Attention to Detail

Little A is in a fabulous Pre-K program at one of our local magnet schools. Every Monday, they have a homework sheet that's based on their letter of the week. It includes working on letter formation and coloring pictures of items that begin with that letter.

In an unusual turn of events, Little A finished her homework with grandma Monday night while hubby & I were at the E.R. with my ankle issue. So, we didn't look closely at it before she turned it in. However, we had a good laugh when her homework was returned in her folder.

The picture is crappy, so let me translate.

Both of my girls pay a lot of attention to details in their drawings. Striving for authenticity, Little A looked at our oven at home and wrote "FRIGIDAIRE" on the picture. Her teacher loved it and so do we!

She Went To Brazil

One of the coolest things about Big A being in Kindergarten is that she's reading now and starting to write her own notes and stories.

One afternoon, she & I had a disagreement about something and she stomped off to her room and slammed the door. (and she's only 6. sheesh.)

When she emerged about 40 minutes later, she had this note in her hand and a very solemn look on her face.

Translation: On Monday I'm leaving and I'm going to Brazil. I'm going to miss you. I love you.

Translation: When I go, keep white baby safe at home. (white baby is her most prized teddy bear that she's had since she was an infant)

And this is the picture of the bus driver taking her to Brazil. (of all the places she could choose, Brazil? really?)

I have to applaud her creativity and I must admit that hubby & I had a good chuckle at what appears to be her first "I'm running away from home" letter.

However, it did make me a little sad that at the tender age of 6, she's already considering leaving us. Oh my, we're in for a long adolescence with this one, I fear!

Roller Derby

We tried to do a lot of fun things with the kids during Winter Break. One activity at the top of their list was roller skating. Since this was their first time, it was definitely a 2 man job.

Hubby was such a good sport and didn't blink an eye when he laced up those skates. Thankfully he has a good sense of balance because those girls were like newborn deers...on skates.

We all had a fun time and they've been talking about going back ever since we left. I guess I know at least 1 thing we'll be doing on Spring Break!

Happy Birthday, My Baby

My sweet baby girl.

Four years ago today, you fluttered into my life with the grace of a butterfly.

During your first year, your spunky personality began to show itself.

As your second year came to a close, your love of polka dots became apparent.

At the end of your third year, your cautious independence was very real.

And now as you have reached your 4th birthday, you have become a little girl almost overnight.

I am so lucky and proud to be your Mommy and count each day as a blessing that I get to watch you grow up into this amazing little person.

Happy Birthday to my baby! No matter how old you are, you will always be my baby.

Love,
Mommy

Don't be tardy to the party

But if you're a mere 3 and a half months posting pictures of the event, well...yeah.

So, back in October (hangs head in shame), Big A had a big birthday. Number 5! We celebrated like gangbusters and then came 3 major holidays, an anniversary, a big trip and well, here we are. Let's take a step back into yester-year to recap the celebration.

My birthday girl. She loves some polka dots.

For those of you just joining us, hubby gives the birthday girl roses for her birthday. One rose for every year we're celebrating. And he's done this since they were born. Yeah, he's a keeper.

Big A and her birthday roses

For the home celebration, we picked up a few cupcakes and had a mini-party before bedtime on her actual birthday.

And this is the look of getting EXACTLY what you asked for.

A cake fit for a princess

I really have to say that our parties are a lot of fun. We have a lot of GREAT friends who are not afraid to get down and play with all of the kids. It's a blast to watch!

Big A with a new friend from school

Despite Little A's look of horror, the party was a big success and we were so glad to share it with everyone. It's so hard to believe that I've got a 5 year old. They grow up entirely too quickly!

A Moment in Time

My sweet little girl,

It's hard for me to fathom that it was just 5 short years ago that I was in the hospital meeting you for the very first time.

That first year flew by as you hit so many milestones.

Year 2 moved pretty quickly and showed me that you were always meant to be a big sister.

Year 3 reminded me of just what a caring and sensitive soul you have.

Year 4 made me take notice that you were no longer a toddler anymore, but truly a little girl.

Today, you are welcomed into the 5 year old club! I can't believe it's already here.

You amaze me. Your giggles at my funny songs; your smile when you know you've done a good thing; your sensitive heart; your giving spirit. These are just a few of the things that make me so incredibly proud to be your mom.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

xoxo
Mommy

People in glass houses

I love this time of year! The colors are changing on the trees. The temperatures are dropping. The t.v. schedule is finally back to normal. But, most importantly, the trips to the mailbox are finally producing the highly anticipated "TOY WISH BOOKS"!

I can remember squealing with joy as a child as I took the JCPenney catalog and a marker and proceeded to make my list for Santa. There were so many pages with dog ears that I'm surprised the book didn't bark at my parents.

Today, I had my first taste of that excitement from Big A. A holiday toy catalog arrived and no sooner did the words "Santa's List" exit my mouth before she had the book in one hand and stickers in the other hand to note which items were her favorite.

My friend Diana witnessed the exultation. She started to tell me about how her oldest daughter (who is Little A's age) is counting on Santa bringing her a driveable toy car stocked with presents. I laughed not only at the ingenuity of her daughter but also because my children have expressed exactly ZERO interest in those types of toys. (Much to my relief might I add)

And so, Big A sat down to review her choices with me and was sure to point out the 1 item in the book that is now at the top of her list.

Yeah. Who's laughing now?

You can call me Al - Part 2

As I've told you previously, Little A has quite the talent for giving her toys names that she prefers.

Here's the setup. I'm driving myself and the girls to dinner a couple of weeks ago and suddenly I hear a gasp in the backseat.

Little A: Mommy! Oh no! Mabel fell down. Can you please get him?

Me: Who is Mabel?

Big A: You know, the one that is black and red and white and has yellow on it.

Me: ???

When I arrived at the next red light, I turned around and found Mabel in the floorboard.

Meet Mabel.

After laughing hysterically, I informed the girls that this is a vulture.

Immediately after my proclamation, I was informed that HIS name is Mabel. End of story.

Darn these cute kids and their active imaginations.

Back to School

Well, the time has finally arrived (actually is was here 3 weeks ago) and I'm posting the gratuitous first day of school photos. This was a really big year for us for a few reasons.

First we have Big A at her new school. The school that I might have been stressing and complaining and losing sleep over getting her into for the last, say, 18 months. Phew. She is finally an official student there and she LOVES it! This Pre-K class is like Kindergarten. She goes 5 days a week (full school days) and she's taking Spanish, Science, PE, Music and all sorts of other fun things. She has homework and field trips and we couldn't be happier with how this is all working out!

And then we have Little A who is thrilled to be in her new classroom at the same preschool that she attended last year. She's in a "big kid" room that's seen a lot of changes. This preschool's curriculum is based on the Reggio Emilia style of learning. It's fabulous and we're really lucky to have a director who is so committed to constant education of this concept and it's applications to our little school.

The girls are off to a great start to a very busy school year! I'm quite certain there will be many pics this year of activities because both schools have very busy social schedules. Yay!!

Polite Dinner Conversation

Many of you have commented on how much you enjoy the stuff that I post about conversations with my kids. All I can say is, be careful what you wish for. This was our dinner conversation a few nights ago.

{Hubby, the 2 kids & I were sitting around out kitchen table eating dinner}

Little A: I poo poo'd in the potty today! (yelling at hubby just in case he couldn't hear her from the 3 ft away that he was sitting)

Hubby: Oh that's great honey!

Little A: And I have My Little Pony undies on!

Hubby: Wow!

Little A: Wanna see?

{And then she pulled her pants down. At the dinner table.}

I'm just glad it happened at home because we had gone out to dinner the night before this little peep show.

Take THAT, June Cleaver

Like many parents, I struggle with trying to make sure that my kids are eating healthy. Here's a conversation from a few nights ago.

Little A: What's for dinner mommy?

Me: I'm not sure. What would you like?

Little A: Macaroni & Cheese!

Big A: Nooooooo!! Macaroni & Cheese is not something good!

Me: Well, what would be something good?

Big A: (after careful thought and a furrowed brow) Well, it's NOT chicken.

I was further reminded today of how great a job I'm doing in the menu department by the girls gymnastics teacher.

Teacher: During the group activity, I asked the kids to tell me their favorite nutritious snack. I gave them examples like grapes and carrots.

Me: Oh good! So, what did the girls say?

Teacher: Big A said pizza and Little A said macaroni & cheese.

Me: Fabulous.

A "Little A" Birthday

With all the drama that's gone around here recently, I've been lax in doing a recap of the very big birthday of the very Little A.

As you might remember, I made the mistake of asking her what theme she would like on her cake. She told me Max & Ruby. I panicked. Thankfully, hubby reminded her of how much she loves butterflies. And voila. Presenting, the birthday cookie cake.

First things first. Time for the annual birthday flowers. This is a tradition that hubby started with Big A on her first birthday. The birthday girl gets one rose for every year that they are celebrating. The mom and sister get 1 rose each...for good measure. It's very sweet and the girls love it!

Now it was time to party. I rented out a nearby gym full of trampolines, bouncy floors and ample room to tumble. Here are the A's ready to bound down the long trampoline.

The birthday girl was all smiles.

After munching on snacks and cake, it was on to presents. Both girls are currently obsessed with Hello Kitty. Little A was showing me her stickers that she was very excited about.

After a whole lot of partying, it was time for her big gift. Her first bike! She was more than ready to tackle this big girl gift and now she's off and running.

Another big birthday in the books. Now just another 5 months before the planning starts all over again for the next one. Sigh. Oh, who are we kidding? I love this stuff.

Butterfly Baby

Three years ago today, you fluttered into my life so quietly and gracefully.

The first year passed so quickly. You put a smile on every one's face wherever you went.

The second year passed and all of a sudden you were no longer a baby, but a little girl. My little sun goddess.

Today we celebrate your 3rd year in our lives and every day that passes becomes the most precious. Happy birthday my sweet little angel!

Love,
Mommy

Spring has sprung

Easter is just around the corner. You know what that means? Festival time!

I swear, this city doesn't really need a reason, much less a major holiday, to warrant having a festival. It's actually kind of cool. On any given weekend, you don't have to throw a stone very far to find a celebratory gathering of something or other.

A couple of weekends ago, my Dad's company threw a huge Easter egg hunt and festivities for employees and their extended families. Let's hit the highlights shall we?

Must get the requisite pic with the bunny

The girls were all about some face painting. Little A wanted a cat

Big A chose a rainbow

Now it was time to hunt some eggs. These girls took the challenge seriously.

After 60 seconds of feverish egg hunting, the girls were ready to unwind with a pony ride. Little A is up first.

Big A is all about moving up from a pony to a "real" horse. I'm not sure I'm ready for her to make that transition.

And so we wrapped up the day with some sweets and a much needed nap for everyone involved. A great day indeed!

Stingrays, snakes & butterflies, oh my

Make sure you come back by tomorrow to check out my first VLOG and to get the scoop on a giveaway that I'm doing. In the meantime, let's go on a field trip!

We had a great outing to the TN Aquarium a couple of weeks ago with some good friends. Here are some highlights from the visit.

Big A is fascinated by the butterfly garden. She always wants to go there first. And each visit is a new quest to get a butterfly on her finger. I'm happy to report that this trip was a success x3!

Little A wasn't going to let big sister have all the butterfly fun.

Little A has no fear of animals. She was all about this boa constrictor. I once scared at least 5 years off my mom's life with a boa constrictor. That's a funny story I'll have to share sometime.

The girls love the pool where you can touch the sharks and sting rays.

Here's 75% of the kids checking out the Blue Macaws. These birds crack me up. They tend to talk incessantly and often say rather humorous things.

This jellyfish tank is one of my favorite spots. So serene. One of these days (when I figure out how to REALLY use my fab camera) I'll get a really great shot.

And there's the trip in a nutshell. If you're ever close to East Tennessee, you should check out our aquariums!