As has been the norm lately, now that we're midway into the month, it's time to recap the happenings of the previous month! And September was definitely a month of many firsts. For both our little ladies! It seems like each day brings changes for one of them, especially Lilee, whose personality is showing more and more with every passing moment, and who seems to be doing fun new things (and sometimes "yikes!" new things) every time we turn around.
But let's start with our little BIG girl. Maelee started school for pretty much the first time ever! After the crazy situation with her preschool opportunity in NYC, we came up with various classes and activities for her but nothing was as structured as the pre-k program she's now enrolled in at a sweet little Christian school, Our Savior Lutheran in Arlington. It's 3 days a week for 5 hours and she is loving it! I was a bit worried when about the 3rd week in our fiesty little lady really started pushing boundaries, to the point where I already got a phone call home from the teacher AND was informed that a "quiet chair" had been instituted to address some of the issues... BUT, praise the Lord, it has been pretty smooth sailing since and she talks about her "best friends" daily. (And some nightly, even... she can be a little obsessive with her favorites.)
Here are some shots from the first day, beginning with a cute "interview" to document who our little Maelee is as she enters Pre-K:
Kinda funny
interview- she was doing a bit of her silly "baby talk" since we took her a bit by surprise by the idea. Will be a riot to watch years from now!
Not the least bit timid to go in!
Happy to see each other afterward tho.
Special first day of school gift from Nana!
And first day of school treat!
(Yes, our 4 year old is wearing a bib...
couldn't get ice cream on the new Belle dress, though!)
with BFF, Laney, at the Back to School BBQ
The other big first for Maelee in September was the start of her ballet classes! While she's always been a bit lukewarm about it in the past, she repeatedly mentioned wanting to take ballet over the summer so we figured we'd give it a shot! The teacher is quite serious about her classes, even the little "pre-ballet" class that Maelee's in, so the girls all wear their black leotards with pink tights and shoes- adorable!- and they are learning to properly use "Bonjour, Merci, & Au Revoir." Again, adorable. After about a month of classes, Maelee's still about lukewarm, often times even not wanting to go (sigh), but after each class, she's happy and glad she went. And her little turns are, yep, one more time- adorable.
Our little ballerina
Now onto Miss Lilee! She is my little bundle of pure sweetheart mixed with total stinker. :) It has been a fun couple of months watching her explore and discover, developing her precious personality.
September saw her moving and scootching and going places! She got around pretty quickly on her belly in a sort of army crawl and would do a "normal" crawl for several steps before deciding she's faster on the belly and go back to that. She also started pulling up on everything and anything and figured out how to get up the little stair from our living room. Other firsts include clapping (sweet video below) and lots more vocalizing with her first mama and dada sounds. Sure, she may not know what she's saying, but we love hearing it none-the-less! One of her bottom teeth also cut through late in September although it's impossible to see. It's definitely there though!
She is already showing quite an ornery side, going for exactly what we say NO to (sorry, Parker...) with a little grin as she sheepishly looks at us to see if we see her, and is very curious and into everything. With Maelee not showing the least bit interest in crawling until 10 months, content to just stay in one place and play, we are quickly seeing we can't keep our eyes off this one! While her disposition has gotten much happier and laid back than the first half of year one, she still very much lets us know when she does not like what's going on and she is LOUD! Maelee may not have been much of a handful until age 2, but Lilee sure is a handful already. And we love every bit. :) She's a riot and it's so fun watching her cute little personality blossom!
Mommy mistake #9,562- putting a blueberry cube in the mesh feeder.
It was everywhere!
Pulling up!
I can clap!
More adorable proof!
First real bath in tub with big sis!
She is NOT a fan...
Go Skins!
In the middle of the month, we had the special treat of seeing Too-dad & Too-Mom during their weekend visit stay at the National Harbor, with Uday (or U-daddy as Maelee called him!) and Kanchan. It was such a fun evening and both girls loved seeing their great Too-daddy!
Our "Princess Rapunzel" fishing for mini-dinos in the living room!
Caught one!
Taking in a cool Art Fair in Old Town
Awesome talk about heaven over pancakes one morning :)
Mesmerized by the Irish dancer at an Irish Festival in Shirlington!
Singing her little heart out...
Fun afternoon taking in the Festival!
Nana with her girls :)
Fun with "Aunty Coop!"
Another first for Maelee last month was meeting royalty! Hehe. (Sorry, did the Cinderella from her 4th Bday count???) :) Queen Elsa herself made an appearance at a birthday party Maelee recently went to and the experience could not have been more different than our April calamity! These girls were beside themselves- it was too cute!
Had to capture this moment of some sweet Sunday morning cuddles :)
My little ladybug & butterfly bundle at a cute kid's "fun day" put on by
parents of the church where Maelee goes to school
And finally, here are some sweet shots of Lilee at the 7 & 8 month mark, as well as some family shots of our girls at just under 4 1/2 years old, and just over 1/2 year old :)
2014 is flying by and each season brings more fun and more changes. We are trying to get the most out of fall and before we know it, the holidays will be here! Can't wait to see how these girls have changed by the time the new year rolls around.
