Ponytail Softball

I signed Analise up for softball this year. She was excited because she has watched all three cousins play t-ball. It worked out great because it gets us out of the house two mornings a week, and it's at the park closest to our house. Somehow, though, we manage to run 5 minutes late every time. It's a very organized, encouraging program for the girls. The first half they practice, and then they play. While they practice, I let the other two burn some energy at the playground.
I don't expect or have high hopes of Analise playing softball. I just wanted her to learn the rules, have some fun and learn how to throw. Lord help me if I have a girl that throws like a girl!
Thankfully she is having fun. She's not the most aggressive player, but she wants to learn and tries hard. She's made a few outs, and she does a pretty nice job hitting off the tee. Towards the end of their season, the coaches will pitch to the players. They practiced that for the first time yesterday, and Analise hit 4-5 pitches!

Mostly Sweet Sadie

Sadie update: 27 months
My sweet 2 year old is just - well, a 2 year old. She can be the sweetest, most fun little girl that can make me smile and laugh. She can also be the same girl who can get frustrated easily to the point of hitting whoever is closest or throwing things across the room. She likes her ducks in a row, and she one to put things back right where they belong. The other day I put her in a shirt that had five little snaps. I snapped three of them, and she had to have them all snapped.
Sadie is quite the talker, and I hear her repeat things her older sisters are saying. It's like having a constant echo. I just love it! I feel like Maisie never did this, so this is new and exciting. She is speaking in longer sentences, and there are times she will rattle a sentence off to me, and I have absolutely no idea what she said. The other day I did understand. In her own version she asked me, "Where did my blanket go?"
She is doing awesome in her big girl bed! She stays in there when we put her to bed, and for awhile she came out on her own when she was awake. However, we had a few days where she was coming out too early in the morning. So Brandon put a doorknob cover on the inside of her door. Now she just calls for me or knocks on the door when she wants out.
Sadie spends her fair share of time in time outs. I put her on her bed and tell her she can come out when she is going to be kind. Most of the time it works. Sometimes I will ask her if she needs a timeout, and she will say, "Yes."
Sadie is a pretty good eater. Breakfast is her worst meal of the day. She, like Maisie, loves fruit. She does well with a fork and spoon.
She is determined to do what her sisters are doing! One day she wanted to get dressed herself, just like she watched Maisie do. She had the shorts about on, and she had the shirt over her head.
Sadie still loves to sing. There's no doubt what song she is singing!
She can make most of the animal sounds upon request.
A couple of weeks ago, she was extra crabby. I finally figured out why - two year molars were coming in.
She still calls "milk", "juice" but we are working on that. She doesn't even drink juice. She is still needing the fat and calories from whole milk.
She is still skin and bones - no chubby on this girl. However, she does still have her little Buddha belly. All pants must have the adjustable waistband.
She is our miracle, and we are so thankful how she completes are family. Sadie, we love you!

Sadie put on the goggles all by herself.

Adventures in Odyssey

My girls love listening to Adventures in Odyssey. This week Analise told me I should call my van Adventures in Odyssey. I think she nailed it on the head. Just thinking back on our week...
I feel like the week was go, go, go. I try and take advantage of my hour reprieve in the afternoons, but still by the end of the day, I am tired.
Tball was canceled Monday morning due to heavy rains the night before. (And several nights before that as well.) We were okay with that since it allowed a slower morning. We filled the time with the Walmart run. Swim lessons before dinner, and after a quick dinner we wanted to let the girls celebrate another full cup of stones by taking them mini golfing. Wouldn't you know it, the one night we decide to go the fun center is closed to the public because a company had rented it out for the evening. They were obviously bummed, but we took them to the new pirate park instead.
Tuesday we went to get Analise and Maisie's hair cut. They always enjoy that and do a nice job of sitting still. From there we went to the library to turn in our reading sheets. Each girl picked a free Happy Meal coupon, and they loved the sucker I gave them. :) We visited with friends there, and then as we drove home I spontaneously thought it would be a great time to use our coupons. Of course they were thrilled. They hardly ever get McD's Happy Meals. After naps we went over to our neighbors/friends house to see the Chiauaua puppy there were house sitting. This little puppy was SO tiny - maybe about a pound. The girls loved playing with Pepper and also their new friend, E. Again we had swim lessons. After dinner (which was a new recipe that didn't go over well with everyone) Brandon went out to mow. The weather looked like a storm was headed our way. So there he was, dark clouds, thunder and some lightning, out mowing the yard. Just as he walked in, it started to rain. It didn't last long and completely cleared up. After we tucked the girls in I looked outside and found a beautiful, complete rainbow. I went and got the girls so they could also enjoy the sign of a promise long ago.
Weds. morning we did have Tball. I let the younger play at the park while Analise practiced, and then we watched her play her game. Dad surprised her by coming, and Gma was there, too. Analise made a couple of plays/outs, so that was fun to see. After that we came home for 30 minutes and then loaded back in the van to go watch cousin A play his tball game. Fun times!
After naps we made cookies. One of my favorite things to do with the girls is bake. Each girl knows the routine...where to stand at the counter, how to take turns dumping the ingredients, etc. I just LOVE it! Later in the afternoon my three nephews came over for the evening. Happy Anniversary to D and S! We all sat at the table, and I had one side with three boys and one side of three girls. I told them we were like the Brady Bunch. So for the dinner each kid was their tv name. I even sang the intro to the show until Brandon gave me the silent "kill it" sign. What makes it even more fun was that when S came and picked them up, she mentioned that we were like the Brady Bunch tonight. I laughed, and nephew B had a look of, "You've got to be kidding..." After a dinner of sloppy joes, fries and watermelon (which I have to remind myself, my nephew, K, told me the sloppy joes were very good. A huge compliment!) we settled in the living room to watch "Air Bud Seventh Inning Fetch." Fun times! It was a cute, clean movie! The girls were up playing outside with them until 9:30 and got to bed as quickly as possible. They simply love having the boys around, and I love how they all get along so well. Fun night!
Thursday morning was park morning, and we had a beautiful day to be outside. Thanks L and A for bringing your kids to play! After lunch, my sitter, R, came over. Two were sleeping, and Analise and I headed to Kid's Bible Study. It was nice to get away with Analise and also visit with other moms there.
We were home for 45 minutes, and I made dinner quickly and then headed to swim lessons. Just this morning I was telling a friend about Analise and that when she was little she had a gag reflux that resulted in throwing up. Wouldn't you know it, Analise swallowed water, gagged and threw up a little in the pool! She felt so bad; I felt so bad, but the coach was so gracious. Thankfully it was just a little, over by the drain, so they took care of it quickly. Analise was a trooper and got right back in the water. Last night I was adamant about getting the girls to bed at a decent time. We could tell they were all tired! :) Brandon worked on the boat, and I had those girls to bed by 8:15. Woo-hoo! I sat in the chair and crashed, but after awhile I did help with the boat some. Here's hoping to some relaxing this weekend.* Cheers*

Daddy's Day

The girls were definitely ready to see daddy when we got to the lake. There is definitely a big void when he is gone. The girls miss his tickling, playing with them, and he loves to make them laugh! I love how he points to God as the source of life, and makes it a priority to tell the girls about Him. Not only that, he likes to know how the girls are living their lives for Him. We've started a dinner time tradition (it used to be at bedtime, but now that the girls are older and can learn from each other, so we moved it) that while we are eating, Brandon will ask the older two girls how they showed God's love during the day. One of these days we will add another questions as well, "How did you see God work in your life today?"
It seems like just yesterday I made the big announcement to Brandon that he was going to be a father. In fact, it was right before Father's Day, so I gave him his first Father's Day card. It took a second to sink in, but once it did, he was thrilled! Nine months later he watched the doctor pull Analise from me, went to help bathe her and then walked into my room a little later and said, "She is amazing!" Welcome to fatherhood my dear. You've since then been captivated by three young girls - your beautiful daughters. People say they look like you, Maisie acts like you did when you were little, and you are instilling your love into them, whether it be the love for outdoors and fishing, or the love of your Father. One of my prayers is that someday my girls can marry a guy like their daddy!

Weekend

We had a good weekend. Brandon left Friday night to go to the lake with his dad and bro. It was a birthday gift from his brother...time away. So the girls and I hung out. Saturday morning we went to a local building store to make a Father's Day gift. We bought a toolbox kit, and the girls took turns hammering in the nails to put it together. Does he need a toolbox? No. Will he love something his girls built him? Absolutely! After there we ran and bought a few groceries.
The girls napped well, and then they each painted a side of the toolbox. Nothing like a jazzed up manly gift!
For dinner we went to Gmas to meet up with the others for Papa Murphy's. The kids had lots of fun playing together, and I was glad to be around other adults.
Sunday morning as I was getting ready for church, Maisie walked in and she looked like she had pink eye. BUMMER! Needless to say, we didn't go to church. As the morning went on, her eye looked less pink, and it was never mattery. So we went on as scheduled. We all met over at S's house to head down to the lake (and our hubbys!) S and A rode with us. We had a fun trip down. Gma and Gpa stayed back at the cabin with Maisie and Sadie so they could nap. That meant that Brandon and I got to get on the boat with Analise and the other family. It was cloudy to begin with, but the sun came out! My back is proof to that!

Analise took a little ride on the torpedo and enjoys it as long as she isn't going fast.
Brandon did quite a bit of skiing, and he did a great job! I included the last picture, not to make fun of him, but just to show that I took the picture at a random time and caught this!

After Maisie woke up from her nap, she played outside and helped Grandma drive the big truck!

After we came in from the lake, we were going to grill burgers and eat supper at the cabin. However, a storm was moving in, so we packed up as quickly as possible to drive home to hopefully beat the storm. It worked! We gathered at Grandma's house and enjoyed our meal there. It was a good day despite the rough start!

Friday Adventure

This weekend there was a gathering of Indians nearby. Since we couldn't go watch the big powwow in the middle of the afternoon, Grandma and I decided to take the girls in the morning to walk around. Sadie's favorite part - the bus ride. We had to shuttle over, and Sadie was so excited to be on the bus!
We walked around and looked at different things. The girls found this huge buffalo, and so I had to take a picture. The picture I didn't upload (but still makes me laugh) is Maisie touching something I had predicted she would touch. I'll let you figure it out. :)

Before the big celebration, some Indians had built a big lodge, just like they were built years ago. We got there just as they were dedicating the lodge. That got kind of long and very boring for the girls, but we finally had our turn to walk through.

It was nice to get outside on a beautiful day in an attempt to educate my children some on the Indian culture. One funny from the morning: When we got off the bus, we walked behind a portapotty that didn't smell so well. We quickly walked away, but Maisie kept saying, "What do I smell?" (With her nose turned up.) I asked her what she thought she smelled. "Cows." Analise pipes up, "I think I smell Indians." I quietly laughed and mentioned that we probably shouldn't say that again. :)

Finally!

Analise finally lost her first tooth! It's been quite wiggly for a few days, but she never likes us messing with it. I finally decided to drop the subject and let her take care of it. However, Thursday night Brandon wiggled it and realized how loose it really was. So we sat her on the counter, much to her dismay (she was tired, I'll admit), I held her hands while he reached in and pulled it. She kept saying, "I'm all done..." and didn't even realize it was gone! As her mouth bled a little, I took her to the bathroom to clean her up. She told me she never wanted to lose a tooth again. Finally after about five minutes, she began to realize that this was exciting. She called both grandmas and told them all about it. Grandmom talked with her quite awhile, and I heard Analise tell her that she was hoping the Tooth Fairy brought her $1.87. My ears perked up and later asked Analise why that strange amount. She told me it was from an Adventures in Odyssey. She was excited to go to bed with the tooth in her tooth pillow. She was even more excited to wake up and find $1.87! One of the coins was a half dollar. The Tooth Fairy knew that I got those, too, when I lost a tooth. Tradition carries on! The other $1.37 was a bonus for the first tooth, I guess.

Summer Fun

Since we were gone all day Monday, Tuesday became the catch up day. Groceries, errands, etc. All the exciting things...hah! However, Tuesday night was a lot of fun! After I got the girls showered and ready for bed, I headed out the door for some girl time. I picked up my new neighbor (who I already knew) and we went to meet some other friends for girls night out. We went to G's house this time, and the six of us talked, laughed, ate yummy treats and drank our Sonics. When we go to Starbucks, we are kicked out at 10:00. Well, G didn't do that. :) So we ended up staying until midnight! It truly was refreshing and good for the soul. Thanks my dear friends for the great night!
Weds. morning was Tball. It was a beautiful morning, and Analise had fun. The other two get antsy, but we manage. After we're finished, I let them play at the park for awhile. We then went to the library after that. I tried something new this time before going to the library; it's called bribery. :) I told the girls that if they picked a prize from the coupons, I would give them a Blow Pop. I know they will enjoy the coupon prizes, but since they just see it as a piece of paper, they like to choose a cheap toy instead. (Analise is catching on.) It worked! The girls were happy with their Blow pops (Sadie gets a Dumdum) and they will be trilled when they get to go mini golfing.
Weds. night I left right after supper for my commission meeting at church. The girls had fun with Brandon, and he was tucking them in when I got home. I am always elated when I see how excited the girls are when I get home.
Thursday was a busy day. Since it was really windy, we didn't go to the park. We went to the CM again. G dropped off the older two while she took her youngest to the doc. Her kiddos hung out with mine. We also had my nephews, K and A playing with them as well. They were quite the crew, but they had lots of fun together. K and A came home with us for just awhile before S picked them up. After lunch I put the girls down for naps, and we had a high school girl, K, that the girls know well come over to babysit. Analise and I went to a friend's house who lives on a small lake. We met other moms and their young elementary kids. The goal in getting together during the summer is for the moms to invest spiritual things into our kids. It's kind of like a kid's Bible study. We are doing a VBS from Answers in Genesis. So the kids play in the lake with all sorts of fun things, we do the study, and the kids play again. Brandon and I decided it was worth the money of paying a sitter to have this QT with Analise, by connecting her with other Christian friends and investing in her growth. Aunt S. kept her there longer so I could get home to the other two. K stayed and chatted for 30 minutes after I got home. It's encouraging to see a high school girl with a good head on her shoulders, and one the loves/serves the Lord. I hadn't even told the girls that when they got up from naps that she would be there. They were excited!
We met Analise at swim lessons since Aunt S took her there. As a friend said, we'd been switching kids all day. It was another reminder of how blessed we are to have something like that. It's such a natural thing for us; the kids don't mind, and it helps S and me out. Blessings!

So Long Nursery

Hello big girl room! For several months I thought about how I wanted to redo the nursery. When we did the nursery 6+ years ago, we went with a gender neutral theme of giraffes. My MIL gave me a picture of giraffes called, "The First Kiss." It was a picture I had seen a couple of years before and fell in love with. So when it came time to redo the room, I couldn't part with the picture. So I decided to keep the giraffe theme, but I wanted it updated and more feminine.

The Nursery was we saw it for over six years.

An art teacher from our church painted this giraffe on the wall.

The girls hung out in here while Brandon painted.

Analise was so excited to paint, too.

Here she is in her big girl bed. She was SO excited to be like her sisters in sleeping in a bigger bed. She did awesome staying in bed, but at 1 a.m., I heard some whimpering and found her on the floor. Ooops!

Thanks to my faithful, dedicate husband, the room is finished, and I love it! The plan is for Sadie to sleep in here a couple of months and then move her to the bottom bunk and Analise over to her own room.

The headboard was made by Brandon (and his dad) when he was in middle school or early high school. I doubt when he built it the thought went through his head, "I bet my daughter will use this some day." :)

Another Milestone

Monday morning Brandon, Sadie and I headed two hours east for another doctor appointment. Grandma was kind enough to take care of the other two. :) We got a later start than we had wanted, but once we were in the van it went well. I drove, Brandon got some emails taken care of, and Sadie was the most patient traveler. She entertained herself with books and toys. We made a couple of quick stops before seeing the doctor. One was to Kohl's. I had less than 20 minutes to cause damage, but I got done what I needed. I found Maisie some new capris for only $3.60! I got what I needed for them and saved double of what I spent. Now that's a good feeling.
We went then to see Sadie's pulmunologist. She weighed a little over 23 lbs. (with clothes on) and was 34 inches long. So she is 50% for height and still barely on the curve for weight. She did great with the doctor and never whimpered in fear of a shot. She answered his questions with nods and smiles. She got one more set of x-rays, and he was pleased with what he saw. She still had small lungs, but they don't stop growing until about age 7. He doesn't think she will be a risk for asthma. Good news! So, we are officially finished with seeing him! I think back to the first time I took her there. I carried in her car seat, apnea monitor and oxygen. Monday she walked in, her O2 reading was 99, and she weighed 17 lbs more than the first time. It's all a reminder how thankful we are for the blessings from God in her health and development.
After the appt. we went for a quick lunch at Honeybake Ham. We enjoyed lunch with one daughter. I am thankful we had that time with her. She never gets both of us to herself.
We stopped at the mall quick so I could go to Eddie Bauer. I knew they were having good sales, and I hit the jackpot! Jeans that I love, normally $50 on sale for $15! Shorts half off! Yeah!
After that we stopped for Brandon to look at something, and one of my nurses, N, came over to see us. It was great to see her and catch up with her. She's so sweet in always taking time to see us when we are close.
We got home a little later than we had hoped, but we got to swimming lessons in time for Brandon to see Analise "dive" off the block a few times. She was thrilled!
I am so thankful for the gift of today: time away with my hubby and baby girl and again reminded of how far she has come.

Weekend Fun

We all slept in on Saturday morning. I woke up on my own at 8:00. I let myself stay in bed until 8:15, but then I got up since I knew I would be needed. The girls and I went and got donuts, and we ate breakfast at 9:30. We were so slow in getting anything accomplished all morning. I finally told Brandon I needed to run a couple of errands. He caught on that I wanted to run them by myself. :) I went and exchanged a shirt and then got a few groceries.
Saturday afternoon Brandon washed the van, and we all took part in helping wax it, too. It was a cloudy, cool day, so it worked out well. While we did the van, Sadie found Analise's hat and baseball mit and put it all on. Doesn't she look cute? :)


Saturday evening we wanted to eat dinner out and then go fishing, but we ran behind in getting the van finished, and I visited with our new neighbor for quite awhile. So we decided to just go out. We landed at Q'Doba, and we all enjoyed it.
Sunday evening we went out to the fishing club for the first time this season with all of us. I helped Maisie fish for the first time, and Brandon assisted Analise when she needed it. What a great, special family time! Sadie hung out in the stroller and watched. She would touch a fish when one was caught.
After Analise's first catch, she reeled it in and pulled it out of the water. As she did that, the fish came swinging around towards her. She squealed and sort of tossed the entire rod and reel into the nearby pine tree. Brandon caught it as it went by, but I think I split a gut laughing so hard.


I love this picture. Analise and Maisie both caught fish on their first casts. Analise ended up with seven, and Maisie caught five. We don't keep them. :) I just love seeing Brandon passing along his love of fishing onto his girls. He is so patient with them and sacrifices his time of casting to teach and help the girls. He knows someday he'll get that time back; right now it's more important in investing with the girls. Our hope is that someday when the girls are older they will still go fishing with dad, and that will be a time of sharing with each other.

The girls helping with the "wax off."

Picture Memories

Sadie Loved the Pudding. Can you tell?

Our Little Swimmer

Fun at the CM

Last Week Highlights

For my memory's sake:
Monday was a fun day! The girls and I bought groceries (not the fun part), and in the afternoon I made strawberry/rhubarb pie with the berries from my garden! After swim lessons we came home and ate a quick supper before our company came over. Yesterday at church our college sitter, T, told me she would be in town and asked if she could come over. Absolutely! I was so honored that she had taken me up on the offer of coming over whenever. So at 7:00 she came over with her friend J. They ate dinner, and then her twin sister, T, came over as well. I was glad I had enough food. :) After they were finished eating, they went out to play with the girls. Obviously, the girls loved it! They went to bed late because they were having so much fun. The pie was a hit, and Brandon and I loved hanging out with fun, Christian college kids. My hope is to encourage and bless them while they are here. However, they bless me, too. Sometime during the night I realized I am 12 years older than they are. Wow...I felt old. Has it really been that long since I was in college? Yikes!
Tuesday morning we went to the library, and all the girls turned in their reading sheets. Maisie picked a sucker, Sadie got some new sunglasses, and I was so proud of Analise. She picked a coupon for free mini golf! She's excited, too.
We were very blessed by my BIL who came over and was able to unlock our shed. Thanks, D!
Swim lessons went well, and I love watching Analise improve each week. We rushed home to finish supper, and Grandma came to join us. After she left we had a mini t-ball lesson so Analise had an idea what she will be doing at softball starting this week. It was a lot of fun playing with all the girls outside. Analise is catching on quick, and I am making it my goal that she doesn't throw like a girl! (It's a huge pet peeve of mine. Sorry. :))
Weds. morning was tball practice. I am very impressed with the program; it was very organized and run in a very positive way. Analise is on the purple team. Later that morning we went and watched our cousin, A, play tball. Fun times!
Weds. afternoon after naps we ran to Target and then to the Farmer's Market. I love that place! We got a Bob and Larry. We ran home, changed and got ready for a birthday celebration of a family friend who turned the big 4-0. It was a nice evening at their house with other friends. The girls loved playing with fellow friends, and I enjoy feeling like part of the family with friends like that. Brothers and Sisters in Christ.
Thursday morning was supposed to be park time, but since it was pouring rain, we met up at the CM. The kids didn't mind; they still had a blast!
Thursday after lunch, Brandon came home for a late lunch so I could go to a quick meeting at church. I got home at 2:30, and wouldn't you know it - both girls were already up! Analise came home from the library craft time with her friend, B, and at 3:15 I decided to mow the yard. Rain was predicted for the evening, and since Brandon had been my "social trooper" the last couple of nights, I thought I could help him by mowing. Now the time frame was nuts. The girls snacked and played outside. I had Sadie in the stroller while mowing the front. It was super humid, and I sweat like crazy! I finished a little after 4:00 and had 30 minutes to change, make dinner and get the girls ready for swim lessons. We did it! The casserole was in the oven, and we were on time. I looked terrible, but we were there.
After dinner were showers and an "early" bedtime of 8:15. I think Brandon and I both crashed for the night.
Friday the girls and I got some things done around the house. Analise enjoyed cleaning, and I liked having the help. We took a morning stroll around the neighborhood and found a cute Dauschund puppy that we pet through the fence. After naps we went to the library so I could check out a book for myself. I felt like a mother duck with my three little duckys walking through the aisles. I got a book, but I still haven't started it. We got together with family for pizza, and then the kids played outside. It was a fun, relaxing evening!

Short but fun week

Warning...long post.
Last week went fast due to the holiday. Tuesday was "catch up from the weekend" with laundry and grocery shopping. The girls are doing well on those trips to the store. Tuesday evening Analise started her swimming lessons. We are trying another place that came with recommendations. Day 1, I was very pleased! There wasn't much of the "blow bubbles in the water" but instead "let's practice our strokes and learn to swim." She did great! She wore her goggles, wasn't afraid to put her face in the water, and she actually can stay afloat for a short period of time. Finally! The other two played with friends while we hung out. I talked with my friend.
Weds. Brandon went on a day trip for work. He left before we were all up. The girls and I headed to the library to check out more books, and Analise turned in her first finished form. Have I mentioned that I'm not thrilled with the reading program this year? :) Besides that, Analise was given the choice to pick a toy or coupon. Inside I was cheering for the coupon, but naturally she chose a toy. And what did she pick as a reward for all the activities she had done? A sucker! As if we don't have gobs of those at home already! :) I bit my tongue and let her enjoy her sucker. Maisie was very upset she didn't get to pick a prize. We eventually left on better terms.
Weds. afternoon the girls played outside and helped me make banana bread. We then picked up Papa Murphy's and went to my sis in law, S, house to eat with her and the boys. While the men are away, the women get together and play. We enjoyed dinner, and I just love seeing all six kids together at the dinner table. It's so natural for all of them to be together. It dawned on me that a lot of kids don't have this, so I was reminded how special it is. After dinner we went up to the school track and walked/ rode bikes for awhile. What a great way to burn energy! We got home right after Brandon did. He told the girls he had something special he brought home for them...a turtle! They were so excited and loved following it around the grass. Way to go dad! Then mom opened up her big mouth and mentioned that we were a temporary home for this turtle. Once Analise knew what I meant, she was in tears. I knew that being tired was the culprit for the tears, but it was still heartbreaking. We found a container to put him in for the night, along with some grass and lettuce.
The next morning went much better. We played with the turtle, took him over to some friends to share the excitement with them, and then we took him to the fishing club to give him a happier home. I was so proud of both girls. Analise let him out next to the water, and we watched him crawl in and float. He looked so happy. :) The girls saw how happy he was, told him goodbye, and then we left. Simple as that!
Friday turned out to be another busy but fun day. We met up with friends at the park in the morning for a great time of playing and eating lunch there. Analise got to stay longer with her cousins while my oldest nephew joined me. He went with me and the other two to Walmart to get a few things. He such a helpful young man! Analise ended up staying at her cousins to swim in their pool, and it was her perfect afternoon come true! I took my first attempt of making homemade strawberry jam with the strawberries I've been picking from my garden. Despite not following all the "helpful hints," it turned out super yummy! We enjoyed it at dinner with homemade biscuits. After dinner we scrambled to get things done around here. The girls played, Brandon changed the oil in the van, and I got things ready for tomorrow. We then finally took down the crib and set up the new "big girl bed" for Sadie. She was SO excited! She stayed in bed when we put her down. However, at 1 am, I heard her whimpering, and I found her on the floor. Poor girl!
Saturday was date day! Brandon had a coworker getting married ~5 hours away. We dropped off the girls at grandma/pa's for the day. Thank you, thank you! Brandon and I headed out. I drove the first leg so he could get some thing done. We stopped in one of the cities to look for an item we've been looking for for months. It's a whole lot easier doing this kind of shopping without girls. We continued east and got to the wedding with a little time to spare. The ceremony was really nice and Christ focused. Despite the distractions in front of us, we enjoyed it. We left the wedding and went for our own dinner at PF Chang's. Mmmm. Then we made the 5 hour trip home. Left at 9 am and got home 11:30 pm. It was a special time together with my hubby. It was also nice for me to just get away. Sometimes as a mom I get so focused on my family, that I forget life goes on elsewhere. I don't mean that to sound selfish; I just think sometimes I feel like I live in a bubble in my community with my family. It's good to get away, open my eyes to bigger things and come refreshed and ready to see my girls again.
Sunday we went to church, rested in the afternoon, ate an early dinner and then headed to a park to celebrate another full glass of fancy stones. The girls are so excited when we celebrate their good behavior.

Sadie was all about the slides!

Analise's favorite was this seat where she could spin in circles.

Maisie loved it all.

The girls on their duck/goose/swan ride.

Just a sampling of what we've been picking.

Maisie and our turtle friend.

The first thing we did at the park was go for a paddle boat ride...a paddle boat that looked like a swan. The girls enjoyed it, and it was a great set up where I felt all the girls were safe. Brandon and I paddled around the small lake for 3o minutes, and our time was up. The girls were ready to be finished so they could play at the park. One of the highlights was hearing Sadie say her longest sentence yet. She saw the swan boats and said, "Ducky go quack quack."

The new playground was a big hit! It's shaped like a pirate ship, and all the girls enjoyed their time. Sadie took one fall on the cement that earned her a band aid, but that didn't stop her any!

Thank you Lord for another good week!

Summer of Responsibility

Analise with her Chart

I knew going into summer vacation that I wanted to start a responsibility chart for Analise. There were things that I felt like she should be doing everyday without me having to always ask her to do it. I looked around for ideas; I read books; I talked with friends. In the end, I feel like I found what works best for us. I created a chart in a printing program by using a calendar and importing pictures. It's far from perfect looking, but it does the job. I had taken pictures of Analise doing each of these activities, so there is no doubt on her part of what she should be doing. If she completes a task without any reminders, she puts a sticker in the box. I chose seven things for her to work on:
1. Picking up after herself.
2. Making her bed.
3. Putting her clothes down the laundry chute.
4. Reading her Kid's Day by Day Bible.
5. Putting her shoes where the belong. (not in the middle of the room or hallway!)
6. Taking her plate and cup to the counter after meals.
7. Chores to help around the house. (They vary when the needs arise for mom. :))

Before she began we talked about this, and I showed her a contract I had put together. If she can complete her chart without reminders, no whining or complaining and maintain a positive attitude, then she can choose a reward. This too was something I did "research" on. I listed a few things she could choose from:
1. An extra 20 minutes of screen time.
2. Play the Wii with dad.
3. Bake something fun with mom.
4. Play at the park.
5. Stay up an extra 20 minutes later at bedtime.
6. A little spending money for the dollar section.
At the bottom of the contract is a verse reminding her she is working for the Lord and not for men.

I didn't want all the rewards to be money driven. Honestly, Analise is a quality time kind of girl, and money doesn't have a lot of value yet. Week one went well. As you can tell from her chart, she didn't get every task accomplished. Most of that was under "reading the Bible" and that's partially my fault. On a side note, I highly recommend that Bible! She and I read it together, and I love hearing her read with me. Good reading practice with lifetime benefits of God's Word.

Knowing that Maisie would want to earn stickers, too, we also implemented a method of promoting good behavior. Once again I got ideas from friends and books. I wanted the girls to work towards a common goal, to achieve it as a team, have instant rewards and rewards worth waiting for. It's pretty simple and nothing fancy, but it seems to be working. I bought some pretty little stones (that Maisie reminds me looks like candy) and I used a small glass. Each time I catch the girls doing something good, they get to put a stone in the glass. Once the glass reaches a certain point full of stones, we celebrate as a family. I am looking/rewarding for several things:
First time obedience
Using manners at the dinner table
Please and thank you
Not whining
Helping each other out
Maisie likes to pick up things to earn stones while Analise earns her sticker
Sharing
Helping
Those are just a few...the first week, I probably went over the top in handing out stones, but I wanted them to catch on to the idea. Now we are working on 'being caught" doing something that would make Jesus happy, and not always asking for a stone. :) Even little Sadie gets excited when she can put a stone in the cup. Our first celebration was our picnic at the park, and it looks like we will soon be celebrating again.
It's a commitment on our part to be consistent, but I am finding it's worth it. I feel better as a mom by encouraging the positive, and there is less nagging in the house.
Hopefully come the end of the summer, we will all look back and remember what has been accomplished in a positive environment. I want to be an intentional mother, and this is one way God revealed to me a method to use in investing in my girlies.

Memorial Day

Monday was finally a nice day! After days of heat, wind and some storms, we woke up to sunshine and no humidity on Monday. We got all packed up and left the house at 8:45. I'm still amazed. We stopped for donuts, and overall, we enjoyed the hour trip down. It was nice to visit with Brandon about some things that I've wanted to talk about. We got to the cabin and while Brandon got the boat ready, I made lunch and got the girls in their suits...and sunscreen, and hats, and sunglasses. It's never easy!
We were glad mom went with us; we always enjoy having her around. We got on the water about 11:40 and off the water 1:30ish. It was cool enough we didn't need the canopy. We ate lunch on the boat, and Brandon and mom trolled. The girls enjoyed it and did a nice job.
We came back to the cabin so the younger ones could take much needed naps. We said goodbye to S and D who had to leave, and Analise went back out on the boat with her cousins. We were both thrilled. Brandon worked on the boat, and I layed on the deck and read. Believe it or not, I don't remember the last time I sat in a lounge chair outside to simply read. It was lovely! I tried to come in before I looked like a lobster. I was able to read some more inside before family came back from boating. We all ate a yummy dinner, packed up and headed home. We got home at 8:00, and I quickly gave the girls much needed showers. After the girls were in bed, I went outside and picked my first bowlful of strawberries! You just can't beat a fresh strawberry. Mmm! A great day and weekend had come to an end.

Brandon getting the boat ready.

Sweet Sadie boating style

She was excited to wear her new gear!

Maisie is in there somewhere.

Sadie in her new monkey suit.

Weekend!

I caught Sadie looking cute in this hat.

The girls playing with Sadie's birthday toy.

All snuggled in for movie night.

I knew this weekend would go fast, but it still went faster than I wanted it to! Brandon got home a little after 5:00, so that was nice. In fact, he actually helped me finish supper. I was trying two new recipes, and I needed extra hands. It turned out yummy! We then had a movie night. Analise had picked out "The Love Bug." It was the restored version, so it was really clear. Analise loved it; she laughed a lot (amidst all the talking and question asking...) Maisie was tired since she hadn't napped. Sadie hung out and we snuggled and played. We kept the girls up later than I had wanted, but we finished the movie.

Saturday morning we were all dressed before 9:00 so we decided to eat the donuts at the donut shop. The girls were thrilled. We hung out at home rest of the morning. I was in the kitchen getting supper things ready. After naps, we went up to the Children's Museum to meet up with a dear friend of mine who moved to NY a few years ago. She was passing through, so we got to see each other for over an hour. The kids all played so well, and I enjoyed hanging out with S.B. and a couple of other friends that I don't get to see very often.

We got home a little after 5:00 and scurried to get a few more things done around here. A little after 5:30, our Sis in law and friend came over for dinner and to play. They played with the girls outside, enjoyed a "show" put on by the girls, read them a bedtime story, and the girls loved every minute of it! After the girls were in bed, the 4 of us played Wii Resort and then talked until about 11:00. Thanks for spending the evening with us, S and D!

Sunday morning we all went to church, and I helped in the 3 y.o. room. I think Maisie enjoyed having me in there. :) Thankfully I know most of the kids, and they know me. After church we went with the family to lunch. The girls did great, and I can tell eating out is getting easier! Yeah! Sunday afternoon everyone but Analise managed to take a nap. After I was up from my nap, Brandon and Analise went to the fishing club since it just opened this weekend. Analise caught 10 fish! Brandon caught one, but I'm pretty sure he helped catch 10 others. :) A great way to start the fishing season!

For dinner the family got together for lasagna at the parent's house. We spent a lot of time talking and laughing while the kids enjoyed themselves outside. We again got the girls to bed late. It's beginning to become more of a norm around here. :(