Our Third Born

It's amazing that even after already raising two children from infants to toddlers that we still marvel at this stage and Hailey's daily feats. It's like we are seeing most for the first time (and sometimes we are!).

We think her vocabulary is much more advanced than Austen and Peyton's at this age. She has so many words and is already using two or three word phrases. Among her favorites are:


- "I'm going to get you!"
- "I'm okay"
- "It's stuck!"
- "Where'd it go?"

She plays amazingly well by herself for focused periods of time (maybe 20 minutes) and she likes to play with Austen and Peyton too.

She still struggles with playing with kids she doesn't know as she really hasn't been exposed to so many different kids like the other two were at Montessori school. She did okay with her library art class camp this summer and then seeing Austen's friends' younger siblings at games. She warmed up to a lot of them but it took some time. This fall, she'll get more exposure to making friends when she starts her own Montessori school for two hours a few days a week. I think she's ready for some challenges socially and academically and I think her mind is already trained for Montessori. Can't wait to see how that changes her!

Hailey is also our little daredevil. More than the other two, she likes to climb, jump off things and even ride roller coasters. This summer we hit a local carnival, and Hailey didn't shy away from the rides!

She notices things out the window like when I'm driving - she says "mommy, cow!" I am in the middle of suburbia and there are no cows so I don't know what she's talking about but she's adamant that I am going to see the cow too so she keeps saying it with greater intensity until I look to my right and there on the roof of a store is a cow! Why, yes Hailey, there is a cow!

At 21 months, she loves hats including baseball helmets and also loves trying on my sunglasses (upside down always). I am really relishing all of her moments until she's two (which is fast approaching). Holy Cow!

10.5

Adler has officially hit 10.5 years and since I haven't posted in awhile just about her, I figured I would bring you up to date. 

- In the last few months, she has gained four or five pounds - mainly due to a switch in her food so we switched back and are nearing her "fighting weight" again.

- Adler has grown a lot less tolerant of other dogs who annoy her. People, are no problem and she seems less suspicious of them than in her younger years.  If you want to pet her, great, but If it's a pet who wants to sniff her, forget about it. 

- She is happiest when she can go for walks (which is necessary now that she needs to get back to her fighting weight). She spends most of the day sleeping indoors - even when we kick her out of the house into the backyard, she wants to come back in. But since she was walked twice a day for the first 9 years of her life, she prefers to do just that.

- She can keep up with her sisters at the playground. Yes, she went down this same slide Peyton and Hailey did.

- She is still a true city dog. She prefers the indoors (unless it is snowing) and is still afraid of flies. God forbid one get in the house (which happens daily).

- Even though it's summer and she used to sleep on the cool floor instead of her pillow, she now lays her aging body on her pillow every night no matter what temperature it is inside or outside. 

Some say age is all about how you feel and I would say for 10.5, Adler is feeling pretty good!

Happy Birthday America!

It's not the 4th of July without the beach, baseball, parades, barbecues and fireworks! We managed to get all of these things and then some in during this long weekend.

Friday morning kicked off with some baseball where Austen played in his first all star game of a holiday weekend tournament. Afterwards we headed to our favorite Michigan beach. Traffic was horrible and the beach was crowded but it still was nice to at least feel like you were a million miles away from home.

Saturday kicked off with more baseball and the parade. We couldn't all do both so Tom took Austen to his second game of the tournament while the girls and I headed off to our local parade.  Peyton was glad to tell Austen he didn't miss out on seeing Coach Q and the Stanley Cup at this year's parade (since we saw both last time they won the NHL championship) and Hailey was just enthralled with all of the excitement. She fished candy out of the street like a pro and she waved and clapped like a true American. We capped off the day with a low key barbecue with friends and of course, fireworks! Hailey loved it all. She loved watching the fireworks and throwing the little "pop it" firecrackers on the ground too. She was a true champ who retired at 10:40 that evening. A really late one for her!

Parade time!

Sunday held more baseball games and once again we needed to divide and conquer. Tom, Austen and Hailey headed to one more all star game for Austen and Peyton and I headed to the city to use our Chicago White Sox tickets we had for that day's game. Austen and Tom had to miss due to Austen's game but it was a good lesson in commitment as Austen really wanted to go to the Sox game. We told him he had made a commitment to playing in the all stars and he needed to attend that game. He wasn't happy about it at first but eventually he came around and I think he was glad he did. He won the MVP that day (awarded by the coach of the other team - they vote for the opposing team's MVP) for robbing three kids of at least doubles or triples when he caught their balls in the outfield. Go Austen!

I don't think you could get more Americana than our long weekend especially with the great weather we had. May the rest of our 4th of Julys be just as great!

Fireworks with our 3 and a friend.

Adler gets in the shot. 

Daddy's White Sox girl

Getting in some batting practice at the cages for the big tourney.