We Are Learning

Today at church, I ran across Elle's Primary teacher in the hall.  She told me that Elle was having a hard day and was not listening and following directions.  Elle definitely has her moments at home with me but at school and other places with adults, she is usually very attentive and is a pleaser.  I went into her class and there she was sitting next to the teacher.  I took her to our car for a little time out in her carseat.  She did not like that at all!  I then returned her back to her class.  After church we had a talk about it.  This whole parenting thing can be tricky...knowing how to correctly handle all the different situations you find yourself in. Elle and I decided together that it would be nice to write an apology note to her teacher and to deliver it to her at her house.  I couldn't believe how excited Elle was to do this for her. She sat at her desk for a very long time and colored pictures for her and then even "wrote" her own note while saying out loud everything she was writing (scribbling).  We then picked a flower from our yard and put the note I helped her with, her note and a bag of peanut butter crackers (that Elle insisted on including) into a bag.  We drove it all to her teacher's home.  Elle knocked on her door and gave her teacher a big hug and said she was sorry.  This is not the first incident of having to apologize nor will it be the last.  My hope however, is that all of these little experiences will add up and that she will learn from them.

Gwenners

Gwen was taking her nap this afternoon and we had just a few moments before I had to get Elle from school.  I poked my head into her room to find her looking at me through the slats of her crib with a little smile on her face.  I took a few shots of her today and she was just too cute.  She is such a sweet and happy baby.  I love her chubby, soft cheeks, her warm toes, and her funny little giggle. 

Sweets for my Sweets

If you know Elle, you know she loves her sweets.  What happened tonight proves that she must have been REALLY tired.  I was doing the dinner dishes and turned around to find her asleep right in the middle of eating her ice cream sandwich.  She just put her head on the table and was out.  Gwen was smart enough to realize that this was a golden opportunity.  It made me laugh because watching it in person reminded me of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland where the prisoners are trying to get the key from the dog while the guard is sleeping.  Gwen wanted that sandwich so badly...she just couldn't reach it!  

Monday, Monday

A lazy and happy Monday morning.  Elle watching her favorite cartoon, "Wow,Wow,Wubzzy", made even sweeter by her pink dog named "Sugar", her thumb and a new pink Barbie watch from the cereal box this morning. Gwen is busy as usual, doing her daily dumpster diving.  I think I now know what happened to the missing remote control.

Happy Valentines Day

No, my dog Tiger didn't take this photo...I did.  Let me explain.  I have always wanted to read the book, "I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids".  It rings so true to me.  I had a vision of myself being so organized and put together and that is just not the case for me a lot of days. Valentines day for example...even just a few days ago I had a vision of what I wanted to get done.  It is Elle's first Valentines Day that she is in school.  I went to Michaels and bought a mold to make cookie suckers.  Yep, heart shaped cookies on a stick!  Elle and I could make them and frost them together, tie them in cute red bows and hand them out to her little friends and teacher at school.  Yesterday at about 10:45 I was reading a note sent home from her teacher a WEEK ago.  It said that they would be celebrating Valentines Day one day early because the teacher was going to be out of town. What??!!  School started in just 20 minutes!!!  I threw a pink shirt on Elle put her in the car with Gwen who was screaming as well.  I grabbed a red pen, scissors and a roll of red ribbon and threw it all in the car.  We drove to Albertsons, I put both crying girls in the shopping cart, rolled them straight to the cheesy valentine section.  Elle took too long trying to choose her Valentines so I just chose the princess pack for her.  I grabbed a bag of pink tootsie pops and hurried to the cashier.  Out at the car I made Elle sign her name on them with the red pen (a red pen...how festive of me). She is only 3 and I was making her sign the cards on her lap in a grocery cart with a marker while I am saying, "hurry up Elle, an E an E now an L  not a P!!!"  We raced to school where I hastily wrapped the tootsie pops in the red ribbon for her to hand out.  She jumped out of the car and  I made her take a picture holding everything...because any "good" mom would have a picture of her daughters first school Valentines Day.  Since I am in a photography class, my camera is set on the Manual Mode (ugh).  The settings were set for pictures I had taken INSIDE the NIGHT before.  So needless to say the picture is WAY over exposed.  She looks like a blown out ghost...but I got the "money shot"...you can't tell her face from her shirt but I got it.  We will make the cookies another day and I think it's time for me to surrender to the myth of "perfection" in this art of motherhood. 

Happy Birthday to my Jon

Today is my Jon's Birthday.  The big 3-4!  Happy Birthday to my best friend, the best daddy to our girls, the smartest, funniest, most caring person I know.  The best decision I ever made was choosing to share my life with YOU.  You make me want to be better and do better.  I love you Forever.  Happy Birthday! 

Cute Kandis

Today I took this photo of my adorable niece, Kandis.  A few things I learned about her while she modeled for me...her favorite subject is science, she has 6 webkins, she LOVES all animals and thinks her bulldog at home is pregnant! Love you, Kandis.  Could she be any cuter?

Busy, Busy, Busy

Gwendolyn is quite a busy girl.  From the moment she wakes up until bedtime, she is BUSY. Busy pulling things out of cabinets, busy putting our phones in the toilet (that happened this morning), busy finding any cupboard that I have forgotten to fasten with a child lock.  I was in another room and heard the water running.  Gwendolyn had discovered her favorite toy...this step-stool which gives her direct access to her new favorite pastime to keep her busy.  Playing in water.  

Sweet Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn has been sick for the past week.  She was so miserable that I finally took her to urgent care on Sunday morning.  Sure enough, both of her ears were infected.  Poor Gwenners!  She has been so fussy... not wanting me to hold her but then when I would set her down she would cry even more.  Basically, she has been miserable.  The dr. prescribed her some medicine and today is the first day that she has not been a crying mess.  She actually had the desire this afternoon to play with her toys.  I am so relieved to know that she feels better and is back to her happy and sweet self. 

Princess Jammies

About a year ago, Elle and I were running through WalMart and I was in a hurry to check out. While we were standing in line, Elle saw an enormous TACKY Disney Princess display.  She promptly begged for the shiny polyester, horribly ugly, princess (did I mention polyester) purple nightgown (1st picture above). I told her no, no and again, no.  She of all children did not need a new pair of pajamas.  I promptly reminded her of all of the adorable PJ sets she had at home...the cute toile pajamas with her monogram on them or how about the pink cotton ones embroidered with "I love you" on the pocket?  She wasn't having it.  So I hesitantly agreed.  It has been a year and those have been her favorite jammies.  They got a hole in them and so I gleefully threw them away.  Elle saw them in the trash and began to cry.  I told her that they were just too small now and that it was time to say good bye.  She was so sad, so I told her, "OK, let's go online and you can pick out a replacement pair."  We found a (slightly less tacky...but not much) pair.  For the last week, she ran to the mailbox everyday to see if they had arrived.  Well, yesterday they did. She wore them to bed last night and was in heaven.  She even slept in her princess shoes...I am not kidding.  I asked her how much she loved them and she put both of her arms out and said, "this much!" I need to put blinders on her when we go to WalMart from now on.  Heaven help me if I ever bring home the matching trash can and drapery set!

Mommy and Elle Time

Today I dropped Gwen off at a friend's home and took Elle to the beach for some much needed "mommy and Elle time".  I worked on some things for my photography class and Elle played in the sand.  She loves the beach.  This is the beach that I grew up going to every summer.  It is surreal to live here now.  It was so fun to watch her play in the sand and walk on the pier that I loved so much when I was her age.  It even smells the same!  It was a really fun afternoon and I can't wait for summertime so that we can be there more often.

Tiger's Breakfast

 If it's mealtime you are sure to find our little dog in the same spot.  Tiger takes his position next to Gwen's highchair, hoping she will drop something (anything!) from her tray.  Lucky for him, Gwen is quite a messy eater. He has his own food bowl but seems to enjoy droppings of sticky toddler food much better.  Cute little Tiger...got to love him. 

Storytime

Every night it's the same routine.  Jammies on, brush teeth, say prayers and then Elle gets to choose 3 books she would like to have one of us read to her.  Tonight Jon was with her and I caught this sweet image.  They read Carebears, Ariel the Mermaid and then Dr. Seuss'  "The Foot Book".  I love this time of the day.  Elle will just chat and chat about all the happenings from her day.  After we turn out the light, we have to lie with her until she gets a little sleepy. She sucks her thumb and pinches my neck (it's her sign of affection).  We then say, "OK, we are going to get our pajamas on and then we will be right back".  Even though we never "come back" it works EVERY night.  We tip toe out the door and then she dozes off to sleep.  

Sisters

This picture was taken exactly one year ago today.  It is one of my all time favorite photos.  I put Gwen on Elle's bed while I was hurrying to get a few things done around the house.  When I went in to check on her, Elle had crawled into the bed with Gwen and was snuggling with her. Elle had a hard time with the adjustment period of having a new baby in the house.  This was the morning I felt like "everything is going to be ok...they love eachother"!  As busy as it is being a mom of 2 little ones, I know I need to spend more time enjoying the quiet moments just like this.  

New Bedroom Furniture

Here is our new dresser.  Months and months ago I was looking for a new dresser.  Jon had me design it and then told me to have it priced out... I didn't think we would order it for a long time.  However, on my birthday, he surprised me and told me that he had ordered it.  He had kept it a secret from me for 3 months.  He's too good to me.  Love you Jon!

Simple Pleasures

Our new bed frame arrived.  I am thrilled.  I am a sucker for "all things pretty".  How can a piece of furniture make me so happy?  I love it and Elle does too.  Any time anyone stops by, she asks them if they want to see, "mommy's new bed because it is soo beautiful!"  I have trained her well.  

Here We Go!

 Here we are at the beginning of a new year.  My grandpa gave us the greatest gift for Christmas.  His life history.  I was so intrigued by it, I stayed up WAY too late and read it all in one night.  He had written about his life as well as his mother's life.  I could not have asked for a better gift.  It made me start to think how important it is to keep a record of my little family.  In an attempt to journal our family's happenings and to stay in touch with family and friends I have created this blog.  Elle is 3 and my baby, Gwendolyn,  just turned 1!  How did that happen?

I am excited to see what 2008 has in store for our family...here we go!

Amy the photographer?

A new year means a few new year's resolutions.  One of my new year's resolutions is to become a little better at photography...ok A LOT better!  I have a long ways to go.  I just started a 3 month photography course online.  My first assignment was "due" last night and here it is.  I had to turn my camera from auto to (gulp) manual!  Here is my first attempt.  A picture of my little Elle doing her signature look.  She calls it her funny face.  It always make me smile.  

New Year, New Blog