Audrey Painting her Own Nails for First Time

Pickle Juice

 

 I love that with out even planning on it, we both made almost the exact type of faces in each picture.
HAHA!

This little one & I have our own secret language it may seem. 
I give her a look she knows what it means. 
We tell eachother secrets, hers usually are observations about body parts.
I tell her a secret, and it usually has to do with putting pickle juice on her toes while she's sleeping.
She cracks up every time like it's the very first time she's heard me say that.
Like I said, it's a secret funny little language she & I share.

The other night I was giving her a quick one-two check, wiping her little sweet cheeks.  Her head was between my legs and as I'm wiping she says out of no where:

"Thank you Mom, You are a really nice Mommy"

Humbled. Joy. Flattered. Thankful. In Love. Blessed.

Even my best moments can come in the form of wiping a tush.

These are the things we as Mothers think go un-noticed.

Unappreciated.

Thank you Audrey, for noticing.

Party of 4

 Our Family Lately!

Valentines in October

"Daddy's Heart"

.....is wrapped up in all things Audrey lately.  And she to him, obviously.  :)

**For the record, she cut out that heart herself!  And she has been interested in spelling lately.  She likes to sound out words herself.  This has got to be my favorite of hers.  Ugh.. beyond precious.

Picture Retake & Little Catholic Girl

 What a little goofball this one is.

The night before she was to have her first ever "school pictures" I asked her if we could have a practice round. These are the result when asked for her to give me her very best smile...

 

 "Mom, take a picture of me like when I'm saying 'hello' to my friends"

Fortunately... School pictures were going to be outside and were cancelled due to the rain.

Luckily, we have more time to practice.

School update:  Audrey LOVES it! 

In fact, almost each day either before or after or even on days off she will say

"I just love school!"

It is darling, and something we would much prefer to hear.

Her teachers are such sweet gracious kind ladies, and I can tell each day that Audrey feels safe and cared for by them.

We chose this school initially for two reasons.

1.  It is only 5 houses away from us, making it an easy walk now and when Baby comes.

2. A few neighbor friends have sent their children there and have nothing but good to say about it.

After exchanging a few lengthy emails back and forth with the Teacher, I visited the school once by myself as an "observer" watching a typical school day.  We then exchanged more lengthy emails calming all my fears, anxieties and just random questions that had to do with sending my first born to her very first school.  Audrey & I visited once or twice on non-school days just to get a feel for the school room and teacher.  And we brought our whole little family over to meet with both of the teachers this summer to ask more questions and again see how comfortable Audrey was.  That may seem silly, afterall she is only 3, but this was an important decision for us.  Just because it was close was not going to be reason enough to send her into the unknowns of being away from Mommy!  So, we did our research!!!!!  :)

Aaron & I have talked about homeschooling, and we are not opposed to the idea for the future, nor are we by any means opposed to it now just because we have decided to send Audrey somewhere for 3 hours, 3 days away from me.  We look at ithis year as simply another "tool" in her learning.  Another social outlet, another adult outside of the home to learn from, listen to and respect, and basically a more structured/organized play group then I feel like I could offer right now.  I don't feel like I have stopped teaching my own child by any means.  She just now has another outlet for her learning.   

The Montessori Method of teaching is basically a practice of encouraging the strengths of the child through independent learning.  It is structured and organized, but the children have freedoms to choose the activities they wish to do, always remembering to put things away before beginning a new project. (!!!) A lot of the projects are skills to build upon a future skill.  I.e. Using only one hand to grasp small objects and organize them according to size.  This builds finger muscle and "pincer" grasp motion for writing.  Some of their other "work" includes counting games, or stacking blocks according to size or using scissors to cut out shapes or pins to poke out shapes...etc  They have an "asking stool" in which the children can go sit and wait if they have any questions or need assistance.  Another thing I love is that they do practical learning like sweeping, slicing food, collecting dirty hand towels for the laundry, serving themselves snack, cleaning up after themselves (!!!)..etc.

They also incorporate a Catholic curriculum.  Aaron & I weren't opposed to Audrey learning about Catholicisms, but we weren't exactly sure what that would mean at such a young age.  We knew there would be a bit of integrity and of course traditions, which we were okay with. 

As of late, we have both been impressed with the skills she has learned from her school.  She was already doing some of these things, but now insists on showing us she really can do these little helper things around the house like:

She insists on slicing her own fruit carefully, buttering her own bread and also pouring her own juice or milk.  (She is also eager to help clean up spills) She helps me to fold hand towels and place them in the correct drawer.  She always puts her playdoh away when she is finished with it. And as far as the Catholicism teaching goes?

So far, she has greeted us with "Peace Be With You" In which we are instructed to repeat back

"And Also With You".

She sings us a beautiful greeting they sing each morning, complete with hand motions:

"Good morning Dear God, I offer to you,

my thoughts

words

and actions

And all that I do!"

She has almost remembered all the words to a Latin hymn they sing.  She is also proud to show us the latin version of "Father Son & Holy Ghost" marking the traditional crossing of her chest.

But the other day took the cake for the funniest thing she has said yet.

I was in the kitchen tidying up and she had ran to the bathroom.

All of a sudden Audrey called out:

"Hail Mary, Full of Grace!"

I don't know if she was having some trouble in there or what, but it uh, ahem, apparently helped to call upon the Big Mama!  ;-)

**This pregnancy has been accompanied by it's fair share of constipation, I may just have to use that little Hail Mary trick...

Camping 2011

Over a month ago we went on our annual family/friends camping trip. Same week in the summer, same location. Different memories each year.

When I began recalling the past camping trips here's what I came up with:

6 years of married camping

3 Summers I have gone camping while pregnant

1 Summer I was put on unofficial "camp bedrest" by my husband, being only 3 weeks from my due date. (With Ellie)

3 Summers my Mom came camping too!

1 Summer in a tent

5 Summers in our Shasta Camper

Up to 16 adults in two adjoining campsites

Up to 3 pregnant Mommas

Up to 6 children under the age of 3

1 Summer leaving a night early w/sick children

3 Summers of ATVs

3 Summers of Boats

1 Summer w/Canoe

6 Summers with row boat

6 Summers of MIL famous "Taco Soup"

Sooooo many memories!

This year none of our friends were able to make it, which of course made it different, but just as memorable--if not more! I love our little family time. Any family memories we make I cherish. We spent almost every waking hour down at the Lake. Our routine was the same each day:

Wake up with the sun.

Have yummy camp breakfast.

Change girls into swimsuits.

Lather them up and down with sunscreen.

Aaron would load up the girls in the row boat, at the steep edge of our campsite.

I would wave goodbye from the top.


They--he--would row all the way down to the dock.
I would go back up to camp, brush my teeth, clean up breakfast mess, change into my swimsuit, pack up a snack and drink bag, hook up dog to leash & depending on if we had remembered to throw them into boat or not I would bring 2 beach chairs down, walking along the road to meet them at the dock.

And look how super handsome and manly rowing can be....especially if you're rowing 2 of the cutest little girlies.



Grandpa Tom would usually meet us down there too. He is so hands on with the girls, I love it. They love the time he spends with them.



We'd play in the water all morning until snacks ran out, drinks were dry and we were all hungry again. Sometimes I would bring one of the girls back with me on the walk...which you'd think I would prefer the company...until it turned into a heavy bag of towels/sippys/wipes/etc on one shoulder, a sleepy hungry child on the other shoulder refusing to walk, and a squirrely dog on a leash wanting to chase passing chipmunks. Most of the time Aaron would just row them back to camp and I'd meet them there.

I'd make a yummy camp lunch (regular food is instantly yummy while camping) while the girls got changed. They'd nap, then as soon as they'd awake we'd repeat the morning routine...loading up into row boat, me following w/snacks and drinks...then we'd come back to campsite for dinner! After dinner girls would play in dirt, walk with walking sticks, go on walks with someone, help Daddy gather sticks for campfire, etc...
Always ending the evening getting "spit baths" with warm washcloths and wipes, and changing into jammies.

Oh how dirty these Littles can get!

Goodmorning sleepy head!

Another beautiful morning on the lake, Aaron & his Dad enjoying camp coffee!

Girls loved playing in the sandy dirt of our campsite when they weren't in the water.

A few times Grandpa came in the morning to visit girls who were antsy to get down to the water, or at least anxious to get their day started. He would offer to take them on walks, sometimes to go visit Grandma and her dog back at their campsite. I think this picture is so cute, here the girls are each showing him their respective knee oweies, before they begin walking in their PJs. :)

Back at the water!

A family of ducks often swam past us. A favorite gigglefest from us all would be to let the dog off her leash and she would swim after the ducks, wagging her tail like crazy, splashing in the water. We'd eventually get nervous she'd get too tired and drown, so we'd call her back to swim to us on the shore. Too funny.

Daddy tried snorkeling one day and found a really nice shell on the bottom of the lake. Audrey also "found" a rock for her Daddy. They exchanged their finds and Audrey immediately threw hers back into the lake. It was the thought that counts!

Trying her hand at "snorkeling".

Wading in the very shallow lake with his girls.

On the last night as I was finishing up dinner it began to sprinkle. I tried to finish up quickly and we both agreed maybe we should set up the table inside the trailer to eat there instead. Well it was a good thing we did, the girls played in there while we both rounded up a few things that shouldn't get wet and met them in the camper with a hot meal. By the time we all got in, it was down pouring complete with thunder and lighting over the lake! Very exciting, very adventurous..and unfortunately very scary for Audrey :( We spent the whole dinner explaining why and how we have thunder and lightening, how God was keeping us safe, and reminding nervous Audrey to eat her food while it was warm...she was very quiet & just wanted the same questions answered over and over again and the same reassurances that we were safe... poor little thing. She had been sleeping in her new sleeping bag in the new tent with Daddy, but chose that night to sleep in the "safe" trailer with Mommy & Ellie instead.

Waiting out the rain...

Thank goodness for smart phones and funny games like TomCat & Angry Birds... :)

Our humble abode.

On the last day, a very tuckered out little Ellie fell asleep with the lull of the sea water and the sun on her back, after 4 long days playing in the water...

Time to dry off then head home!

Another wonderful Summer Camp week!

Can't wait for next year when we add a new little camper to the mix!