birthday tea party ...

For Em's birthday party this year she decided that she wanted a big girl tea party. We had so fun much even planning the party. The whole family got involved. I made pretty "grown up" invitations" on scalloped notecards (she picked out the notecards herself).
The party was so nice and definitely worth all the work. Riles decided she wants the same party idea for her birthday. When I explained to her that that may be hard since her best friend is a boy she said "he can have a Spiderman tea cup".
We had a craft table for the girls to decorate their gift bags. I am so sad that I forgot to get a picture of it, but for favors I made each girl two sets of bows for their hair and a personalized set of notecards. The logo that I used for the stationary for each girl, I also used for the lollipop bouquet.
Favorite foods: butterfly and heart shaped PB& J sandwiches, french toast, and fruit
Least favorite foods: chicken salad sandwiches on croissants"Tea" was apple cider and strawberry lemonade.
I had organized so many tea party games, like pin the tea cup on the saucer and

musical chairs but the all the girls preferred playing with Mike. It was so funny!! They thought that everything he did was so hilarious. They literally copied everything he did and chased him around. He was such a sport.

We had a Cupcake Cake. Each girl decorated their own cupcake. We also made so many other traditional tea party desserts (thankfully my friend Becky came over the night before and end up helping bake) that most girls were too full too eat cupcakes so we sent them home with their cupcakes.

What a fun party. Her friends are so sweet. They were so excited to be at a real tea party. Most importantly, she and her little sister really loved it. And that is worth cooking until 1:30 a.m..

IT'S VALENTINES DAY

AND

I LOVE DINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I decided to break my long-standing no blogging policy in honor of Dina, the best wife and mother I could ever imagine. If you've spent any time at all on our blog, its pretty easy to tell that she is amazing. I can't even begin to describe how lucky I am. Unfortunately, I am also at work, as usual, so I really can't begin to describe how lucky I am. Let's just say that Dina is smart, beautiful, patient, fun and beautiful, and that I love her more than anything.

Happy Birthday Em!

Em just had her birthday. We just love that sweet girl. I remember praying and praying that Mike and I would have a baby. When I kiss her goodnight I still whisper to her that she was worth the wait.
I feel like I have already learned more from her than I could ever teach her. I really am a much better person because of her.
She is so kind. I have never met anyone more kind than she is. She has always had this amazing ability to find other children in her classroom that need special attention and be their friend. In all reviews at school, the teachers always say that she has a unique talent of making other feel accepted.
She is also so obedient and intelligent. She never ever wants to let Mike and me down. It is so sweet. She is very determined and dedicated in everything she tries. This girl loves LOVES to learn. She has this great wonderment for all things science.

But mostly I love the way she loves. She loves completely and is loyal. She lets the people she loves know that they are loved and important to her. Yesterday during tennis lessons, every time she had a great hit she would run over to me and kiss me and say “that was for you, Mom.”
We love you, Em!
I really really like these girls of ours.
Now, if only I can get them to share and stop being so competitive with each other!! But, other than that …

mash potatoes bad guys and pensive love

" Daddy, I'm not gonna eat my mash potatoes. They look like bad guys."
~ from Riles (who normally loves mash potatoes, as long as they are shaped like fish or other non-combative shapes)

"Mommy, I just don't know why I love you so much. I weally don't." ~ a very contemplative and somewhat confused Riles.

President Hinckley

I just love this picture of President Hinckley. It is exactly as I will remember him: with his beloved Marjorie, smiling, and laughing with the youth whom he is so loved.
The girls were so sweet when we told them of his passing. Emerson simply said "I am so sad. I really love him" and Rileigh said "Oh, he was a gweat pwophet".

Here are some quotes from him for our girls for the future:

To the YW:
"When you save a girl, you save generations. I see this as the one bright shinning hope in the world."

"You are young enough that the future world of which you dream still lies ahead of you. Each is a child of God. Each of you is a creature of Divinity. You are literally a daughter of the Almighty. There is no limit to your potential. If you will take control of your lives, the future is filled with opportunity and gladness. You cannot afford to waste your talents or your time. Great opportunities lie ahead of you. "

"You need never feel inferior. You need never feel that you were born without talents or without opportunities to give them expression. Cultivate whatever talents you have, and they will grow and refine and become an expression of your true self appreciated by others.”

“Reach out to help one another. All of us need help from time to time. We need encouragement. We need friends who will stand by us through thick or thin. I ask each of you to be that kind of friend.”

To us:
“You have nothing in this world more precious than your children. When you grow old, when your hair turns white and your body grows weary, when you are prone to sit in a rocker and meditate on the things of life, nothing will be so important as the question of how your children turned out.”

“People wonder what we do for our women. I tell you what we do: we get out of their way and look with wonder at what they are accomplishing.”

in honor of Marie ...

Our friend, Marie, recently reminded me that she met two of our three daughters the day they were born. She and her husband, Richy, held our daughters before everyone but Mike and me. I recently found some photos of Emerson and Rileigh when they were younger. People are always telling us that Kate looks different than her sisters. We think she looks just like her sisters. Below are our three daughters at the same age. Can you guess the girl?

little ladies ...

For primary, the girls had to fill a spotlight form. While I was making dinner Mike and the girls filled out their forms. Mike came in to show me their forms, in particular the question pertaining to their hero. They both had the same hero. I was so touched.

(Here are their answers. I cropped most the form) Emerson's is the first and Rileigh's is the second.)

I hope they always feel this way. I seriously sometimes worry though. I am a pretty strict Mom. Emerson was doing impressions of Mike and me a little while ago. When she imitated me her voice went into a falsetto and she said "Remember, I always want you to be little ladies. That is most important." Mike just laughed. I am ALWAYS reminding the girls to be "little ladies".

Parenting is such a fine line. I watch parents who are too lenient with rowdy children and I just cringe. But then I watch parents who are too strict (although there seems to be few of them) and I cringe.

You only get one chance to do this. I have lately been asking parents of youth (parents of young women in particular) that I admire for parenting tips. All their daughters are polite, kind, not boy crazy (that is huge for me, you can like boys but do let it become an obsession), and intelligent. The type of girls that excel in many areas. Their parents are always happy to share, but each has a different method. I have noticed, though, two strong reoccurring themes: the youth that I admired most had parents who set very strong limits. And the young women I admire most play sports. I think studies may be correct about the correlation between sports and teen girls' self-esteem.

So if anyone has any great parenting books to recommend I would love some. I really want to get mothering right. You cannot go back and change it if you don't.

Happy Birthday, Kate!!

Yesterday was Kate’s first birthday.I cannot believe that we have had Kate for a year now. She has been such a source of joy and happiness for our whole family this past year.
I remember when Kate was two weeks old. I was up with her during her night feedings (I have never once let Mike get up with our daughters when they were babies at night. I love that special alone time and get quite possessive of it). I remember looking down at her little face and it was so familiar to me. And I was so surprised by how familiar this new little face was to me. It was so tender for me to realize that you could show me all the babies in the world with their similar delicate and precious features and I would know my brand new child. Even though I had only known her for two weeks. Even after just two weeks I knew her cry and smell and her sweet wide eyes. I knew that she was mine and I was hers. I couldn’t remember life without her.
I am so grateful for that sweet baby. I love the way she hugs so tightly when you wake her up from her nap. I love the little smile she gets when you say her name. I love to hold her up to the bay windows and watch her watch the world so intently. I love her baby laugh. It is deep and all consuming like her daddy’s. I love to watch her play with her sisters. She adores her big sisters. I especially love the way Emerson and Rileigh love Kate. It is amazing that that little 18 pound person can bring so much joy into our lives. I am excited and sad for all the changes the next year will bring. I just wish these girls of mine would stop growing up so quickly. It doesn’t seem fair.

Happy First Birthday, Kate!! We love you, CupKate.

Emersonism

Tonight I was reading to the girls in the Book of Mormon the story of Lehi and the Liahona. Emerson turned to me very excitedly and said "Mom, the Liahona is a GPS".
She may just be as profound as the man she is named after. I just love her!

I Like Mike

OK I need to remember tomorrow to get a gratitude journal so that I do not have to keep using this blog for one. But for today I am grateful for Mike. Mike has decided to help me with this contest. So he will be doing everything that I am (except the no soda part, he's a diet pepsi ADDICT - yes, dear, you need help). Last night he came home from work and worked out with me, read scriptures with me, and even wrote a little something in an old journal of his ( a few of the requirements for this contest).

I really love Mike. This year marks 12 years together. I have to say, for people who were so independent before we met we really are the most co-dependent couple I know. Mike is truly my best friend. I am not going to gush as to all the reason why I love him. But I really really do. We are always so supportive of one another and we love to help one another. We really like each other and we hate to be apart, even for a day. And the one thing that I recently noticed is that we still make each other laugh. Alot. And I love that man's laugh.

Kate Ate - Part 2

Apparently Kate really really liked lunch that day. Here she is licking the plate clean. I cannot get enough of this baby!

She is just the sweestest baby.

Of all the presents under the tree ...

... Emerson's favorite was Sophie!
Emerson's best friend in the whole world since birth, Sophie, came to sleep over Christmas night. Emerson declared that Sophie was her best Christmas present. They have not lived in the same state for more than half their little lives but they still adore each other.
This is her little brother. He is sooooooooo cute. And so much like Rileigh.

Christmas Traditions

We had the greastest Christmas this year. The nice thing about being home for Christmas is that we can begin to establish our own Christmas traditions. It allows us to incorporate what we love most about both our Christmases growing up and incorporate some of own own:

• We begin the Christmas season by taking the girls to the Boston Ballet Co.'s Nutcracker with Mike's firm


• We read mostly (and only if the girls will let us Christmas books beginning in Dec.)


• We decorate a ginger bread house


• We get a great tree and as we unpack each of the ornaments we tell the girls their significance (some from our travels, th Lenox ones for girls were born and one from the year we got married, and our favorites - some that Mike made with his beloved Grandma Eunice. We just love to tell the girls about her)


• Once the tree is decorated we ceremoniously light the tree for the first time and gather around it and read Luke 2. Hearing Mike read it still makes me cry


• We dust off our Italian and German Nativities that night


• We have special mailbox that Santa has direct access to. Throughout Dec. he will leave "Naughty" or "Nice" notes. Luckily, rarely there are naughty notes. But when there are boy! are the girls really good the next day


• Before we pack up the ornaments, we use the same mailbox and write the gifts that we want to give the Saviour this year. Next year when we unpack it we can review that list


• We adopt a family to do Secret Santa. This was our most amazing year!! Honestly, it was best part of Christmas for us. E-mail us if you want the details but I know that Mike and I will never ever forget this Christmas for that reason


• On Christmas Eve morning (except if falls on Sunday) I go to the Italian Bakery to get some cannolis and Italian cookies that my grandparents served (the cookies are so dry, so this year Mike and I decideded we get them less for the tasting of them and more for the "Center Piece")and we go to my Uncle's. Just like I did as a child. Santa makes a visit there. This year the mantle of Santa was passed on to a Santa that mommy can attest she has kissed under the mistletoe


• Before we leave for my uncle the girls hang notes on the front door for Santa asking him to stop at our house and we put out a carrot for Rudolph


• While we are gone Santa's elves bring a new pair of pjs for the girls and put them in their stockings to wear on Christmas Eve


• When we get home we put out cookies for Santa (and tell the girls the story of the real St. Nicholas), and open one gift


• On Christmas Eve we read only Luke 2 for the girls and then sing many Christmas carols around the tree. Mike and I talk about the true meaning of Christmas and what Christ means to us.


• Grandma sleeps over


• On Christmas morning the girls wake up way way too early. We say a prayer to thank our Saviour for the incredible gift that He gave us. The girls have a very hard time during this prayer.


• Then in Chatwin family tradition we line up according to age and march to the living room


• We open stockings first, which also have oranges in them (Chatwin Family tradition)


• Then Santa gifts (they are never wrapped)


• Then Mike hands out the gifts and everyone creates their pile of wrapped gifts around them and we each take turns opening one, youngest to oldest (Chatwin tradition)


• Family and friends come over later for dinner


• We read the Christmas story that night again

We also started two new traditions whcih I love

• This year we went to Sarah's and slept over and made and decorated sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies and then sled. It is so charming that we decided that we should do this every year.


• And we deliver treats to a local fire station to thank the firemen for working on that day
  

The girls got the American Girls dolls. Emerson got Samantha and Rileigh got a Bitty Baby and named it the same name as Emerson's Bitty Baby. The girls LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE their dolls. I do not know how we can ever top this Christmas
Wile we were busy unwrapping Kate's gifts for her she snuck off and stole the cookie that Santa left half bitten. Showing early signs of genious!
My favorite gift - GPS. I am famous for ALWAYS being lost. My friends tease me constantly and the girls have had many faith promoting experiences do to my lack of direction.The girls and their beloved dolls. It really was a magical Christmas.
Kate might have been a little overwhelmed.

Rileigh's Holiday Performance

Unfortunately I cannot upload Rileigh's very favorite song "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel". She has been practicing that song for so long. She sang it today with such gusto!

Keep in mind as you watch these, they are rocky because I also had Kate in one arm.

Rileigh and our beloved Ms. Lucy. Emerson had her as well. We truly love Ms. Lucy and there is no one in the entire world we would rather have teach our babies.

This is Ms. Mona. Rileigh absolutely adores her. She is kind and patient. She is so soft spoken and absolutely loves loves loves the children. She substituted for Emerson last year and we loved her then. We are so grateful that she now teaches Rileigh.

We just love our preschool. We couldn't imagine a better place for children.