Adelyn's Preschool End-of-Year Program

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Hope you enjoy the slideshow. Andrew, Ella, Grandpa Scott, and Grandma June were there with me to see Adelyn's first performance on stage... and she did an incredible job! It was a hula themed night and she did some surfing and hula dancing with her classmates before receiving her 2 yr old program completion certificate. We also received a darling scrapbook and 'progress report.'

I am so proud of how well Adelyn has adjusted to a new school. She started mid-year but didn't miss a beat. I'm so happy that we enrolled her at an early age because she tends to thrive in social environments and her growth just over the last few months is amazing. Her teachers had nothing but positive things to say about Adelyn's behavior and willingness to learn and you could definitely tell as she sang and danced on stage in front of a large crowd!

We have Adelyn enrolled at the same learning center (3 yr old program) for 3 mornings a week next Fall and in the meantime, I am doing an at-home preschool program to keep her fresh this summer. I'm hoping to stick with it!

Liar, Liar- Pants on Fire!

I'm starting to feel the heat from some of the stories I tell Adelyn when she DEMANDS an answer for everything. Take this for instance:

Adelyn: "Mommy, there's a police man."
Mommy: "Yes, hunny... that's a police man."
Adelyn [with a very concerned look on her face]: "Mommy- is he going to put me in a cage?"
Mommy: "Oh, no, hunny... why would you say that?"
Adelyn: "Mommy- you told me last time that if I was being a bad girl, the police man would put me in a cage."
Mommy [with a very guilty look on her face]: "No, sweetie... police men put naughty boys and girls in JAIL when they do something really bad. Sweet girls like you don't go to jail."
{Policeman waves and smiles to Baby Ella as he passes.}
Adelyn: "Mommy- Baby Ella is a good girl, too, so she doesn't have to live in a cage!"

Um, yeah...

Oh, and I just MIGHT have SORT OF told Adelyn that if she runs away from me in the store, someone will steal her and take her home to do their chores. Hey- don't judge till you have an ever inquiring 3 yr old who wasn't born with a healthy fear of strangers... not even policemen.

Our Week Without Daddy

Here's a quick count of how we stayed busy while Daddy was out of town last week.

• 3 trips to the park
• 1 trip to the zoo
• 1 trip to Monkey Joe's
• 1 princess birthday party
• 2 trips to the Y for 'nasty class' (gymnastics class)
• 1 Rodeo Day at preschool
• 4 grandmothers we saw Mother's Day weekend
• 2 trips to the grocery store
• 1 trip to McD's Playland
• 3 loads of laundry between the 3 of us (Is that right?!)
• 4 boo boo's (nothing major)
• 2 new words in Ella's vocabulary (countless more in Adelyn's)
• 0 potty accidents
• 3 dance parties
• 1 princess popcorn party (eating popcorn while watching princess movies)
• 6 times Mommy read 'Bear Hunt' to the girls
• 2 attempts at hitting a pinata (one at a graduation party; one at a birthday party)
• 4 rolly pollies Adelyn caught in the yard
• 2 times Mommy thought she was going off the deep end with no help
• 2 shopping trips plus one on-line etsy purchase (retail therapy!)
• 1 trip to 'get Daddy off the airplane and back home'.... AND
• 2 little girls who missed their daddy like crazy!

Lil' ' Oney's Foods Store

Adelyn received some awesome gifts for her birthday in honor of her great grandfather's chain of grocery stores- Oney's Foods. See-- when Ad got a new kitchen for her playroom a couple Christmases ago, we decided to call it Lil' Oney's Foods Store and we would play grocery store with a cash register, etc. So, now our store is complete with a logoed apron, bags, and (as of last week when we were up for Mother's Day) a real miniature grocery cart! I'm sure Ella will love this, too, when she gets older. Geesh- I cannot IMAGINE having these things as a child. I just hope my girls are able to appreciate these things and realize how special they are to have them! More importantly, they are SO special to have such an awesome family to give them such cool things like this.

If you notice, the pictures I included aren't taken in the playroom. This is because the playroom looks like a tornado went through it. Ad LOVES to demolish it as soon as it's clean... which in itself is a rare occurence!

Mommy Hobby Pt 2

I think I'm already getting better! ;)

Mommy Hobby

I've been performing some basic photoshopping on pictures for a while now and recently started to play around a bit with backgrounds, borders, elements, etc. When my sister mentioned a ladybug themed birthday party for her soon-to-be 1 yr old, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to see how creative I could get with designing our little Kenna Bug's invitation... complete with a picture of the pretty birthday girl herself. Here's how it turned out:

I guess it's not bad for a beginner? (They're much cuter in person printed on nice quality card stock.) So, now I've decided to get creative and design some sample invites in case I ever have the opportunity to design more (like future Christmas cards, etc.) Doesn't hurt to practice, right? Here are a couple that I whipped up tonight using some of my own personal style.

Yes, I do have PLENTY of girly, pink graphics to use but I wanted to switch it up a bit and go for the greens and blues. I suppose they didn't turn out too bad. But as someone who can be a perfectionist, I'm not sure I will ever be totally satisifed anyway. More practice.... much more practice to come. And at the very least, it's fun to do and pulls some creativity out of me!

Sidenote: We had a super busy Mother's Day weekend... I had the opportunity to see my own wonderful mother after a wedding shower in Poplar Bluff on Saturday. Then we traveled to both of Andrew's grandparents' homes in Illinois so Adelyn and Ella could see them on their special day. I was pampered all day Friday since Andrew had to fly out to Toledo for a week on Sunday. ;) I already feel like I have the best gifts ever... two spectacular little girls who are the light in my life! Happy Belated Mother's Day to all of you awesome mommies out there!!

You Know You're a Mom of Girls When...

• you spend more time browsing cute hair accessories on etsy.com than you do checking your e-mail.
• you respond to the butcher's meat packaging as, "Oh, how cute... it's wrapped in white paper."
• you feel the need to buy stock in the Disney Princess line.
• you've discovered that there are a thousand shades of pink.
• you regularly hold tea parties at home.
• you often think about all of the cute dresses/pinafore tops you could make if you owned a sewing machine.
• you know the difference between a tutu and petticoat.
• you know fabric lines by name. (Amy Butler, Joel Dewberry, and Michael Miller are my faves!)
• you randomly buy cute ribbon just because it's... well, cute!
• you sometimes look like a throwback to the 80's because your girls' favorite make-up colors are blue and purple.
• you don't blame Daddy for wanting to get out of the house with so much estrogen in one place.
• you accidentally refer to a friend's little boy as 'sister.'
• you're cleaning out your purse and find 4 bows and 3 mini hairbrushes.
• you're cleaning out the car and find 4 purses and baby shoes you forgot you had.
• your husband is wearing a 'Hello Kitty' band-aid.
• you feel like your life has been enriched with a deeper appreciation of all of the beautiful, whimsical, fashionable, sweet, loving, sensitive, compassionate, emotional, magical, and well- GIRLY things that a little girl brings. Hmmm... I'll take 2 please! :)
  

Reciprocation

Ahh, yes. Reciprocation. A mutual exchange. An alternating motion. In my house, it's becoming a much more popular act among my girls and I'm lovin' every bit of it. Here are a few moments of reciprocation I experienced this week:

• Ella runs to me with a big grin and open-armed.
• Adelyn tells me, "Mommy, you look like Cinderella!" and "I love your hair!"
• At bedtime, Adelyn rolls over in the middle of the night to give me a kiss on my back and tell me she loves me. (Hey- no judgement for sleeping in her bed.)
• Ella laughs at my silly faces and thinks my goofy sounds are funny, too.
• Adelyn thanks me for getting her juice without being prompted.
• Ella likes to give sweet kisses.
• Adelyn says, "Mommy, does this make you feel better?" and proceeds to show me her silly face.
• Adelyn is excited to see me when I pick her up at school and proudly announces to her classmates that I'm her mom.

There's something about those moments that feel so rewarding to me. Like all of that diaper duty, the sleepless newborn nights, the career sacrification, the LOOKS sacrification, the nine months of utter misery (o.k... just the first and last 3), all the times I tip-toed around hoping I wouldn't wake a sleeping child, all the times I was forced to watch that oversized-head, "Say it with me!!!!" Dora, all of the ..... sorry .... ALL of those things moms just instinctively do for their children become totally worth it when it sometimes goes noticed. And who am I kidding- I would do all of those things with or without it. But, gosh, it's just so sweet when it does happen. And is it a coincidence that more of these moments occur as the child becomes older/more challenging? I think not. God had it all figured out.

Oh, and on the flipside, Adelyn likes to reciprocate punishments, too. I yelled at the dog and she told me I was a 'naughty girl' and that I needed to sit in time-out in the corner until I could count to ten in Spanish. So I did.... with the biggest smile on my face. :)

Update on the Girls

Warning: Skip this post if you're only looking for pictures of the girls. I'm too lazy to walk downstairs to the PC to upload MORE photos. God knows I have plenty. I'm not too lazy, however, to write. I really hope you don't mind. (If so, you can't say I didn't warn you.)

First, I apologize for the partial blogging hiatus. I realize I have cut my posts down significantly. For those who do follow my blog, please don't be discouraged! Adelyn has been on nap strike and that means less internet time. I usually have just enough time to catch e-mail 'after hours' when I'm not chasing around a 3 yr old (plus 1 yr old) all day. And when I do have enough time to knock out a post, they tend to be a lot less thoughtful and tired. Well, that pretty much sums this mommy up right now- less thoughtful and tired.

So, that brings me to my little 3 yr old.... have you ever heard that the 'Terrible 3's' are worse than the 'Terrible 2's'? Well, it's true. Seems a switch was flipped when Adelyn turned 3. All of the sudden, she knew what she wanted and definitely vocalized her frustration when she didn't get it. Today, for example, we were at my fave store where you can find just about anything. Adelyn was particularly interested in a Nemo sprinkler toy- almost the exact same toy we have at home (except ours is Elmo). When I broke the news that I wouldn't be purchasing the item for her, she not only ran away from me with Nemo in tow, but she continued to run OUT of the store. What a lesson that was for the both of us. Adelyn is also notorious for finding the cleanest room in the house and seeing how fast she can demolish it. Seriously- it's like she sees her imaginary friend standing in the corner with a stopclock in one hand and a big thumbs up on the other. Talk about frustrating.

On a positive note, I am proud/relieved that Adelyn has been potty trained for a while now after doing it for occasional sport since she was 2. She doesn't even go potty in her pull-up anymore; previously, she thought this was a 'go potty in pants for free card.' Adelyn is also SUPER fun... her imagination has really taken off. In fact, I brought her to a children's theater performance last week called "The Princess and The Pea" and she has been reenacting the play ever since. A future performer on our hands? I think so. Is the world ready for our full-of-life, full-of-spunk Adelyn? We'll see. :)

Ella Bella Butter Bean has been 100% walking for a couple months now. I'm shocked at how independent she is as she walks from room to room looking for something else to get into. I just always had this feeling that she would be a clinger but she's really not. And she's at an age that she's starting to exert her will and that's fun to watch.... especially when it involves her older sister. (She owes her a few!) Poor Ella has had to suffer through a couple ear infections but I'm hoping this round of antibiotics will cease any more from coming. She did weigh in last week at her 15 month check-up at around 40% weight, and 44% height. (Her head circumference is 90%- thanks Daddy!) Overall, she is in great condition and even though her weight has gone down a bit, she is a super great eater and typically eats more than her picky sister!

We still get comments about Ella like... Who the heck does she look like? Where did she get that hair color? Is she adopted? Wow.... she doesn't look like anyone in your family! Oh, and I can't forget this one- So, what does your mailman look like?! (Um, niiiice.) Yes- we are VERY aware that Ella stands out from the rest of us. And yes- she is 100% Andrew's daughter (shame on you for even thinking otherwise!!) And yes- I think it is totally NEAT that I have two little girls who look nothing alike. I wouldn't trade her for the world. Oh, and our mailman is well, a mail lady. So there!

Sorry. I'm just feeling sort-of ornery tonight. From what I hear, that's the Jenny that people find more interesting anyway. You know, more interesting than the Jenny who relates life issues to the morals in children's shows; or the Jenny who has this innate desire to always stick to the rules. Hey- wouldn't you agree?!

Hope you all had a great weekend... and I also hope you have a great week, too, in case I don't post again soon. ;)

Cleaning in Circles

As a SAHM, I spend A LOT of time cleaning... you know, cleaning one mess while another is being made at the same time. I call it 'cleaning in circles.' As much as I clean, I am still not a cleaning goddess; however, I will have to admit that my husband who has some OCD tendencies has caused me to increase my level of cleaning. Therefore, I'm always on the look out for new product recommendations and tricks of the cleaning trade. I wanted to share a couple of my own stand-outs.

Mr. Clean All-Purpose Cleaner with Febreze - I use it on just about every surface. It's a great general cleaner just to have on hand and it leaves a fresh, pleasant smell behind.

Spot Shot - It's the shiznit for stains... seriously. There hasn't been ANYTHING this stain remover hasn't taken out. I've used it on the carpet, couch, draperies, etc. It's taken out chocolate, ink, candy, poo, etc. You just spray the stain until it comes out before blotting it up. It's amazing!!

Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber - O.k.... so I don't use this as much as I used to when we didn't have a cleaning service, but it's the best for bathrooms. I've always been a fan of Scrubbing Bubbles but the action scrubber makes it even easier to get a squeaky clean bathroom.

Speaking of bathrooms... about once a month, I use a steamer to get the built-up gunk out of in between the tiles in our shower. It does wonders!

A cleaning tip from one of my blogger friends a.k.a. imaginary friends: Pour a little bit of Pine Sol in a cup and hide it in the kitchen somewhere. When your husband gets home, it'll make him think that you've been busting your bottom mopping the floor all day when a simple Swiffering gets the job done. (I can't say I've ever actually done this.)

So let me know if you have any tips/recommendations. A clean home is a happy home! Now, if I could only get Adelyn to understand that!

More Easter Pics and Bonus Princess Pics! ;)

Click HERE for more Easter pics- some repeats and some not. Sorry for the delay. It's been a hectic week and all I want to do is rest or check Facebook when I get the chance to get online. Oh, I wanted to mention that Adelyn found the GOLD EGG in one of her Easter egg hunts. She even got her picture in the local paper. We had so much fun in Doniphan with my family!

I wanted to share a couple pictures of Adelyn seeing Cinderella yesterday at the Magic House Princess Tea Party. You should have seen the look on her face when she saw Cinderella... like she was star struck! We went with a couple friends and made princess tiaras, watched Cinderella sing, also met Prince Charming and the Fairy Godmother, and ate pretty little deserts while sipping on tea/juice! I think Adelyn's favorite part was yelling, "Bippity Boppity Boo!" We also played at the Magic House afterward. It was a magical day for Adelyn! I wish Ella was old enough to go because it was so neat. She'll have her day, though, because she's a princess, too!

Easter Fun

The girls had tons of fun at a neighbor's house hunting Easter eggs, making crafts, and eating yummy food. Most of all, it was an excuse to get together with all of our wonderful friends in the neighborhood including a new family with two little ones of their own. I've had a couple opportunities to walk around the neighborhood and chat with the new mommy and I can already tell that we click so well. Our kids are pretty close in age so that alone is enough to talk about!


We also recently had Breakfast with The Easter Bunny at the zoo and Ella was not a fan. :( And it didn't stop there; she wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of the costumed characters that morning. Oh well... maybe next year?