You are TWO! Though you like to say “three” when we ask you. You have grown tremendously this past year. From crawling to walking to running and jumping and somersaulting. From first words to full sentences.

I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to be two! Wild and free and so eager to explore the world.

You are our girly girl — always taking tutus out of the dress-up bin and accessorizing with necklaces, bracelets, and crowns. You rarely walk out the door without your “pink shoes” and “Minnie sunglasses.” And I’ve caught you with my lipstick on more than one occasion. Maybe I’ll have a little princess ballerina, after all!

Of course, you also like sports, thanks to your siblings. Sam taught you how to throw a football and hit a baseball, and Nora taught you how to kick a soccer ball. They are your biggest fans! You also love to sword fight, dig in the dirt, spin in circles until you get dizzy and fall down, and play tag with the big kids at the bus stop.

You are fast on your little legs! You love to crouch down in the starting position and say “mark, set, go!” and race down the sidewalk. You quickly picked up on the South Street obstacle course that Sam and Nora created (that involves swinging from the bike racks, balancing on the curbs, and jumping over the cracks in the sidewalk), and now you much prefer that method of transportation to riding in the boring stroller.

And I still can’t believe how quickly you learned to ride a scooter! When Sam got his new bike, he was happy to share his scooter with you. And you mastered it in no time. You are agile and speedy and never tire of riding circles around the parking lot.

On Monday mornings, we go to “nastics” at Little Gym. When you started in September, you were so shy and clung to me and wouldn’t let Miss Jen touch you. Now you are first in line to demonstrate the tricks! You especially love the rings and bars. You are strong and brave and confident, and I’m so proud of you!

On Tuesday mornings, we volunteer at the library at Sam’s school. I love that the librarian knows your name, as well as so many kindergartners and second graders (siblings of Sam’s friends). Sometimes you follow me around while I shelve books, and sometimes you find a comfy place to sit and “read.” Favorite book characters are Curious George, Pete the Cat, and Ladybug Girl.

You love books and take several to bed with you every night. You and Nora both protest when I turn out the light. I think the two of you would stay up reading all night, if I allowed it!

The big kids are really into art right now so, of course, you are, too. You like to color Minnie Mouse and the Paw Patrol “pups.” You fill blank pages with surprisingly straight lines and tiny circles — just like Nora did at this age. You paint with water and draw with chalk. And you try really hard to cut with scissors. We’ve had a few incidents with permanent markers (on the hardwood floor, the wall, and Sam’s bed) because the big kids forgot to put them away. But, mostly, you’re very good with art supplies.

You also love building with Sam’s tiny LEGOs, stacking cups and blocks and boxes, and assembling wooden puzzles. You make cookies and soup in the play kitchen, pour cups of “hot coffee,” push your baby in the stroller all over the house and the yard, and sing into Nora’s red microphone. Your favorite songs are “Can’t Stop that Feeling” and anything from The Greatest Showman — no coincidence that we listen to the soundtrack all the time. You’ve even learned the words to several songs, including “never, never, never enough.”

We don’t watch much television, and you have not yet made it through an entire family movie night. You’re mostly in it for the pizza and popcorn! But you are slightly obsessed with “Baby Boss.” In fact, Daddy calls you “Mega Cute CEO Baby.”

Now that the weather is warm, we go to the playground almost every afternoon. You climb the stairs, go down the slide, sit on the swings, and try to follow the big kids across the monkey bars. You pick flowers and fill your pockets with rocks. We ride bikes on the back deck and blow bubbles and throw balls. And you have so much fun jumping in the bounce house with Sam and Nora. You love to be outside!

You are my laundry helper — you like  to identify which clothes belong to which family member, and you get it right 95 percent of the time. You help to load the dishwasher and put away clean utensils. You spray and wipe down the windows — because the finger prints and kiss marks are mostly yours! You can’t stand to have any door or drawer open. You insist on ringing the door bell every time we walk inside the house. And you recently figured out how to push the button to open the garage door.

Daddy is your snuggle buddy, and the two of you have taken naps together on the couch, in Nora’s bed, and at the pool. You say, “Daddy … snuggle … phone.” Though he has to be careful handing over his phone to you, because we’re pretty sure that you factory reset it a few weeks ago!

You will eat almost anything that we put on your plate — spicy chicken curry, Thai shrimp, carnitas burritos, lasagna. Favorite foods are pizza, cheeseburgers, tacos, berries, and bananas. Favorite snack requests are fig bars (always “two”), applesauce, and popcorn. You love to dip pretzels in hummus, cucumbers in Ranch, chips in guacamole, apples in peanut butter, waffles in syrup, grilled cheese in tomato soup, and French fries in ketchup. And you have a sweet tooth just like everyone in our family.

You rarely stay in your own seat during mealtime. You hand over your plate and cup and walk across the table to either my lap or Daddy’s lap. Then you steal bites from our plates. You’re lucky you’re so cute!

You brush your teeth, and wash your hands. But you have no interest yet in the potty. In fact you said, “scared” when I took it out of the closet. We turned your car seat around last week, and you are thrilled! Every time you climb into it, you say, “seat, like it.”

You can’t sleep without your binky and your blankie (hand-me-down sleep sack from Sam). You also like to carry both around the house. You learned how to climb out of your crib a few months ago — probably because Sam and Nora climb in and out of it every day. Sometimes you climb out of your crib and into Nora’s bed. You put your head on the pillow and pull the covers up to your chin, and I hear the two of you giggling. I have to admit, it’s pretty darn cute. Overall, you’re a great sleeper. You sleep from about 8pm until 7am with a twoish-hour late morning nap. Although, I almost always have to wake you up to get Nora from school, or take her to gymnastics. Such is the life of the third child.

You love Sam and Nora and want to be included in everything that they do. You have also learned how to fight back if they steal a toy or try to discipline you. You like to “feed Lucy” and put her “outside” and throw the ball for her in the backyard. And you love to FaceTime with family members, especially cousin Maggie.

You like to tell stories about how Poppy was silly with your stroller, how the “buh-fly” flew towards your head, and how Uncle Steepie was sick and couldn’t come to our house. You know all of Sam’s and Nora’s friends by name and often request to go to the playground with them. You are comfortable with familiar people like our neighbors and parents of your friends, but you still run to me and bury your face in my legs if a stranger acknowledges you. The skeptical “Evie eyebrow” still makes an occasional appearance, too.

Oh, sweet girl, it is such an honor to be your Mommy. I love watching you learn about the world, gain confidence, and develop your own personality. I love when you wave and blow kisses from the door. I melt when you say “thank you” and “I love you,” though you still usually point to yourself for the “you” part. And I can’t get enough of your kisses and hugs.

Happy second birthday, Evelyn Claire!

Emily: 35 | Nick: 35 | Sam: 6 yrs | Nora: 4 yrs | Evelyn: 20 mos | Lucy: 5 yrs

6:35am | It’s easy to wake up before the alarm when I don’t have little ones waking me up in the middle of the night to use the potty or fix a blanket or retrieve a lost binky. I roll out of bed, chug a half bottle of water (because #winter), grab my clothes for the day, and head downstairs to shower.

6:50am | I’m out and Nick is in. Still no sounds coming from the kids’ rooms. Yes! I’ll actually have time to dry my hair and put on some makeup. And time to notice how desperately I need a bang trim and brow wax.

7:05am | Ready for the day, and I can’t believe that the kids are still sleeping. I grab my phone and go down to the kitchen to start the coffee. I scroll through the weather, the news headlines for the day, my email, and Timehop before I hear Nora’s voice in the bathroom.

7:15am | Nick is brushing his teeth, Nora is going potty, and Lucy has found her favorite spot at the top of the stairs.

7:20am | Evie is up. Always with a sweet hug and pat on the back as I lift her out of the crib. I pull back the curtains, open the blinds, and change her diaper. Sam is up, too. We all slowly make our way downstairs.

7:30am | Evie is clingy. (“Up” and “carry” are her new favorite words.) Lucy is ringing the bells to go out. Sam and Nora are arguing over the magnets on the refrigerator. “Daddy got this for me from Canada.” “No, Daddy got this for me.” Coffee is calling my name.

7:35am | Hugs and kisses for Daddy as he heads out the door. I put Evie into her chair with a cup of water, a banana, and her vitamin. But, before I know it, she’s back on the kitchen counter while I get breakfast ready. Nora is close behind, dragging the stool and asking to help whisk the eggs.

7:45am | Nora convinced Evie to join her in the living room to play baby dolls. Sam is finishing his homework. (B is for baseball.) And breakfast is almost ready (scrambled eggs and avocado and bagels).

8:15am | After getting up twice for milk refills, once for extra napkins, and another to get the bottle of ketchup, we’re finally finished with breakfast. Evie ended up sitting in my lap, of course. Nora feeds Lucy, and I send Sam upstairs to get dressed.

8:20am | We have to leave for the bus in 10 minutes, and neither of the girls are dressed. Then I have a brilliant idea. Since I’m volunteering in the library at Sam’s school this morning, I ask if he wants me to drive him to school. “But won’t I be late?” (Since when is my son a rule-follower?) “Yes, but only 10 minutes.” He happily agrees, and I’m grateful for some extra time to get the girls moving.

8:45am | Everyone is dressed, teeth cleaned, hair brushed, and I even got to finish my cup of coffee. I pile up coats, hats, gloves, and backpacks, and start the assembly line. (Darn groundhog and six more weeks of winter.) Evie is insisting that she bring her baby doll and binky and two hats, and Nora asks me three times to fix “the bumps” on her socks.

8:55am | And we’re off! We drop off Nora first. And Sam’s former teacher is so excited to see him sitting in the back seat. Then we drive down the road to the elementary school. I sign in Sam and myself as a visitor. And I ask Sam to lead us to the library — my proud big kid!

9:15am | My little helper sits beside me while I sort bookmarks for the winter reading incentive. But that doesn’t last long. Soon she’s in my lap, and I’m trying hard to keep her from drawing on the classroom folders. After sorting, we head into the hallway to hang the kids’ names on the treasure maps. We see a first-grade friend and our second-grade neighbor. Both stop to talk to Evie. Oh, how I love this community and this school.

9:45am | We’ve moved on to shelving books. Evie pulls them off the shelf as I put them on. Fortunately, Curious George provides some distraction.

10:15am | Evie is getting cranky and keeps requesting “bars” (fig bars) from my backpack. I take that as my cue to pack up. We wave “byeeeee” to the librarian and head out. But not before sneaking by Sam’s classroom. He sees us, gives a big smile and wave, and we’re off.

10:30am | Back home and Evie is refusing to get out of the car. This is new. Usually she doesn’t want to get into the car. But she’s so darn cute.

10:35am | We have about an hour until we have to pick up Nora. I sure do miss Evie’s 10-12:30 nap time. We had a good run, but she’s over it. This means that Nora no longer stays for lunch bunch, otherwise there’s not enough time for Evie to nap before we have to pick up Sam at the bus stop. Poor third child. However, she does get extra couch snuggles with Mommy and a yummy early lunch (hummus and naan bread, string cheese, grapes), so I shouldn’t too bad.

11:20am | Time to bundle up again and head out for Nora. I can’t wait until the weather warms up so we can resume our walks to and from preschool.

11:30am | Nora runs out of her classroom, “Mommy, look what I can do. I can zip my own jacket! Now you don’t have to help me anymore!” Oh, the thrilling life of a four-year-old.

11:35am | Back in the car, and Nora asks to play Eye Spy. We get in just three rounds before we pull up our driveway. Evie is more than ready to nap, so I take her straight upstairs.

11:45am | Lunchtime for me and Nora. She asks for macaroni and cheese — no surprise. And I heat up leftover spicy sausage and potato soup for myself.

12:00pm | We spend the next hour rotating between puzzles, lite bright, kinetic sand, and coloring books. As much as I miss my productive time during Evie’s late morning naps, I am also loving this new opportunity for one-on-one time with the middle. Especially since she’s been struggling a bit with her big emotions. There have been more meltdowns and overreactions and tantrums since she’s turned four. And this extra focused attention on her has been good for both of us. We’re both feeling pretty relaxed with a blend of lavender and lemon in the diffuser and Moana on the Bose.

1:30pm | Nora asks for an apple and a bowl of Goldfish and to watch PJ Masks on the iPad. I give in because I have a bit of work to do. We’re in the process of hiring a realtor to begin house hunting (woo-hoo!), and I could use some quiet time on the computer.

2:30pm | Evie is still napping. And Nora is thrilled to get more screen time than usual. I take the opportunity to tidy the kitchen, wipe down the counters, and pick up a few toys that have been on the living room floor since this morning.

2:45pm | “Maaamaaa!” Evie is up. And we have just enough time for popcorn and applesauce before it’s back into our winter gear to walk to the bus stop. (If you’re counting, this is Evie’s fifth time of the day to suit up.)

3:45pm | The girls spend a few minutes walking up and down the steps of the doctor’s office near the bus stop, picking up rocks, and jumping over the cracks in the sidewalk. When we hear the bus turn the corner, they run to the curb. Our favorite brother is home! “Bubba!” He’s greeted with big hugs from both sisters. We cross the street, Nora runs ahead of us, Evie doesn’t want to hold my hand, and Sam is trying to show me the slime he traded on the bus. I pull the recycling bin up the driveway, and Sam grabs the mail before we head inside.

4:00pm | It’s important to serve a big snack to Sam before hanger strikes. Today he asks for a sausage biscuit and strawberry yogurt. I empty his backpack, toss yesterday’s homework, shake the crumbs from his snack bag, and quickly scan the reminder about their upcoming 100th day of school. The girls are racing cars on the rug, and Sam asks to play Nintendo. Fortunately, I’m able to redirect his attention, and he’s soon playing with the girls on the floor.

4:30pm | Bath time! Yes, before dinner. This has become one of my new favorite winter rituals. It really helps the kids to wind down from their days and eliminates a little bit of the bedtime chaos (especially on nights that Nick has to work late, like tonight). I get some lavender and thieves diffusing in their rooms and everyone gets nice and clean. I put on PJs, too, of course.

5:15pm | Just as I finish dressing the girls, Sam enters as Captain Underpants. “Tra-laaa-laaaaaaa!” We watched the movie last weekend, and Sam and Nora are still laughing at all the jokes. Potty humor, at its finest. Before I know it, all three kids are wearing underwear on their heads and racing from room to room. Sam and Nora say, “one, two, three,” and Evie shouts “goooooo!”

5:45pm | The next hour is a complete blur, as usual. While Evie pulls all of the colanders out of the cupboard, I prepare an easy dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup, carrots, and strawberries. Nora complains that her bread is too dark and asks for “really, super cold water.” Sam requests a second sandwich. Evie’s chin and jammy shirt are covered in tomato soup. And I wish I had a glass of red wine to accompany this lovely meal.

6:45pm | Gosh, it’s getting late. But the kids ate really well, and cleaned the table. So when they ask to play “just one” game of Memory, I oblige. I give them each a granola bite, and Sam asks to crumble his up and add it to (another) yogurt. Sam and I quickly accumulate a stack of matches. Nora only has one and asks to be on my team as she moves into my lap. Sam protests, but I tease him, “you just don’t want to lose to the girls,” and he gets his game face on. He does end up losing, by just two pair. Before this escalates into an argument, I usher them upstairs.

7:15pm | Time to start our bedtime routine: go potty, brush teeth, do mouthwash, take fluoride, rub lotion on dry hands, apply “happy face” roller of essential oils to Sam’s face. As you can imagine, this takes least 15 minutes for one adult to complete with three kids.

7:30pm | We’re finally all laying in Nora’s bed, later than I’d like, but all three are in relatively good moods, so I’ll take it. I tell them they can each pick a book. Evie chooses one of her Ladybug Girl board books, but really just wants to flip through it and say “lady” and “dog.” Sam picks Brown Bear, what do you see? And Nora picks Polar Bear, what do you hear? They both have these books memorized, and so I suggest they read to me tonight. Cue the cuteness! Sam helps Nora to sound out the words, and she is surprisingly accepting of his help (this is not always the case). But by the time we get to the end of the second book, they have turned the story into a song and are trying to out-sing each other. And … we’re done.

7:45pm | I send Sam to his room while I tuck in the girls. Multiple hugs and kisses and nose honks before I say, “Goodnight, I love you, I’ll see you in the morning time.” Sam’s turn, and fortunately, he’s too tired to request another book. I kiss him on the forehead and turn off his light.

8:00pm | Whew. Before I sit down, I load the dishwasher and wipe down the counters. I put the kids’ cups in the refrigerator and set out Sam’s lunchbox and backpack. I do a quick sweep through the living room for rogue toys and fluff the couch cushions. Then I make a cup of tea and head to the basement for This Is Us — my current favorite show on television, and always an emotional roller coaster. Nick is already a few episodes behind, so he won’t mind that I’m watching without him.

8:45pm | I hear Nick upstairs, but I’m too into the show to get up to greet him. After he changes into sweats, he comes down to join me. He grabs the Nintendo Switch (like father, like son), while I finish the episode.

9:15pm | We spend the next 20 minutes catching up on our days and checking out a few houses on Zillow. We’re starting to narrow down communities and are really anxious for some new properties to hit the market.

9:45pm | Nick decides to stay in the basement with Lucy while I head upstairs to read a few pages in Origin, Dan Brown’s newest book.

10:45pm | Nick hasn’t come up yet. I text him and suggest he turn off the Nintendo (with a silly wink face emoji) and come to bed. But I’m fast asleep before he decides to take my advice.

You are artistic, imaginative, talkative, dramatic, silly, stubborn. A rule follower and a perfectionist. You are equal parts sweet and sass. You are all of these things and so much more. You are FOUR!

This past year with you was a fun one! We explored new parks and playgrounds, the zoo, and several museums. We climbed rocks and splashed in waterfalls and played on the beach. We spent summer afternoons learning about science, petting exotic animals, watching the solar eclipse, and reading books at the library. You are interested and attentive when it comes to learning.

In the spring, you played soccer with your favorite Coach Grilled Cheese, and you continue to enjoy gymnastics with preschool friends. You took eight weeks of swimming lessons and gained tons of confidence in the water. You love scootering at Loantaka Park and even mastered the “big hill,” with encouragement from Sam.

You easily scale spider’s webs and hang from monkey bars. You climb railings and jump down steps. You have no problem playing catch or tag with Sam and and his buddies. And, girl, you are fast on your feet! Especially when wearing your favorite lightning bolt high-top sneakers.

You prefer to wear a spider man costume over a tutu, a superhero mask over a princess crown. You wanted to be a football player at Jets training camp, not a cheerleader. A gymnast, not a ballerina. And you want to be an astronaut when you grow up. So “I can go to the moon and get back my balloon” (that you lost at a baseball game almost two years ago). I love your confidence, your persistence, your determination. You can be anything you want to be, young lady!

You use your imagination to make everything come to life: a plastic cowboy riding a horse, crayons, nesting blocks, utensils, paper airplanes, a LEGO pig and dog, baby dolls, Hatchimals, figures from your favorite TV shows (Peppa Pig, Paw Patrol, PJ Masks), even your toes. You play family and school and restaurant. You get completely lost in your stories and scenarios, and I absolutely it.

You have amazing dexterity for a four-year-old. And I think you are officially a lefty! You can easily trace and copy the letters of the alphabet, color within the lines, draw recognizable people and animals and monsters. You love to manipulate play-dough and sand and slime. I’m tempted to keep almost everything that you create!

You are also a perfectionist. Your teachers say they always ask you to demonstrate art projects because you recreate every detail that they ask. This was most obvious in the group of owls that hung on your classroom wall. You placed the wings and eyes and beak in precisely the right spots, while many of your classmates took a more abstract approach. I know, however, that this perfectionist tendency can also be detrimental. You get really upset really quickly if you can’t do something the “right” way. I’m trying to teach you that not everything has to be perfect to be beautiful. It’s a good reminder for your momma, too!

You are sensitive and passionate. Your emotions are often too big to contain and spill out in the form of tears and impulsive phrases like “I don’t love you” and “I don’t want to be close to you” … quickly followed by “I’m so, so sorry” and “I love you.” Apparently this is not uncommon in girls your age. And we are trying our best to be patient during this phase, teaching you ways to cope and calm and control your emotions. But it can be exhausting.

Fortunately, every day ends with great big Nora bear hugs, sweet kisses, and nose squeezes. And when you say things like … “I still have some crying in my feet, but I won’t let it come up” and “I’m going to go to my room and let happiness come inside my body,” … I know we are doing something right.

You surprise us daily with your sophisticated vocabulary. You say things like: “on the surface” and “beneath” and “I’ll distract Evie while you change her diaper” and “I didn’t realize that our babysitter was coming tonight” and “We have three options to play today.” You remember details, recount memories, make up stories. You are just like your mommy.

Because you have such a large vocabulary for a four-year-old, some articulation issues have become apparent. Your teachers mentioned this to me during our winter phone conference, and I’ve been paying special attention to the sounds that you mispronounce. After an evaluation through the school district, we learned that you are “fronting,” which means that you replace hard sounds made in the back of the throat, like /k/ and /g/, with sounds made in the front of the mouth, like /t/ and /d/. A good example: kindergarten is tin-der-dar-ten.

I can understand almost everything that you say because I listen to you every day. But you get frustrated if others can’t understand you. The last thing I want is for this to affect your confidence and love for storytelling. So we will likely start speech therapy later this year, and I’m sure that it won’t take long for you to make the corrections.

Until then, I will admittedly enjoy every “tootie pie” and “tin-tel tin-tel wittle tar.”

You love mac and cheese (the “round” kind), pretzels and hummus (with “sprinkles,” a.k.a. everything seasoning), cheeseburgers on sesame “seed” buns, cinnamon raisin bagels with lots of cream cheese, bacon, bulls-eyes (especially the ones that Poppy makes on his “magic pan”), cherries, marshmallows, fancy Belgian chocolates, crunchy carrots, big apples with the skin cut off, letter cookies from Trader Joe’s. Have I mentioned that you’re a little bit picky right now? Another oh so wonderful four-year-old phase.

You love music and always request “Uptown Funk” as soon as we get into the car. You also have memorized every song that comes after that on my running playlist. You’ve seen the movie, Trolls, at least 32 times. I’m not exaggerating. And you got to meet your (and my!) favorite storybook character, Ladybug Girl, at the book festival in the fall.

Recently you said, “I have three special things about me.” (Oh, you have SO many more than three!) “I have an extra tooth” (you do), “I have a superhero tooth” (your first filling), “and I’m in the middle.” And I think you love being in the middle! You love following Sam, and you love leading Evie. You are so proud to be both a little sister and a big sister. You are also such a sweet friend. I genuinely believe that your friends enjoy your company. We obviously, do, too!

Nora, we appreciate every moment with you: the big ones, the small ones, the challenging ones, the sweet ones. You are truly one of a kind, and we couldn’t love you more. Happy birthday, sweetheart!

(1) Jumbo Farm Animals We have the dinosaurs and the jungle animals and LOVE them! Rexy has slept with Nora and accompanied her to show-and-tell. He has battled with the other dinosaurs on the living room rug. And the lion and tiger have been hunted and captured more times than I can count. Evie will be especially excited about the “moo” cow and “quack” duck from this set.

(2) Ladybug Girl and Her Mama and Ladybug Girl and Her Papa Our littlest is quite the bookworm. She falls asleep with at least four books in her bed every night. Ladybug Girl is one of her favorites, but I cringe every time I tuck her in with the beautiful hardcovers. Board books to the rescue!

(3) Minnie Mouse Car Evie also loves Minnie. (And Daniel and Peppa). And she loves cars. Perfect gift right here.

(4) Baby Doll “Baby” is one of her favorite words to say. And she is obsessed with her baby cousin. Now she will have her own (not one of Nora’s, and certainly not another sibling) to nurture.

(5) Butterfly Chair Sam’s Thomas the Train chair (which is 5 years old) has become a staple on our back deck. It is faded and torn, and Evie loves it, but it’s definitely time to replace it.

(All links are Amazon affiliate links.)

(1) Space Suit and Space Book Because she wants to be an astronaut! (Though she always follows that aspiration with “but I don’t want to wear a diaper,” which she learned at the Air and Space Museum last year.) Melissa and Doug makes great quality kids’ costumes, and I’m looking forward to adding this one to our collection, which also includes a firefighter and a doctor.

(2) Doc McStuffins Baby This is her most requested gift this year. Why? She saw it at Target months ago and has been talking about it ever since. I’m not crazy about having another baby doll in the house, but Santa had no choice but to fulfill her #1 wish.

(3) Karaoke Microphone I cannot wait to break this out on Christmas Day. I did lots of research on kids’ microphones, but decided to go with this version that we can all use. It will certainly up our dance party game.

(4) Barbie Mermaid Doll Her first Barbie! A milestone.

(5) Hatchimals Colleggtibles I rarely cave to toy trends, but I couldn’t resist using a coupon to get our first Hatchimals while it was still in stock at Target. (Amazon is now charging almost twice what I paid.) Nora loves character toys and trinkets; I just hope I don’t regret opening this door!

(6) Mr. Sketch Scented Markers Blast from the past! I had to get these for her stocking.

(7) Swim Goggles Gearing up for another round of swim lessons, and both big kids are in need of new goggles. Hopefully these stay in place/don’t leave marks on their faces like previous pairs.

(All links are Amazon affiliate links.)

(1) Nintendo Switch Nick convinced me that Sam is ready for his first video game system. We would have loved to start with the Nintendo Classic, but since it’s impossible to find, we went with the Switch. No complaints from Nick! (I may have even bought a game for him to open on Christmas morning). We also got Super Mario Odyssey and Mario Kart. Definitely an investment, but I know the whole family will enjoy it!

(2) Star Wars Nerf Gun Sam requested a “big” Nerf gun from Santa. Because he’s in need of one that holds more than a single dart. Guaranteed to make our evening battles even more entertaining.

(3) Head Lamp Stocking stuffer! For everything from searching for LEGOs under the bed to future family camping trips.

(4) Star Wars Folded Flyers Sam has already created an entire fleet of paper airplanes, complete with landing gear. And I know he will love this Star Wars version.

(5) Art Case For our budding artist. Since he started kindergarten, I just can’t keep up with the amount of paper he goes through — and art supplies. Time to get rid of broken crayons and dried up markers. (And I plan to get another one for Nora for her birthday in January.)

(6) Tool Kit Because it’s time to graduate from plastic tools. He will love that he has his own set of tools to use for projects with Daddy.

(All links are Amazon affiliate links.)

Happy birthday to our silly, spirited, favorite buddy! You are fearless, imaginative, independent. You are an athlete, an engineer, an artist. A good friend and a protective big brother. You are compassionate and considerate. You are SIX.

You have grown so much this year. Four inches and eight pounds, to be exact. Your limbs are longer, your face is thinner, your hair is higher. By the end of summer, all of your pants were either ripped at the knees or two inches too short. You have an insatiable appetite and don’t stop moving until your head hits the pillow at bedtime.

You have an endless amount of energy, love all sports (including cricket and tennis, which you learned at summer camp), and are quite competitive!

You tried basketball last winter and often asked to stay longer to shoot with the big boys. Though your favorite part of practice was the relay race at the end — which you took very seriously.

You played tee-ball in the spring, and loved it! You may be a future pitcher — just like your Uncle Andrew. Because you have quite the cannon for an arm. Your coach always asked you to take a few steps back before firing the ball to first base. Of course, you enjoyed scaling the fence and building dirt piles and eating post-game popsicles almost as much as you enjoyed fielding and throwing and hitting the ball.

You participated in a weekly skills and drills soccer program in April and May and moved up to the next division for fall soccer. You have gained a lot of confidence since last season and are fearless! You sprint down the field to protect your goal and slide kick the ball away from your opponents. You also encourage and cheer for your teammates louder than any other kid out there, which makes us so proud.

You asked to play flag football with your preschool buddies. But our schedule just didn’t allow it this year. However, that doesn’t stop you from working hard on your spiral throw and tackles. Especially after spending a summer afternoon at Jets training camp. You now claim the Jets are your favorite football team (sorry, Steelers). Though you often call them the Rockets.

You also completed your first triathlon in August! You spent weeks watching your buddy’s race video and were so fired up on race day. You bravely jumped into the murky lake water and paddled your way across the 25-yard lane. Then it was onto your bike (with training wheels) for a 1/2-mile ride. And you finished fast with a 1/4-mile run. The running leg was definitely your strongest! Just like your momma.

Not only am I impressed by your athleticism and sportsmanship, I am so amazed and inspired by your creativity. How you made a fishing rod from a long stick that you found at the park, yarn, and a paperclip taped to the end. And that you believed you could actually throw it into the lake and catch a fish. I love your popsicle stick creations that I discover all over the house. And your fleet of jets with binding clips for landing gear and an aircraft carrier made of paper and tape. How you can turn anything into an art project: clothespins, toothpicks, ribbon, marshmallows, play-dough, glue sticks, googly eyes. How you constructed a holster for your homemade swords. And how you tape paper targets to the living room window that you shoot with your bow and arrow. I can’t believe that we haven’t yet had a broken lamp, considering the rubber balls and balloons and Nerf darts that are constantly flying around the house.

You desire to know how things work and get great satisfaction from solving problems. Unless that problem involves locating a tiny LEGO piece or a specific colored marker or your soccer cleats. Then you are more than willing to request help from Mom!

Your favorite foods are the predictable spaghetti and meatballs, pepperoni pizza, macaroni and cheese with broccoli, and quesadillas with guacamole. But you are also always willing to try new foods. Thanks, in part, to the cooking class you took over the summer, that introduced you to zucchini muffins and tarts, carrot slaw, and homemade pickles. New favorite foods include spring rolls, shrimp pad thai, and orange chicken. You prefer cookie dough balls over actual chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream with lots of cherries on top. On the rare occasion that we allow you to have soda, you savor it for as long as possible (sometimes hours!). And you are quite proud of your PBJ banana sandwich creation that you request almost every day after school.

In addition to cooking class, we attended many fun summer activities: Mad Science, Oceans Rock, Touch-a-Truck, Vacation Bible School, the Turtle Back Zoo, Nixon Park. I love your interest in learning about science and nature and animals, specifically jellyfish, spiders, and polar bears. You ask lots of questions about space and the weather and were fascinated by the solar eclipse. You answer either “astronaut” or “police officer” when asked what you want to be when you grow up.

You did a bit of traveling this summer. We celebrated preschool graduation with a mother/son trip to the Jersey Shore. You collected seashells on the beach, learned about penguins at the aquarium, played video games in the arcade with friends, and ate most of the shrimp and scallops from my seafood boil.

In July, you and Daddy went to Colorado! You went hiking and camping with Uncle Andrew: drank from the creek through a filtering straw, helped to pitch the tent, walked almost six miles until you asked to be carried, and were just a little bit disappointed that you didn’t get to roast marshmallows over the campfire because of the drought. Then you attended Uncle Jon’s military retirement ceremony and had a blast visiting the Air Force Academy and the Garden of the Gods with your cousins. The grand finale to your week was putting on a pilot cap and sitting in the cockpit before your flight home! You were even thoughtful enough to get an extra wing pin for Nora.

You love to be outside. From organizing obstacle courses at the playground and racing bikes on the back deck to hiking trails, boating, and fishing. You love to be on the water (especially with Uncle Steepie) and in the water. In January, you could barely swim the width of a lane, and by March, you were swimming unassisted laps! You asked to go to the township pool almost every day over the summer to hang with your PCNS posse and spent most of those afternoons jumping off the high dive.

You also mastered the moving monkey bars at the purple playground — not an easy feat! You still prefer to ride your scooter over your bike. Probably because you feel frustrated that you couldn’t ride without training wheels on your first attempt. Like I said, you are competitive!

You recently developed an interest in music and often request to listen to my running mix in the car. Favorite songs are “Up, Down, Funk-You-Unk” “Single Ladies” (that you pronounce Singagliese like your preschool teacher) and “Stand Up and Dance with Me.” You still have the most amazing dance moves, and I look forward to our dinnertime dance parties!

You pretend not to like Paw Patrol and Peppa Pig and Octonauts. But you secretly watch them when they’re on Nora’s iPad and enjoy playing with the characters under Nora’s bed as much as she does. You’re not quite as obsessed with Star Wars as you were last year. You and Daddy are more inclined to have Nerf gun battles rather than light saber duels. Although you still requested to be Kylo Ren for Halloween.

You can build LEGO sets (for ages 5-12!) by yourself and in impressive time. You enjoy following the directions, but also enjoy free building ships and secret hideouts. You like to “cool them up.” You have a tendency to build symmetrical, just like me. Same goes for drawing. Your creations are organized and intricate and colorful.

You love board games, UNO, and Connect Four. You have several huge stacks of books in your room and ask to read at least three every night. Over the summer, we read our way through quite a few chapter books from the Magic Tree House series. I am so looking forward to the day when you can read to us! I suspect that day will be here before we know it.

You started kindergarten in September, which deserves a post of its own. Let’s just say that you LOVE school. You are quick to pick up new concepts and never complain about doing your homework. You talk about technology class and science and playing “Mr. Fox” on the playground with your new friends. On your birthday, I surprised you for lunch and recess. You greeted me with a huge smile and hug, were so excited to introduce me to your classmates, and gave me thumbs up while playing soccer and football with your buddies on the playground. I was so proud to see you high five friends in the hallway and sit so attentively on the rug while I read a book to your class. I hope you always love learning!

You have a very typical relationship with your sisters. You love them unconditionally and tease them relentlessly. I love the way you always include Nora, even when your buddies are around. And I love the way she looks to you for assistance and reassurance. I love how you take Evelyn by the hand and encourage her to knock over block towers, throw balls, and splash in the bath tub. I know the girls will always be protected in your presence.

You have made so many significant friendships since we moved to Morristown. I am amazed by your confidence and commitment in forming new relationships. And you always remember to send letters and make FaceTime calls with your best buds in other states.

It is also worth noting that you have developed your first crush. Our neighbor is in second grade, and you have sat beside her on the bus since day one. She made you a bracelet, you wrote her a thank-you note, she teaches you Spanish, and you sometimes “meet at the fence” to talk after school. You even asked, “How old do I have to be to have a girlfriend?” Oh, dear, buddy!

You said another day, “When I grow up, I’m going to wait a few years to get married. And when I’m waiting, I’m going to work in a science lab like Daddy did when he waited for Mommy. What were you doing in Daddy’s science lab, anyway? And when you saw Daddy, you wanted to marry him, right?” That’s exactly right, Sam.

Of course, Ricky is still your #1 frog. He has been your companion since you learned to crawl. He has been re-stuffed, stitched up, and washed more times that I can count. And because there may (sadly!) come a day when you no longer “need,” we decided to celebrate him last month. You baked chocolate chip cookies, decorated with balloons, and asked each of us to make a special card for Ricky, which we happily did.

Not everyone has the opportunity to see it, but you have such an innocent and sensitive side. You have been so concerned for Poppy as he has dealt with a rollercoaster of health issues this past year. You have lots of questions that I am cognizant to answer both honestly and carefully. A few months ago I explained to you that Poppy has problems with his neck because he smoked cigarettes. And now you are completely appalled when you see somebody smoking. You call them “smoker-ettes” and can’t understand why people are allowed to buy them at the store. I wonder the same thing, buddy.

You slip love notes under my door when I’m taking a “mommy time-out,” and you always ask that Daddy and I sneak into your room to kiss your head before we go to bed.

Before your first day of kindergarten, we read The Kissing Hand, and you pushed your palm with my kiss so tightly against your head. You said, “I want it to go inside my brain so I don’t forget it.”

Sam, my heart aches just a bit when I see a little boy walking down the street in his Spider Man costume, knowing that yours barely reaches past your knees. Or when I glance in the rear view mirror to see you sitting in your booster seat with your headphones on. Or when you walk to the ice cream counter by yourself to politely ask for more cherries for your banana split. There are so many things that I already miss, but I know that we also have so much to look forward to: your first loose tooth, learning to ride your bike and tie your shoes, reading books and telling jokes, family camping trips.

You said to me recently, “I will love you when I go to kindergarten. I will love you when I go to college. I will love you when I go to outer space.”

I will love you all of those times and more. Always. We couldn’t be more proud of you, buddy. Thank you for challenging us to be the kind of amazing parents that you deserve.

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By the end of the afternoon, Evelyn was covered in watermelon juice, pink frosting, and mulch from crawling across the playground. Then she passed out in my lap while the big kids battled with bubble wands and splashed in muddy puddles. It was the perfect day!

Emily: 35 | Nick: 34 | Sam: almost 6 yrs | Nora: 3 1/2 yrs | Evelyn: 13 mos | Lucy: almost 5 yrs

6:30am | Nick’s alarm goes off. I groan and roll away from the buzzing as he begrudgingly gets out of bed. But … TGIF!

6:45am | I hear the girls’ bedroom door open and little footsteps head into the bathroom where Daddy is showering, followed by quiet conversation, and then, “Sam, do you want to play boxing?” I’m sure that Sam wasn’t awake, but he definitely is now.

6:50am | Nora is at my bedside, asking if she and Sam can “play boxing,” which Nick allowed them to do last night while I washed the kitchen floors. “Not now,” I say, which Nora interprets as, “Mommy says we can play in the meantime, Sam.” Which, I guess is a word that I sometimes use?

6:55am | Nick is back upstairs to get dressed, and I’m still in bed. I ask if we can flip the mattress tonight, and Nick says he can’t wait to get a new king size Casper mattress one day, which he has been talking about for at least three years already.

7:00am | I’m finally up and am greeted by Bat Girl in a pink cape, while Sam is on the hunt for his Spider Man mask. I find Evie in her crib, playing with a baby doll, which Nora must have slipped in this morning. I change her stinky diaper and can’t stop laughing when Chewbaca appears in the doorway.

7:12am | Everybody is downstairs, and Nick starts the coffee. Recently, he’s been leaving the house at 6:45am, so it’s nice to have him here to help with a few morning tasks. I grab a banana for Evie and set her up in her new seat at the dining room table. Last night, I decided to take the tray off her booster seat, in hopes that this would prevent her from throwing half of her meal onto the floor and then climbing into my lap to steal bites from my plate. The verdict is still out.

7:25am | Time to say goodbye to Daddy. Big hugs and kisses all around.

7:30am | The big kids agree on bulls-eyes for breakfast (a.k.a. eggs in a basket or toads in a hole), and Sam helps to cut the holes. It’s nice to know that our shot glass is still being used for something these days.

7:40am | Nora eats her eggs, Evie shares bites of mine, and Sam eats three of his own, plus a glass of orange juice.

8:05am | The bag of boxing gloves appears on the living room floor, and the big kids are suiting up for their match, while I exchange texts with friends about our trip to the zoo later today. Fortunately, there are no tears or band-aids required during the boxing match.

8:15am | Sam is gathering supplies for his first art project of the day. He draws two stick figures, one with red gloves and one with blue gloves, and asks me to draw a boxing ring. Then he cuts out all of the pieces and glues them onto another piece of paper. Meanwhile, Nora morphs into Batman and Evie pushes cars around the kitchen floor, while I fill Lucy’s food bowl, gather up the breakfast plates, and attempt to unload the dishwasher.

8:55am | “I’m bored. What can I do?” asks Nora. Because one child is always “bored” before 10am, despite my very best efforts to fill our summer days with projects and playdates and chores and adventures. Fortunately, Evie finds a few UNO cards under the couch, and Sam and Nora decide to play a game, while I read some books to the littlest on the floor.

9:10am | The kids finish their UNO game and move on to Go Fish, which leads to requests for Goldfish. It’s never too early for snack requests in this house.

9:15am | I take Evie upstairs to change her diaper and get her dressed. But she escapes with her binky and baby doll. We end up in my bedroom, so I make the bed and pick up a few random things that have accumulated on the floor: my camera charger, a nerf gun dart, Evie’s bathing suit top, Peppa the Pig.

9:25am | The big kids are arguing downstairs, so I suggest they come up to get dressed. It takes at least 15 minutes to get all three out of pajamas and into clothes. Sam is whining a lot, and I hope that he’s not getting sick. Two nights ago, he was vomiting through the night, but he seemed fine yesterday. Fingers crossed he’s just tired.

9:55am | Evie is ready to nap, and the other two need a new activity. After brushing hair and brushing teeth, I set them up with water paint at the dining room table while I get dressed for the day. Since I showered last night, it’s an easy routine of face wash, lotion, toothpaste, dry shampoo, and mascara. Done.

10:15am | Back downstairs to see the kids’ masterpieces. They ask to watch an episode of Paw Patrol. I oblige and use the time to sort through our CSA box, wash beakers and test tubes from this week’s science experiments, and jot down a few notes for my DitL post. I place an Amazon order: Pampers wipes, diaper bag refills, and a second stroller caddy, which I’ve been meaning to get for months because I always forget to move the one that we have from the BOB to the double stroller. I make a second cup of coffee and set out two rounds of pizza dough to thaw and, before I know it, it’s 11:30am.

11:30am | I’m surprised it took this long for the kids to ask for their second snack of the day: applesauce and string cheese. While they eat, they build towers out of magnetic blocks. I hear Sam say that he’s going to capture the bad guys in his fortress. And soon a slew of characters has joined them in the living room: R2D2, a few Storm Troopers, Prince Wednesday, and Chase from Paw Patrol, to name a few.

12:00pm | I get lunch ready: macaroni and cheese with peas and sides of peaches from our CSA box. Just before I set the plates on the table, I hear Evie babbling upstairs. After a quick diaper change, she’s sitting at the table beside me, trying to tear off her bib, as usual.

12:30pm | Nick calls to say that he’s stopping home before his dentist appointment, but I decide not to tell the kids so they can be surprised to see him in the middle of the day.

12:45pm | Sure enough, they’re surprised! Sam and Nora jump onto the couch and climb up to the window, and Evie is excitedly repeating “Dada Dada Dada” as he walks in the door. Though he can barely get past Lucy to see the rest of us.

1:05pm | Diaper bag, water bottles, snacks, stroller. Check, check, check, check. And we’re off to the zoo. Nora asks which direction we’re turning (right), and Sam wants to know how many minutes it will take until we arrive (24). I turn on the kids’ favorite Music Together CD, always starting with track 6, “Ram Sam Sam,” which keeps all three entertained for the next 15 minutes. Of course, Nora falls asleep right before we arrive.

1:30pm | I’m pretty excited to explore Turtle Back Zoo. I’ve heard great things, and we’re meeting a few friends, so it should be a fun afternoon. We all gather at the entrance, and the kids are thrilled to see their buddies. We spend the next two hours with reptiles, leopards, monkeys, giraffes, ostriches, llamas, wallaby, antelope, and bison. Nora’s favorite is the Komodo Dragon, Sam is impressed by the wing span of the Condoor, Evie loves the fishies and sea lions, and I am most entertained by the Sloth hanging upside down by tree branches inside the Reptile House. We find some shade near the giraffes, and I let Evie out of the stroller to explore while Sam and Nora run through the mist with their friends. Not surprisingly, my two kids get way more soaked than the rest of the kids. After snacks and potty breaks, the kids ask to find the playground.

4:15pm | Time to head home. I call Nick from the car, and he says that he should be home just after us. Good. So I can get the kiddos into the bath tub while he starts dinner. I run the plan by them, and they agree, with the promise of pizza and a movie after.

4:45pm | Home again. And I’m happy with how quickly I get the kids bathed and into jammies. Then it’s into the kitchen to help Daddy make pizza while I shower. By the time I get downstairs, I’m sure that the kids have eaten more shredded cheese, sausage, and pepperoni than they have put onto the pizza. But I’m not going to complain! They’re content, and dinner is ready for the oven.

5:15pm | We decide on Beauty and the Beast for family movie night, and I think I’m more excited than the kids. I grew up with this story and have wanted to see the new adaptation since it hit the theatre. Nick serves up the pizza and promises to keep an eye on Evie so that I can actually watch the movie. Score!

7:15pm | I have zero pictures from the rest of the night. In fact, I’m not even sure that I brought my phone into the basement. Here’s a recap: Evie ate two slices of cheese pizza and more grapes than I could count. Sam and Nora barely touched their dinner until the movie was almost over. Nick and I each enjoyed a beer, because, Friday night! And we all loved the movie, even the “scary wolf parts,” according to Sam. All three kids took turns snuggling with me on the couch, while Lucy tried desperately to fit under the train table to get closer to the crumbs on the kids’ plates. Evie got noticeably tired with about 20 minutes to go, and Nick volunteered to take her upstairs. I joined with the big kids shortly after.

7:40pm | After brushing teeth and singing and dipping Sam in the hallway to “tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme …” it’s time to get the kiddos into bed. They willingly agree to skip bedtime books, which is very rare, and are all asleep within minutes of turning out the lights.

8:00pm | Whew. Time to unwind with Nick. After cleaning the kitchen, I grab my computer and a piece of dark chocolate and join him back downstairs. He watches last week’s episode of Game of Thrones while I start to type up my post.

10:00pm | And we’re ready to call it a night. A really, really great summer Friday is in the books.

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