The Firths

Things I always wanted to do

I love Krystal, she is really good to our family. In fact, even though she is my cousin my kids think that she is some kind of grandma (Liam is always quick to declare that she is ''NOT the old kind of grandma!') because she is so loving towards them. We are 6 months apart and have been buddies since we were little, our friendship goes deep.

I have a list of 'cool D.C. things' I yern to do but can't because 1 ) I almost always have the kids with me 2) Most of my friends here happen to be homebodies.

So, when Krystal was here we spent a day with the theme of "Everything you've always wanted to do." We spent an afternoon in Georgetown just going shopping, sans kids. I went to stores like H&M and Anthropology- ones that everyone raves about but I've never been to because they are not toddler friendly. We took our time, ate fancy cupcakes, and even made plans to do the modern art museum. It feels good to have a friend like Krystal.

MMmmm

Liam's Kindergarten Graduation

I have a special place in my heart reserved for kindergarten teachers. They are altruistic and sacrificing with huge, expandable hearts. Liam's teacher, Madame Fomuso, is one of the our favorite things about living here. She is an incredibly driven and deliberate teacher and has been a great fit for Liam. If I could sign Liam up for her class for the rest of elementary school, I would.

This is a traditional African outfit made in Cameroon by Madame Fomuso's mother. She made a few of them for outstanding and improved students. Liam was one of the lucky kids.When he got the award this is what she said about him:

He treats everyone with respect and is accepting of everyone. He doesn't care about race or skin color.
He understands an amazing amount of French and comprehends everything she tells him.
He is always the first person to get done with his work, then helps the other kids
He went from not even knowing how to write lowercase to writing pages every day.

I love this cute kid!

Yes, I'll admit to shedding a few tears over this Kindergarten graduation. My baby is growing up so fast!

Nana, Papa, and Camber

What a blessing it is to have such wonderful family. We love these guys! We enjoyed having them here for the baby blessing, I think Elsie has a little crush on her Papa. Not only did we get Mom and Dad here, but Camber made it too! We hit the beach, did some DC museums, visited Liam's class, and had fun staying up late visiting. It was incredibly helpful having superhuman pals for us to hang out with (especially our oldest two) while we figured out how to have 3 kids.

P.S., I stole these pictures from my mother-in law, Leisa ;)

One Month Old

I could sit and stare at this baby all day. I love to kiss her fuzzy head and fall asleep as she lays on my tummy. I can hardly believe Kaelyn is 4 weeks old. the hours have gone by quickly. She's already almost 9 lbs and these sweet new baby moments feel like time to be relished.

I feel tired these days. I wake up each morning in a sleep- deprived daze. The house looks like a bomb has gone off, the kids have been watching way too many movies, and I can often be found wearing pajamas in the middle of the day. But I'm happy and life is satisfying and full of meaning.

It's been great to have a lot of help following the baby's birth. Brady has been working loooong hours and the extra hands and hugs have been a relief and blessing. My mom and my Aunt Jessie came the week the baby was born and were a gift to have around. They played with my kids, spoiled me, beautified my house, tackled my monster sized laundry pile, organized my cupboards, made sure that my kids were happy ad the baby was dressed in pink. It was fun to chat and catch up. It was also very meaningful to have my mom in the room for the delivery to celebrate with us.

No matter how old you are, you still need your mom (and your aunt Jess!)