Four Peas in a Pod

My precious gifts.  

Eve - 5 1/2 years old.  Smart as can be.  Kindergarten at Grace Baptist.  Has learned to read and write this year.  Is great at math (adding and subtracting), and nouns, verbs, and adjectives.  Wears size 6x/7 in clothes and size 13 shoe.  Loves to learn new stories about Jesus and the bible.  Will not walk out the door to go to church without her bible.  This girl loves arts and crafts.  Has a dream to write a book that they will "sell in the library".  She is a teacher, through and through.  Loves to tell others what to do and how to do it.  Loves to correct and praise her brother and sisters.  Calls them "the kids".  Has rules for everything ... every story, every game, every movie, every activity, every meal, every bedtime ... you get the idea.  She has discovered the meaning of BFF this year, and has found it in Isi Garrard.  Their friendship is special.  Eve has a special place in her heart for Ms. Ashley ... and will miss her desperately next year in 1st grade.  Her friends include her cousins, Isi, Georgia, Lydia, Olivia, Bella, Millie, and Anna Joy.  She says her favorite food is "corn casserole and potatoes and peas".  Her favorite movie is "i think that would be Clifford".  Her favorite thing to do is "play with Isi and Anna outside".  Her favorite thing to wear is "my ballet dress and that pink church dress".  She loves jewelry of all kinds.  Sparkle, glitter, shine.  Loves spending money.  Has tons of energy, and a sweet, sensitive heart.  Quick to apologize and forgive others.

Clara - 3 1/2 years old.  Wears size 3T clothes and 8/9 shoes.  Is the best of our 4 kids at using manners at all times (well, almost).  Gives compliments quickly and constantly.  Has a tender heart and is such a daddy's girl.  Full of emotion and passion (in both happy times and angry times).  Has been our most difficult to discipline, because she is so strong-willed.  Loves to kiss and hug.  Has been an easy potty-trainer.  Loves dresses and flip flops.  VERY particular about her clothes and shoes.  Wants her Hello Kitty blanket to be perfectly flat and laid out with no wrinkles before climbing in bed underneath it.  It is necessary that her PJ's match!  Stubborn.  Mimi says she is just like her mama ... I don't see it :)  She adores Mrs. Stephanie at school, and is practically attached at the hip.  She calls Grace "Mrs. Tephanie's School".  Loves to hide and giggles when she thinks she has scared you.  This girl LOVES gum.  She is constantly sneaking around trying to get some.  She is a SLOW eater, and very picky.  Favorite foods include fruit, bread, and cheese.  She likes salad.  Her favorite princess is Ariel.

 Ellie - 3 1/2.  Wears 3T clothes and 8/9 shoes.  Such a doll.  Snuggly and whiney.  Willing to try new things (new clothes, new shoes .. with no fuss).  We lovingly refer to Ellie as our "salad girl", our "sauce girl", and our "chocolate girl".  Ellie is a bit more mild mannered, but still has tons to say.  She loves to sing and talk and dance.  Finds joy in annoying her sisters and brother ('yes you are, no you aren't' type of stuff).  Loves pockets and t-shirts.  Is constantly wanting to wear coleman's pajamas instead of her own.  Favorite thing to wear is In Focus Church tshirt.  Timid with Boomer, strangers, swimming, bounce houses, etc.  Has the most precious smile.  Is a great eater -- loves pizza, corn casserole, spaghetti, and salad.  Hates bugs and bees.  Constantly bumping into still objects and/or tripping over her own feet.  Loves school.  Loves Adalyn.  Chooses Coleman.  Favorite princess is Cinderella.  Ellie has a tough shell to crack, but when you get to her heart, she's a softy!

Coleman - 2 1/2 years old.  Wears 2T/3T clothes and size 7/8 shoes.  Such a talker.  Cutie pie personality.  LOVES his sisters completely.  Is Ruthie Cason's biggest fan.  Some of my favorite phrases are "no say 'roar'" when we pretend to get him; "te tause" for because; "daddy... you not watchin me!"  "i peas have more?"; "he no talkin to me!"; "daddy!  a bbbbbbaaaaaaabbbbbbyyyyyyyy!".  This boy LOVES babies.  Squeals in a high pitched voice when he sees a baby carrier.  Tickles their feet and watch them giggle.  Hates haircuts.  Loves yogurt, applesauce, and spaghetti.  Loves for Eve to sing to him when he's going to bed (is that perfect for Eve, or what??)  Is adorable when you ask him to close his eyes and he crosses them, or looks up, or squints.  Gives hugs and kisses easily.  Loves to be outside.  Walks around with his bat and ball and tells daddy "i wanna go to your softball game!"  A fun 4th born (and last child).  The girls adore him, and he adores them.  Plays babies, dolls, store, but also is all boy ... throws everything that resembles something round.  Jumps, gets dirty, loves puddles, and hats.  A joy.

  

Twin Lovin ...

Happy Birthday to the two who make me crazy and keep us laughing!  We love these sweet, sweet girls!

December Pics

 Kristen took these pics for us at Hammonds Ferry.  Weather was great.  Kids didn't really wanna cooperate.  But such is life.  Oh well.  One day, I will have a good family picture!  I am determined.

 Poor Coleman.  He wanted to hold Ellie's hand.  She said, "nope" and doesn't appear to be worried about him.

 My new favorite picture of the twins.

Me and my girls … Hilley/Berry Family Reunion at Greenwood State Park

sweet hugs and giggles

wake up snuggles at grandmas. 

I DID attempt to do some Christmas "goodies" with the kids.  One time was enough for me.  We will try again next year.  We were making chocolate covered pretzel rods.  I walked around with the bowl of chocolate for the kids to dip their pretzels in.  When I walked around the counter to Clara and Coleman, Ellie would lick the salt off her pretzels.  When I would walk back to Ellie's side, Coleman would pick the chocolate off of the pretzels that were drying on the saran wrap.  Eve was eating sprinkles as she was drizzling some on top of the chocolate.  Clara was frustrated that I wasn't going fast enough.  They were all covered from head to fingers with chocolate (including the chairs they were standing on).  I made a memory … but one that won't be repeated any time soon.  :)  

A new friend

Welcome to Santa Anna Trail, Isi Garrard!  We have fallen in love with her and her gorgeous smile.  She is easy and fun to have around.  Isi just joined Eve's kindergarten class at the beginning of December.  Eve loves her new friend.

Sleeping Arrangements

You've heard about our shenanigans with Clara and sleeping … Well, we decided it was time to let her (and Ellie--who eventually required a mattress strapped to the top of her crib also) out of jail.  We rearranged our bedrooms (once again) so that Clara and Ellie were moved into their own room in toddler beds.  We moved EVERY PIECE OF FURNITURE out of the room, closed and locked the closet door, and took away all toys.  This has worked (for the most part), and the girls love their new bedroom.  Slowly, we will begin adding things to their room to play with.  But not yet.  

I loved walking in this particular night.  The girls have different beds, however, this night, I found them like this.  It was precious.  Clara's head under Ellie's legs.  Not sure how Clara could breathe, but she was.  

Here is another one from grandmas house over Thanksgiving break.  

sweet sisters.

Lately with Eve

First of all, I love that Eve is learning how to write.  This adds a new element to our family that is so much fun!  Here are a few of the notes she has recently left laying around the house.

"Eve is closing at 6" -- a sign for her Doc McStuffins Clinic and her store

 "Do it for Eve" -- to her dad, in response to her asking him to play a card game with her

She started trying to write Coleman at the bottom, but got frustrated and left him off :)

"Dad and mom, I am happy of you.  Mom and Dad." 

"Mom.  I am mad at you." -- To be honest,  I cannot remember what I did to make her mad.  

"Clara did.  Eve is sad."  This requires a story.  

Mimi came by the house one Wednesday during nap time and brought Eve her very own notebook with a cupcake on the front. It was a HUGE hit with Eve, and she was SUPER excited about it.  Once the little kids woke up, life got back to busy as usual and we moved on with dinner and baths and jammies before piling in the van headed to church.  Eve was distraught when she discovered that one of the kids had grabbed a pen and decorated the front of Eve's cupcake journal with "scribble scrabble".  She was determined to do an investigation and asked each of the kids a series of questions until she had narrowed it down.  I worked hard scrubbing the pen marks off with a wet wipe, and when I finished and got everyone loaded up in the van, Eve approached me with this note.  It was her verdict.  Have I mentioned how much Eric and I love this kid??      

This is a picture of me that Eve made out of her and dad's memory game.  She's creative!

Eve -- you are such a fun, funny, and full of life girl!  We LOVE having you as part of our family.  

 These are Mimi's glasses.  Poppa popped the lenses out for you and you wear them ALL THE TIME. Just today, we were at Publix, and while I was waiting to check out, I looked at you and laughed because I hadn't noticed that you had been wearing them all throughout the store.  And I thought people were just smiling at us because I was a crazy mama that brought all of her kids to the grocery store!  

Another year …

Happy Birthday, Clara!!  

You are smart, funny, hard-headed, brave, giggly, and strong.  You are potty-trained and stubborn about getting yourself dressed.  You are not a great eater … unless a bribe for dessert or chips is involved.  You have THE BEST facial expressions EVER.  You are a lover of shoes, cookies, gum, princesses, and Mrs. Stephanie (your GBCE teacher).  You are loud.  You want to be with Eve, wherever she goes.  I used to refer to you as the "easy baby" (and you were), but you are making up for it now with your strong-willed determination and disobedience.  We are working on that -- and I believe that this next year with you is going to be a blast!  I love you so much, Clara Bet.  

Happy Birthday, Ellie!!

You are sweet, gentle, girly, tender, yet tough, and inquisitive.  Your favorite phrase is "why?" … for everything.  You love the letter "E" and say "I start with that!" whenever you see one.  You don't quite grasp the concept of the potty, but you will be ready soon.  You LOVE Coleman.  You love baby dolls, and are the best little mama.  You are whiney when you first wake up.  You think every toy in our home belongs to you and you scream when someone picks up something you want.  We are working on staying calm and using our words to ask for something we want :).  You are cuddly.  You love blue jeans, pockets, and hats.  You will ask the same question over and over and over and over and over until someone gives you the answer you want… persistence.  I love hearing you smack your lips together and say, "Ok everybody.  Listen to me!"  You are a lot of fun and mommy and daddy love you very much, Ellie Boo!