Reminders

 'Tis the time of year I'm working on last year's photo book (books, plural, this year!  I just couldn't fit our exciting lives into the limit of 111 pages!).  Whenever this happens I'm reminded:

*Kids grow a lot in a year.

*We really do fun things together as a family.

*My kids are so stinkin' cute!  I just can't get over it!

*Even though I'm actually getting a project completed, something about being on the computer for hours at a time makes me feel lazy and unproductive.  Why is that?

*Making memories trumps cleaning house.

*Projects that seem all consuming are not really.  They do have an end.
*I am so very very very blessed.

Speaking of kids growing.  This little darling is now 18 months old!

 Maren enjoys doing her hair.  Oh, and changing her diaper.  Not complaining about that one.

Big cheeser:

My baby is growing so fast!  We adore everything about her, of course.  And, she's a genius, of course.  My pediatrician has told me that by 18 months they are supposed to be using at least 3 words.  Daisy is well beyond that.  She talks real words.  And makes sense.  And she does everything big kids are doing.  It's hilarious to watch.  One of my favorites is when Lu is singing "Let it Go" and Daisy joins right in, sometimes with dance moves and everything.  She can also throw some amazing fits and cling to mom like glue, but I only mention that to convince you she is a normal child.  ;)

In fact, how about this:

Please tell me your 5 o'clock looks like that too.

Sometimes I take kids out just to do something fun and unordinary:

And, you've been dying to see Ellie's finger, haven't you?  Sorry if this grosses you out, but I can be sure it won't gross you out as much as it grosses me out, so I think we're ok.  ;)  If you want a before photo, imagine the top 1/2 inch of Ellie's finger (and nail) missing.  Compared to that, this after photo looks awesome!

By the way, the angle of her finger makes it look like it's shorter than it should be, but it's not.  It is the same height as her other ring finger.

I have been helping with bandages, and even though Ellie can't look at it without getting sick to the stomach, I've been doing better.  I can't take her back to her next appointment, though.  I'm not stepping back in that office unless I absolutely, positively, no-one-else-in-the-whole-wide-world-is-available-to-take-her, have to.

And, one last sweet photo to take your mind off of severed fingers: