A Beautiful Day

Some days, all a day needs to go from "good" to "amazing" is a big pink bow. Because pink bow days are the best! :)

She's such a good helper - every day, as I am buckling her carseat into my truck, she runs out to "help mama by sweeping up out the garage."

How I love that little face! :) It's getting to be such a grown-up little face these days...

Getting Big!

I don't know why, but Abby's been feeling the need to remind me of all the things she's "Getting too big" for, even if she hasn't used them in months (booster seats at restaurants, for example - I can't remember the last time I asked for one for her, but she keeps reminding me that she's "too big" for them now).

Yesterday as we were getting into the car, I went to lift her up into the carseat and she yelled, "WAIT! I CAN DO IT!"

And, by golly, she could.

Since the rule of thumb for moving kids to a booster seat seems to be "4 & 40" (four years old and forty pounds) and when their shoulders are level or higher than the straps in the carseat, it looks like this time next year we'll be past the carseat stage. :)

Seagull Therapy

Abby seems to be a little bit disenchanted with school lately... not sure what's going on, she's fine once she gets there, but she just doesn't seem to like to get up and going in the mornings. I think part of it has to do with the fact that getting ready for school always seems to get in the way of some grand plan she has - "Let's read, Sarah, then play with my kitchen, and can I paint? Or maybe do playdough..."

To top it off, this weekend was a 4-day weekend and Abby was grumpy. :( I don't blame her - I know she had a full weekend playing with mommy and daddy, and a somewhat stressful going-to-bed episode with Anna, who was babysitting Saturday night, and I wanted to stay home and snuggle too!

After I picked her up from school, I decided that - since we were only five minutes from the boardwalk - we should engage in some "seagull therapy". We swung through a nearby drive-thru for some french fries, parked, rolled down the windows, and we were all set.

I was gullible enough to worry that, since there were NO seagulls in sight, we might be disappointed. Fear not - once the first french fry hits the pavement, everything breaks loose!

Seagulls have to be the most common, ordinary, unexciting birds there are. Don't try to tell Abby that - she turns to me with the biggest grin and exclaims happily, "I just LOVE seagulls!"

It helps that these seagulls are willing to come close enough to be examined from behind the safety of the windows.

This little guy in particular stayed still long enough for us to get a good look at him.

"Sarah, he has a funny nose. Like this." And Abigail proceeded to gently bump her nose against the cushion of her carseat. I'm not really sure what this was supposed to represent (I was laughing too hard). Maybe that he uses it to peck things?

Abby tried to convince me that the seagulls were still hungry long after the fries were gone, but I suceeded in convincing her instead that WE were hungry, too, and should go home and make lunch. :)

Homework

As ridiculous as I think it is that a 3 year old should have homework (even if it IS only a few times a month), there's something truly adorable about the way Abby goes to doing it, so serious. :)

Doesn't she do a great job? :)

Gymnastics

I mean, little boys are fun, and all...

... but seriously...

... how could anything compare to the joy of six little girls in leotards?

(Except maybe getting them to look at the camera all at once. And smile. :)

Left-Right: Emilie, Lilly, Abigail, ?, Seelah, Lily

Zoo Lights!