Cookie-Maker

Ava had it in her head that once Elle went to school, we would be baking cookies daily. I'm not exactly sure where she got that from, but she's held fast to it for quite a while when asked what she'll do during the day while Elle is at school. I decided to indulge her for at least the first day and get her a cookie mix to make for Elle when she came home on day 1. Ava loved making them and I could barely get in there to help. Elle loved the cookies. This will make a great tradition.

Interview with a Kindergartener

I'm knocked up.

Really. Due April 18th, 2010. Planned. Last one. So excited. 6 weeks and 1 day preggers. Elle and Ava are so excited and Ava in completely convinced that she also has a baby in her bellybutton....don't try to argue with her or she'll freak out.

Kindergarten Rocks

We have officially taken our firstborn to her first day of school....and survived. As I sit here, we have about 1 1/2 hours left till we get her back and I am so anxious to hear all about the whole day! I am hoping that she comes home happy and not feeling overwhelmed or too exhausted. She had blueberry muffins this morning for breakfast per her request. Then the morning went very quickly. Shawn, Elle, Ava, and I headed out the door around 7:35. We all walked her to her classroom. I did okay all through the putting the backpack up and the lunch bag up but when the teacher said "Okay Elle, give them one last hug before they have to go" I got a little frantic (at least in my head.) WAIT!!! I'M NOT READY!!! That's what my brain was screaming. But I acted perfectly calm, we all hugged and Elle headed into class. As we started walking back down the hall, the ugly chin quiver began. I took some deep breathes and managed to only use one Kleenex for the tears and nose-blowing. A lady that knew Shawn started talking to us and talked all the way out to the car and that helped take my mind off of things. Then we went straight to the donut place to feed our sorrow and Ava's belly. I've been fine ever since but can't wait to hear how her first day went. I am so proud of how confident she was today! :)

Goodbye playmate!

Soothing the sorrow, one carb at a time.

Being a preschooler rocks!!!

A morning at the spa

Ava needed some pampering this morning so she headed to the spa and had them do a mud bath. You should see how radiant her skin is now! It's almost like the skin of a 3 year old.

The quality is a little poor because they were taken on Shawn's cell phone but I'm so glad he thought to take them at all!

Meet the Teacher

Last night was meet the teacher at Elle's school. We were all humming with nerves and excitement. Elle started off just a little quieter than usual and answering questions in a very low voice, but by the time we left, she was truly about 15 feet in front of us, skipping down the halls, arms waving to the sides, singing "I looooove school!" Such a cute moment. We LOVE her teacher! Her name is Mrs. Hale and she likes to decorate with cows. She has been teaching Kindergarten for 28 years!!! That made me feel so so so at ease with sending Elle. Everyone that hears that Elle has Mrs. Hale gets a big smile on their face because she obviously has a reputation for being pretty great! She really works with them on reading and I have been told that she has them reading by Christmas. I loved her room decor...if you've ever seen my classrooms or have seen my craft room now, you know I like a busy decor. She has that same decor and I LOVE IT! We are all just so so so thrilled that this has worked out as it has. I did get that tight throat feeling as we were waiting at the doors of the school before we could go in, but I took some deep breathes and calmed myself and managed to NOT cry at all....Monday will probably be a different story. It's such a bittersweet time in our lives. My firstborn is taking that first big step to independence....but our firstborn, our BABY!, will be in someone elses care for seven hours a day!!!!!! But, mostly it's a sweet feeling. I think her brain is probably going to increase to 4 times its size right now just during Kindergarten. So many new things will be learned and I've never seen a more ready child! Pray for us on Monday!

Dainty Dresser

I'm not sure what to really call it...I think it's more of a vanity. We bought it from our neighbor a few months ago for $20 and it's the best bargain I've ever gotten. We knew that as the girls got older, and really we were thinking Elle, that she would need something besides the tiny bathroom to get ready with. The bathroom has bad lighting and no space so when I saw this I had to have it. Anyway after a lot of work on Shawn's part and a lot of crackin the whip on my part, it's done! We are so so so happy with the outcome. As much as I wanted to paint it pink again, it didn't match with the colors already in Elle's room so we went with white. The mirror in the middle is special to me because it's the mirror I've had since high school. It's moved with me since I got married! It was sitting behind the door of the laundry room for the past 2 years because the house already had a mirror in the master bedroom I could use. So finally it had a use. Anyway, here's the final product and both girls absolutely love it!

BEFORE

Shawn striped it, sanded it, sanded it some more, and took off the side mirror and all the knobs. Then he painted it using a sprayer he borrowed from a friend...made the job MUCH easier! Then he striped all the paint of the old hinges since they are so old that there's nothing like them anymore. Then he reattached the mirrors on the sides, had glass cut for the center, and bought new glass knobs for the drawers. It was A LOT OF WORK, but then all furniture stripping jobs are like that.

AFTER

Loving this contact paper! I've had it for quite a while just waiting for the right project to present itself!

Steppin his game up

Today, Elle said she wanted red pancakes. Shawn has really decided to step up his game. He made the pancakes and then got really crafty....he's starting to show me up, at least when it comes to pancakes! Not sure he can top this:

Minnow Hunt

We went to Salado again last night for another try at catching minnows. This place is just like a fairy tale to us. We are almost all alone, it's shaded, it's not too deep for the girls, and the water is clean, cool and crystal clear. Last night we did MUCH better than just minnows, and when I say we I mean Shawn. He caught a soft shell turtle and a small carp. The girls were mesmerized. Ava, fearless Ava, wanted to hold everything. She chased the few minnows we caught, with her fingers and would lift them out of the water just a little. She had no fear of them at all! It was another wonderful night down there. I think what is so wonderful about that place is that we all just lose track of time and just enjoy the outdoors. It was great!A picnic dinner on a unique picnic table

She was getting a little frustrated that the minnows wouldn't be still...I was too!

Playtime Storm

Yesterday the girls were out in the backyard playing while Shawn was doing some yard work. I noticed after a while that the girls were doing a LOT of really loud, really high pitched screaming, which really isn't out of the ordinary, but they just kept doing it over and over. So, I grabbed the camera and headed out to see what was causing it. Shawn was chasing them around the back yard with the water hose and they were screaming and laughing and telling him to do it again. It was so fun to watch all of them. The girls kept saying "It's raining!!! It's raining!!!" Really, I didn't even know they knew what rain was, since we've seen it so rarely! ugggh!

Ezra

We took a very quick trip to Lubbock on Sunday to meet the newest cousin. He is also the first baby for my brother and sister-in-law. He was very very very sweet and tiny and I loved letting him sleep on me and not worrying if I was spoiling him and going to deal with sleep issues later! The girls loved petting him on the head but they truly were FAR more interested when Uncle Chad walked in the room. They just love him to pieces! Elle had it all worked out on how she could stay in Lubbock and live with Uncle Chad and Aunt Lesley and she was very serious about her plan. She really thought there was a chance of her getting to stay there.

Froggie

I have found the world of crocheted animals and I'm loving it! I started this one yesterday!

My newest craft

Here's the hat I crocheted on Sunday.

Rockin the Tan Lines

This is what 2 weeks of swim lessons gets you.