the Sutton family: getting through the winter

Winter is not my favorite season, but aside from colds every other week, I have really enjoyed my time with the kids. We are playing lots of games and puzzles together, building train tracks, and learning our numbers and alphabets. Both Noah and Chloe are loving reading time more and Danny and I love reading our books from when we were little to them.

Noah, you and I had our first date this month. You wanted to go to Chipotle and then Dunkin Donuts for dessert. And yes, mommy let you finish a whole donut trying not to cringe. Then you said you wanted to do 1 more thing. You wanted to go to the store and try to find Chloe a bracelet because hers broke. I had so much fun being with just you. Recently we moved Eli into your room. One time I checked on you at night and I found Eli cuddled with your Bruce. You gave it to him to try to console him when he was crying and it worked! You just started doing summersaults on the floor and you are quite proud of yourself. You love to wear your shepherds costume and transform it into an army outfit and you make a sword for yourself out of blocks. I had a meeting with your teacher and she spoke highly of you. You are learning quickly and are ready for kindergarten. You just lost your first tooth and you told Chloe recently that when you get older you were going to marry Makenna :)

Chloe, you are very much into girly things. You change your outfit multiple times a day and resort to wearing the same 4 things. I went in for a hair cut this month, and while I was gone you decided you needed one too and cut yourself some bangs. I must say it could've been worse. You want your nails painted every day, and you want to wear a necklace all the time. The other day while you were playing, you set my necklace beside you. Daddy had told you that you couldn't play with it because Eli might get to it. While you weren't looking daddy took it away. About 10 minutes later you came upstairs crying saying that Eli bit you while you were trying to take the necklace (that you thought he swallowed) out of his mouth. You still talk a lot. A lot. The other day we had a visitor for Eli, and you interrogated her and talked your head off the whole time. Even when she was already out the door you slid underneath me by the front door and shouted at her, "we can't eat cupcakes and donuts because it's not healthy!"

Eli, you just started crawling this month and you love every minute in your siblings presence. I love how you try to look around my shoulders if you think you hear them. You are giving high fives and greeting people and you never hold back a smile. You are very social and prefer people over toys, except for the vacuum. I vacuum a lot because you are so fascinated like Chloe and Noah were. You have been spoiled by me because I never want to put you down. I want you to fit in my arms forever.

Danny and I had a nice break from the cold winter and enjoyed some time in 86 degree weather in Aruba. I missed the kids so much while I was away, but they had tons of fun with Tayta and Mom-mom and Grandpa. And now that we've been back, it's been rather enjoyable knowing we are about half way through the winter.