E's first lost tooth

elena's bottom right tooth has been wiggly for some time now.  she's walking around wiggling it with her tongue and it makes lovely squeaky sounds.  she has difficulty biting with her front teeth.  and she obsesses over it 24/7!  :)

we tried a few ways to get it out that were all on the safe side.  she definitely wanted it out, but wasn't willing to do anything drastic and frankly - neither was i!

one day as she was obsessing over it, i was looking at it again for the 100th time as she pleaded.  i noticed the tooth behind it was already up!  we just so happened to be going to the dentist the next day and i explained the dentist may just want to pull that tooth out since her permanent tooth already broke through. when we went to the dentist, the dentist actually just told her to keep working at it....que miss elena going ahead and asking for the dentist to just pull it out!  they yanked it right out and miss e was a happy camper!

sporting a new smile and a whopping $5 from her tooth fairy, tooth-e-taya!  the tooth fairies seem to have all gotten richer since i was losing teeth.  in fact one tooth fairy wanted to leave her $100!!!  thank goodness tooth-e-taya is her tooth fairy and reminded him that she is only 5 years old!!

"If you don't have a smile, I'll give you one of mine." ~Author Unknown

ad is 4 yrs old

four!?? really? my baby is four?! i'm so not ready for my little adelyn to be four!  she's the baby.  not a four year old!!  adelyn, you have grown up so much this past year and it's been such a pleasure to watch!!  but it's hard to believe that it was four years ago that you rocked our world.....in such an amazing way!!

your favorite color is still orange, followed by pink. you love to play with cars! you also love little people and baby dolls. you love to dance - your style is more hip hop then anything.  your move is to 'raise the roof' with closed fingers.  it's adorable, of course.  your favorite phrase is "oh yeah!" said in a spunky way. you also love to sing made up songs.

you seriously have the best expressions! the faces you make are hard to describe. they are rarely fitting but make everyone crack up. you're hilarious. you truly have a punk side and it's hard not to eat it up. when you know you're not being as good as you should be you flash the biggest fakest smile.

despite your occasional punkness, you're a very good listener. you love the praise and reward when being good. you have a lot of pride, but can easily turn that off. you will whine/cry for a few minutes when tired and things aren't going your way. but you quickly get over it.

you are just starting to fit in size 4T.  and you just need them for length.  you're still wearing 24mo stuff for capris, shorts, etc. you barely weigh 30lbs and are 33 inches tall.  you still feel as though your bones are filled with helium.  but you're becoming stronger and stronger.  you love to exercise and ask all the time, "is this exercise?" as you're trying to work it. ;) you love tumbling and have been asked to move out of the preschool class - skip the next class (the "beginner's" class) and move right into an invitational class!  pretty impressive for four years old!!  however, you say you're not ready.  i think you really like being top dog and that is ok with me.  we are letting you let us know when you're ready for the "big" class.

you're still a picky eater, but finally a good picky eater. meaning you will eat it all up as long as you like it. you're still obsessed with orange juice. we cut you off after 2 glasses a day. and you've gotten so much better with water. you love love love sweets!! you would much prefer to snack throughout the whole day if you could.

you love school.  but i really believe you love the social/life skills part of it.....which i can't blame you (it's what i liked about school too).  you despise being quizzed at anything! you know your letters, you know your numbers. but god forbid - to go over them in any way, shape or form - it has to be YOUR idea. you can count to 13. you know the rest of the teens, but mix them all up. you write small words when told how to spell them. and you love to read to your friends and us.

you have a hard time sitting through a whole movie, but love to watch tv. you are really coming out of your shell with others this past year. you no longer need me right by your side. you get great satisfaction out of behaving when others are not and are sure to point it out. you most definitely like to get your way. and are able to stand up for yourself no problem. shyness seems to simply vanish then! ha.

you still really love your thumb and ear! i'm not too sure when that will go away. we are trying to get you to suck your thumb less during the day. you're doing pretty good with it, but also "forget!" you're still a #1 cuddler. everything can be fixed for you by snuggling up on my lap and getting as close as you possibly can. you still love for us to lay with you while falling asleep. you love to be nose to nose and will place my arm around you.

you are fine with whatever i pick out for you to wear. and overall easy going and go with the flow. you still get lots and lots of compliments on your hair and eyes. you're so so good with babies. i'm surprised at your interest since you so like to be coddled, but you truly LOVE babies. you're such a great little sister and are going to be an even better big sister!! you try and be first at everything. and it can almost always be a meltdown when your not.

your super sweet, super funny and super punky. you add so much character to our family. i simply can't express the love and the silliness you bring. you teach us so much. and i can't thank you enough for it. you are one of a kind miss ad. and we love you for it!! happy 4th birthday baby girl!!

"Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again." ~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

e's first day of school

on wednesday, elena had her "meet the teacher." she was beyond excited.

 

 

 

we got to hang out in her classroom and find her seat, "locker", etc.  she was pumped!

 

she looks so tiny in these big halls.  j and i were walking these halls once upon a time and it seems surreal that our girls will be doing the same....

 

and then thursday, august 23rd, was elena's first day of kindergarten!!!!

 

 

 

e's still growing into her back pack too.....

 

we had to pack a lunch even on the very first day.  she asked for cheese and crackers, ants on a log, a plum and water..

 

walking her up to her door....

 

getting her name tag....

 

e's first day was difficult. it's just so long. i'm not used to being away from her for more than a couple of hours at a time. she's is school for 6.5 hours! full day is all that's offered. :( not sure how i'm going to do with this. i picked her up and she was beside herself in love with kindergarten! i knew she'd make it easier for me, but i don't have to like it.

"I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life." ~Abraham Lincoln

ad's first day of school

on monday, adelyn had her "meet the teacher."  she was excited to go, but only with me....knowing i was going to stay with her the whole time.  ;)  before we left....

 

then on wednesday, august 22nd....adelyn's first day of preschool!!!!

 

 

 

adelyn's back pack is almost as big as she is....

 

let's go.....

 

getting some last minute words of encouragement from daddy before we head in....

 

 

 

yes, i took a picture of every step.  ;)  she's hanging her stuff up here.  it was about 5 minutes after this that she clung to me like saran wrap and needed to be peeled off by the teacher's aid.  :(  i literally had claw marks from her.  it was heartbreaking.  thankfully another mom came out and told me she had stopped crying already and was asking to go to the bathroom (aka - getting out in the hallway to look for me).  made my next 3 hours much much better!!!

 

i picked her up and she barely seemed excited to see me.  lol.  she walked out like no big deal.  i took her to the park for a picnic in celebration that  I  we survived the first day of preschool!!

"If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been." ~Robert Brault

3 years old

our baby is 3 years old today!! it's bittersweet. miss adelyn has been SUCH a big girl lately. but it's sad that a whopping 3 years has already passed. we can barely remember what life was like before you came along. you're such a delight and we're so lucky to have you in our lives!

miss adelyn, at 3 years old....

- you're a hard player! you go at everything full force and no holding back.
- you almost always have a bruise or bump or the combo on your forehead. almost always. you're a total bruiser.
- you are never ok after you get hurt. you get hurt, we ask if you're ok and the answer is always "no." even if you get up and get going right away. always a "no...i'm not ok."
- you are very well behaved when we're out! you listen and are cooperative. it's a pleasure to take you out and about....with the exception of you having to pee every few minutes. you have momma's bladder.
- you're very shy. everyone stops and gives you compliments or anyone that says hi, you shy away.
- you follow your big sis' lead most of the time playing. her imagination leads and you add to it. it's the perfect recipe for fun for you two!
- you've been counting in your head quickly for awhile now...where you look at something and can quickly say, "there's 3 girls and 2 boys."
- you LOVE outside. you love to ride your tricycle and can easily make it around a few blocks. you steer very well.

- you speak very well and of course i understand everything, and usually others understand you too. you do put p's for f's, so those words are challenging....um, and super cute. "look at the pishy." "can i have some pruit." "uh oh, i parted."
- you're still super cuddly. you love to cuddle with me and i can never resist. you usually fall asleep nose to nose with me and i'm just taking advantage of this time cause i know you'll be booting me out before i know it. you're a big time momma's girl and always have been. and i've never complained. ;)
- you like to color and draw. you either draw people or rainbows usually. you are fairly good at coloring in the lines and you almost always give each area it's own color.
- but there are times where you love to color outside of the lines too....um, oftten

- you love caillou. strawberry shortcake too.
- you enjoy movies, but barely make it through them still. you usually pick monsters inc or carebears.
- you end up in our bed for at least a little bit a few nights a week. you come right to my side and pull yourself up and in. sometimes i notice you right away and sometimes i have no clue how long you've been there and you're out like a light. i carry you back to bed.
- you take a nap probably 3 days a week. when you do take a nap, you have a very hard time going to sleep at night. when you don't take a nap, you're out by 6:30-7.
- if you're tired enough, you'll cuddle up with me and fall asllep. it's great.

- we still put a diaper on you to sleep.
- you're still a picky eater. real picky. you ask for food all the time and then barely eat it. and sometimes you devour seconds and thirds.

- you finally (as in the last week) need 3T clothes for length, but they are huge on you! 2T fits you, but is just getting too short. but now with the nicer weather and wearing shorts or capris - yea you can wear 18-24 months still and they fit great!
- you're a peanut. most people think you're younger than you are. you just hit 26 lbs this month, but that's with all your clothes and shoes on. everyone comments how light you are when they hold you. you're right at 3ft tall!

- you love to be held and carried around, so being tiny helps. ;)
- you can put your shoes and coat on by yourself, get dressed and wouldn'tcha know - you love to pick out all your own clothes. you refuse to wear some clothes, but if i give you a choice you're pretty good at choosing and being ok with it.
- minnie mouse is your favorite character.

- you say that you can't wait to go to school and dance. we shall see if that holds true in the fall.
- you still mix up your colors. sometimes you nail them.... and sometimes you just throw out the same color for every single one.... AND sometimes you just say you need help. it can be frustrating for me and i'm kinda thinking you just don't like to be quizzed. well that or you may be colorblind like your daddy???
- you're almost always sucking your thumb and pulling your ear still. your teeth are clearly changing from it. :( you tell us often that you're almost done sucking your thumb. ;) it's kinda cute.
- if you're not sucking your thumb and pulling your ear - you have your fingers in your nose OR your hand down the back of your pants. mmmhmmm. it's lovely. the other day you handed me a booger and said, "here mommy....i don't have any more room for this in my nose or my mouth."

miss adelyn.... you're fiesty, but cooperative. you're determined, but don't mind following the crowd. you're shy, but a go-getter. you're a bruiser, but love to cuddle. you're sassy, but sweet as can be. you can totally be a little stinker, but seriously (and i'm only a tad biased) everything you do is so ridiculously cute! you just have that gift of 'it's really hard to be mad at me.' you're a well rounded little 3 year old girl and the perfect balance to our family!

i'm more grateful for march 25th, 2009 than you'll ever know. you've been such a blessing to me, daddy and sissy. we love you so much adelyn ann!!!

"A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. Enjoy the trip." ~Author Unknown

proud momma

i've been meaning to post for awhile now that miss adelyn's been getting better and better....well, really slower and slower at coloring. she now takes her time and is doing great at staying in the lines!

this has been her best yet....she colored it in january....

and she's started to draw people....

the cutest people ever.... :)

and elena puts on a storytime daily and really puts such an effort into reading! she's soing so well!!! and is reading new words every day!!!

and then of course ad does a storytime too.... ;)

"Do not ask that your kids live up to your expectations. Let your kids be who they are, and your expectations will be in breathless pursuit." ~Robert Brault