Sometimes they act like they love each other....when they're not screaming or fighting.
I'm not sure if there's a minimum number of posts a blogger needs in order to call themselves a "blogger," but I bet whatever the number is I'm getting dangerously close to losing that title. The last post was shortly after the school year began last year, and now we're already preparing for the next school year to start. I think it's time Dad starts contributing to the blog!
Normally when I post, I do my best to recap all of the family highlights since the previous post. Well...considering it's been the better part of a year, I don't think I could even if I wanted! I'm not even sure where to start.
The kids. Everything starts and stops with the kids. SO, youngest to oldest it is:
The kids. Everything starts and stops with the kids. SO, youngest to oldest it is:
Prepped for surgery 6/30/18 Always stylin'
Brylee Quinn
Hobbies: playing with her dolls, following Devyn around, helping mom in the kitchen
Favorite Show: Shimmer and Shine, Peppa Pig
Activities: tumbling class, swim lessons, and yoga
Successes: talking-she's come SO far, especially in the past couple months
Challenges: managing her temper and potty training
Successes: talking-she's come SO far, especially in the past couple months
Challenges: managing her temper and potty training
Brylee is both sassy and sweet. She gives the best hugs and will take good care of anyone UNTIL they make her mad...then, watch out! She has the quickest temper and will scream bloody murder if she doesn't get what she wants.
Brylee and Ellie had their tonsils and adenoids removed a few weeks ago. The recovery was much worse than I had expected, or at least a lot longer than I expected. As if that wasn't bad enough she fell at the pool on the 4th of July and busted her chin open. I'm trying not to feel too guilty about not taking her to the ER...I played doctor and bandaged her up myself. I guess we'll see how my medical skills turn out!
Brylee and Ellie are now going to "school" with Devyn a couple days a week over the summer. They will be starting preschool at Nate Mack with me in August. That means I have to get THREE kids ready each morning and somehow get us all to work/school on time. Please pray for me!
Ellison Mae
Showing off her loot from a pinata!
Hobbies: hanging with Devyn, playing with cars, climbing
Favorite Show: Blaze and Peppa Pig
Activities: tumbling class, swim lessons, yoga
Successes: talking, reaching the faucet (she's super proud of this one!)
Challenges: potty training, sharing
Successes: talking, reaching the faucet (she's super proud of this one!)
Challenges: potty training, sharing
Ellie is becoming a little more reserved in her "old age." She used to be the one I would worry about walking away while we were out in public. She had no fear and didn't mind being on her own. Luckily for me, or at least for her safety, that extreme independence has lessened. She gets nervous and sometimes cries when I drop her off at school or when it's time for her swim lesson to begin.
Potty training will be the death of me! I told myself that with the girls being well past three and having all summer to work on it, we'd have no problem. Well, I forgot to factor in the element of a three year-old's interest in any given activity. Ellie and Brylee have almost NO interest in using a toilet and don't mind wearing diapers at all. I can bribe them with candy to sit on the potty and that's about as good as it gets. They get their chocolate and are on their merry way. I bought special watches that play a song every 30 minutes to remind them to use the restroom. That was exciting for them for about 3 hours and then they were done. Money well spent!
Potty training will be the death of me! I told myself that with the girls being well past three and having all summer to work on it, we'd have no problem. Well, I forgot to factor in the element of a three year-old's interest in any given activity. Ellie and Brylee have almost NO interest in using a toilet and don't mind wearing diapers at all. I can bribe them with candy to sit on the potty and that's about as good as it gets. They get their chocolate and are on their merry way. I bought special watches that play a song every 30 minutes to remind them to use the restroom. That was exciting for them for about 3 hours and then they were done. Money well spent!
Kinley Grace
Hobbies: playing in the water, singing, using her iPad
Favorite Show: Frozen, Daniel Tiger
Activities: therapy and more therapy, swim "lessons" with Mom or Dad, summer school
Successes: drinking out of an open cup, saying her name
Challenges: too many: crawling and standing, communicating
Successes: drinking out of an open cup, saying her name
Challenges: too many: crawling and standing, communicating
Kinley is still the biggest Daddy's girl ever! She just melts when he's around. And just like her affection for Dad, her other favorites are still the same. No matter how many new toys and games the girls get, Kinley always prefers the same toys she's played with for years. She has a third Leapfrog laptop because she has completely worn out the first two. Kinley still loves to sing! She's much more likely to serenade you than speak to you and you knows every single word to the movie, Frozen.
Kinley spends a lot of time at therapy. She receives speech and occupational therapy each once a week, and physical therapy twice each week. Plus, she receives those services at school as well. For her "Kindergarten" year she will be in a life skills class at a school not far from mine. Devyn will continue to be jealous that Kinley gets to ride on the school bus! Luckily, Kinley has enjoyed going to school, and even summer school, for the past two years. I pray that she will continue to enjoy it, because if she doesn't it will be a VERY long year for us and her teachers. When Kinley doesn't enjoy something she will let you know LOUDLY! Just ask her physical therapists.....when she spots one of them coming for her she immediately starts crying or screaming. She still cries when the doorbell rings because for about two years the only people who rang the doorbell were babysitters or therapists.
Devyn Marie
Swimming is her obsession!
Hobbies: swimming, playing outside, bossing her sisters around, hanging with mom
Favorite Show: Peppa Pig, Loud House
Activities: karate, swim lessons, tumbling, yoga
Successes: riding a bike, learning to swim
Challenges: following directions the first time, staying in her own bed
Successes: riding a bike, learning to swim
Challenges: following directions the first time, staying in her own bed
Devyn surprises me every day! In just the past month she learned how to ride her new big girl bike without training wheels and started swimming without her float, though she still has a ways to go. She has an excellent memory (clearly not from her mother) and endless energy. She always wants to go, go, go!
It's so interesting (sometimes funny, sometimes infuriating, sometimes endearing) to observe her relationship with her sisters. One minute she's comforting a crying Ellie when I'm dropping them off at school and saying, "Don't worry mom, I'll take good care of her." Then the next minute she's singing the "Ten in the Bed Roll Over" song as she rolls Brylee right off my bed. Devyn tends to play with just one sister at a time, so for a little while Ellie will be the favorite, and eventually she'll switch to Brylee. Kinley usually prefers to be left alone. At school her teachers called Devyn the "mother," which I'm pretty sure mostly means "bossy." She can certainly be stubborn and sassy, but I've also watched her take a younger, special needs classmate by the hand to help include him in the activities which melts my heart.
It's so interesting (sometimes funny, sometimes infuriating, sometimes endearing) to observe her relationship with her sisters. One minute she's comforting a crying Ellie when I'm dropping them off at school and saying, "Don't worry mom, I'll take good care of her." Then the next minute she's singing the "Ten in the Bed Roll Over" song as she rolls Brylee right off my bed. Devyn tends to play with just one sister at a time, so for a little while Ellie will be the favorite, and eventually she'll switch to Brylee. Kinley usually prefers to be left alone. At school her teachers called Devyn the "mother," which I'm pretty sure mostly means "bossy." She can certainly be stubborn and sassy, but I've also watched her take a younger, special needs classmate by the hand to help include him in the activities which melts my heart.
Devyn will be starting Kindergarten in August. She is so excited! She still doesn't understand why she can't ride a school bus back and forth to school (she'll ride with me) like Kinley does, but I'm sure she'll get over it. I love how inquisitive she is....constantly asking questions and wanting to learn new things. OK....maybe I lose my patience after the eight millionth question she asks.
And just a taste of what the Marshmallows have been doing for the past few months:
Devyn and Kinley celebrated their 5th birthday at Kangamoo!
Devyn loves playing games, but the whip cream makes it even better!
Hanging with Co and Kim during their visit. And they actually LOVE Kim despite the look on Devyn and Brylee's faces.
Lookin' good girls!
Kinley loves her Papa
Open House at one of the local fire stations
Ellie and Brylee celebrated their 3rd birthday in March surrounded by lots of family and friends!
I bet the other parents at the park get a kick out of watching me race back and forth trying to push all four of them! "Push ME Mom!"
Hanging with Nana during her visit!
Grammy and Grandpa Marsh are so fun! They're not afraid of a crowded sleepover!
Brylee and Ellie finally had their first haircut! Can you tell which sister actually enjoyed it?
It takes a big golf cart to hold all these ladies!
They love yoga class!
Our first bowling adventure on the 4th of July!
