EMMAEmma is the oldest of the three girls. It's hard to believe that she's 4 1/2 now. It seems like only yesterday that I kissed her little cheek for the first time. Emma has been a joy to Marc and I. She has so many good qualities in her personality. She has a very sweet and tender heart. Every morning when she wakes up, I thank God for her. She reminds me so much of Mimi (Mom Winters). She looks just like Mimi and has also inherited some of Mimi's qualities. The biggest one is Emma's perfectionism. There is a place for everything and she lets me know if I've put something where it doesn't belong. I don't appreciate that quality so much when I'm having a messy day. But she's right. There's something to be said for people who are neat and clean.
Emma loves music. Whenever she was fussy as a baby (which wasn't too often), I would either sing or play piano for her. She would calm right down and listen quietly. We have music playing most of the day. She likes mom's music but is into Veggie Tales right now. I can hear her playing in her bedroom singing some of the songs to her dolls. Emma also loves books. We read quite a few a day. She gets very excited when daddy gets home because she can tell him all about the stories she heard earlier in the day. We've read through the Narnia book (which is her favorite) and a few of the Ramona Quimby books. Now she's wanting to learn how to write. It's a slow process but I know she'll catch on soon.
LILYLily is the middle of the three girls and she fills that roll well. As a 3 year old, she tortures both her older and younger sisters. She is very stubborn (inherited a little bit of that trait from her mom). We have her will to mold and shape. It has proven to be a little difficult at the beginning, but it will definitely pay off in the end. Even though she is stubborn, she has a sweet side to her, too. She can be very caring and loving. She also has a great sense of humor. When she was about 10 months old she took one of Emma's toys that she was playing with and hid it behind the chair. Then continued to play on her own as if nothing happened. She loves to run around and rough house on the floor with dad.
Lily has a few interests of her own. She also loves music. Not to the extent that Emma does, but we will hear her humming and singing to herself around the house. Lily loves to draw and paint and do anything artsy. Give her a piece of paper and some crayons and she'll sit for hours and color. She is also starting to get into books. It took a little while, but now she'll sit still and listen to the different stories. Her favorite thing to do is point out every picture and color on the page and tell me all about them. What was a short book to start with usually turns into a 10 minute discussion on the red and blue house that has the square building and the triangle roof. She is a good girl and we're so thankful that God has given her to us.
MAGGIEAnd then there's Maggie, the youngest of the three girls. At 20 months she has already proven that she can keep up with the other two. She loves to snuggle and give hugs and kisses. But she's also very determined. There are times where that quality isn't bad, but there are other times where we have to use those situations as teachable moments. Maggie is our climber. As soon as she started walking, she started climbing. She can now climb out of her crib during nap time and start playing instead of sleeping. There have been times when she's come right out of her room just to say "Hi Mom!". And then back in she runs, climbs into her crib and hides under her blankets to see if mom is going to come in or not. She keeps us on our toes. We love her dearly and couldn't imagine our family without her.
Maggie doesn't have too many interests yet other than trying to keep up with her sisters. She likes to pick and tease (as most younger siblings do) and see how far she can get with her sisters before they get frustrated with her. She enjoys books and will sit for awhile before she gets bored and has to get up and run around. She loves her daddy so much. She asks "Daddy go?" every morning when she wakes up and then about 10 more times during the day until he gets home. Then as soon as he gets home, opens the door and walks in, it's into his arms she runs. That, of course, makes Marc's day!
The girls enjoyed a beautiful day outside last week. Gone was the snow and all the dreariness of winter. The birds were chirping, there was a warm breeze and we felt that even though we were sick, we needed to be out in the warmth and fresh air. The girls enjoyed running around in shorts and flip-flops. They spent most of the time on their swingset that Uncle Brett and Aunt Em gave to them last year. Thank you Uncle Brett and Aunt Em! We love it!!!
