Grandma Michael Comes

Grandma Michael came for a week to come and play with us. She was on her way back from helping Tara with her new baby. We managed to go out and do a few things on some nice sunny days. We found a little train station that took us on an hour ride through a pretty area. They had an open train car and we spent most of our time out there. Addison convinced us to stop for UDF ice cream on the way home for lunch:) We took a nice picnic to one of our favorite parks and climbed the big tall town that Addison thinks Rapunzel lives in. Avery kept yelling at everyone that it was her tower! Grandma made bed time full of a lot of laughter and playing around. Thank you for visiting us and we wish we all lived closer!

Apple Picking

I was tired of sitting around not feeling well and we went out on a Saturday afternoon together. There was an apple festival in a nearby town going on. They had bee hive demonstrations, food trucks and apple picking. It was a really hot day so we didn't last a really long time, but it was still nice to get out. We came home and peeled lots and lots of apples. We made an apple crisp and then my dad made my favorite apple sauce like my grandma used to make. I pretty much lived off of it for a week!

Papa to the Rescue

About a month ago Papa came and stayed with us for a week. My mom had some girl friends visiting and he got kicked out:) The girls had a lot of fun and ran wild with him. He took them to the zoo and somehow the girls convinced him to let them get their faces painted. Addison went with a fierce purple cheetah and Avery picked a flamingo. They were on cloud nine and it was very dramatic when it was time to take the paint off. We went to Papa's favorite dinner spot of a Costco pizza combo. Papa was a hero and helped catch big grasshoppers in their bug catchers. Nights ended in laughter and soaking each other with a hose. I was able to get some rest and sit in my bed waiting for the nausea to pass. One evening when I was feeling decent Dave and I were able to sneak away to one more Red's baseball game. Aren't we grateful for grandparents who live close! 

Keepin It Real

This pregnancy has once again reminded me that my body doesn't do pregnancy very well. I just hit 19 weeks and I think (knock on wood) I'm finished throwing up all day long. Poor Addison would pray for me that I would feel better and it would make me cry! I've done a lot of falling asleep and then finding 100 photos of myself sleeping from the girls. I have never been so happy that Addison is able to get food out of the pantry and fill her own water cup for her and Avery. Netflix has been rolling most of the days, but we're surviving. Both my parents have spent time helping in between scooting back to Idaho. Dave hasn't complained once that I haven't cooked, rarely cleaned and look like death when he comes home. He took the girls to the library one day and they found a book that he thought was perfect called..Sometimes You Barf. I've been taking the girls to playgroup again and I'm back to making dinner and cleaning the house. I've started purging closets and organizing rooms. The nesting phase in the second trimester is my favorite. I'm starting to show and people can tell I am pregnant. Besides the being sick part of pregnancy I'm carrying very different this time. This little lady is sitting extremely low and I am a lot smaller this time around. I am relating it to chasing two busy girls around all day long! I am starting to feel her move and kick a lot more and as usual it seems to be later at night. I love being able to feel the baby move. It helps to remind me that this suffering is all but a moment and it worth it. 

Doing Big Girl Things

Before Addison started preschool I took her out for a little mommy-daughter date. We went to the mall and I let her pick out a new school outfit. This was the first time that I've taken Addison to the dressing room to try things on. It was kind of a magical moment for me to watch Addison admire herself in the mirror and turn and look around at herself. Against my wishes Addison picked a My Little Pony dress complete with a tail and wings. She also picked a pair of pants that have Minnie Mouse on the knees. She wants to wear the pants every.single.day!! We topped the evening off with Addison's favorite soft pretzels with an icee. I especially love being a mom to girls when we get to go do special things like this! 

Little Ladies

These two are becoming best of friends...most of the time:) Dressing up together and pulling out every blanket and pillow are their favorites. Addison likes to pretend that the pillows and blankets are dragon forts. Which causes Avery to think that there are monsters hiding around every corner! Addison continues to beg to go to Hobby Lobby to pick a craft every change she gets. She really likes to paint sun catchers. Avery likes to steal the soapy dish wand and cover the entire main floor before I notice. These two girls keep me really busy, but at the end of the day Addison still wants me to lay by her and Avery wants to be rocked to sleep. When I lay Avery down she has started to say, "Goodnight, love you!" Addison always asks when the sun will be up and if she can sneak come cartoons in while I make breakfast. They both like to watch, Sofia the First together which is nice that they can agree. Going out for frozen yogurt is still a family favorite activity. Both girls have mastered shoving large spoonfuls as fast as they can in their mouths! 

Pre-K

Back at the beginning of September Addison started Pre-K at St. James Preschool. She goes Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 9-11:30. It has been a really nice transition for her to be away from me. I can tell that she is still really shy in her class, but that is how both Dave and I were when we were young. She has started to come home and talk about different friend's names and is always happy when I pick her up. Her teachers names are Mrs. Hill and Miss Foley. They have a pet guinea pig and in one of the classrooms there is a slide. She has brought home some beautiful pieces of artwork and I'm sure she paints every chance she gets. They have a school rule to wear tennis shoes and it cramps her style with a dress. This has been a little bit of a struggle in the mornings when we're trying to rush out the door. I finally let her pick a new pair of shoes that are bright pink and she calls her "school shoes". The preschool is a methodist church so once a month she has a sermon from Paster Stu. When I ask her what they talk about she tells me things like, "How to be nice to your neighbors and how to be a good friend." I think she would like to go everyday, but I'm adjusting to having to get moving early two days a week:) Addison signed us up to bring snack one day and was on cloud nine when she picked cheese crackers. One day last week when I picked Addison up her teacher told me she announced that there was going to be a halloween party at her house. She had made a whole pile of "invitations" and signed her name on them. I was glad that she hasn't mastered writing her address and phone number yet! I had to inform her teacher that she could tell parents that there is NO party! Addison wanted everyone to come over and go trick or treating together. She is my little party girl! I'm grateful for the opportunity that she has to go to preschool and have teachers that I trust and admire. The fun part of the year with holiday parties is approaching and I'm excited for Addison to be apart of a school this year.