May

We had another month of celebrating here at the Timmerman house this past month!  We brought in the month with an event we had been counting down to since last November…the opening of our town's farmer's market!  It was so great to see everyone again, and to feel the expectation and energy for such a tangible marker of good weather and good food.

We celebrated a Trio Birthday Party for all three of our spring birthday girls with our immediate family and had perfect weather for enjoying the festivities outside.

We also celebrated our nephew's 2nd birthday as well, and it was a double bonus that the cousins got to see each other twice.  

I celebrated my birthday twice with two different cakes with my name on them!  The chocolate cake was with my parents, and the white cake was with my little family.  My birthday was during the week, so it was pretty much a regular day event wise, but made better by the fact that it was my birthday, I got to eat cake, and the kids were very well-behaved.  We even went for our first family bike ride since Violet was born thanks to my friend Bonnie scoring a baby bike seat the day before my birthday at a garage sale for an awesome price.  Will is a great gift-giver and knows that if he gets me some kind of organizational item for the home, some essential oils and something from Etsy, he can't go wrong.  He did all of this and more, and even installed the organizational rack that very weekend.

May is definitely my month, as I also got spoiled on Mother's Day as well.  We walked to breakfast, did crafts together as a family, and even found a balloon floating across our drive way that I am certain was from Luke.

We also enjoyed having our neighbors over for the annual Memorial Day Parade that goes by our house and ended the festivities with good food and a backyard scavenger hunt.  It was amazing to me that Violet was able to enjoy the entire parade and party this year - such a difference a year makes!

I taught my first bee class this past month to a lovely troop of Girl Scouts, led by an old friend from high school.  I had so much fun teaching the class, and it was made even better by the fact that Will, Lucy and Emma also were able to help me and had fun too.  I hope to teach classes on a regular basis, and am looking forward to the day when even Violet can join in on the fun.

With so many festivities and celebrations going on this past month, it was difficult to stay focused on the girls school.  We managed, and had fun experimenting with color and even finished our math for the school year.

All the world is truly our classroom, so we enjoyed cooking with the produce from our garden as well as finding creative uses for the giant shipment of organic cereal I forgot that I have on auto renewal that was delivered to our house.  To save money, I called the cereal company and found out that if I have it shipped directly to my house in bulk on automatic renewal then I get free shipping and a very good price as well.  This seemed too good to be true, and it was, as when the first shipment arrived several months ago we found out that the girls don't care for the cereal and on top of it, there is corn in it, which Violet gets a rash from.  Imagine my horror when another shipment arrived on my front porch this past month.  The silver lining is that I've almost broken my family of their cereal habit so that I can feed them more nourishing breakfast foods, and we are now using the cereal for treats like homemade granola bars and rice crispy treats.  Will is refusing to let me move the cereal boxes out of the living room until I physically cancel the auto renewal on our account.  Let's just say it is still sitting there, but I still have about a month to cancel. 

We enjoyed a campfire class on owls at our local nature center this past month, pursued our city's bookmobile for the very first time, had our last yoga class for the school year, and had the girls dance pictures taken in their recital costumes.

Our porch saw a lot of excitement this past month as we also received a shipment of tadpoles that was more than we had anticipated for as well.  We bought Lucy tadpoles online for her birthday and they arrived in a giant box.  This took me by surprise as I was picturing a dozen tadpoles shipped in a container the size of a shoebox.  Nope, we received a box the size of a decent Amazon order and when I opened the box up, I immediately called Will at work telling him that the tadpoles were HUGE and that I think we got the wrong order.  After doing some research, we found out that they were in fact the tadpoles we had ordered - we just didn't realize how big they would be.  Will consulted with his friend the biology teacher at work, and he sent Will the below right hand picture for reference.  He will also be adopting the frogs when they reach their adult size.  Lucy is slightly disturbed by their sheer size, but the good news is that we can see the transformation very clearly from tadpole to frog.

We have decided that the best place to keep these giant tadpoles is our front porch as they are kind of smelly, and require us to lug 5 gallon buckets of pond water from the nearby pond.  This makes the tank look quite murky.  We didn't realize how murky, until we received a letter in the mail from our local, friendly Jehovah Witness regulars who stated their concern for the well-being of our "fish".  I think it is safe to say that they have moved on from our own spiritual well-being. 

May seems to be the month where we make the transition from inside living to outside living.  We have enjoyed many meals outside, relaxing on our front porch swing (as long as Violet lets us), and the girls have definitely been enjoying the fresh air.  In the above pictures from top left, clockwise: porch swinging, chasing a chicken that got out, Lucy taking a frog for a ride in her bike basket, a flower petal stew Lucy made for me at her outdoor restaurant, and Lucy letting milk weed seeds go in the wind.

The weather was even warm enough one day this past month to get out the water table and the slip and slide.  Violet did not like the feel of her bare feet in grass, but had fun once we put her sandals on.  

We enjoyed many park trips meeting friends and family.  A highlight was a picnic enjoyed with our Aunt and Uncle followed by lots of wildlife viewing from ducks to a huge turtle.

The girls had their 6-year, 4-year, and 1-year well-visits this past month at the pediatrician's.  I brought Will for back up and it was still crazy with Violet bouncing off the walls and wanting to touch everything.  Not a good scenario for a mom with germ obsessiveness.  All three girls fell asleep on the way home, proving that Violet's antics in that tiny room we were housed for almost two hours were exhausting for everyone.

It has been quite a busy month, and we are looking forward to a more relaxed June.  Below in clockwise order from top left: Will and Emma taking a nap on the couch, Will cuddling Emma after she skinned both of her knees when she tripped on the stroller wheel with her hands in her pocket, and Lucy and Emma playing super heroes, complete with goggles and capes.

Violet at 13 Months

Violet is a full-fledged one year old now.  She walks like she has done it all of her life, and even carries items with her while walking.  Below she is two fisting a pair of balloons.  

Violet has discovered the art of putting objects into containers.  She loves putting random toys and clothes into her dirty diaper pail and also enjoys picking things up off of the floor and putting them into the garbage.  She understands most directions and so I try to use her new found skill to my advantage by handing her actual garbage or dirty diapers to dispose of.  I told her the other day that she needed socks to go outside and she came back a moment later with a mismatched pair of her socks from a dirty laundry basket.  Brilliant, I tell you!  She LOVES being outside and is content for hours in the great outdoors, just like her older sisters.  Here she is below carrying her favorite little blue bucket and a piece of sidewalk chalk - it's a favorite habit she has developed when she is outside.

Violet may love being outside, but it is a bit nerve wracking for me.  I am no longer able to sit down and relax while out in the yard, as Violet does not stay in one place for long and there are many potential dangers - making Charlie mad by poking or kicking him, escaping through the fence, sharp objects in the garage, getting hit by a big sister on a bike, walking in front of a moving swing, the vast space of concrete taunting her vulnerable baby skin… you get the idea.  I'm pretty much her shadow when outside.  Will takes a more hands off approach, and because of it she does get hurt on his watch, but nothing ever serious.  I guess you could say Will and I balance each other out when it comes to parenting and I am trying not to be jealous of his ability to not worry as much and sit in a lawn chair.  Here Violet is below with her Daddy.

When Violet is in the house I am able to let her explore on her own, as I am confident that once the proper baby gates are locked and the bathroom door is closed that she is safe to play on her own.  The other day she started squealing in distress from the other room and when I found her she was stuck inside of box that she must have tried using as a step to climb up on the couch.  Silly girl.  She still loves eating almost anything I put in front of her at the table but makes a horrendous mess.  Cleaning up after feeding her takes longer than making the food sometimes.  I am trying to savor the fact that she still enjoys what I cook for her though, as I know soon enough she will develop stronger likes and dislikes.

She already has moved on from the crawling stage, and I miss her crawling to me from across the house with an excited ma-ma-ma-ma with each slap of her hand and knee as she approached me.  My sweet baby is growing so fast!  When we measured her on her first birthday, she clocked in at a whole two inches taller than her older sisters when they turned one.

She is still so much a sweet baby though, and will nod her head in agreement to any question or idea I propose to her.  She is just happy to understand the question and be with me and that just melts my heart.  "Violet, do you want to read a book?"  *smiles while head nodding*  "Violet, do you want to eat lunch?"  *smiles while going to her high chair* "Violet, do you want to get a diapey change?"  *smiles, while taking me to her changing table*.  Thanks to Lucy and Emma, I also know that this agreeableness will be gone soon too.  But don't get me wrong either, she is just as feisty as she is sweet and has no tolerance for big sisters standing in her way.  She can squeal and scream louder than any child I have ever heard and still does not like car rides.  The endurance that it takes to scream at such a high and intense pitch for forty plus minutes is truly amazing.  Maybe she will use those vocal chords to her advantage one day, and sing her heart out for the world to appreciate.  Time will tell, but in the meantime we are staying close to home and avoiding car rides like the plague.  Here she is below, so excited to see a friend.

Since the day our sweet and feisty Violet was born, she has revealed to us various quirks and traits that seemed unique and at times very challenging.  We have begun a journey of discovery with Violet, prompted by the emergence of her teeth this past month.  Violet has very uniquely shaped and spaced teeth which points to the genetic condition of Ectodermal Dysplasia.  We are currently visiting various medical professionals to determine exactly what we are working with so that we can best care for our little girl.  In the meantime, we would appreciate your prayers as we lace up our walking shoes for yet another trail on this path called life.  It is my greatest hope that the light that shines in Violet's eyes will only radiate brighter as my sweet, feisty and beautiful girl grows into her life and destiny.

Christmas in April

We had a fun and exhausting April at our house.  With two birthdays, Easter and spring fever, it was all we could do to keep the dishes and laundry from overtaking the house as we celebrated and socialized. Here we are below decorating Easter eggs and getting ready to celebrate our first Easter with Violet.

Easter morning dawned early, and it was fun watching Violet try to eat chocolate eggs with wrappers still on them as the older girls ran around the house looking for their Easter baskets.

After church, the girls enjoyed an Easter egg hunt in our backyard.

Over Will's spring break, we went to the new aquarium by our house with Will's family.  The girls had fun seeing all of the fish.

Somehow we found time for lots of crafts too, and the girls continued to perfect their rubber band bracelets, as well as try new forms of bracelet making that included supplies from when I was a kid - beads and string for friendship bracelets.  It was crazy to me to open up craft boxes I hadn't touched in twenty plus years and to even find bracelets that were half finished.  It made me pause and wonder what shift happened in my young life that caused me to move on from bracelet making, even with several still in progress.  I was quite a bracelet maker in my day and the girls were impressed by my skills.  With Violet on the move these days, it is difficult for me to join Lucy and Emma in their crafting, so it has definitely been a change to see them figure things out independently with less participation from me.  I am looking forward to the day when I can sit with them again, instead of stand and offer "drive-by" advice as I chase after Violet.

This month we studied fungi, bacteria and mold for our science unit.  We cultured petri dishes with the stuff found between Emma's toes and we even learned about how yeast plays an integral role in bread making.

The girls have been saving up their money since Christmas for some Lego sets that were out of Will's and my gift giving budget.  They finally had enough money this past month, and were excited to buy the coveted sets.  They spent a lot of time building Legos at the kitchen table, what with Easter gifts, birthday gifts and the sets that they earned for themselves.  This was another instance where I wish I had more free time to sit down and build with them, but Violet kept me active and the girls were able to build their sets mostly on their own.

 It is officially spring here, and so we did the twice yearly clothes swap for the girls.  What a nightmare and a blessing all at the same time.  It always takes so much longer than I plan for, and I definitely need Will here when I do it as Violet pulls out all of the clothes from all of the bins, making sorting impossible.  We are incredibly blessed to have three girls go through the clothes that were generously handed down and gifted to us and I do enjoy seeing the favorites with all of the memories attached to them come out for each subsequent girl.

Life with three girls is definitely busy.  Most days the dishes are stacked higher than the sink, the laundry is on perpetual rinse because I keep forgetting to put it in the dryer and a chicken is loose in the yard while Violet is refusing to let me put her down.  As a former professional organizer, it is hard at times for me to let the details go while I tend to the more pressing needs of my daughters - and chickens.  Yup, I feel like I am treading water wearing yesterdays clothes but Will always reminds me that as long as our girls know that we love them at the end of the day, then we are doing okay.

Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder at the beginning of the day that they are loved too.  Below is a picture of a box of donuts that Will got at 6 a.m. for us one morning before leaving for work.

It is so nice being able to send the girls outside to play now that the weather is finally warming up.  One day I came outside and Lucy and Emma had set out a blanket in the yard and were enjoying a treat from the ice cream truck despite the fact that it was cold enough that Violet's bald head needed a winter hat.

We started our garden and planted lettuce, carrots, beets and onions this past month and watched our perennial plants start to sprout back as well.  We took many walks...

…and even discovered a frog with a slip of paper from a fortune cookie stuck on it's back.  Lucy still loves frogs, so we attended a frog class at a local nature park with friends this past month as well.

The girls attended another nature center event called River of Light with friends as well, as I lay home sick with a sinus infection.  The girls had so much fun making little rafts out of Popsicle sticks to send Dixie cup votive lights down the river.  They also enjoyed a campfire, s'mores, and riding in their friend's minivan complete with a DVD player!  Our ten year old car doesn't have a working CD player, so this was very exciting for Lucy and Emma.

More ice cream truck visits were enjoyed with friends...

 …and birthday parties with fellow April birthday friends were also enjoyed.

 We were so excited to attend a local high school performance of the musical production of Mary Poppins.  It was one of the most amazing shows I have ever seen, and it was a great experience for Lucy and Emma.  The talent at this school was unbelievable and when we met the actors after the show, Lucy and Emma were excited to find out that the boy who played Burt took tap lessons at the same dance studio Lucy and Emma go to!

What a month!  It is like Christmas in April at our house and May is shaping up to be almost as busy.  I am thankful for the moments of quiet and calm in our busy life, and for my three girls who help me remember what is important!

Violet's 1st Birthday

The violets are blooming all over our yard right now, and I love how the timing is the same as our Violet's birthday.  Violet turned one at the beginning of this month, and is a very active little girl.  Here she is below, climbing into things, onto things and stuck in things.

She loves looking out of the windows and playing the piano and doesn't let vertical challenges stop her from pursuing these interests.

Violet also loves things that begin with the letter "B" - balls (bah), babies (bee bee), bath  (bah?), books (buh), blueberries (boo), bird (buh!) and balloons (ba?).

She can walk a couple of steps now before falling down, and even tried walking in the girls dress up high heels the other day.  She has enjoyed her first experiences at playgrounds too this past month, where she had more fun eating wood chips than playing on the structures with me in hot pursuit.

Violet is very loving to her baby dolls, and has shown compassion this past month to her family members when they are sad or hurt.  Mostly this translates to showing concern and love towards Emma, who is sad and hurt quite often.  Violet will go over to Emma and pat her repeatedly while saying "Ma?  Ma?  Ma?" until Emma can't help but smile.  It is amazing to me how much Violet comprehends.  Will reassures me that I felt this way about each of our kids, but it is truly remarkable how if I ask Violet a question she will answer by nodding her head up and down vigorously, or by shaking her hands for "all done" in sign language.  In the top left picture she is indicating that she is all done eating, and in the top right picture she went and got her shoes when I asked her if she wanted to go outside.  In the bottom left hand picture I asked her if she was hungry and she went to her chair at the table and tried to climb up.

Violet also waves bye bye now and I swear sings the Heartbeat Song by Kelly Clarkson and Wiggle Wiggle Hold Still from Yo Gabba Gabba.  As if I wasn't amazed enough by Violet's budding intelligence, the other day one of the wheels fell off of her push toy and she squatted down next to it and tried to put the wheel back on.  It is truly miraculous the changes that take place over the course of one year from newborn infant to a full-fledged toddler.

Will was able to take the day off for Violet's birthday and we decided to celebrate by going to the zoo.  It was Violet's first trip to the zoo...

…her first train ride…

…and her first carousel ride.  I think the carousel was her favorite.

Her favorite presents included her own snack cup filled with Cheerios to match her older sisters snack cups that she is always swiping, and her own water bottle - also to match her sisters that she is always sneaking sips from.  She also loved the little Duplo baby with a stroller and bottle that we got her.  In the top right hand picture she is hugging the little baby.

It has been quite a year with our Violet from her feeding issues, her mouth surgery and recovery, breaking my tailbone when she was six days old and not being able to sit for months, a third kid with acid reflux and of course, her horrific sleep.  I feel like we have been through the ringer and I am both exhausted and resigned.  I know all of these challenges will eventually resolve themselves - some already have.  In the meantime, I have gotten rid of all of my books on sleep.  After three kids - each one progressively worse with sleep - I give up.  I am throwing up the white flag of surrender.  I have no explanation as to why my kids sleep so badly and I can honestly say I have tried EVERYTHING.  At this point I still hold Violet for her naps, and I've decided that after fighting it for three kids, I will just embrace my fate and enjoy it.  It gives me a chance to relax, put my feet up, soak in my baby cuddles and read a good book that has nothing to do with trying to get your baby to sleep.

Violet, you have taught me so many things in this past year, including perseverance and the ability to live life in the moment - without thought to the future or past.  This perhaps is the greatest thing I have learned so far - to live life in the moment without worry or guilt and to really be present.  Because of you Violet, I have found strength I didn't know I had, and a feeling of being so very blessed to watch my beautiful third daughter, my Violet, blossom.  I am still in awe that I have been blessed with a third daughter, and I love how you fit into our lives, your already apparent sense of humor, your love and care for the ones you love, your relentless curiosity and your certainty as to what you like and don't like.  I love you Violet Rose!!!

Lucy's 6th Birthday

We celebrated Lucy's 6th birthday at the end of April.  Lucy had her birthday activities and menu planned out weeks in advance so on the day of her birthday, we definitely had a schedule to follow!

Lucy was excited to open her presents as soon as she came downstairs in the morning, and seemed to be quite pleased with her Friends Lego Hair Salon set, her tadpoles that were to arrive in the mail any day, a dress, a garden stepping stone kit, the book that the Mary Poppins movie was based on, and a dress she had been wanting.

She built the Lego set that day, which kept her happy and out of trouble.

 Another favorite gift she received was a cat stuffed animal from Emma.

These cat stuffed animals have enormous eyes and I can't tell if the kids like them because it provides encouragement for begging, or if the eyes seem nice and familiar to them, since my kids are always looking at us with big, begging eyes.  In the below picture, both Lucy and her stuffed animal are asking for more ice cream without saying a single word.

For breakfast on Lucy's birthday she requested waffles and bacon.  Afterwards, she planned to have free time to play with her new presents, and then we all went to the park for a picnic of our favorite sub shop.  Here are the girls below, enjoying time on the playground after our picnic.

I iced and decorated Lucy's birthday cake while Will took the girls to dance class in the afternoon.  Lucy enjoyed her classmates rendition of Happy Birthday, and when they came home, I had a meal of mac and cheese ready and waiting.  Afterwards, we enjoyed a vanilla and strawberry cake, coupled with a side of vanilla and strawberry trifle as the first attempt at her cake came out of the pan in a multitude of crumbly pieces.  The second attempt I decided not to take any risks, so I baked it in a glass dish worthy of presenting it in.  Future Lucy would like me to add that she ended up throwing up the cake in the middle of the night, so despite my efforts of having a food-dye free cake (Lucy is allergic to petroleum based additives) to avoid any tummy upset on her part later, I neglected to read the ingredients on the whipping cream I used and sure enough, there was an offending additive in it.  Poor girl.  Needless to say, with a double batch of cake and no birthday girl to eat it, the baker ate a lot of cake that week.

 To end the day, we read the Day Lucy was Born book and measured her height on our growth stick.

It was a great day, and amazing to Will and I that our rainbow baby is now six.  Six years ago Lucy brought joy back to Will and I.  Luke promised us that we would have a healthy baby girl named Lucy, and not a day goes by where we are not thankful for her in our lives.  Lucy knows exactly what she wants, and isn't afraid to ask for it.  She refuses to settle for anything less than her dreams and she is extremely conscious of following the rules and making sure her sisters are safe.  She has an amazing eye for design and thrives on arranging spaces and items into the most unique and beautiful combinations.  She is becoming less shy when interacting with adults, and has even told me that I have embarrassed her in social settings (this is more fun that I thought it would be!).  Each of my children have taught me so much, and Lucy is no exception.  She has taught me that respect and understanding will build a relationship so much stronger than control and that each of us arrive on this earth with our own unique personalities, plans, and innate wisdom.  Lucy, we love you ever so much, and are so happy that you chose us to be your parents!