The girls embraced their entrepreneurial spirit during the first weekend of sun this summer and set up a lemonade stand at the end of the driveway, in coordination with the adjacent neighbor’s moving sale. For over two hours the night prior, all three worked on customized signs, using lots of color and adding hand drawn lemons and cookies. My freehand bubbles letters are not great, but their tracing and coloring over them turned out nicely. If you look closely, stylistically all three signs are very different, with Reagan spending a great deal of time drawing patterns in the letters, Emerie went for a more jagged look, and Harper added a cookie path at the bottom. Craig woke up early that morning to hand squeeze two Costco bags of lemons, and I managed to drop an entire first batch of it on the front steps (at least it wasn’t inside!) as we were setting up. Life lesson, carry juice containers from the bottom, not by the handle, which is useless…. The girls also helped Sue make chocolate chip cookie bars and her special rice krispy treats, which were individually bagged and ready to show the neighborhood the delicious treats typical in our household.
The two hour event was busy, and definitely hot from the first direct sun of the season! The girls hung out for most of it -a year ago it probably wouldn’t have held their interest that long- and Craig even had to run to the store for more lemons, thanks to my fiasco. We ended up raising the goodies to $1 a bag, after getting a lot of grief they were too low. The first sale of the day from a neighbor produced a $5 payment, which impressed me but not the girls, who seem to have a preference for quarters. It took about two hours to completely sell out, which I didn’t expect to happen! By the end of the morning, inflation became a major factor in prices and the girls were telling people $20 for a cookie bag, up to $36! Good thing that came with lots of giggling.
A few other notable things from this past June:
With childcare costs dramatically increasing this year, we opted to bring Grandma Sue up to spend time with the kids while the parents worked. With Craig traveling for work and me heading off to the office each morning, the girls discovered a couple new shows; one being The Lion Guard, a spinoff show to the Lion King, and Sofia the First, which is all about the princesses. In addition to some new shows, all three collected sticks on our adventures this month, absolutely heartbroken with denials they couldn’t come in the car, so in true Grandma Sue style, everyone found new sticks and made customized “Rafiki sticks” to play with. After lots of feathers and other craft material, and half of Craig’s hot glue from the garage, all three prance around with them proudly, surveying the pride lands of Alaska. Summer is fun, folks!
Two weeks of real sunshine meant all kinds of backyard activities to shove into that time, in case July turns cloudy and rainy like last year. The girls turn into self proclaimed “swim-girls” and love selecting a swimsuit to rock for the day. The water slide came out a number of times, as well as the kiddie pool, with insistence that cold water is still not acceptable. After many summers, the water table is still a hit, whether it’s filled with Orbies, water, dirt, or a combination of the three. The puppy also enjoys drinking out of it.
A sunny week wouldn’t be complete without a quick jog down to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage at least once. It was a perfect day and warm enough to leave the coats off, even with the breeze. We accidentally timed it to see a newborn, surprise baby muskox- only 16 hours old and snuggled in the sun, not a care in the world. After many fruit snacks and my feet are tired -oh and the picking of TONS of dandelions and other weeds- we had a great afternoon. Did I drive toward Portage at the end to make them sit in a patch of lupine for a photo?? You bet I did!
Our annual trip to Kenai was also a success. Craig continued to work from the office that week and I attended a work inspection and public involvement event while the girls chilled and explored with Grandma, and it was even easier to navigate than last year’s excursion. We did the usual fun, hopped over to Homer for an afternoon to walk along the spit, swing on the swing by the ocean, eat cheeseburgers to warm up, and find more flowers, played at the main Soldotna playground and walked along the Kenai River, and even ate breakfast (caramel waffles) in a retired train car, which was really cool. Dinner at cousin Jamie’s house, with smores and a fire, is now an expected activity when we wander around the peninsula. The girls really enjoyed playing games with Hayden and Maddie while Grandma and Mom had a nice break around the fire. We ended up staying up late every night, and the girls did pretty well with the routine change and were up for the challenge.
Kenai River annual photoHomer spit swingVintage airplane photo with Mom
The first Saturday market visit of the summer couldn’t have been on a better day. The girls went down the massive slide a dozen times, their pace eventually slowing up three flights of stairs. Craig, Papa Cliff and I rode the merry-go-round a couple of times, even sitting on the horses. The spinning swings were a huge hit and a first for the girls. Even Reagan, who doesn’t like going fast, had a huge smile plastered on her face. Emerie posed her arms and legs silly ways each time around, looking like a suspended ballerina, and Harper hollered and yelled snarky remarks at us each time they circled.
One spinning ride turned out to be a little too adventurous, even though Harper and Emerie pleaded with to ride it again. All three were strapped in together, and as the ride picked up speed, they forcefully ended up squished into one side, laughing and squealing. Reagan, on the other hand, wore a look of pure terror, clutching the safety bar as if her life depended on it, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and regret. Harper and Emerie, meanwhile, couldn’t stop giggling, their infectious laughter filling the air. It was a scene straight out of a comedy show, although Reagan might not completely agree with that. We all agreed that we’d save that ride for another summer, or perhaps next time, when a non-motion sick adult could join to keep the peace and balance the scales a bit. Until then, we’ll stick to the merry-go-round and super slides!
We also adventured a little north this year and rented a cabin in Talkeetna for a few days. It was a nice break to go somewhere we haven’t explored in a while, and the girls wanted to check out EVERY single tourist shop in downtown. It was a lot of fun and all kinds of treasures were found, including patterns to a turtle and seal themed quilt -which Grandma Anne is now tasked with making, as well as finding an equivalent panda pattern to create for Reagan- and felted, kid-size purses, one being a panda. Lemonade stand revenue was definitely used during this trip. Much ice cream was ingested (I even cheated on my diet to collect fireweed ice cream calories), as well as a couple fun dinners out. We played along the water with a beautiful view of Denali, and timed our excursion before the wildfires up north began. The last pit stop on the way out of town was to a spruce syrup farm, who had the BEST ice cream and syrup for sale.
Elusive family photo
Grandma Sue!
Dad Photo
Mom, kids, Denali!
I can’t wrap up this blog without giving a special shout out to Craig, who continues to fully embrace his girl dad side. He not only rocked custom six-year-old makeup but did so with an admirable level of enthusiasm. The girls have a unique flair for makeup artistry, preferring to make each eye a different, vibrant shadow color, resulting in a look that can only be described as delightfully chaotic (you like that?!). And this day was no exception. Picture Craig, out and about, his eyelids a kaleidoscope of clashing colors that adorned attention with every blink. The funniest part was seeing people’s reactions – a mix of surprise and amusement – whenever they made eye contact with him; I kept forgetting about the colorful masterpiece he was sporting until he’d respond to me on something. The girls were absolutely thrilled with their work and beamed with pride as they wore their own rainbow-hued eyelids for the day. It was a testament to Craig’s dedication to making his daughters happy, no matter how wild the makeover! Don’t even get me started on his toe and fingernails….
And now, it’s time to kick off July with a bang and explore the exciting adventures that await us in Southeast Alaska!
What a whirlwind few weeks! The girls made it through their first year of elementary school and are already excited to claim first grade. While displeased that beloved Miss Tawni won’t teach them next year (since they assumed she moved up every year haha), they also contain excitement for Miss Kelly, who is just a couple doors down the hall. Looking at comparison pictures from day one to the final day, you can see how much everyone grew, not just in height!
Kindergarten is always a significant milestone of achievement. Kids start as preschoolers, becoming comfortable out in the “world” and leave the grade as elementary schoolers, with boosted confidence, better social skills and vocabularies, and understanding new concepts for math, reading and writing. I won’t claim that my kids are the smartest, most accomplished, doing amazing at all intellectual challenges thrown at them kids; I will say they are all on track, working hard to learn new skills, asking questions about everything, and greatly advancing from day one. And that is all we can really ask for, making sure to support the growth and challenges and make the time to help them achieve milestones and grow up happy, healthy and supported.
The girls with bestie Nichole.
Is it hard to do with three at the same level of development? Yes! It is hard, and I often get in my own head about how we should be better, do more things, read more at night, have less screen time; all the typically mom (and dad) stresses that we all face. But I also must remember they love and spend SO much time coloring and drawing, sitting with puzzles, making up playtime stories and games, discussing the day’s events in bed at night, cooking all the things, and so many other skills they didn’t possess two years ago. It is wonderful to watch and new things are added to the list every day. We could certainly do more, but are also doing so much at the same time.
Family photo ❤With Grandma SueWith Daddy
The girls’ school didn’t do an official kindergarten graduation, but their home school gave us the option! So of course, I couldn’t resist ordering caps and gowns and participating in such a wonderful event, just for the pictures. The week before we did a home school run craft and everyone “stickered” their caps (Reagan found ALL the panda ones, Emerie found all the turtles with Reagan’s assistance, and Harper was sad at no seals but found a lot of other fun ones), they painted a pot for a sunflower seed, and made a hand print. All three had a quick questionnaire away from the parents and each other’s ears, in which all three still answered we have no pets, which cracked me up since we literally have cats and chickens (and now a puppy!). They are such funny responses I have to copy them for sincerity, and share the corresponding photo taken with the silly glasses. Boy, how alike do they look with those expressions, and the matching shirt doesn’t help!
Harper was born March 20th in Anchorage, Alaska. She currently lives with Mama, Dada, Reagan and Emerie. As for pets, Harper shared they do not have any, but one day hopes to have a pet seal. When she is not writing, she enjoys eating chocolate ice cream, planting flowers, finding treasures and dancing. Harper dreams of being a ballerina queen when she grows up and wants to have SIX children while living in a pink house.
Emerie was born March 20th in Anchorage, Alaska. She lives with Mama, Dada, Harper and Reagan and does not have any pets. When Emerie is not writing, she enjoys planting seeds to turn into flowers. One day Emerie hopes to live in the Disney Castle as Queen Elsa Ballerina, with her three children.
Reagan was born March 20th in Anchorage, Alaska. She lives with Harper, Emerie, Mom and Dad and does not have any pets. Coloring, playing with stuffies, dancing and snuggling in bed are things Reagan enjoys when she is not writing. She dreams of one day being an artist in Seward, Alaska (very specific!). When asked about future children, Reagan shouted, “I don’t want any kids!”
On graduation day, the girls were uncertain why they had to wear loose gowns and weird caps, but went along with their crazy mother and were good sports about it. Grandma Sue and Miss Tawni were able to attend and join in the fun, and the sun came out just for that day, so their name calling ceremony wasn’t rushed and miserable. Everyone lined up and was called down one by one to accept their gift bag. They stood behind their name stars calmly until the last name was called. All in all, I might have had a bit of a lump in my throat; it’s tough hitting these milestones only once, and knowing that is the only time we will experience it, even when it’s three fold!
As for my little graduates, I couldn’t be more proud of how much they’ve grown and thrived during their first year of elementary school. I genuinely love that we know the teachers, the school and where they spend their days…because the world is a scary place! This milestone is a testament to their hard work, curiosity, and resilience. Each of them has learned so much and shown remarkable progress in their own unique ways. From mastering the basics of reading and writing to developing a keen interest in science and art, their journey is nothing short of inspiring. They’ve made new friends, discovered new passions, and faced challenges with courage and determination. It’s incredible to see how they’ve adapted to the structured classroom life, embraced the excitement of learning, and found joy in their accomplishments. Here are a few specific achievements and areas where each truly shined:
Harper recently started drawing and writing “lists” more than prior months, checking things off as they occur. I’m not entirely sure which school subject she is drawn to -it might be PE or dance related things- she also really likes to color and is getting pretty good at it. She sits and focuses on craft creations much longer than in the past, and thrived learning her dance routines this year. Harper is still working on a couple of her letter sounds and continues to try to figure out the answers when she doesn’t know them.
Emerie trends toward a joy in math and is often sitting in the back of the car, reciting her numbers and seeing how high she can count. She will scold her sisters if they interrupt her concentration, especially once she gets past one hundred. At home we will often find her listening to a story Tonie by herself in her bedroom, completely content, or thumbing through a book and looking at pictures. I think she will be our bookworm and she loves doing the reading application on the iPad. She also enjoys coloring more than prior years and brings her own style to her creations. If she is shocked or frustrated, you will hear her announce “oh biscuits!”
Reagan has definitely excelled on her handwriting, letter comprehension and freehand drawing. She will likely be our writer and is always willing to assist a sister on writing a letter or depicting the correct sound. She loves to draw and color everything, something consistent throughout her preschool years. She is the closest to reading comprehension and the connection between the sounds into words; she is at the brink of figuring it all out! While English class is probably her favored subject, she also continues to love to sing; albeit a bit shyer than her sisters. At home she is always humming and singing different tunes, or ones she invents herself.
I also have to highlight the improved handwriting. Personally I prefer the “loop de loops” that emerged from their very early years, but since that can’t last forever, I will accept the accurately scribed letters going forward. This image shows week one of kindergarten to the last week of school; showing their quarterly progress.
Toward the end of the school year I began a mental debate on how to proceed into first grade, with all three staying together or splitting one out separately, since only two first grade classes exist. After discussing with Craig, their teacher, and my fellow mom friends, I believe keeping them together is the best option, although maybe splitting them up at separate tables or desks not immediately next to one another might help. I did ask each kiddo if they wanted to split or stay together and received a resounding response to stay together. Another factor that could have helped would be who stayed with bestie Nicole, and if split, the solo kid would HAVE to end up with her, in order to level the playing field.
When considering who to split out solo, the best option scholastically is Reagan, who picks up and learns things so effortlessly, but is also the one that likes being alone the least of the three. Moving to Emerie, if she split out solo, she would instantly feel left out, something that her sisters often do to her during playtime and require coaching on, which would make that dynamic more difficult. Lastly, if Harper were to split out solo, which might prove as a good option since she is headstrong and needs reminders to try to figure something out before demanding help instantly, but she also really likes being around her sisters and included in the group. It seemed like a no win scenario option to me, with a literal third wheel getting excluded from all the activities of the other two, and I’m not ready to face that. Not to mention two different classes would also equal different fields trips and homework, and more parental support on both sides. This all concluded my mind to keep everyone together, as they’ve done since entering preschool at age two and a half, and see how it goes.
As we ease into the summer months, I find myself reflecting on the passage of time and the milestones that come with it. Although this blog isn’t as timely as school year end, it’s a reminder that it’s okay to feel that tightness in my chest at the thought of everyone growing up so quickly and reaching their milestones simultaneously. Transitions to next steps are especially challenging for me, particularly without another little one to follow in tow and stretch out the current parenting phase. While these events are undoubtedly exciting and fun to prepare for and experience, they also bring a mix of stress and sadness. My mom brain feels the weight of these moments, realizing just how far we’ve come in this childhood journey. The days seem to fly by, and it’s a bittersweet reminder of the fleeting nature of these precious years.
Witnessing their enthusiasm for school and the pride in their achievements fills me with profound gratitude and excitement for what the future holds. These early experiences lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning, and I can’t wait to see where their educational journey will take them next. My heart swells with joy as I celebrate these special moments and look forward to all the wonderful adventures that lie ahead.
Happy Kindergarten graduation ladies, we are so proud of you!
After months of inquiries as to when it would happen, the girls attended their spring dance recital earlier this month, for both tap and ballet. After Harper’s solo dance class last spring, Emerie and Reagan begged to join so they could perform on the big stage like Harper. Custom costumes for each routine made for some excited little girls, and the big evening happened on an already big day, the last day of school.
Attending another ballet school’s performance the weekend prior also amped up the excitement. The Alice in Wonderland theme was really fun and everyone dressed up for the occasion, including Papa Cliff! The girls kept saying I looked beautiful -just for wearing a skirt- and all wanted do pose for photos and wear crowns. Craig went all out and did temporary hair color for each kiddo and everyone was ready for an evening downtown.
To our surprise at the girls’ show, Emerie turned out as the crowd pleaser, waving constantly and ensuring she was in the front of the group. Harper attempted to stay close to Miss Jess just like last year; while Reagan was more shy and stayed toward the back, focusing on her footwork. It took a bit to figure out who was who from so far back in the auditorium, and even then I wasn’t completely sure I was right on Harper and Reagan. Doing the same hairstyle and costume and a significant distance equals difficulty!!
The girls were excited for “real” eyeshadow and my eyeliner, and did pretty well to not smear it everywhere. Harper ripped her tights after the first dance and although displeased, thankfully didn’t throw a fit over it. Also unlike last year, Craig didn’t have to carry a screaming, overtired toddler to the car; all three did great after the picture with their teachers and some much needed French fries; bedtime routine was smooth sailing after a long night.
Another fun event that week, arguably the best run kid event ever, was the annual Anchorage Fire Department’s spring open house, at the training station over by the hospital. It was seriously the most fun event, with an immediate stop at the free face painting, a hotdog snd hot chocolate lunch due to the cold temperatures, and tons of activities to try and things to climb on. Don’t forget the bouncy houses and shaved ice!
Everyone climbed in the fire trucks and asked the kind firefighter five thousand questions about all the buttons; I had to pry Reagan away as she kept thinking of new things to ask. Everyone tried drilling concrete (with ear protection of course!), smashing soda cans and crumpling wood piles with the cool power tools. All in all, it was a really well done event, even with the rain! We will definitely return next year.
While Papa Cliff was here for a quick visit, the girls were excited to build the girly Lego sets with him, and we were quickly reminded that building a set with three six year olds at the same time is impossible. Building with two is actually doable. All three definitely demanded turns and they are improving on putting them together.
With summer’s arrival and the ground completely thawed, we finally buried our sweet kitty Rory, who spent the past two months solidly frozen in the garage freezer (unbeknown to the girls!). About two years ago we did this with Rafi and impressively the girls remembered that and knew what to do. Everyone sprinkled rose petals on him from their dance bouquets from Craig and added a million dandelions atop the dirt. It’s never easy to bury a beloved pet, but as death is still a part of our lives, I believe it is good to share the experience and talk about it, and prepare them for something that is not enjoyable, but happens in real life. They did great; Reagan needed some hugs but otherwise all were satisfied decorating his resting spot and asking questions about him in heaven with Rafi. Yes, Emerie still verified that his head was indeed still attached to his body….just in case that changed since she last inquired.
Decorating Rory one last time!
Unrelated to the burial service, Craig convinced me and the girls that adopting a puppy was the logical next step for our household. While this is continuing topic in our lives, he managed to find a super calm, five month old lab mix to bring home to love. The best part…in my opinion? She chews EVERYTHING, so all toys and clothes have to stay off the floor. That’s an instant way to convince kids to clean up after themselves, don’t you think?? The poor little teether is finding all kinds of goodies to enjoy, including our feet, cat toys, real mice, and the handles off bags. Seems like we have another toddler in the house. Just like with Rosie, the girls unanimously agreed with Harper’s first name suggestion, Gemma, and insist she sparkles like a gem or diamond. Insightful, right?
So we ease into summer with an empty, cat less freezer, and a new, sweet pup. If we can potty train three toddlers at once, we should be able to train one pup…I think!
It feels like winter vanished and a switch flipped into spring overnight, and boy are we so thankful! After a long winter of significant snowstorms, cold spells and sicknesses, and cooped up kiddos, we welcome the warmer weather and additional outdoor time with open arms. What is one of my favorite new tasks when spring finally arrives? You guessed it…putting away all the winter gear and spending more time outside without tracking all that clothing down! The girls made it through a second winter using the same snow bibs and they are definitely ready for the donation pile, since they have grown SO much!
This next season kicked off with a couple parent work trips, up north for me a couple weeks back and down south for Craig. It’s been about a year since my last overnight work trip and this was my first one hopping on the plane without the kids. I knew when the time came I wouldn’t want to go- all that normal mom guilt or “what if something happens” inner monologue or what if I miss something, etc.- thoughts I pushed through and took my seat on the plane. The trip ended up really nice and much overdue, and while I still felt mom guilt pangs on our quick FaceTime call before bedtime, the logical, non-hormonal side of my brain knows everyone was just fine and having fun dad time. They even dined with Jessie and Jason, because why not keep everyone busy! All three stuffed bunnies joined me on my trip, which the flight attendants giggled at as I buckled them in to the empty seat next to me and sent Craig photo evidence. The bunnies were far less stressed than me and had a great time seeing Denali and my coworkers, and even brought back fancy rocks from the airport. Yep…they did that.
We warned the girls the night before about Craig’s impending departure on a four night work trip to Juneau, knowing stress over it would happened. The last time he did a couple night trip, I certainly stressed more than the tiny toddlers, mostly just mental anxiety that I worked through silently! Funny enough this time around Reagan stressed over my departure while Harper stressed over Craig’s the most, and Reagan and Emerie complained a bit, but were placated with phone calls and pictures of Craig’s adventures. Knowing time would pass quickly with five full days of work, evening chores, and activities; so I planned two evening play dates, one girls’ night movie night, and didn’t sit down each night until nightly chores were done, so Craig didn’t return to a tornado house. I’m happy to report it went smoother than I planned and much less anxiety on my part from two summers ago. Post bedtime routine when solo usually involves holding your breath a bit and crossing your fingers that everyone will stay in bed, not take an hour of arguing to fall asleep, and stay asleep until morning. While each kiddo wandered into my bed once, all on different nights thank goodness, they all slept until it was time to get up for school each day, which was quite a blessing for my mental sanity.
Other fun discoveries that week- everyone forgot mosquitos exist and now scream every time one appears, inside OR outside. It’s not like they didn’t exist last year, but clearly that small detail about summer time in Alaska was forgotten, or those buggers are just really early this year and going to hit us in full force for the next three months. So now we listen for mosquito related screams instead of spiders…because that’s fun! Random topics of conversation this last week also revolve around random exclamations from Emerie, after knocking something over upstairs I hear OH BISCUITS!! (courtesy of Bluey) or moments from all three asking how did the doctor cut your belly open (c-section) questions (Mom, did it hurt? What kind of knife did they use?), which apparently involve great detail to get them to stop, and requests to see said scar, and other cute moments like Harper telling me movie details after school about un-hydrating and when you have a headache, it’s cause you are un-hydrated! She proudly announced “a secret” the other day, one that she insisted she tell directly to Dad…that she and Michael are getting married. Who knew! She insisted only family members are allowed to know this news, and of course Miss Tawni. So of course that means it should be posted on a blog, right? My babies are growing up! Hahaha…
In other news, the girls saw their first moose strike on the highway; poor thing had legs straight up in the air with a dismayed guy standing by his totaled truck. The rest of the drive home consisted of very interesting six-year-old conversations, questions, and some tears:
Reagan: Mom, I’m going to name that moose Cupcake. (Sniffles) Poor Cupcake, it’s so unfair.
Emerie: Mom! Was that “our” moose?! Was that Carrot the Moose from our house?! (no- we don’t “have” a moose, just a neighborhood one with the same name each year!)
Harper: That was definitely a girl moose. People don’t hit boys on the road.
Reagan: Whyyyyyy didn’t that driver try to not hit him? He’s so mean!
Me: after an explanation about moose running across roads and people not intentionally hitting them….
Emerie: No, he hit Cupcake on purpose! He did!
Harper: Mom, moose to go heaven right? Do their babies go with them? I think they do; their babies go to heaven too. Do they have new babies in heaven? (and she was deep in thought)
Reagan: You better call Dad and tell him about the moose. Poor Cupcake.
Emerie: Yeah, why didn’t you take a picture to send to Grandma (as if driving down the highway the opposite direction gives me enough time to try my phone out and snapped a picture!). She will want to see him.
And on and on and on. Bedtime was super fun that night…I tell you…BUT, I can report that we did survive a whole work week without Dad, I finished all the laundry and kept the house semi cleaned up (my life goal is still to have a clean kitchen every night), everyone went to school on time, and all were thrilled to go into the airport to see him walk through security. If we are being real about this, they might have been more excited to see escalators than anything else, but we will just go with they were excited for all of it. And so was I 🙂
Craig ordered a butterfly kit to kickoff spring time and the girls really enjoyed the entire process, from watching the caterpillars burrow into cocoons (listening to all three say cocoon is the greatest!), to watching butterflies grow in the netted cage, to releasing them into the wild one evening. All three were very gentle to pick them up and not damage wings, and other than the random throwing them into the air and hoping they don’t gravitate straight down, it went pretty well. They don’t mind butterflies walking on them, but scream for any mosquito siting; so funny. Most butterflies stayed in the front trees through the following day, much to everyone’s delight. It was a fun experience we should do again, and wasn’t too much effort to do. Those butterflies are part of the family according to the girls; as they flew away or found one nearby, we learned a bunch of them were named. Emerie had a Queen Amaya and Harper named one Lena. Silly girls.
The kindergarten class had another field trip as the school year wraps up. It was a nice, sunny day in Anchorage, but definitely bogged in and raining by the time we arrived in Portage for the wildlife conservation center visit, about forty-five minutes away. The porcupine exhibit was indoors and the entire class did a fantastic job staying quiet and using inside voices for all their questions. Who knew this we even possible with a bunch of six-year-olds, but they did great! Harper and Emerie kept raising their hands not to ask a question, but to point out how cute the porcupine was. His name was Twix; how could he not be cute!?
Alaskan stuffiesHarper cold but cheesing for meQuick dash to the gazebo for a photo
It may have poured rain as we explored the brown and black bear exhibits, but overall it was a fun trip! We drove the rest of the place in the car, a bit wetter than planned, but for the most part it worked out fine. The girls could care less that they were five feet from two brown bears (other side of the fence), and the class found a couple worms outside the wolf exhibit that became WAY more interesting to see than the big, wild animals directly in front of them. Who knew mosquitoes and worms could be so very exciting? I give you the perspective of a bunch of kids!
Learning about Twix, the porcupine
The girls last field trip of the school year was to the Botanical Gardens this week, and on an exceptionally beautiful day. Craig joined for the fun and everyone made their own natural chap stick, which was quite a topic of conversation on the way home that afternoon. Needless to say, May is off to a fun start and as everything starts to turn green and get a little less dusty, summer is right around the corner and we are ready for it!!
It’s that time again this year -well, it was a month ago when I actually started writing this- for the annual contrasting and comparison between our rapidly growing girls and what they were up to throughout age five, as we somehow transition to a house of six-year-olds! The past year was once again very busy, and included many more adventures and activities, as flexible schedules and unplanned events are easier to handle and jump into. As usual, narrowing down my favorite “triple photos” proved difficult from the massive amount taken over the past 365 days. I eventually settled on this collage after unsuccessfully narrowing the count; it highlights the girls’ adventures since their last birthday. Personalities continue to grow and change and while the girls still have matching faces, they continue to emerge as separate individuals with many different likes and dislikes, and reactions.
Favorite activities for all three include playing with anything water related, bringing umbrellas outside to protect them from falling snowflakes, being “swim girls” and wearing swimsuits when it’s zero degrees outside, coloring at the table in the living room and asking for a million prints from the printer to color, doing their reading practice on the iPad, cooking anything with Grandma Sue, FaceTiming with family, riding the four-wheelers, picking flowers and making “soup,” building blanket forts, girls nights with Mom, sledding with cousins, trick or treating with Tyler, riding their balance bikes (which are way too small for them now!), going to Becky’s house and playing on the dock, snuggling with Mom on the couch before bedtime and watching a show, doing “beautiful nail salon” with Dad in the evenings, Daddy daughter dances, and so much more!!
The girls grew SO quickly this year; check out how much their faces matured- it’s pretty crazy! Their platinum blonde hair continues to grow darker and I assume they will end up as darker, dirty blondes in the future. No more baby faces in this household; just little ladies! Here is my annual overview of the past year, noting milestones and major changes as we shifted from preschool to elementary school.
Kindergarten: We can’t leave out this major milestone, transitioning from preschool into kindergarten with their beloved Miss Tawni! The girls remain at the same school since age three and the comfort and knowing the day to day really supports their schedule and happiness there. Their writing and comprehension skills have also increased dramatically and reading comprehension is right around the corner!
School Besties: Having a small kindergarten class of 15 kids, three of those being the girls, meant development of close, new friendships. The girls are especially fond of Coco, who maintains the BFF status for all three outside of our household, and randomly claim to have boyfriends as well, although that’s a bit harder to determine who goes to who ❤
In-State Traveling: Leaving town and road tripping to other locations in Alaska became a normal occurrence over the past year. Even more so than during age four, we can now explore and execute travel plans a little more by ear, without the essential planning every detail ahead to ensure a smooth ride. This year we went to Kenai, Soldotna, and Homer multiple times and enjoyed all those locations have to offer! The girls can handle a long roadtrip without any screen time too, which is exciting!
Three Peas in a Pod Style: All three still accommodate my desires to dress them in matching or coordinated clothing and take cute photos, or out to family pictures sessions a few times a year. Luckily we are still in the stage of smiles and requests for pictures, something I hope continues for a few more years!
The Incident We Blocked Out: This is simply one example of the more recent childhood shenanigans that we seemingly skipped over in previous ages, likely because most of the house used to be blocked off from kid access. In addition to the mortar incident, Reagan gave herself unapproved bangs recently and spectacular messes now occur more than when they were younger and other parts of the house weren’t freely accessible yet.
Home Depot and Lowes Build Days: This started with Craig taking the girls and morphed into weekend requests to do the activity, even on weekends it isn’t offered. The girls sure can swing a hammer and love adding the stickers and paint to each creation, continuing to be less messy and better builders after each time.
Toothlessness: the loss of SO many teeth started toward the end of age five. In fact, over a two week period in March, another tooth for Harper and for Reagan bit (haha) the dust. The girls’ bottom adult teeth are promptly pushing through their gums and arrive as soon as the baby ones make an exit, and all are excited for the tooth fairy visits. We are still working on the tooth brushing.
A Whole New World (Aladdin pun intended): Our first downtown Nutcracker show this year was a success and the girls did great; I am very glad we waited until age five to attend! They also sang songs for the school Christmas play and attended several school field trips to see other plays at various places across the city. They seem to both love and hate sitting at them and have conflicting responses!
Dance Dance Baby: Last May was Harper’s first Dance Recital, and we are already almost to the next one. The 2.5 hour performance for all dance classes was a bit long, but luckily the other two had a fun night with Uncle Will. Last fall we combined everyone back to one class and all three are very exciting for their upcoming performance, and to wear their fancy costumes.
Actual Sleeping at Night!
Actual Sleeping at Night: This is mostly a parent win and definitely worth a little bragging. It took us almost six years to get here-that’s more than 2,000 evening bedtimes if anyone is counting- but now for the most part they are decent at staying overnight in their beds and using the bathroom without running into our bed! Main night time snuggles now are inspired by bad dreams or when they aren’t feeling well.
Going to the Movies & FINALLY New Music to Listen To: After approximately one million plays of Let It Go, Cover Me in Sunshine, and Towards the Sun, we finally have new material to listen to. This year was a lot of Trolls music, My Little Pony, Rapunzel’s television show, and other girly things, mixed with a little Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift. The Tonie box is also a fan favorite and our inventory of music continues to grow. Hallelujah!
Ease of Shopping Trips: This may sound small, but as a parent of multiples, it really is a biggie- less need for shopping carts! We now have the ability to step foot in a store without complete and utter parental failure and chaos. Do the kids still run amuck and get scolding in the store? Absolutely! Do they run straight into oncoming traffic? Not all the time. Do they find random things and throw them in the cart and we accidentally buy them? Yes… This improvement makes shopping more doable than in past years and it’s cause for celebration.
Birthday Parties Galor: School age brings a newfound plan several weekends a month…birthday parties. These are important life events that the kids demand to attend and who knew that we knew so many kids that have birthdays?? This photo is, of course, Craig supporting the craft time at a Taylor Swift themed party, with the girls bejeweling their custom microphones. Girl dad for the win.
Games: I am pretty excited for this one! Craig introduced board games to the girls, especially the favorite Squirrel Game, which his family played when he was young. On occasion they now play it without Craig and for the most part get along. It’s sweet to watch. They also love Alphabet Bingo, and we are starting to introduce card games. I often find one sitting on the floor playing a matching card game.
Family Dinners: We continue to love having cousins close by and especially when they drop in to say hello or celebrate a holiday. The volume increases ten fold when any boy cousin walks through the front door, which is a delight to the kids and more of a hindrance to the parents’ hearing, but we love it. It is wonderful to have family nearby and accessible!
Harper had quite a year. She continues her fashionista attitude from age four, and still has a love of black and pink, although the black is waning a bit. She is all about makeup and her doll Babela, and I’ll often find the makeup destruction in her room after a fashion event at the salon, her favorite toy set from Christmas. She is not a morning person, much to her dismay in a family of morning people, and is often the hardest to get up for school. That, or she just really likes being cozy in her bed, something she showed as a toddler as well. She has the eye roll and grumpy face down, something we are still trying to break (and not laugh at!), and the goofy faces at any event or show she participates in.
Height/Weight: 54 pounds/ 48.5″ tall – she gained 9 pounds and grew 3.5″ in a year!
Favorite Activities: dance class and playing with her doll (Babela); swimming
Favorite Movie/Music/Show: music this year transitioned to several new movies, one of which is Trolls Band Together. She now loves all the songs by Velvet and Veneer (the nemesis of the movie!), and occasionally still asks for her “shadow song” by Rihanna, but not nearly as frequently as she used to. And, of course, Bluey and My Little Pony the series.
Favorite Princess/Character: By far her favorite is now Sleeping Beauty (Aurora). Given it’s age, finding outfits and toys for this princess is harder, so when we do, she is very excited. She often sleeps in her Aurora nightgown from the Disney store or changes her doll into a matching costume.
Favorite Color: pink and black
Favorite Food: Sneaking candy! She is definitely our sweet tooth kid and would eat candy all day if she could. Also if Ketchup is a food, then that would be the winner. She also loves cucumbers and chicken nuggets and my homemade zucchini bread.
Favorite Animal: Stuffed seals are still the winner for her, although many other animals make the cut for bedtime snuggles. She has seals of every color and loves to see the live ones when we visit Seward each year. She also loves koala bears.
When Harper grows up, she wants to be: She reiterated last week that she still wants to be a ballerina AND a queen; both, not either/or 🙂
Unique Personality Trait: Harper likes to watch and observe and then jump into the action, but also displays daring moments and climbs a forty foot tree by herself because she wanted to. She is definitely an instigator, but not always with the follow through. She also prefers to let others figure something out or get something for her, so there might be some leadership qualities in there to watch out for as she grows older.
Major Dislikes: Cleaning up is always a challenge and a fight, as well as convincing her to brush her teeth so no cavities appear. It is an everyday battle! She also seems to get hot in the car, random I know, and always requests fresh or cooler air on drives, just like her Mom 🙂
Of the Three, She is the Most: Girly! Dressing up in fancy clothes and shoes, makeup, and accessorizing occurs daily. She isn’t afraid to get down and dirty outside, but she doesn’t mind doing that in a stylish outfit either. On the flip side, of the three she goes to the doctor the least, and now notices this. She often asks when she can go and you see a little sister competition come out of it.
Favorite Quotes:Mom, guess what?! I love you the mostest. This is one of my very favorite quotes that I hear from her every few days, always with a big smile on her face. The other day she also noted that Grandma Sue is so bossy; she’s always bossing me around. I asked her if she liked all the things Sue does with her and she agreed to that, but still maintained the bossiness is there!!
Emerie Faye
As we round out another year, Emerie still maintains her love of being at home and hanging out in her room, listening to stories on the Tonie box or sorting through picture books. She seems to run a bit colder than her sisters and often wears a hoodie or coat, similarly to her Grandma Anne! She continues to eye patch on weekday mornings and the school year is a bit more of a struggle, mostly because she sees other kids (and sisters) don’t do it and is more observant on that. Collecting tiny things continues to be one of her favorite hobbies and we find all kinds of random things around the house.
Height/Weight: 48 pounds/ 47.5″ tall – she gained 10 pounds and grew 4″ in a year!
Favorite Activities: Legos and puzzles are two new favorites this year, both things she can do without adult assistance! She also enjoys collecting tiny things, doing everything in a fancy, dress up outfit, going swimming with Craig, and funny enough, she loves to brush her teeth and will randomly do it throughout the day.
Favorite Movie/Music/Show: While Emerie still loves her Frozen movies and music, requests are much fewer than in the past. She loves all the music by the boy band Brozone in the new Trolls movie, and asks for multiple plays anytime they come on. And, of course, Bluey and My Little Pony the series.
Favorite Princess/Character: No change from the past three years- Elsa (Frozen) is still leading the charge in her heart. After watching Trolls Band Together last fall, she also loves the boy band Brozone, specifically “the heart throb” (her words!).
Favorite Color: You guessed it….PURPLE!!
Favorite Food: She claims chicken nuggets, broccoli, and ice cream. One of my favorite memories of her last summer was sitting in the dirt at the you-pick farm in Palmer, eating broccoli straight from the plant and extensively enjoying herself. She continues to scarf down everything on her plate instantly, or just pick at her food, but not a lot in between.
Favorite Animal: She still loves turtles and has a bunch of them. Her experience with a live one at the fair, which she adamantly wouldn’t touch, has not diminished her requests to own a real one. She also recently adopted and named some ants in the driveway 🙂
When Emerie grows up, she wants to be: Another similar answer to last year, Emerie wants to be “Queen Elsa of Arandale” and continues to stick to this answer.
Unique Personality Trait: She is stubborn to the core, and this can serve her well when she is on a mission for something, and sometimes be an obstacle. She is our snuggler and loves to sleep in her own bed with her stuffies. Emerie is also a homebody and completely self sufficient entertaining herself.
Major Dislikes: She hates being talked over by her sisters when trying to explain or ask something, or count! She doesn’t appear to like group instruction classes (or maybe she just doesn’t like obeying in them…) or being outside if she doesn’t have to! It is also a constant battle on wearing her glasses and keeping track of where she puts them, when not on her face.
Of the Three, She is the Most: Outspoken and direct. She is always announcing we are triplets to random people in public places and making friends everywhere. She will also dig her heels in and stick to an opinion, and there’s not swaying her mind.
Favorite Quotes: In the last month or two, she jumped on the ruuuuuude train and now says this multiple times a day when responding to things. It’s close to the duuuuude we also hear, but with different context!
Reagan Jean
Reagan continues to love all forms of art, especially coloring and drawing, and creates new artwork daily. Her drawing and writing skills dramatically improved over the second half of age five; she now draws family photos and so many beautiful pandas are taped up around the house. She enjoys crafts and anything artsy, and really excels at trying different related activities. She will sit much longer than her sisters to finish and perfect something, and I can’t wait to break out all my 90’s stamps soon and see how she loves them. Her storytelling is now more intricate and sometimes it’s hard for her sisters to get a word in edge wise, just like her Grandma Sue! Over the winter she began speech therapy for her lisp and loves going each week and is improving on her pronunciations.
Height/Weight: 52 pounds/ 48.5″ tall – she gained 10 pounds and grew 4.5″ in a year!
Favorite Activities: She recently discovered how to take pictures with my phone and requests to do that. As mentioned above, anything arts and craft related, and putting together big puzzles- she’s getting really good at them- and going swimming with Craig. She also enjoys ice skating and continues to ask for lessons.
Favorite Movie/Music/Show: Reagan likes a lot of different things, including the Lilo & Stitch and Rapunzel television shows, Bluey, My Little Pony the series, most princess movies, and of course Abominable. She likes similar music to her sisters, and also some of my music like Imagine Dragons or Lady Gaga. Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus is also becoming a favorite.
Favorite Princess/Character: Team Jasmine is going strong and she was excited to see the real Jasmine Broadway show this spring. She loves all the Aladdin costumes and swimsuits and often wears them around the house.
Favorite Color: You guess it…TEAL. This should not be confused with blue or green; it is teal and she will remind you they are different!
Favorite Food: She is definitely one to always request macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and French toast bites; she also loves blackberries, cantaloupe, and cucumbers, and of course ice cream. The love for cotton candy ice cream is real…
Favorite Animal: Pandas are still the front runner, but she also claims to like hedgehogs now. She doesn’t snuggle or cart her pandas around as much as past years and that shows how much she’s growing up (cry!), but her bed tells a different story; it is covered in a shapes and sizes of panda. She now has 2 small pandas that spent half the year going to school with her; it used to be one, until that one was lost and we caved and purchased another, and then found said lost panda inside the couch after a week! Now one wears a tutu and is the girl, and one is a boy, both with equal love in her heart.
When Reagan grows up, she wants to be: An artist! She loves coloring and making creations. Her second consistent answer is a teacher like Miss Tawni.
Unique Personality Trait: She is our storyteller, just like her Grandma Sue; listening to her explain the synopsis of a movie is simply amazing and detailed. She is also our helper and often requests to help make dinner, or put something away for us; it’s very sweet. She is very much the mom of the group and probably the most bossy. Not sure if it’s a personality trait, but she is the only one of the three to pull out her own teeth and remove a sliver from her own hand without help!
Major Dislikes: She’s a little quirky about her socks not fitting perfectly on her feet and hates when someone draws on her picture creations. Overall she is mostly chill on things and doesn’t complain about a lot of things.
Of the Three, She is the Most: bossy like her grandma Sue, especially during games and pretend play. She has great ideas, but her sisters don’t always agree with the direction and that causes fighting. She is also the most detail oriented of the three on anything she is doing, whether that is cleaning the living room, coloring a picture, or telling a story. Reagan also displays a gentle spirit for animals and both new kitties can tell and want to snuggle with her.
Favorite Quotes: No quotes popped into my brain for her this year, but her detailed storytelling really speaks for itself. Ask her sometime to tell you about a movie she’s seen and what the story is about, and you will see for yourself!
Five Year Old FAQs
What are the biggest differences between the three? What are their similarities this year? All three continue to enjoy much of the same things, as in years past, like princess everything, dressing up, riding bikes and swinging and playing pretend. Emerie continues to self entertain and I often find her in the bedroom playing with dolls, or sitting and listening to a Tonie story on the chair, or in the bathroom making a huge water mess but having the best time! Reagan will sit and color for long periods of time while Harper wanders off with Babela for “nap time.” Reagan learns new skills the quickest and with the least effort, this is especially true with her school work and letters and reading, while Harper becomes flustered before putting in too much effort. Emerie takes a bit longer to gain a new skill and you can see her kind methodically thinking out how it all works, just like she did when younger.
What is the biggest personality difference? All three are growing into strong, independent little girls. The main difference hasn’t changed from last year, Emerie continues to love time at home and playing herself, while the other two are much bigger fans of adventure. When it comes to discipline all three are also still different; timeout might actually kill Reagan (in her opinion) while Emerie could care less about that, but if you threaten a spanking, she’s off to the races. Harper is willing to throw down if she believes she is right, and we often have to track her down if she stomps off with an eye roll and “whoa is me” attitude. All three clearly get irritated at times about being with sisters constantly, but when you split them up, they always note they miss sisters and it’s very sweet.
What do they all constantly fight about? This one is a little silly and a new advancement this year- all three constantly bicker about who gets to stand or sit in the middle for a picture. We see this for our family photo events, and for everyday in-the-moment photos; apparently it’s life or death to be standing on a side…They also fight over toys and the usual things but are getting better at sharing is caring. We no longer buy three of everything (thank goodness!).
Who is now the best sleeper? Who is the worst? Emerie and Harper are both excelling over the past year on this, and Reagan made GREAT progress sleeping in her own bed.
Who is Team Mom and who is Team Dad? This remains consistent, Emerie is 100% Team Dad, although I do get a solid snuggle in every now and then. On the other hand, Reagan is 100% team mom and Harper trends toward me, but has her dad moments.
What was my favorite memory of age five?What about Craig’s and Sue’s? This is easy for me- it was the ability to travel around and have adventures with the girls. For example, right before they turned six, going to Seward and sitting at a dinner spot, with everyone coloring at the table and enjoying being together, or taking them to the beach last summer and exploring. Craig’s fitting answer is them sleeping in their beds…finally! Sue enjoyed watching them become little girls with their different personalities and desires to tell their own stories.
I am looking forward to what age six will bring us, and definitely have new adventures planned! Happy birthday Harper, Emerie and Reagan, Mom & Dad love you very much! ❤
The Douglets 