Fun times:)

Amanda loved meeting her new playmate and enjoyed playing with his toys! Thanks for sharing baby Nicholas, we can't wait to play again!




Amanda and her friend had a tea party:)


Tea party fun!

Fun at our local pool:) They have a playground there also that Amanda loves almost as much as the pool. She just loves to climb!

She looks so grown up to me in this pic! I cannot believe how quickly time has gone!

Today was just plain fun!We woke up, did some laundry. Amanda is a great helper w/ cleaning out the dryer vent and taking clothes out of the dryer!( you go girl) I figure at this rate she will be doing her own laundry at the age of four and mine at the age of 5, and maybe by 6 daddy's.

Of course I am only kidding! Considering I was the kid that before I went to college my mom had to literally write out notes to teach me to do my own laundry......she won't be doing her own at 5 although it sure would be nice considering she is going through more outfits a day than when she did when she was a newborn. She loves to change into the "extra outfit" since she knows we take one everywhere we go and hates to have anything on her! And I thought she was going to be a tomboy?

I am happy to report that today Amanda wore panties all day long with zero accidents! I am so proud of her and yes, I know that might not be exciting news to everyone but when you have tried for a very long time to potty train your child it is HUGE! I think potty training is really the only thing so far (along with spanking) that I haven't enjoyed in

my ever growing job requirements of being a mom!

After doing laundry we went over to play with a friend. We both had a wonderful time:) The girls had a fun time playing and they even fed us lunch! It is so nice when your daughter is friends with your friend's daughter:) We love play dates!

Next we were off to see new baby Nicholas:) A friend of mine who just had the sweetest baby boy! Watching him just sleep on his mommy's chest made me have flashbacks to the days where I got nothing done because I would just sit and hold my baby. ( I used the excuse that she would cry or wake up the minute I put her down just so I could hold her all day) I would wake up with great expectations of getting things done.........but you know, I decided those things could wait because those months just flew bye and I had to enjoy them and boy did I ever even though I didn't get as much as I would have liked done that day!

Then I started thinking........not much has changed today! I still don't get much done but not because I am holding Amanda all day but because we are going fun places, having tea parties, playing hide and seek, shopping, play dates, swimming, dressing and undressing those little baby dolls over and over again, reading the same books over and over, watching a TV show together, cooking together, etc and you know, my attitude is still the same as it was those first few weeks.........yes, I have a lot to get done, but most of it can wait because these "fun days" can never be replace and some day she won't want me to come hang out with her because she will be embarrassed to have mom hang out with her friends. (What a sad day that will be!)

Amanda was so sweet towards baby Nicholas and would just look at him and even told me to "shhh mommy, talk in a quiet voice" when he was sleeping:) She will be a great big sister one day and has been asking a lot about her new baby sister and when she will be here. She even asked me the other day driving down the road, "mommy when is Jesus going to put my baby sister in your tummy?" ha ha A few months ago, she ran to the door when I said we had a package, and said, "oh maybe it is my baby sister!" She has even decided when her baby sister arrives she can sleep in her big girl bed with her:)

Ever since one of her friends had a sister in February, she thinks she is getting a sister too. Now another friend is getting a sister so she is talking about her getting a sister even more! It really is fun to listen too:) All I can say is no, I don't have anything to announce at this time:) I don't know how my friends who have two do it! I really do admire them. I met a lady with 6 kids the other day! Fortunately, I didn't say, "oh that must be awful!" like I did at a baby shower for my friend a few months ago! She told me she had a boy and then had twin boys and it just flew right out of my mouth! I guess because I just can't fathom it but I do hope God eventually gives her a baby sister because she is going to be very disappointed if he doesn't. Until then, we will just enjoy all of our friends and their babies:)

I'm not the best!

Tonight I was told (once again) from my sweet daughter that I am not the best! ha She is really into reminding me of this lately!

Conversation about the best:
Amanda- "Mommy you are not the best, daddy is the best at Gymboree".

Mommy-"What am I the best at?"

Amanda- "Well, daddy is the best at playing games."

Mommy- "Am I the best at anything?"

Amanda-"Well, you are the best at giving me food!"

Hey, I am just thankful she didn't say at "shopping" because daddy was listening and I know he would never let me live that one down!

We had a wonderful day playing at our Gymboree class, riding the merry go round, and then eating lunch with our friends:) I love being around this friend because she is always uplifting and puts everything into perspective. Plus, she is real and honest, which is the type of friend I like to hang out with!
Amanda had a fun time with her little girls and we have a cute pic of the girls holding hands. We then did a little shopping and home to take a bath and nap:) Amanda likes to take baths in the afternoon for some reason and it makes her nap well, so why not?

Amanda did great all morning wearing panties even to class! I was so worried she would have an accident there but she stayed dry! I tried to get her to wear pull ups but she said, "no, everyone wears panties there and there is a bathroom at Gymboree mommy!" (I know if you aren't into potty training this post is gross but trust me you will be there one day training your child or they do say we regress when we get older.........um, could diapers be in your future again? ugh!

We finally got to use our grill again since it has been so hot and we had to get another tank. My hubby found a place that delivers replacements for just 10 bucks, can't beat that! So we enjoyed grilled turkey burgers:) Amanda said, "I really like this!"Of course, we had to keep the salad away from her again until she ate some protein. That girl just loves lettuce!

Well, we had a fine day but I think I ruined it by watching the Democratic Convention tonight. While I am so thankful Hillary is just a speaker and not the candidate, I am getting sick listening yet, can't stop! It was fun though to see Michelle Obama's face when Hillary was doing her let me stand here and let you clap for me for 10 minutes because I am loving this attention after she was introduced. I don't understand that? You are the speaker, you were introduced so why would you stand there and not just start speaking? Could it be an ego the size of Mars? I think the funniest part was when Bill was mouthing, " I love you!" ha ha! That really made me sick! You love her do ya? Then why are you a member of the new girlfriend of the month club?
I will say Chelsea has grown into a pretty girl! Ok, enough politics!

I will post pics later. I know I still owe you vacation pics and grand babies all together pics! I haven't forgot just busy trying to be the best!

Family fun day

On Saturday we had our family fun day! We started by going to Amanda's last movement class. This was my first time since her Saturday classes are just for her and daddy:) She really enjoys this special time with him and I think it is because he lets her pick the restaurant for lunch and you know what she picks................Yep, those Golden Artery Clogging Arches with those horrible free toys!
But since that is a "restaurant that only daddy can take you to" and I was along, we went to our favorite family restaurant:) Since they have good Greek food there we decided to try a cucumber dip with a fancy name that I don't remember or can pronounce but it was good and they told us it is healthy:) We had a nice time as a family:) Then we headed home to make our friends dinner.
Amanda fell asleep at 5 pm since she hadn't had a nap, and slept until midnight! I just knew she was so tired she would sleep straight on through and not miss the dinner she missed earlier but.....oh no, she wanted some chicken! How could I say no to a child who hadn't eaten dinner at midnight? After eating this of course made her a little more awake....so needless to say the whole getting all the sleep I really need thing, didn't happen last night! But that's ok, my husband let me sleep in (actually, I think I yelled at him when he tried waking me) sorry about that honey, and we just went to the 11:00 service. The service was great and we had a chance to talk to a friend I hadn't seen in a while:) We met Mammaw and Pappaw for lunch at our favorite "worm food" restaurant. This is a middle-eastern restaurant that my older brother refers to as "worm food" because it is basically very healthy. Carrot and apple juice, etc.. They have really good vegetarian chili there:) Tonight we played hide and seek and Amanda discovered a great new hiding place. (sorry can't tell ya in case we have you over for dinner and we end up playing hide and seek!
BTW-I enjoyed the class! Amanda wasn't going to let me go since "you're not the best mommy, daddy is!" (Yep, she just started saying that this weekend:) When she needed help and I volunteered......she said, "no, I want daddy, you are not the best mommy, daddy is the best!"
She said a lot of cute things this weekend and I can't remember them all so I have to get better about blogging so I can get them written down for her to read when she is old and gray!
Thanks for letting me tag along to class today Amanda, I loved seeing Daddy do the "Hokey Pokey" and playing ring around the rosy with the parachute was fun. I also liked watching you jump into the big ball pit:) Each night Amanda and I talk about our favorite thing about the day...my favorite was using the big foam blocks to build a house and then pretending to be the wolf when you were inside with your friends Trinity and Henry:) Oh and sorry no pics, I thought I had left my camera at home and after class (of course) I realized it was in my purse! (at least I haven't "lost" this one yet! There's something good in everything!

Our week!

Umm...I guess I haven't blogged in a week? I must be cured from my Internet addiction!
Nope, just busy! We have been busy since we returned from vacation. On Monday, we took a very long walk and met a "new lady" as Amanda puts it. She is a new neighbor we hadn't met yet and she joined us for our walk. We had a lovely talk and found out that she babysits when she is home from college......then we decided to hit the pool and we had a lot of fun hanging out with our friends there.
Tuesday, we finally made it to our Gymboree class that we missed last week for vacation and the week prior due to VBS. We did our little ritual of riding the horses and of course Amanda talked me into letting her ride it twice. We then had lunch at our favorite family restaurant and were surprised when we walked in to see mamaw and papaw there, so we crashed their romantic lunch!
Wednesday-we had planned to go with our friend Ashley to the water park but Amanda got a fever out of no where late Tuesday night so we stay home.......we were both bummed......Amanda was suppose to go hang out with M and P Wednesday night while we went to small group but since she had a fever we canceled and boy did she get upset! She just sobbed and sobbed like she was broken hearted and would be forever! It was so sad!

SO, mamaw saved the night by promising her that if she woke up fever free on Thursday she would race on over and spend the day doing something fun with her at their house. Wouldn't you know it she woke up a little before 8 and had me feel her forehead and it wasn't hot. Then she said, "I have to get dressed and call mamaw and papaw" I hated for her to call so early so I talked her into watching her new favorite show (Pinky Dinky Doo) and then calling. I really like this show and find it to be something good on TV! The little girl and boy go to the story box and she makes up a story and then they review the story and ask what happened first, next, and then last. Amanda really listened and answered all the questions correct. I think this is going to be my new favorite show too! After we watched the show Amanda called mamaw and asked "when they were coming to pick her up?" They came after pappaw watched the basketball game and it was almost time for an early lunch so they took her out and I followed them so we could eat together. Then Amanda went with them and as they all walked away together hand in hand, I could only say, "thank you God for giving me such a wonderful set of parents who adore my daughter as much as she adores them!" I know so many cranky older people who just don't act like they like kids and I am so thankful my parents are not that way. It does make me wonder when I see older folks out and about acting like my child is annoying them........if they ever liked children or if they have just become so self-absorb in their old age? I do wonder!

Amanda had a wonderful time spending the day playing and learning how to "take care of the flowers" she was given a hose to water the flowers but ended up turning it on poor mamaw and then started chasing her around the yard with it! I do not know where my child learned this behavior because I only did that once last year and she loved it but I don't think she could remember that far back.................she must have learned it from another member of our family:)
(not about to mention any names) Sorry my daughter soaked ya mom but it will teach you to not give her a hose!

Friday-wasn't as exciting since we had a workman here all day long. I do not know what it is about having workman in my house other than it just makes me nervous and a little on edge and well, grouchy....I haven't figured out why yet.....I guess because I know I am stuck in the house all day and I hate that! Tomorrow, we are going to have a family fun day starting with all three of us going to Amanda's last movement class. Normally, the Saturday classes are just for daddy and Amanda to go to since I get to have fun with her all week while he is at work. But Amanda is making a special exception for tomorrow! It must be her "responsibility" that is her new line this week to us, "it is your responsibility" I can't imagine where she got that one? Oh, I almost forgot! Amanda woke up the other day and said, "I am not wearing diapers, and no pull ups, only big girl panties. I must say she is doing quite well with them:) Yay Amanda! But.....

The best part of the week is the great news we received that my brother in law's dad's quadruple bi-pass went well on Thursday and he can come home on Tuesday! God answered a lot of prayers and proved once again to us that he is so good!

Good bye!

Last week, not only did we have fun at bible school but we had to say good bye to our only baby sitter! (other than mammaw and pappaw) She is going back to college and Amanda is going to miss seeing her every week!

We enjoyed eating dinner with her every week and then we would go to our small group bible study with our friends while she and Amanda played:) She even came over one day and hung out with Amanda at the pool while I went through some of the bags and boxes of clothes to get rid of....keep......throw away.....:) We will miss her dearly and look forward to visiting her, maybe in October:)

After bible school we had something fun planned everyday for lunch:) Monday- we had lunch with our friends/played on the playground

Tuesday-we had lunch at Chick-filet with a friend who moved away recently and was in town visiting. Then we headed to an indoor playground and played for a while and then Amanda and I rode the little train they have there around the mall:) We love riding that train and waving to everyone!

Wednesday-we had lunch at our favorite family restaurant with mamaw and pappaw:)

Thursday- we went back to that Chick-filet with mammaw and Aunt Lori, Emily, and Baby Ethan:) (Pappaw had an appointment so couldn't go) Once again we got to play on the playground, and then we rode the train! Baby Ethan loved riding the train and Emily just laughed the entire time! Amanda had a blast just watching them!

Friday-we went back to our favorite family restaurant with our cousins and mamaw and papaw, so in other words Amanda ate lunch out every day this week!!!!!!!! How am I going to ever get her to want to eat lunch at home again? I guess we will have to make lunch at home and then go picnic outside or something to get her back into eating at home especially after vacation too! What a fun summer we have had! We can't believe it is going by so fast!:)

VBS

Amanda adored this teacher helper who was really the teacher's helper since her mom was one of the teachers.

Amanda loves baby Ethan. I love how he looked up at the camera when asked too! Good listening for a little almost one year old:)

Amanda

"walking the line" with her friends:) They

used the rope to keep the kids together:) How cute is that?

This is our friend Mary who worked with us in the craft room. Doesn't she look like she is having a great time? She did! This photo is for her husband:)

This is our cuz Emily who had a blast singing and did the motions to all the songs so well, (Aunty was watching)

Sitting in the front row with her class listening to the morning drama and songs. Aren't they just doing a wonderful job sitting there listening? They are only 2!




She adored this teacher helper and talks about her all the time:) Her mom was one of the teacher's at VBS but Amanda told me that her mom is also "my story teacher" at the COW club which is the club she attends on Wednesdays during the school year. She loves her and her little girls!

Last week our church held their annual VBS (vacation bible school) and it was a Western Cowboy theme. The church was literally transformed into the Triple C Ranch with hay and all! The C's stand for Christ Centered Character and each day a different character trait was taught. Kindness, Obedience etc. The program starts at the age of four but since I volunteered to work in the Craft room Amanda could take part in the program. They even had a special class for her and they followed the same program the big kids did. She would go into the main program for music and drama with all the other children up to 3rd grade. (the older children go at night)

I saw her walking with her class to the opening program, they all held onto a rope so they wouldn't get separated:) It was sooooo sweet to watch!

She loved the music and drama. They had different characters in the play and she would come home and talk about the cowboy etc:) I was really surprised how much she understood in the drama and got out of it since it was geared for older children. She thought the one guy was mean at one point in the week and didn't have Jesus in his heart, and the morning before we left to go she said, "I am going to tell Cowboy Jack, you need Jesus in your heart" Then she said, "I have Jesus in my heart, Pooh Bear has Jesus in his heart, Tigger has Jesus in his heart, mommy and daddy have Jesus in her/his heart!"


I know she hasn't really asked Jesus to forgive her of her sins and be her Savior and Lord of her life just yet since she is still so young and doesn't understand having a relationship with Jesus, and spending eternity with him when she dies...........but I am happy she is starting to talk about it and discovering what is good and what is bad! It is a start, since no one comes to know Jesus without the realization that they are a sinner in need of a savior. It has thrilled my husband and I though since we know all that she is learning now are building blocks to her future relationship with Jesus! Her prayers are already adorable and continue to amaze us!

Amanda made five different crafts throughout the week, a cowboy hat, a lasso, a spur, sheriff badge with her picture on it, and a bandanna. They put them all on a cowboy vest for her and gave her this cool cowboy hat:) I tried everyday for a week to get her to wear her jean skirt with a horse on it so she could look like a real cowgirl, but she just hasn't been into wearing anything I want her to lately!


One week she will love just jeans, the next just pants, the next just shorts............and she is only 2! It is scary because she goes through at least 3 outfits a day. She hates to have any dirt on her and has to change the minute she wakes up out of her nightgown because she told us, "my nightgown makes me nervous!" ha That is one of her sayings lately!


Back to VBS-she not only made crafts, but had fun and healthy snacks everyday, and went to story time everyday. Afterwards, I would pick her up and we would go to the closing program together where they did another drama and sang songs. She fell in love with the ending good bye song and has been singing it non-stop..........the only problem is neither of us know all of the words so it is becoming a bit redundant! We both had such a wonderful time and were sooooo very impressed with this program at our church! They really went all out with decorations etc, and it was amazing! We were glad that we were leaving on vacation a day later because after all the fun she had last week how would we ever compete with that on a normal week?

I survived playing with my cuz!

Beware Ethan attacks!
And mammaw just sits there???????????????

Ahhh, kiss and make up!

No wonder she keeps praying to have a baby sister one day and not a baby brother!

Family picture finally!

We have never been able in the past almost three years to take a family picture that was semi decent(no, the Christmas card one was terrible) and I think we finally got one that when I put my "perfectionist" side of me away, I can like!

Pics from last week!

Gymboree with my pals:)
He's getting away....
Lunch with Grandma on Sunday was fun but she couldn't take her eyes off of me long enough to get a picture!

Play date with baby Eric, I mean baby Ethan. Man he looks like his dad in this picture:)

Fun at Toys R US!

I love it when we need to buy a baby gift, or birthday present because it is a great excuse for playing at the place where you can be a kid, and I just happened to have my purse from an earlier outing so I took advantage of getting some cute shots. (We were going to tease you daddy and tell you this was Amanda's Christmas list but.....decided not to since Amanda has been learning about character traits this week at VBS and the first one is Honesty!)

She loves this train table so much you would think she was a boy! She didn't like the fact someone had taken the the trains from the table........they use to have them tied down but I guess that just doesn't stop some kids from stealing. It did present a great opportunity for us to talk about how we do not take things that do not belong to us or pay for........and no Uncle R, I didn't tell her that I almost stole a "pet rock" when I was young on vacation. I figure you will tell her soon enough! ha

I finally let her ride the Elmo car and she loved it! I never have change or cash on me but Friday was our lucky day. It is funny that out of everything in the entire store, riding this car made her day! Isn't it amazing what fifty cents will do? (We have a surprise trip planned for her to see Elmo's house and have breakfast with him at the end of the summer so seeing how much she loved this makes me anticipate the trip even more!)