Father's Day

Father's Day was a little atypical this year. We planned to go to church in the morning and then have a fun day spending time together as a family honoring Mikey. We got dressed and out the door to church as planned but almost immediately upon sitting down at church I got a blind spot in my eye and knew a dreaded migraine was on it's way. Worst timing ever! But then again, that is usually when they hit. At least Mikey was with me so he could take care of the kids. He was such a good sport and went to get the kids from childcare and we went straight home so I could get in bed. It ended up being the worst migraine I have had in a long time. I was in bed most of the day with a throbbing headache and almost threw up a few times. What made it worse was knowing that it was Father's Day and Mikey had to take care of the kids by himself all day and our plans went out the window. :( By about 4 I was finally feeling a little better so we went to a splash pad by our house so we could at least say we did SOMETHING on Father's day. Aparently, everyone else in Carrollton had the same idea and it was packed! We didn't stay but for about 20 minutes. On our way home we picked up steaks and Mikey cooked us (yet again taken the reigns on his special day) a nice dinner after the kids went to bed. I am so grateful to be have him as the father of my children. He is not just any father either. He is the BEST I know and Ava and Connor are so blessed to call him Daddy.

Greeting daddy as he comes home from work. 

A couple outtakes from Ava for Mikey's gift. I asked her to give me silly faces and she didn't disappoint. Connor, of course, just stared at me so I scratched the silly face idea. 

Dressed and ready for church and opening his father's day presents before heading out the door. 

Father's Day book, favorite candy, homemade picture frame from ava, and a home made shirt

I stole the shirt idea from one Amy made for Cason when he was born. Hers much was much funnier and more professional looking but I was still satisfied with how ours turned out. 

I am absolutely head over heels in love with these three! I NEVER could have imagined that my life would lead to this when I met Mikey for the first time 13 years ago. Thank you God for all these blessings!

Connor- 15 & 16 months

My little guy is 16 months old! What?! How is this happening? He is growing up way too fast and is learning new things by the day. I can't get over how big and how adorable he is. He truly melts my heart, big time! 


Here are some things that I want to remember about my cute boy during his 15th and 16th month:

*He loves to blow kisses before bedtime or when someone leaves
*He signs please all the time, pats his head when he hits it and gets a boo boo (which is often), and is trying to talk more and more. He says da (daddy),es-with a head nod (yes),  ba (ball), bu bu (big boy), papa, pu (help)...he is most comfortable trying to say words that have a p, b, or d sound at the beginning. :)

*His hair is finally starting to grow!!! It reminds me so much of Ava's when she was little. It is the softest little fuzzy head you have ever touched and it sticks straight up. Love it!

*He wears size 18-24 months clothes, size 5 diapers, size 6 shoe, and weighs 27 lbs. (basically the size of a two year old!)

*He wants to do everything that big sister does and they are beginning to play and interact more and more. It's the best feeling in the world to know that there is a genuine love between them and that they are happy being together. Ava has really done well with her big sister role and loves being able to help us teach him things.

*He obeys and listens fairly well for a little guy. I think this is mostly because he is trying to prove to us and himself that he is a "bu bu" (big boy). I tell him all the time "good job connor. you are such a big boy". He seems to really like that. :)

*He loves to sit in chairs and if I'm not watching he will stand up on them too, naturally! He also likes to stand on the stool in the bathroom.

*Anytime he stands on the stool in the bathroom he wants to brush his teeth. He says "ahh" as if he is opening up his mouth for me to brush his teeth. He LOVES chewing on toothbrushes and pretending to brush his teeth. Cute story...yesterday I asked him if wanted to sit with sissy and watch tv (please oh please just sit for a second and watch tv! not interested in tv in the least bit) but he must have thought I said "do you want to go brush your teeth" because he knodded and said "es" and started to walk back to the bathroom. I was confused so I asked him again if he wanted to sit and watch tv and he said "ahhh" (meaning brush teeth). Thanks for the clarification buddy! Too cute!

*He still loves to vacuum but he has also taken an interest in mowing (inside only though). He was watching daddy mow outside so I brought him and his lawn mower outside to see if he would like to help. The sounds was a little too much for him and he got a little scared. He just stood there.

(Very scared at this point)

*He still rides in the stroller in stores but does such a good job at holding our hands and walking if we need him too. Him and Ava hold hands when we walk around places too and it makes me so happy.

*He is extra flexible with his sleeping lately. I thought after Disney World that he preferred one nap but if we are home (and he wakes before 7) then I will almost always lay him down for a morning nap and then again in the afternoon. On mornings when he "sleeps in" a little , I just lay him down for one nap around 11:30 or 12 and he naps for a couple hours. Because Ava gets up around 6:30 most mornings, I can usually lay her down for nap around this time too because she is already so tired. She is hit or miss with her naps (about 3 times a week) but quiet time in her room everyday is a must.
(I still put Connor in a giant sleepsack so that he doesn't think about climbing out of his crib. He has gotten used to it and it has become a sleep aid, just like his blankie. When he is sleeping in his sleepsack with his blankie curled up beside him, it's the closest visual I have of him being a baby. )

*The kid LOVES him some sunglasses (mine and Mr. Potato Head's especially) and wears them any opportunity I give him.

*He has enjoyed playing in the water this summer with his sissy! Usually a bowl of water and some cups do the trick!

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*He is still the best snuggler around, especially when he is tired or gets hurt. I don't think Ava was ever like that. I hope he always makes time to snuggle with his momma.

*He also has become very interested in putting straws in cups and lids on cups. Give him a a few cups with lids and straws to put together and he is in heaven! He also loves to put the Mr. Potato Head pieces together, play with play dough, and color. He seems to be following in his sister's footsteps with developing his fine motor skills early. 

Connor, you continue to brighten my days and fill my heart with happiness. You are such a blessing to our family and we all love you very much. :)

Last Day of School

Obviously, I am a little late with this post but better late than never!

Hard to believe she only has one more year of pre-school before Kindergarten. She is growing up way too fast and I am so proud of the big girl she is becoming.

A few things that I want to remember about Ava in the Leapers 3 year old class at Bright Beginnings...

-She LOVED school and her teachers, Ms. Sara and Ms. Kyoung, and couldn't wait to go every Tuesday and Thursday!
-She always gave me a kiss at the door and never hesitated or looked back as she walked into the door of her classroom.
-Her best friends were Lyla and Naomi.
-She took naps much more often this year than last year in the 2 year old class. She usually napped at least one of the days each week.
-Her teachers told me that she was very good at participating and speaking up in class (something I was pleasantly surprised about given her reserved demeanor around adults)
-We played at The Ark every day after school (or on the playground).
-Chapel days were some of her favorite.
-Her and I had a joint effort in picking out her school clothes. I gave her 2-3 options each morning and she chose from them and dressed herself.
-On a typical day the kids would do crafts, calendar/circle time (where they practice letters, numbers, days of the week, months, weather, etc..) bible stories, spanish, music and movement, centers, recess, and rest time.

First Day                                            

Last Day

Another picture from the first day of school in Sept. 2012 

We gave her teachers a pitcher with lemonade and a tag that said "thank you for pouring your heart into my life this year." 

 Here she is with her silly classmates!

What a great year!!

Disney World Day 4 & 5- Animal Kingdom, Mini Golf, & Flight Home

Last Disney World Post!!!!

 On our last full day at Disney we went to Animal Kingdom. It.was.awesome! The first thing we did was go straight to the Safari Ride before the lines got too long. I had heard the Safari ride was great but it far exceeded my expectations. I felt like I was actually on a real African Safari!

Trying for a group picture before be loaded into our safari mobile. 

We were seated in the very back which worked out nicely for pictures and we had better panoramic views. 

I promise Connor enjoyed it too!

Not sure if I have said this before but EVERYTHING at Disney World is done right. From the rides to the shows, to the characters....they really try to give you the best experience possible and every detail is perfect! I was blown away with this Safari Ride in particular. I thought we would be on a conveyer belt type bus with large fences between us and the animals and that it would be more of a zoo type feel. Not at all! We were on a real bus, with a real driver that was full of animal knowledge. To make the experience even more awesome, it ended up raining during our ride (which lasted about 20 minutes by the way! no short cuts with this one and I loved that!). We were covered while we were in the bus but the driver said that more of the animals were out since the rain was making it cooler for them. It still baffles my mind but they did not have any visible fence or barrier between us and the animals, even the lions! I was pleasantly surprised and it added an element of "danger" for me. Can you tell I was so excited about this ride?!

We saw so many hippos!

Alligators

I forget what they called this tree but it was neat. 

A view from where we were sitting in the bus. 

Giraffes!

 (we found out later on that there are treats in that tree so that they will spend more time there, making it better for us to see them)

I love this picture of them with the giraffes in the background

He was feeling a little left out since he was taking the pictures...ha! Classic Mikey.  

Elephants

The mama and the baby were so cute!! They were tossing grass onto their back and it was picture perfect!

A view of the safari bus behind us. 

Look how close we are to the Lions! You can see the male in the center between the rocks. Also found out that the rocks have a temperature control on them so in the summer they keep them cool to attract the lions (for better viewing) and in the winter they warm them. 

My little Munchie must have been a little scared. I would have been too if I were 4!

Ostrich eggs

Or is that an ostrich? African ostrich perhaps?? I don't know but it sat right there by the road so were just a few feet from it when we drove by. 

I wasn't as impressed with these exotic deer with crazy horns. After all, you can see stuff like that at the Burkhart Ranch!

It was pretty much raining the majority of our time at Animal Kingdom but we were prepared with rain coats and ponchos so it didnt really bother us. We were just glad it didn't happen when we were at Magic Kingdom. 

After the Safari we watched this neat Bird show. 

And then look who we saw! Russle and the dog from the movie Up. 

It was getting close to a naptime for Connor but we couldn't leave Animal Kingdom without seeing the Lion King show. We had some time to kill before the next show so while Mikey pushed Connor around in the stroller in hopes for a nap, the rest of us grabbed a quick lunch. 

Connor did take a nap in the stroller so that bought us some more time to enjoy the show without worry of a meltdown. I felt like I was seeing a broadway show of the Lion King. So so impressive! Once again, Disney World does not dissapoint. 

Not the best pictures but you get the idea. 

Connor sat on my lap and was fascinated the entire time. Ava had her hands over her ears the entire time but I know she still liked it. Just a lot to see and take in when you are little. It was quite the performance. 

She loved the flying ballerina bird of course

This is a little out of order but I let her order chocolate milk for the first time ever at lunch. Have to document that! #gobigorgohome right?! ;) Am I a horrible mother for not letting her have some sooner? 

I took this picture with my phone while we were waiting for our bus to take us back to the hotel. My happy beautiful girl! She didn't let rain ruin her fun at Animal Kingdom!

And my little guy....he was awesome the entire trip! I was so proud of how well they both did despite the fact that we were so out of our routine, walked a TON, and were a little sleep deprived. 

I started day 5 (the day we were leaving) with a breakfast date with this cutie. I think he woke up before Ava that morning so we quietly snuck out of the room to eat breakfast together downstairs. 

We learned he likes to grab noses and put his finger in ears when he's tired. 

Before we went to the airport we had time to get in a round of mini golf at Fantasia Gardens. It was also an extra special day, Gigi's birthday!! 

Ava and her Gigi (best friends forever)

She's been asking to play mini golf again every since this day. She loved it!

Our flight home was really rough, not gonna lie! Connor was not happy being contained and was extremely overtired. We tried our best to keep him quiet. It was stressful, especially when you look at the clock and know you have two more hours left on an airplane! But.....daddy finally got him to sleep in the last 45 minutes or so of our flight. 

And Ava drew this picture of her brother and said that his fluffy hair was blowing in the wind. :) 

We celebrated Gigi's birthday that evening with a BBQ dinner and cake and then the next day we headed to Papa and Gramielle's house in The Woodlands to celebrate Gramielle's birthday.

It was sad to leave Gigi and Bpop after such a long and wonderful trip with them. The memories we made were priceless! Ava is already talking about the next time we go. Im pretty sure she thinks we are going back next month! Sorry sister, gonna have to wait a little while.

These two were cute as can be as we drove away from Gigi and Bpop's house. 

Her message that we sent to Gigi...."I.Love.You."

If anyone is planning a trip to Disney with kids then let me know! I can give you all the tricks of the trade and tips that we picked up while we were there. If you have the opportunity to take your kids, you definitely should. It is a magical place! Trip of a lifetime!

Thanks again Gigi and Bpop for taking us on this magical adventure!!! We can't thank you enough. I will never forget the look on Ava's face as she saw the castle for the first time, met the princesses, and just the overall excitement that she felt that entire week. Best feeling in the world for a parent and we are so thankful for that! Love you!