Zoooooooooooo lights!

Our first trip to see ZOO LIGHTS ~ It even snowed on us, but thankfully we were bundled up!

Preschool Christmas Parties!

Oh how I love Christmas... and our preschool... and parties... So having TWO Christmas preschool parties in one week just about puts me over the edge... in a good way :) Madeline especially embraced the "Santa with the short beard" with a long, long, long, long, LONG hug! I think the other kids were starting to get impatient with how long she was taking to hug the jolly dude. She informs me every day that the real Santa has a short beard (none of these long shiny, polyestery beards will fool this child). She is perceptive and EXCITED, as is Marin about "Jesus' birthday helper" this year!

Growing up...

Facial hair already, where has the time gone...

Saint Nicholas Day...

... is a day to remember the real St. Nick, a man who wanted to be like Jesus by bringing joy those less fortunate. It is a Corrigan tradition to celebrate this day, and we enjoyed a special visit from Nana & Poppy, topped off by the presentation of Christmas jammies from us to the kids. I think my girls will be wearing these every day until Christmas!

Oh Christmas Tree

We visited a new tree farm this year, Sleighbells in Sherwood. So fun!

A Christmas Preview......

The Corrigan kids are going glam for Christmas this year. Only because of Max ~ a little boy in a 3 piece suit makes me giddy :)  These pictures were taken BEFORE the studio appointment, which was filled with shenanigans (of course!)... So... a little preview :) Those of you celebrating the holidays with us this year will most likely be seeing a lot of these outfits...

Let it snow...

... even one inch of snow brings delight to my children! Bring on the full snow attire, sleds & snow insect (this is all we could create with so little). It was fun while it lasted!

It's not as bad as it looks...

... but it is definitely worth a picture! Kyle had a mole removed from his head, and they bandaged him good to keep the pressure on it to stop the bleeding. Let's just say he got a LOT of sympathy from the three mommies (i mean ladies) in his life ~ there is something about a man in a head bandage that just screams "take care of me!"... We love our daddy!

An Angel, a Cheerleader and Superman... OH MY!

What fun we had dressing up in our costumes, carving pumpkins, having harvest parties at preschool, trying to get three little rascals to sit/stand still for one precious second to get a picture so I can remember these moments (oh my!). Sometimes when they won't take a picture for me, I must tell myself to BREATHE (it's just a picture, get over it you crazy mother!)... I just don't remember anything anymore (sleep deprivation will do that to ya!) so I must capture the pictures even if it requires bribing, possible yelling, sweet-talking, canoodling or begging. Not necessarily in that order. Eventually they feel sorry for me or just start laughing at all my antics anyway. Okie dokie, enough jibber jabbering and onto the pictures!

Oh mom, how could you? :) Because I can, and you're cute my sweet boy.

Puzzles

Every family has a builder and a demolisher. One guess from these pictures who is who :)

Baby Boy Walking

He did it, he did it! We finally have a walking boy in the house... Right on time at 14 months old. The Corrigan kids are late walkers, but they make up for their lateness in cuteness.

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Wow I am thoroughly enjoying this season of life! I was able to accompany my little Madeline on her first preschool field trip to the Plumper Pumpkin Patch. Oh man, what fun! This place has something for everyone. It was sooooo good to be with my best girl. She is a little timid of new situations still, and it was just pure pleasure for me to have fun with her. It was such a gorgeous day, and everything about it was wonderful. Thank you JESUS.



Grandpa & Madeline

Field trip to the Apple Farm

Last year, when Marin was in 3 year old preschool, I was not able to go on any of her field trips. I had a 2 year old and a nursing baby at home to look after, and it was just not feasible! This year with the kids being a bit older, I am so excited to go on as many field trips as possible. The first field trip of the school year was Marin's 4 year old class going to Heritage Apple Farm. It was a BLAST! We went on a tractor ride through the orchards, saw the pigs & goats, ran through the hay maze, jumped in the apple-shaped bounce house, and sampled cider & apple slices. It was a beautiful sunny, warm, fall day. Perfect. I came home with a huge bag of Gravenstein's, my absolute favorites. Marin helped me make apple crisp that afternoon while the other kids slept. I am so proud of this girl, how she is growing and changing. Beautiful inside and out.

Beloved Bury's

Our beloved friends, The Bury's, have moved to Arizona, and we miss them. It would be very hard to capture all the wonderfulness of this family, so I will just say that Jordan, Sommer, Silas and Jewel are each in their own special and unique way, a part of the Corrigan family. And we love them. They left us with a parting gift, something unique to our family and we treasure it and proudly display it in our home. Come home soon Bury family!

The days are long ~ The years are short

My kids love their friends. They spend a lot of time at our house & in our backyard with their buddies. We love having our friends over, kids and adults. Such a warm feeling it gives me to have people in my home.

It feels strange to me that this season is coming to an end with me at home in my little nest with all my babies & toddlers gathered around, and all my mommy friends with all their babies and toddlers gathered around.  Maybe it's because both girls are in preschool this year, and I'm experiencing being a "school mom". The realization hit me recently that Marin will be starting kindergarten next year, then Maddie one year later, pretty soon I will be a mommy of school-age kids, with all that entails. Instead of the mommy of babies & toddlers. It seemed like this season would go on forever! I wonder why this feeling is sneaking up on me? I think about that true saying about raising young kids: the days are long, the years are short.

I'm so thankful I've been able to be here with my babies these last short (long) years!

School Girls

My babies are growing up! Today was a very special day for the girls. Maddie embarked on the beginning of her school career with her very first day of preschool, in Mrs. Meier's 3 year old class (this is the same teacher Marin had last year as a 3 year old). Marin also started a new exciting year in Mrs. Sellke's 4 year old class. The girls are "next door neighbors" at school, and sometimes even get to have a recess together. What a special time in their lives. They were over-the-top excited to choose their outfits - even Maddie whose selection was mostly hand-me-downs - HOWEVER I have been saving these items for this day and she acted like it was Christmas morning! Maddie: "these are MY JEANS NOW?!?!?! i can't even believe it!!"... not sure how many years left I have of Maddie being excited about Marin's old clothes but for now I will relish the pure and innocent uphoria on her face as she received her older sister's well loved threads :)

Pictures include the family open house last Thursday and the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL today on their own. So proud of my most precious treasures.