Baby Godzilla

Any of you who have talked to me in the last few weeks have heard me call say that Julia is like "Baby Godzilla" these days.  She really is into everything and creating wakes of mass destruction.  She does it with an impish little smile and cute belly laugh, which is keeping her off the time-out mat for now.  Look here, she's all, "who, me?"

Eating dinner alone with the girls is especially hard right now. I don't have any photographice evidence, because who knows what would happen in the time I took to grab the camera, but my friend Kate captured it pretty well with her own little Waylonzilla.  

Ours goes something like this:
Samantha finishes moving the food around her plate and asks for more milk.
I turn my back and open the fridge to see that Julia is standing on her high chair leaning across the table with her hand in Elliot's glass.
She knocks it down, milk everywhere.
I go to the closet to get cleaning up. Julia goes to the closet to help.
I am wiping up milk that is dripping everywhere and Julia is now clearing out the tupperware drawer.  Piece by piece.
I redirect her to the living room and hurry to finish wiping the milk and shove the tupperware back in place.
As I close the cabinet there is a crash.
Julia has taken the Game of Life off the shelf.
And taken off the lid.
And dumped the contents (all those little cars & pinheads).  And is standing on the box, crushing the sides down so it will never close cleanly again.
I think I need to play with her.  So we "play" Life together.  She sits on the board, warps the spinner.  She gets bored while I am putting it away.
So she strips naked (-- taking off her diaper is her favorite thing.  Mostly because she is completely potty training herself.  We didn't start her potty training, truly. She did.  And she keeps her diapers dry most mornings, though she strips naked and takes them off about twice every half hour.) 
Which is extra fun when I am getting shoes on all the girls and Julia goes first.
Socks then shoes.
I turn to tie Sammy's laces.
Then zipper Elliot's jacket.
Then turn to grab Julia's hand to head out and realize not only are her shoes off, but she is naked as a jaybird, swinging her diaper around her head in victory.

Sidewalk Chalk w Ami + Dresses from Grandma

If you count the fact that Papa is hiding in the background over on the right, this kind of qualifies as catching the whole family on the day at church when Sidewalk Sam came.  And Samantha reminded me that "you and Daddy are not really dressed for church clothes." She was right. It was opening day for the Patriots.

And Grandma sent some pretty cute dresses this summer.  Finally, at the end I got the girls to be matchy matchy and wear their similar styles all at once.  Over some pajama pants, and without any hair done, but they busted into a routine. Look out Spice Girls, these ladies have mad MOVES!

Grandma Visits

Aquarium Rock Climbers.  We had a great walk from the Boston Aquarium, which is remodeling all around us (no penguins, no sharks...) and then we walked on the Harbor walk all the way to the Children's Museum.  Which proved to maybe be too much for a half day visit.  We left the Children's Museum early to take Sammy to a doctor's appointment, which meant a bee-filled lunch at Olecito in Inman Square and a little visit to the Stella Bella play room.

We welcomed Grandma with a post-airport Lobstah dinner....with the fabulous roasted corn salad and orzo with everything recipes we picked up from Elissa on Girl Weekend in July.

The next morning it was off to visit Auntie Kassi at Starbucks.

 Then Grandma went to work with Elliot on making puffy piggies while Julia helped me make super garlicky pesto.

Sammy trying on some novelty glasses.

And then the sequence - of Julia at the Children's Museum.  She was waiting out front with me while Ben was bringing the car around fro Sammy's doctor.  Beautiful day.  Julia loving her sparkly shoes that look to me more like cheap cardboard slippers.  I was loving snapping shot of her, but my camera is so delayed, it was annoying.  And then she was running and I snapped, but it didn't take, until she wiped out...which I did not realize I had on film until we downloaded here.  Poor girl was okay and I was running to scoop her up before the picture was even done forming.  

Back to School!

2012 - 2013 Back to School time.  We had our Back to School Feast, with this cake...not that we are celebrating or anything.  We made puffy piggies with Grandma and then had Tatie Anne's BBQ Pork, Green Pea & Ricotta Puree, Roasted Quartered Carrots with Ami & Papa.  

JULIA is ready to have Patty all to herself.  

Elliot has Mrs. Gross for First Grade at Angier.

 A tough name for a first grade teacher.  Elliot is watching to see who is walking to school and waiting for us to leave.

Samantha is ready for the Rainbow Room (pre-K) at Hills & Falls.