Update

Dilema! So much to share - should I create half a dozen seperate blogs or lump it all together?? Hmm... Here's the condensed version of a lovely week in the lives of the Texas Cuties...

Made meatloaf. Not our favorite food to eat but one of our favorites to make. Nothin' quite like squishing all that ground meat with our little hands. It's so funny to listen to the girl's dinner conversation and watch them eat. Mia dives into whatever vegetable side we're having. Ali starts on the meat (with ample amounts of ketchup).

Swimming lessons are going.. swimmingly!!

Mia has mastered holding her breath and putting her face in the water. Biggest accomplishment: picking a diving ring up off the bottom of the pool with her face in the water.

Ali's lessons are going well too. There was a slight hiccup when Ali misunderstood the directions to the game "tag shark". She nearly drowned trying to stay under water after she was tagged. Not what her instructor meant...

We got that cleared up and she agreed to participate the next day.

Evie enjoys observing the activity from her Mom's lap.

She is getting bigger and lovelier (is that even possible?) every day.

I surprised Ali with some "alone with Mom" time at a paint-your-own-pottery studio.

It was in celebration of her turning 6 next week! She was impressed with my choice of activity - the first thing she said was "Good thing we didn't bring Mia.." In reference to all the breakable ceramics, of course!

Auntie Leslie recently mused that we could probably leave Ali with the babies (Eva and Pierce) and return to find them changed, dressed, fed and entertained. She's quite capable for a 6 year old. Naturally - the girl loves to be in charge!

Ali does most of Eva's bath herself.

Mia waits until the baby has exited the tub to join her big sister.

(This is due to her tendency to play "submarine" with her baby sister.)

And finally - Mia has spent nearly every night stalking her parents from bed to bed. She is generally a snuggler at night, but lately she's been complaining of bad dreams and "wolfses" in her room. I've determined that her fear of "wolfses" stems from her recent discovery of

Pop-Pop's den... I found her in there staring wide-eyed at various antique firearms, hand-made bows and arrows and coyote and fox pelts decorating the walls, arrow quivers, saddle bags

(oh, pretty much everything).

So much for sleeping.

Growing

Name: Evelyn

Likes: Long naps, hanging out (sans diaper) in the living room, conversation, rattling toys, Mommy's face, Daddy's face, busy children, swaddling, her own crib, the sling, vibrating baby seats, watching cartoons with big sister Ali

Dislikes: bottles, loud and menacing sisters, pacifiers, wet diapers, being alone, tummy time, the baby swing, fast movement, big dumb hair accessories, being left unsupervised with big sister Mia

Squeek of the Week

It's 9:30pm. The girls have been "in bed" for 90 minutes. Mia has emerged several times to request a drink of water, assistance at the potty chair, extra hugs and kisses and her toy Mickey Mouse. She was denied the mouse. Mommy is completely exasperated and out of patience.

114th time out of bed (okay, I exaggerate)
Mia: Mommy, there's something in my closet.
Mommy: No Mia. Go to bed.
Mia: No, something there. (whispers and looks serious) Come, I show you.
Mommy: No Mia.
Mia: Mommy, something in my closet!
Mommy follows Mia against her better judgement
Mia: See?
Mommy: No Mia. I don't see anything. Go to bed.
Mia: No turn on the light. I show you.
Mommy turns on light
Mommy: I still don't see anything Mia
Mia walks into well-lit closet and grabs Mickey Mouse out of the toy box. Then she runs (smart girl) past Mommy and jumps into bed.

I've been had by a three year old.

5 Things You Should Never Ask Daddy

1. How old do I have to be to get married?
2. How do you erase permanent marker?
3. Yes, but how did God get the baby in her tummy?
4. Isn't Grady a nice boy?
5. Can I do ballet instead of soccer?