It was a year of many changes......

It's hard to believe that we're about to wind down another year!  Where has the time gone?  Each year at this time, I create calendars for the grandmothers and as I was going back thru each month of the year, I was overwhelmed at how much my girls have changed.  This has happened right before my very eyes!  How can it be?

The most notable change, has of course, been with Little Miss M.  One year ago she was still very much the baby.  She is now a full blown toddler with a vocabulary that would make a 2nd grader jealous!  How many two year-olds look at their own picture and say, "how adorable is this"?  She cracks me up!  The other day she was having a minor melt down over I'm not sure what and I asked her "why" she was whining.  Her response, "I don't know."  I love the fact that she can verbalize that.

As I perused those pictures, I realized that my sweet K had made the jump from toddler to little girl.  Somewhere this past year, she lost that baby face, the one defined by the remaining baby fat, and now is officially a little girl.  She is a force to be reckoned with!  I love her mischievous grin!  She loves princesses and all things pink and sparkly.  And did I mention she is a social butterfly?  She can't wait to get to school and see her friends and teachers.  The only child I know that cried when we had a snow day last week and she couldn't go to school.

Last, but not least, my big girl.  I can only say, "Wow!" G has really come into her own this past year with definite opinions on everything-how she likes to wear her hair, what clothes she likes, what she wants to do, and the list goes on.  I'm so proud of the kid she has become.  She is an awesome big sister to the littles.  I'm sure they would say she is overbearing, but I see my own actions mirrored in her.  Sometimes good, sometimes scary :-)  This past year I've really seen her take-off academically.  She was always a good student but this past year she has started expressing that desire to study and to excel.  (and secretly I do the Snoopy happy dance over this!)

So for all who haven't noticed Santa yet, it's R!  Doesn't he make a great Santa!  I love that my favorite photographer comes up with these great ideas.  I wish I had of thought of doing a family shot that included myself but I'll have to wait for another session for that.

Alone time with my K-bug

I love the "alone time" that I get to have with my K-bug!  It's seems few and far between that I get to have individual time with each of the girls and so I really cherish our car rides to preschool in the morning.

It's those early morning drives is when I can really get the feel for the little person she is becoming--not the middle child, not the younger sister to G, and not the (sometimes) bossy big sis to M--just her own little individual self.

Her seat is situated in the back row of the silver bullet and so when the radio is on, it is really difficult to hear her.

A Saturday afternoon playing with a sheet of "bandaids".

Overheard on a recent trip to school:

K:  In a loud voice, "Mom, look at my hand!"
Me: Turning down the radio and trying to look in the rearview mirror. "What's wrong with your hand?"
K: Making a turning motion with her hand. "Can't you see this?  This is sign language for turn the radio up."
Me: Trying not to laugh out loud. "K, it's best to use sign language when someone is actually looking at you."

Love my kid and wondering at the same time where she comes up with this stuff :-)

K and M in their usual state of "jolliness" on G's school fieldtrip.

All three goofin' it up with hats made by our Aunt J.