Two Little Ballerinas

Let me start by saying "Merry Christmas!!" I have some great Christmas pictures of the kids to post, but first I wanted to show how cute the girls were at their first dance recital two weeks ago! Lauren's class dressed up as presents and performed a ballet number to the song "Happy Birthday, Jesus." They were as cute as they could be! Katie's class wore matching tutus and did a ballet routine to the song "My Favorite Day." I was so proud of both of them!

Not Quite a Bible Verse...

Several weeks ago, Lauren was working on her Bible verses for Cubbies (a program at church in which the kids learn Bible verses and earn patches for their uniform/vest). David had practiced with her the night before, and the verse was "I am wonderfully made." (Psalm 139:14). When I asked her what the verse was, she thought for a minute and then said, "I am...so beautiful!" I wonder just what David was teaching her?! :) By the way, in the above picture, she had stamped her face with ink pads and put on the red lipstick we used for Halloween. Yes, she is ornery AND beautiful!

Happy Halloween!

Well, as you can see, I have gotten far behind on posting new stories and pictures. I guess that's life with four children! :) I did want to show the kids dressed in their Halloween costumes: Katie was Snow White, Lauren was Sleeping Beauty, Preston was a penguin, and Parker was a skunk. We had a great time on Halloween--the weather was beautiful and it was fun to walk around our neighborhood!

Kisses for Daddy

Several nights ago David was playing with Parker and giving him kisses. Parker thought that was so funny, and he started giving Daddy "kisses," too. Actually, David thought that Parker just wanted to suck on his chin, but it sure was cute to watch!

Katie's Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Katie's kindergarten class took a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch last week, and they had such a fun time! She chose a pumpkin just the right size...one she could carry herself!

Katie, Meet the Tooth Fairy!

I'm a little slow in posting this, but Katie lost her first tooth on October 18th. She was so excited! She had gone to St. Louis with Grandma and PaPa Shoesmith to visit her cousins (and aunt and uncle, too!) over Fall Break, and she called the night before they came home to tell us that she had a loose tooth. Well, this was news to us! Apparently it had been loose for awhile and we didn't know it, because she called the next evening as they were traveling home to tell us that her tooth had fallen out. Actually, she said she was standing there, and it "just floated out!" David and I were disappointed that we weren't with her when the tooth actually came out, but as least she was home that night so the Tooth Fairy could visit! She now has two other teeth that are loose...our baby is growing up!

Not Too Sure About Peas...

About two weeks ago the boys started eating vegetables--you know, the runny, flavorless, smashed up ones that Lauren likes to call "the Gerber." We started out with peas...and you can tell by the looks on their faces they weren't too crazy about them (can you blame them?). I am happy to report that now they do gobble them up (they've had peas, squash, and green beans in addition to the rice cereal and applesauce, pears, and peaches). It is hilarious to watch them eat, because BOTH of them do the funniest thing; once I give them the bite of food, they swallow, and then they immediately put their thumb in their mouth. It is amazing to watch them do so many things exactly the same way (oh, my, what will they come up with once they are old enough to plot and conspire against us??).

Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'...

"Look what I can do, Mom! I don't have to stay where you put me!" :)

Parker looking a little ornery...

And Preston is his little cohort!

Yes, the boys have been rolling over for some time now, but they have recently figured out that they can use that to their advantage...getting from point A to point B. The picture above shows Mr. Parker; he started out in the middle of the jungle play mat and eventually (actually, within just a few minutes) made his way off of the play mat, off of the area rug, and onto the hardwood floor. Oh, no...I guess this means they will be mobile very, very soon! Not sure if I'm ready for that...

Lauren's Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

Last week, Lauren's preschool class took a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch. The boys and I joined her there; we had a lot of fun! This will be our first of several trips to the Pumpkin Patch (again for a MOPS field trip, then Katie's kindergarten class field trip, and then one more time so David can go and all six of us will be there together...hopefully for some cute pictures!). So, stay tuned for more pictures...

Starting Solids...

It's hard to believe that it's time for the boys to start eating solid food! So...three nights ago we gave them their first taste of rice cereal. Surprisingly enough, they seemed to like it. As all babies do, they initially pushed it back out of their mouth, but then they caught on and realized they were supposed to swallow it. (Preston is in the first two pictures, Parker is in the last two pictures.) So now they are off and running with solids...they are becoming such "big boys!" And speaking of that, they both now weigh 11 pounds, 9 ounces and are 25 inches long (as of three days ago). In fact, they are about to outgrow (in length) the infant carrier car seats (at 26 inches) and go into the "big boy" convertible car seats. My, my...how quickly the past six months have flown by!!

Happy 6 Month Birthday, Boys!!

I can not believe that today the boys are 6 months old (well, technically yesterday, since it is now after midnight and no longer the 18th)! Although it has been exhausting and so much work, it has also been so much fun--Preston and Parker are such blessings! I still think back to the day they were born...the anxiety of them arriving early, the speedy ambulance ride to the hospital 45 minutes away, being whisked into an emergency c-section, and finally, holding them for the first time. What a wonderful sound to hear them cry, and then to hear the neonatologist say, "They look great!" And as crazy as it may seem, those four weeks that they spent in the NICU were a special time, too. I think back on those days with very fond memories. God has been so, so good to our family and I think I am the luckiest person in the world to have such a wonderful husband and these four beautiful children.

Tired Girl...

People have been asking if Katie has been really tired since school started. Yes, I would say that she has, although she hasn't come home quite as tired as I expected. More than anything, she is hungry (lunch is around 11:15am)! However, the new school routine has been VERY tiring for Lauren. She and Katie share a room, so when I go in to wake up Katie around 7:15am, Lauren usually wakes up then, too. For the most part, she has "outgrown" taking a nap, but on several days recently she just fell asleep while watching cartoons. You can tell in the pictures just how tired she was (yes, one of the pics shows that she was lying in the middle of the family room floor...no pillow, no blanket, nothing but the area rug to make the hardwood floors a little "softer"). Boy, when I can get Lauren AND the twins asleep at the same time, it sure is quiet around the house! :)

Just Like Mommy...

About six weeks ago, Preston started sucking his thumb (top picture). I thought that was so cute because I used to suck my thumb until I was, well, old enough to know that if I didn't wash my hands first I was sucking a bunch of germs! (And yes, I did finally break the habit, and no, I did not need braces.) Once Preston started doing it, I thought "Great, another way to tell them apart when they are sleeping!" Well, about two weeks ago...you guessed it...Parker started sucking his thumb, too (second picture)! I know it's a habit they will eventually need to break, but for now it really works as a way for them to comfort themselves. It just continues to amaze me how alike the boys are and what a strong bond and connection they share. I just had to grab the camera and snap the picture of them sleeping; notice how their arms are intertwined and Preston has his other arm on top of Parker. The boys are starting to roll over, so we may need to move them to separate cribs in the near future. It makes me sad to think of that because I know they will miss sleeping side by side. We will keep them together as long as we safely can! As for the last picture, they just love to smile...which makes me smile, too! :)

First Days of School

Yea!! I finally have my computer back and am able to post some new pictures. Let's go back about three weeks to the first day of school for Katie. She started Kindergarten and is loving it! I think she was a little nervous at first because she didn't know anyone in her class. However, being the outgoing little girl that she is, she has made some new friends and comes home with stories about the other kids in her class. She is also riding the bus...how convenient for me! She enjoys riding the bus because her friend who lives two doors down from us is in first grade, and they always have a play date cooked up when they get off the bus in the afternoon. My baby is growing up! (Can your firstborn, oldest-of-four-kids be considered your baby?)

Lauren started preschool two weeks ago, and she is loving school as well. She attends preschool two days a week at our church. She enjoys being Ms. Sherri's helper! I think she has a leg up on some of the academic skills because Katie has been "teaching" her at home. In fact, she likes to give her homework ("Okay, Lauren, write a row of L's, a row of A's, and a row of U's..."). I think she is getting used to Katie being gone all day. Lauren is a great helper with her brothers on the days that she doesn't go to school. I must say that I am exhausted with our new school schedule! :)

Two Dancing Princesses

Wow, I have been so bad lately about updating the blog. A few people have brought that to my attention (well, mainly just my mom). Believe it or not, things have been very busy around our house! :) The time has flown by! Plus, we have been having computer problems, so when I thought about updating the blog, I wasn't able to do it. So here is a quick "Hello!" I have several pictures I would like to post--we've had some big events with school starting, etc.--but I will just stick with one this time because it's very late at night and I should be in bed. I will post some more pictures within the next couple of days.

Well, it's official! The girls have entered into the world of extracurricular activities, and I'm the designated taxi driver! Katie and Lauren both started dance lessons, and they are having a lot of fun. Don't they look so cute? :) They are very proud of their new leotards, tights, shoes, and bags. I can't wait for their first recital at Christmas. That should be a hoot!

Sleeping Through the Night...

...pretty much, anyway! Yes, this week the boys have done a great job of sleeping for 5-6 hours at night. It doesn't sound like much, but it is a welcome milestone! They go to bed around 11:30pm or midnight, and then wake up between 5:00-6:00am. After that feeding, they go right back to sleep, and so do I! Do I dare say that things are becoming easier? No, I don't want to jinx it! :) (By the way, in the above pictures, Parker is sitting with Katie and Preston is playing on the play mat.)

Fun on the 4th of July

Our family had a great 4th of July holiday weekend! We started the party on Friday, the 3rd with David's family. He had an aunt, uncle, cousin, the cousin's sons, grandma, and grandpa travel to OK from Topeka, and his sister and her family came from St. Louis. We had a fun time visiting with them!

The next day we drove to Joplin and saw my aunt, uncle, and cousins on my mom's side in the afternoon. Katie and Lauren were introduced to a whole new world, how to play the Wii. Actually, it was a new experience for me, too. I guess having boys in the house now, we will have to learn more about technology and video games! Later that evening we went to my dad's side of the family and enjoyed seeing my aunt, uncle, cousin, her boyfriend, and some extended family for dinner. We drove home the next day. Whew!! What an exhausting weekend but we sure did have a great time getting to see everyone and introducing the boys to some of them for the first time!

Happy Father's Day!

I know I am a week late in posting this, but better late than never, right? :) We had a nice Father's Day with both sets of parents over for lunch. So here are pictures of three generations of Rosses and three generations of Shoesmiths...plus one family of six! I was proud of us; we even made it to church by 9:15am so the kids could have "Donuts with Dad!"

Two of a Kind

I realized that I didn't have any pictures posted of the boys that show their eyes open. And I am happy to report that they are staying awake more during the day and sleeping more at night. Yea!! They still wake up to eat during the night, but at least they are going back to sleep afterward, which means I can, too. In case you are wondering, Preston is in the brown, and Parker is in the blue! You know, bouncy seats aren't really meant for two babies to share, but the boys are so little that they both fit so I could snap this picture of them together...and they don't mind being squeezed together!