Forty Months of Preschooler Frances

More pictures of Frances in her pajamas because her mother forgot to get her monthly picture until the very end of the day.  Oh, well.

Forty Month Fun Facts

• Frances's Mispronunciations:  "Babe-ing suit"  instead of "bathing suit."  I love this one, and since Frances is going swimming about once a week, we get to hear it a lot.
• Frances's Take on Human Reproduction:  "Mom, your boobs are getting bigger and bigger and bigger...like balloons!"  Let's enjoy it while it lasts.  And she's come up with lots of versions of  "I've got a baby in my belly."  Last night she was explaining to me that I was a baby in her belly.  Don't know how her brain is coming up with that one.  And, finally, she'll say to anyone who will listen, "That baby just popped right out!"  Everyone who's been subjected to this has just nodded and smiled.  Seems like the way to go.
• Frances's Triumph:  One day, Frances announced she wanted to wear panties to school instead of a pull-up.  I thought it was going to be a disaster, but I couldn't say no.  It was not a disaster.  In fact, with very few exceptions, Frances has done great.  She even makes it through the night without a diaper.  I think she is officially potty-trained!  Maybe seeing Chandler in diapers was the final push she needed?  Who knows? But I am grateful.

The Girls and Their Hayward Grandparents

My mom came and did her usual stint of sanity bolstering for three weeks after Chandler was born.  Thank you, Mimi!  Sometimes that was as easy as sitting around with a newborn, but usually not.

Then my dad came to visit and meet the latest edition (Chandler brings their grandchild count to seven.  That's a lot of birthdays to remember.)

Dad, also known as Grandfather Sir, tried to take a nap with both girls around.

To napping, Frances says,

"HA!"

(That's flour on her nose from making sugar cookies.  Frances and her father have been making sugar cookies almost every day, and then eating the batch of cookies.  We will get her BMI above 4, we will!)

Chubby Bubby?

Chandler's first bath at home?  Perhaps, the addled brain can't quite remember.

She may not qualify as "chubby" yet, but that's a healthy kid!

Such sweetness.

One Week of Chandler

A lot of Chandler and a little of daddy:

A few days old

The Upton Girls At Home

This is what it looked like outside:

...so we spent a couple days in bed once we were home from the hospital.  Frances and Chandler seemed content to stay in, at least most of the time...

Valentine's Day Fail

I thought I had a great idea for a Valentine's Day treat for Frances's school friends: heart-shaped birdseed ornaments that get hung outside for birds to eat.  They're shaped like hearts, so good for Valentine's Day.  They're easy to make, so good for Frances and me.  They're not candy, so good for giving away to kids whose parents may be anti-candy.  I thought it was a brilliant idea.  Then I read the fine print on the birdseed bag and learned that it was produced in a facility that also handles nuts.  Nuts are an absolute no-no at Frances's school and I wasn't up for hunting down birdseed produced in a facility that doesn't also handle nuts. We scrapped the idea of giving the ornaments away but I thought it was still a good project for Frances.

Frances helped mix the ingredients: flour...

...water...

...karo syrup...

...and birdseed.

Frances (and/or Mark) stirred to combine (and maybe sampled a bit).

Then Frances pressed the mixture into a heart-shaped mold.  What could be simpler?

The day after Valentine's day, we took our ornament outside to hang.

Right after this photo was taken, Frances and I climbed over a snow bank with the ornament to get to our chosen tree.  And the ornament shattered.

Valentine's Day Fail.