According to Kateri

We do have a pool. She clambers into her water table like it is her own personal spool.

Luckily I convinced her to put on a swimsuit this time. Usually she just pulls off her T shirt and diaper and hops in in the buff. So refreshing.

Still with the squeezing the eyes shut for the photo op...

Lili's Sacraments

This past week has been an eventful one in the life of our family. Lili received the sacraments of First Confession, First Holy Communion and Confirmation. This is a picture of her after her first Confession and after being enrolled in the Brown Scapular. She was so ready to receive these sacraments, I think her joy just really shows in this photo.

She and her classmates have been preparing all year under the best of instructors, (Lili's beloved teacher from kindergarten) Mrs. Hundelt. It was really moving to see Lili with her small group of classmates from the past three years mark such an important milestone in their young lives together. It was also so nice to have Nona and Travis there along with Nanny, who endured the discomforts and indignities of wheelchair air travel to be there on Lili's special day.

(Sorry about all the redeye in the above photo...I couldn't erase it on our editing program...maybe it's just a visible sign of all of that newly endowed grace the kids are filled with...or maybe my camera just stinks.)
But seriously, when I count my blessings, VDM is right there up at the top. I just feel like Lili is in such good hands, which makes my job as a mother trying to raise my girls in this crazy crazy world we live in that much easier. Thanks so much for all of the prayers and gifts and well-wishes!

Happy Birthday Audrey!

Our little Audrey turned five yesterday. She woke up to a new bike which her Daddy had lovingly assembled the night before...nothing like a 7am test drive around the block in your nightgown.

Kateri toddled out to make sure Audrey didn't forget to wear her helmet.

We worked on her Princess and the Frog cake together before her party. We aren't big on parties in the Speier household, but as Audrey had never had one, and as 5 is a pretty big birthday, we had some friends over for pizza and crafts and general "Princess and the Frog" themed fun. Audrey wore her green "Tiana" dress and her good friend Lucy came as a very pink and frilly "Charlotte."

Lili was of course only too happy to step aside and let her little sister have a turn in the spotlight for once...

...not really, but we're working on it...

Nanny even made it out! Broken ankle and all! She and Papa gave Audrey some gifts for our summer in Scituate: a pink wetsuit and an underwater camera. Audrey is already talking about all of the pictures of fish and lobsters she is going to take on her snorkel missions with Papa.

It was a beautiful evening for our beautiful middle child. We are so grateful to the family and friends who helped make it so memorable!

Happy Birthday Daddy

Yesterday was Luke's birthday. I have a hard time picking out gifts for my husband. I basically just give him the gift of an extra errand because he almost always has to return or exchange whatever it is I so foolishly purchased. This year I gave him a too-small hat and a Rolodex. All time low, I think...especially in light of the fact that my birthday is today, and he totally put me to shame. In honor of my dear sweet husband, I thought I would share a recent conversation between Audrey and Nanny (they talk on the phone a lot.)
Audrey: "My Dad does a lot of work on the lawn. He trimmed that big tree."
Nanny: "That's nice."
Audrey: "Yep." (Pause) "He's a good man."

Once again, Audrey displays her tendency to cut through the B.S. and tell it like it is.
He's a good man.

Which nobody can deny. We love him so much!

It's back

The heat. After a lovely little bonus of unexpectedly cool weather, our old companion has come back to Phoenix, so we closed the windows, turned on the AC, and scrubbed out Kateri's water table. It had been upside down in a corner of the back yard used frequently as a hideout by spiders and infrequently as a spaceship by Lili and Audrey. Audrey also had some fun with our ancient Dora the Explorer sprinkler before joining her sister.

Leave Your Sleep

Several days ago I got an unexpected gift from a very dear cousin of mine. It was Natalie Merchant's latest musical endeavor: Leave Your Sleep, a whole album of poetry she has put to music. The project was inspired by her young daughter and features the work of poets from Gerard Manley Hopkins to Ogden Nash to e.e. cummings to Mother Goose. Needless to say, my girls have become obsessed with it. Everyday after Lili comes home and finishes her homework the dress-up and dancing begin. They have even been dressing up Kateri. (I don't know who came up with the zebra stripes/ Angels jersey combo but Kateri seems to think it works.)

It has been hours of fun already...

Lili takes turns dancing and reading along with the lyrics insert, pausing occasionally to ask me "But what does that MEAN?" whereupon I usually sigh and stutter my way through an explanation, wondering where my powers of analysis have gone. I mean, I got a degree in English, right? I managed to pass Junior Poet and write a Thesis and all of that? Luckily, most of the poems/songs are lighthearted and straightforward and don't involve me talking to Lili about contemplating her own mortality.

Anyway, we have enjoyed this gift so much. I highly recommend the album. It's made me remember how much I love poetry, and made me realize I'm pretty rusty.
I think I'll go dig out one of my old Norton Anthologies... I need to be a little bit more on my game with Lili around.

I had to include these pictures to document Kateri's recent habit of squeezing her eyes shut anytime I ask her to smile for a photo.

Guess who is really happy...

...about Uncle Justin's decision to retire? Kateri. I don't know if it is a reflection of the godfather-goddaughter connection,

or his willingness to push her on the swing and snuggle on the couch for hours at a time,

but my finicky third-born has formed quite the bond with him lately.

As you can see, the older two are pretty excited about the bonus time with their Uncle too, (especially since he brings their fun Aunt Brittany around and spoils them with trips to Yogurt Builders where no topping is refused.)