10 things I love about you, Freia # 1

My wonderful little Freia,

What a joy it's been to have you in our family since you arrived! Daddy and I keep joking that you are the perfect little girl and that little-sister-in-my-tummy will probably be a tough baby to make up for how easy your are. Just promise me to stay easy though teenage years, ok? ;) You are pure sunshine, always laughing and trying to make us laugh, and here are my 10 very favorite things about you right now:

1. that your first words were happy, pickaboo and bagel. These words say a LOT about you, I think :)
2. the way your eyes are turning green right now. At first I thought you'd have blue eyes like Madeline, but nope - you're gonna have the same pretty greens eyes as your daddy!
3. The way you always tilt your head so that our forheads will touch and we can look into each other's eyes. You like to do this the most when you're eating, and I melt every time. You are a little piece of cuteness, little girl!
4. You know how to get our attention. When I am doing something on my phone and you want my attention, you won't scream, you'll simply come over and put your sweet little face between me and my screen. And you smile, because you know it worked :)
5. You are always finding things to blow into, something that you can make music with, and playing one piano. DO I see a future musician in you?
6. You LOVE just being in the middle of the action. You get mad when daddy takes the big girls somewhere without taking you. You make him know alright that it's NOT ok. No Freia left behind ;)
7. You love imitating us and your sisters. The way we move. The sounds we make. When we laugh. Already in my belly, I'd push on your little feet and you'd push right back. We could play that game for a looong time! I love that you're still doing that outside of my belly too :)
8. Your appetite. You'll literally eat ANYTHING! Well, no, you won't eat the pre-made food in the jars, I guess that's not fine enough for your taste buds now ;) Oh I know that will probably change, but for now we'll get you to try it all! If not a musician, maybe a food critique then?
9. Your long cuddles. You'll just come over and give the sweetest cuddles, out of the blue, to the people you love the most. And it's simply the sweetest thing.
10. Your sweet cheekiness. You are always laughing and always trying to make us laugh. You are so aware of social situations, and what's funny and you're always trying to see if you can make us crack up. And you KNOW when you are doing something that's a little cheeky. Oh boy do you know :)

I can't wait to see you grown and change this year, and learn so much more about you!
Love you to the moon and back, my little Baba girl!

 xoxo, your mama

10 things I love about you, Madeline #3

My sweet and funny little Madeline,

I don't think I know another child like you. You've always been so aware of the world around you and you're so smart - something tells me you'll quickly get your way in this world because you will just figure out how to get what you want ;) Last year of preschool for you this year and I want you to play play play all you can before you have to go to elementary school and homework starts! Here are 10 things I love about you right now:

1. what an amazing big sister you are! Since Freia arrived, you've proven to be such an incredible sister. You take care of her, play with her, try to make her laugh when she's upset - and you always succeed. And Freia loves you so much! all of our friends joke that you're always ready to babysit because you are so just so good and caring :)
2. you always ask "mama, what can I do to help?". Seriously. Like 20 times a day. You love helping me, and I love teaching you how to do things! What I love the most is to cook with you....I think you're going to be quite the little chef in a few years from all that helping mama in the kitchen!
3. Your determined little mind. Your arguments baffle me, to the point where I simply can't say know to your requests most of the time ;) You are just so logical and determined and I have a hard time fighting that. Daddy says you'd make a great sales person when you grow up ;)
4. that you're playing around to find the fine line between lying and being cheecky...and it's not always easy ;) When I catch you lying, you'll go into shy mode and feel bad about it, but I know you didn't mean to do anything wrong. So we take you on our laps and give you a big hug and kisses. We don't talk much about it because we already know that you know.....it's just about finding that fine line ;)
5. How much you love gymnastics. A few weeks ago you told me "Mama, I just want to do gymnastics all day and all night". Me "Oh ok you don't want to sleep anymore? nor to school?" You:"Mmm ok I guess I can sleep a little and go to school to see Nila, that the rest - gymnastics!". You've made so much progress and I hope you keep enjoying it for years and years....I know I did growing up :)
6. All your goofy goofies. That how you call the minions. You've been obsessed with them for months and you need everything to have minions on them. When I saw the super bright yellow footie PJs before christmas, my first thought was: "wow these are crazy....Madeline's going to love them" And you did. And then just last month you asked me "How did Santa know I love googy goofies so much?" Clever Santa :)
7. That at night you always manage to sneak in your sister's bed so you can sleep together. If she says no, your answer will always be "but Olivia, I am so scared at night" even though, really, you aren't. But you know Olivia will say yes....you're too smart for your own good, little girl ;)
8. Your laughter. You have the same laugh as your daddy, I call it the dolphin laugh. It's music to my ears :)
9. That you'll change outfits 4 times a day, and always need accessories. Hats, jewelry, crowns, swimsuit on top of your clothes, tights and socks together, you try it all and you love to layer and change :) That, or go the extreme opposite - run naked around the house  ;)
10. We have the same mind. You don't know the number of time where I notice something, or just am thinking about something, and bam, you'll just ask me a question about that exact thing I am thinking about. You notice everything and remember everything - and I just can't hide anything from you.

You are such a special little girl, my Madeline. Don't ever forget this - you're my little 4-leaf clover!
I love you to pieces,

xoxo, Your mama

10 things I love about you, Olivia #3

My sweet and silly little Olive,

What an amazing adventure it is to be your mama! Every single day you make me dream and smile because you come up with such things. You are growing up into such an beautiful little girl, I can't believe you are done with preschool already! Here are ten things I love about you right now:

1. Your colorful artwork. I just finished setting up our project room downstairs, and every day you'll sit there with me and draw and draw and draw. Oh the colors you use! I am always getting inspired by your work, you just have a natural way with colors and patterns and I can't wait to see where all this takes you!
2. Your imagination. you don't know how many times this year you teachers told me "We wish we could go into Olivia's brain and check out her little world in there!" You are always making up stories that you are telling or drawings!
3. The wholes between your bottom teeth. You just lost your first too teeth! and they remind me that you are growing oh so fast. It's a good reminder though - that I need to make the most of the time I have with you because soon you'll be too big to even want to hang out with me ;)
4. Your pink rainboots. You are going through this phase where you are wearing your rainboots EVERY.SINGLE. DAY. Miss Terry at school says it is part of your signature style now :) You insist that they are your most comfy shoes....haha that or I am doing a terrible job at finding comfy shoes for you :) Truth is, I love seeing you in your pink rainboots.
5. Your thousand flowers. You are ALWAYS picking flowers.....or trying to sneak behind my back to pick flowers. You are obsessed with them, and one of your very favorite things to do these days is to go on a nature walk around the neighborhood. Your buckets and pockets and whatever container you have on hand always come back filled with flowers.
6. Your bed covered with books. Not matter how often I clean them up. Every night you fall asleep with 20 open books around you. Sometimes I even find you using books as a pillow. I keep wanting to take a picture of that because I love how much you love books. I can't wait for you to learn to read next year - you don't know it yet, but it's going to open so many amazing worlds to you!
7. Your obsession with my hats. You always try stealing my hats. You say it's because you want the same hats as me, but I buy you hats and you keep playing your game of stealing mine :)
8. You're a little fish. You haven't quite learned how to swim yet (mama and daddy need to get the ball rolling with swim lessons!) but you will NOT wear floaties anymore. And quite frankly you don't need them. You may not need the technicalities of swimming yet but you are as comfortable in the water as a fish - you actually spend all your time exploring underwater and just coming back up to breath when only you need :) Daddy is trying to teach you what he can when we go to Orinda, and that makes you oh so happy!
9. You make friends anywhere you go. I think that was already on my list last year, but you keep being the most sociable child I know and wherever you go, you just make friends. It takes you a whole two seconds and with a smile and a laugh you've got a new best friend. I find this so amazing about you. I hope you always keep that confidence to go towards people you know and make new friends.
10. Your strike against underwear. Every single morning I have to fight with you so you'll wear underwear. What can I say, you're such a free spirit ;) I won't give up, though, little girl :)

Please, my Olive, just stay exactly as you are because you are such an incredible little girl.
Love you so much.

xoxo, your mama

Hanging out at Papou and Mamie's

I am starting to really feel the weight of that little bump...and with the leftover tiredness from the travel + jetlag, I've been taking it super easy with the girls - we're hanging out at Papou and Mamie's a lot - hunting for veggies and strawberries in the vegetable patch, in the pool, on the swing. The girl started going to Centre Aere again this year, never easy at first to dive in head first with kids who speak French much better than them, but they love it and are such troopers just adapting and going for it! Freia spends her days cuddling against her little sister and talking to flowers - nobody knows what she really says, but I am sure it's all very important business ;)

La guyonniere

The last stretch

I am now officially 30 weeks pregnant - the final stretch, as people will always tell you. So I figured, while I still have the energy, that I should take some pictures of the bump. The girls all arrived a bit early, so if this sweet girl follows her sisters footsteps she should be here in just 8 or 9 weeks. Which is crazy. And I know that usually the last few weeks of pregnancy feel very loooooooong, but I doubt it will be the case with this one. First because I have three tiny ones at home who keep me pretty busy and I don't really have the leisure to "sit through" this pregnancy. Also because it's summer and everything seems to move so fast in the summer.
 

But mostly, because we've always wanted four kids and there we are: this is our fourth kid. Which means I'll never be pregnant again after these last few weeks and it's all a bit bittersweet...although some of my friends are trying to convince me to go for 6 kids. Haha. well, yeah sure "You've got 4 lady what's tow more to you?!" no, really, 4 is the right number for us :) I have easy pregnancies and actually enjoy being pregnant, so I will miss it all I know and want to make sure I savior these last moments. When that child is not quite yet a reality but you can imagine what life will be life.....before the harsh reality actually hits you in the face ;)

Then a new chapter of our life will start. That chapter where our family is completely, and we can grow, learn together as a family. Our little tribe. So cheers  - here is to that last stretch and enjoying every little kick and every reflection of my bump in the shop windows and having Freia snuggle up against my big belly because it's the best place to be right now :)
 

Summer flowers

Could eat her up....

Morning cuddles

Russian river camping

Last weekend we went up to the Russian River valley with a lot of friends and had such a good time. Tim and Eliza invited us on their annual trip and I am so grateful that they did! Camping is so good for our little souls. As much as I love jumping on a plane and exploring new countries, going camping - near or far- remains my favorite. Even when pregnant and in my third trimester. There is something just so relaxing about it - and no, it's not all because of the bourbon marshmallows ;)

I've said that before, but being out in nature where most of the time we have absolutely no cell reception is so refreshing. The adults chat, make food, play the guitar by the fireplace while the kiddos run around happy and free, doing what kids are supposed to do. It's pure, simple happiness right there. I mean, I am happy to get back to by bed after a few days out camping, but I LOVE sleeping in the tent with my entire little family - it makes me feel so close to them.
 

There were a lot of us - 11 families....which sounds even crazier now that I am writing it! But we had 3 campsites that we shared and split all of the meals so that every family provided for part of two meals. It really worked out great in the end and the kids had so many friends to play with!

On the Friday we saw these crazy rainbows in the sky, like four of them at the same time and they went on for what seemed like forever - we all know it was Caleb at work up there :) I can't wait for our next camping trip - with four girls this time! It will be craziness I know it, but it will be so good :)