Ohio

Hadleigh and Annelise with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma

Annelise chilling on Great-Grandma

I just have some major catching up to do here! Two weeks ago my mom flew in from Cali and we loaded the girls in the van very early in the morning...and drove. My grandparents were celebrating their 60th anniversary, seriously! So, mom said she would drive with me so that I could attend. Since it was a 10 hour drive, and neither of my girls sleep in their carseats, I thought it best to divide up the trip. The first night we stopped in Lexington, KY. I went to school up there, so it was fun to see some old stomping grounds. I would have liked to go to Asbury, but time did not allow. We did get to visit with Joe and Julie and their two kiddos, Will and Lauren. Julie and I actually grew up together and both went to Asbury together. Hadleigh has a great time playing in the snow (her first time) and playing with their HUGE dog, Molly (who is very sweet), and of course, playing with Will and Lauren! They were dancing all around to music before bedtime, it was pretty hilarious!

The next morning we left early again, and drove the rest of the way to the small town where my mom grew up. Both drives went fairly smoothly and Annelise actually slept both days! We actually stayed at this great bed and breakfast that had little cabins. It was nice to have a quiet place where the girls could sleep. And the breakfasts there were AWESOME! The girls enjoyed sitting on the porch playing with the cat who was really friendly and liked to come into our room.

It was fun to go out to my grandparents farm and play. HC got to play with Buttons the dog, Henry the bunny, got bitten by Peaches the parakeet, and loved to watch Rusty the horse and the chicken (not sure what her name was). Now, all the bunnies in our house are called Henry. She also enjoyed playing with my cousins Sabrina and Lacey who live with my grandparents. Annelise was definitely along for the ride. She liked the animals in theory, but didn't want them to come near her.

(Mom, Pam, Debbie, Nancy, Amy with my grandparents)

This was also the first time the girls had met their great-grandparents on that side of the family, and their only living great-grandfather! It was fun to see them interact with them, and all their great-aunts (my mom has 5 sisters), and who knows what number cousins (are they second cousins...or).

Sunday after church the sisters had planned a special lunch for everyone. I think it was enjoyable, I myself was pretty busy trying to keep the girls happy and fed. But I think it was a big hit.

Sabrina and Annelise

One other fun benefit of being in OH, was that I got to visit with my good bud, Ashleigh and her second little boy, Josiah who is a super sweet boy! She drove up from Columbus to visit with us. The last time I saw Ash was at my wedding, so we had a lot of catching up to do. It was such a blessing to see her, and we stayed up WAY too late talking, but it was worth it. She is such a super cool chic and it is always neat to hear what the Lord has been doing in a dear friend's life. Love you Ash! Let's not wait another 5 years!

Ashleigh, Josiah and Hadleigh

Mom and I decided that since the girls did such a great job on the drive up, that we should at least try to drive all the way back to Atl in 1 day. We were on the road at 5.45 and just flew through the drive. Annelise slept a couple times. Mid-way through TN HC had a major melt-down which led to her sleeping for about 30 minutes. Once we past Chattanooga she freaked out again, but I managed to appease her with some twizzlers! I mean once we got to Chattanooga there was NO WAY we were stopping. It was a great trip overall and I am so glad that I was able to go, and that Mom flew out so that I could go (no way I could have made that trip without her).

Miss Hadleigh Claire is 35 Months

I am working on Miss Hadleigh's 3rd birthday party. Wow.

What a trip my girl is! She says such funny things! Sometimes she is shy, sometimes she cannot stop talking.

She loves so many things it is hard to name them all. She LOVES animals. When she walks into a new situation she hangs back and observes things. She assesses the situation, and then when she feels comfortable she holds nothing back. When she meets a dog, cat, bunny, chicken, she hangs back for a minute and then pets and hugs and loves. Seeing her with animals makes me want to get her a pet...almost.

For the first time in 1.5 years I saw her sleep in her car seat, that was an amazing moment. She only slept for 30 minutes, but she slept.

One of our friends sent us this video. It reminded him of Hadleigh and Dave, and when I watched it I laughed so hard that I cried, it is TOTALLY Hadleigh.

She gets really upset when Annelise has to take a nap, she just always wants A to be up playing with her. And she is learning more and more about being a good big sister. She is the best big sister that ever walked the planet.

She loves to look forward to things. I always tell her what we are going to do tomorrow, or what other fun thing might be coming up in the days to come, a visit from Nana, etc. I cannot tell her too far in advance because they she asks about it every second of the day!

We still read to her every night, but she has not been so addicted to books as she has been in the past. I suppose this is just a phase.

She sings all day long. She makes up songs, and sings songs she already knows.

Recently she has been saying, "God is patient". I am not sure where she learned this, but it has been a good way to teach her about patience. I will tell her she needs to be patient, and then I'll ask her who else is patient, and she will say, "Mama and God". I usually correct her and remind her that I am actually not patient, but God is definitely patient.

We have also been working on the whining. Oh my, help me! I just know I have to do this now becuase I do not want her to be a 25 year old whiner. This past month she has also had some trouble getting to the potty in time which has resulted in several accidents. Oh my goodness, it has been painful. I think she just gets so into whatever she is doing that she doesn't want to stop. So, we are now reminding her to go at key times of the day, and not taking her word for it when she says she doesn't have to go.

My girl is crazy, and I love her.

Because I Don't Want to Do the Things I Need to Do

100 Things
Bold the things you have done...

1. Started your own blog...
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band. When I was in 4th grade, I played the flute!
4. Visited Hawaii. It helps when you live in CA.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland. The original and the best
8. Climbed a mountain. Most memorable was Schilthorn Hut in Switz, we started with shorts and ended up in snow.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. I'm not saying it was pretty.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris. Our first kiss was on a bridge overlooking Ponte Neuf.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. I have at least been to the island.
18. Grown your own vegetables. And I am about to try again.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France. With Dar and Sar and Dave...my last trip to Paris. As we stood in line to pass by ML this old Korean lady kept pushing my butt.
20. Slept on an overnight train. Numerous times...in Norway, in Switz and Italy, and Zimbabwe.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb. In Israel!
26..Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise. From Italy to Albania.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. With Jen and Elaine!
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Krakow, Poland, and Moscow, Russia.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David. With Jess, Jamie, GIna and Dave. D took one look at ans said, "why isn't he circumcised?"
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa. Twice and had malaria! Zimbabwe and Mozambique the first time and Tanzania and Kenya the second time.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight. With Dave in Slovenia.
46. Been transported in an ambulance. Because I passed out in the pool at a swim meet!
47. Had your portrait painted. in Moscow.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person. with a crazy Italian tour guide that wouldn't let us go to the bathroom!
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. When I was 12 I had a craft business with a tax license and everything!
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching. But I didn't see any whales because I was puking the entire trip.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason. Dave...
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma. I can't anymore because I have lived out of the country, but I used to...I even squirted once and almost made the other guys with me pass out.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp. Dachau.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone. My pinky finger.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper. When I was 11 my whole fam's pic was in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

The Elf is 15 Months

Annelise is 15 months. There is nothing baby about my girl she is ALL toddler. She is walking really well these days, and it is so cute. She will be walking around and then see me, or Dave, or someone she likes and then she makes a bee line straight for us, and falls into our arms. So cute.

She weighs 22 pounds and is 30 inches tall, which puts her about 25% for everything. It was an interesting doc appointment. I love our pediatrician because he is SUPER laid back about everything, but at this point Annelise doesn't care for him. At one point doc said, "does she always hold her breath?" It was a weird question to me. I thought, well, only when she is really upset. And as I was answering I thought, oh my, she holds her breath! Anyway, then doc asked, "has she ever passed out?" Good grief...I know he is laid back and I am fairly laid back with the girls, but I prob would call him if Annelise had passed out! He then gave me some tips for "breath-holders". Wow...I am telling you, my girl, she has got a temper! She came out of the womb mad and purple! She knows what she wants and she apparently did not want to be touched by doc last week. Ah well, after our appt he mentioned that he was nervous to see what she was going to do at her 18 month appt...ugh...hopefully she won't pass out!

Annelise got her first haircut this month. She actually has hair that needs to be cut! It was looking a little straggly, so when I took Hadleigh in, I had my chic trim up Annelise. She did so great, no holding her breath with CJ!

It is amazing to realize more and more that Annelise is a toddler. At our playgroup last week she was playing with the big kids. She got bumped around a lot, but she had such a blast. She loves to play with Hadleigh and just calls for her constantly when Hadleigh is out of the room. So sweet, I love having two girls.

As crazy as she can be, Annelise is one of the most loving kiddos in the whole world. She gives me kisses all day long, and loves to cuddle up and chill. The girl knows what she wants lots of kisses and hugs and cuddles and attention.

Annelise added two states to her count. She is now up to 9. We added Kentucky and Ohio in the last week. That is another story for another day, but she also met some important people this month. She met her only living great-grandfather, and her third great-grandmother. She also met lots of cousins...or second cousins...er...or some kind of family, I don't really know what happens past cousins...like my cousins children are what? Ah well.

Did I mention that she calls everything "puppy"? Her blanket is puppy, a puppy is puppy, a cat is puppy. She LOVES saying that word and it really is cute. The other funny thing is that every time she hears a noise in the house she says, "Daddy!" She loves her Dada. That is my girl!

The Oatmeal Song

Every morning (except maybe when Dave is around), the girls have oatmeal for breakfast. I always mix a yummy veggie in with the oatmeal, squash, broccoli and carrots, or sweet potato, etc. I have recently joined them in eating oatmeal for breakfast although I leave the veggies out of mine. Anyway, this morning as I was cooking it, Hadleigh started singing this song:

I love opameal, opameal is yummy, I love, love opameal, opameal and sweet potato, opameal and carrots, and oh mama opameal and sweet potato?

I will say I like this song better than the poop song she was singing yesterday.

Hike

I forgot to post these pics. A couple weeks ago for our family fun day we went on a hike. Dave loves to fly fish every chance he gets, so he knows a lot of great little get-aways on the Chattahoochee right here in the ATL. We packed up the gals, borrowed Bif and Kris' kid pack for HC (the blue one that Annelise is in was actually a hand-me-down from Bif and Kris, we get all our good stuff from them!) and headed out to our destination.

We only did a short loop because it started raining, and while that would not have stopped Dave, I figured cold and wet is not the best for the girls, so we headed home and Dave stayed to fish in the hooch.

HC was so excited about the hike and walking by the river that she insisted on walking during a good portion of our hike. I was impressed at how long she walked. On another note, HC pooped in the potty again today, all by herself! What a LONG anal road this was, I am so glad it is almost over!

Miss Hadleigh Claire Goes Poo Poo in the Potty

Thursdays are always long days. We are generally up late with our community group on Wednesday night, and then it is go, go go on Thursday morning. Everyone dressed and lunch made, and we run out the door to drop HC off at preschool and then jet down to church for my women's Bible study. Of course Annelise is exhausted by the time I pick her up from the nursery, but I generally have to run errands and kill some time before I pick HC up from preschool. So today, it was off to the bank and then because it did not make sense to go home, I drove around while Annelise slept in the carseat, never a good thing.

By the time we get home and I get everyone in bed for naptime I am at the end of my very short rope. Since ANnelise napped in the car she did not want to nap in her crib, so after an hour of listening to her whine (while I ate my lunch in somewhat quiet) I grabbed her. We played around and then at 3 I decided it was time to get Hadleigh. I knew she was up, but assumed she was sitting in her bed playing with her animals.

As I climbed the stairs I realized her voice sounded VERY clear for her being down the hall and in her room. I rounded the corner and found her sitting on the potty...her diaper was on the floor next to her with a poop in it (fortunately it was a non-messy poop). OK, time out...as a million things rush into my brain...1. she got out of bed which is a MAJOR no-no. 2. She took off her diaper, another MAJOR no-no. 3. But she is sitting on the potty!!! I am all conflicted with how to react, but she chimes in:

HC: Oh, hi Mama!

Me: Hi HC, what are you doing?

HC: Oh Mama, I'm going poop poo in the potty! I poo poo in the diapert, and now I poo poo in the potty.

Me: (still a little slow) You took your diaper off.

HC: Oh, yes, because I go poo poo in the potty. Big poo poo! Big, big, big poo poo.

Me: (catching on) That is great HC! (and I look in the toilet to see if there is a poop already in the bowl...no poop).

HC: Oh yes, Mama (and then she gets a big grin and kinda whispers), and poo poo in the potty and ice cream and popcorn and watch a movie! (all of these things we have been bribing her with for months) Oh, Frog movie, Mama? And Gonzo, and Kermit.

Me: (still a bit skeptical that she will actually poop in the potty) that is GREAT HC, and you will get all of those things if you poop in the potty.

It is at this point that I begin to make suggestions to her about how to get the poop out...and then after about 5 minutes of waiting I decide this isn't going to happen and to just start cleaning up...and then I hear a PLOP. It was a faint plop, but it was a plop and when I look what do I see, but a poop...a little one, but a poop.

SO, anyway, I am hoping this will be a step toward the end of our crazy poop issues with HC. She did get to do the Poo Poo Dance, and then she ate ice cream, called Dada, and ate popcorn and watched Charlotte's Web (I couldn't find the Muppet Movie...need to find that!). Enjoy the pics and be happy that Dave wasn't home, because he would have definitely taken a pic of the poop...you can look back at previous posts for evidence.

Uncle Sam Helps with Projects

I have been promising this update for several weeks. In December we were working on several projects and we are getting them finished...SLOWLY, but getting them finished nonetheless. And we actually are getting a little help from Uncle Sam...well, that might be not exactly true...what is really happening is Uncle Sam is giving us back a bunch of our money that we lent to him for several months. At the end of November I got an note from our CPA noting that we had "grossly" overpaid our taxes this year. And when she said grossly, she was not kidding! I know how it happened, I mean this is our first full year of Dave working as a contractor and I just did not know what tax bracket we were going to end up in...and for some reason our CPA did not notice the discrepancy until November!

Ah well, we will have to wait a couple more weeks to see exactly how much we overpaid. In the meantime we decided to take advantage of desperate furniture dealers. We bought new furniture for our family room, which includes a couch, love seat, two chairs, an ottoman, two end tables and a coffee table. As I type all that I am thinking that it sounds like a LOT of furniture, and it is! It does help that we bought it at an under priced furniture store, and not Bassett, or Pottery Barn or...sigh...Restoration Hardware. We decided cheaper at this stage of life is better...I don't want to cry when HC or A pukes on the couch!

So, we have entered a whole new world of adulthood. This is the first time I have purchased new furniture in my life. It feels a bit weird, and old and permanent, but good at the same time. I actually have furniture that matches, odd! Now I am on a mission to make new curtains and pillows!

We have moved the crazy prego loveseat and two blue chairs up into the living room (which is now almost finished), and the brown couch is now in the man room which is Dave's next project. For now we are watching TV on a couch, which we have been waiting for 8 months to do! Oh yea, here is a pic of our new TV screen...guess what Dave got for Christmas? Thanks craigslist!!!

Fun Times with the Girlies on MLK Day

Yesterday was a very fun day with the girls. I usually stay home on Mondays anyway, and catch up from the weekend, doing mounds of laundry, etc. And the appraiser is coming today, so we need to do some clean-up around the house...which is slightly impossible (to keep a house clean when you have children).

We played in the morning, and read stories and other non-destructive things. At one point I was cleaning the kitchen, and I heard a weird banging noise. As I moved into the entry way, I found my girlies sitting on the bottom step of the stair, just sitting there banging their feet. It was super sweet! Here is one pic of Annelise giving the bear a kiss...aww!

In the afternoon my buds Angie and Lisa came over to kick it. Angie and I have been wanting to do some cooking, so we made butternut squash soup, pasta e fagoli (thanks Christy!) and cabbage and sausage (this was Dave's choice and he loved it...on a side note we had a big discussion about whether cabbage was nutritious or not, he thought that since it gives him gas, it must be good for you...I checked this morning, it is 92% water...don't know about the gas...whatev).

Anyway, Angie and I cooked and Lisa talked to us, and played with the girls, and it was overall a fun day for me, and they assured me they had fun as well. Hadleigh was super upset when they left, "where are friends going?" she asked over and over and over! She certainly plays shy, but if you know, you know that is all just a ploy and she loves her friends, tall and short!

I Hate Words, Especially Sentences

I think this is a song...but music is not my strong point, so who knows.

Last night, after a VERY long day, Dave and I were in tears as I was recalling to him some of the conversations I have had with Hadleigh recently. She is SO funny, and while she completely understands everything that is said to her, she hasn't quite mastered how to respond. Sometimes this is completely frustrating, and other times is it pretty darn hilarious. It is even better when you can hear her little voice saying these words, but here are a couple recent moments.

I hear some activity in the background, hear Hadleigh tell Annelise, "No, Annelise, yucky" and then I hear HC begin to cry. I walk into the room and see HC and A sitting on the ground, and HC is holding her finger.

Me: Hadleigh what happened?"
HC: Happened?
Me: Why are you crying?
HC: Crying, Mama
Me: Why are you crying?
HC: Why?
Me: What happened to your finger?
HC: Finger is hurting.
Me: Why is your finger hurting?
HC: Finger got stuck.
Me: Where did it get stuck?
HC: In Annelise's teeth.

While the girls are napping I hear a loud thud that sounds like someone not just fell out of bed, but crashed head over heels out of bed.
Me: HC, what happened?
HC: Good nap?
Me: No, HC, you did not take a good nap, what happened?
HC: Happened?
Me: Did you fall out of bed?
HC: Fall out of bed?
Me: Did you fall out of bed?
HC: Yes.
Me: What were you doing?
HC: Doing?
Me: Were you standing up in bed?
HC: Yes.
Me: Were you sitting up in bed?
HC: Yes.
Me: Were you jumping in the bed?
HC: Yes.
Me: You should not stand up or jump in your bed, do you understand?
HC: Yes, ma'am.
Me: OK, well put your head on the pillow and take a nap.
HC: Oh Mama, I have a SERIOUS poopoo.
Me: Should we change your diaper?
HC: Yes, it is SERIOUS, it is a DANGEROUS poopoo. Put medicine on bootie and it feels better. Oh, bootie feels better Mama.

Flags and Other Milestones

I am not exactly sure how this happened, but HC knows the pledge of allegiance. We were out walking the other day talking about EVERYTHING we see (something I have done ever since we started going out on walks...look at the dog, bird, white car, etc), that is probably good for speech development, eh? Anyway, HC remarked about the "American flag" since we pass several on our route. So, I burst into the pledge. I assumed this was the first time she had heard the pledge (actually I think I remember saying it once before to her when we went to a furniture store that had a flag). The pledge on the walk went down without incident, we continued on, and I did not think much about it.

Yesterday HC again saw a flag and I burst into the pledge, only I paused this time. SOmetimes when I read to HC I will read a line and then pause because I know she knows the next line in the book, and it is SO cute to hear her say it. I said, "I pledge allegiance" and then I paused. Out of her lips comes "to the flag". Can you see the shocked look on my face? OK, so I continue by saying a line and letting her say a line, and at some point she says, "No, Mama do it" maybe because she can't say words like indivisible?

I am really not sure how she learned the pledge. Neither Dave nor I think she could have learned it after hearing it twice, so I am fairly sure they must recite it at her school. That makes me happy, actually. I am glad they are teaching her important things, like the pledge. When did we ever stop saying it in school anyway? I remember saying it everyday in elementary school...I suppose someone thought it was lame to make kids memorize it. I actually know it in Spanish because we said it everyday in my freshman Spanish class..."Prometo fidelidad..." I'll spare you, but I do know it.

Another thing that HC has picked up on is her directions, right and left. This is super fun because if she gets it right (while we are in the car) we give her a goldfish cracker...I know this sounds like giving a dog a treat...ah well.

In nursery today the permanent worker told me what a pleasure it was to have Annelise in her class. She always smiles, and smiles with her eyes, and she is always happy and content. That is what I was told! Yea! My sweet elf is making friends.

I know there was another funny thing I was going to say, but it has gone straight out of my head. So, here is a sweet story from today. HC was helping me cook dinner tonight (chicken peanut curry, yu-mmy!) and Annelise was feeling a bit left out. She was all into everything in the kitchen, which always reminds me that I need to get those baby locks, including the raw chicken in the trash can, which reminds me I need to get a new trash can that has a lid. In between getting into EVERYTHING, she was complaning. Then I noticed that Hadleigh was up on her big stool, helping me cook, and she was singing something, as usual, and I noticed her crawl down off the stool and go over to Annelise and give her a big hug and sing her a little song. Annelise was SO happy as HC was hugging her. I LOVE my girls!

Miss Hadleigh Claire is 34 Months

I do not think I have mentioned this before but in the last couple of months several people have commented that Suri Cruise (Tom Cruise's daughter) resembles Miss Hadleigh Claire. It is a little bizarre, and I do not think Dave believed me until someone stopped us in the mall the other day to tell me. Maybe it is the haircut, not sure, I do not really keep up with the celebs, except when I get my hair cut...that is when I catch up on all my smut.

Yesterday the girls were in the playroom playing, and I was cooking dinner, and I overheard Hadleigh singing to herself, which is a fairly common occurence, but this was the first time I had heard her sing this particular song. "Shake, shake, shake. Shake your bootie, shake your bootie." I was almost in hysterics. I will admit I do sing that song to them, but the idea of HC singing it to herself was hilarious. She sings ALL the time, and it is really sweet.

Her vocab is getting large, and she is putting together some amazing sentences. She was so quiet about talking for so long, it is really fun to hear her voice. It can also be incredibly draining, since my name is being called all day long, but at least I know what she wants now.

Cooking is a favorite past time. She loves to stand on the big stool and smell and help me dump all the ingredients into the bowl/pan. The other day we were making cookies for her buddy Brennan and his family, and she was able to name several of the things we put in, flour, salt, sugar, peanut butter, etc. I was amazed. Last night she helped me making minestrone soup, and tried everything I was putting into the pot, carrots, zucchini, green peppers, garbanzo beans, tomato puree. Apparently she LOVES green pepper and went on to eat half of one. The other wonderful thing is that when she helps me cook she is incredibly eager to try her creation. And I can get her to eat the zucchini because I knw she just tasted it a minute ago and liked it! We also talked about the difference between a dried herb and a fresh herb, and she smelled the real basil plant and then my dried basil. I love cooking with Hadleigh.

She is starting to remember people and things that have happened in the past. She was playing with some beads the other day and I asked who gave her the beads, and she knew, Great Grandma Gladys Claire (and she says the whole name, so cute). She is constantly talking about going to Tennessee to see Grandma and Grandpa. And of course, she always want to see best-buds Brennan and Jacob, and apparently now Andrew has also made the list because she asks about him a lot.

She is a go little girl, and always wants to get in the "van" and go somewhere. When it seems like we are going home, she gets really upset, and yells, "No going HOME!" This even happens when we are out on a walk. The other day I was thinking, well, it is raining, we HAVE to go home.

We enjoy talking to her about God, and I am trying to always think of new ways to teach her about him. Our new Jesus, Storybook Bible, is awesome, and yesterday she was telling me that we must read about Jesus. I have also heard her say, "Oh, God is patient, very patient". I think that must have been something Dave told her. Last night when we prayed together she prayed that she would be kind to Annelise. It was fun to hear her say that, because that is not something I have typically prayed. I mean we usually talk about how we can bring glory to God, "by loving him and doing what he commands" and then we pray that He would give Hadleigh and Mama strength to love and obey and be kind, etc. And I always talk to her about being kind to Annelise, so somehow she translated that into her prayer last night.

There is just a small snapshot of my little crazy.

Why I Love My Neighborhood

This morning I was out walking with the girls and we stopped to talk to another neighbor who was also out for a walk. We chatted about Christmas and then she asked me if I normally keep my upstairs window open. I thought it an odd question, but said, that yes, occassionaly I like to air out the upstairs. She said she had noticed it open last week and knew we were gone for Christmas and was suspicious. She doubled back on her walk to make sure nothing fishy was going on, and then realized we were actually home. Being home all day with the girls, I am certainly thankful for nosey neighbors, but I am still trying to figure out how she knew we were gone over Christmas.

Christmas

We have had a lot going on these past two weeks. I know I always say that, but it is probably always true.

Christmas this year was SO much fun with Hadleigh Claire. She was obsessed with Christmas trees and Christmas tree music and lights, etc. It was really fun to see things through her eyes, and now that it is all over, she is so sad.

We enjoyed talking to her about Jesus, God's forever king. What an awesome opportunity we have to hear Jesus and God being sung and celebrated everyday for a month!

Anyway, this year we celebrated Christmas as a family on Christmas Eve. I baked coffee cake and Hadleigh sung happy birthday to Jesus...ok, I know you are thinking that is an odd thing for me to do. I am not a big fan of the whole happy birthday Jesus thing, but hey, she is 2 and LOVES to sing happy birthday whenever she sees anything resembling a cake. So...whatev.

We opened presents from my side of the family...I have yet to buy the girls birthday/Christmas presents...and after this year I am even more convinced that this is one time I do not need to spend a dime on the girls. There is some conspiracy for you! I'm still trying to figure out what the conspiracy is about Advent Conspiracy...anyway! There is no shortage of presents thanks to grandparents and aunts and uncles! My parents bought HC an easel and all the fixings for her to be a world-class artist. We also got a bunch of books, which is always my fav gift.

After we opened presents we went to the park, and then out to lunch. We feel a need to find the best Thai restaurant in our area, and there are a LOT of Thai restaurants, so we went to a new one Christmas Eve. After that we headed home, and packed for our big trip to NJ.

I mentioned that on Christmas Day we flew up to NJ, and there we opened more gifts with my grandma.

The day after we got home we celebrated with our good buds, Bif, Kris, Alex, Zack and Kate. We has a super yummy brunch and had a great time talking with Bif and Kris while all the kiddos played in the playroom (yea for Alex and Zack who love playing with my girls). The theme of this Christmas is always books, and I have enjoyed buying special books every year for these kiddos. It is always a challenge to think about what they might like to read, but I love picking these books out. In the past I have given them Wizard of Oz, Heidi, Nancy Drew, etc. This year I gave Alex my favorite book of all times, Anne of Green Gables. I have been waiting a LONG time to give her this book, she, of course, has already finished the book, and assures me that it is one of her favorites of all times. I guess we can still be friends (btw, Alex was the flowergirl in my wedding 5 years, so she is a VERY special friend).

New Year's Eve, Dave's parents came down for a wonderful visit. We celebrated again with them...so FUN! The girls got a new kitchen with pots and pans and food and everything. It is a wonderful gift and the girls just LOVE it. This is where I will note that I went to bed at 8.15 on New Year's Eve, and actually forgot completely that it was 2009 the next day. Shameful, I know.

It was great to have them visit, because Grandpa was able to help Dave with some projects in the living room and Grandma watched the girls while I also helped paint, and other tasks that hang over my head.

Hadleigh helped Grandma make a lasagne and then the girls DEVOURED it. Amazing!

I know I need to post about our living room project, and other things...more to come...

The Elf is 14 Months

Annelise is 14 months and she is officially a walker! I can't believe that a baby of mine is walking before 18 months! This is SO fun. Annelise has been cruising since, oh, 8 months? Last week while we were with my grandmother she began to take two steps between Dave and I. Uncle Alan kept saying she was going to start walking any minute. This week, while Dave's parents were visiting, Annelise began taking up to 10 steps at a time. She even will be sitting in my lap, stand up and walk across the room on her own. Wow. Hadleigh had fun running between Grandma and me, while Annelise walked between us. Fun news!

Annelise added two more states to her sparse travels (poor thing) with our trip up to New Jersey and New York. This brings her state count up to 7, and poor thing has never been out of the country. We do hope to remedy that this year.

Annelise LOVES Hadleigh. She squeals with joy when she sees her which is SO fun to watch. It is amazing to see them play together quietly. Annelise has begun to pretend with the help and encouragement of Hadleigh. She will take a "drink" out of an empty cup and pretend to put food in her mouth. The other day HC and Annelise were sitting at their new kitchen and HC was handing Annelise some pots and Annelise was putting "food" into the pots. It was amazing.

While Annelise love HC, she also is an antagonizer...hmm...Dave? She likes to hit HC, and has to be reminded to "touch nice" which she will do when prompted. She does other things to irritate Hadleigh, and it is pretty funny to watch (one of those moments when you chuckle to yourself because chuckling out loud would be inappropriate). As my grandma said last week, Annelise has a loud voice. It is true, but it can also be a swet voice.

She is still my cuddle bug. Oh, I love a good Annelise cuddle. She is also a great kisser and gives some major smooch on the cheek.

The Elf is eating better these days, which is a much needed relief for me. She still likes to throw food everywhere (thus the plastic under her chair), but she is at least eating SOME of the food on her tray.

She loves to sing along with Hadleigh and she loves to say "Daddy!" She loves her blanket and her special bunny. She has a mullet. That is all I have to say about my elf.