Every Saturday for the past month or so, we have been going to gymnastics with mommy and daddy. Ashley usually pairs up with daddy and Anna pairs with mommy. But lately since mommy is so huge, she just sits during most of it and watches us. We really love gymnastics and have so much fun when we are there. We do warm up drills for the first 10 minutes, have free time for 30 minutes and then have a 10 minute wrap up activity. It's a great way to start off a Saturday morning with daddy not having to go to work!
Our favorite things to do are:
1. The rings
2. The big trampoline
3. The running trampoline
4. The balance beams (not the high ones thought)
5. Hanging from the bars and kicking rainbows/smiley faces (Anna)
6. Climbing on all the fun matts and climbing things they have
7. Rolling in the ball
We don't really like the bars and doing flips over the bars.
Yesterday we met Cooper and Laney, our friends from Texas, at Deanna Rose. It was super crowded and when we were leaving at noon, mommy's car read 74 degrees! We were hot!! We had so much fun seeing the chickens, feeding the big goats, feeding the baby goats bottles, Anna rode cowboy, we played on the play ground and just walked around the entire farm. It got to be pretty crowded but we still managed to have fun with Cooper and Lainey. We just love it when they come into town :)
Love,
Anna and Ashley
PS Mommy was slacking on the pictures but she did manage to get the above group photo with not much attempt.
Today after naps (yes we both took over a 2 1/2 hour nap) we got to help Daddy out in the garden. We haven't yet bought the vegetables and herbs yet, but we wanted to get the dirt all ready and turned over. They were fascinated by all the worms. Ashley lasted maybe 5 minutes in there, Anna a little longer, but they both kept going back to help Daddy. Anna was even overheard telling her shovel encouraging words, "You can do it shovel. Pick up the dirt! There you go!!!"
We are super excited to plant next weekend with Daddy. Anna wants tomatoes, Daddy wants zucchini, Mommy wants basil and Ashley wants cucumber. So we might just have to do all 4 :)
Anna is obsessed with finding toe fuzz. She takes off her socks multiple times a day to check and if she finds any, runs upstairs to her sink, climbs on the counter top and soaks her feet so the fuzz comes out. She even takes of Ashley and my socks to check for our toe fuzz. And toe by toe she says, "no toe fuzz... no toe fuzz... yup!!! TOE FUZZ!!!!" as she checks.
Today was Take Your Daughter to Work Day and even though they both aren't old enough to participate in the half day program at Daddy's work, they did get to go in and visit Daddy and have lunch with him. They had a blast! They ate hotdogs, cheetos, cookies, got to drink juice from a real bottle, learned to shoot Daddy's Nerf gun, twirled in Daddy's work chair, drew on Daddy's white board, got to run the entry way stairs and BEST OF ALL got to spend an hour with Daddy at work!
Ashley had a hard time leaving Daddy and kept crying, "Daddy come" as we drove away. She did not like how Daddy had to go to a meeting.
When Daddy got home, Anna was curious about his work and she fired the following questions:
1. Daddy what is fun at work (Rob's response was the food)
1. What is your favorite
color? Purple
2. What is your favorite toy? Belle
3. What is your favorite fruit? Pineapple
4. What is your favorite tv show? Beauty and The Beast
5. What is your favorite thing to
eat for lunch? (pause) tofu 6. What is your favorite outfit? Cinderelly
7. What is your
favorite game? The new games (princesses and littlest pet shop)
8. What is your favorite snack? (pause) pistachios
9. What is your
favorite animal? ummmm..... (pause) Elephant
10. What is your favorite song? Snap that Monkey Right Out of the Tree (5 little Monkeys)
11. What is your
favorite book? Belle and the Refrigerator (What she calls mommy's "boring" books) Daddy read it mommy.
12. Who is your best friend? Kendall and Hank
Other good friends: Lainey and Avery (church friend)
Who's becoming your neighborhood best friends: Claire and Lucy
13. What is your
favorite cereal? Daddy's
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Swing
15.
What is your favorite drink? mmmmmmmmm..... Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? I don't know........ what's that? Christmas. Why? Because I like my Belle ornament. Where is she? She's packed away for next year. Oh. Will it be Christmas soon? Not yet, first it has to be your happy birthday- screech!!!!!
17.
What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Bunny. Anyone else? Belle and Jasmine
18. What is your
favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Tofu. haha. Chicken. haha. Eggs; Belle eggs (meaning Easter eggs).
19. What do you want to be when you grow up? (pause) A Witch- for Halloween! I wanna be a witch for Halloween! Hee hee! Yeah that what she say but she's kind of quiet.
I had videotaped Anna's questions and when I told her I was done she got so excited and said, "Can I watch it now??? Please?!?!" She smiled the entire time we watched.
Unlike 6 months ago, at the end she told me she wanted to do these questions again and again.... I think when she was 3 she told me at #8 she told me she didn't want to do anymore!!!
I am friends with Anna's buddy Hank's mom. She has recently shared with me how Hank and there family often prays for Anna since Hank chose to add her to the family's prayer sticks. I was interested in the idea of prayer sticks as a helpful reminder to us to pray at dinner time and asked her more about them. Basically the kids choose names to write on popsicle sticks and then place them in a cup where they choose a couple from each night to pray for. She says her kids love it and even fight over who gets to pick the stick and pray first.
Well it didn't take long for our girls to love their prayer sticks. They ask to do the prayer sticks multiple times a day and just like Hank's family fight over who gets to pick and pray first. But it is so awesome to see it in action.
Anna helped create the prayer sticks and even wrote some names. She added all our family, her best preschool friends, her teachers, family friends and of course Belle. She can even read more names due to seeing the prayer sticks every day.
Anna has gotten to the point where she will say an entire prayer about someone by herself. Ashley can say the beginning and finish a prayer with help. Ashley's prayers go something like this: "Dear God. thank you for ___. They are so nice." Then we will help her finish the rest and letting her fill in the blanks to "I love them very ______ (much). A____ (Amen)."
Lately if the girls start on prayer sticks with out us, Anna will help Ashley with her prayers. She will lead her through a prayer EXACTLY how we do and praise Ashley along the way with good jobs. It is quite a sight to see and reminds me how amazing and patient a big sister Anna really is and how Ashley thinks Anna is one cool big sis!
Even though the prayer sticks may bring an argument to the table every time we do them, it is still an awesome family thing that I am glad we incorporated into our dinner routine.
Every since living with my parents, the girls have not liked squirrels and black birds due to the fact they eat all the bird seed. So at home we are constantly yelling at the black birdies who don't share and the squirrels who continually open the feeder to drop all the seed on the ground.
Well... Ashley has taken the meaning of black birdies a little further and has started calling Anna a "blackbirdie" when she doesn't share. And it does not go over well with Anna.
And when someone either gets in her way or helps her when she doesn't want help she will say "shoo black birdie." seriously, where did she learn to apply this to people??
Oh my little Ashley, you sure know how to stir the pot and push your sisters buttons!
This weekend when we were out front grilling, Ashley disappeared inside. I started calling her name and got a little nervous and asked Anna where she went.
From behind our cars Anna comes out, wide eyed and says, "No worries Mommy, no worries! Ashley went inside."
No worries? Seriously? From a 3 1/2 year old. Cracks me up. I asked her who says that and where she learned that phrase and she looked at me like "duh mom." Then she said "Pumba from Lion King says it." We have watched Lion King once, listen to akunamatata (no worries) occasionally and we have a book about the movie. It's amazing how and where they pick things up and then use it in perfect context.
Daddy made us this cool rocking boat- it can fit 4 kids!!!! It is so awesome. We love to sing row, row, row your boat while in it. And another cool thing is that when you flip it over you have a bridge!!! Ashley LOVES the bridge!!
On Monday I got a burst of energy that is still with me tonight.... which means one thing. EXTREME nesting! This little burst of energy helps me get through the days a little better but I am still exhausted by dinner. I am waddling, it is hard to sit down, my back aches, I am sleeping horribly, bowel movements still hurt, I am having very frequent Braxton Hicks contractions, the babys kicks grow harder by the day (and she kicks all the time) and I feel about 2 weeks further along then I really am. Luckily, just about everything that needs to be done is done and I can really focus on taking it easy for a while.
We went in for my strep B test and first internal check and here's the doctor's report. I am around 50% thinned, 1 1/2 cm dialated, measuring a week later (around 36 weeks), the baby is at a -2 (when she is engaged she is at a 0 and when she is coming out she is at a 5), and she felt the baby's head bounce while checking me which means she is not engaged but she is low. She said that where I am is perfectly normal for a third pregnancy and that I really shouldn't be worried. If it was my first then she would be normal and probably tell me to lay it low. So, not going to lie, I am a little worried because it feels so real.... I just want to make it to at least 37 weeks to bypass anytime in the NICU and will lay it lower then I have been. In the last 4 hours since the check up I have had very frequent braxton hicks contractions, cramping and some spotting which the doctor said would be perfectly normal due to the internal. But still... kind of freaks me out to see spotting and the cramping. Even though I went 4 weeks dialated at a 2 with Anna, it will still worry me until I get full term.
So fingers crossed that baby girl stays inside me for at least another 2 weeks!!
Much Love,
Jenny
PS Today Anna picked a prayer stick at dinner (more on that later) and the prayer stick had the name Baby on it. She was super excited to pray for baby and it went something like this....
Dear God. Thank you for Baby. In Mommy's Belly. She still in mommy's belly but when she gets out she will be loved. Her family will hug her. I love her very much. Amen.
And once again, one of Anna's prayer brought tears to my eyes.
Today was Anna's Spring Musical and she was super excited to go to school. She had picked out a Spring time outfit, one with birds and flowers on it, and was super excited to see her friends today. I had told her that Daddy, Mommy, Ashley, Kate, Grama and Grammy would be there after rest time to watch her sing all her preschool songs. She seemed excited but I had no clue if she really understood what was happening. But she did tell me that she would sing VERY loud and screamed her favorite preschool song to me (just in case you're wondering it's between "the great big tarantula" and "5 little monkeys" so she sand them both).
We were super excited to see Anna preform and got there early enough to get front row seats. Of course Ashley was being perfect for the 15 minutes we waited and RIGHT when Anna's class started walking in, she had to get up and start walking. And when she saw Anna the only thing Ashley wanted was her big sister. So we had tears. And screaming. So in an attempt to settle Ashley down (don't worry we did right as the performance was starting- thanks Grama) I missed recording possibly my favorite part of the performance... Anna walking in and seeing us for the first time. Her hands were in her mouth (of course) and when she saw us she lit up... I mean lit up! She started bouncing, smiling and waving uncontrollably! She was SO excited to see us. It was precious. But luckily I got the "show" recorded that you can watch below.
If you had asked me before we saw Anna what she would be like during the singing, I would have told you that:
1. hands would be in the mouth
2. She would be bouncing up and down in excitement
3. She would be smiling and acting shy and not singing much
Of course, like Anna does a lot, she exceeded my expectations and shocked me. Yes, hands were in the mouth a little and she was quietly singing in the beginning but she did awesome. She was glowing and you could just tell how much she loves being at school, how much she loves singing and how much she loves her teachers. It was so cool to see someone else outside of her family making her so, so, so happy. Anna was in her element. And during the last 3 songs I actually could hear her sweet little voice singing the songs.
I am so proud of you Anna Banana!! You constantly surprise me :)
Class Picture
According to Anna her best friends are: Lainey (3rd from left), Hank (4th from left), Will (6th from left), Ella (on her left side) and Kendall who was sick today.
Pictures during the 5 little monkeys song
Is she having fun or what?!?!?!
Looking at the program!
Mom, I found me! I look like Belle in her blue dress!
With Miss Wozniak (one of her teachers)
With her buddy (and future prom date?!?!?!) Hank
With her other teacher Mrs Schorgl
And her cheering section!!!!
Anna's FAN CLUB!!!!! (With touchdown Jesus in the background!!!)
Videos
Much Love,
Jenny
PS Right before bed Anna looked at me and said, "Mommy this was a very fun and happy day."
Reading is still the favorite activity around the house. Very often do I over hear both girls reading aloud their books. Anna has gotten really good at telling stories based on pictures and is recognizing more and more words by the day. My favorite is when I find them like this.....
....Anna telling the story and Ashley TOTALLY into it! :)
Much Love,
Jenny
Monday, April 22, 2013
"this is not fun!! I'm awake!!"
Anna screamed this an hour after bedtime tonight. Then after I went in twice to tickle her and daddy once, she finally gave up the fight and got quiet at 9:30. I don't know if she is asleep, but it's quiet.
And I guess that's what we are in for on days that she naps!! She did take a 2 hour much needed nap today but it still doesn't justify her being up so late... Believe me she was ready for bed at 7:30!!
But I guess she's right..... Laying in bed just isn't fun! (for a three year old that is!)
Today while we were driving to church we saw the most beautiful red tulips. The girls, being the flower lovers they are, wanted to see them up close. So after church we piled into the wagon and walked to the entrance to our neighborhood where our flowers were. Reminding them not to pick them, since they pick EVERY flower they see in the grass, the girls wanted their pictures by them (and so did mommy). Here are some of the pics we got and luckily no tulips were hurt/picked in the process!
We got married in November 2008 and have three daughters, Anna (born Sept 2009), Ashley (born Feb 2011) and Abby (born May 2013). We also have an easily excitable schnoodle dog named Peanut. I (Jenny) am the lucky lady who gets to stay home every day with them! We hope this blog helps to keep our friends and family updated with the day to day stuff going on in our lives. And it makes for a pretty easy way to record the day to day doings of our family into a blog book!
