Extra August 2014

I found a few more pictures from August...this fiasco with my pictures has me really reeling. 

Here is cute little Coco boy at the library looking at a Backyardigains book. I have LOVED these characters since Jillian was a baby, and all of my children really loved them too. In-fact Jill will still sit and watch the shows with her younger siblings. 

Camille had her hi-light class for gymnastics in August. This was her last class as she wants to try out ballet. She has really become quite athletic and strong through gymnastics.  I think she's overshadowed sometimes by Jillian. Camille is just as athletic and coordinated and strong as Jillian was at this age but best of all Camille has an attitude to match.  She is always happy, bubbly, funny, and brings a smile to everyone's face.  She is not competitive though while Jillian is.  I just love to see the differences in all my children but I hope that Camille can learn to be a little more competitive.  

Camille is super quick down the runway too. May-be she'll be a great jumper in Track and Field. :)

Cecil got his first tooth in August. He smiled all the way through it. He's just such a happy baby.

of wizards and vampires

i've crumbled to the peer pressure. i have began two series of novels at the same time. last week i finished the first book of harry potter and this week i finished twilight. i am #2 on the hold list for the 2nd harry potter and #192 for eclipse (i'm borrowing the second already). first of all, who would have thought that there would still be a waiting list for harry potter book 2? secondly, do you really think i'll be patient enough for 191 people to read eclipse before i want it? nope. (catilin, get to reading b/c know your mom gets it before me.) here's my critics on both, if you care:
i did enjoy harry pottery. having seen the movie first i really could visualize all the people and action. i was a fun read. i'm not particularly in love with it but i've heard the books get better and better.
i've also heard the same of the twilight books. my opinon: the first half of this book was annoying. i thought that bella was a self-loathing pitty party and edward was just creepy. as the book progressed i got more and more into it. the last half i couldn't put it down. i really enjoyed the suspense near the end. i'll admit it, i totally got into edward and his obsession with bella. i did hate the repetition of certain phrases though, such as: "promise you won't leave". ahhhhh!! if bella says this one more time i'll scream! anyway, i really enjoyed losing myself in the book. things i'd like to see in the next ones: more character development of charlie, less play on the clumsiness of bella, more with carlisle (i think i just like that name so i want to say it in my head more). after i finished twilight i was actually hoping for a movie to come out.

sleep, what's that?

i got this book from grandma taylor when jill was two weeks old. i've heard and read some criticism on it, however it did me good. at 6 wks jill was sleeping 6 hours at night, no interruption. she is now sleeping between 7-9 hours every night. i took the schedule and advice from the book and adapted it to fit my mothering style. i know that there's a toddler Baby Wise for older babys if needed. if you don't want to buy the book here's the jest (?) of it for infants: eat, awake time, nap. other tips include: place child down for nap awake, don't let her fall asleep in your arms etc. mother decides when nap time is and when to be awake, not baby. there are many more ideas in the book that has helped jill get on a schedule. i can predict, within about 1/2 hour, her moods and what she needs. i credit the gift of sleep as a new mother largely to this book. its worth a try if you haven't had a good nights sleep in awhile :).