August

August started off with the return to school. Which felt much too early! No stopping time, though we try regularly and beg the girls to stop growing.

Felicity and Mommy began their many hours of together time while Daddy is at work and the older two girls are in school. Mostly this means Felicity plays whatever she wants whenever she chooses, tags along with Mommy on errands, and helps out with chores however she is able.

It's the life. Mommy really enjoys these hours together, too. Felicity is sweet-natured, inquisitive, and still naps every afternoon. There are times she is bored and doesn't know what to do with herself...the whining begins...Mommy has phone calls to make...life is gets a little rough. But in general, Felicity and Mommy are very spoiled by these months before Baby arrives.

On the second day of school, the fish Vivian won at the fair last September died. This didn't go over well. Miriam left this note before she left for school:

Felicity and Mommy ventured to the zoo a few times without Miriam and Vivian. She could look at whatever animals she wanted without anyone rushing her along! She could climb and run and play at her own pace...which was simultaneously glorious and awkward. New freedom and no sisters to share the wonder with.

At the zoo splash pad Mommy noticed that without any bossiness, she charmed one...

...and then four little boys into playing her game of "wash the sticks". They brought her sticks and she rinsed them and stacked them from her perch. If this was a peek into how teenage Felicity will operate, we're already apprehensive for all the boys. They won't even know what hit them.

Felicity also got a tractor ride with Uncle John in August...again the charm was turned on and she managed to con him out of the Cheetos and fruit snacks he had packed himself for lunch. She really enjoyed the hour or so they spent together and still talks about it two months later.

We spent a day at the lake, but with school, it was so much harder to find the time to enjoy the lake during August.

 The Baby Bump at about 30 weeks!

Our AMAZING parish picnic happened. It was baseball themed and OVER THE TOP. The people who plan this out-do themselves every year. We could not have been more impressed and the girls (and their parents) had SO much fun.

Aunt Maria left for Marian University. We miss our favorite babysitter-aunt a lot! But from all reports, she really seems to be enjoying college life! Tim and Sarah both loved college and we're so happy for Aunt Maria that she's adjusting and making friends so quickly!

We had a road trip to see Sarah's college friends and all their kids! It was a wonderful visit - the kids all get along so well!

We even got to spend an afternoon on the beaches of Lake Erie with the whole crew!

We closed out the month with our first family trip to Chuck E Cheese. For whatever reason, the girls refer to this place as "Chunk E Cheeses". Not the cutest or most enticing name...

We were fulfilling a bribe made many, many months ago about behavior in church. Yes, we're definitely not above big bribes to get what we need. The publishers will be beating down the doors for the rights to our parenting book any second now.

And Tim completed a pretty project! His sister makes jewelry and home decor out of broken glass - she made us house numbers! He created and painted a frame for the numbers with a sturdy mounting system so that it wouldn't break or scratch the house.

They should go into business together someday!