Cheerleading Party!

We had Anna Claire's birthday party about a week ago (her actual birthday is the 14th). It was so fun! We had 2 cheerleaders come from the high school where Gary teaches. They brought the whole party with them! A pinata, a cake, decorations, balloons, pom poms, cups, plates, water...you name it, they brought it! They even swept my kitchen floor when they left! This is the way to do a party, I'm telling you!

We had 9 little girls come from AC's class and from our neighborhood. They had such a great time learning new cheers, doing tumbling and watching the cheerleaders do their tricks. As you will see from the pictures, Leah (and her little friend, Sidney) also had a fabulous time being "big girls" at the party.

Country Girl, City Girl

Actual conversation that just took place between Anna Claire and me:

AC (trying to avoid bedtime): Momma? Remember how I told you that I wanted you to buy me the new Hannah Montana movie when it comes out on DVD? Well, I decided that I don't really want it.

Me: Why not, honey?

AC: Because I didn't really like the part where she was out in the country.

Me: Why not?

AC (looking grossed out): Well, the guy kind of talked funny (he had a Southern accent - does she realize that we live in the South now?), and there are a lot of bugs out in the country.

Me (my heart warm with compassion and love for her because she now truly understands why I'm not wild about the country/camping/anything outdoors): I know, hon - there are a lot of bugs out in the country. But it's beautiful, don't you think?

AC: I guess so. But I still don't want the movie because it's about the country.

After she went upstairs, I giggled a little and was reminded of my one and only camping experience - that ended after four and a half hours, where we got lost on the way home and ended up in West Virginia...in the country.

I wonder if she'll ever go camping.

What We've Been Doing

Sorry for the bloggy break there - we've been sick. I have a sinus infection and mild double-ear infection, Leah has had a cold, and Gary has also had a cold. In the past 24 hours, Leah has thrown up on me (while I was on a conference call, no less), gotten poop all over her new Christmas shoes (they were a total loss - couldn't even clean them with a toothbrush), peed on the floor, climbed up on my bathroom counter and unrolled most of my dental floss, and broken one of my favorite dishes. She also keeps stealing baby Jesus out of the various manger scenes we have around the house and shouting, "MY baby Jesus!" I'm running constantly and can barely keep up with her in between popping 800 mg of Motrin and holding my head because it hurts so badly.

Anyhoo, we've been busy the past couple of weeks! We had a Christmas activity extravaganza last week - I hosted a Christmas brunch for over 30 women from my Bible study (we had a great time), Gary and I attended Beth Moore's Christmas event, we attended a friend's Christmas show at her church, and we drove with friends to have dinner in College Station, TX and see the lights at a local light display - it was so fun! The girls were so exhausted, they fell asleep on the way home (see picture). On Sunday, I took the girls to the mall to have their hair cut and to do a little shopping while Gary worked.

I spent the first part of the week napping whenever possible, and now I'm scrambling to get caught up with work and get our Christmas letters out the door.

It looks like we're going to have a white Christmas in Oregon - it's down in the 20's there and they keep getting snow! Fortunately, my parents were able to find snow boots for the girls so they can play in it. Snow boots are hard to find down here where the weather is often 70 degrees. :)

Halloween Fun

We had a FABULOUS time on Halloween night. We live in the coolest neighborhood - everyone here is so incredibly friendly and welcoming - and they love to get together! We went to a house down the street where practically the whole neighborhood gathered to eat pizza and socialize for about an hour before we all took the kids trick-or-treating. We had lots of little princesses and other characters! So many cute kids...

We are so blessed to be living in an area where the families like spending time together, visiting, watching the kids play outside, and being true friends to each other - this is what I grew up with and it is so fun that our kids have it now too...

The picture on the right is Leah and her BFF, Sydney, who is a month younger than Leah. Sydney has 2 older sisters, one of whom is in the same grade as Anna Claire. Sydney was Snow White, and Leah was Sleeping Beauty.



My favorite mermaid - Ariel. :)




Ariel (Anna Claire), the Alien (Samantha), Jasmine (Sheridan), Snow White (Sydney) and Sleeping Beauty (Leah)

Wordless Wednesday

My favorite Halloween picture ever of the girls - this pretty much summarizes their personalities...

Friday Fun

Some pictures from the past...thought these would be fun to share...




Anna Claire in her new cheerleading outfit Aunt D. got her - the weekend Leah was born...








Anna Claire's first trip to the pumpkin patch - 5 months old












Anna Claire's 3rd trip to the pumpkin patch - almost 2 1/2...


















The very first nancy Drew book I read - sitting in the back of our light blue station wagon, listening to Neil Diamond and John Denver (possibly on 8-track), driving across the country from Norfolk, VA to Spokane, WA. Ahh, the memories...

Nesting

After we got unpacked, there was a bunch of stuff that still needed to be done but I just couldn't face doing it - I was on overload. Well, I'm really trying to focus on those things now that will make my house look "finished" - returning a plant I successfully killed to get a new one, replacing a set of blinds that broke, hanging pictures, etc. So, I've been busy nesting. :)

The girls are doing well - Leah is keeping me on my toes - she is very insistent on her own fashion choices every day (which is fine unless it's 45 degrees outside like it was this morning when we took AC to the bus and Leah wanted to wear something sleeveless). She has also hit a major growth spurt and has been eating us out of house and home. She's even waking up in the middle of the night asking to eat. We've also been potty training and it's going pretty well - I'm surprised she was ready this early but once she decided to do it, I got out the potty and the rest is history.
There are so many little kids in our neighborhood - and a few of each at the girls' ages, so it's fun to play together. We often walk down the street after Anna Claire gets off the bus and we play for awhile. I snapped this picture the other day of the little girls - Mia, Sydney and Leah - they are all very close in age and have a fabulous time together. Aren't they cute?

Anna Claire is LOVING school and cheerleading. She has the best time at her games and had the opportunity to attend a dance clinic last Friday night with the local high school's dance team. They learned a routine, learned how to cheer to the fight song, and then got to sit with the dance team and perform with them and cheer on the football players at the game on Saturday night. She thought she was SO big and important! When she got dressed, she came down in her t-shirt and hot pink leggings. I told her it would be better to put on her navy blue leggings because it matched the school colors better, and that if she wore the hot pink leggings, she'd be the only one wearing that color. She looked at me, rolled her eyes, and said, "EXACTLY." It turned out to be a good thing that she had her pink leggings on - she was easy to spot on the field!

We have some fun outdoor things planned this weekend that we're looking forward to - the weather here is SO beautiful right now! It's a little chilly in the mornings, and about 80 degrees in the afternoon - low humidity, sunny, a light breeze. Just amazing - I'm loving it!

What Was She Thinking?

Can someone tell me what compelled my craft-loving 6-year-old to color on sticky notes, then cut them up and GLUE them with a glue stick to my freshly-painted kitchen wall? And to the tile floor?

Hello? What was she THINKING?

I might have to put her on eBay... (ok, all you serious people out there - I'm KIDDING! I would never do this. Every mom has days like this, right? RIGHT?)

This kid needs a job at Michael's...

First Week of School - Finally!

OK y'all - go get yourself a drink, go potty and then come back and pull up a comfy chair, because this is going to be a long post...

I FINALLY found the cord that connects my camera to the computer. And I was sick the last 2 weeks with bronchitis so I have a bunch to catch up on.

First, we'll cover the first day of school for Gary and Anna Claire, which was last Monday. We have a tradition that I get up early on the first day of school and make a nice breakfast for Gary before he leaves. I made blueberry muffins and eggs. Here's Gary enjoying his breakfast - doesn't he look ready to hit the ground running? :)

When I woke Anna Claire up at 6:30 am, she rubbed her eyes and said, "Momma, it's still NIGHT outside. Is this the time I'm going to have to get up every day?" I said, "Yes, honey," to which she replied, "We should find me a school that starts later so I don't have to get up so early." I didn't have the heart to tell her that once she gets to high school, she'll be getting up even earlier!

Here's Anna Claire's new backpack and lunch box - Barbie backpack, High School Musical lunchbox.

Here's Anna Claire in front of her school...she is SO excited to go in and see her teacher! Mrs. K is newly married (3 weeks!) and has taught for one year in another school district. She graduated from Baylor and is so cute. Anna Claire kept looking at her and saying, "You're SO pretty..."

Leah decided to take the bull by the horns and hang up Anna Claire's backpack for her.

My sweet girls - Leah wants to be big so badly!

Anna Claire absolutely LOVED school - and is still really enjoying it. She has met some great little friends - both in her class and on the bus. She informed me this week that she'd prefer it if I didn't wave goodbye to her once she's on the bus (apparently I was embarrassing her).

Gary had an equally great first week of school (now 2 weeks) - his kids are very polite, and his co-workers have been so helpful and friendly. He is teaching in a school that's only 3 years old, so it's a real treat for him to have the latest and greatest technology, his own classroom, and even better - the school is less than 3 miles from our house! No commute! It really is so nice, and we are getting to spend lots of time together as a family as a result.

So, in other news, we were spared Gustav's devastation - which we were very thankful for. We're hoping that there aren't any other hurricanes that come our way.

I am really enjoying getting to know the ladies in my neighborhood, working out with them at the Y, and spending time with Leah. It's amazing how quickly her vocabulary picked up after Anna Claire went to school last week. She is really talking a lot. Leah definitely misses her big sister, though - she walks around the house saying, "Shissy.....Shissy" (her way of saying "Sissy", which is what she calls AC). I am also enjoying working from home - I have a pretty good schedule of working during Leah's naptimes, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays while she's at Mother's Day Out. I also often work a couple of evenings a week after the girls have gone to bed. So, I have the flexibility I need but still get to keep my feet wet in my work, which I love.

We are going to our first high school football game this weekend, which will be fun. They play at a local stadium that seats 30,000 people! I cannot wait to see what this is all about. Anna Claire is SO thrilled that she will be able to watch the cheerleaders. She begins her cheerleading lessons next week, so she'll be taking notes, I'm sure.

Twas the Night Before School Started...

...and all through the house...

Well, I'm too tired at this point to write a poem that rhymes, so you'll just have to trust me on this one.

The backpack is packed...
The lunch box is ready...
The new school clothes are washed and ready to wear...
We've met her teacher...
We've discussed the bus ride several times...

My baby girl is going to first grade tomorrow. I can't believe it.

We'll post pics of the whole event - she is VERY excited but definitely apprehensive.

Stay tuned for live blogging tomorrow (if I can find the cord to download pics from my camera)!

A Letter to My Oldest Daughter

Anna Claire -

I cannot believe you are six years old today. I know many mothers say this, but the time just flew by. You were not terribly anxious to make your arrival - we waited and waited for you to come. When you arrived, I was overwhelmed, overjoyed and in awe of how perfect you were. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life.

It has been such a great joy to watch you grow. We figured a lot of things out together, you and I. I love that you stopped crying immediately whenever I would take you outside and wheel you around in the stroller under the trees. I love that you used to say "I want hold you" whenever you wanted me to pick you up. I love that you peered inquisitively at me in the front seat the morning after my hair fell out and we were on the way to the salon to pick up my wig. I love that you instinctively knew to play quietly by the couch when I was going through chemo and couldn't get up. I love that you would sometimes steal my wig when I wasn't wearing it and you'd wear it around the house, laughing hysterically because you had done something you thought was so funny. I love that you used to yell "E-I-E-I-O" whenever we sang "Old McDonald" in the car. I love that you thought that wearing a pair of my black stockings, my white high-heeled sandals and nothing else was a fashion statement. I love that we play I-Spy while cuddling in bed in the morning. I love that you still say "aminals" instead of "animals." I love that you think only in shades of hot pink, deep purple and lots of sparkles. I love that you were completely convinced that I was giving birth to your baby sister in a stable with animals, just like Mary did. I love that you showcase your hospitality skills by making breakfast for Daddy and me on Saturday mornings. I love that you immediately pray out loud whenever we see a car accident. I love that you sing with your eyes closed, totally lost in the moment. I love how you pray at bedtime, openly pouring your heart out to Jesus. I love that you pray for our friends who have cancer, and then give God the glory for them being healed. I love that you worry about someone at school feeling left out, and that you strategically plan how to prevent it from happening.

You are an amazing little girl, Anna Claire. I am so proud of you and so honored to be your momma. Don't ever stop loving Jesus like you do, and always remember that your gifts and talents are on loan from God, to be used for His glory and purposes. Happy Birthday, sweetheart. I love you.

It’s Hard to Be Humble When You’re Perfect in Every Way (or not so much…)

This morning in the car on the way to school:

Anna Claire: Momma, do you remember the first time I had my hair done at Libby Lu? (it’s a store in the mall where they do little hair makeovers for girls. Libby Lu = serious amounts of glitter, so we don’t go in very often)

Me: Yes.

AC: Did my hairdo last more than a day?

Me: No, it was kind of messy after you woke up the next morning.

AC: How did you remember that?

Me: Cause I’m the mommy. It’s my job to remember everything.

AC: Then how come you forgot to feed me breakfast?

Thank heavens for McDonald’s drive-thru…

Hannah Montana Madness

Hannah Montana madness has invaded our household...here is this morning's conversation:

(Anna Claire comes walking in my room wearing a mini skirt, her school t-shirt, and her Hannah Montana hair)

Me: Cute outfit, honey. But no Hannah Montana hair at school.

AC: Why not, Momma? It's so cool!

Me: Well, because (a) it's not appropriate and (b) Hannah Montana doesn't wear her hair to school - she goes to school as Miley, not Hannah Montana.

AC: No she doesn't.

Me: Yes she does - she's Miley at school, and Hannah Montana on stage (she only THINKS I don't pay attention! I know my Hannah Montana stuff, people!). As soon as you get home from school, you can wear your Hannah Montana hair and pretend you're on stage.

AC: I sing better than she does.

Me: I'm sure you do, but you still can't wear your Hannah Montana hair to school.

(scowl from AC)

I think I'm now officially a "mean mom."

Momma Anna Claire

Overheard this morning over the baby monitor:

Anna Claire opens door to Leah’s room.

Anna Claire clucks her tongue and says, “LEAH! I am SO disappointed in you for taking off your diaper and throwing it on the floor. You are going to get a thump on the heinie!”

No response from Leah.

A few moments later, Anna Claire says, “Leah, now repeat after me…Que pasa, que pasa, que pasa!”

No response from Leah.

Big Girl Day!

Anna Claire and I had a great time today after church. She and I went to the mall and had our nails done and then we met my friend Mary and her daughter, Madeleine, to see the movie Horton Hears A Who. We had so much fun! I had been given a $50 spa gift card, which we used to get our nails done, and I'd also received a $50 gift card to the movies, so our whole day was free with the exception of a few dollars at the movie theater. So, not only did we have a great time together, but I hardly spent any money! Yahoo!

Here are some pictures of Anna Claire having her nails done - the lady painted them pink with 3 blades of green grass on each - they look really cute and Easter-y.

Here's Anna Claire waiting for Madeleine to arrive before the movie.

Here's Anna Claire and Madeleine after the movie standing in front of the Horton movie poster.

Needless to say, after doing so many fun things this weekend, Anna Claire is flying high!

Our Little Princess

This afternoon, Anna Claire had the pleasure of attending a school friend's birthday party where they were instructed to wear their best princess dress! She dressed up in her Halloween costume as Tinkerbell...she had such a great time!

She is really having a fun weekend - we have another surprise for her tomorrow afternoon, so you'll have to stay tuned to see what we do!

Well, the clock has struck midnight and it's time for our Disney princess to clean her bedroom - I can hardly walk in there because there is so much stuff on the floor. I guess eventually every princess's carriage turns into a pumpkin...

Heart Disease?

Actual conversation that took place in the car yesterday morning:

Anna Claire: "Momma, do you have heart disease?"

Me: "No, why?"

AC: "I heard that snoring is linked to heart disease. Do I have heart disease?"

Me: "No, sweetie, I think you're just a loud sleeper - you have been since you were born."

I've got to stop listening to the radio when she's around...

Does Anyone Have a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card?

So, Anna Claire was sent to bed early tonight because she'd been disobedient. She climbed in bed, and asked me to tuck her in. She said, "Momma, let's say our prayers." I said, "You might want to ask God to help you be a little more obedient." She said, "OK."

She began to pray..."Lord, thank you for Daddy, Momma, and Leah. Help the bad guys get out of jail tomorrow - and help them to be more obedient and listen to their Mommas."

The irony of her prayer was not lost on me.

I'm thinking we'll let her out of jail tomorrow. :)