Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 Recap

1. What did you do in 2013 that you’d never done before?
  • Parented 3 children (infant, pre-schooler, teenager)
  • Took the kids to Disneyland
  • Wore skinny jeans (that's for Shawna)
  • Gave birth in front of my Mom and MIL
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

  • Resolutions for 2013:
    •  DON'T BECOME AN EVEN CRAZIER CRAZY PERSON.  - Collosal Fail
  •  Resolutions for 2014 (Let's be more reasonable this time around):
    • Take the girls to the beach. Harlie has never been and this is terrible.
    • Take another road trip. See things. Do things.
    • Clean the house more regularly. Clean house, happy husband, happy life.
    • Use the weekends to put personal touch on our new home. This is time well spent. Getting the kids involved is a bonus.
    • Spend more time outside...and in our backyard.
    • Read more, crack-out on phone less.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

  • My co-worker, Jasmina gave birth to a sweet boy named Lucas.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No, thankfully.

5. What countries did you visit?
None.


6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?


     Taking a look at last years list, I'm proud that we kinda suceeded!

  • More financial stability Yes, definitely! Promotions FTW!
  • A new home Yes Yes Yes!
  • A growing savings account (repeat from last year), Uh, no dwindling, but this is as expected since the savings account grew initially so that we could spend it on the house. :-)
  • A vacation...a real one. (repeat from last year). Yes! Disneyland!

     Okay, so this year, I'd like to have:

  • More backyard bbqs
  • More peace and quiet
  • A napping Ashlynne
  • A more relaxed Harlie
  • More quality time with Scott - DATES!
  • Mo' money to spend on life experiences
  • Mo' money in savings that's not intended for any specific purchase.
7. What dates from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

  • January 29th - Our little miracle arrived!
  • December 5th -  Setting out on our first road trip and setting foot in the Happiest Place on Earth. All in one day.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

  • Honestly. This is going to sound crazy, since we have the new house, but keeping the plan to take Harlie to Disneyland was a huge goal for me. I have long wanted to do this for her 5th birthday and even though the end of 2013 turned into the craziest, busiest time in our life EVER, I am proud that we didn't put this off. It was exhausting and amazing and truly a bonding experience for us all. So happy to have those memories...they are the sweet sweet reward that reminds me what a gift it is to be a parent.
9. What was your biggest failure?
  • Not letting go of control enough.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
  • I would say I suffered some injury in late Janaury, but it was worth it. ;-)

11. What was the best thing you bought?
  • This house, fo' sho'. And Disneyland tickets.

12. Where did most of your money go?
    • DAYCARE!!!!!!!
    13. What did you get really excited about?
    • Disneyland
    • Househunting
    • Furniture shopping
    • Ashlynne's first Christmas
    • Both Trips to Tahoe
    • Overnighter in Livermore, sans kids!
    • Harlie meeting Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

    14. What song will always remind you of 2013?
    • Aa aa aaaa aaa aaa aaa aa aaaaaaaaaaaaa AKA as the song from the Little Mermaid

    15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

    – happier or sadder? Happier!
    – thinner or fatter? Thinner, since the baby's on the outside  now!
    – richer or poorer? Richer.

    16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

    • Thinking before speaking

    17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

    • Harping

    18. How did you spend Christmas?

    Christmas Eve we had a lovely evening at Florence's and then spent a wonderful first Christmas morning in our new home before heading up the hill to Mom's for more family time and a yummy Crown roast.

    19. What was your favorite TV program?

    New Girl

    20. What were your favorite books of the year?

    Gosh, did I read anything???

    21. What was your favorite music from this year?


    I know nothing of music these days.

    22. What were your favorite films of the year?

    Okay, I really liked the Katy Perry documentary. ;-)

    23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
    Why can I never remember this???? 35.

    24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
    It would have been nice to have been moved into our new home earlier in the year so we could relax more and just enjoy being a family.

    25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2013?

    Flats and anything that covered my butt.

    26. What kept you sane?

    Late night texting sessions with Melanie, my sisters ear and my parent's help and support with the kids.

    27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2013.


    Strive for smiles, from those around you and most importantly from yourself.  It's hard to be unkind if you're truly smiling.

    Thursday, December 12, 2013

    The Girls - November 2013 (Harlie turns 5!)



    Harlie Baby,

    You turned 5 this month. FIVE! One, two, three, four, FIVE! It doesn't matter how much protesting I do, you just keep growing and I find myself wanting to hoard all of your "Mama's" and cuddles, as if one day they will vanish without warning. But for now you give them freely and often. Your sissy would say you give your cuddles a little too freely and not so gently. But her face lights up when you come into the room and you are her faithful playmate. It makes me so proud to see what a wonderful big sister you are and how you shower her with love and compassion. Ashlynne is so lucky to have you.

    This year you decided you wanted a Sleeping Beauty birthday party at the Sacramento Children's museum. You had a wonderful time with your friends and cousins and it was especially sweet to see you and Emelia attached at the hip. It makes me happy that you two have remained so close. You were even able to spend the whole day with her later in the week to celebrate her birthday and came home with a big smile on your face and Twilight Sparkle My Little Pony from Build a Bear.

    We MOVED this month, into the house you "picked" because it had stairs. :-) You also picked out your own room and were very happy about Disney princess-ing it as fast as you could. Auntie Autumn helped out with a new princess bedroom set and alarm clock. However, you were a little upset when you learned that none of the closet doors had mirrors and it's difficult to see yourself when you play dress up. This is just one example of how you can be a little difficult to please with your very specific demands. And everything better be your idea or you're usually not interested. Sometimes it's a struggle for control around here, for sure!

    You are still loving to draw and paint and create. You love to make cards for people, help Mama in the kicthen and dress up your stuffed animals. You love the song Radioactive and are always singing at the top of your lungs. Life is never dull with you in it, Sweets. I love you more and more each day. Happy Happy Birthday Harlie --I love being your Mama.

    Now for a few fun facts about Ashlynne's 10th month:
    • Ashlynne was baptized by Pastor Frank at St. John's Lutheran on November 3rd. It was a wonderful day with family .
    • She weighs 19 1/2 pounds and is the squeeziest!
    • Ashlynne has her own room now and is still sleeping through the night!
    • Clapping is a new skill Ashlynne loves to practice. If she's pleased with herself or excited about something, she will often clap and flash a big smile! "Yay" and "Clap" will also get her going.

    Monday, November 11, 2013

    The Girls - October 2013


    Given my current mental state, I can only think in bullet points again this month. The good news is my crazy brain is overwhelmed with ALL THE GOOD STUFF going on these days. Hopefully I'll be able to write more about it when this roller coaster slows down a little bit.

     Harlie:
    • As you can see, she decided to cut her hair like she did the summer before last. She had been growing it long like Rapunzel again, but finally tired of the fights with the hair brush. Fine hair = tons of tangles! I love the short hair and it is much easier to manage. 
    •  Harlie made a new friend! Mama's childhood friend Lenette and her family recently moved to the area and after a visit at their house, Harlie became buddies with their youngest daughter, Kerrigan.
    •  Decided to be Star Song (My Little Pony) for Halloween and picked out her sissy's matching costume as well - a unicorn!
    • Harlie was so excited about visiting the Tahoe house this month for Grandma's Birthday! Her favorite parts of the trip were soaking in the hot pool (spa), playing in the teepee, going to THE BEACH, and getting makeovers from Mama and Auntie Keri with Mazzy.
    Ashlynne:
    • Is sleeping through the night! We started sleep training early in October and right away, she was able to get through the night without any feedings, soothing herself back to sleep if she woke. Naptime has been a bigger challenge, especially at daycare. She rarely sleeps for more than a 40 minute stretch and it's very hard for them to get her to fall asleep on her own without causing a disruption with her crying. At home we let her fuss and she'll fall asleep within about 5 minutes. So this has been an ongoing project. But sleeping through the night is a huge step forward! More sleep for everyone!
    • Ashlynne is using her highchair and feeding herself soft mushy foods like banana and avocado, along with her puffs and cheerios. It's nice to have her join us at dinner and eat long with us.
    • The "Fly Butterfly! Fly Fly Butterfly!" is Ash's absolute favorite game to play and Daddy does it best. We can rarely hold her on our hip too long before she is hurling herself forward so she can fly around the house doing her mermaid kick. This can be so so cute and then frustrating at other times when you just want her to stay still as you hold her. :-)
    • Daycare has nicknamed Ashlynne the Steamroller and Bulldozer. Girlfriend gets anywhere she wants just rolling and spinning and kicking her self around and over any obstacle practically. Last night she just rolled herself from the living room to the laundry room and had her hand in the cat bowl before Scott or I could turn around, she is so fast!




    Sunday, October 27, 2013

    All About Austin: 18th Birthday Edition



    E:  What would you do with $100 dollars?

    A:  Hmmm, I'd probably buy a video.


    E:  If you could go anywhere in the world to visit, where would you go?

    A:   Italy


    E:  What is one new thing you would like to try this year?

    A:   Uhh, I have no idea. I can't think of anything. Skydiving.


    E:  What is one memory you have from this summer?

    A:   Having Darian come over to my mom's house to spend the night.


    E:  What is your favorite food?

    A:  Steak


    E:  What is your favorite song?

    A:  Panama, Van Halen


    E:  What is your favorite color?

    A:   Black.


    E:  What is your favorite movie?

    A:  Top Gun, I guess, yeah.


    E:  Who is your best friend?

    A:   Truman


    E:  What is your favorite thing to do?

    A:  I would say video games, but it's not true. Uh, hang with friends.


    E:  What is the coolest thing you've done all year?

    A:   I would say committing to my YouTube channel and getting lots of subscribers.

    Sunday, October 6, 2013

    The Girls - September 2013




    Harlie:
    • Tackled late one afternoon by an overly friendly Labrador at the park, Harlie is now a little afraid of dogs. I say “a little” with a whole lot of hope in my heart that this changes soon. Dogs are awesome.
    • Aside from her cousins who are a little more like siblings than friends, Harlie’s bestest friend forever is Emelia. Friends and daily companions for almost two years, going these few months without seeing each other has been hard on both girls, so it was great that this month H and E got in a playdate at the splash park AND a sleepover. The first friend sleepover for both girls was a huge success! Emelia made herself right at home at our place and slept through the night with no problems.
    • I have waited so long to have a Mommy-daughter show that we can share and hello DWTS!!!!!! I mean sequins and glitter will pretty much get any princess obsessed 4 year old hooked! J
    • Harlie has started helping Scott and I set the table for dinner. Woot Woot! I feel a chore list coming on!
    • The kindness that Harlie shows her sister everyday makes my heart “glow-up” as she would say. She is a loving protector, teacher and friend to Ashlynne and nothing brings me more happiness than watching them together.
    • Harlie has enjoyed being Scott’s little assistant this month helping him with projects or chores around the house. Her desire to know everything about everything and learn all there is to learn about all there ever was is amusing, inspiring and reassuring! She is going to be so ready when Kindergarten rolls around, and is constantly asking how to spell words, draw letters and numbers, and why why why why things are the way they are. J
     
    Ashlynne:
    • Is sitting up!!!!! She still needs some crash protection and a little support to keep her propped up for long periods of time, but she can do it! I’ve ordered a brand new seat cushion for our highchair, and am so excited for her to be joining us at dinner like a big girl, next to the table instead of ON the table. J
    • We’ve introduced Ash to the “Puff “and although she loves to grab and pick them up, she hasn’t quite mastered the art of getting them into her mouth. Once the highchair is put together, she’ll get more practice at this and I’m excited to add more finger foods to her repertoire like Cheerios and bits of banana and avocado.
    • Now that the weather has turned, when we take Ash outside she loves to stick her tongue out to feel the wind or cold air. It’s so cute!
    • Ashlynne’s hair is coming in fast now! It’s a dark blonde with the slightest bit of red that’s really only detectable in the sun. I think it might have a tiny bit of wave too, like Sissy’s did. She can thank Daddy for that!
    • Uh Oh! Stranger danger alert! Little Miss Happy Pants has been showing signs of separation anxiety and stranger danger at home and at daycare. She doesn’t like to be left alone in a room and will WHINE continuously until someone comes back to play with her. At daycare, she doesn’t like the teachers she doesn’t know well to hold her and has even started crying when I go to leave. I’ve been having to play the distraction or sneak away game and it’s a bummer. I hope this doesn’t mean my lunch time visits will be coming to an end soon…they are still one of my favorite parts of the day. Since she is so active now, I love to see her interacting with everyone there and to watch her just be in her element at her home away from home.  I can also tell she’s starting to learn who her important people are in her life and forming bonds with family members which is so cool.  You can really tell by her smile now how VIP you are in her world. J

    Friday, September 6, 2013

    Dance! Now Freeze!

    Dance! Freeze! from Erin Wilson on Vimeo.

    The Girls - August 2013


    Harlie:
     
    This was a big month for our big girl!!! A lot of firsts for her. She started the month out with her first time roller skating at cousin Mazzy’s 7th birthday party! She had a great time and wanted to go FAST FAST FAST all the time. Even poor Maxie got run over by Auntie Erin as Harlie tried to race around the rink. *Note to self: Let go of Harlie’s hand next time* All the 2008 babies are getting so big it’s such fun to watch them run around in a pack doing all the big things now.
    The day after the party was Harlie’s first trip to the dentist. I was so nervous about how her experience would go since she’s been afraid about getting her teeth drilled and not wanting it to hurt, but we assured her that she’d just be getting her teeth cleaned and counted, and so luckily there wasn’t any kicking and screaming to get her there. She was shy at first around the hygienist, Sue (a good friend of the Uncle Josh and Auntie Keri), but after some treats and jokes, she came around and was happily cheesing for the camera and handled the x-rays like a pro. We’re happy to report NO cavities and Sue and the dentist said her teeth look great! As we left, Harlie asked when we could come again! Yay!
    Bathtime has turned officially changed to showertime for Harlie. We got her a hot pink loofah (ok I think technically it’s called a mesh sponge, but we all say loofah, right?) and Scott taught her how to set the water to the right temperature and wash her hair and body and she takes it all very seriously. Yesterday she was calling for me with concern in her voice and I was a little worried she had slipped, but when I got there she pleaded with me to help her close the shower curtain all the way (the rings stick to the rod sometimes), so she didn’t let the water out! J I can’t tell you how awesome it is to just send her off to take a shower and have her do it all herself!
    Harlie has become increasingly interested in drawing and painting lately and creating little picture books. Just recently her drawings have started to become much more detailed and it’s fun to see her imagination come to life. She also enjoys completing her “homework” pages from a kindergarten prep workbook I bought her, which is encouraging. Lucky for us, she idolizes her big cousin Mazzy so if Harlie can do homework (or anything for that matter) like Mazzy does, she’s all over it! It’s hard to believe she’ll be starting school next year.
    Ashlynne: 

    Oh my sweet baby girl. She is getting so big and active. While she isn’t sitting up on her own yet, she loves to roll and roll all over the place. You can’t turn your head for a second before she’s rolled herself across the room and is chewing on the blinds or has her legs stuck under the couch. I think she may be close to sitting up, since she'll sometimes teeter for a couple seconds before eventually toppling over. I can't wait for that, because then maybe she'll stay put for a few minutes at a time. :-)

    Knock on wood I think we may be lucky enough to have another little foodie on our hands. Ashlynne is enjoying solids and really loves bananas, applesauce, sweet potatoes and carrots.  She's not a big fan of avocados right now though, and I'm hoping it doesn't stick like with her brother! But she's continuing to grow at a steady pace. I just took her for her 7 mo. well baby appointment and she weighed in at 16.6 pounds (37th percentile) and is 26 inches (34th percentile)long. Since birth she's gained almost 10 pounds and grown 6 inches! I'm thrilled because her height and weight are still proportionate but her percentiles have increased about 10%, since her 5 mo appointment.

    Ashlynne's sleep patterns remain about the same....waking usually at least once a night, but sometimes she'll surprise and sleep all the way through. Solids seem to be definitely helping, but we will probably need to start sleep training before it becomes a consistent thing. It's not ideal to do that right now with everyone's close sleeping quarters and besides, my heart's not in it anyway, but from experience, I know that's most likely the path we need to take when we're ready.

    Little sissy continues to be a really happy and sweet baby, showing us her snow angel-jumping jack moves whenever she's happy to see us and flashing that million dollar smile of hers. She loves to talk and squawk and scream when she's excited. She can hold on to our arms now when being carried and gives the best hugs and open mouth kisses.

    We're seven months in and  smack dab in the middle of magic baby bliss-land! I feel so lucky.

    Tuesday, August 6, 2013

    The Girls - July 2013

    Harlie insisted on wearing her new princess jammies for this month's photo. I conceded because if anything is representative of who Harlie is right now, it's her wear-by-day-and-night princess jammies.

    Harlie: Guess who's napping at daycare FINALLY!!! Woot Woot, this makes Scott and I so excited! Our evenings have been pretty delightful with a well rested Harlikins and it means we get to spend more time with her in the evenings which we all benefit from. Harlie has always been a great sleeper, but it's just not quite time to stop naps yet. She needs 'em.

    Even though Harlie quit going to dance class last month, she's still a dancing queen, shakin' her stuff to Just Dance Kids on the Wii or teaching her sissy to "Dance! Now Freeze!" The profound impact that siblings can have on each other is so interesting. The fact that Ashlynne is already mimicking her sister is so cool as well as a little terrifying! ha!

    Another passion of Harlie's has just emerged this month. We have on our hands a little wildlife enthusiast/explorer. :-) Come to find out, Harlie loves to watch survivalist shows and is obsessed with everything Shark! on Netflix. So yeah, not much My Little Pony this month. :-) Just this evening before bed she requested "the scariest one (shark show) Daddy."  She definitely doesn't get that from her sissy mama.

    Some other relatively new things about Harlie:  Everything is "Awesome!"-- she only wants to wear seamless socks, if she wears them at all but usually she just wants to wear the same (sweaty, smelly) brown mary jane shoes to daycare everyday no matter what her outfit-- and she loves to randomly bust out singing "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" by Poison. The last time she did it, she and I were in Target. :-)


    Ashlynne:
    This has been a big month for little Ash. At the beginning of July, she started sitting up at the baby table at daycare and we got her a Bumbo for home. At first she would slouch over most of the time, but now she’s able to sit up in it with no problem. I think in the next couple of weeks she may be able to sit up unassisted. Her back is getting stronger everyday! At dinnertime, she’ll sit in her Bumbo on the table with us and tries to play skee ball with her toys as she launches them towards our plates. J
    When she’s not causing a ruckus at the table, she’s actually eating with us now! Ash started solids on the 28th, just one day shy of her half birthday! We decided to have a picnic at the park across the street and thought it would be fun to let Ashlynne get her first bite there. She liked it, but was definitely a little skeptical about the mush on her tongue. It takes her a while to get it down, so we make it pretty thin for her. I think she likes being included though at dinnertime! I’m getting impatient because I want her to try ALL THE THINGS! . But for now we’re waiting several days between new foods, which is probably best anyway until she starts gaining confidence and gobbling it all down.
    Ashlynne’s sleep schedule is RIDICULOUS right now. Swizzles goes down around 7:30, might wake up an hour or two later, and then definitely is up 3 more times (about every 2 hours) after that. Growth Spurt? Boredom? Separation Anxiety? Reflux? Gas? Got me!!!!!! J We recently switched back to the swaddle from first a sleepsack and then only her sleeper and it does seem to be helping her sleep longer the first stretch, and she’ll sleep about 4 hours before her first wake-up. Knock on wood, this becomes the trend. It is hard for me, especially since I should be pumping at 2:00am, and so most of the time she wakes and wants to eat, or she’s eaten an hour before and I don’t have much to pump! One thing that has been helping me save milk is nursing her at daycare when I drop her off. She consistently wakes up for the day around 5:30!, so the timing works out that I can feed her at drop off which often leaves me with an unused bottle of milk to take home. They are probably so sick of me at daycare because the last few days I’ve been feeding her 3 times a day there. At drop off, at lunch and at pick up. It’s SO much easier to feed her after work there, instead of at home, because there is a quiet corner I can sit with her in and then when we get home she’s not fussing and hungry while I unpack all of her stuff! Anyway, it’s working for us, so I’m going with it! J
    I’d like to say Ashlynne is great at tummy time now and she would be if she wasn’t rolling onto her back all the time! Our little roly poly prefers to play on her side or back and has started rolling off her playmat, or getting blocked by the bendy poles that the toys hang from. It’s probably time to take those poles off, but since she likes to end up on her back anyway, they still give her something to look at and play with. Dilemma! J It’s so fun seeing her become much more active. She loves to kick her feet with the music, play the dancy freeze game with Harlie and dance with Daddy. Ah, it’s the best ever. She has also started doing this growl when she’s excited and it’s so cute. I wish I could get it on video but she never wants to perform when I have the camera ready.
    This little girl puts a big smile on all of our faces. It’s amazing to see how much she has changed in six months. Time is flying way too fast for me.

    Sunday, July 7, 2013

    The Girls - June 2013

     

    Ashlynne: Oh my goodness, the 5th month with little sissy has been so much fun. She is so much fun to be around, you can't help but smile whenever she's near. Mostly because she's so full of smiles now. She'll notice us from across the room and smile, smile when Harlie comes over to say hi, and get distracted while nursing because she hears our voices. She'll unlatch, look up at me or over at whoever is talking and give a big old grin. Love it!  Changing diapers in one of my favorite things to do nowadays, because girlfriend loves the changing table. She loves the interaction with us and thinks it's playtime which it often turns into. Oh and the feet!!! She has recently discovered her feet and her not so little rump comes up as she grabs her feet and often pulls them to her mouth and it's just the cutest thing ever. EVER!  She loves to suck on everything, her toes included!

    Our little baby is not so little anymore! Ashlynne had her 5 mo. well baby appt. and weighed in at 14 lbs, 1 oz. (25%) and 24.5 inches long (27%). This is a big jump from her weight at 3 mos. She's gained 4 lbs and 2.5 inches and I think most of it can be attributed to her pretty strict feeding schedule at daycare, her midnight feedings, and comfort nursing habits. I'll take the chub all day long though! she's even starting to get a little double chin! :-) Yesterday I packed up all of her 3 mos clothing...I just can't believe how fast time is flying. I feel like I blink and she grows an inch. Not fair!

    Speaking of sleeping habits, Ashlynne is still waking 1-2 times per night but can be rocked back to sleep 50% of the time. She now goes down at home in a sleepsack but is swaddled at daycare which helps her nap longer.  She is a terrible crib napper and often ends up in the swing. These days at home it's so hard to put her down for a nap in her crib, she almost always wakes up the second we put her down. I have a suspicion she's starting to develop some separation anxiety which may be a contributing factor and I'll be interested to see how I report on that next month.

    At the doc appt, Ashlynne received four shots and although she initially recovered quickly from the pokes, she was feverish and cranky for almost 48 hours afterwards. Note to self: do not schedule shots right before a holiday! Dr. Wang also said that her neck looked great and tested her range of motion. This was very encouraging. She's getting so much stronger on her belly and pushing herself up higher on her elbows.

    In a couple more weeks we can start giving her cereal and boy is she ready. She is mesmerized by food, watching intently as it goes from our plates to our mouths. It actually makes us feel bad to eat in front of her, because you just know she wants what you have, She's so curious! I am hoping that a pre- bedtime snack might help her sleep through the night too but we will see.

    And last but not least, I am very sad to say that Ashlynne got her first sunburn while in Tahoe last week. We had a great time and she was an absolute angel the whole time, but we underestimated the strength of the sun and patchy tree cover, which left her little face red and swollen for the last 2 days of trip. I think it hurt my heart more than it hurt her, which is a blessing...lesson learned for sure! Lucky for me her hair had just started to fall out at 4 1/2 weeks, so her scalp didn't get too red, but it wasn't fun sending her daycare with peeling cheeks. :-(

    Harlie: Feisty, defiant and impatient would best sum up this last month with Harlie. She has really been enjoying her summer, but seems to be asserting her independence and fighting for control more than ever. Not sure how much of this is her four-ness and how much of it has to do with adjusting to the new daycare and sharing attention with Ashlynne. She still seems to enjoy her days at preschool and for the most part behaves while she is there, so I'm counting my blessings. We're trying to help her find a balance between following the rules and showing respect while being able to make some of her own choices. Mom's a control freak too, so it's been a struggle to say the least.

    This is one of the reasons that she's taking a break from dance class right now. Hopefully, in a couple  months she'll be ready for it again. I do love to watch her get her groove on!

    Some things she loved this month were: painting, singing the same verse from 22 by Taylor Swift and Call me Maybe by Carly Ray Jepsen over and over and over again (I think this is influenced by some top 40 exposure at daycare), wearing skirts, wearing shirts as skirts, decorating every room in the house with random toys, crepe paper and precious treasures (i.e. garbage - wrappers, weeds, dead flowers :-) ), wearing Mama's jewlery, and making Ashlynne smile.



    Father's Day




    I had plans to do a survey with Harlie, but daycare beat me to the punch. I think these are so cute!