Riley is trying very hard to read, and Angel is doing her best to follow right behind.

Riley can write her own name (forward and backward, literally), and is figuring out how to write the numbers 1-10.

Angel is curious…about EVERYTHING. We cannot keep her out of anywhere from touching anything.  She is the child that as you run through the store runs her fingers along the shelves and tries to touch everything she sees.

Riley is cautiously curious outside of the home and her comfort zones – but around people she knows is talkative and friendly.

They are each others best friends and worst enemies. 

Technically I should be signing Riley up for Kindergarten based on her age. That doesn’t seem real. It seems like just yesterday that I was in the hospital watching them decide the new pope on TV while wondering when the pitocin was going to make labor actually hurt (didn’t take more than a few hours).  Or just this morning that I walked the four miles to and from Dairy Queen to try to spark labor for Angel, and lamenting the fact that it failed (it didn’t – just took two hours to hit me). 

The days of diapers are finally gone (almost – we still wear pullups at night).

The days of learning and growing and wonder at the world around them have arrived.  They are curious and thirsting for knowledge – and I can’t wait to keep watching them learn. 

I miss my babies.  More than I imagined…

But I’m loving the excitement of my big girls and their big personalities.

Today you turn three!  Three years old…How can that be?  You were born so tiny, so early, and after a surprise (!!!) pregnancy that I was only aware of for 3 months before you joined us.

Your giant brown eyes so filled with joy and love…I can’t get enough of them. 

You challenge us on a daily basis.  You make us smile in the next turn of your head. 

Despite the struggles and challenges you’ve brought us – with everything from just normal motion of your muscles to talking to breathing – you’ve blossomed into a bright little girl.

The cock of your head when you answer a question, or the way that you reply just by saying “okay” to everything.  Frustrating – and adorable…and I wouldn’t take back one day of the past three years.

Happy Birthday, my Angel!

This sweet little girl that came into our lives with such a personality…that we watched fade like a flower…is now blooming brighter than ever!   She talks so much more than she did before, she’s smart, funny, and now giggles with the best of them!

Her anticipation of her party through her into several of her fits today (and by fits I mean shutting down and curling into a corner)…but once it began she was smiles and chatter and miss personality!!  She RAN that party, telling me when to do food and presents and cake! 

Tomorrow will be more on the party…tonight I’m worn out from hosting it…but for now join me in wishing Miss Riley a HAPPY fourth birthday! 

Two days until the OFFICIAL birthday of Miss Angel! (the party was hers too )

First, we had a party for the playgroup. It was a smaller party, but Dora themed, for which I made this cake. The girls had a group of a bout 10 kids to play with, while I got to chat with the adults. Dora was playing on the TV the whole time, of course, and immediately after Dora was the Backyardigans (they didn’t have the Pablo cake pan yet *lol*)

Then came the real party, with our families and friends. It was a big party, tons of people in my tiny house. I made this other cake, my first attempt at a “real” cake with fondant. It was a success…even if I did make the pink the color of bubble gum (so the ribbon looked like bubble gum *G*).

Molly was super hesitant about the cake:

But Kennedy dove in with aplomb!

In my family we’re known for having failures of parties…We haven’t had one decent party in all of the years I’ve been alive. The girls birthday parties were the best! After the tons of food and cake, they opened their gifts, and then the girls crashed! *lol* IT was a great time! I can’t wait for this years party!

And here’s some more pics of the girls from that day: