Thursday, May 28, 2009

Anabelle Wearing Mommy's Shoes

Like Emma Rose, Anabelle loves to wear my shoes. I have to hide all of my shoes because I get a little nervous she'll slip while wearing them and twist her ankle if I'm not close by. And yes, she is also wearing a hair-bow in the picture below. After I put a hair-bow in Emma Rose's hair, Anabelle patted her own head and said, "Mommy. Hair-bow." It stayed in for a full 5 minutes before she ripped it out and lost it.

I found a back-up Pie (her little lovey in her right hand in this picture) on eBay. I'm expecting it in the mail tomorrow. I heard angels sing as I purchased it. I'm sure they will sing again when I open the package. And then again when Original Pie bites the dust. Thank the Lord for eBay.

In Emma Rose news, she has now been around the neighborhood three whole times on her new trike. Tonight, after her second trip around the circle as she peddled slower and slower, she told me, "Mommy, I'm tired." (Insert evil laugh.) She'll be sleeping good tonight! I think it's wonderful and love to see her having so much fun! How did she get so big so fast?!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Play Date

Nicki, Laurin, and Baby Patrick visited us yesterday. Emma Rose and Laurin are getting to be such big girls. They have big girl conversations and really play with each other now. Anabelle desperately wants to play with the big girls now, too. She seems to enjoy just being near them but mostly goes back and forth between the big girls, Mommy, and whatever toy catches her interest.


There is a new baby in the bunch, too. Baby Patrick had his first play date with us. He slept, ate, and pooped through most of it. He is so cute and cuddly. I told Nicki I would keep him. I got to hold him, feed him, and dodge his urine stream. It was great!

Link to more pictures from the play date: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QYs3Ldo5at5Q.

Anabelle has started singing, too! She is singing Jesus Loves Anabelle, which is our special version of Jesus Loves Me. She's also singing the Backyardigans theme song and some various other cartoon show theme songs. Her verbal skills are so much different than Emma Rose's were at 21 months. It's amazing to listen to her!

First Day at the Pool

This past weekend, the neighbprhood pool opened. The weather was also rainy, which made the pool very cold. Daddy took Emma Rose, and she turned blue because the water was so cold! They didn't stay for very long. She looked very cute with her hair in a pony tail on the top of her head! I'm confident the farmer's tan will be gone in a few weeks.
Anabelle napped, and I stayed with her. I'm waiting for the water to get warmer!

Friday, May 22, 2009

Playing Outside

Now that the weather is getting warmer, we're able to be outside more and more. One of the first things Anabelle says after breakfast is "Pay ou-side." It's not a question; it is an order!
Our wonderful neighbors gave Emma Rose a really cool tricycle their youngest son used. Anabelle likes to ride in the wagon that attaches to back. Their in-laws also gave her a power wheels 4-wheeler that their youngest son used. She is having so much fun!


Emma Rose has also dressed herself for the last three mornings. She refuses to let me help her. Today at lunch, she was telling us a story - it was one that she made up about when she was little and was a bird. Right after she told us the most exciting part of the story, she finished it with " . . . and I gasped!" She is growing up!

Our strawberries have also started to produce fruit. The girls love picking and eating the berries right off the plant. I need to make strawberry bread this afternoon with the berries we picked yesterday. Below is a picture of the first berries that we picked early this week.


Thursday, May 21, 2009

Emma Rose's Dance Recital

Saturday, May 9th was Emma Rose's big dance recital. And by big, I mean a two hour event during which Emma Rose danced two times for a total of less than 5 minutes. I also mean that it was a very big deal because this was her first time on stage in front of lots of people where she had to perform. She was fabulous! John and I couldn't believe how cute and pretty she was on the stage in her bright orange costume!

She danced, and it was even to the routine! Her first number was tapping, and then after the intermission, she was a ballerina. It was wonderful! We weren't able to get pictures because it was so dark, and we weren't that close to the stage. (In the picture below, she is in the middle.) We have ordered the DVD, and if anyone wants to watch, we'll be happy to watch it again and again. Our little girl is really a little girl! We are so, so proud.


Many of the family was there to celebrate with us. Sugar and Pops drove down from Maryville, and Auntie Cathy, Uncle Eric, Marlee, and Auntie Christy drove up from Jacksonville. Cricket, Uncle Berlon, and Aunt Shirley were there. Terri and Rachael were there. It was so wonderful to have them with us to celebrate Emma Rose's very special day.

We had a great time, and there are many, many pictures. On Saturday afternoon, Marlee and Emma Rose drove around and around and around the yard in Emma Rose's power wheels jeep. They were so cute. Anabelle watched from afar mostly because Emma Rose didn't want to drive with her. Marlee was new and exciting, and Anabelle has been around for a while now. She didn't seem to mind! I love seeing all the cousins together! They are so cute!













More pictures of the weekend visit: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QYs3Ldo5at42.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Anabelle's first time helping me in the kitchen was late in April. It's less help and more entertainment for her, but it was fun having her enjoy herself. I couldn't help but think about the first few times Emma Rose started to "help" me in the kitchen. She still loves to help! My girls are growing up faster than I can even believe.

A few days later, Anabelle tried her hand at painting but decided it might help if she tasted a little bit of the paint. Daddy wandered off for a bit while Emma Rose was painting, Emma Rose followed Daddy, and Anabelle took advantage of it. She's cute even when she's making a mess . . . most of the time.

Emma Rose has a love/hate relationship with the camera lately. She either runs from it or poses for it. When these pictures were taken, she was modeling for us with chocolate in her mouth. Daddy gave her a piece of banana bread smothered in Nutella. (There is a definite chocolate trend here.) Sometimes, I still can't believe how blue her eyes are.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Playing with Neighborhood Kids

Our across the street neighbors, the Ratners, have 3 children: Matthew, Alaura, and Harrison. Alaura is a year older and Matthew is about 2 months older than Emma Rose. Both Emma Rose and Anabelle love to play with them, especially Alaura and Harrison. The pictures below are from an afternoon in late April. John washed the cars and a puddle formed at the end of the driveway in the street. The puddle was THE spot to be.











Friday, May 15, 2009

Have You Been Eating Chocolate?

Nope.

Hot tea and Chapstick

When Emma Rose doesn't feel well, she always wants hot (lukewarm) tea and honey. She likes to have a little taste of honey after I add it to the tea, and she uses a straw, which is cut to a shorter length, to drink the beverage. It makes her throat feel better.

She also loves chapstick. It was one of her favorite stocking stuffers from Santa. She will often apply it for several minutes at a time. Check out the blue outline around her lips in the picture below. We must keep the chapstick hidden from Anabelle as she tries to eat it.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

The Birds

The birds have been very active in our yard during the past few weeks. I've also been able to get some pictures of them! Emma Rose is still interested in the birds and can name quite a few of them. Anabelle is learning, too! She knows dove and finch. Our blue bird house has been up for about 2 months, and we've had some lookers but none have moved in. We keep watching and hoping. The pictures below are of two Goldfinches, an Eastern Bluebird, a Northern Cardinal, a Mockingbird, and a Tufted Titmouse.




















Unfortunately, we've only seen one hummingbird so far, and he only did a drive by. The nectar is up, and a red ribbon is welcoming the hummingbirds to take a drink. We loved eating dinner and having those little creatures entertain us! They are beautiful and fun to watch.

Sleep Talking

John is notorious for talking in his sleep. When he and his family were on a trip in Europe, they rode a sleeper train. He was in the top bed during the night. In his sleep, he poked his head from the curtain and said in an English accent, "I say, ol' chap, why's the train stoppin'?" I'm sure John's dad could recount the story much better, but it's still pretty funny.

When John and I were first married, I woke up one morning and John was still asleep. As I was laying there, he stirred a little and seemed to say something. After I asked what he said, he yelled, "DO YOU WANT SMOOTH ABS?" (The ab roller was popular then.) I started to giggle, and he again yells, "BUY AN AB ROLLER!" It sounded exactly like the commercial! He woke up because I was doubled over laughing.

Anabelle has inherited John's sleep talking. Every time we ask her where something is, she says "table." She still loves her little lamb, Pie. I went into her room one night at about 10 to check on her before I went to bed. I rubbed her back, and she rolled over. She said, "Pie . . . . Table."

Anabelle has also acquired her sister's and her daddy's taste for all things chocolate. I made a chocolate cake with chocolate icing a few weekends ago. Each of the girls licked one of the beaters from the hand mixer. Anabelle really enjoyed hers!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

April Family Dinner

On April 19th, Mom, my brother, my sister, and her three girls came to our house for dinner. John grilled burgers, and we had chocolate spoon pie with ice cream for dessert. Dessert was the best part of the meal! Mom really enjoyed having all her grand babies in one spot. Her cheeks must have hurt from all the smiling.

Emma Rose and Anabelle hadn't seen their cousins since March 2008, and all of the girls had grown! There was also a new addition; Ava, my sister's youngest arrived last October. The girls seemed to enjoy playing together. They colored, ran around like crazy, and dance to the "move it, move it" song from the movie Madagascar. (Shout out to Nicki for giving Emma Rose the second movie in the series. I've lost count of the number of times we've seen the movie and listened to the theme song.)
















This is a link to more pictures from dinner: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QYs3Ldo5at4U.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Easter Pictures

On Easter morning, the girls found Easter baskets from the Easter Bunny right outside of their bedroom doors. Well, Emma Rose found her basket and then found Anabelle's. Emma Rose inspected each basket and then showed Anabelle her basket. The baskets had bubbles, slinkies, a little candy, and some other fun toys. The Easter Bunny also left some eggs with strict instructions for Mommy and Daddy to hide them outside for the girls. After church, we came home and Daddy hid the eggs outside. The girls took their baskets and went hunting!
Emma Rose is an old pro and knew exactly what to do. She ran around the yard with a huge smile on her face as she found and put the eggs in her basket. Anabelle watched for a while and finally understood what to do with Daddy's help. Inside the eggs were some coins, M&M candy, and some fun size candy bars.






Here is the link to more of the pictures from the Easter Egg hunt: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QYs3Ldo5at3o.