ballet

I found this picture of me the other night after my first ballet recital. I was 6 years old and in Kindergarten just like my Elle. I remember getting these flowers after the performance and feeling so special. I hope my girls felt as special and loved on their special night as I did (30 years ago) on mine.

Center Stage

Today was the dress rehearsal for the girls' big ballet recital. No photos are allowed the night of the performance so today I made sure I had my camera. It was pretty much a nightmarish morning for me sitting on the theatre floor with Lily who had missed her nap and is teething, Gwen who constantly was complaining about her itchy leotard only to take it completely off (tights and all) just as they were calling her dance to get on stage and I must not forget the spilled family-size bag of pretzel sticks in the dark compliments of a McGee girl who shall remain unnamed. To sum it up, we were a mess. With all of the craziness however, once the girls had their turns on the stage they were in heaven. Both of them beamed. Sadly I did not get a photo of Elle onstage because of the circumstances described above but she was adorable and so sweet. I will have to sneak one of her on Wednesday night. I did happen to get this photo of Gwenners. Now you can see why I put up with all of the "crazy". It is totally worth it.

The Whole City

This past year, I signed up Elle for the "late-bird" Kindergarten class. She didn't start until 11:05 (best decision ever). With her home in the mornings, on Tuesdays she would go with me to drop off Gwen at preschool. I know this sounds funny but it was something she really looked forward to. Gwen's preschool sits on the top of a hill and has an amazing view. There is a long outdoor hallway and each time we were there she would say "mom, can I go see the whole city"? The whole city. That made me smile every time. So each Tuesday we would first drop Gwen off in her class and then we would head up the stairs to her favorite view spot. She always wanted me to hold her and then we would look out at "our city". The day I took this picture it was cloudy but all that gray in the background just past the palm trees is the ocean. One of the cutest things she would do is when I was holding her she would make her hands look like she was holding a camera and she would pretend to take a picture. I would give her a big kiss and that was our ritual every Tuesday morning. It seems so silly but it really was so sweet and will always be a favorite memory for both of us.

Gwen's Last Day of School

This year Gwen has been going to a one-day-a-week preschool. It was just what she needed to feel grown-up like her big sister but still get lots of time home with me. Every Monday night as she would drift off to sleep I would tell her, "you have a very fun day tomorrow..." She would always give me a huge smile and say, "my school!!!". She loves "her school". Today they did a performance for their parents complete with face paint. Super low-key and super cute. I love this little girl so much. My Gwen-gwen. She's growing up and I love it but want it to slow down all at the same time. I can't imagine life without this little one and her huge kisses and hugs. I am one lucky mama.

Father's Day

We had a really fun Father's Day. The girls woke up early and were so excited to make Jon breakfast. The first thing they did was open up our cupboard to get out the cutting board. In our house the cutting board = a breakfast in bed tray. The girls were practically tripping over each other as they hurried up the stairs to deliver everything to their dad in bed. I really need to video more often because their voices and pure excitement melt me. Our gift to him was a remote control helicopter. Jon loves stuff like that and when the girls and I saw it at a kiosk in the mall we all knew it was the perfect gift for him. He loved it. The girls hurried jon through breakfast because they were soo excited about the helicopter. All 3 of the girls had so much fun with it this morning. We all went to church together and then when we came home, Elle and I started cooking. Jon got to choose anything he wanted for the Father's Day lunch.

The menu ended up being:

Baked Swedish Spaghetti, Salad, French Bread, and homemade Chocolate Cake for dessert.

The dinner picture isn't so great but I still love it (gwen's eyes are half shut but in all the other pictures I took she had her hands covering her face because she kept waving them and yelling, "happy father's day!!" while I was trying to take the picture. elle is holding up 6 fingers because it is almost her 6th birthday...can you tell she's excited?)

We each went around the table and said our favorite things we love about Jon/Dad.

Elle said, "I love daddy because he rides bikes with me and plays with me." The cutest thing was at the end she added, "I am so glad that I was sent from heaven to him." I loved that.

Gwen said, "Daddy gives good snuggles and scratches my back and is funny and makes princess beds for me." (Princess beds are these amazing pillow/blanket/cushion beds that jon makes on the couch for the girls when we watch movies together.)

And last but not least, I must add...

I love Jon because he is an amazing dad to our girls. He makes me want to be better in all areas of my life. He is the kindest, most sincere and loving person I know. He always hugs me in front of the girls and tells them that I am his girlfriend which I love (and they do too). Most importantly, I love that he is setting an example for our girls as to what a husband and father should be.

I love you Jonnie...Happy Father's Day

My Lily-pie

Here's my Lily-pie. 10 1/2 months old. How cute are the two bottom teeth she has popping through her little smile? I have neglected her baby book so this blog is going to have to be my record of her first year. She is still the happiest baby of all time. She has to have visual contact with me still at all times but I don't mind that a bit. Lily is my first baby to be a picky eater. After trying almost every variety of food and different combinations I have finally found something she will eat...rice cereal mixed with squash. She loves it. She giggles when tickled and also when Elle and Gwen act silly in front of her. Whenever Lily hears music she wiggles back and forth and smiles from ear to ear.

I adore this baby.

Dads and Donuts

In honor of Father's Day, Elle's Kindergarten class put on a "Dads and Donuts" performance today. Elle was sooo excited she could hardly stand it. I was in charge of bringing some of the donuts and as we were in the donut shop this morning she told every person in there what we were ordering the donuts for. As we were driving to school she said, "mom, my cheeks are hurting from smiling so much. I am so excited." They wore western attire because they performed to the songs, "Boot Scootin' Boogie" and Reba McIntyre's, "Why Haven't I heard from You" complete with cell phone props in their pockets (Elle's favorite part). It was 100% adorable. My favorite part was watching Elle and Jon. Elle didn't take her eyes off of her daddy the entire performance. She was so proud that he was there for her. She presented him with an art project she made for him that had the words, "My dad likes______".

Here is how she filled it out in her own spelling:

My dad likes: me

My dad likes: gofing

My dad likes: bing a gud dad

My dad likes: spending time with me

My dad doesn't like: bing a bad dad

Secret Spoon

Gwen and I made cookies today. I had no intentions of taking any pictures but she looked so darn cute sitting up on the kitchen island with her face covered in chocolate...I couldn't resist. Whenever I make cookies the girls love to have some of the cookie dough. They always try to secretly sneak spoonfuls so we just started calling it "secret spoon". Now they just ask for a "secret spoon" and I know just what they want. Gwenners comes across so serious in pictures but she is quite the opposite in "real life". She is really funny. Very talkative and really animated. Whenever I ask her to do something she says, "suuure, of curse." It kills me every time. That's exactly what she said when I asked her if I could take a few photos of her before she jumped off the counter. So cute! I love you Gwenners. I had so much fun with you this afternoon.

Kindergarten Open House

I can't believe this school year is coming to an end. We got a babysitter for Lily and Gwen and went to Open House Night at Elle's school. She was so proud to show Jon and me around her Kindergarten classroom. It has been such a great year for her. Her teacher is Miss B. She is an amazing teacher and I feel so fortunate that Elle was able to be in her class this year. She has given Elle such a positive start to her school career. I told Miss B that she has celebrity status in our home with how much Elle speaks of her and adores her. Elle has grown-up so much this year. We had so much fun watching her give us the official tour around her room. She ended the night with her greatest accomplishment...forget about learning to read...Elle was most proud of what was out the back door of her classroom. Elle ran straight to the swing set and showed us how she can get a running jump on to the swings and can pump all by herself. Before the year started I remember her being so nervous about the fact that she had not mastered this yet. She was beyond proud of herself on this accomplishment. So cute. The night ended with her getting to choose anyplace she wanted to go for dessert. She chose, Juice it Up and ordered her usual, The Mango Tango. My baby is off to first grade!

My Jon

I really love this guy. A lot.

(photo of us taken by my brother on our vacation to mexico a few weeks ago)

Memorial Day

We had a really fun memorial day. Grandma and Grandpa McGee came down with Jon's sister Erieka and her family. Lots of good food and lots of cousins = a lot of fun. It was Lily's first time in a pool. She loved every minute of it. We put so much spf 50 sunblock on the girls that their skin looked purple. Gwen and Elle played non-stop with their daddy in the water. The girls kept yelling, "cannon ball" and then would jump to Jon. I loved watching him with all 3 girls in the water. He is a good daddy. I am excited for school to let out so we can have a lot more days just like this.

Butterfly Princess Gwendolyn

Ballet Costumes

Elle and Gwen's ballet recital is coming up. This morning in their classes Miss Carol handed out their costumes to make sure everything fit. You would have thought it was Christmas morning in that room. All of the little girls were soo excited. They looked adorable. Ballet mornings are fun for the girls but really long for me. It starts early and I have to have Elle also packed for school with her lunch, backpack and change of clothes before we leave. I then sit in a crowded hallway on the floor for 2 hours with Lily who should be napping at that time. As soon as they are let out I then have to race all 3 girls into the car to help Elle change into her school clothes to make it to kindergarten all in under 15 minutes. I know that is a lot of boring info there but it really made me dread those mornings. Seeing the girls get their costumes this morning and their faces light up made me realize that all of those busy mornings have been worth it.

Teething

Lily-pie is teething. A lot. She now has 6 teeth. 3 of those teeth arived in just one week. To say she is miserable is an understatement. I am trying my best to keep her comfortable. Motrin, teething toys straight out of the fridge and of course lots of time in my arms. Her eyes are red and teary pretty much all day. Breaks my heart. This morning she looked so cute watching her baby einstein video with her bottle. Jon took Elle and Gwen to swimming lessons for me today so that I didn't have to strap Lily into her carseat for a miserable hour. Just the two of us at home. I wish I had more time like this. Hopefully we will pull out of this teething phase soon. It is making both of us sad.

Today's Happies

At dinner time or while lying in bed at night...Jon and I always ask the girls to tell us their "happies and sads" for the day. You can learn a lot from their short answers. Well tonight I can report to my family that my "happies" included waking up to to see that my peonies had bloomed and then finding that my favorite bird glasses I had been eyeing had gone on clearance. (Lily smiling in the background from her highchair makes me pretty darn happy too) Happy Friday.

Home

Jon and I spent the last week in Mexico. We went with my sisters Megan and Josie and their husbands and my brother, Jake (we missed you Briar and Ben)! It was a super fun week and I don't have any pictures to show for it. My brother was our main photographer. As soon as I get his photos I will post them and talk more about our fun adventures. Our flight home was delayed (3 hours sitting on the plane only to have to eventually get off) and then cancelled. It took us 32 hours to finally make it home. Not fun especially when most of that time was spent in a mexican airport. I was missing my girls more than anything. We did arrive home however to happy kids thanks to lots of help from family and friends. We were also greeted by a broken water heater and flooded garage. Welcome Home to us! I think I need a vacation to recover from our vacation.

On a side note...this picture of Elle is so cute. I just love this girl so much. As soon as I got in the door last night I walked straight to Lily, Elle and Gwen's bedrooms and hugged and kissed them. Elle woke up and just started sobbing and hugging me. She kept saying, "I missed you so much, mama". She had soo much fun and was such a good girl but finally just broke down when she saw me. Such a sweet little girl. Today she came home from school with a little booklet she had accidentally left last week in her cubby. It was made for me for mother's day. The pictures she drew are priceless and her writing and words are so cute. It is a booklet titled, "My Mom". Here were her answers just how she spelled them in her book...

My Mom

She is: 35 years old

She weighs: 107 pounds

She is: 33 feet tall

Her hair is: blod

She likes to wear: jenz

Her favorite food is: shugr snap peas

My mom works hard all day. She is a: smile macr

She really likes to: help me clein up the goroj

She does not like: scucxs

She stays in shape by: cling up

If I could, I would buy my mom a: crd

I am going to keep this little book forever.

Mother's Day

Yesterday I had a great Mother's Day. Elle and Gwen each made me the sweetest little cards. Elle spent a really long time on hers and when I woke up in the morning it was on our kitchen island. The envelope was in her kindergarten printing and it said "For Momy Love, yor Elle". She then drew an adorable picture of us at the beach together. I loved it. Jon traced Gwen and Lily's hands and had Gwen color it as their gift to me. We went to church and all of the primary children sang songs for all of the moms. So adorable.

We were all dressed up and never got around to taking any pictures yesterday. However, I am almost glad because this morning as Jon was heading out he took this picture of us...the real us. The morning routine of me in my pajamas feeding Lily her breakfast of carrots and rice cereal, Gwen in her bathing suit and favorite pink striped towel getting ready for swimming lessons and Elle in her "cozy clothes" before getting dressed for Kindergarten.

I saw a card a while back in a card shop and loved it. It said on the front, "She designed a life she loved". I have often thought of this card. It rings true to me. I have designed a life that I love. I am living the life that I had envisioned for myself as a little girl. As far back as I can remember I wanted to be a mother. It is so much more difficult than I ever had imagined both physically and emotionally but at the same time it is also much more rewarding than I had ever imagined. And the depth of love that I feel for my 3 little girls I never dreamed even possible. I want my girls to know that they too, through thoughtful decisions in their lives, can design lives that they will love. I by no means have a perfect life nor do I want my girls to believe in perfection but the core things in life that are important to me are intact and that is all that matters.

Mother's Day Program

Today Elle's Kindergarten class put on a Mother's Day Program. They sang a bunch of songs and at one point held up these portraits they each had painted of their mom. After the performance Elle presented me with a paper corsage she had made and a sash that she painted "super mom"on. We had cookies and lemonade and, just as her teacher had instructed, polite conversation. I loved every minute. And for the record...

I LOVE being your mom, Elle. Thanks for making me feel special today.

Lily: 9 months

My baby is 9 months old. Where has the time gone? Two little teeth have popped through her bottom gums and she is working on crawling. I love her more than anything and can not imagine my life before her. It is so funny how that happens with each child. Lily is the sweetest baby...so mellow and happy and just at peace. I often look at her and can't believe how lucky I am that I get to be her mama. A true blessing.

Band-Aid Love

This 3 year old LOVES Band-Aids.

She loves them so much that we bribe her with them.

She also has no restraint when it comes to their use.

And she gets very, very sad when they are all gone.

Gwen

Our Gwenners just got her haircut. She thinks she looks pretty cute and so do we.

Daddy Love

Jon is in San Francisco on a business trip. He called early this morning and told the girls to run downstairs and to get on ichat on our computer. As soon as they clicked on the icon there he was waving at them from his hotel room. They talked and made jokes for a while and blew kisses through the screen. Gwen even showed off her new haircut. Seeing him like this with our girls makes me love him even more. After we said good-bye Elle said, "daddy sure loves us." He flies back home this afternoon and we all can't wait.

Airplane

Gwen and I had a play-date today. With Elle at Kindergarten and Lily napping it left just the two of us together. This is her favorite activity...playing airplane. She also likes to play "spaceship" where I spin her around in circles. She is growing up so quickly. In fact, the two of us got up early this morning and went to preschool sign-ups for next year. She walked into the classroom and said (yelled), "Mom, I like this place!" I really LoVe this 3 year old.

Girls Only

This afternoon I went outside to find Elle and Gwen in our pop-up tent on our trampoline. They carried it out there all themselves. They also carried out a suitcase, every stuffed animal we own and multiple blankets, play-food and pillows. I was informed that it was for Girls Only! I had to draw the line when they were trying to get Lily out there with them. Visions of Lily rolling off the trampoline were running through my mind. I am however excited for the day when Lily CAN join them.

Sisters are Forever

I am constantly telling my girls how lucky they are to have each other. I tell them that no matter what... they need to love and look out for one another. That throughout their lives no one will understand them or "get them" as well as a sister. I know this from firsthand experience. I often say "Friends come and go but sisters are....(and they repeat with me) FOREVER".

Friends

Elle and Brinley (both 5 1/2)

Malia and Gwen ( both 3)

My friend and I loaded up our kids and took them to Balboa Island on Friday. They were in heaven.

Boat Rides + Ferris Wheel + Carousel + Corndogs = F U N

Getting Real

I started laughing yesterday thinking about my last post on how I have learned to "mother" each of my kids. This was Gwen in the Lowe's parking lot yesterday afternoon. She literally had a complete and total melt down because I told her that I was not going to buy her the Barbie book she saw in the check-out line. Yes, she is lying on the cement parking lot floor here and just imagine the screaming with this shot as well. I had Elle and Lily with me as well and I didn't have a car to contain all of this craziness because we were waiting for my car which was being worked on, on the other side of the shopping center. There I was in full view of the world looking and feeling like a complete and total failure as a mom. I had NO IDEA what to do with her. She was beyond reasoning with. I literally just stood above her and tried to talk with her...then I tried to carry her...then I tried to ignore...then I tried to be firm. Nothing worked. Everything in me wanted to just walk straight back into the store and buy that darn book but I held strong. We were quite the sight as we walked with her trailing behind us screaming. I eventually scooped her up as she was thrashing in my arms. I told her I loved her but that we can't always get whatever we want. As soon as we got back to the tire center I sat her on my lap and just hugged her. She eventually calmed down and just snuggled into me on my lap. Her crying finally lessened and while sniffling Gwen softly whispered, "sowwy mom". I almost started crying. It's not pretty all the time but maybe I do know how to mother my kids after all.

I took this picture with my phone. When situations like this come up I often will take a picture of them on my phone and picture-text Jon with the line, "good times!". We have a good laugh with them later in the day. I sent this photo to Jon yesterday from the tire center.