the birthday boy

See this sweet boy?

This sweet, sweet (loud, messy, busy, wonderful) boy?  This boy who -- in just the last week -- figured out how to walk?

He's the birthday boy.  And he's one year old.

It's almost impossible to believe that a little more than one year ago our girls had no brother and we had no son.  It's just as hard to believe that it's already been an entire year... that our tiny baby is now a (not at all tiny) one-year-old boy!

We celebrated John David's birthday (on his actual birthday) with our small group from church, at one of our regular meetings.  It was the perfect celebration -- lots of children, lots of chaos, lots of joy.  (That works well because our extremely loud boy sort of blends in.  And let me assure you -- he's loud.)

He screeched impatiently in his high chair while we readied the cake.  (I think he thought we were just torturing him, strapping him down for no good reason.)  When we brought it out, he seemed a bit perplexed.

Of course, he could be thinking, "That cake is for me?  It doesn't seem very boyish!"  But when you're only one and can't speak, and your sisters have input into your cake-making, you have to consider it a success when there's no Tinkerbell on the cake.  (No lie, the girls thought John David would really like that.  We compromised with pastel sprinkles.  And frosting that wound up a little more aqua than blue.)

One of our sweet friends was our photographer.  She snapped this photo of us.  It makes me smile.  It's how I'd like you to think of us.

But to be honest, this photo (in all its un-edited, over-exposed glory) is much more representative of what it means to embrace this circus.  Kathleen lunged at her father for a spontaneous hug while I tried to prevent Madeline from putting her entire fist in the cake (turns out she was after the candle).  And Katie captured it on film, guaranteeing that I remember how it really was, and not merely how I think it ought to have been.

We managed to make it a whole year without introducing John David to cake.  (We caved and gave him ice cream over the weekend before his birthday.  He took to that like a duck to water.)  He looked tentatively at the cake for quite a while, but then palmed it and popped it in his mouth.  He loved every last crumb.  Well, at least the crumbs that didn't wind up on him.

You make us smile, Indiana-John David.  We love you and your loud, busy, messy ways.  You've brought us joy every day of the past year.  We can't wait to see all that you'll learn and how you'll grow in the next!

a first swim

So, we've had some lousy weather lately. I'm not sure any of you will believe that, given the pictures I've posted lately, but it's true. Really. Last week was cold and rainy, but the weekend was glorious. We attended two outdoor birthday parties over the weekend; the weather couldn't have been more perfect. It was sunny and warm and delightful. Almost as delightful as the little friends we were celebrating, anyway.

On Saturday afternoon we capitalized on the sunshine and (finally) dragged out the wading pool, much to Kathleen's delight. She'd been begging to go "swimming" for weeks! She raced out to the pool to oversee its filling. John David, ever curious, was right on her heels.

She was soaked in minutes. And she couldn't have been happier.

John David -- similarly soaked, thanks to his sister's "accidental" splashing -- was just as happy.

As is often the case immediately following naptime, Madeline took a little more time to warm up to the fun. She watched from a distance until she was ready to join her sister.

Eventually even Madeline couldn't resist the siren song of the wading pool and its slide.

The girls were a whirl of motion around the pool -- racing for the slide, splashing down into the water, and then racing for the slide yet again.

Madeline very much joined the fun!

It hasn't been quite warm enough for the pool again since then.  That hasn't stopped Kathleen from asking to go swimming.  Every day.  Even while it was raining on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday.  We haven't mentioned it to her, but the weather forecast indicates that the skies will be clearing and the mercury rising.  I don't imagine there's anyway we'll be able to keep her from the water!

a new park!

Last Monday dawned bright and sunny, but the weather forecaster was predicting rain for the rest of the week. Grandpa O'Connor likes to say, "You've got to make hay while the sun shines." And we did just that!

After a few brief errands, we visited a great park in Palo Alto. (We'd been up that way for the errands, anyway.) I have to confess that with two parks in our neighborhood, I'm not very good about loading the kids into the minivan to take them to different parks. (We somehow find enough fun in our neighborhood and in our own small backyard.) The upside to my failing is that when we do go, it generates a lot of excitement!

Kathleen loved the spider-webby climbing structure.

Since our neighborhood parks have no swings, and because we've never found a good place to hang our toddler swing (we've no trees and no swing set), John David hasn't had much of a chance to try out a swing. In fact, this might have been his first try! He was sold.

Whee!

Happy boy!

The girls spent a fair amount of time on the "big kid" swings, too, but I didn't manage any photos of that, because I was too busy holding John David, pushing, and teaching the girls how to "pump."  (That wasn't very successful, if you were wondering.  But they tried!)  Madeline managed the "big kid" swings, but I think she secretly preferred the baby ones.

Glee.  Delight.  (How I love that girl!)

There was lots of sliding, too.

And yet another first for John David -- his first slide!  I let him go down the slide on Kathleen's lap.  Both of them loved it.  Kathleen felt so grown up, taking care of her baby brother.  John David just thought it was fun.

And because I took a photo of Kathleen with John David, Madeline insisted on a photo with "her baby," as well.  I didn't let them slide together; I just set them up on the bottom of the slide.  Madeline wasn't any the wiser, but John David knew he was missing out.

And in case you needed more proof that this is, in fact, a circus, consider the following photos:

Kathleen's working on her circus act -- elephant riding!

The sunny weather and green backdrop seemed to be crying out for a photo of all three littles, but this was the best -- no, really, the BEST -- we got.

We played until we absolutely had to go home for a late lunch and (much-needed) naps.  But when everyone awoke, we went back!  We packed a picnic supper and met Daddy after work, so the girls could show off their new skills.  We can't wait for summer and more park time!  (You'll certainly be seeing more of this park -- it has a water feature that will be turned on in a few months.  We'll be back!)

Oh, no! They inherited my fashion sense...

(Or the lack thereof!)

The girls recently decided that my closet is much more appealing than their own dress-up clothes.  They spent an entire afternoon traipsing around in my now-never-worn heels (or, as captured here, my old slippers from Hawaii), playing princesses in my old dresses.  Ready to be whisked away to a ball, they felt as beautiful as any heroine in any fairytale.  And they were.  But not because of my old dresses... just because of who they are.

Our Easter (at last!)

Some photos to share from Easter Day.  I can share them with you only because my sweet sister Caroline shared them with me... my camera was missing on Easter (still is missing, incidentally), much to my disappointment.  I'd thought about skipping an Easter post entirely, but then I read through our post from two years ago and discovered I'd totally forgotten that Madeline first crawled on Easter day.  Who knows what else I'll forget if I don't at least write it down...

Easter morning dawned cold and rainy, just as the weather forecasters had predicted.  We'd hoped otherwise, wanting to do an afternoon egg-hunt in the backyard, but it was not to be.  The girls came racing into our room as soon as they could (when the light on their little clock told them they could get up), cheering, "It's Easter!  It's Easter!"  The morning continued with Easter baskets, a hunt for some mini, foil-wrapped eggs around the house, and breakfast.  We made Resurrection Rolls again this year, an activity the girls seem to love.  Kathleen in particular loves to tell the story of the resurrection (she's been quite clear that it's her favorite part of the Bible), and she talked and talked about it as we made the rolls.  I realized she's not entirely clear on the symbolism of the rolls, though, as she explained them to her dad, "See, Daddy.  This marshmallow is Jesus, and we dip him in the butter and roll him in the sugar, and then we roll him up in this dough.  And we put it in the oven.  That's the tomb!  And then when we take the roll out, the marshmallow is gone!  Jesus does it."  Maybe next year, right?

After a truly lovely worship service, we came home to finish preparations and (for the littles, at least) to nap.  We hosted family and friends for dinner, for the second year in a row.  Much to the girls' delight, their best friend Audrey (and her parents, and her little sister, too!) were able to join us again.  (It makes me more than a bit sad to think that next year's the last year we'll be able to host these friends and family in this place.)  Between our girls, their two girl cousins, and Audrey, we had quite the gathering of little girls!

Grandpa read the girls Madeline's new book (and one of our favorites!) The Seven Silly Eaters.  I think the poor man had to read it three times before the afternoon was over.

Mama in an apron, with John David on her hip.  This is pretty typical, even if it's cliche.  In fact, the girls had to remind me to take off the apron on our way to church!

Fortunately for us, the girls decided to play upstairs early in the afternoon.  We enlisted all the adults to hide plastic eggs while Caroline made sure none of the girls came downstairs too early.  It was a good thing, too, because they couldn't wait to come downstairs.  Caroline captured just a bit of the girls' excitement on film!

And then, the hunt was ON!  The girls raced around the house, seeking and finding lots and lots of eggs.  We laughed and laughed about the way the three girls insisted on searching together.

Madeline was more than happy to show off her sugary loot to her daddy and brother...

John David tried to crawl around and gather eggs, too, but we had to put an end to that when we discovered that not only could he find the eggs, he could pry them open!  Maybe we'll let you try some candy next year, sweet boy.  Just not yet.

We ate and ate and talked and talked.  We savored every bit of our Easter.  We hope you did, too.

Back in the backyard

This week the sun finally returned to our little corner of the world. That meant that we could return to the backyard.  And thanks to the camera that Nan has loaned us, you can see how my little people felt about that...

Hooray for being outside!

John David discovered the shopping cart a few weeks ago, and he toddles around with it like a pro.  He doesn't seem much interested in walking yet, but he does love pushing a cart.  Taking the cart into the backyard was a double treat for him, because he loves being outside.  The kid's an escape artist -- he sees a door to the outside and he makes a beeline for it.  Front door, back door, whatever.  The kid just wants to be outside.  

Since he's not much interested in walking and very interested in being outside, I've finally given in and let John David crawl around, as long as he's got long pants to protect his little knees and sturdy sneakers to protect his sweet toes.  And does he crawl!  Through the lawn, into the playhouse, even down the concrete step. 

Surveying the step, sliding over the edge, and safely down!  Easy as 1, 2, 3!

While John David spent the afternoon crawling around and getting dirty, Kathleen set about cooling off.  We gave the girls spray bottles to water the wheat grass they grew for Easter; these have turned out to be favorite toys. They use them to water all the plants in the backyard (and some in the house).  And they've come up with some other pretty creative uses for them, too.

Watching the water.

Enjoying the water.  (Check out those shoes!  They're actually mine, but she insisted on wearing them.)

John David thought that looked like fun and wanted to try it out himself.  He was none too pleased at the prospect of someone taking the spray bottle from him.

"Don't you even try to take this bottle, Mama!"

And in case you were wondering about the rest of the crew, Miss Madeline woke up late from her afternoon nap and needed some extra snuggling.  And I was happy to oblige.

Sweet and slightly goofy self-portrait.

Sing as all the earth rejoices

Rise, O church, and lift your voices,

Christ has conquered death and hell.

Sing as all the earth rejoices;

Resurrection anthems swell.

Come and worship, come and worship,

Worship Christ, the Risen King!

We've spent today rejoicing in our risen Lord and enjoying friends and family.  It has been a splendid, splendid day.

I've been absent from here of late -- a few complications have kept me away.  (A lost camera, to name just one!)  But we'll be back soon, I promise.

Our Easter table:  eggs we dyed together, wheat grass proudly grown by the girls (but mostly by God, of course!), and tulips from Trader Joe's.  I simply can't resist a good deal on tulips.

Happy Easter, dear ones!