8 year update

Another year gone and we now have 3 eight year olds.  Sometimes I look at them and wonder when they got so big.  I think it has been a good year for the girls but also full of changes.  We had the addition put on the house and Scott and I did some of the work ourselves so they had less of our attention for a while.  They mostly did well and sometimes even helped us with some of the projects.  Olivia was especially eager to help her daddy and was better than I was at using a hammer and crowbar to pull up the floor.  And of course they got a baby brother which they all have adapted to very well.

They have taken an interest in cooking and have made lots of things with the help of an adult including cupcakes, banana break, cookies, and cake.  We started listening to books in the car and we have done the 1 and 2 books of the Narnia chronicles which they have enjoyed. They all have their own mini ipads and love to play games like subway surfers and some kind of frogger game. Here is a little more about each girl:

Emma -- Emma is tall and thin just like her dad, she is 51.75 inches and 72% for height and she weighs 50 pounds which is 23% for weight.  She is a sweet sister and dotes on her little brother so much.  She is very helpful with him and will often play with him so Scott and I can get something done around the house.  She has also helped several times changing Ethan's diapers.  Emma is still very artistic and creative.  She loves anything craft related.  This summer she took up crocheting, she asked my mom to teach her and she has really worked on it. She almost has a whole ball of yarn done into a single line.  Emma also has taken up fishing this summer. Scott has taken her a lake at a nearby park twice and she loves it (even though they haven't caught anything).  She loves to snuggle and is very loving.  Emma is easily distracted especially when it is time for chores.  Her speech is improving but she still needs speech twice a week.  Sounding out words is hard for her and it affects her spelling, I find her writing hard to read, even though her hand writing is neat.



Olivia -- Olivia has a build more like mine, more of an atheletic but curvy build.  She is also 51.75 inches tall which is 72% for her age.  She weighs 66 pounds which puts her in the 79% for weight. Olivia loves to play outdoors especially soccer or basketball.  She is a daddy's girl and likes to play video games with him or help him outside or with any projects he is working on. I am surprised at how much attention Olivia gives Ethan, she seemed the least interested in his arrival but probably plays with him the most.  She sits on the floor and plays with him and his toys for long stretches at a time.  She is also quick to volunteer to feed him.  She likes to make money and she can get a $1 for 10 sticks so she is eager to help out around the house for sticks.  She is an easy going child and makes friends easily, she seems to play with lots of different kids at school.  Olivia struggles with reading and writing and her hand writing is sloppy but her spelling is getting better.  She is good at math and very quick with math flash cards.



Savannah -- Savannah has a different build from her sisters she is not quiet as tall but it seems like every year she is closing the gap. She is 51 inches which is 61% and she weighs 61 pounds which is 66%.  Savannah is a leader at school and home.  She is often the brains behind whatever they are playing.  Sometimes this causes some tension mostly between her and Emma who is also strong-willed.  Most of the time they do well together, they have spent hours together this summer building a fort in the small wooded area behind our house.  Savannah has a best friend named Ana that she likes to do playdates with.  They have been best friends for almost a year.  Savannah does well in school and reading seems to come naturally to her, she can read most anything she wants.  Her favorites so far have been Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Magic Tree House series.  She still loves to play barbies and will play by herself for hours at a time.  Recently she has taken an interest in horses which I think was influenced some by our neighbor Ella who is a few years older and also really likes horses.