I did next to no planning, ordered pizzas and the décor included Cinderella and Bubble Guppies, with a splash of Princess Elena.  But I'm willing to bet Lyla and Evie will remember this party as their favorite since they were completely in control of those details.  :)

They had the best time playing and running around with friends.  And Evie only managed to eat about half the icing of her ice cream cake before we served it.  So much fun!

Here are some pics!

- K