melted smoosh

the major highlight of the month was our trip back to Washington state/British Columbia to visit family -- but the rest of the month held some notable moments as well!  1) music class. our last music class of the summer fell the day before we left for our trip and the weather was perfect! Greta joined in this time.  2) new bed for E! Elizabeth and Victoria have been trading places between the crib and the pack'n'play for the past several months. Elizabeth had started protesting going to bed, saying she wanted a big girl bed. at 3 3/4, that was a very reasonable request! she would often end up climbing into bed with Nick and I and that queen size bed just doesn't seem as roomy with three-in-a-bed. we didn't actually own a toddler bed; when Greta and Cece reached that age, they just transitioned to a twin bed. so I kept my eyes peeled on Facebook marketplace for a while and scored a practically new bed including mattress. the fact that it was already assembled made it ev...

bookends a belated birthday recap for our beloved Vicky, who isn't exactly a baby anymore since she turned two on the Fourth of July. Victoria Anne is sweet, spunky, smart, and mischievous. as long as she is with her older sisters, she's happy. she's often running around behind them, calling, "wait for me, guys! I coming!" and just the other day we were talking about Halloween costumes and she announced she wants to be "a big kid" for Halloween. despite her dreams of getting bigger, she's still petite and the perfect size for snuggling.  on the morning of her birthday, Greta and Cece made patriotic pancakes for breakfast. then we headed off to the town in south central Pennsylvania where we got married and where Nick's dad grew up -- many of his siblings still live in the area and they host an annual chicken BBQ and festival that has now become part of our family's tradition. 

  1) Color Run. the first annual Color Run for school took place on a Saturday morning in late August and it was so much fun! our school opened in Fall 2020, and I am continually amazed at how much the school community has grown since then. over the last year in particular, there have been an explosion of events for families outside of school (spearheaded by volunteers), and I just love how these programs foster a sense of common purpose and boost school spirit.  the Color Run was sponsored by the school's cross-country team, and dovetailed with the Back-to-School Breakfast hosted by the parent volunteer group. Greta had no interest in running the 1-mile course (they had two courses designated, one that went up a hill and along a trail for a bit, and one that was flatter and suitable for strollers or walkers). so she volunteered to help as a color-sprayer! she was stationed at the beginning of the race, and then also was tasked with guarding the water balloons at the end of th...