Who Would Have Thought?

When I envisioned my life as a mother, I NEVER envisioned this:



That's right folks, a TRIPLE stroller!! Crazy. I don't recall ever having seen a triple before, and now I use one daily and am so grateful to have it. The kids love it, and apparently so does the rest of the world...you should see the looks we get. As you can imagine, triple strollers are not easy to come by; many thanks to James & Stacy Hill who passed on this stroller as a gift now that their three youngest have outgrown it. Check out Grace & Eli's enthusiasm below.
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Snippets

---Yesterday, I told the kids we were going to the mall to play (it was another cold, windy day and the mall has a fun play area). Grace said "no play, I shop." I have no idea where she learned that, as I'm not much of a shopper myself, but something tells me I'm in trouble!---

---Isaac seems to have a pretty obsessive personality. Right now, he is particularly interested in garages and riding in people's cars. At Grammie and Papa's, he really likes to push the button to make the garage go up and down. He'll say "push button" over and over and over again - all day long. A few nights ago, Papa went to check on the kids before he went to sleep and overheard Isaac in his sleep saying "push button." He is persistent.---

---Sometimes when I go running, I take Grace & Isaac with me. It is now quite the workout, pushing their sturdy little bodies in the double stroller. One day, when running up a rather steep hill, I taught them to cheer me on, saying "Go, Mommy, Go," (sometimes you just have to ask for encouragement), which they now do every time we run up a big hill. A few days later, we were driving to the top of Five Mile, and Grace shouted "Go, Mommy, Go!" I may need their help running up Doomsday hill this weekend!---

---I just caught Isaac in the pantry with his hand in a Costco size bag of chocolate chips. I gave him a stern look and he exclaimed "So Good!" Time to move the chocolate chips.---

---The kids have days where they are particularly mischievous. Early one morning, I was feeding Eli and suddenly noticed that it was eerily quiet except for the sound of running water. I walked down the hall to discover that Grace & Isaac had locked themselves in the bathroom and were happily playing in the sink!! Thankfully, my dad recently found a small screwdriver that can pop open the lock on the ancient bathroom door handle. It took me a few minutes to wriggle it open, but it didn't seem to phase the kids. They were soaking wet, but smiling. Less than two hours later, we returned from grocery shopping, and Isaac managed to lock the car door and close it before I could stop him. Thankfully, all three kids were already out of the car, but the groceries, my purse, phone, AND keys were still inside! Hide-a-keys were a fantastic invention.---

---Since he's not talking yet, I don't have any silly Eli stories. However, he had his four month check up today and he's up to fifteen pounds! This puts him in the 50th percentile, in case anyone is keeping track. :) He did roll over once this weekend, and believe it or not, I missed it. It also appears as though he is already getting his first tooth. Yikes.---

What good is a post without a picture? No funny stories to go with this one, but I've been meaning to post it for awhile now. Grace and Isaac, with their favorite buddies Isabelle and Olivia. Hard to believe four toddlers were sitting still long enough to snap a picture.

What a sweet face

Eli Hope continues to be a happy, mellow little guy. His favorite places to be are: outside, in his swing, swaddled in his cradle, or in someone's arms. He has been cooing and squealing for awhile now, but he just started laughing this weekend, and oh, what a sound! There is nothing like the joyful laughter of a baby. Here are a few shots from the past couple of weeks.










And lest you think he is a perfect child, here he is during my attempt at an Easter photo shoot. Bummer. At least you can see how cute they all looked...

Nana Lucy and cousin Liberty were here a few weeks ago. Lucy generously spoiled the kids with a number of birthday gifts, their favorite being a tea set. Liberty taught them how to have tea parties with their stuffed animals, which they think is grand fun. Here are a few pictures of one of their recent tea parties. Notice the difference between Grace's version and Isaac's version. They are such characters!








Nana Lucy and her lap-full of grandkids (she has three more not pictured here!)

A Life Well Lived

Our sweet Nana left this earth early last week. Grace Marie Webb was a dear woman to a multitude of people. I have been recalling many memories of Nana this past week and, of course, smile with each recollection.

I remember laying on the floor reading stories with Nana; walking her loop around their property in the humid Illinois air; gathering eggs from the hen house; picnics on the old farm; watching Andy Griffith in the middle of the afternoon; catching fireflies; playing board games. I remember being disgusted when she showed me how to clean the fish we caught at Mac's; being impressed when we taught her to snow ski in her 70's; being proud when she taught me how to make my first pineapple-upside down cake; being almost frightened when I was a little girl and she snapped at me for laying down in the backseat without my seat belt on - still the only time I recall seeing her angry; being devastated when I first witnessed the disease taking away her sharp mind.

What I remember most fondly were our early mornings together. With the possible exception of my teenage & college years, I have always been an early riser. However, at Nana's I always woke up even earlier than usual because I knew that meant I would get time alone with Nana (and often Papa) before everyone else woke up. We would sit out in the Adirondack chairs on the back patio, Nana sipping her coffee and eating her thinly sliced toast, me eating the sugar cereal that she bought for us and hid in the cupboard below the counter. This little ritual began when I was quite small, so I don't even recall what we talked about, just that we were together, and that was enough.

During her later years, I remember her giggling when she didn't know what else to say or do; her continued love of people and nature; the way her eyes lit up and for a few brief moments, we caught a glimpse of the real Nana again when she first met Grace, Isaac & Kolby.

I sure wish I could have been in Illinois last week to celebrate her life, but I know she was well honored and I've been celebrating from afar. I love you Nana, thank you for the example of a life well lived.