Sister Fun!

The minute I heard "It's a girl" in the delivery room over five years ago, I was so happy to have the "girl" I always wanted. When we found out we were having girl number two, I was just as thrilled because I knew eventually they would play together and really have fun as sisters and what fun we are having!!!! I am sure life is fun with boys too because I know some precious little boys, but I have to admit I think God knew what he was doing when he gave me girls! (Check back with me though when we are treading water throughout the teen years!) Amanda-"Run sissy Run!" Amelia-"I am trying but these boots momma has me in are making it hard to run! Amanda-"Oh sissy, how well I know. I will let you in on a little secret, Momma isn't the best shoe shopper for kids, she tends to mess up the sizes. Do yourself a favor and get dad to take you shoe shopping he is so much better at it. Why he gets the right size and much better quality shoes for a good price!" Amanda-"Mom is good at making dinner though and she is really good at picking out stuff for the dollhouse!" Amanda loved Minnie and Mickey Mouse around the age of two and even had a Mickey's Clubhouse birthday party when she turned two. Then she got into other things. This past month Amelia has developed a new fondness for Mickey and Friends so her big sister now watches it with her even though she has grown out of it. I think that is so sweet. When Amelia is upset, Amanda will ask if she can watch Minnie with her! We were thrilled when Elmo and his car died at the toy store and they replaced him with Mickey! Sorry, Elmo but your voice annoys us!

Amelia's first ice cream cone at B&R! Amanda ran upstairs and got her two gift certificates for B&R the minute I said we would go there. She came downstairs and said, "I will treat!" I told her she didn't have to but she insisted. She received them as a party favor at a birthday party she went to recently. I thought that was a fabulous idea instead of party bags filled with those lovely, tiny toys/treasures that clutter your home and your toddler is constantly putting in her mouth.

Amelia loves to people watch/stare in public just like her big sis does! (They must get that bad habit from their dad!)

Amanda was thrilled when mommy was having a stressful day and Amelia refused to nap so mommy said, "Let's just go get ice cream!"

Amanda is even considering paying her sister to refuse to nap more often.......

Amelia says, "Do I really look like I need a nap?"

This was the first year we didn't get to a Dr. Seuss birthday party at the library or the teacher store so we just dug out mommy's old mask from her teaching days and had our own party!

I adore watching the girls play, laugh, and hug, with one another!

Thank you God for the wonderful bond siblings have and giving me girls!

Tantrums

What in the world makes you think I would be in the middle of having a tantrum?










I am just on the floor looking at you......











Isn't it normal to throw yourself on the floor and scream when you want something and your mommy tells you that you can't have what you want? I am not doing that anyhow, I am just on the floor because it is comfy! You should try lying down on a hardwood floor sometime, it is very good for the back!

March Fun 2011

March came into our house like a lion with lots going on but........we know it will end going out like a lamb.

We brought out the play dough the other day. Amanda and I use to spend hours every week playing with play dough at one point but then......life got busier and messier so we didn't get it out for fear of adding to our mess. After playing with it the other day, I realize that was a huge mistake because we had a blast and it was very relaxing for the three of us.

Amanda made a girl and a pizza. She really has grown into quite the detailed artist her teacher said. She asked me to take her to the art museum so she could "see what kinda of things they have on their walls so I will know what to make."
Since she is planning on being an artist one day. She spends a lot of time retreating to her desk in her room to draw, write notes to us, and make us presents with her art. I was a little worried at first about her wanting to be alone so much since she is normally our social butterfly, but I have learned that she needs her "alone time" and always comes back refreshed, not to mention her writing and drawing skills have increase dramatically over the past 5 months so I am thinking the alone time is a good thing. I know someone else like that, in fact I see her in the mirror everyday!

This was Amelia's first play dough experience and I just knew she was going to eat it and be done with it within 2 minutes.

Surprisingly, she didn't eat it after she tasted it just once and I told her no. (She responded to being told "NO" so I have to write that down because I know the terrible two's or three's are down the road!)

Amelia played with the dough for around 20 minutes which I thought was pretty good for her age.

March has also given us some time to practice our music making skills. She loves to make music and sing. If I sing, "Do" she will sing, "Re" it is so precious!

She can sing part of Jesus Loves Me, she sings, "bible so" along with some words even her mommy can't make out yet, but it is Jesus Loves Me to her. She can also do some of the signs like

"Jesus," "Yes," "Me," and "Love," when we sing.

My favorite song that she is learning is called

"The Devil Wants Everybody Grumpy" and whenever I ask her to make her grumpy face she makes the cutest face however, I had to really work on teaching her that believe it or not because she would smile and I do not know one Grumpy person that smiles! Come to think of it I don't really know too many grumpy people with the rare exception of that mommy I see in the mirror some

days, but even those days are pretty rare because we do like to smile and laugh around here!

Of course, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day even though we are not Irish. We love any chance to celebrate and throw a party. Amanda had a blast at preschool that morning where everything they did was GREEN. They ate green cream cheese, made a green shamrock, and a wind chime. She came home so excited about her day.

While Amanda was in preschool, Amelia and I went to our music class where she opened up a little more and was a great helper putting the instruments away. This was a first since she usually cries when I have to pry the instrument out of her hand in music class. Now she tries to get the instruments from the other babies and says, "help" to them. She is really coming out of her shy shell in music class but wouldn't you know the last class is this week!

I told Amanda about green bagels last year but we could never find any so I made it my mission to find some this year. She loved it and was tickled pink that someone would dye a bagel green!

We had a fun day of playing and since Amanda told her teacher the day before that her mom was making green eggs and ham for dinner for St. Patrick's day (it was news to me) so I ran to the store and bought some ham and we had Green Eggs and Ham for dinner. (Daddy was just thrilled that he wasn't home for dinner that evening!)

My girls are so precious to us!

We had a fun St. Patrick's Day and so far the month of March despite all of the "Madness" has been a good one, but how can it not be when I get to spend my day with two precious girls? What a true gift they are and I am so thankful for every "moment of madness" we have together!

Some good advice!

The other day I was feeling a little stressed out because we were having one of those "cleaning up one mess after another days" and my daughter picked up on the fact that I was feeling stressed out.
She looked at me and very calmly said, "Mommy, when you are feeling stressed out, you need to count or eat some chocolate!"

I laughed so hard that the stress of the moment just faded away. I think that girl has a bright future as a doctor. I think her advice would be well received among most women I know!