MVP

Henry and Frances had golf camp this week. They loved it. When I picked up Frances she had this in hand...shut the front door....she was very proud of herself. The best part though was how proud Henry was of her. Too cute.

Julio...the Star of Maggie's Party

We love the Portland Audubon Center and a particular owl there, Julio. So, when we were thinking of birthday parties, Maggie wanted to have hers with Julio. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day and we were able to see Julio and the other birds, go for a hike with her friends, and enjoy the wonderful hikes in Forest Park. It so fun to see her celebrate in the comfort and joy of her wonderful friendships. TOO CUTE.

Our baby...is FOUR!!!

Maggie turned four. FOUR. WHAT ?!?!?!?!?!?!? How it is even possible she is four? Thankfully she reminds us that she is that age as she is wonderfully independent, articulate, has friends and a whole community outside of her house, and she has her own likes...and dislikes...that are very different than her brother and sister. She is our angel. Thankfully, Maggie revels in the role of youngest child. Her birthday was spectacular filled with her favorite things.. Mom stayed home from work, play date with Oskie, pool and lunch, nails, and dinner with a fancy dessert with Grandma. Maggie is a precocious bundle of sunshine. We adore her and are so proud of her. She has made the last four years spectacular, just like her.

Our Lucky Charm - Frances Turns Seven

Frances's seventh birthday was a pretty great one for her. Her cousin Katie was here and they got to have a sleep over, they woke to breakfast and slip and slide, then she had a football game, followed by dinner with grandparents, water fun at Jamison, and dessert at Cool Moon. We got the McCall Wonder....10 scoops of ice cream. Frances is just a joy to our family -- my seven favorite characteristics about her are her gusto, compassion, perseverance, humor,  empathy, braveness, and loyalty. I adore this sweet child of mine.  She makes the world a better place because she is in it and we are so lucky to be along for the ride.

Fabulous Frances at Football

Frances had another great season of football and Mark did another amazing job of coaching. This year her good friend Luke also played and his dad coached, which made it even more fun. It is a big time commitment - bascially three hours every Sunday when you include travel. That said, seeing the smile on her face and the sheer joy every time she plays makes it worth it. She had a wonderful group of boys on her team and really kind and thoughtful parents. 

Birthday Playdate with Her Homies

Instead of a birthday party Frances wanted to have an ultimate sports play date with her buddies. She got to pick four friends. She picked all boys. The day involved SPORTS, eating, SPORTS, eating, SPORTS. We played soccer, had Mexican followed by donuts, played soccer again and ended with Slip in Slide....the sports version....a mixture of sprints and baseball. She has VERY sweet group of friends who are very kind. I love those boys and love my daughter with them.