Around here lately: July 2018 edition

Friends, there were so many quotes this month that I had to have an "overflow" note on my phone because I ran out of room on my normal list. You might want to schedule a block of time into your calendar to sit down and read this one. And...COMING SOON: Lily's inaugural post of quotables. Enjoy!

Claire, giving Brynn a bottle in the car:
Brynnie, you have to FOCUS.

Max got the signal to eat!
My mother-in-law's bird, after he started munching while we were also eating supper.

Erin: Don't interrupt. Stop talking, please.
Claire: But I CANNNN'T!

Daddy, make it slippy-er!
Referring to wanting more dish soap on the slip-n-slide.

So these people are staying up early like us!
The Boswells' backyard neighbors who were setting off the fireworks we were watching after the girls' usual bedtime. Claire got to "stay up early."

Can I feed my plate with the broccoli?
Translation: can I put the broccoli on my plate myself?

Gran, can you make Lambsy and Flatsy a house? They don't have one. Sadly, they just live at my pillow.
Lambsy and Flatsy: her sleep time stuffies

I saw a light-up bug!
Light-up bug: lightening bug

I can't believe what I'm seeing!
Referring to 4th of July fireworks

Hey! I found my hair, Mommy!
Upon seeing her hair on the floor of the salon, post-haircut

I let Winnie clean up the mess of me.
Winnie, Amiee's dog, licked up the water Claire spilled.

Elphie, meet my bed!
Amiee's cat, Elphie, wandered into Claire's room at my parents' house. Clearly, Claire introduced her to the furniture.
See also: Elphie is going into our room. I'll show her around!

Here comes the nice princess named Claire. You can call me "Princess."

It's raining while it's sunning.
See also: "Sometimes it rains while it's shining."

Peels on your eyes = eyelids

Erin: Thank you for reassuring Lily.
Claire: Just doing my job.

Erin: Could you stop growing up?
Claire: I'm sorry, but Jesus is the one who keeps us under control.

Erin: Can I get a picture of your animals eating? (stuffed animals)
Claire: Sure! But they might not smile for you.

Do you know why I caught that roll? For everyone!
Referring to catching a dinner roll at Lambert's and intending to share it with the table

I'm going to get water and love!
Going to refill her water bottle and give Amiee a hug before bed

STOP LOOKING SO GROWN! I cannot handle it one bit.

Amiee: I'm going to miss you while I'm in Kenya.
Claire: I'm going to miss you, too. But it's ok. You'll be back. God just called you for some help.

Um, Bo, Elphie sort of nibbled at my feet. I'm gonna need you to talk to her.

I felt the sickness get in my bed with me last night.
Reflecting on her plight of having an upset stomach

Are you her mom?
Asking ME if I was our friend's (Laura Kay, who is AMIEE'S AGE) mother. Query: wouldn't she maybe have noticed a MUCH older sister?

I want to raise the Son of God, but I can't get him out. 
She was playing with a nativity set my mom kept out for her to play with. But WOW was that confusing at first!

I think I'm home sick. That's when you're sick and you need to go home.
I feel like this one is spot on.

Winnie is putting her head at me.

Winnie is saying "ahhh, that's just what I needed!"
While giving Winnie a belly rub

Today is the wedding, and I'm the one getting married to the personal man. Lily, go find him. Keep looking. He has to be somewhere on earth.
While playing dress up

Put your brave face on, Lily!

Hold on a second...I've got a slimy allergy cough!

Looks like God has a very good brain.

How about I move my stuff over here so you can see all my impressive work?
I was teaching her to sort coins to be rolled for the bank.

Looks like Elphie's off for a hunt to find her very own pennies!

I need some of Lily's soap to make my glorious party!
Referring to the bubbles on Lily's end of the bath tub. Lily did not agree with Claire on this point, by the way.

I gotta work on my "yes ma'ams" and my "no sirs."
Amen to this.

Elphie, God has a plan for us.
Please remember that Elphie is a cat.

Erin, coughing aggressively (summer cold) before taking the girls in Petco
Claire: Mommy, we don't want you to get the pets sick.

Eye-land = island

Blooms from a nearby tree were blowing down the sidewalk.
The flowers are following us!

I love Winnie's beautiful face.

I'm still going to be your big buddy, even when I'm grown up, Mommy.
Again. I cannot handle this.

Erin to Mom, about Claire: Did you teach her that?
Claire, overhearing me: I teached myself!

After watching Elphie jump into the air, attempting to bat at something, as cats do:
Looks like she wants to show us what a great performance cat she it! Good job, Elphie! I think she's telling us she's a circus cat! Elphie, your tricks are amazing! Think you could do that again? What a great performance cat she is!
This is one of my favorite quotes ever.

Referring to Brad being in Washington D.C. for 2 weeks in July:
I'm done with him being gone! And I am done being without him!
Me too, girl. 

Lily was having a rough night and didn't want to stay in the bath tub to play after being cleaned.
I miss Lily being in the bath. I can remember the adventures we had...

Claire: I don't want to cut my hair. I want to keep it safe.
Erin: Well, I want it to be healthy, so we will trim it periodically.
Claire: You can keep yours healthy. I'll keep mine safe.

That's his buddy ol' pal friend. 

Nana, I think you're thinking smart about the right nuts. 
Referring to Mom picking out small nuts for Lily to eat (as opposed to letting her have nuts that were too big for her to chew)

Claire: Do you have The Incredibles?
Poppy (my dad): Yep!
Claire: Do you have Incredibles 2?
Poppy: Nope.
Claire: Well, Incredibles 1 it is!

My great-aunt Nellie got this bag for Claire, and she literally sleeps with it.

Mommy, if you and I were in jail, we would be best buddies!
This was after we saw Paddington 2, in which he goes to jail. We're not planning some kind of crime together. 

Lily: I hide in those trees! (she was on a hiding kick and saw some trees that looked like a good hiding spot)
Claire: Do you want to spend the night there and we can pick you up tomorrow?
Note: Lily responded with an enthusiastic yes.

Secret door for her animals = her pillowcase, where she "stores" them

Driving on the interstate between grandparents' homes
Mommy, Tennessee still totally looks like Alabama...

Erin: I know it's hard to be in the car so long.
Claire: Yep. It's RETIRING.

I know you said we can't have a pet until everyone is in panties. When we're all in panties, we need to get 3 cats because I don't want to share.

I told her that we were not getting any pets until everyone was potty trained because I CAN'T, y'all.

Brynna's first Boswell visit + Mother's Day 2018

A little more flashback-ing to Brynna's earliest days. I will eventually get it all done, but Baby No. 3 means so much less time in my day...

Brynn was born on a Monday, we went home on a Wednesday, and Brad's parents, sister, and aunt came into town to meet her on Friday, joining the 5 of us + my parents. Full house! (except at night when the Boswells spent the night at the house of some friends of ours)

With so much fun and family all in once place, the girls just didn't even know what to do with themselves! And then Brad's Aunt Sue gave them a bubble machine. That pushed their excitement over the top and there was no going back. :)

It was also my birthday weekend AND Mother's Day. Yeah. May is always going to be CRAZY for us, it seems.

Full disclosure: I was on a lot of medication and waking up to feed a newborn every 2-3 hours, so I don't actually have very many memories of that particular weekend. But I do have a bunch of pictures! Maybe we can string a story together via pictures...

Hugs and snugs with Gran and Grandpa (taken from my bed, as post-c-section life can be fairly immobile)

Claire's holding the fishy bubble machine here, by the way.

Tiny little thing swimming in her clothes

Visiting with Aunt Sue

Thinking hard.

Hanging with Grandpa

With Gran

Snugs with Ray Ray

Lily loves a good round of dress-up.

Bubble machine in action

Claire's serious bubble-chasing face

I did not get to church for Mother's Day 6 days after major surgery/bringing home a newborn, but I did my best to get pictures of me, my mother-in-law, and my mom* with the girls. My dad and father-in-law also made a few appearances. And Ray Ray. 

Real life.

Lily has SOME FACES

And yes, she's trouble.

Please watch the progression of Lily's faces and poses...

Definitely my favorite.

*We didn't get any pictures of Mom and the girls on Mother's Day proper, but we were able to get several over the next few weeks, since Mom was staying with us.

Lily grabbed a play phone and started snapping "pictures" of Mom, Claire, and Brynn. Look closely, and you can see her blue phone.

We are so thankful for our family and for how much they love us. Thank you, family, for being there for us! And, Happy (belated) Mother's Day!

Sister Sister

One of my favorite things about adding Brynn to our crew has been watching Claire and Lily welcome her and love her. Claire, especially, has been so enthusiastic about holding Brynn, which I've loved and encouraged as often as possible. I've been trying to get as many pictures of the girls holding Brynnie as possible, and I thought I'd round them up, in case you like adorable pictures of littles holding littles.

I love how they both seem so concerned in this one...

...and so happy in this one!

The big girls set up a "game" for Brynn, wherein they set up doll house toys all around her, and she earned points every time she knocked one over (with her baby reflexive movements). It was hilarious.

What so many pictures actually look like...

#lilysface

Yep. I definitely let the biggies give her a bath. They did great!

Hopefully, I can post some of these every few months! Assuming a) the older girls continue to enjoy holding Brynna and b) I can carve out time to post occasionally. Life with three is busy, guys.