Happy Happy Halloween

Halloween 2011

 Before

The girls were super excited and ate all of their dinner in hopes of having some candy when they got home. Although getting into the costumes is always a chore we were all very happy to get out of the house at 6pm.

During

This was our first trick-or-treat just the four of us and although we missed our friends we had so much fun. The girls got in the hang of going up to the houses and were thrilled to get candy just for going up! Lily said "Trick-or-Treat" and always thanked them afterwards. Miss Emma gave her killer full of teeth smile along with a nose scrunch and a sweet wave and "Bye-Bye" to everyone too. Although Emma walked quite a bit, we also carried her more than we would have liked. When we left each house Emma would say, "Mama, aaahhhh" and point and look in her pumpkin. I'm not sure she could even see what was in there but she was so excited that someone gave her something.

After



Like always, the first thing to do when you get home after getting tons of candy is to sit and go through it. This year was no different and the girls love to go through it more than they like eating it, well maybe not. They each had a few pieces but really enjoyed when we turned on our light to hand out our candy. The streets were more packed than I have ever seen them, ever. I'm so glad that we didn't hand out candy the entire two hours, we definitely would have run out.

 

Sorry this is so long, it's kinda boring but I love watching them.

This is how they are most of the time and it makes us smile.

Cuddle Time

As Mike and I were doing things around the house today we overheard Lily say to Emma, "Let's go cuddle Em" and off they ran. We didn't check on them until Emma started yelling for us and we found them on the couch posing for a picture. Love how these girls are the best of friends.

Halloween Parade

Lily had her Halloween Parade at school today. She wasn't at last year's because she was attending school at our church so this was an entirely new experience for her. We didn't really prepare her for what we knew was going to happen mostly because sometimes it backfires on us.

After dropping her off at class, all the parents made their way to Tucker Hall where there were seats along the wall all set up. When the classes came in they sat in the middle of all of the parents with their cameras. When all of the classes were there, the music teacher started some Halloween music and one class at a time walked in a circle between the parents and students. The two four year old classes went first and then Lily's class.

And, Lily was not a fan. We felt so bad for her because she really froze like a deer in headlights but one of her teachers came and got her to walk with her hand in hand. We are so very proud of you Lily. You walked around that circle, albeit very slow, but you walked. You did not cry. You did not try to run to us. And, you walked even though you did not like it. That is such a sign of you growing up and we could not be more proud of the little girl you are becoming! Trying new things even if they may be scary at first, branching out and realizing that you are an awesome little girl.

Love you our Super Hero!

Girl Day

We girls love our trips to Target and a trip to our favorite playground afterwards.

These girls also are such good listeners when we're out now. Lily likes to ride in the seat part of the cart and Emma loves sitting in the back, and she sits down when told :). They also get out of the cart in the toy aisles and listen when we go to the next aisle or when we have to go. But, I guess snacks are always used to get them to listen :), gotta use what works.

Love my girl days.

Lovely Weather

We love being able to enjoy the weather, especially when there is NO nap had.

That's what happened today :) and it wasn't so bad. Miss Emma had a 45 minute nap getting Lily from school and guess Lily wasn't that tired. So instead of forcing it, we embraced the wonderful weather.

We took a walk, played in the backyard, I was able to dig out a bin of clothes from last winter that Emma is still able to wear! and we waited out front for Daddy by picking off EVERY liriope berry they could find. We kept very busy this afternoon and the fresh air tired me out more than it did them I think.

and we played lots and lots of hide-n-seek.

Emma loves this. She'll hide and yell Lily when she runs to go find her.

Our favorite is when it's her turn to hide and she hides behind the little house but right in the middle of a huge window with the biggest smile on her face because she thinks you can't see her.

2 Mommy Drinks

2 Mommy Drinks is what I needed after today's doctor visit although I deserved A LOT more.

Why did we go? For Lily's ear check. She is also coughing so wanted to be sure it was just allergies. And, had Emma checked out as well. She's been super, super, super, SUPER cranky. Not been sleeping through the night or eating very well and had low grade fevers for a few days last week.

Who did we see? Dr. Lehman. Why? I don't know, I requested Dr. Wick and in came the guy doctor. Boy, I'm not very fond of him so I should have known better than to go ahead with the appointment. But I did and it's done now. Lesson learned.

So who was sick? NO ONE! Both of them checked out completely fine. Culprit for the cough is seasonal allergies, Lily was prescribed Flonase, yeah we'll see. And, Emma he couldn't give any real good reason for everything other than teething. Thanks.

And, the entire appointment these two girls made me SWEAT. I mean, hair wet and need a shower kinda sweat. They screamed from the time they went in that room until we left. Actually, when Emma saw where we were going...outside in the parking lot, she began crying. While getting their ears checked out, I could at least handle Emma by holding her down but we had to call in the nurse to help hold down Lily.

Then, when all was said and done they both gave Dr. Lehman a HUG! Seriously?!?! Really??? Yep, both gave him a hug and stopped crying for a second to let him evacuate the room. That's when Lily asked why we weren't leaving. And, she looked at me and said, "Mommy, are you giving me a shot?" The look in her eyes brought tears to mine. And all I could say was, "Well, I'm not giving you a shot, the nurse is" and then it came...the screams.

The video is right before the nurse came in with the shot and lasted only a few minutes after she was done. Fancy Nancy and Dora stickers made them stop and they happily followed me out to the car, both of them walking and both of them really listening and following directions. They either knew what was good for them or they wanted to get the heck out of there. Either way, today was one of those days that I'll always remember.

Love you girls.

Looking Better

She finally let us put Neosporin on her face today (after a fight and making her realize it will help her). After nap, I told her that it looked so much better so she ran to the bathroom to check it out. I heard her yell, "You're right Mommy! It looks so much better! I like that stuff!" Our sweet, sweet Lily, I have a feeling you're going to have an on-going relationship with Neosporin. I Love You.

Ft. Story

Today we hung out with the Bonfiglios on Fort Story near the Cape Henry Lighthouse for our annual Christmas card picture shoot.

We had so much fun until the the very end when Lily took a tumble down at least eight wooden steps. First we saw her, then we didn't and then heard her scream. Yikes. Found her lying face down at the bottom of the steps with a nice rosy, scraped up cheek and a skinned knuckle. Luckily we had the best two daddies there to help with distraction and we were done with taking pictures too :)

Very blessed that we didn't have to make another trip to CHKD with Miss Lily today.

First Field Trip

Today was Lily's First School Field Trip

to Taylor Farm

Lily with her friends, left to right, Riley, Elliot, Madison, Lil, Jenna and A.J.

We took a hayride around their farm, saw  and pet ponies from Chincoteauge (would love to go here one year) and got to choose a pumpkin. The kids were able to see how a pumpkin grows, they have been talking about pumpkins all week, learned the plant cycle from seed to pumpkin and did a sequencing activity so all the kids were very excited to actually see the vine and flowers that they learned about. They had animals to pet like sheep and donkeys and fun things to play on.

We made our way back to the main part of the farm to have snack at the picnic tables and got to explore, play and see some more animals before having to head back to school. It was a gorgeous morning and we all had a great time. Wonderful being able to talk to the other parents and see the kids interact with one another. I can definitely see why Lily is in love with her teacher, Mrs. Johnson (who even rode with us to the farm) and her friends.

The last and only other time we visited Taylor Farm was back in Oct of '08 and it has changed a lot! Although Lily was small and couldn't play on many things they now have a longer hayride, a better "pumpkin patch" (back then they had a small, med and large pumpkin groups to choose your pumpkin from), more fun things for the kids and definitely more animals to see.

Fun

Since Lily felt better this morning she went to school and Emma and I had some fun at home.

I love this time I get to spend with her.

We actually get to play with anything she wants and she loves it.

And, the best thing is that I am able to pull her around in the laundry basket without having big sissy in it with her :) Plus it definitely saves my back!

All In The Eyes

Funny how you can tell how your kids feel by just looking in their eyes.

Today both Lily and Emma felt just plain yucky.

Fevers, coughing and not wanting to do anything.

They both took 3 hour naps and went to bed at 830.

Hoping to see their pretty eyes look better soon.

Orange Day

Happy Orange Day!

Love that I have an excuse to make my Pumalumpa cute stuff :)

Getting Excited

We three girls had a fun day today.

We got up late :), left the house at almost 11 to go to Target to hunt for good Christmas presents. Lil and Em were absolutely wonderful! They listened and had so much fun browsing the toy aisles for things that they want to ask Santa for. We never take time to just look and have fun so this was definitely a treat for all of us. We even stopped at a playground on the way home in which the girls had a blast but also tired them out completely!

When we got home I continued with laundry until Lily said, "Mom, what does this say?" And, she showed me her little doodle board. I asked how she knew to write that and she ran to get Emma's puppy. She sat down, saw the word on his foot and wrote it. When I told her what it said, she was so excited and then wanted to write all of the words the puppy has on him..tummy, hand and ear.

Very impressed Miss Lily, very, very impressed!

Our Sunday

We did a little bit of everything today.

Since fevers and allergies are in full swing in our house we took it easy.

Besides getting some cuddle time in and good naps we carved some pumpkins, toasted pumpkin seeds, played hide-n-seek, did some school work and

had yummy popsicles for dessert.

Pumpkin Hunting and Some Corn Mazing!

Today we decided to take our 2nd annual family trip to the Brookdale Farm Pumpkin Patch. Last year was a little chilly (2010 Pumpkin Patch), but today was a great day to go. Also the 1st year that Emma could really enjoy it, heck she was still being toted around in the Baby Bjorn last October. Pumpkins this year were still coming in, but we did manage to find 3 decent ones for our family. We decided to skip the hay ride this year for the sake of allergies.

After loading the ladies in the car, we drove over to Bergey's Breadbasket (a little family run deli that makes homemade candy, ice cream, and sandwiches). Convieniently located "next door" to the pumpkin patch. Aside from all the food, they also run the farm. We decided this year to try out the corn maze. As you can see, the girls loved it! They also had chickens and even a rooster lying around. Two weekends in a row with livestock fun! We really feel fortunate to live in an area where we can enjoy the "simple things of life" (beach, farms, parks, trails, corn mazes), all within 20 minutes of home.

That Makes Total Sense

So on Tuesday Lily has library at school. They have their own gallon size Ziploc bags to transport their book to and from school every library day. On Tuesday, I could NOT find this bag. I looked everywhere and even called Mike to see if he had put it somewhere. Not until today when I randomly looked up from reading did I find it. There it was. In plain sight.

Shoved into the speaker next to the television.

Of course.

Why wouldn't I look there. It's so obvious that it would be there.

DUH....

Ha...Ha... So now is the time it begins.

The time to find random things in random places that only a preschooler would find interesting.

Good Times.

A Year and a Half!!!

Miss Emma is now 18 months old!

Today we had her well check combined with her second ear check with this stubborn ear infection. Well check went well and the ear check even better...It's G-O-N-E!

I've been noticing that she's been messing with it some more since then so hopefully we don't have to go back in anytime soon.

Stats:

She weighs in at a whopping 23.6 lbs! 25th%

Measures 33 1/4" in the 90th% and is in the 90th% for head too.

She is staying right on her "Emma Curve" which is all we hope for, for this petite little lady.

Some new things about Miss Emma:

*Still in size 4 diapers and no sign of moving to size 5 anytime soon.She can still wear 12 mth Carters outfits and true size is probably 12-18mths although since we have Lily's clothes she's wearing anything from 12mths to 3t :)

*Her hair is wavy and curly all at the same time and is growing, growing, growing! I love putting bows and flowers in her hair and find them all over the house :)

*Her talking and vocabulary has taken off in the past week. She calls us constantly and we hear Mama! Dada! while she roams the house looking for us. She says her own version of Lily but you can definitely tell what's she saying. She says "One More" by holding up one finger. She says All Done, Up, No, Yah, More, Thank (Tank), I Want..., animal names like dog, cat, cow and fish. She can say the sound a cow, dog, monkey and bear make.

*She is great at following directions and understand A LOT! She is now hitting her diaper when she needs it changed, not a big fan of getting it changed but doesn't like to be in one that's dirty... great combination there.

*She loves to draw. She draws on magnadoodles, the aquamat and on the easel. She has gotten out of putting crayons in her mouth but loves to dump the entire pouch of crayons on the floor. But, the good thing is she'll pick them all up herself and put them away.

*Loves to dance! She really likes the songs Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Green Grass Grows All Around, All Arounds, Wheels on the Bus, If You're Happy and You Know It and knows most of the movements that accompany them too!

*She is very interested when I cook. I very often have to do things while holding her which is not always ideal but she's so interested that I just have to.

*Is beginning to LOVE books!! YAY!!! She is starting to grab books and want to sit in my lap to read. Our bedtime routine is so much better now that she likes to look at books. She's not very much into stories yet like Lily but loves to point to things she knows or to play "I Spy" in ANY book.

*She makes A LOT of phone calls. On her pretend phone and on mine :) Sorry if you've gotten some calls or texts from Emma :) She mostly makes them on their play kitchen phone and brings it to me so I can talk too. It's usually Dada or Nana and we always have the best quick convos :)

*So BRAVE and steady especially at the park. She will climb anything and go down any slide even the big curvy ones by herself. I have also learned to let her go...ugh.

*Miss Emma also gives the best hugs and kisses. If you know how good a hugger our Lily is then you can guess the hugs Emma gives too. Two arms around the neck and squeeze kinda hugs. She also gives a lot of impromptu kisses like on my hand while I'm pushing her in a shopping cart.

*Has the best smile along with the cutest nose scrunch ever. I just want to ingrain everything about her right now in my memory.....

Miss Emma pretty soon, before we know it you'll be 2!

How time flies.

Love you Miss Em.

**Forgot some during my quick typing and the lack of coffee today...More words Emma says... baby, bubbles, shoe, boo (when she tries to scare us or when she's playing peek-a-boo), elmo, bi bird, purple, me and emma. I'm sure there are more and it seems as though she says tons of new words everyday and we're clapping for her every second.**

Robes

Nothing like a chilly night where you need to wear your robe.

These girls love each other to bits.

Our Tall, Tall Girl

Found this video from the beginning of October...

Miss Lily is very tall....long legs and doesn't need stools very much anymore.

She could still fit into 4t pants if they didn't look like capris on her.

So now, we have to buy either 5t or 4's that have the adjustable waist :)

And, I'm pretty sure Emma will need that size when she's like 6 yrs old :)

The Zoo!

Today we visited the zoo for the first time since Emma was born. As you can tell, we always follow the same path. First stop, the area the Norfolk Zoo calls the "American Section" ... farm animals! These girls have seen their fair share of livestock these last 3 days. You will also notice a recurring theme throughout the pictures. Lily and her map!

Emma and mommy enjoying some barnyard action with the pig!

Here we are looking at the big map, checking out the little monkeys, and our usual "act like a prairie dog with Daddy" excursion.

The Check Family checking out the newest exhibit to the Norfolk Zoo, the Trail of the Tiger.  They were building this for like the last two years, and it is pretty impressive for Norfolk. Aside from tigers, they had chimpanzees and orangutans. You can get pretty up close and personal, Lily and Emma found a new playmate.

All in all, a great way to cap off a 4-day weekend after a trip. We ended Emma's first zoo trip with a train ride around the zoo.  Em fell asleep about 2 minutes into it as I was holding her. Deep sleep too, didn't even wake up when we transferred her to the stroller. Got to love the fresh air.

Last Day

More Pictures from Saturday:

Sunday we were able to play outside and visit the cousins for a bit while Daddy helped some more building their shed with Poppy and Uncle Steve. Do you remember these carriages?? The girls loved it! And, why is Lily showing her nails? Because her very awesome ten year old cousin painted them purple!

Thank you all for such a great visit!

We miss you all tons!!

Until January for a certain Aunt's Baby Shower :)

WOO HOO!!!

Congrats Auntie I and Uncle Dave :) I can't wait to meet those sweet bab(IES)!!!!!

A Day In Pictures

Today we went to Chapel Hill Farms where they have everything fall.

Cousins

The girls were totally attached to Kaylee, who turns 10 in November. Emma wanted Kaylee to carry her while Lily insisted on holding her hand...the entire day.

Fun Stuff

Playing and pretending in a wooden school bus.

Lily knows that when she turns 5 she can ride a real school bus. How do I know this?

Because, pretty much every time a bus passes us, she reminds me.

Not sure how it's going to work since I don't want her to ride one :).

Pumpkin pictures and a train ride. Thank goodness for Kaylee.

Emma was NOT thrilled about riding this but was right at home on Kay's lap, her screaming stopped shortly after the ride began. We are really glad that we didn't have to swipe her off on their way past us. And, the pumpkin pics...so cute :)

Pony Rides! Thanks Aunt Sara for getting the girls pony rides! They both loved, loved, loved it!!

Aunts

Saturday evening, after a nice long Emma nap, everyone in the family came over. We all had a great time playing, catching up and watching the kids play together. Emma loved playing peek-a-boo with her Aunt Kiki and tag with Aunti I!

Love everyone.

On The Road Again

We are on our way to MD.

So serious.

Watching a princess movie with sun in your eyes is no laughing matter.

On our way to Grammy and Poppy's house we stopped to see Uncle Bill. It was so great to see him and had a great time catching up, having lunch and being entertained by two little girls who needed to stretch their legs!

Everyday

Everyday at 5pm this is what happens.

All three of us are extremely happy when we see this car come down the street.

And, Again...

One Week Later.

Same place, same thing, same doctor...

Different Kid.

Now Lily has an ear infection.

The third visit for ear checks in the past month. Have another one next week for Emma and then will have a follow-up with Lily in 2. Gotta love the fall.

Yellow Day



Today was Lily's second color day at school...

Yellow Day



And...she is now 3 1/2!

Some new things about Miss Lily...

*She is loving playing school.

*She can write more than her name. She has been practicing writing all of her letters, which she is very good at and if we write a word she can look at it and copy what we wrote.

*She has been reading, lately Chicka Chicka Boom, Boom! is her favorite.

*Has almost all of the pre-primer sight words in her word can :) and can read them in isolation and recognize them in print.

*Can count up to 20 but does better with her number card in front of her. She can count higher with more help.

*Loves to rhyme. She loves the -at family.

*Is very much into playing pretend. She is making up stories that are so real that she has to clarify to Daddy and me that she is just pretending. Just this week she told us "When I was a little girl I had a roller skating coach named Katie. She was nice. I learned a lot." And, this goes on A LOT.

*She thinks every football team in yellow is the Steelers :)

*Is very protective of Emma but sometimes needs "Lily time" in her room by herself

*Loves Loves Loves school. Can tell us everything about it down to what her friends had for snack and which letter everyone had on the carpet.

*Loves to talk on the phone to her Nana and Pa. Very often she asks to call them and they have full conversations about their day.

*Becoming more assertive and outgoing thanks to her sister. They compliment each other very well.

*Her memory continues to amaze us. She remembers street names, how to get places, stores and why we went to them...

*Is very into maps and geography.

*Enjoys to do puzzles of all sorts

Oh my goodness, half way to 4 years old. :(



Bows - Fall & Football Edition

Not sure where she finds the time, but Sara has continued to crank out the bows in her "free" time. Always amazes me what she can whip up just with some ribbon and a glue gun. She has had quite the upswing in sales recently, I guess all the back to school and fall rush. Also, anyone who makes Steeler accessories is OK in my book. So impressed by my wife, I love you!

Ready for Church

..Sara post...

Gotta love these girls in their boots. They absolutely love them and would probably wear them

every. single. day. Just glad today was cool enough, for them to wear them!

It has been a very, very chilly start to October!

At night, we are getting into the lower 40s and highs, by the afternoon, are into the lower 70s.

Although, wonderful that we have said bye-bye to 90 degree weather, I'm sad that we are not eased into the fall weather.

Happy October!

Despite a somewhat chilly and windy forecast, we decided to venture to downtown Norfolk to go to the Children's Festival. We were quite sure what to expect, but we figured it was a good excuse to get some fresh air and let the girls stretch their legs. We were actually somewhat surprised by the amount of tents and things for the kids to do. Girls had a blast pretty much just venturing around and taking in all the sights. They played bubbles, road the various riding toys set up, played Legos, and get scared by the characters they love to watch (guess they are better on TV than up close and personal). The highlight of the day was Mabeleine The Horse. We had to visit the trailer twice to pat her rear end (you can see just a sliver in the top picture).