March 2017

Grrrr... My March blog was almost finished and then I went camping, came back to publish and everything but the photos had disappeared. So, here's a very quick recap of March because I don't have it in me to retype everything. :(

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Andrew was Student of the Week. Here's the poster he did! :)

Andrew had his last Ninja class this month...

.... but he and Addison started soccer... much to their disappointment!

They both eventually get into each class, but they still don't WANT to go.
It also doesn't help that we've missed over half of the classes due to travel or rain cancellations,
so this hasn't exactly been the best experience...

Rain cancellations in soccer mean creeks to play in on our Sunday hikes though!

Spring rains also brought flowering trees...

... and allergies, which means more breathing treatments. :(

 

Spring also brings snails... LOTS of snails. Can you find 3 snails in the photo on the left?

March 16th - building  a trap for the leprechaun! 

He caught him!

The leprechaun also set the table for a breakfast with green milk, lucky charms and rainbow necklaces!

Andrew was fitted for his tux for Aunt Amanda's wedding!!

But this outfit is more his style. 

Addison's first drawing of a person. Amazing how it looks EXACTLY like Andrew's first drawing.

February 2017

February was packed with fun!  From Groundhog's Day to Mom-Mom Jones' 90th Birthday party... we had something going on every weekend! Here's a quick run down:

On 2/2 the girls wore tutus and the boys wore ties to school. For the record, Andrew was ok with wearing a tutu... but we just so happened to have a tie he picked instead.

Rain... FINALLY! So new boots and a raincoat (a little big) were in order!

Andrew with the Gervase family during the Superbowl!

Valentine's Cards!

Playing hide and go seek on the way to get Andrew from school. 

Picnicking before our hike at Round Rock Regional Preserve.

Andrew thought the dead mouse near his foot there was a toy... until he picked it up.
I was completely grossed out the rest of the hike and borrowed hand sanitizer from a fellow hiking mom.

School Valentines!!

Valentine's Day Breakfast with heart shape pancakes and Valentine's Day plates and napkins.

Surf and Turf Valentine's Day Dinner!

Trees bloom in February in CA!

Spiderman!

While Daddy and Andrew went to PA for Mom-Mom's Birthday, Addison and I went out to breakfast and did an Usborne Book Booth!  Poor girl was sick for half the weekend... but no where near as bad as Andrew in PA!

Poor kid had a double ear infection and fever for most of the trip. He went to urgent care and was given an antibiotic and something that left him drugged out of his mind and should NEVER have been prescribed to him (in my opinion).

 

It wasn't all bad though, he got lots of Grammy snuggles and had fun hiking at High Rocks!

We ended February by fostering a cat!! He walked right in the house one day and made himself at home, so I posted on our local FB page asking if anyone was missing a cat... long story short, we got to keep him for 2 nights and it was VERY hard to give him up. He is an amazing cat. He is now with his new family and we see him strolling around the neighborhood quite frequently.

January 2017

This year, I have decided to blog once a month. I turn all my blogs into books for our family library, and I am really, really behind. So, I've decided to cut back and just post once a month in hopes of freeing up more time to complete my books. We will see how that goes... ;)

So, this post is dedicated to January. The biggest news of the month - Addison's 3rd Birthday! But first, January 1st. :(  The past couple years, I've taken on the tradition of deep cleaning on 1/1. I'm talking - washing pillows and every blanket in the house, wiping down walls and cabinets and vacuuming every nook and cranny. Unfortunately, this year... I woke up on 1/1 SICK. Fever, chills, aches. Full blown, blah flu. So, I spent 1/1 on the couch with my diffuser, practicing some self care. Luckily, it did not last long and by the following weekend, I was cleaning again. But, what a way to start the year!

The rest of January is pretty much all about Addison. It's her birthday month and I cannot believe she is 3 already!! She is still so much "my baby" and since she's still Mommy's girl, she's pretty much by my side ALL THE TIME. Bathroom privacy is out the window and she climbs into my bed EVERY night. Andrew went through this phase too but since his baby sister came along, his phase was short lived. And there's something about knowing we won't be having any more babies that makes me much more lenient with Addison's routines. Yes, I realize I'm probably creating a monster... but I didn't do anything "easy" with Andrew and he isn't perfect either, so I figured I'd try something new with her! ;)

Addison is:
- funny
- bright
- sweet
- loving
- sassy
- girly
- tough

She is also:
- stubborn
- testing
- sensitive
- moody

She knows her alphabet and can count to 20. She knows her shapes and colors. We are working on letter and number recognition, but she picks things up quickly. She is amazing at puzzles and loves playing games and reading books with Mommy. She adores her big brother and is really, really good at pestering him, but also really really good at forgiving him. She tries her best to keep up, but also knows her limitations... and hates them. Ha.

Addison and her dolly (named Holly) dressed in their tutus for dance class.

The many faces of a proud potty pooper!! She was a late bloomer in the potty training department, but she FINALLY earned her Elsa dress after a month of trying!

 

 

She loves getting pedicures (by Mommy) and especially loves mixing and matching the nail polish colors!

The Big Day: We did not have a party this year, but she did get spoiled with lots of presents, including a new bike (which she can ride, but she still chooses her tricycle... its faster and steers better).

 

 

 

My favorite gift she got was from Aunt Amanda - a huge coloring pad and about 80 washable markers.
This gift has entertained BOTH children for HOURS already. Best gift ever. Who cares if your hands get a little pink?

My Little Light <3

 

Above: Practicing her scooter technique... we need to keep practicing. 

Below: As I was cleaning the other morning, I heard a little voice say, "Mommy, your tea is ready!!" And I walked in to this. 

My heart tripled in size and then I had the best imaginary tea that was ever made.

 

And a little bit about Andrew this month too... Below is a "letter" he wrote to Gram and Pop for homework. Yes, my 5 year old is writing letters for homework. Don't get me started. So anyways, he "clipped up" which means he was caught doing well in class and he was able to move his clothespin up a color chart (red is bad, purple is the best). He has only been on purple a handful of times all year, so blue days are definitely something to be proud of!! :)

His teacher always does these clever things - this was for his 100th day of school! Oh which, I am compelled to mention that I volunteered that day... and I am 100% certain I can never go back to teaching. Well, at least not Kindergarten. Man, was THAT an exhausting day! I am also 100% certain that Andrew is exactly in the middle of the class. There are definitely smarter kids (I mean, he is the youngest in the class), but there are definitely um, shall I say... kids who need more help. If he could just SIT for 45 minutes like he's supposed to (which why any 5 year old is supposed to do that is beyond me), he would be one of the brightest, for sure. But I'll save that for another post. Wow, this was one long picture caption.

A VERY foggy morning walk to school. We have had a TON of rain and are ready for some sunshine!