Heart beep

Catherine came in from playing in the backyard last week and told me her heart was really 'beeping'. I thought that an apt title for this post. I had an appointment with my midwife last Monday and got to hear our baby's heart beep for the second time. Then, Nana (also a midwife) brought her doppler during their weekend visit and we got to hear it again. That fast paced swishing never gets old.



Our 20-week ultrasound is scheduled for June 10. The dilemma...to find out or not to find out?!

It's not a race...

Madelyn's school held a Jog-a-thon yesterday. It was a lovely day to run six laps around the playground. The kids were giddy waiting to get started.I took a picture of the start of the race but couldn't find Madelyn in it. She had taken an early lead. She cruised through her six laps with the greatest of ease. Mark and I think that some talents, like athletic ability, skip a generation because she sure didn't finish first because of any expert coaching from us. In fact, I was standing on the sidelines saying, "Good job! It's NOT a race." It's exciting and humbling to watch our little girl develop her talents.After her race, Madelyn cheered on the older children as they jogged. Not only is she a good runner, she's a good cheerleader too!

Move it, move it

Our little Maddy girl has been busy the last two days. This afternoon she participated in a dance exhibition at her dance studio. It was not a recital (for which I am grateful). It was merely a demonstration of dance skills learned over the course of the year. It was very cute!
Look at that form...
Madelyn's class also helped with the 'doll dance' since only two members of that class came today. Madelyn may look small compared to the other girls but she is a school year behind all of her classmates.We are very proud of our little ballerina!

Brother jump

After months of being tossed around at the whim of bigger jumpers on the trampoline, our boys are taking their turn...

Anybody else bouncing along with them?

And Mommy is her name-o...

The older our children get, the more fun Mother's Day is. This year I was showered with cards, hugs and good behavior. I really couldn't ask for more with so many so little! Daddy was at work today and Madelyn started me off with attempting to bring breakfast in bed. Of course, I saw a large tray, a 6-year-old girl, and a glass of cranberry juice and rerouted her to the kitchen. We had a nice bowl of cereal, just the two of us. We met Daddy for lunch at a park and had an enjoyable day relaxing and playing together.

Yesterday, Mark took the girls to Lowe's to make planters. The girls were very proud to have hammered them together. Mark was a superhero for being responsible for three girls rather than the other way around. Catherine & Chloe did a presentation at school last Thursday as part of their Mother's Day tea. They sang several heart-wrenching songs including "Mom will never stop loving me" and "Mommy is her name-0". I love being their mom and felt so honored today!

Mixed messages

Fortune cookies are fun! While we all know they hold random messages not specific to anyone in particular, it's entertaining to find a grain of truth in the message nonetheless. We opened some at lunch today and lo and behold, they identified the primary cause of conflict in our marriage. Money and how we value it! Heather has the Hartrim 'tightwad' gene and Mark has the Lowe 'must buy anything that's a good deal' gene. Perhaps we should use a Magic 8 Ball to tell us what the better long term strategy is.

The kids got some interesting ones and would be well-advised to try to follow their fortunes.

One more...

I realized after I posted our Disney vacation entry yesterday that none of the pictures featured Grams. My mom joined us for three days of park fun. Thanks for hanging with us mom!

Disney Vacation 2009

We got home a week ago from Disney World. I think I've finally recovered. Laundry is caught up, groceries have been procured and the floor is littered with toys again. Yes, it's good to be home!

The kids had a great time meeting all the characters and taking in as many shows and rides as we could fit in six days. We probably did a little too much. Note to self: When taking five (and in the future, six) small children to Disney World, don't stay at the park for more than four hours at a time...NO EXCEPTIONS. Mark would surely add, don't take wife while pregnant.

Madelyn did the autograph thing this visit. All the girls are so enchanted by the princesses.
Seth and Eeyore shared a moment during dinner at the Crystal Palace. The boys were not in the least bit frightened of the characters. Yeah!
Mark was invited to be a character during Belle's Storytime at the Magic Kingdom. He was the BEAST. He did a great job...more smiley than menacing. The kids got a kick out of dad being on stage, although Catherine announced later that she was 'embarrassed'. We did take a few breaks. This was the kids' favorite. Seth especially loved his 'pop' and guarded it very closely for the remainder of the day.
The tea cups were dizzying. I have a video I'll try to post later.Our official vacation family photo...
Disney is, as always, magical. The experiences they create can turn any frown upside down.