Her anatomical antics

Yesterday, when Addison woke up from her nap, she seemed sheepish.

Under bashful eyes, she said, " Mom, I need to tell you the truth..." Uh-oh.

I knew something was up. Addison has been telling a few lies lately to get out of trouble, and we have been trying to tell her that if she tells the truth, her consequences will be less severe. I knew she had calculated this risk because she immediately followed with, "Will I get in trouble?"

I can't remember how exactly I responded, but she eventually told me that she got out of her bed during her nap. I asked her why, and she said, " to get the purple marker..." Then she said, "you know how we are only supposed to write on paper?... Well, I forgot that rule, and I wrote on Dora."

I said, "why?"

She lifted Dora's shirt and replied, "because she needed a belly button and 2 boobs."

And there were 3 purple anatomically and proportionately correct circles on Dora's chest.

Ii thought, "What in the world? This is so hilarious...and yet so wrong. How do I discipline this child?"

I flashed back to when I was her age and drew eyelashes on my collector Raggedy Ann doll and when I got caught, I tried to blame it on my 6 month old baby sister. And I thought, she does have a point. At least she told the truth.

Yesterday, when Addison woke up from her nap, she seemed sheepish.

Under bashful eyes, she said, " Mom, I need to tell you the truth..." Uh-oh.

I knew something was up. Addison has been telling a few lies lately to get out of trouble, and we have been trying to tell her that if she tells the truth, her consequences will be less severe. I knew she had calculated this risk because she immediately followed with, "Will I get in trouble?"

I can't remember how exactly I responded, but she eventually told me that she got out of her bed during her nap. I asked her why, and she said, " to get the purple marker..." Then she said, "you know how we are only supposed to write on paper?... Well, I forgot that rule, and I wrote on Dora."

I said, "why?"

She lifted Dora's shirt and replied, "because she needed a belly button and 2 boobs."

And there were 3 purple anatomically and proportionately correct circles on Dora's chest.

Ii thought, "What in the world? This is so hilarious...and yet so wrong. How do I discipline this child?"

I flashed back to when I was her age and drew eyelashes on my collector Raggedy Ann doll and when I got caught, I tried to blame it on my 6 month old baby sister. And I thought, she does have a point. At least she told the truth.

Rainbow Party

It seems like "rainbow cakes" are all the rage right now all over the blogosphere, and my creative sister decided to put several ideas together and planned a whole rainbow-themed party. Of course it was a hit! Since she doesn't have a blog, I decided to document the event and brag on her here!

Some inspiration for parties like these are here, here, here, and here!

She decided to have 6 little girls get together. She invited Addison and let Addison invite her little best buddy Olivia and then had several more of Savannah's buddies come.

After 1 year of teaching preschool, Lindsay knew just what to do to engage these 2-4 year olds. They began by stirring their individual cake batter with their own color:
Then while the cake baked...they were given "rainbow manicures" by the mommies. This was Lindsay's original contribution to the party, and probably the biggest hit! (All 5 fabulous colors of polish came from the Dollar Tree.)
They even got to take turns under the dryer.Once the cake was baked, they iced their individual layers, ate lunch, and chowed down.


After it was all over, this was the best pose we could get of them in their aprons (also from the Dollar Tree) and their nails.Everyone had a ball--even the babies:I seriously could eat them up!

Thanks, Linds, for cooking this up and letting us be a part of the fun!

It seems like "rainbow cakes" are all the rage right now all over the blogosphere, and my creative sister decided to put several ideas together and planned a whole rainbow-themed party. Of course it was a hit! Since she doesn't have a blog, I decided to document the event and brag on her here!

Some inspiration for parties like these are here, here, here, and here!

She decided to have 6 little girls get together. She invited Addison and let Addison invite her little best buddy Olivia and then had several more of Savannah's buddies come.

After 1 year of teaching preschool, Lindsay knew just what to do to engage these 2-4 year olds. They began by stirring their individual cake batter with their own color:
Then while the cake baked...they were given "rainbow manicures" by the mommies. This was Lindsay's original contribution to the party, and probably the biggest hit! (All 5 fabulous colors of polish came from the Dollar Tree.)
They even got to take turns under the dryer.Once the cake was baked, they iced their individual layers, ate lunch, and chowed down.


After it was all over, this was the best pose we could get of them in their aprons (also from the Dollar Tree) and their nails.Everyone had a ball--even the babies:I seriously could eat them up!

Thanks, Linds, for cooking this up and letting us be a part of the fun!

Refreshment

I love the part of Proverbs 11:25 that says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

God has heard my plea for refreshment, and He does not disappoint. Patrick and I have been able to spend time with some of our oldest and dearest friends this month, and we have been blessed by them--as usual.

I was able to get with many of my best girlfriends from high school (This picture circa 1997 on our "senior Spring Break trip"):And our children. We are growing in number, but we missed those who couldn't make it.I am always thankful for these women, but I have been especially thankful for Kelly and Kristen during this season of allergy issues with Ansley. My two beautiful friends are also smart dieticians, and they have encouraged me and helped me with tangible plans, sent me articles to read, and just educated me on dealing with food allergies. What a blessing they have been.

Then, while at the beach, I got a phone call from this beautiful woman hoping to get together...
She and her precious family came down one afternoon, and we enjoyed an evening at Pompano Joe's and the beach. Amy and I lived together during graduate school. She taught me all I needed to know about "COMPS" and cleaning and I just love her. So does Patrick, and we love her Brady and their Rylee and Kade. No matter how much time lapses between talks or visits, we manage to pick right up where we left off. She is a speech pathologist and earlier, when Addison had just turned 2 and had her world turned upside down with a baby sister, Amy talked me through her stuttering and fluency issues. I have the smartest friends! Our kids acted like they'd always been friends:On our way home, we stopped for several hours in Montgomery (We drove by our old house, one of our rituals each time we drive through). We left Destin at 5 a.m. and showed up at Kevin and Britani's house at 7:45 on a Saturday morning. That in itself speaks volumes of a special friendship, and they are some of our dearest "couple friends." Brit and I joke about Patrick and Kevin being like David and Jonathan in the Bible. They just really love each other, and their friendship is special for us to observe. They help each other be better people, thinkers, husbands, and fathers. We have been blessed having both of our kids within weeks of each other, and they are already good buddies:
We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and as we were walking through the parking lot, we said, "You need to hold somebody's hand." Addison and Oliver held each others.
Ansley and Poppy are just 4 weeks apart. They were so cute together.

We sure have been thankful for this good time with special friends, and I can't wait to keep it going when I go to Huntsville and see my other Amy and Baby Camp in a couple of weeks.

I love the part of Proverbs 11:25 that says, "He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed."

God has heard my plea for refreshment, and He does not disappoint. Patrick and I have been able to spend time with some of our oldest and dearest friends this month, and we have been blessed by them--as usual.

I was able to get with many of my best girlfriends from high school (This picture circa 1997 on our "senior Spring Break trip"):And our children. We are growing in number, but we missed those who couldn't make it.I am always thankful for these women, but I have been especially thankful for Kelly and Kristen during this season of allergy issues with Ansley. My two beautiful friends are also smart dieticians, and they have encouraged me and helped me with tangible plans, sent me articles to read, and just educated me on dealing with food allergies. What a blessing they have been.

Then, while at the beach, I got a phone call from this beautiful woman hoping to get together...
She and her precious family came down one afternoon, and we enjoyed an evening at Pompano Joe's and the beach. Amy and I lived together during graduate school. She taught me all I needed to know about "COMPS" and cleaning and I just love her. So does Patrick, and we love her Brady and their Rylee and Kade. No matter how much time lapses between talks or visits, we manage to pick right up where we left off. She is a speech pathologist and earlier, when Addison had just turned 2 and had her world turned upside down with a baby sister, Amy talked me through her stuttering and fluency issues. I have the smartest friends! Our kids acted like they'd always been friends:On our way home, we stopped for several hours in Montgomery (We drove by our old house, one of our rituals each time we drive through). We left Destin at 5 a.m. and showed up at Kevin and Britani's house at 7:45 on a Saturday morning. That in itself speaks volumes of a special friendship, and they are some of our dearest "couple friends." Brit and I joke about Patrick and Kevin being like David and Jonathan in the Bible. They just really love each other, and their friendship is special for us to observe. They help each other be better people, thinkers, husbands, and fathers. We have been blessed having both of our kids within weeks of each other, and they are already good buddies:
We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, and as we were walking through the parking lot, we said, "You need to hold somebody's hand." Addison and Oliver held each others.
Ansley and Poppy are just 4 weeks apart. They were so cute together.

We sure have been thankful for this good time with special friends, and I can't wait to keep it going when I go to Huntsville and see my other Amy and Baby Camp in a couple of weeks.

Our First Vacation as a "Family of Four"

This free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

Here is a slideshow of pictures from our trip last week to Destin. We really did have a wonderful time, and the girls were great travelers. It was our second year to go for the 4th of July, and we really enjoy this time of year--hot as it is.

A Top 10 of some of our highlights:

1. Fireworks and concert in Seaside, FL for the 4th--We always love visiting our honeymoon cottage ("The Honeybee") and strolling the shops and restaurants. My favorite bookstore, Sundog, never disappoints, and Bud and Alley's Taco Bar has become a family favorite. We got there early, reserved our spot at the ampitheatre with a blanket, and then enjoyed the town until the concert and fireworks began.

2. Destin Commons Playground--Addison begs to go there as soon

as we cross the Mid Bay Bridge. She always makes some friends and burns some energy.

3. 6:30 wake-up calls. Too bad she doesn't burn enough energy to sleep in... Addison came in our room the first morning (and every successive morning) at 6:30 with bathing suit in hand and a daily agenda. We talked her into laying down with us and watching cartoons until her baby sister woke up at 7:30.

4. Putt Putt Golf--This was Addison's first time to play, and while she was interested in learning how to swing the club, after the first shot, she would pick up her ball, put it in the hole, and clap for herself, saying, "Yay Addison!"

5. Evening beach trips--While we loved the beach at any time of the day, I have to say these times were our favorites. We didn't have to worry about sunscreen, and Addison was braver, and Ansley loved digging in the sand and smearing it on Mommy. Our best sand turtles were formed as the sun was setting.

6. The boat. Lindsay and Daniel let us borrow their boat, and we blew it up filled it with water, and put it under our umbrella in the shade. Ansley loved it, and it bought us at least an extra hour at the beach each day.

7. The pool--this was Addison's favorite, and each day she got braver and more comfortable in the water. Our pre-vacation swimming lessons fell through, so I was nervous about how she would do, but she was kicking, blowing bubbles, jumping to my arms, and going under by herself by the end of the trip.

8. Eating seafood--my diet restrictions didn't hold us back too much. I was able to eat grouper, mahi mahi, and amberjack at our favorite beach restaurants, and we cooked in several nights as well.

9. Reading--While at home, I rarely have time to dive into a good book. On this trip I read these three:

I finished rereading Mission of Motherhood and was just inspired in the way I spend time with my daughters, in the way I discipline, and in the way I hope to capture their hearts for the Lord.

My "beach read" was a little good chick lit by Emily Giffin. This one was a little heavier than usual, and in a strange way inspired me to invest even more intentionally in my marriage in the little things.

Patrick read Plan B last summer and has encouraged me to ever since then... You know how sometimes you read something at just the right time, and it just is one of those poignant moments when you know spiritual forces were at work, pricking your heart in the perfect way at the perfect time. Well, in tears on the beach during the girls' afternoon naps, I sat by myself and read Pete Wilson's relevant words which have touched my heart deeply. Everyone's Plan B is his/her own reality, and there's really not a better or worse scenario, I've come to learn. Your reality is your reality, and God equips us individually for our unique circumstances. Praise Him for using this life to draw us closer to Him... I have a lot to say about this, so I will just save it for a future post... But all three are worth reading!

10. Pandora--we enjoyed sitting on the front porch with our ipad using this ap, eating popsicles, sometimes reading, sometimes dancing, sometimes just sitting, listening to our favorite beach stations--for us, Michael Buble and Bob Marley.

It truly was a wonderful getaway, a time of reflection, celebration, the unknown, and changes for our family. (Patrick started a new job the Monday after our return, something we had prayed about since being down here last summer. He is back into building, and he is so happy.)

It was also a time of refreshment. We got to see some of our oldest and dearest friends, and I will include that in a separate post as well... Until then, enjoy the slideshow (for those of you who haven't seen these on Facebook already. :))

This free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

Here is a slideshow of pictures from our trip last week to Destin. We really did have a wonderful time, and the girls were great travelers. It was our second year to go for the 4th of July, and we really enjoy this time of year--hot as it is.

A Top 10 of some of our highlights:

1. Fireworks and concert in Seaside, FL for the 4th--We always love visiting our honeymoon cottage ("The Honeybee") and strolling the shops and restaurants. My favorite bookstore, Sundog, never disappoints, and Bud and Alley's Taco Bar has become a family favorite. We got there early, reserved our spot at the ampitheatre with a blanket, and then enjoyed the town until the concert and fireworks began.

2. Destin Commons Playground--Addison begs to go there as soon

as we cross the Mid Bay Bridge. She always makes some friends and burns some energy.

3. 6:30 wake-up calls. Too bad she doesn't burn enough energy to sleep in... Addison came in our room the first morning (and every successive morning) at 6:30 with bathing suit in hand and a daily agenda. We talked her into laying down with us and watching cartoons until her baby sister woke up at 7:30.

4. Putt Putt Golf--This was Addison's first time to play, and while she was interested in learning how to swing the club, after the first shot, she would pick up her ball, put it in the hole, and clap for herself, saying, "Yay Addison!"

5. Evening beach trips--While we loved the beach at any time of the day, I have to say these times were our favorites. We didn't have to worry about sunscreen, and Addison was braver, and Ansley loved digging in the sand and smearing it on Mommy. Our best sand turtles were formed as the sun was setting.

6. The boat. Lindsay and Daniel let us borrow their boat, and we blew it up filled it with water, and put it under our umbrella in the shade. Ansley loved it, and it bought us at least an extra hour at the beach each day.

7. The pool--this was Addison's favorite, and each day she got braver and more comfortable in the water. Our pre-vacation swimming lessons fell through, so I was nervous about how she would do, but she was kicking, blowing bubbles, jumping to my arms, and going under by herself by the end of the trip.

8. Eating seafood--my diet restrictions didn't hold us back too much. I was able to eat grouper, mahi mahi, and amberjack at our favorite beach restaurants, and we cooked in several nights as well.

9. Reading--While at home, I rarely have time to dive into a good book. On this trip I read these three:

I finished rereading Mission of Motherhood and was just inspired in the way I spend time with my daughters, in the way I discipline, and in the way I hope to capture their hearts for the Lord.

My "beach read" was a little good chick lit by Emily Giffin. This one was a little heavier than usual, and in a strange way inspired me to invest even more intentionally in my marriage in the little things.

Patrick read Plan B last summer and has encouraged me to ever since then... You know how sometimes you read something at just the right time, and it just is one of those poignant moments when you know spiritual forces were at work, pricking your heart in the perfect way at the perfect time. Well, in tears on the beach during the girls' afternoon naps, I sat by myself and read Pete Wilson's relevant words which have touched my heart deeply. Everyone's Plan B is his/her own reality, and there's really not a better or worse scenario, I've come to learn. Your reality is your reality, and God equips us individually for our unique circumstances. Praise Him for using this life to draw us closer to Him... I have a lot to say about this, so I will just save it for a future post... But all three are worth reading!

10. Pandora--we enjoyed sitting on the front porch with our ipad using this ap, eating popsicles, sometimes reading, sometimes dancing, sometimes just sitting, listening to our favorite beach stations--for us, Michael Buble and Bob Marley.

It truly was a wonderful getaway, a time of reflection, celebration, the unknown, and changes for our family. (Patrick started a new job the Monday after our return, something we had prayed about since being down here last summer. He is back into building, and he is so happy.)

It was also a time of refreshment. We got to see some of our oldest and dearest friends, and I will include that in a separate post as well... Until then, enjoy the slideshow (for those of you who haven't seen these on Facebook already. :))

8 months...and away she goes!

My favorite 8-month-old is moving and grooving!And hamming it up with this signature goofy scrunched up grin...
At 8 months, Ansley is crawling and pulling up everywhere! She started rocking back and forth on all fours and doing the one, two, flat a couple of weeks before, and then she just took off!

Ansley's favorite new books at 8 months are Goodnight Gorilla, One Rainy Day, and anything she can swipe from her sister. Now that she is crawling, her favorite toy is the ottomon. She crawls to it, pulls herself up, and starts giggling and bouncing. She also crawls to her sister's Dora dominoes and her curly locks. I'm starting to have to break up some sister brawls. :)

Ansley babbles constantly, picking up new vowel/consonant combos daily. Her current fav is something that sounds like "I did." Addison believes she is saying, "Addy" when she does it.

We are still working through allergy issues in the nutrition department, and she currently feasts on 4 nursing sessions during the day and 2 servings of sweet potatoes. We have scratched squash, carrots, and pears off the list and are going to a pediatric allergist next week to try to come up with a plan to get this little girl what she needs nutrition-wise. Sweet Whitney encouraged me to try to focus on the things that Ansley CAN eat, so we are just praying to add to that list of one in the coming weeks. Thankfully, she still doesn't know any different, and we thank the Lord for her sweet sweet spirit.

Ansley still naps 2 times a day and sleeps 11-12 hours at night. Right now she is going through a napping slump though as her top 2 teeth are giving her some fits... Bless her. She is actually having a tough time sleeping right now, so I will sign out to go rock her. Hopefully, I will be back soon with an update from our beach vacation!

I'll sign off with a pic of me and my baby doll.

My favorite 8-month-old is moving and grooving!And hamming it up with this signature goofy scrunched up grin...
At 8 months, Ansley is crawling and pulling up everywhere! She started rocking back and forth on all fours and doing the one, two, flat a couple of weeks before, and then she just took off!

Ansley's favorite new books at 8 months are Goodnight Gorilla, One Rainy Day, and anything she can swipe from her sister. Now that she is crawling, her favorite toy is the ottomon. She crawls to it, pulls herself up, and starts giggling and bouncing. She also crawls to her sister's Dora dominoes and her curly locks. I'm starting to have to break up some sister brawls. :)

Ansley babbles constantly, picking up new vowel/consonant combos daily. Her current fav is something that sounds like "I did." Addison believes she is saying, "Addy" when she does it.

We are still working through allergy issues in the nutrition department, and she currently feasts on 4 nursing sessions during the day and 2 servings of sweet potatoes. We have scratched squash, carrots, and pears off the list and are going to a pediatric allergist next week to try to come up with a plan to get this little girl what she needs nutrition-wise. Sweet Whitney encouraged me to try to focus on the things that Ansley CAN eat, so we are just praying to add to that list of one in the coming weeks. Thankfully, she still doesn't know any different, and we thank the Lord for her sweet sweet spirit.

Ansley still naps 2 times a day and sleeps 11-12 hours at night. Right now she is going through a napping slump though as her top 2 teeth are giving her some fits... Bless her. She is actually having a tough time sleeping right now, so I will sign out to go rock her. Hopefully, I will be back soon with an update from our beach vacation!

I'll sign off with a pic of me and my baby doll.