4 Going On 14

Here's picture proof that our little 4 yr old has shown sides of a 14 yr old lately. Keep in mind that she insisted on borrowing mommy's necklace to wear with her outfit tonight to go to Aunt Katie's house. :)

Priorities, Priorities...

Obviously this blog hasn't been one of those priorities. :( The girlies and work keep me super busy... so if you feel like I'm beginning to become a stranger due to lack of communication/blogging, keep in mind that I've been elusive to most of the loved ones in my life lately and I apologize! More importantly, I apologize for the lack of pictures of my beautiful, growing little girls! Aren't they PRETTY? :)

This picture was the result of a little photo shoot we had in the rain a few weeks ago with a really good photographer named Erica Rankin. I see great Christmas card potential here! :)

And what about these little numbers?!

Now that we've got at least a couple pictures out of the way.... here are some highlights since the last post of BIG NEWS. I guess any news is BIG NEWS when posting as often as I do. (Sorry again.)

1. Ella Bella is growing like a weed... putting together ideas and sentences like noone's business! There is definitely a true 2-yr-old toddler that comes out every so often but she is just as sweet as ever in between those tantrums. Her smile can light up a room and her soft-spoken words are THE. CUTEST. The random "I love you's" and "I missed you's" she's been giving out lately are enough to melt my heart. Oh, and I should mention that she is 80% potty-trained. The other 20% happens when we're traveling and she's in her diaper. I'm planning on making the leap to zero diapers when we return from vacation in a few weeks.

2. Adelyn has been showing signs of maturity... acting as a diplomat to her sister at times and even between Mommy and Daddy when necessary. :) She has started to really embrace the role as the big sister and is making us so proud as we watch her grow out of the toddler tantrums. With maturity, Adelyn has also shown signs of being a teenager... complete with hands on her hips and comments like, "I don't like that boy because his face is ugly." (OUCH.) So we've had many, many talks about what a "true beauty" is and how important it is to act like a polite princess and not an evil step-sister. Besides, her 5th birthday is coming up and we've been promising her a trip to Disney... and only polite princesses are allowed in. (I have no idea where she gets her story-telling.)

3. Daddy/Andrew has been out of town a lot for training at Medtronic. He plans to never switch jobs again. I plan to never allow him to switch jobs again. Two weeks at a time makes it rough on me... especially since I now have to put in 40+ hours a week at work myself. Andrew does like his new role as a SENIOR Field Clinical Engineer and I'm very proud of his accomplishments at such a young age. He's finally found a position that keeps him busy and challenged.

4. Andrew decided that with all of the leisure time he would lose with his new job, there really wasn't a point in having his motorcycle anymore. So he traded it in for a third vehicle for me to drive to/from work while our nanny drives the girls in my car. His only request was that it be a summer driver/convertible so I opted for a VW bug. Isn't she cute? And she's perfect for a summer drive to get ice cream. The girls love her! :)

5. Amanda, our nanny/care-giver, has been a God sent! She really has picked up on where I left off and the girls take to her very well... in some ways, better than they did with Mommy. She plans trips to the library, park, etc. and started up a preschool curriculum last week. I couldn't have imagined going through the transition to "workin' momma" without her as part of the equation. She even does dishes and gives the girls baths. Did I already mention that I love her?! :)

6. Ad just finished up soccer season (she wasn't a huge fan but she is only 4.) E and A both are taking swim lessons in preparation of vacation in July (a trip we planned with my family to Destin that is still up in the air due to the oil spill). Both are taking their usual YMCA gym classes as well which Amanda takes them to during the week. I have A signed up for getting speech services this summer but besides that, our summer is open to all of the fun and sun it can bring!

That's all I came prepared to write about... we hope you're enjoying your summer and hopefully it won't be an entire summer before I blog again!

Changes...

... oh, where to start! Here are the highlights:

1. I went back to work. I am managing a bank here in my hometown 3 miles away.

2. Adelyn started a new preschool for their speech program. She went from 3 days a week with 8 other children to 5 days a week with 19 other children.

3. We hired an in-house caregiver to watch Ella Bella and Adelyn while I work. She has been WONDERFUL!

4. Andrew is leaving his employer to go work for a competitor beginning in May.

5. We put our house on the market in anticipation of Andrew leaving his employer... but the good news is that something else worked out so it's not mandatory for us to move now. I'll keep you updated on that one. :)

6. Ella turned 2! We had a lollipop party for our sweet toddler here at the house in January. (Pictures to come!)

7. I turned the big 3-0! Andrew surprised me with a night out with a limo, fancy dinner and dancing with friends!

8. Adelyn turned 4! We had a "rock star" party with Babaloo (Remember THIS?!) last weekend at our house. (Pictures to come!)

I'm sure there are TONS more to share during the 2+ month hiatus but that's where I'll start.

Now that things are starting to level off here (knock on wood!), I'll have more opportunities to write and share pictures.

A New Start in 2010!

I totally deserve an F if I were being graded on my blogging skills. I couldn't even begin to tell you everything we've been involved with since I posted last... but I'll sure try.

The holidays were awesome and my girls got away like bandits on Christmas morning.... not to mention the amazing number of gifts they received from their grandparents and aunts and uncles who spoil them to death! The Disney princesses are still very popular in our house (if not more popular than ever before!) and Elmo showed up on Ella's wish list a few times, too. The big gift was the indoor musical trampoline which is still a big hit. It's a favorite of mine, too, since the girls can use it to get some energy out on these super cold, winter days indoors.

We definitely took advantage of what the season has to offer with Christmas playdates, a neighborhood children's party at a local pottery shop, traveling to see our families in southern Missouri and Illinois, putting lights up on our house, viewing other light displays, a visit to Santa's village to see his reindeer, a visit to the STL Zoo to have breakfast with Santa, a Christmas concert at Adelyn's preschool, listening to Christmas music while putting up ornaments (and taking them down), pretend ice skating, Christmas cookie decorating, wish list making, etc. I'm sure I'm missing something.

It was so neat to watch both of the girls take in the holidays. Adelyn has reached an age that allows her to really capture the Christmas spirit for the first time. On Christmas Eve, we all set out cookies and milk for Santa, sprinkled reindeer food (oatmeal and glitter) out on the lawn, and then read The Night Before Christmas. Adelyn was just too excited to go to bed... and I'm sure that the fact that it snowed on Christmas Eve made it even more exciting. She made repeat trips to the tree to see if Santa had visited yet. The last of those repeat trips was at 12 am after Mommy had already set out the filled stockings. Phfew..... talk about a close call! We were moments away from some serious questioning by a 3 yr old... and a couple more away from some serious story-telling by a nervous mommy! :)

So... unfortunately, in the midst of all of the sweet moments we shared during the holiday season, we had to experience loss, too. Both of Andrew's grandparents as well as my 93 yr old grandma all passed away in the matter of a month. It was a tough time for us to have to deal with all of that in such a short span of time not to mention how difficult it was to answer a 3 yr old's questions about life and death. But we are blessed to have such a strong family unit to support each other through the loss and see through the sadness.

With that said, we are looking forward to moving on in 2010. I'm so excited to see how both of my girls develop this year and to witness all of the sweet moments they share together. Ella Bella is turning 2 this weekend and we are having a "lollipop" party to honor her oodles of sweetness. :) I will definitely share pictures soon.

Hope your holidays were wonderful and 2010 has already been good to you. We love you!

Handy Daddy Strikes Again

I don't mean to brag here... BUT come on. This guys needs some recognition. He has some serious talent and when put to good use (AKA mommy/daughter projects- LOL), it's amazing what he can accomplish! :) Andrew finished the playroom he built a few months ago with a workstation complete with custom desk, flat screen TV monitor and wireless computer set-up that the girls can't touch (except for the wireless keyboard and mouse that is.) Adelyn is a wiz at the computer (hmmm.... wonder where she gets that from??!) and absolutely loves to navigate to her favorite Nick Jr. websites. Ella of course is a little young to take full advantage but she will grow into it soon.

Hope the girls get some of that talent! :)

Grandpa Oney Will Be Missed!

Andrew comes from wonderful roots. Here's an article written about his Grandpa who recently passed away. He was a wonderful businessman and father.

http://www.pekintimes.com/news/x441565120/Havana-loses-grocery-store-founder-and-friend

I will be posting pictures soon of our Christmas party with the neighborhood kids at Pottery Hollow. Hope you're keeping warm this holiday season!

Our Exploration to Meet Dora

So Dora was scheduled to make an appearance at a local mall last weekend and I couldn't pass it up even though Adelyn wasn't quite 100% after the flu. Little did I know that it would be about a 2 HOUR WAIT for a very brief meeting with Dora and her sidekick, Boots.

Adelyn and Ella had stars in their eyes when they first saw Dora but by the time we had lunch, shopped around a little, found some Dora cookies, and took advantage of some face painting at the mall, the girls had very little interest in taking an actual picture with Dora. I tried to pry them off my hips so they could take a picture with her by themselves (I did not want to be in the picture with my no make-up mommy look in full force)... but no such luck. :) Thank goodness Dora didn't talk. After 2 hours of waiting for a picture of me with Dora, the last thing I wanted to hear was, "Say it WITH ME.... LOUDER!!" *cringe*

Hope you enjoy the pictures from our day.

Congrats Grandma June & Grandpa Scott!

We traveled up to Springfield a couple weeks ago to attend a luncheon honoring Grandma June for Illinois School Nurse of the Year. Grandpa Scott also received an appreciation award for doing some financial work for the association. We were so proud! :)




Sidenote: Ella was getting tickled by Grandpa's scruffy beard... she loves him so much! Another picture is of Ella playing with her Aunt Barb and cousin Erin at the luncheon table. Thank goodness they were there to help distract! LOL Oh, and doesn't Adelyn look like her daddy in this picture??

Fabulous Fall Fest

So we attended a playdate this week with a festive Fall theme and I was blown away with the preparation this mommy made to ensure a great time by all of the kiddos. There were pumpkin cookies, home-made apple cider, a do-it-yourself turkey cupcake (picture), outside fun time, etc. And the crafts were amazing!! The picture above really doesn't do it justice... I wish I hadn't forgotten my camera at the play-date but I can promise that everything was wonderfully and festively fall! I even asked the mommy who painted the mural on her daughter's bedroom wall and big surprise- she did! Oh, and not only was she rediculously organized and creative... she was sweet, too.

On the same note, we also attended a "Curious George" birthday playdate last week where the girls could "monkey around" with friends, enjoy the gorgeous weather outside, hit a monkey pinata, have monkey cupcakes, and play lots of monkey games. It also came complete with a "Curious George" CD with a unique selection of kid-friendly tunes. Geesh... definitely raises the bar for my playdates. LOL If you're reading this, Jessica... thanks again for a great time!

In light of the season, we are definitely "thankful" for new friends!

Marley & Me

Marley is a very popular name in our house. It started when Adelyn attended VBS this past summer and met a sweet girl there named Marley. Ever since, Adelyn has wanted to name everything Marley. For instance, when we went to Build-A-Bear in Branson over the summer, Adelyn excitedly named her new bear Marley. So you can imagine then that it was only natural for her to name her new Beta fish Marley. I asked Adelyn what she thought Ella would like Marley's middle name to be and she thought that Nemo Dorie was only appropriate since they both love that movie. :)

Here are a few pictures from our day looking for our new fish, Marley Nemo Dorie. I still smile every time I see these pictures of Adelyn & Ella "shopping" together.

Halloween 2009

Here they are.... our little octopus and mermaid. I have TONS of pictures from our night trick-or-treating but will have to leave it to a couple right now. Too hard to pick my favorites. But if you're wanting more, just e-mail me and I can send you a link to my Facebook page where I've uploaded a few there.

The girls had a great time... we went over to a neighbor's house for chili and then went trick-or-treating in Grandma's neighborhood. Adelyn especially liked to dress up in her pajamas at school in honor of Halloween and she also loved to wear sparkly make-up and have her hair curled to look like "mermaid waves." Ella loved that I allowed her to eat CANDY!

Here's a pic of the girls before carving the pumpkin. I think they might love Fall time festivities as much as I do!

My Lil' Caterpillars

Adelyn: "Mommy, I don't want my pet caterpillar to turn into a butterfly." *sniff sniff*

Mommy: "But, sweetie, he has to. All caterpillars turn into butterflies... just like all babies turn into big girls."

Adelyn: "Why, Mommy? I want my caterpillar to stay a caterpillar. It's so fuzzy and cute."

Mommy: "But aren't you excited to see what he looks like as a butterfly... and see him fly??"

Adelyn: "No! Where is he going to fly to?"

Mommy: "Well... hmmmm... he needs to go away to butterfly college and go to butterfly work and then meet a butterfly friend and marry the butterfly friend and then have caterpillar babies.... and then..." *my face starts to look sad as the words come out*

Adelyn: "Mommy... why are you sad?"

Mommy: "Maybe I don't want the caterpillar to turn into a butterfly."

Adelyn: "It's o.k., Mommy. The caterpillar wants to be a butterfly so he can fly."

Mommy: "I know, I know. You're right."

I couldn't make this stuff up! :)

In honor of this post, here's a picture of my little caterpillar and butterfly last Halloween. New Halloween pictures will come soon... I promise!