September/October so far...

Greetings readers (if I still have any left!),

We started back to school after Labor Day and I think we were all ready to go back into our routine. That is until we realized how much busier that means we would be. Pat works 3 jobs and I work 1 and am a graduate student. This means little family time and really little time being able to blog, cook dinners, play with Lillian, and just generally have some time to rest our feet. Now that the Twins finally ended their season (yay!) we get Pat back on weeknights which is great! We are trying to do as much as we can when we are all together. With MEA break coming up we will be sneaking away to the cabin for some much needed R & R. September and early October were extremely busy-even on the weekends! In fact, last night was our first weekend night with no plans in nearly 2 months!

In September, I planned a baby shower for my friend Sarah and a surprise 80th birthday party for my grandpa. Both were very fun! We ended off September with Pat away for a Bachelor party all weekend. In early October we went to Laura's Homecoming at UW-Eau Claire and the following weekend was my 30th birthday. Pat turned my entire blog from the first post to the one right before this one into a hardcover book. So cool! He also planned a night on the town and my girlfriends from back home made the trip as well. It was definitely a night to remember! Friday, we celebrated Mark and Katie's wedding and a weekend visit from my mom. So, so fun but now we are so, so tired.

Looking forward to weekends with nothing to do for the next few weeks! Lillian will finally get to have both of her parents around all the time.

Lillian is really just a ton of fun to be around. She does have her moments of naughtiness but they are definitely balanced out by her sweet nature. My new favorite thing is her saying goodbye routine. If she is still in her bed while I am leaving for work I often hear, "No wait Mom! We need to say goodbye! Ok, a big hug. Now, a big kiss. Ok, high-five. Now, nosey-nosey-nosey. Have a good day. I love you." Makes getting out the door very difficult! She loves animals and wants a pet but unfortunately that is just not going to happen. Ever. We are not pet people. Maybe some day she can have a fish but that's about as much as I will cave.

Lillian is also a big fan of dancing. She knows Lady Gaga's Poker Face and loves to sing and dance to it. If she is overly tired she tends to get a burst of energy and will just start dancing like it's her job. She is also very in to pretending. Everything she does is narrated and it is very funny to listen to her explain what she is doing. She is shy when around new people but only for a little bit. She is very loud when being silly, loves to sing, and wants your attention all of the time. She has become very good at procrastinating before bedtime. "How about one more story and then I will go to sleep?" She has memorized half of The Cat in the Hat, which is her favorite book right now. We surprised her with the movie version which we plan to watch tonight with her favorite food-popcorn!

Hmmmmm...what else? She has been wanting to help with everything I do. Laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc. I have noticed she gets a little bit upset when things are not in order. She rarely leaves toys out after playing with them. I am hoping she will be a little Suzy Homemaker because cleaning up after Daddy is a lot of work and I need all the help I can get! ;) She has even commented to me if I am not doing my homework or exercising! Wowza! She will really keep you in line.