Finally heard word back from the preschool and we will be getting a packet in the mail. Feeling a little bit better about it/them.
The girls are back with the sniffles. Yesterday was Ava's 2 year check up. She was in the 90 percentile in everything. She weighed approximately 33.8 pounds and was an estimated 35 and a half inches tall. Those estimates sound about right since she was weighed the other day fully dressed. Her doctor said she was looking good, very fair skinned and will need a lot of sunscreen even while driving in the car, and was very pleased with her vocabulary. He had asked me a question about her ability to use 2 words together while handing her a book and Ava replied with, "no thank you." Yeah, she is Olivia's biggest fan and tries her best to keep up with her so her vocabulary is pretty proficient so far. This is good since she is coming from Dave and my genetics. Neither of us are geniuses unless we test on those IQ Internet sites. Then all of a sudden we are near Einsteins. I guess that goes to show not to believe everything you see on the Internet.
The last two nights with Ava have been interesting as well. She goes to sleep just fine and then somewhere in the middle of the night she wakes up... let me rephrase that...WAKES UP and refuses to go back to sleep. Dave's been in there laying with her to keep her quiet but tonight she's on her own. I'd like to have my husband back and I think he'd appreciate his sleep. We will see how it goes.
Well now we are off to the park. I heard a new mom just moved into the neighborhood with a 2 year old and she told Dave she'd be at the park around the same time everyday. Apparently Olivia really liked her new friend. After they met they ran off together holding hands. The weathers also good here and I really really NEED to get out of the house.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Preschool Chaos All Ready?
I have found a preschool for Olivia and sent them an email to which I never received a response. Ok sometimes emails get overlooked or don't end up where they should... so today I called them. No one answered the phone. Maybe during school hours no one does answer the phone. Or maybe this is just a really sucky preschool and I should see how they work now instead of later...
Before I overreacted, I sent them one more email stating politely that I am interested in sending my daughter this fall and would like to have some information sent to me or for someone to call me back to discuss things. I also added that I am available to volunteer for field trips and other activities if they need that. Now I wait. I hate waiting. If by the end of the week I still don't hear anything from them then I will be calling another preschool that I hear is just as good and is centered around Montessori learning.
At first I was hesitant to even send her to school...now I can't even get her in. I guess the jokes on me. Maybe this is the conspiracy of all preschools- to sniff out those parents who are waffling over the decision to put their kids in school and then make them work for it. That way we don't stand there and cry at the door when we leave.
Before I overreacted, I sent them one more email stating politely that I am interested in sending my daughter this fall and would like to have some information sent to me or for someone to call me back to discuss things. I also added that I am available to volunteer for field trips and other activities if they need that. Now I wait. I hate waiting. If by the end of the week I still don't hear anything from them then I will be calling another preschool that I hear is just as good and is centered around Montessori learning.
At first I was hesitant to even send her to school...now I can't even get her in. I guess the jokes on me. Maybe this is the conspiracy of all preschools- to sniff out those parents who are waffling over the decision to put their kids in school and then make them work for it. That way we don't stand there and cry at the door when we leave.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Weekend
This has felt like an incredibly long weekend. It could be that we haven't done much except go to the park or it could be that the girls are both sniffley and whiny. Either way it seems to be dragging along.
Ava's still doing well going to bed for herself and staying in her bed. For this we are really thankful. Olivia has stopped doing "her thing" in the car and everywhere else in public and now only does it at home. This makes us very happy as well because now people aren't looking at her like she's weird or something.
Both girls were taken to the doctor yesterday and were given good bills of health. They have been sneezing and coughing but she said there is nothing floating around in their lungs and they don't have any ear infections so things are ok. Neither received the flu shot so I'm always wondering if the colds they acquire could have been prevented or would it have been ten times worse like most people I know that have gotten the flu shot. I just don't trust that flu shot and neither does Dave. We have vaccinated them for everything else just not the flu.
Ava has her 2 year check-up on Tuesday. I don't know how tall she is but we weighed her at the doctor and she was 35.8 pounds and Olivia was 36.0. It's hard to believe that they are 15 months apart and weigh the same. All of the clothes I thought that Ava would be able to wear for awhile she burned right through. Now they can share most shirts. In pants Ava wears the same size in the waist as Liv but her legs are not quite as long and need to be hemmed or rolled up. By this summer it shouldn't matter when they wear shorts everyday.
Summer's going to be great. We will get to go swimming again, go to the park everyday, probably enroll in a dance class for Olivia, and now we can go to baseball games and other places without having to drag around a diaper bag. Things are getting a little easier. Hopefully it will stay that way.
Ava's still doing well going to bed for herself and staying in her bed. For this we are really thankful. Olivia has stopped doing "her thing" in the car and everywhere else in public and now only does it at home. This makes us very happy as well because now people aren't looking at her like she's weird or something.
Both girls were taken to the doctor yesterday and were given good bills of health. They have been sneezing and coughing but she said there is nothing floating around in their lungs and they don't have any ear infections so things are ok. Neither received the flu shot so I'm always wondering if the colds they acquire could have been prevented or would it have been ten times worse like most people I know that have gotten the flu shot. I just don't trust that flu shot and neither does Dave. We have vaccinated them for everything else just not the flu.
Ava has her 2 year check-up on Tuesday. I don't know how tall she is but we weighed her at the doctor and she was 35.8 pounds and Olivia was 36.0. It's hard to believe that they are 15 months apart and weigh the same. All of the clothes I thought that Ava would be able to wear for awhile she burned right through. Now they can share most shirts. In pants Ava wears the same size in the waist as Liv but her legs are not quite as long and need to be hemmed or rolled up. By this summer it shouldn't matter when they wear shorts everyday.
Summer's going to be great. We will get to go swimming again, go to the park everyday, probably enroll in a dance class for Olivia, and now we can go to baseball games and other places without having to drag around a diaper bag. Things are getting a little easier. Hopefully it will stay that way.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
That Was FAST
I thought this sleeping arrangement was going to take longer to adjust to but Ava is doing great. Yesterday's nap went smoothly and without any crying. Last night she went to bed and eeked out a whimper as I was leaving the room but within 10 minutes she was asleep and snoring. Yea Ava!
This morning she was up at 5:45 am which wasn't exactly wonderful but I'll take it. Everyone had a full night's sleep and that's what is most important. I now feel confident that I can put the crib in the garage instead of storing it under our bed and make room for something else under our bed.
This morning she was up at 5:45 am which wasn't exactly wonderful but I'll take it. Everyone had a full night's sleep and that's what is most important. I now feel confident that I can put the crib in the garage instead of storing it under our bed and make room for something else under our bed.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Relief
After the afternoon nap that began pretty hectic but ended up with good results Dave and I were hoping Ava would go to bed last night with at least similar results and potentially a full nights sleep.
At 8pm I announced it was bed time and Ava and Olivia ran up the stairs to have their teeth brushed. Once they were finished we tucked Olivia into her bed, said her prayers, and gave her kisses. Next up- Ava. I could see this going either way so I was practicing patience and deep breathing. Dave had to finish working so it was up to me to make this happen.
Ava hopped right into her bed and lined up all of her babies while clutching her lovey. In went the thumb and I kissed her goodnight. I told her I was going to my room and I'd come back and check on her in 5 minutes. As I turned my back and headed quickly for the door I was expecting the wailing to begin. Huh. I had made it to my room without any crying. That's weird I thought but it will happen any minute...
...or maybe not.
10 minutes later I went to check on Ava and she was snuggled in her bed sucking her thumb surrounded by her stuffed animal family. I gave her a kiss and told her I would come back in 5 more minutes and check on her again. About 30 minutes later I entered her room and found her snoring away like a big girl with her lovey tightly gripped in her fist. She made it to sleep in her big girl bed all by herself. I was and am very proud of her. She slept the entire night without waking up. Best of all- WE slept the entire night without waking up at all. What a relief.
At 8pm I announced it was bed time and Ava and Olivia ran up the stairs to have their teeth brushed. Once they were finished we tucked Olivia into her bed, said her prayers, and gave her kisses. Next up- Ava. I could see this going either way so I was practicing patience and deep breathing. Dave had to finish working so it was up to me to make this happen.
Ava hopped right into her bed and lined up all of her babies while clutching her lovey. In went the thumb and I kissed her goodnight. I told her I was going to my room and I'd come back and check on her in 5 minutes. As I turned my back and headed quickly for the door I was expecting the wailing to begin. Huh. I had made it to my room without any crying. That's weird I thought but it will happen any minute...
...or maybe not.
10 minutes later I went to check on Ava and she was snuggled in her bed sucking her thumb surrounded by her stuffed animal family. I gave her a kiss and told her I would come back in 5 more minutes and check on her again. About 30 minutes later I entered her room and found her snoring away like a big girl with her lovey tightly gripped in her fist. She made it to sleep in her big girl bed all by herself. I was and am very proud of her. She slept the entire night without waking up. Best of all- WE slept the entire night without waking up at all. What a relief.
Monday, January 19, 2009
We are not giving up...
yet. Together we can conquer this bed. Go team go.
Yeah even I can't swallow that down. Ava hardly slept last night. Dave hardly slept last night. I slept like a baby thank you very much. My nights dealing with Ava will start tomorrow night when Dave starts teaching again. Lucky him.
Today we took the girls out to Pump It Up for an hour and a half, out for pizza afterward, and then to the backyard to play on the swings to eek out the last tiny little bit of energy they just might have stored up in their every growing bodies. You'd think Ava would be exhausted. Nope.
Ava was put down for her nap at her normal time. She was resting in her bed so I left the room and ten minutes later she was in the hallway. How can she still be awake? If given the opportunity Dave would have been asleep hours ago. So now she's in her room calling for her daddy and angry that she is left in her room by herself.
This was very hard for me to go through getting Olivia to sleep in her bed after the switch from the crib but it was always a blessing that at night she never got out of her bed. Only at nap time did she protest. So as with Ava a little crying will eventually go a long way. As for my nerves and my mental status... we'll see. As for our desire for even more kids...diminishing by the minute.
***Only 1 LONG hour later we have:
Success!!! Way to go Ava!!!
Yeah even I can't swallow that down. Ava hardly slept last night. Dave hardly slept last night. I slept like a baby thank you very much. My nights dealing with Ava will start tomorrow night when Dave starts teaching again. Lucky him.
Today we took the girls out to Pump It Up for an hour and a half, out for pizza afterward, and then to the backyard to play on the swings to eek out the last tiny little bit of energy they just might have stored up in their every growing bodies. You'd think Ava would be exhausted. Nope.
Ava was put down for her nap at her normal time. She was resting in her bed so I left the room and ten minutes later she was in the hallway. How can she still be awake? If given the opportunity Dave would have been asleep hours ago. So now she's in her room calling for her daddy and angry that she is left in her room by herself.
This was very hard for me to go through getting Olivia to sleep in her bed after the switch from the crib but it was always a blessing that at night she never got out of her bed. Only at nap time did she protest. So as with Ava a little crying will eventually go a long way. As for my nerves and my mental status... we'll see. As for our desire for even more kids...diminishing by the minute.
***Only 1 LONG hour later we have:
Success!!! Way to go Ava!!!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Don't bother me... I'm working
Yes, these are words I never thought I would be hearing from my 3 year old daughter but she was VERY busy and I was bothering her.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Second night... not so good
Well I'd like to write that last night was fabulous and that Ava laid right down on her bed and went to sleep but then I'd be lying. It was a little more like living in a hell house. She took her afternoon nap just fine, maybe a little bit too fine. I think she may have slept for at least 3 hours which in Avaland is a bit too much and made going to bed at her regular time a nightmare.
Ok so you live and learn right? God I hope so or Dave and I will be living on very little sleep for awhile and our sex life will be dwindled down to nooners. Not that I'm complaining about a nooner or anything but he's only home 2 afternoons a week if you catch my drift.
We will try again tonight with Ava and hopefully we will have better results. We know this is a new and challenging time for her and want things to go as smoothly as possible. At times it's hard for us to not get so frustrated and throw in the towel and get the crib back out but patience will eventually help us overcome our issues and help her build her own self-confidence.
Ok so you live and learn right? God I hope so or Dave and I will be living on very little sleep for awhile and our sex life will be dwindled down to nooners. Not that I'm complaining about a nooner or anything but he's only home 2 afternoons a week if you catch my drift.
We will try again tonight with Ava and hopefully we will have better results. We know this is a new and challenging time for her and want things to go as smoothly as possible. At times it's hard for us to not get so frustrated and throw in the towel and get the crib back out but patience will eventually help us overcome our issues and help her build her own self-confidence.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
And now the bed...
There she is...my little Avacakes taking her first nap in her big girl bed. I am SO proud of her. Next she'll probably want a pony and the keys to my car. Look out world here she comes!Wednesday, January 14, 2009
First the pillow..
It's been mastered!! Woo Hoo!!!
I am baffled sometimes how I can miss the big picture on things only to understand it a few days later...Why I didn't think to put Ava's small pillow on top of her new pillow seems like such a rookie mistake but once my brain starting moving forward again I saw through my mistake and made amens with my daughter and her new pillow. Together they sleep, happily I might add and now Ava wants to stay all day in her crib with her pillow.
I am baffled sometimes how I can miss the big picture on things only to understand it a few days later...Why I didn't think to put Ava's small pillow on top of her new pillow seems like such a rookie mistake but once my brain starting moving forward again I saw through my mistake and made amens with my daughter and her new pillow. Together they sleep, happily I might add and now Ava wants to stay all day in her crib with her pillow.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Wordless Wednesday #23
Hey, I'm on mommy's peter (computer)!
This image is for both this weeks Tuesday and Wednesday editions of Wordless Wednesday.
This image is for both this weeks Tuesday and Wednesday editions of Wordless Wednesday.
The Pillow & The Protest
I thought perhaps if I made Ava's mattress up with the sheets and the pillowcase that she would walk by it and ask about it but that hasn't happened. She also refused to have her new pillow in her crib, tossing it out like trash, and demanded that her old one be replaced. Her old pillow is 4 inches by 6 inches and was meant for Olivia's dolls. Apparently Ava doesn't care about that.
The bed is arriving today nonetheless. I will be putting it together with slightly less high hopes than I had a few days ago. I did offer the monkey pillow back to Ava this morning and she laid it down for her baby to sleep on. Then she put her head on it and asked her baby to take a nap. I felt a tad bit better about the situation but she's fickle and can change her mind in the blink of her tiny little eye.
Speaking of fickle mindedness, last night I made orange chicken for dinner. Olivia loves chicken so I wasn't concerned she wouldn't eat it although she had never tasted this type of sauce before so you never know. Surprisingly she liked it and ate her entire plate of food. Now Ava is another story all together. She does not like meat of any kind. Don't get me wrong, the girl loves to eat...she just doesn't like meat or fish. When we eat spaghetti it always has crab, shrimp, and clams in the sauce. This way she eats it because she can't identify any of it. Fish sticks or steamed fish on the other hand is often combated with, "I no like it." Chicken plain, with ketchup, nuggets, or any other variety always gets pushed back as if the plate is tainted. Occasionally beef or turkey meatballs pass the test. So you might understand my surprise when Ava snarfed down her entire plate of orange chicken last night AND asked for more. What?!? Who is this child and where did my non-chicken gobbler go?
I finally found a meat product Ava is willing to eat. I am so thankful. I also discovered that she likes vegetarian buffalo wings and broccoli cheddar nuggets. Neither of which Olivia will eat but at least I have a starting ground to work with Ava now. Watch- by tomorrow they will both probably go on a "no broccoli" protest just for kicks! UGGG!
The bed is arriving today nonetheless. I will be putting it together with slightly less high hopes than I had a few days ago. I did offer the monkey pillow back to Ava this morning and she laid it down for her baby to sleep on. Then she put her head on it and asked her baby to take a nap. I felt a tad bit better about the situation but she's fickle and can change her mind in the blink of her tiny little eye.
Speaking of fickle mindedness, last night I made orange chicken for dinner. Olivia loves chicken so I wasn't concerned she wouldn't eat it although she had never tasted this type of sauce before so you never know. Surprisingly she liked it and ate her entire plate of food. Now Ava is another story all together. She does not like meat of any kind. Don't get me wrong, the girl loves to eat...she just doesn't like meat or fish. When we eat spaghetti it always has crab, shrimp, and clams in the sauce. This way she eats it because she can't identify any of it. Fish sticks or steamed fish on the other hand is often combated with, "I no like it." Chicken plain, with ketchup, nuggets, or any other variety always gets pushed back as if the plate is tainted. Occasionally beef or turkey meatballs pass the test. So you might understand my surprise when Ava snarfed down her entire plate of orange chicken last night AND asked for more. What?!? Who is this child and where did my non-chicken gobbler go?
I finally found a meat product Ava is willing to eat. I am so thankful. I also discovered that she likes vegetarian buffalo wings and broccoli cheddar nuggets. Neither of which Olivia will eat but at least I have a starting ground to work with Ava now. Watch- by tomorrow they will both probably go on a "no broccoli" protest just for kicks! UGGG!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Purple Monkeys
The time is getting closer. I checked on Ava's bed and it should be delivered on Tuesday. Livy and I went shopping over the weekend (by ourselves she kept reminding me) and picked out a cute set of purple monkey sheets and bedding for our littlest monkey Ava. Ok, so Livy did get a new pair of Dora shoes out of me but the main purpose of our shopping was for bedding. I just couldn't couldn't turn her down. She was so excited to get home to show her daddy her new shoes...and he was just as excited to see them too. How could I say no?
On Friday night we had taken a short road trip to pickup the mattresses. We needed 2 mattresses since Ava's bed will come with a trundle. Thankfully we got them for a steal at $70 a piece. I was hoping to purchase one more so we could slide it under Olivia's bed therefore each bed would have an additional mattress but apparently these were the last two left. The salesman said there would probably be more in stock in a month or two so I'll just have to keep checking back.
In the mean time I am super excited to put together Ava's bed when it arrives and have her see it. I think she will love it. Today she found the comforter in my room and she lugged it up and down the hallway saying, "my monkey." Then she carted the comforter bag into Olivia's room and they jumped on it like it was a trampoline. They switched between jumping on it and putting their babies on it and telling them to take a nap. It was adorable. They couldn't stop giggling.
I hope when Ava sees the bed for the first time she lays down and goes to sleep as easily as she does in her crib though. She's a great sleeper and a fast sleeper so here's to hoping... My little monkey is constantly blowing me away with everything that she does. I couldn't be more impressed by her.
On Friday night we had taken a short road trip to pickup the mattresses. We needed 2 mattresses since Ava's bed will come with a trundle. Thankfully we got them for a steal at $70 a piece. I was hoping to purchase one more so we could slide it under Olivia's bed therefore each bed would have an additional mattress but apparently these were the last two left. The salesman said there would probably be more in stock in a month or two so I'll just have to keep checking back.
In the mean time I am super excited to put together Ava's bed when it arrives and have her see it. I think she will love it. Today she found the comforter in my room and she lugged it up and down the hallway saying, "my monkey." Then she carted the comforter bag into Olivia's room and they jumped on it like it was a trampoline. They switched between jumping on it and putting their babies on it and telling them to take a nap. It was adorable. They couldn't stop giggling.
I hope when Ava sees the bed for the first time she lays down and goes to sleep as easily as she does in her crib though. She's a great sleeper and a fast sleeper so here's to hoping... My little monkey is constantly blowing me away with everything that she does. I couldn't be more impressed by her.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
To Preschool or not to Preschool
I've been debating this preschool idea for a few months now and I think I am going to try it for Olivia come this fall. At first I was totally against it being that I am a stay at home mom and I know I can teach her all the necessary components that she would learn there except social skills. I've pondered this idea and rationalized to myself that she is socialized by going to the discovery museum, the bouncy house, and other kid places that I take her to where she interacts with other kids.
After some searching I found a great school for 3 and 4 year olds and they attend twice a week for 2 1/2 hours. They learn a new letter every week, cook, do science art projects, use glue and scissors, and best of all they travel for field trips. The following year Olivia would attend 3 times a week and would be geared up for kindergarten and Ava would attend the other 2 days. I haven't found out if they actually teach the kids to read and learn phonics but if they don't I'm sure we can do it at home.
I am having mixed emotions about leaving Olivia at an unfamiliar place to be watched by people I don't know. I also feel guilty about just sending her to preschool. Part of my guilt stems from being able to go places with just one child thus making it easier on myself while she's in school. I'm struggling with whether I need her to go for my benefit or do I really want to send her for an opportunity to socialize with kids within her own age group. I hear how important preschool is and I am an advocate for education but I am also considering homeschooling for the grade school years as an option. I am so confused. Kids really should come with a handbook. Making these critical decisions can be nerve racking. Thankfully Dave supports any decision I make since the kids are with me all day.
My other mixed emotions stems from Ava. Somewhere out of the blue she went from baby to little girl. She hopped right over toddler hood and was so enthralled in Olivia that she copied and mastered everything that Livy can do. I am happy that she is growing and absorbing everything in sight but a little part of me would like it if she just slowed down a bit. But Ava is very headstrong and I know that won't happen.
Now she has fallen in love with Olivia's big girl monkey bed and tries to get in and lay down every opportunity she can. A few weeks ago I ordered her her very own bed...a real bed... that will be arriving on Tuesday. We are buying the mattresses over the weekend and a sheet set that will make it extra special. Keep in mind that Ava hasn't even turned TWO yet. She's going to be an old lady by 12! What happened to my cute little Avacakes?
Maybe this means we are ready for another child...Ha! I bet when Dave reads that he has a heart attack. No- we aren't having any more kids. We have two wonderful silly little ones and that's enough. People always say to enjoy them when they are young because they grow up too fast. Ain't that the truth.
After some searching I found a great school for 3 and 4 year olds and they attend twice a week for 2 1/2 hours. They learn a new letter every week, cook, do science art projects, use glue and scissors, and best of all they travel for field trips. The following year Olivia would attend 3 times a week and would be geared up for kindergarten and Ava would attend the other 2 days. I haven't found out if they actually teach the kids to read and learn phonics but if they don't I'm sure we can do it at home.
I am having mixed emotions about leaving Olivia at an unfamiliar place to be watched by people I don't know. I also feel guilty about just sending her to preschool. Part of my guilt stems from being able to go places with just one child thus making it easier on myself while she's in school. I'm struggling with whether I need her to go for my benefit or do I really want to send her for an opportunity to socialize with kids within her own age group. I hear how important preschool is and I am an advocate for education but I am also considering homeschooling for the grade school years as an option. I am so confused. Kids really should come with a handbook. Making these critical decisions can be nerve racking. Thankfully Dave supports any decision I make since the kids are with me all day.
My other mixed emotions stems from Ava. Somewhere out of the blue she went from baby to little girl. She hopped right over toddler hood and was so enthralled in Olivia that she copied and mastered everything that Livy can do. I am happy that she is growing and absorbing everything in sight but a little part of me would like it if she just slowed down a bit. But Ava is very headstrong and I know that won't happen.
Now she has fallen in love with Olivia's big girl monkey bed and tries to get in and lay down every opportunity she can. A few weeks ago I ordered her her very own bed...a real bed... that will be arriving on Tuesday. We are buying the mattresses over the weekend and a sheet set that will make it extra special. Keep in mind that Ava hasn't even turned TWO yet. She's going to be an old lady by 12! What happened to my cute little Avacakes?
Maybe this means we are ready for another child...Ha! I bet when Dave reads that he has a heart attack. No- we aren't having any more kids. We have two wonderful silly little ones and that's enough. People always say to enjoy them when they are young because they grow up too fast. Ain't that the truth.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
So it's been a long time...
Since adding a new post to my blog. I mean to do it everyday and then life happens and somehow it just doesn't get squeezed in. I left off somewhere before Christmas when we were checking out the neighborhood lights. All of them were really sparkly and the girls had a great time exploring the neighborhood.
Dave began his vacation time from both jobs so it left us with a lot of time to do family activities. We brought the girls to Habitot again. There they helped decorate a giant gingerbread house and this time played in the water. I learned from our last experience to bring an extra set of clothes. It was awesome having Dave be there and be a part of it all. Usually he hears all about their day but going and seeing them in action is a thousand times better. They also had their faces painted by us and they painted Dave's face.
We stopped for lunch afterwards and Olivia devoured my bagel or donut as she called it. Ava happily slept through the entire lunch, train ride home, and car ride home. She was exhausted from all of the excitement and I know I've gotten my money's worth when we leave a place and a second after she's clicked into her stroller her eyes shut.
A few days or weeks later Christmas came and the girls tore open their gifts with much delight. The big hits were the bowling set and the workbench. They used their new tools to put it together with a little bit of help from daddy. Santa was good to them again this year except he was rather surprised when no one left him any cookies or milk...hum...I guess our Santa was on a diet. In the afternoon we exchanged gifts with all of our neighbors and then dug into the honey baked ham we received from Dave's brother. It was the laid back fun filled Christmas just as we hoped it would be. The entire day we had friends stopping by and soon the day turned into night and it was over just as fast as it came.
The next day we brought the girls to the bowling alley. Dave somehow always finds us free stuff to do. He won the bowling tickets in a raffle a few weeks prior.
A few days after that we packed the dog and the girls into the car and headed for Grammie and Papa's house and of course Santa left tons of gifts there too. We hardly managed to get through the door before Liv was ripping and screaming over her new doll house and train set. Santa gave the two of them some really nice stuff. The girls made out like bandits and so did we.
We (Santa) gave my dad a rifle lamp...a lamp that looks like a rifle and a really big universal remote so he can actually see all of the buttons without having to wear his glasses. Mom was given new game for her Wii so we could engage in another tournament. They had been practicing golfing while we were away so we wanted to level the playing field. It didn't matter though. I was still terrible. I did beat Dave in one game of baseball. He took it in stride...
It was nice being at my mom's house and away for a vacation for awhile. We sat in the hot tub, we met a childhood friend of mine for lunch (without kids), we went to a New Years Party, went shopping, we stopped by to visit with another childhood friend's parents for awhile, and we ate hors d'oeuvres for dinner and played until we were tired. It was great as usual.
We stayed for a week and then came home, spent the night, and woke up to go to another party. This was my college BFF's son's birthday and you can read about her son here. The girls were excited all day long talking about the cake and balloons. Then we got in the car and they took naps...it was nice not having to listen to their movie again let me just add. We got to the party place and the girls ran like crazy, ate cake, snagged a balloon, and sang happy birthday to the birthday boy. We got back in the car and well...all hell broke loose. I haven't had that unpleasant of a car ride in a long time. We hit overload. Ava wanted to eat dinner and I only packed snacks for one leg of the trip...getting there. I know-what WAS I thinking? We decided to make a mad dash for fast food seeing as Ava wasn't going to make it the rest of the way home and for some reason we got off on an exit that the food took 10 additional miles to get to. Ugg. Once fed though they turned back into the cute little sweethearts that I have always known just a little oilier and stinkier from the fries.
Today we are getting over the colds which we developed from travelling and being worn out. Everything is good, Dave starts teaching again tomorrow, and the naps have returned to the normal routine. Life's good at our house. It's a great start for this new year.
Dave began his vacation time from both jobs so it left us with a lot of time to do family activities. We brought the girls to Habitot again. There they helped decorate a giant gingerbread house and this time played in the water. I learned from our last experience to bring an extra set of clothes. It was awesome having Dave be there and be a part of it all. Usually he hears all about their day but going and seeing them in action is a thousand times better. They also had their faces painted by us and they painted Dave's face.
We stopped for lunch afterwards and Olivia devoured my bagel or donut as she called it. Ava happily slept through the entire lunch, train ride home, and car ride home. She was exhausted from all of the excitement and I know I've gotten my money's worth when we leave a place and a second after she's clicked into her stroller her eyes shut.
A few days or weeks later Christmas came and the girls tore open their gifts with much delight. The big hits were the bowling set and the workbench. They used their new tools to put it together with a little bit of help from daddy. Santa was good to them again this year except he was rather surprised when no one left him any cookies or milk...hum...I guess our Santa was on a diet. In the afternoon we exchanged gifts with all of our neighbors and then dug into the honey baked ham we received from Dave's brother. It was the laid back fun filled Christmas just as we hoped it would be. The entire day we had friends stopping by and soon the day turned into night and it was over just as fast as it came.
The next day we brought the girls to the bowling alley. Dave somehow always finds us free stuff to do. He won the bowling tickets in a raffle a few weeks prior.
A few days after that we packed the dog and the girls into the car and headed for Grammie and Papa's house and of course Santa left tons of gifts there too. We hardly managed to get through the door before Liv was ripping and screaming over her new doll house and train set. Santa gave the two of them some really nice stuff. The girls made out like bandits and so did we.
We (Santa) gave my dad a rifle lamp...a lamp that looks like a rifle and a really big universal remote so he can actually see all of the buttons without having to wear his glasses. Mom was given new game for her Wii so we could engage in another tournament. They had been practicing golfing while we were away so we wanted to level the playing field. It didn't matter though. I was still terrible. I did beat Dave in one game of baseball. He took it in stride...
It was nice being at my mom's house and away for a vacation for awhile. We sat in the hot tub, we met a childhood friend of mine for lunch (without kids), we went to a New Years Party, went shopping, we stopped by to visit with another childhood friend's parents for awhile, and we ate hors d'oeuvres for dinner and played until we were tired. It was great as usual.
We stayed for a week and then came home, spent the night, and woke up to go to another party. This was my college BFF's son's birthday and you can read about her son here. The girls were excited all day long talking about the cake and balloons. Then we got in the car and they took naps...it was nice not having to listen to their movie again let me just add. We got to the party place and the girls ran like crazy, ate cake, snagged a balloon, and sang happy birthday to the birthday boy. We got back in the car and well...all hell broke loose. I haven't had that unpleasant of a car ride in a long time. We hit overload. Ava wanted to eat dinner and I only packed snacks for one leg of the trip...getting there. I know-what WAS I thinking? We decided to make a mad dash for fast food seeing as Ava wasn't going to make it the rest of the way home and for some reason we got off on an exit that the food took 10 additional miles to get to. Ugg. Once fed though they turned back into the cute little sweethearts that I have always known just a little oilier and stinkier from the fries.
Today we are getting over the colds which we developed from travelling and being worn out. Everything is good, Dave starts teaching again tomorrow, and the naps have returned to the normal routine. Life's good at our house. It's a great start for this new year.
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