School Pictures

My FAVORITE part of the school year as a Mother is getting school pictures, even if they are forced little smile ones. 

<<<<HAHA PRICELESS!>>>>

FIRST GRADE PICTURES CHECK!

that's what they say

Connor says
MR Rough and Tough, has a sensitive side too. Lately it's coming out more and more and I LOVE it!

C: I had a dream all my teeth fell out. 
M: Oh no
C: And then nothing happened. 

M: Do you have your seat belt on?
C: Oh whoops sorry. 
M: Connor that's the first thing you should do when you get in the car. 
C: Uh huh well I don't know about you but the first thing I do when I get in the car is close my door.
M: Oh dang you got me. 

C: Mom by the way I never got to snuggle with you in like uhhhh DAY! 

C: Dad can you please be quiet and pretend like you are invisible?

C: Finally I've been waiting a whole 8 seconds! 

C: Is that soup? 
M: Yes
C: You know what I like? Chocolate soup! HA! That would be yummy. 

C: I'm jack sparrow with a light saber. 

(Connor proudly wore his Stanger Family Reunion shirt to school, afterschool I wanted to know what people thought about it)
M: So did your teacher like your shirt? 
C: Yep, and I have to tell you something.
M: Did they know it was for the family reunion? Did you tell them?
C: Yeah yeah. But I have to tell you something embarrassing, for Daddy?
M: Oh?
C: Yeah 
(Whispering in my ear with his hand cuffed and all)
C: My teacher thought that Shea (pointing to the name on his shirt) was my Mom!
(laughing together)
C: But seriously dont tell dad its gotta be humulitating.

C: I'm going to get a girlfriend soon.
M: Oh yeah? Who? 
C: I don't know her name yet but she wore a pink dress today for picture day. 
D: Is she cute? 
C: (embarrassed smirk) mmmhmmm 


C: I wish Jesus had 18 arms and a hundred legs so then we could run really fast... Except then we couldn't turn really fast. 


C: I had a dream I was at my school in my first grade class and my school was turning over and over and I kept banging my head and then a statue came to life. And then they started chasing me. 

Bella says
Miss JEKYL/HYDE (in the most indearing way possible), but really one second she is SASSY and you just want to send her to bed before she sends you and the next second she is so genuinely sweet you just felt your heart melt right onto the floor. 

B: Mom my friends are ghosts they live in the walls and those doors and their creepy voice.
M: Well that's scary. 
B: I'm just kidding... My friends aren't here right now. 

(Wishing on a star, whispering)
I wish everyone could be friends. 

(While Mom is putting batteries in the mop)
B: Ohhhhh mommies fix that and daddies fix vacuums. 

M: Dads bringing me a bbq chicken pizza!!!
C: ohh maaaan I hate bbq chicken
M: you already ate dinner 
C: oh yeah but I like pizza, what does it have on it?
M: onions, bbq sauce, cheese, & chicken 
C: ewwww
...
B: I'll try some mom
M: okay, sure you can 
C: but it has onions on it Bella 
B: onions... but they make me cry I'll have to eat it fast 

(Trying to catch a fly.)
B: I know lets put out cheese and it will come eat it and then we can kill it! 
S: Oh no I don't want you to die mommy
M: No we are going to get the fly. 
B: But first we need cheese. 
S: ohhhh k I'll get it

B: Let's talk about something ... Snow! 

(Hiding from Sydney)
B: I just pretended like I was an old man and put my sticker book away and she didn't even see me and then I kicked her softly, like this, see it didn't hurt. I know she's coming up I gotta pretend like an old man again so she doesn't see me. 

B: Can I start my birthday at church? I love it. 

B: Tickle my feet your so sweet.  (To Uncle Daniel)

Bella seeing birds fly in the air
B: Those are magic birds I saw it on tv there magic birds that fly in the air and fly out like a bunny... it's real. 

B: Amberlee hold me 
A: I can't
B: But I'm 4 years old and your my best friend.

Sydney says 
Miss CRAZY! For real she loves her brother and sisters so much her heart could explode and says anything in the world to make them laugh, which usually "Poop" or "Butt"  unfortunately. She is so funny and sometimes she totally is trying and sometimes she just tries so hard to be a grown up that I can't help but smile at that little face, (even when shes being the meanest). 

S: Your not my best friend ANY MORE! 

S: I did it! 

(While shouting and waving her finger in Piper's face, because Piper is trying to sit up in the rock n play.)
S: Piper can't grow up baby can't grow up 
M: Babies grow up too. 
S: Ohhhhh k. 
(To Piper, as she pulls her arms and tries to get her to get up.)
S: Baby grow up go up baby go! 

S: Daddy you have to go work?
D: Yes
S: Nooooo. Nooooo.
D: Do you want me to stay home?
S: Yes
D: Sorry I have to go to work so I can make you money. 
S: Okay! 
(Runs over and gives daddy kiss)
S: Daddy can have monies now and put them in my purse. 

S: It's my birthday today. I'm really sick I have to go to doctor today. I have to get shots. I go to the doctor you get shots. 

(Sydney getting mad at Connor.)
S: I so stupid!
D: Your not stupid. 
S: No, I stupid at Connor! 


(Before bedtime stalling)
S: But I got a little problem here. Mommy I need to talk with you. 

S: I wanna grow up like a potty 

S: Dad I wanna be big like a cow. 
D: Well that's prob the only time in your life your going to say that. 
S: I wanna be a cow and I wanna say  moo. I moo all night long.
D: Are you sure you wanna be a cow because cows are really stinky?
S: I'm not stinky like a cow ... I wanna be a horse. 

S: I'm a person Cuz I wear purses purses pursen 

(Sydney screaming at Bella)
S: Mom said 
M: Yes I said she could wear those Bella
S: Yeah mom said your stinky head 
M: I did not
S: Mom said so 

S: Oh no I lost my wallet in my pocket. 
M: Oh no. 
S: My pockets in my purse. 

(Having a tantrum at bedtime)
S: I GO DOWNSTAIRS.
M: No.
S: BUT IM CRYING.
M: I know.
S: BUT IM CRYING AND EVERBODY HAS TO SEE.
...
S: IM CRYING AND DO WHAT I SAY!
M: Do you want a hug?
S: I NEED A HUG DOWNSTAIRS!
M: Sorry babe night.

(Asking Mommy about her dreams)
S: What did you dream about? A nail on my foot again? Dang it. 

(While watching word world one morning)
S: I don't like this show it's terrible and yucky. 

First Day of PRE-K

She has been pretty much been waiting for this day since the day she was born. 

Bella's take on the First Day of Pre-K, without a breath in between:
M: So tell me everything.
B: Okay so first we did playdoh and then we laid on the rug and learned about school. Rules. And we read a story and we had to be quite. And then we were going to watch a show but it was canceled. So we did playdoh again and then... You wanna know why it was canceled it had low battery and then we ate snack, grapes and fish. But not real fish because that would be weird.  And then we watched the show anyway. And then we drawed. I drawed a heart ... and I put you in the heart mommy because I love you. Except I need a pencil when I get home to actually draw you in it because I forgot. Then I did playdoh again and then we headed outside to play and wait for parents and I did wait and then guess what my parents came because your my parent and you came. 
M: Wow that's quite a day, sounds like you loved it. 
B: YES CAN I GO BACK TOMORROW!
(With her hands in the pleading motion!)

{this moment}

Listening to my girls (Sydney and Bella) play. They love their play kitchen and use it constantly. They have been playing for over an hour happily in the basement. I love hearing them call each others names as they direct each other in their little restaurant. "Bella it's done." "Sydney it's hot let's put it in the oven to bake." "Sir what's your name and what don't you like?" "Sir here." "Sydney the dishes are everywhere." "Bella he wants more." "Ice,ice." "Bella she doesn't have a chair the baby needs a chair for eat." "Welcome everyone to ye fashion of dinner by yumyumyumyum owned by me and my sister." It brings back my own memories of playing with my brother Ryan and imagining games and loving every it of our stories we/I created. I have the happiest memories of my childhood and feel so lucky for that and as a parent these tiny moments listening to my children play make me think that maybe one day a long time from now they can think back on their happy childhood too, the one both Shea and I try so hard to give them.

The Night DAD Said...

ICE CREAM FOR DINNER!!!

Half a Year Old!

UPDATE

Piper is sitting up like a pro now. She wasn't to into sitting up since she mastered the all four rock and roll. But all of sudden now she goes from all fours to half sitting up constantly. I think it's unintentional for the most part. But it's really enhanced her ability to sit up and now I can say she officially can sit up independently. Her biggest development this month is CRAWLING. She started at the beginning of the month with a hand forward here and there and moving those knees but not quite getting it till one morning (Sept. 2nd). And well if with all the scooting, rolling and lunging she was doing before doesn't count she is now officially a mover. And can deliberately go anywhere.
Since we had the Stanger Reunion at the end of August her bedtime routine has been all messed up and both Piper and I are struggling and at battle most nights. So I think it's time to finally lay down the law and push her into the crib and let the sleep training joy begin. And the rock n play is pretty much useless and is it bad I wish I had a real baby swing now? But who knows that prob wouldn't work either... But when she's screaming from 12-2 AM your wanting to try anything. I try to attempt the crib for naps which are usually hit and MISS. And I try to put her in the crib to sleep at the beginning of the nap. The only problem is then she usually wakes up around 12-1 am and then I'm too tired to stick her back in bad and keep her in bed with me which is, as I stated before sleepless.
On the feeding front Piper takes a bottle great and let me tell you it comes in mighty handy on hot summer days or when we're busy and about with no time to stop and settle in for a nursing session. And in other feeding news at the beginning of her 6 month mark we started solids, and she was over eagerly ready in every possible way and has gone crazy over her new milestone. She is eating oatmeal baby cereal, fruits: bananas/apples/pears, puffs, rice rusks (thanks Cousin Jack for introducing us) all regularly. We're in the market for a high chair, she's in desperate need and the bumbo days are over since she wiggles right out so you have to keep one hand on her to keep her in at all times.

LIKES

Doorstops. I mean pulling them so they make that great vibration and loud sound is the best!
Her baby blocks!!! Knocking them down while the girls set them up (her sisters are so good about the toppling towers because mom has said they are pipers blocks so if you want to play you have to play with her and the game is build them quick before she topples them and every time she does you have to clap and shout hooray), it helps a lot with keeping harmony between them.
 Her new found mobility gives her a great innate desire to explore...
Cords. Of course once they can move it seems they go straight for anything plugged in.
Playing in the pack n play when moms in sight.
Sucking her fingers or thumb rarely. I try really hard to pull it out or distract her so this doesn't become anything.
Vibrating frog toy for her car seat. These two have a bond.
Grass. She loves it. Touching and feeling and trying to eat it.
Hair. She wants to play with it so bad. Especially Sydney's!
Grabbing faces. The hardest and most unfun part of this is when she does it to me while I'm nursing. It's a bad combination with her long unclipped fingernails...
Sucking on wipes when her sister Sydney gives them to her... Don't ask.
All solid food!!! Playing with her sippy straw cup.

Fingers... mmmmm

DISLIKES

Okay so she might not mind this but I sure do! Her angry eating! When she is mad or there are lots of people around she gets extremely vocal while nursing and grunts the entire time and gets distracted easily (Ouch) it's rough to say the least. And since breastfeeding for the most  part has been relatively easy it's a little hard for this mama to not feel like this is the beginning of the end (I'm still aiming for a year, wish me luck).
She hates being changed now and arches her back and kicks her legs like crazy!!! And nothing is complete with a few screams.
Car rides the car seat the car. You get the picture. The good news is half the time she falls asleep in the car seat. But the other half is not pretty.
Baths as usual, except with Daddy he seems to have the magic touch.

FAVORITES

I love her sweet little smile that seems to say it all.
Daddy loves baby kisses and the fact that he can kiss her cheeks a million times over and she is content.
Connor loves giving her a kiss and a hug right when he's home from school, "I havent gotten to hold her ALL day!"
Bella loves rubbing her head like a genie lamp.
Sydney loves squuezing her extra tight till she is ready to pop. EEK!








And Now She Is Done...

Stanger Reunion

Right after school started for Connor, like literally that same week we greeted Uncle CJ and after a short visit and trip with Shea to DC we pilled him in with us as we left to Virginia for a REUNION with all the Stangers (minus Hawaii missioned Garrett).
It was quite a trip. We attempted family pictures. Spent a day at Water Country USA. Played at Busch Gardens, with matching t-shirts and all. And soaked in the sun on the beach. It was beautiful and jam packed and crazy and lots of fun. The kids had a BLAST! The water park was probably the biggest hit for them. It was serious stuff and the babies definitely drew the short straw when it came to being out and about but they sure loved the time being passed around and cuddled every chance we got.

We are EXTREMELY GRATEFUL for GRANPA and GRANDMA STANGER for planning and prepping and paying for so much so that we could have so much fun with SO MANY STANGERS!
We LOVED IT! And are itching to come visit them even more now!

As you can tell BABY JACK was popular!

 WATER COUNTRY USA

BUSCH GARDENS

Bella was a champ, she was super brave and awesome and did
great except running off to Grandpa and making everyone think
she was lost in the park for a good 15 minutes. 

This pretty much sums up Connor's feelings about Busch Gardens 

Poor Syd had about the most excitement for the park as possible but
there wasn't much for her so she definitely won a big slushie at the end!

VIRGINIA BEACH 

Seriously she's amazing!

After the Reunion part was over it was time to say goodbyes and return home, but just a short while later we had Granpa and Grandma Stanger all to ourselves and the kids relished in it. I'll be honest we planned on really showing them a good time but as always Shea's work schedule/Connor's school schedule spoils everything and we mainly just played around the house. Shea did get to take them to Gettysburg one day and Bella got to tag along, she definitely won out this trip since she wasn't in school she got to spend a lot more time and have a lot more fun playing with Grandpa and Grandma. It was hard to say goodbye and we had many broken hearts for the days to follow.