126 of 365–May 7, 2021–This little nugget still comes into our bed on occasion and she is either exceptionally polite and lays quietly awake cuddling with me on my pillow and letting me continue to sleep, or she is an absolute nightmare who screams bloody murder like she is trying to raise the dead. There is no in between. This early morning was the exceptionally polite variety. She calls this look her sideways eyes and it is her go to if I try to take a photo of her anymore.

127 of 365–May 8, 2021–If you saw my post for week 18 you may be thinking, “thank goodness you are done the garage!” But I have news for you, because I brilliantly finished the garage one side at a time. I have a very logical explanation that involved wanting to paint the portion of the garage where the flowers would be first, but regardless, it was probably not the most time efficient method. Here is my dad helping me repair a rotten board on the bottom of my garage doors and cracking up at his audience.

128 of 365–May 9, 2021–First post-pandemic indoor hangout for these cousins was Mother’s Day 2021!

129 of 365–May 10, 2021–I wish Louisa would let me give her “bear buns” in her hair every day, because nothing makes me smile like this little silhouette.

130 of 365–May 11, 2021–Our sunset watch parties are back!

131 of 365–May 12, 2021–I wish you could smell these lilacs through the computer, because they are heaven. I can smell them floating on the breeze on the opposite side of my house and I wish they bloomed all year long.

132 of 365–May 13, 2021–I may be the least athletic person you have ever met. Jason is not much better. So there is a very logical explanation for why Louisa does not know the proper way to hold a bat. But at least they’re having fun!

April 30, 2021–120 of 365–I walked in the living room and found them sitting like this. Or rather, I was sitting on the other side of the couch and saw them sitting like this and then ran to get my camera and by the time I came back Lou had dropped her arm and I asked her to put it back and she begrudgingly obliged. But you know…the sentiment is the same. I found them sitting like this.

We tried something out that I dreamed up–three kids in one room. Three kids, as you may know, is an uneven number, and I have always had concerns about it going wrong in terms of unbalanced relationships. So rather than giving Lou or Flo their own room (poor Julia didn’t even qualify for consideration), I decided they should share and they were into it. I planned to get a bunkbed, but we tried it out with a thrown together trial run. Originally, the trial run was supposed to happen with an air mattress, but within five minutes, the three of them busted a huge hole in the air mattress. So mattresses dragged into the room it was. Is the busted air mattress a preview of future three-in-a-room troubles? Only time will tell.

May 1, 2021–121 of 365–First ice cream of the season.

May 2, 2021–122 of 365–The garage “AFTER!” But actually not quite. Because after I took this picture I decided I did not like the brown I had selected for the shutters and repainted them. Trials and tribulations of a DIYer.

May 3, 2021–123 of 365–post dinner yard run in front of the almost after, but not quite, garage.

May 4, 2021–124 of 365–Lou has gotten to be exceptionally good at stalling for bedtime/naptime. There is a Spider spray (it’s water) that has to be sprayed by her and then also you. I once tried to do an incantation to forbid spiders from entering the room when I could not find the spider spray and it was not at all well received. She wants three books and you never select the right books. She needs five babies and no matter how many babies you have, you never have the right ones. I have been in the other room as Jason frantically searched the house for a missing baby that he could not find and I have laughed until I cried (it’s much, much funnier if you aren’t the one responsible for finding the missing baby). We’re smart, but she’s probably smarter.

May 5, 2021–125 of 365–Florence read the Harry Potter series and now she will not stop reading. Which, I obviously love. So I decided it was time for her to get her very own library card! A super important rite of passage in my book (pun totally intended). I love this little book worm.

May 6, 2021–126 of 365–Having this kid home alone all day while her sisters are at school makes for a very relaxed day. She may be the easiest kid ever. She is for sure the easiest kid I’ve raised.

April 23, 2021 – 113 of 365 – Friday mornings are for music class in the park with this little sweet pea. We’ve been going to weekly classes (although they have rotated from in a school, to on zoom, and now to a park) since Julia was a baby, and I realized recently that with my last baby starting school five mornings a week in the fall, this little tradition is about to come to an end. My kids have always loved it and I’m starting to feel a little melancholy in anticipation. If you are looking for a great kids music class, First notes is so, so good.

Me: Julia, I see that someone has drawn on the windowsill here. I also see that “Flo” is written next to it.

Julia: Yes, Flo did it.

Me: And she signed her name?

Julia: Yes. [Definitive answer, but starting to look a little worried]

Me: You know…it doesn’t look much like Flo’s handwriting. Do you know whose handwriting it looks like?

Julia: …

Me: Yours, Julia. It looks like your handwriting.

Julia: [with a guilty but shameless smile] Okay, I did it.

April 24, 2021 – 114 of 365 – They make the most adorable messes.

April 25, 2021 – 115 of 365 – My sudden book worm. This is how we find her morning, noon and night.

April 26, 2021 – 116 of 365 – Our garage has looked like this since we moved into this house five years ago – Peeling paint, deteriorating wood, all the good stuff. Over those years I have mostly been pregnant or caring for a small baby or a toddler who hates sleep. Last year in a bold move, I painted that door red and then I gave up. This year, this day, I decided to make it a priority. This is the before.

April 27, 2021 – 117 of 365 – Primer, check.

April 28, 2021 – 118 of 365 – Some of my children are more inclined to splash in muddy puddles than others.

Her cheek dimples are everything.

April 29, 2021 – 119 of 365 – Julia is a rain or shine bike riding aficionado recently.