Lauren growing up

Our little Lauren is growing up fast!  Not only does she independently attend school all day, she can also put on her own shoes and school bag, she no longer needs a diaper for her afternoon nap, she takes soccer class (mostly) independently, and she has become a much more reasonable child (less tantrums, whew!)  I can safely take her to the public library without her screaming down the books.  Here are some photos and videos below.

Video 526 - Lauren is becoming more independent. Watch as she gets herself ready for school.

Video 527 - Lauren just started full-time Cantonese kindergarten this year.  She went in knowing almost no Cantonese but the teacher says she's been doing really well.  Here is Lauren chatting (with a jok sing accent) with Lisa Yee-yee.

Video 528 - Watch Lauren during a warm-up at soccer class.  She loves to run and participate in group activities with her classmates.

Video 529 - Also, watch her running backwards and having fun during class.

Lauren with her good friend at soccer class.

Lauren with big sister Natalie on the big bus to the library.

Here she is helping big girl Ava to look after the little kids. 

Ok, one small time-out at the IFC parking lot.

Are these fingers normal?  Can you make perfect circles with your fingers like this?

Ashley's Play date with friends

Ashley has a regular weekly play date with friends.  Here they are enjoying each other's company and building strong friendships for life.  All three of them are birth order #3 babies :) 

Ashley at 11 months

Ashley is much fun now. I love it.

Video 520 - Watch the antics of my two youngest -- it's so sweet and lovely to just hang out with them.  Ashley now knows how to play peek-a-boo and Lauren continues to like doing whole-body flops on my bed.

Video 521 - It's so funny to watch how fast Ashley can crawl now.  She is super mobile!  I love how she stands up next to me at the end and is panting from her baby exertions :)

Video 522 - Ashley has been learning to use her voice more.  She likes to chat in the mornings while hanging out in her crib beside me (usually waking me up with her chatter).  I love her little baby voice.

Video 523 - Although Ashley knows very well how to crawl on her hands and knees, when she's in a rush, she slithers across the floor, only rising to her hands and knees to look around (get her bearings) or when she's close to her target object.

Video 524 - Ashley knows the mechanics of walking now (moving one foot in front of the other.  Watch a very brief video of her with the walker.

Video 525 - Another way Ashley knows how to play peek-a-boo besides looking over or from the side of cribs and sofas, is to cover her head or face with her a blanket and then to pull it away.

Ashley sitting pretty at 11 months and 4 days.

What I wake up to every morning, and I love it.

Poor roseola baby.

Peek-a-boo!

Lauren carefully protecting a paper-book of family photos from Ashley.

Ashley and her friend Scarlett.

Ashley with her friends Emily and Ella.

Someone is always trying to grab the phone from me.

Ashley sitting patiently while I drive her around the town.

Caught her looking extra goofy.

Happy 11 months!

  

She's a sweat-head when she sleeps.

Pajama Girls' Hair Salon

Natalie's good friend Olivia had a sleep-over and this morning, the girls decided to open a hair salon that exclusively serves minions and their enemies. Since our minion toys have no hair, they just played with this guy.