School Pictures

I buy my kids school pictures every year not because I think they are amazingly done or because I don't have enough pictures of my kids. Really I do it because they are an adorably cheesy way to remember their childhoods. Since I always spring for the cheapest package, I let them shine and choose what they want to wear and which background and pose they want. It amazes me each time how into it they get. 

I remember school pictures being a big deal as a child, but I mostly think that was because it was like the only picture we had done in the year! My family certainly didn't go frolic in some idillic outdoor location for a photographer once a year. Heck, we didn't even hit up olan mills or jcpennys once a year for family pictures. That was more like every few years. I really do cherish the fact that we do family photos every year together and are able to document our children's childhoods so well. I do hope someday they are appreciative of that ;) Even if they aren't, I know as an old lady I will enjoy looking back. And I imagine it will be fun to show my grandchildren pictures of their parents when they were young. 

I really don't know how I got so far away from school pictures so quickly like that! But here is a picture I snapped of the kids when I was dropping them off at school on picture day. 

Some things I want to remember about this is how Isla laid out five dresses to choose from. And how she wore wedges to school...which I thought her teacher would be mad about, but never said anything. And how Connor wanted to make sure his hair looked nice, which he never even wants it touched normally. And how he wanted to make sure he brushed his teeth extra good for pictures. It's the little details that make me smile. And make me glad I at least buy the cheap package of pictures. 

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Baby #4 {18 weeks}

I have literally been the worst at documenting this pregnancy. I have these three pictures, all taken on my cell phone while walking out the door somewhere. I've meant to be better, but somewhere between running the kids all around and taking naps, I just haven't seem to have done it.

I get asked all the time how I am feeling. 99% of the time I feel absolutely exhausted. I don't remember feeling this exhausted in my other pregnancies. And if I get too tired, I just feel sick. But my morning sickness was never bad. My gag reflux though, that's another story. It is still alive and well at 18 weeks, making brushing my teeth difficult at times and bad smells just really affect me. Other than that, I really am doing well.

Foodwise I don't really have any aversions, per say. It's more how I feel when I look at the food! But in general, I have begun shunning meat, which seems to have happened in each of my pregnancies. Any fried and bad for me food really sounds good though. I am eating copious amounts of fruit as well.

I think I can feel the baby move, but am not 100%. I definitely can't feel it from the outside though. Maybe I should just say I am feeling "flutters" and call it a day. I do look forward to in a few short weeks when I can see the baby jabbing through my belly and have some reassurance that all is well in there.

I said I was going to wait until at least 20 weeks before I bought anything for the baby, then I went ahead and got some stuff. So I currently have a mini crib sitting in my room. I found the one I wanted  on facebook marketplace and just went for it. Then we went and got ourselves a minivan this past weekend. So I guess we are getting ready after all. Though I am sure I will wait to buy a pack of diapers until the week before my due date...because priorities. Haha!

There you have it, what's going on so far. I should be having my 20 week ultrasound here pretty soon, but it hasn't been scheduled yet for some reason. Which reminds me that I really should be emailing my doctor about that and not writing a blog ;)

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Copenhagen

When we started planning our trip last year, we knew we were going to go to Scotland for sure. Then London with Ian's family came to be. So for our last bit of time, I knew I wanted to go somewhere we had never been before, but didn't necessarily know where. One day while listening to the radio, they were talking about this cool lego place in Denmark, the home of lego. Now the cool lego place ended up being more than three hours outside of Copenhagen, so we didn't go visit. But that was what started me looking at Denmark, thus deciding on Copenhagen. 

The one thing I did not know about Copenhagen until we arrived was how insanely expensive it is. The exchange rate certainly wasn't in our favor. Plus, you have to even pay for tap water at restaurants! Think $5 for a pitcher of water. The food situation definitely created a huge sticker shock. And though the train getting from the airport into Copenhagen was super convenient and easy, I didn't find public transportation convenient, at least where we were staying. So, we did a lot of walking because, well, taxis be crazy expensive there too! Ian and I can handle the walking, but it was hard for the kids with the warm humid weather and the walking. But let's switch gears to some good things about Copenhagen. 

Obviously Tivoli was a highlight. Over a month later, my kids still bring it up all the time. Also, there was an epic park right next to the building we were staying in. I don't even know how to begin describing the amazingness of this park. It had several play structures. But there were also toys out during the day for kids to play with. Tons of different bikes that you could ride by yourself, or many even had seats to ride others around too. Also, there were so many trees. Which sitting under the trees with a little breeze, the heat wasn't even a bother. During the day, there was also a building that sold snacks, most notably popsicles. It was just a really great park. One that was visited more than once a day every day we were there. 

For the touristy stuff in Copenhagen, we walked Stroget, a super long pedestrian only street that is full of shopping and charm. The kids weren't super into it, well except for the neat lego store. But I thought it was a fun experience. Then we went to Nyhavn. Nyhavn is absolutely beautiful, and colorful, but to be honest, there really isn't anything to do except eat there. Well, it is also the start of boat tours, if one is going to do that...being stuck on a small cramped vessel with my children for a decent amount of time wasn't a priority of mine, so we didn't do one. I had seen on Pinterest months ago that there was a place that had trampolines in the sidewalk. I really, really wanted to go, but literally couldn't find anywhere that listed where in the city they were. I finally found someone mention what hotel they were across from, so we hunted them down. Callum absolutely loved them. We had to drag him away. Isla enjoyed them. And Connor was just hot. But they are right next to the waterway. It really was a beautiful setting. It would have just been more enjoyable if there were some trees and it was a little cooler out ;)

Another day we took a corny little train tour of the downtown area. I enjoyed it because it let us see quickly a few of the highlights that we really were skipping because the kids can only take so much. I should mention that there were also several coffee shop trips, because Ian was there. 

^^ proof that I was actually there

^^ Our airbnb was actually someone's primary residence. This was the first time that has ever happened in all the times we've stayed in airbnb's. It was sort of weird, but also super nice because there were SO MANY toys to play with. Including a swing installed in the ceiling and a jungle gym bar coming from the ceiling too that Isla totally loved.

^^ at the cool lego store on Stroget

If we went back to Copenhagen, I would definitely rent bikes ahead of time...they have cool ones all over with buckets on the front for kids. It would have made getting around so much easier. And I think having just known that every meal was going to be crazy expensive in advance would have helped with my sticker shock as well. Oh, and not having our departing flight canceled a couple hours before we were supposed to leave would have helped too. But those are just minor details...well the flight wasn't, but that's another story. 

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Fun in the Sun

But really, it's fun in the shade ;) That just doesn't have the same ring to it though. 

I keep neglecting this ole blog of mine, but I'm not ready to give it up. I don't really document things any other way and I do want a place to remember all the things, so I will keep trudging along. 

We took the kids to the splash pad at our neighborhood park in what was actually the last weekend the splash pads in the city were on. Which is ironic given the temperatures have still been in the high 90's. Of course, it is supposed to dip into the 80's this week. I am totally looking forward to it, yet also not too hopeful as this happened a few weeks ago before the temps went back up again. And it always seems hot around here until well into October. But enough about the weather, back to the splash pad. 

The kids had a lot of fun. Isla mostly hung out at the water guns, squirting her brothers each time they came on. Connor mostly stood under the bucket of water that would dump every couple minutes. It was fun watch the anticipation of him having to wait and wonder when it was going to drop. And Callum, he did a whole lot of running in every which direction, which is typical for him. He didn't want to get wet at first, but soon got into the spirit. 

Believe it or not, this was the first time we actually planned to take the kids to the splash pad...and it's September! They have done impromptu plays in them a couple times, where we were completely unprepared and they went home happy, yet in soaking wet clothes. But this was the first (and I guess only) time we actually put them in their swimsuits and let them at it. I guess better late than never, right?

The calendar says we have 10 days left of summer, so we may as well live it up, right?!

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Tivoli in Copenhagen

Remember back, oh 5 weeks ago, when we were in Copenhagen? Yeah, I almost don't remember either. But here I am, finally getting around to posting about it. I'll be honest that I don't do tons and tons of research when we travel. I have a general idea of what I'd like to do and sort of fill things in as we go along. Our first full day in Copenhagen we went to Tivoli. I thought Tivoli was like Central Park in NYC, but with a few rides at it. No, Tivoli is more like a miniature Disneyland. And it was pretty dang amazing. 

Tivoli is 175 years old and is where Walt Disney got some of his inspiration for Disneyland from, which you can definitely tell as you walk around. Like, say, the striking similarities of a ride that looks like the matterhorn or it's a small world. The big difference, in my opinion, is there is much more beauty and green space, less characters and way, way less crowds. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day. 

Since I was expecting something like Central Park, I thought we would spend a couple hours there, then move on. Nope, we spent all day long, until it was bedtime, there. Isla got more brave with the rides as the day went along, but she spent the first bit of time in the park riding the carousel 6 or 7 times. Which, admittedly, it was a pretty dang cool carousel. Connor was adventurous and went on 3 different rollercoasters, riding a couple of them many times. Believe it or not, almost none of the rides had age/size restrictions if you had a parent with you. So, Ian took Callum on one of the rollercoasters with him and Connor. He took some video where Callum looks totally freaked out, but Callum says he had fun. So, who knows.

The kids had so much fun there that they have asked over and over when we can go back. Especially Connor. He asks every couple days when we can go back to Tivoli. I'm glad it's something we sort of stumbled upon and I'm glad we were flexible enough that we could spend the whole day there because it really was a good day. 

Tivoli was definitely the highlight of our time in Copenhagen, but I will get around to posting the rest of our time in Copenhagen eventually...like maybe before the baby arrives ;)

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Connor's Playing Soccer

Connor is playing soccer for the first time this year. His practices started the week we got back from vacation. He missed the first practice and the second one was right after we got back. Ian took him...and came home to me and the other two kids asleep because #jetlag. The first practice I went to, I almost died. Not really, but it was so freaking hot. And we had to sit out in the full sun. Poor Connor's face was bright red and he kept asking when practice would be over. I thought for sure this wouldn't be the sport for us (well, really Connor), but then the first game came.  Connor had so much fun and was so proud of himself because he made a pass to another player that made a goal. 

Now the first game was an eye opener for me. I thought we were going to a child's soccer game. I didn't realize we were actually going to a game in which all the parents yell at their kids on the field as if their life depended on it. No joke, I was traumatized. I told Ian I wasn't cut out for this and that maybe we should try track and field. Haha! But seriously, soccer parents are INTENSE. Two games in, I still think the parents are absolutely nuts, but I'm handling it. 

Two games in and Connor really seems to be enjoying himself. The weather has cooled off...which for us means it went from 100* to 90*, but that seriously makes a difference. Ian and I started switching back and forth who goes to practice with Connor, while the other person stays home with the other kids, feeding them and getting them ready for bed. It makes rolling up at home at bedtime so much easier when two kids are already dealt with. 

I feel like I should make a caveat that I wasn't raised in a sports family, so the intensity of it all baffles and amazes me. But I'm getting there. Maybe someday I will be the crazy lady yelling at the field...though I doubt it, because it scares the crap out of the introvert in me. 

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Baby #4

Alternatively titled - A fourth baby?!?

I feel like our announcement of a fourth child has been met with "welcome to the club!", genuine excitement, or people scratching their heads with their mouth's wide open. My favorite just might be people saying, "Good luck...I can barely handle my (insert any number less than four here)." Reminds me of that article from a few years ago about how we can all only handle the number of kids we have right NOW. I tried finding it, to no avail. But the point was, we are all tapped at the number of kids we currently have. Also, when googling to find this article, I came across an article that said three is the most stressful number of kids. I'm so excited to watch my stress level drop. Sense the sarcasm. 

But, a baby! We are super excited. I was kind of thinking it may not happen, but then it did. And I am excited. Cautiously excited because I just get paranoid in pregnancy. I'm sitting on my hands to keep myself from buying anything before 20 weeks. Just because we really have nowhere to store extra stuff...well, there is our back house, but that is a "pregnancy project" because we need to get that ready for guests that are willing to come help with ALL OUR CHILDREN. Haha! But seriously, you want to come help?! I'll have a place for you to stay!

In case you are in to all the details, let me get there. My official due date is February 16th. I am currently 14 1/2 weeks along. I didn't have much morning sickness, but I did (and still have) a horrible gag reflux. Bad smells make me dry heave, along with things touching my neck and brushing my teeth. My belly began to appear before the pregnancy test was even dry. I kid, but it did certainly come quick. It started while on vacation and seems to have grown much bigger over the past week or so. I pulled out my old maternity clothes over the weekend, but don't quite feel ready for the ruched sides that come with maternity tops. I'm thinking I may need to embrace it very soon though!

Aww, I am so excited. Isla really, really wants a sister. Connor wants a brother. And Callum, well, he says it's a girl. But I don't think he even realizes there is a baby in my belly, even though we tell him often. In just under seven months, we shall see what this sweet one is!

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