G & G Adventure

We met Grandma & Grandpa at a pumpkin patch yesterday, for what the girls call a 'Grandma & Grandpa Adventure!'  The air was crisp, the sun was bright, and the smiles were endless.

Hadley loved on every animal she could possibly get her hands on!  And yes, she did lose that 3rd tooth in a week :)

Piper ate up as much Grandma & Grandpa love as she could, while tentatively petting the animals Hadley was smothering.

Bryndel met some animals too, and was quite pleased by them all.  I think that goat surprised them both!

She also thoroughly enjoyed being covered in corn kernels by Grandma & Grandpa :) 

The girls had a blast leaping across haybales and even convinced Grandma & me to join them!  (Grandpa & Kyle needed no convincing.)

There was some serious apple launching to be had as well.

This is very likely my favorite picture I've ever taken of my parents!  Not only is it hilarious that they are riding wooden horses, but don't they look darling together!

Thanks for the adventure, Grandma & Grandpa!  We can't wait to plan the next one!

Faces This Week

Hadley~ missing not one but two teeth; and maybe even a third, as I think the other top tooth nearly fell out in her sauerkraut this morning! Um, yes, she eats that for breakfast!  She thinks its one of the greatest foods ever made, and Piper plugs her nose next to her every morning.

Piper~ acclimated to school (yah!) and relearned to play (and secretly love it!) by herself in the mornings. 
















Bryndel~ just lots of hair scrubbin' to get all that food out, hehe!

Little Pumpkin

Bryndel spied her first real pumpkin this week right on our doorstep, and was delighted!  While taking pictures of her, I wondered what Hadley & Piper looked like when they were 'little pumpkins' themselves...

Bryndel ~ September 2013, almost 13 months

Piper ~ September 2009, 13.5 months

Hadley ~ September 2007, 10 months

Wordless Wednesday

The Non-School Kid

So, what has the 'non-school' kiddo been up to?  Pushing & walking behind anything that will move: step stool, laundry basket, music table, chair, etc.

And asking for help (that's her baby sign!) anytime she's stuck, or wants something, or 'needs' something.  If I walk by the bowl of tomatoes in the kitchen while holding her, she'll throw her little arm up so fast it nearly hits me!  And in the evenings, she'll throw a double arm when she's trying desperately to ask for our quiet 'milk' time.  

Help, my stool is stuck in the corner.

Or you'll find her learning the ins & outs of being an Anderson sister 'moocher!'  She looooves to put her mouth on the edge of Kyle's protein shake and 'drink'.

Help, I need more!

Or you might find her upside down somewhere in the house.  Her favorite place being the neatly folded piles of laundry.

Needless to say, this girl is busy & on the move!  She doesn't slow down much these days, which might be why she weighs in at the 7th %ile and thanks to Daddy stretches on up to the 97th %ile for her height at one year.

The 4Ker

Piper was admittedly nervous this morning for her first day of 4K (aka preschool), but by the gleam in her eyes, I think we can say she was also very excited!

While Piper does not yet need to wear a uniform to school, she was adamant that she be a 'real school kid like Had,' and chose some of Hadley's clothes from last year :)

The First Grader

Proud & not afraid to show it!  Piece of cake, for both of us :)

(Piper starts tomorrow!)

Through the Looking Glass

As we wind the summer down into the Labor Day weekend, and begin afresh with a new school year and a sure to be beautiful fall, we have much to be thankful for.  And as I watch my three little buddies peek out the window together, I am struck by just how far we've come.

Hadley & Piper in October of 2009!  

And while tomorrow is a bittersweet day in our house, Hadley skips off to 1st grade & Piper to 4K, I am ever SO thankful to be here versus last year at this time! 

For the sake of remembering this (now) funny story about last year's start of school, I should probably write it down... 
















Last year's first day of school dawned bright & early, especially for me, as I was up with sweet Bryndel 3 times during the night. She was all of 8 pounds and a mere 15 days old.  Kyle gratefully made us all breakfast, but was then out the door to the office, leaving me with 3 kiddos and the impending first day of Kindergarten.  Somehow we arrived at school right on time dressed (myself included) with hair done (theirs and mine, ha!) and a sack lunch made; a smiling but nervous Hadley, a reluctant and sad Piper, a thankfully sleeping Bryndel in her carseat, and a barely holding it together Mama.

We got Hadley unpacked at her little locker/cubby, said our huggy goodbyes, and watched her walk into the classroom without even looking back.  I quickly grabbed Piper's hand and headed straight down the hallway for the doors.  I wanted so much to make it outside those doors without my tears actually falling from my face. And we made it, before my emotions took hold (AND all of the extra hormones, mind you), and my face and shirt were soaked.

I looked down at Piper, to see a very confused look on her face, and suddenly I remembered.  "Piper, we forgot our baby!!!"  

We found sweet Bryndel happily still asleep in her carseat under Hadley's cubby right where we had left her.  No one but Piper & me the wiser, and we even managed another peek at Hadley, who appeared to be eagerly listening and learning already.    

Tomorrow is going to be a cake walk.