last day

Last day of first grade....sniff, sniff.  She's just looking way too old! (Notice the sunburned cheeks...I didn't know she'd be outside ALL morning yesterday, so I didn't put any sunscreen on her!  Oops!)

end of the year fun

Yesterday was field day at Rachel's school.  Last year she was sick on field day so she didn't really know what to expect, but she loved it.  The whole school spends the entire day outside going from station to station playing various games, activities, and races.  Rebecca and I were there for a little while and saw Rachel's class slide down an inflatable slide, do relay races, and play with the parachute.

Thursday is her last day of class.  I can't believe it's almost summer.  It's been a busy month full of family and birthdays and fun, with more to come this weekend.  Maybe when things die down in June I'll have a little more time to write.

happy Mother's Day!

signs of spring

These are from our yard....

proving my point

After I wrote that post this morning about her love of guitars, Rebecca was doing this outside this morning....using her rake as a guitar. That's my girl....she's constantly coming up with new uses for her toys and playing with them in unconventional ways.

guitars

Rebecca became a HUGE Laurie Berkner fan overnight. It all started at the bus stop one afternoon a few months ago. We had driven to the bus stop, since it was cold or rainy, or snowing, or something (those are usually the reasons I drive, but I can't remember which it was that day!) and we were waiting quite awhile for the bus (it's often late...which is another story for another day.) Anyway, we were waiting and Rebecca was getting antsy. I put in a Laurie Berkner CD that I happened to have in the car to try and distract her. The first song is "Rocketship Run" and for some reason, she loved it. Later that evening, she said she wanted to listen to it again. It was in the car, so instead I looked it up on YouTube. She was enthralled and watched several Laurie Berkner videos that night. That started her asking every day if she could watch Laurie Berkner on my ipad. So I got a couple of her videos from the library and she asked to watch them over and over.

And she became obsessed.  She's been really into guitars, ever since she started liking the Wiggles and started playing with the Wiggles guitar we have, but her love for Laurie Berkner has taken her love for guitars to a new level.  She has two toy guitars, but pretty much everything in the house has become a guitar in the last month or two.  Brooms, a toy keyboard, a hand mirror, magnifying glasses....  Everything she owns has the potential of becoming a guitar at some point in the day. 

A few weeks ago she handed me a guitar, took a guitar for herself, and said, "Mommy, wet's wok and woll!" 

When she goes to someone's house she asks, "Do they have any guitars there?"

She keeps telling me that she wants to be Laurie Berkner when she grows up, and wants a Laurie Berkner costume. Since Laurie Berkner wears regular clothes and nothing too crazy, I'm not quite sure what a Laurie Berkner costume would look like. 

Since I seem to have some sort of weird knack for winning tickets (we just went to a show this weekend for which I won tickets!), I entered to win tickets to a Laurie Berkner concert here in town in a few weeks.  I find out today if I won or not.  I don't really care one way or the other if I win, but it would be crazy if I did.

We'd already decided on a Mickey Mouse theme for her birthday coming up at the end of the month (she's been talking about it for weeks), but in the last few days she's been telling me that she wants a Laurie Berkner cake....a guitar cake...a Rocketship cake (because of the song "Rocketship Run") and so on.  I'm sticking with Mickey Mouse, since I can handle a Mickey Mouse cake.  Sorry, Rebecca. 

So, in other news, potty training continues to go well.  She's really only had a handful of accidents, and even then, they've been small.  I'm amazed at how quickly she got it.  I don't feel like I really did much...just that she was ready.

I went with Rachel and the rest of the first grade on their field trip to the zoo yesterday.  It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and she was giddy with excitement.  It was a long day, but she had fun.  I was wearing my pedometer and we walked five miles all around that zoo! 

It's hard to believe that it's only a few more weeks until summer.  There's a lot going on between now and then. 

better than expected

I cautiously began potty training Rebecca on Monday morning. I've been putting it off for months because she didn't seem interested, had never had any success the times we'd try putting her on the potty, and I didn't want a repeat of what had happened with Rachel (lots and lots and lots of accidents, giving up for awhile, feeling like I had failed, etc), so I was determined to wait until she was ready. But I decided a few days ago that I wouldn't know for sure if she was ready if I didn't let her try.

I wasn't expecting much, to tell you the truth. I was dreading this week, since I knew it meant being stuck at home, cleaning up accidents. But guess what? There have only been two accidents in over two days! She's done GREAT! I guess she WAS ready after all. I just had to force the issue and make her try. And I've even been able to leave the house. I've put her in a pull up when we leave (she's been in regular underwear at home so she knows what it feels like when she does have an accident) just in case, but I've timed it so I leave right after she goes potty, so she hasn't had to go while we are gone.

Monday we were home all day and there were lots of trips to the potty just to try (I set the timer and had her go when the timer went off), and lots of success. Yesterday was a more normal day when I let her take the lead and she knew when she needed to go. And this morning she woke up dry for the first time ever and went as soon as she got up. I'm almost afraid to post this because as soon as I do she'll start having tons of accidents....but I'm hopeful that this is really it. Not buying a box of diapers every couple of weeks would be awesome!!

ballerinas

Anything Rachel does, Rebecca does too.....

the royal fairy carriage

The girls love playing outside together. Tonight I went to see what they were doing and found this....

(Rachel said it was the royal fairy carriage.)

another birthday post

Rachel's birthday party was on Saturday, but on her actual birthday, Tuesday, we had another celebration.

Rachel got to choose what she wanted to do for dinner, and instead of going to a restaurant she decided she wanted to eat Kraft Mac and Cheese at home.  (???)  We couldn't believe it, because she loves going out, but that's what we had.  Grandma was here, and she bought barbeque for the rest of us, but Rachel and Rebecca enjoyed their mac and cheese immensely!

After dinner she opened presents.

 

Her presents from us included the drawing classes I mentioned before, plus some spring/summer clothes (not too exciting, but she needed them), some sticker sets, and her favorite gift:

She also got to choose if she wanted a cupcake (since I had already made her cake, I wasn't going to make another one) or go get ice cream.  She chose the ice cream.

She had a fun day and said it was her favorite birthday ever, but then she decided that her birthday party last year was a little bit better.  I'm not surprised, but happy that she enjoyed her day.  Not every birthday can be as exciting as a bouncing party with all of her friends, like last year!

I can't believe she's seven!

seven?!?!

Dearest Rachel,

 

How in the world did this happen?  How did you manage to turn seven in the blink of an eye?  They say time flies, but never have the years flown as fast as these last seven with you have.  You're getting SO tall, with long legs like your Mommy (so finding pants to fit your tiny waist and long legs is already proving to be difficult--I'm so sorry to pass this incredibly frustrating trait on to you!). 

This year as you've adjusted to being in school all day, you've learned a lot about working hard, trying your best, trying new things without being so scared or getting quite so frustrated, asking for help when you need it, and many other valuable skills you'll need as you go through life.  You're reading well and working on learning your math facts more quickly.   You love to go to school and I'm so thankful that you enjoy it so much.

You love to draw, paint, color, and create.  Your imagination continues to amaze me, and you love to role play all sort of imaginary scenarios, both by yourself and with your sister.  You don't dress up quite as much as you have throughout the rest of your life, but you still love it, and more days than not I find you at some point in a dress up outfit.  Playing outside is a favorite of yours, and you pretend all sort of things out in our back yard, usually involving princesses, fairies, or other magical things.  There is almost always dancing, as it's one of your very favorite things to do.  One of these days we'll get you some dance lessons....I keep working on it!

You say that when you grow up you want to be an illustrator.  For your birthday today we're giving you drawing lessons!  I hope you love it and learn a lot.

Your birthday party was this weekend.  We were a little worried that we would have to cancel it, since you came home from school on Thursday feeling sick to your stomach, and ended up missing school on Friday with the stomach flu.  But Friday night you started acting a little more like the Rachel we know, and by Saturday you were almost back to normal, so we went ahead with your party.  You had a great time with your cousins.

You wanted a Brave birthday party with a cake that looked like a target (since Merida loves archery), so that's what I made you.  You wanted party games, so we played a version of pin the tail on the donkey with a target.  You played the game dressed as Merida and had a great time--you even won the game!

We love you so much, sweet girl, and Daddy and I absolutely love being your parents.  You fill our lives with so much joy and excitement.

Happy Birthday, dear Rachel!

Love, Mommy

(On the day of your party we also went to Build a Bear Workshop because you had gotten some birthday coupons from there and you wanted to use them.  With your coupons you got your bear, Ella, who you got last year on your birthday, a Daisy Girl Scout outfit...pictured above.)

happy Easter?

Well, this isn't the happiest Easter I've ever had....  Last night I woke up at 12:30 AM and felt so, so sick to my stomach.  I spent much of the rest of the night making trips from the couch to the bathroom (I moved downstairs so I wouldn't keep my husband awake)--I won't go into details, but I felt miserable and didn't get much sleep. 

I continued to feel bad this morning, so going to church for Easter was out of the question.  My husband got the girls all ready in their Easter finery, though, and I enjoyed seeing them before they left.  I was so sad to miss it.

I'm feeling a little better, though still not too good.  Hopefully tomorrow will be better, as Rachel goes back to school and we go back to "normal" life again.

Happy Easter!

(My favorite people in the world right here.....)

easter egg hunt 2013

We continued the tradition of going up to my brother's for their annual neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  (Rebecca's sickness appeared to be a quick thing, and she's been completely fine since yesterday morning, so we went ahead and took her.) 

If you click on the links in the paragraph above, it'll take you to the previous years' posts about the easter egg hunt--I enjoyed seeing the pictures of how much the girls have changed over the years.  In the last two links, Rebecca hadn't even been born yet! 

The girls had a great time!

 

Waiting for the hunt to start with Grandma and Grandpa

Waiting for the bell to ring--almost her turn!

She had to shake each egg before she put it in her bucket....I had to keep reminding her to pick up some more, but eventually she sped up and got the hang of it.

Rachel was happy when they finally rang the bell for her turn--she was in the third group this year, age-wise, so she had to wait a little longer!

Showing Daddy her chocolate!

Cousin-love....Rebecca is enamored with her cousin, Ethan, who is 12.  He is good with her, but clearly gets annoyed with her constant ploys for his attention at times, too.  But he's a good sport and plays with her.

sick girl

Stuffy noses, coughs, fevers....I can handle those fairly well.  But throw up?  Ugh.  It's just the WORST. 

Last night I put Rebecca to bed and told my husband that I was worried that she might wake us up that night throwing up.  She had had a really nasty diaper before bed, had been super whiny at dinner, sat in the bathtub staring into space instead of playing, and complained that her tummy didn't feel good. 

And unfortunately, my intuition was right.  If ever I wished I was wrong, it was then!

It took me two hours to fall asleep because I've been sick this week, and my husband and I keep each other awake coughing (he's been sick for about two weeks).  Then, after finally being asleep about an hour and a half, she woke us up, crying, after throwing up in her crib, and not knowing what in the world was going on. 

She got a bath (but even washing her hair twice didn't take the smell out completely) and sheets changed, and put back to bed.

An hour later it all happened again.

This morning she slept late and when she got up she said, "It stayed in my mouth this time!"  (Meaning that she didn't throw up again.)  She's so funny....

She seems okay this morning, so far, though she's hardly eaten anything.  She got another bath, but I STILL can't get the smell out of her hair!  Any advice for getting the smell out???  Yuck, yuck, yuck.

fun at the museum

We're home from Grandma and Grandpa's now, but while we were there we went to the children's museum near their house.

Both girls had a ball.

at grandma's

It's spring break, and just like most of the Midwest, it snowed all day today. We escaped by traveling north, which didn't help the weather, of course, but it doesn't matter...we went to GRANDMA'S!

Forget Florida or anywhere else warm. Grandma's is heaven for my girls....

wacky Wednesday

Rachel missed wacky Wednesday a few weeks ago because of a snow day, so she was thrilled to have another attempt at it today, during "spirit week" at school.

She came downstairs all dressed this morning, she was so excited (she never comes down dressed...there's almost always grumbling when I tell her it's time to get dressed).

So here she is in the outfit she picked out and the hair do she decided on to be wacky.

Silly girl!

Oh, and a not so wacky Rebecca, just because she wanted her picture taken, too!

on the mend?

Here's hoping that today is Rachel's last day at home. Her strep test yesterday was negative, so we are just waiting for the virus to run its course. Her throat still hurts a lot and she still had a fever this morning, though lower than yesterday, so I'm hoping it is on its way out. She's cried every morning when she finds out she can't go to school. Yesterday it was, "but I can't miss library!" Today it was, "but I can't miss game day in math class!" Then she realized that she missed art class on Tuesday and she was super sad about that, too. I'm happy that she loves going and always has things she looks forward to. Hopefully she won't have to miss tomorrow.

Rebecca, on the other hand, has loved having her home, and so have I. They've played together lots. This morning I brought up a princess tent from the basement that had been put away for awhile, and it was like a brand new toy. They played in it forever.

I don't think I've mentioned how affectionate Rebecca has been lately. She always has been more cuddly than Rachel ever was, but lately she just wants to hug me all day long and tell me, "I WUV you, Mommy!" And also for the last few days she's been calling me Momma. I don't know why, and for some reason it's driving me crazy. Sometimes I let it go and sometimes I say, "Why are you calling me Momma? My name is Mommy." Then she starts calling me Mom. I'd much rather be Mommy for as long as I can, than Mom. For some reason, though, she seems to prefer Momma right now. Strange. I guess if I have to choose between Momma and Mom, I'll take Momma for a little while.

I never posted my final picture of my new shelf, after I got new baskets. It looks a lot better, I think. The problem is, when my husband and I put our coats on it, they hang all the way down to the bench, which makes it harder to use! Oh well....I still like it.