The little things...

The main reason I started this blog (besides having a place to share pics with the grandparents!)was so that we and the girls could look back on it and get a glimpse of the every day stuff around here. I know that for the big things like vacations, parties, etc, we will have plenty of pictures and memories to hold, but what I wish I had now is better memories of the day-in, day-out things from when Kate was just a wee babe. The little things. Sometimes it is hard to realize in the moment how the tiring, repetitive things that go along with having little ones are the things that are so sweet and precious, and they pass by so quickly!

So in that spirit...

Julie H. told me once that on road trips they just try to keep their eldest happy, because then she keeps the baby happy. So true... of road trips and life! Carter loves Kate and perks up right away when she hears her voice. If Kate walks in the room Carter is too busy studying her every move to eat or anything else... she wants to be right in the middle of whatever Kate is doing. Kate gets the easiest giggle from CC for sure! Kate is precious with her (when she slows down long enough to notice her) and definitely likes to be the big sister... it reminds me slightly of Lenny from Of Mice And Men at times, but she is learning! ...And Carter is getting more sturdy in the process!

Kate is really into dressing herself these days. You never know what you are going to get. Is it bathing suit day? 3 shirt Friday? Who knows! I am usually in absolute favor of a little self-expression through wardrobe because it is one less person to dress, and hey, we are picking our battles. As long as she is warm enough (we have been around and around about wearing a bikini out in February) then whatever... so she has definitely worn PJs to school before. Yesterday morning I was in Carter's room getting her dressed and diapered when Kate walked in, fully dressed, ready for school. But today it wasn't a ballerina outfit or one of the put-together ones that hang in her closet. She picked it out on her own and looked about 16 years old. It made me smile, and gave me that parental heartache that makes you want to stop time. Maybe it was because she had on jeans and she rarely ever wants to wear jeans, I don't know, but she just looked so old! How do I have a preschooler already?! Anyway, I grabbed the camera to capture the moment but Kate wouldn't stop posing and stand still. (Ah, the threes.) I never did get a "normal" shot... but these are more normal for us than anything else, I think!

Everyday one of my favorite things is going in to get Carter Caroline when she wakes up from her naps. It is so funny to open the door and see that little head pop up from over the side of the crib. She gets so excited when someone comes in she usually lets out a big laugh and does a full-body shake. (Think, someone doing "the worm.") So today, I brought my camera with me when I heard that she was awake and cooing.

Pee-Pie!