This picture was from Wednesday night - after going to the Library for FAMILY ART NIGHT and coming home with 3 pirates - complete with hooks and parrots. Oh boy!

But my reason for posting is not about pirates, but rather, the craziness that sometimes happens with these girls.

Chris was gone all day today at a conference. The girls and I worked hard, changing sheets, doing laundry, cleaning house, and  most of all, cleaning the garage and then starting to organize for the rummage sale we are having next weekend. (Yes I hate the idea of doing the rummage, but we have so much stuff and the whole block does it. Peer Pressure!)

So a college roommate was going to be in town, and we arranged to meet at a Gelato store for a late afternoon treat. We did that, then played at a nearby park, and finally headed home after 2 hours of fun. On the way home, Maggie suggested singing 'Row Row Row your Boat' in a round. I giggled to myself, but didn't say anything. She started singing, but so did the other girls. So then she said, No, Katherine starts and then I'll sing. So Katherine started, but ended up in unison with Maggie, and Abby  started crying "I WANT TO SING ROW DA BOAT TOOOOOOO!"

I spoke up and said I would sing with Katherine to keep her on the right part. So, we tried that. But then Abby wailed "BUT I WANT TO SING WITH MOMMY!"

Sigh.

We tried twice more, succeeding once, and then I said, "Hey, let's go home this way and look for deer." (Through a forest preserve area)  Maggie reported it was too early, too light for the deer to be out. Katherine suggested that if they sang songs, the deer would think they were lullabies and might come out to say goodnight.

Oh dear, (ha ha) I knew this wasn't going to be good.  Maggie started with Row your boat, Katherine started Twinkle Twinkle, and Abby started Mary had a little Lamb.  Talk about singing in a round!  After about 5 bars they started yelling at each other that they were all singing the wrong songs.  Certainly, the deer would come out if they heard/saw a car full of screaming kids, right?

They agreed on Mary had a lamb, we sang it, and no deer came out.  Soon enough we were home, and they  had other things to fight about.  Just another day in the life!

 I don't mean to get personal, but when you go to the bathroom, do  you stop to think about how you're going to get yourself onto the toilet to do your business? I'm going to guess not. You just do what you have to do and move on with  life.  This is one of those random deep thoughts I've had lately. For Abby, it's a challenge. She is just barely tall enough to get on and off the toilet independently. And, let me tell you, she is independent! That's what's so crazy. I often think of her as being a "big kid" because she wants to do everything the big girls do and won't let too much stop her from doing so. But then something so simple as going to the bathroom stops her.  I don't know. Just one of those things that has struck me lately.

 My little girl turned THREE 2 weeks ago. And she might as well be 13! She's not tall enough? She'll get a stool to be taller. Tell her "no?" She'll come up with a logical reason why you should say "YES" instead! I just want her to be my baby (because there will be NO MORE babies!) but she is fighting me, wanting to be a big kid like the big girls.   I think of her as so little, but really, her sisters were already "big kids" when they were 3, they had a baby in the house!  I was probably encouraging her sisters to be independent so I could focus on the baby! Poor Abby, being the 3rd child is tough!

 Abby had a great birthday-time for family and presents and naps!   She loved being the center of attention.  And since she's not shy at all, all week she grabbed the attention of anyone who would listen to her say  "It's My BIRTHDAY!"

A few funny Abby-isms

Last week: "I need to tie my shoes, Mom, I can do it all by myself!"  And then she took her velcros shoes, and twisted the velcro strip for about 30 seconds before putting git in place and declaring her shoes "ALL TIED MOM!"

As I was driving down a street near our house, I saw a house with a large "NO TRESPASSING" sign posted. I muttered to myself, "No Trespassing? what's that for?"  Abby piped up from the backseat, "No Trespassing means DON'T COME IN!" and then gave me a detailed synopsis of an episode of 'Super Why' that taught her that lesson.  Thank you PBSKids for developing my 3 year old's vocabulary!

I'm having a fun night with the girls, and as I thought about posting on Facebook, I said to myself, "Self, it will take you 5 minutes more to blog. Update your darn BLOG!"

Chris isn't home tonight, due to Confirmation at Church. I knew from the past 2 days that the girls would be whiny after school, so I planned a surprise of McDonald's for dinner, added to time riding bikes outside, and perhaps dessert while we watch a little of American Idol tonight.

Then Maggie came him with a Math worksheet that required her to copy a recipe with fractions (3/4 cup) and I thought, "sounds like a reason to make cookies!" So after our dinner (and Facetime with Daddy) Maggie and I made cookies.

While Katherine practiced some Yoga poses from a library book I brought home today, and
Abby dug through the Library Book Bag (the newest version, twice as large as the old one which developed holes from repeated overstuffing.)
It's been delightful night. I'm pretty sure that there will be tears before bed for one reason or another, but such is life.

Earlier, while riding bike in the cul de sac, Maggie showed Katherine how to ride a bike with only 1 hand. Both girls rode in circles beaming with pride, and setting goals, "I'm going to go all the way around with only 1 hand." "I'm going to ride to you, Mom, here I come, 1 hand only!" They thought it was the coolest thing ever and I remembered riding up and down Washington setting similar goals. 'Ride to the driveway, Ride to McGinty's, Ride to the corner and turn!' I hope that my girls will have such happy memories years from now.

Once upon a time, in August 2006, we took a chance and took a vacation with Maggie who was not quite 3, and Katherine who was 2 months old. We went to Blue Harbor Resort in Sheboygan and had a fabulous time. We took this picture of the girls on the shores of Lake Michigan, and it is still one of my favorite pictures.

So of course, when Abby was a baby, in August of 2009, we went back and did it again. And of course, knowing how much I loved the other pictures, I tried it again, capturing this classic of my 3 girls.
As we thought about our Spring Break plans, we found a great deal online, and booked a night at Blue Harbor - for Easter night. Chris would be done with all his Church stuff, I don't work til Tuesday..... we'd escape for a night. It's not quite warm enough for sitting on the beach, but you can be sure I didn't miss the opportunity to put my 3 girls in a white Adirondack chair!

I stepped out of my denial for a minute and checked on the blog. I hadn't realized it was February the last time I updated. Oops. So I went to look for pictures from March, and I realized just how busy March was. And then I got overwhelmed.

So, I'm going to wrap my head around all the funny things I want to tell you about, and the pictures I have to share, and one of these days I'll actually write a real post.

But today, if you're feeling generous, please click on the button on the right side of the blog and donate to the March for Babies! I'm walking with a group of friends from work on April 28. I may or may not have the big girls with me. I truly appreciate the support, and I'll be back one of these days with a real post!

So many thoughts that run through my head on any given day - so many moments thinking "Must remember to blog about this!" And yet, it's been almost a month since I've updated. Again. Sorry.

In the interest of using the blog to remember important milestones, here's a quick update.

This is the week that Maggie had her first "fight" with her friends. I certainly had my fair share of friend drama when I was in school - but I don't remember it starting until 4th-5th-6th grade. This is pretty crazy in 2nd grade! It actually started last week when Maggie was out Monday afternoon for the doctor ( remind me to blog about the wart story!) Her "best" friend spent the afternoon being "best friends" with another common friend and then the next day Maggie felt left out. No biggie. We talked about it briefly and let it be.

Until this morning when we were talking during breakfast. I had been at work last night, so I was getting the update about yesterday. All the usual topics, no big deal, until Maggie blurted "Lauren and Makenna were so mean to me it really hurt my feelings and now they aren't going to be my friends anymore because they say I'm too mean!"

Sigh. Really?

So we talked a little more, and then moved on. Because what can you say to an 8 year old? What do you say when her friends tell her she's mean because she has snow pants and they don't? I left it at, you can only control your own feelings and your own actions. You can't make another person play with you. You can just work on bring the nicest person you can be, and play with other people who are nice as well. (We use the terms "Bucket-fillers/dippers" based on a book Chris read for school) I reminded her that she's been friends with these girls for a long time and she'll continue to be friends with them, but sometimes, it's OK to take a break.

I don't know the right answers. And I know the questions/conflicts are only going to get 'harder' as she gets older. I really thought I had a year or 2 before she'd get so involved in the girl-drama.

Today was Maggie's First Reconciliation. She's been quite laid back about it, seeming totally relaxed anytime I mentioned it.

In the car on the way there, Chris and I were quizzing her a bit - but she got almost all the answers right, like it was no big deal.

So it surprised me, and made me want to both laugh and hug her tight when she turned to me, with panic in her eyes, just before the children were called to the front of church, and whispered "I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY!"

I said, "There's a card on the chair, just follow the words, and the priest will help you."

And she replied, still with panic, "BUT WHAT ARE MY SINS?"

Luckily, she was sent to Fr Bob, our Pastor, so that put her at ease. (There were 4 other priests there who were unfamiliar to her)

Yes, I was that Mom and I snapped this picture. But you can see I was far enough away that while the picture was taken, it was not an invasion of her privacy. Blurry due to distance and no flash.

Her face was completely relaxed as she walked back to our pew and she beamed with pride that she survived.

I still remember her Baptism like it was yesterday, how can she already be so grown up?