Our Diva in Training
Mimi got a box full of hand-me-down dress up shoes from my cousin. For a nearly 2 year old, she is SURPRISINGLY really good at walking in heels! Take a look at her strutting her stuff.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Her Voice (videos)
Doesn't Amelia just have the CUTEST voice? She recently learned how to play hide and seek, so counting like that is her new thing. However, this was the first time she did that with the alphabet! She is hilarious.
Jumping and the alphabet- She is always doing silly things.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Hot Hot Heat
It's been so hot the past few weeks. I try to get the kids out to play in the morning, but even then it's still too hot to be outside. We don't have any trees on the property, so shade is hard to come by! Amelia goes to bed by 7pm, so by the time it starts to cool down, she's in bed. It's very frustrating and I hope that the weather cools off soon.
Of course, being at home all day makes it difficult when they can't get outside. The day just drags on. I've been doing the best I can to find activities for the kids, but the resources here are very limited compared to DC. It's been a difficult adjustment, but I'm hopeful that we'll find a good routine soon. *fingers crossed*
We tried a few activities around town and on post, but I'm not too impressed with what we've done so far. It's been very disappointing. I have plans to check out a few other activities, so hopefully we'll find some fun things to do throughout the week. I'm also on the fence about a playgroup I joined. However, I plan to attend a few more activities to see if it will be a good fit.
On a positive note, I found an indoor play space for toddlers just a few miles from our house. (Well, everything is just a few miles from our house, ha ha.) It's awesome. It has several themed rooms for the kids to play in like a fire station, diner, grocery store, veterinary clinic, beauty shop, puppet stage, and a two room play house. There are also plenty of cool toys to play with too. There is also a baby area, so once Alex becomes mobile, he'll have a place to play too. Amelia had a blast!
We've enrolled the kids in the hourly care program at Fort Campbell. I plan to take them there once a week for a few hours so I can get a break. We toured Amelia's classroom and she seemed to be impressed with it. Hopefully, she'll be just as excited when she's there on her own.
The infant room was nice. Although, I'm super nervous about leaving Alex, especially since he doesn't take a bottle very well. I think he's only had 6 or 7 bottles, ever. I also need to start pumping because I only have 4 ozs of frozen milk. Argh.
Ideally, we want them to be with an FCC provider (We miss you Barbara!), but we still have to interview a few and make a decision. It would be nice to find someone in our neighborhood.
I am missing DC, our playgroups, and our friends there more than ever. There is so much to do in DC! We had the opposite problem; we had to pick in chose which things we wanted to do each day. It was very rare that we spent the whole day at home.
I'm trying to stay positive. I know it's always difficult in the beginning. We've moved so many times and I've had these feelings before, so they are all too familiar. However, I know in my heart that things will get better.
A few pictures from the indoor play area
Play House- nursery
Play House- kitchen
Beauty Shop
Grocery Store
Play area
Amelia is wearing a waitress outfit she got from the diner area.
Amelia is wearing a waitress outfit she got from the diner area.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Amelia's Art
This is Amelia's attempt at writing. Like I mentioned before, she scribbles on paper and then tries to figure out what letters or numbers she wrote afterwards.
Here are a few examples of cards she's making for our family members.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Family Artwork
We all colored a picture of Elmo before bed
I traced, Jimmy filled in, Amelia colored, and Alex drooled and grabbed at the page
Our masterpiece
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Sesame Street Live
Like many people, Jimmy and I grew up watching Sesame Street. Who doesn't love love Sesame Street? Amelia's TV watching is limited to one show a day, but when she does watch TV, 95% of the time, it's Sesame Street.
This weekend, we took the kids to a Sesame Street Live show in Nashville at the Bridgestone Arena. We were unsure if Amelia was going to enjoy it or not. We worried that she might be too young or get scared. Thank goodness we were wrong! Amelia had a blast. We didn't think Alex would pay attention, but he watched some of the show and was all smiles and giggles too.
This weekend, we took the kids to a Sesame Street Live show in Nashville at the Bridgestone Arena. We were unsure if Amelia was going to enjoy it or not. We worried that she might be too young or get scared. Thank goodness we were wrong! Amelia had a blast. We didn't think Alex would pay attention, but he watched some of the show and was all smiles and giggles too.
We got VIP passes so the kids could go to a meet-and-greet with the characters before the show. Amelia LOVED it. She wasn't scared at all. In fact, she was just the opposite. We had to hold her back so the other kids could have a turn. She gave the characters high-fives, talked to them non-stop, and was just so delighted to be in their presence. Amelia was happy to climb on their laps for pictures and didn't want to leave. She kept talking about her "friends" after we left.
After the meet-and-greet we went down to our seats and waited for the show to start. I'm so glad we had good seats. We were in the front row at the center of the stage. Amelia had a great view and throughout the show, the characters came down and interacted with her. She was so happy! She was giving hugs and high fives. Alex even got in on the action. As the characters came down, they also played with Alex and he was all smiles.
We are so proud of our kids! They didn't cry or fuss the entire time. We were fully prepared for a potential disaster, but we all had such a fun time. I had to nurse Alex during the show and he fell asleep after the intermission, but he stayed on schedule and did fabulous. Amelia behaved so well and had ZERO tantrums, which is amazing because these days she throws tantrums over everything.
Amelia was in heaven. She was so delighted to meet her "friends."
She kept talking to Grover. It was super cute!
An attempt at a family picture
Take two
You can see that Amelia is completely mesmerized and can't take her eyes off Grover and Elmo. While we were taking pictures, she was talking to them the whole time.
You can see that Amelia is completely mesmerized and can't take her eyes off Grover and Elmo. While we were taking pictures, she was talking to them the whole time.
Waiting for the show to start.
Amelia is pointing out all the things on stage.
Amelia is pointing out all the things on stage.
Intermission = Snack Time
She was such a good little girl at the show.
She was such a good little girl at the show.
One happy, but tired girl. She passed out as soon as she got into her car seat. She had a big day!
Elmo & Grover (Videos)
High fives with Elmo and Grover!
Jimmy said she was smiling from ear to ear.
Waiting for her turn to see Elmo and Grover. She is clearly excited ;0)
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Alex Takes The Wheel
Happy to be in the drivers seat
I love the serious look on his face. He looks like a gangster, ha ha.
Nerd face
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Amelia's Chores
When the opportunity presents itself, I like to incorporate household responsibilities in Amelia's day to day activities. She's still very young and her capabilities are limited. It also definitely slows things down and makes chores more difficult to complete for me, but I think it's worth it.
When she completes a task, she has such a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I can't wait until she can REALLY help us out around the house, but here's what she does so far.
Like I said before, it doesn't always work out. These tasks can sometimes cause meltdowns or she just doesn't feel like doing it!
Getting Dressed
When she gets dressed, she has to put her dirty clothes in the laundry basket. She does the same for when we dress Alex too. She tries to dress and undress herself and I let her attempt to as much as possible before I step in. And, as I mentioned in previous posts, she also likes to pick out her outfits.
Laundry
When I do laundry, she helps me put the clothes in the basket and (with my help) she put the clothes in the washer and/or dryer and takes them out. Of course, one of her favorite things to do is push the buttons. Our dryer has a see through door, so she enjoys watching the clothes tumble around.
She attempts to help me fold the laundry too. Usually she just makes piles of the clothes outside the basket... or she just tries to "re-fold" what I've already done, which is really annoying, ha ha. On a positive note, she's gotten pretty good at piling and sorting the cloth diapers, which is nice.
Dishes
Amelia is in charge of putting away the silverware. I pull the silverware tray out of the drawer, put it on the floor and she takes the clean silverware from the dishwasher and sorts it into the tray. (Note: I've pulled out all the knives and other dangerous items first!) While she does that I empty the rest of the dishwasher, but leave all the plates. After she sorts the silverware, she hands me the plates so I can put them away. What's funny is that her absolute favorite thing to do is shut the dishwasher door once we've emptied it!
Meals
We open the fridge for her and she gets to chose wether or not she's having milk or water with her meal and take it to the table. After meals, she washers her hands. We help her turn the water on and off on her own and she also dries her hands on her own. She also puts her drink back in the fridge and helps me clean up her meal area by wiping and sweeping up. I also help her put her dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
When she completes a task, she has such a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. I can't wait until she can REALLY help us out around the house, but here's what she does so far.
Like I said before, it doesn't always work out. These tasks can sometimes cause meltdowns or she just doesn't feel like doing it!
Getting Dressed
When she gets dressed, she has to put her dirty clothes in the laundry basket. She does the same for when we dress Alex too. She tries to dress and undress herself and I let her attempt to as much as possible before I step in. And, as I mentioned in previous posts, she also likes to pick out her outfits.
Laundry
When I do laundry, she helps me put the clothes in the basket and (with my help) she put the clothes in the washer and/or dryer and takes them out. Of course, one of her favorite things to do is push the buttons. Our dryer has a see through door, so she enjoys watching the clothes tumble around.
She attempts to help me fold the laundry too. Usually she just makes piles of the clothes outside the basket... or she just tries to "re-fold" what I've already done, which is really annoying, ha ha. On a positive note, she's gotten pretty good at piling and sorting the cloth diapers, which is nice.
Dishes
Amelia is in charge of putting away the silverware. I pull the silverware tray out of the drawer, put it on the floor and she takes the clean silverware from the dishwasher and sorts it into the tray. (Note: I've pulled out all the knives and other dangerous items first!) While she does that I empty the rest of the dishwasher, but leave all the plates. After she sorts the silverware, she hands me the plates so I can put them away. What's funny is that her absolute favorite thing to do is shut the dishwasher door once we've emptied it!
Meals
We open the fridge for her and she gets to chose wether or not she's having milk or water with her meal and take it to the table. After meals, she washers her hands. We help her turn the water on and off on her own and she also dries her hands on her own. She also puts her drink back in the fridge and helps me clean up her meal area by wiping and sweeping up. I also help her put her dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
Monday, June 18, 2012
My Dad
My dad is awesome. He recently had a birthday and Father's Day was yesterday, so I've been thinking about him and missing him more than usual. We talk on the phone regularly, but I don't think I'll get to see him until January 2013.
I love making lists, so he are a few cool tidbits about my dad:
He met my mom at a funeral.
He has 16 (full blood) brothers and sisters.
My dad grew up in a home with no running water or electricity.
He immigrated from the Philippines to the US when he was in his early 20's.
His first job in the US was picking pineapples in Hawaii.
After he joined the US Army, he went back to the Philippines to marry the love of his life, my mom.
My dad is very proud of his military service. He served 20 years.
My dad taught me how to shot a gun and make bullets... when I was in elementary school. We made bullets in our basement and went to the shooting range regularly. I had my own gun.
When I was dating Jimmy in high school, my dad called Jimmy and told him to stop calling me every day. Yup, that was my dad. He felt I was too young (14 years old) to be dating. He absolutely adores Jimmy now. They just had a rough start ;0)
He conducted daily room inspections to make sure all our rooms were clean before bed. I know I'm a neat freak today because of him.
He almost always has a toothpick in his mouth when he's at home.
My dad tells the funniest jokes. What's interesting, is that through the years I've heard all his jokes. He probably has about 30-40 jokes he tells on a regular basis. When I was younger, I didn't think they were funny. Now that I'm older, his jokes are hilarious. Seriously, my siblings and I laugh so hard we can't breathe.
My dad likes to try to impress people with his magic tricks.
He could probably sing karaoke for 24 hours straight if he could. He's really good too!
My dad can grow anything. He has a green thumb... pointer finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinkie. His gardens are amazing.
My dad is THE hardest working person I know. He is so dedicated and passionate about his career. He will go in early, stay late, and work holidays and weekends if he has to. At the age of 61, he still has the same work ethic and drive as he did when he was younger.
His favorite phrase: "That's not advisable."
My dad was really strict when I was growing up. Really strict. He was definitely a "Tiger Dad." He had very high standards for me. I didn't understand it growing up, but thank God he pushed me. I attribute any success I've ever had to my dad's confidence in my abilities.
In high school, he used to wash my car because he was embarrassed about it being dirty and in his driveway.
He is absolutely devoted to my mom. After all these years, I see them together and he is still smitten by her. I love it. They are adorable. They are good role models for Jimmy and I.
My dad is all about family. I'm glad he instilled that strong bond with all of us from beginning. We are a close family because of that.
I love making lists, so he are a few cool tidbits about my dad:
He met my mom at a funeral.
He has 16 (full blood) brothers and sisters.
My dad grew up in a home with no running water or electricity.
He immigrated from the Philippines to the US when he was in his early 20's.
His first job in the US was picking pineapples in Hawaii.
After he joined the US Army, he went back to the Philippines to marry the love of his life, my mom.
My dad is very proud of his military service. He served 20 years.
My dad taught me how to shot a gun and make bullets... when I was in elementary school. We made bullets in our basement and went to the shooting range regularly. I had my own gun.
When I was dating Jimmy in high school, my dad called Jimmy and told him to stop calling me every day. Yup, that was my dad. He felt I was too young (14 years old) to be dating. He absolutely adores Jimmy now. They just had a rough start ;0)
He conducted daily room inspections to make sure all our rooms were clean before bed. I know I'm a neat freak today because of him.
He almost always has a toothpick in his mouth when he's at home.
My dad tells the funniest jokes. What's interesting, is that through the years I've heard all his jokes. He probably has about 30-40 jokes he tells on a regular basis. When I was younger, I didn't think they were funny. Now that I'm older, his jokes are hilarious. Seriously, my siblings and I laugh so hard we can't breathe.
My dad likes to try to impress people with his magic tricks.
He could probably sing karaoke for 24 hours straight if he could. He's really good too!
My dad can grow anything. He has a green thumb... pointer finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinkie. His gardens are amazing.
My dad is THE hardest working person I know. He is so dedicated and passionate about his career. He will go in early, stay late, and work holidays and weekends if he has to. At the age of 61, he still has the same work ethic and drive as he did when he was younger.
His favorite phrase: "That's not advisable."
My dad was really strict when I was growing up. Really strict. He was definitely a "Tiger Dad." He had very high standards for me. I didn't understand it growing up, but thank God he pushed me. I attribute any success I've ever had to my dad's confidence in my abilities.
In high school, he used to wash my car because he was embarrassed about it being dirty and in his driveway.
He is absolutely devoted to my mom. After all these years, I see them together and he is still smitten by her. I love it. They are adorable. They are good role models for Jimmy and I.
My dad is all about family. I'm glad he instilled that strong bond with all of us from beginning. We are a close family because of that.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Sweet Dreams
I have the best news to share:
Alex is sleeping through the night! Amelia is in bed by 7pm and Alex by 8:30pm. The kids usually wake up sometime between 6-7am.
Jimmy and I finally have a few precious hours to ourselves in the evening and a full night of blissful, sweet, precious sleep.
In other news... on most days, both kids nap around the same time in the afternoon. Sometimes the overlap in their nap times is more than 30 minutes. Yay for a few minutes of free time during the day.
Hallelujah!
Alex is sleeping through the night! Amelia is in bed by 7pm and Alex by 8:30pm. The kids usually wake up sometime between 6-7am.
Jimmy and I finally have a few precious hours to ourselves in the evening and a full night of blissful, sweet, precious sleep.
In other news... on most days, both kids nap around the same time in the afternoon. Sometimes the overlap in their nap times is more than 30 minutes. Yay for a few minutes of free time during the day.
Hallelujah!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Mama's Boy
I can't believe I was so nervous about having a little boy. He is a perfect addition to our family. I feel so lucky to be his mommy.
Amelia @ 21.5 Months
Our firstborn is almost two! I know it's still a few months away, but I know time will fly and her birthday will be here before we know it. We've planned a family beach vacation in Florida to celebrate her birthday. My sister, her boyfriend, and my mother-in-law will be joining us. They were all here for her birthday last year, so it has become somewhat of a tradition ;0) We are so looking forward to August.
What is Amelia like at 21.5 months?
Amelia loves to sing. She especially loves nursery rhymes. Once the song is over, she screams "Again!" over and over. Sometimes we sing songs 10 times before she gets tired of them. It's exhausting, but Alex likes it too, so it's something that keeps them both occupied, so that's a plus.
Amelia is a fashionista. The first thing she likes to do most mornings is put on a necklace. She will keep it on most of the day and if we go out, I let her keep it on. She also enjoys picking out her outfits. Her favorite accessory has to be her baby legs. She has about 20 pairs with crazy colors and designs. She doesn't know about matching her outfits together, so what she comes up with is quite unique. Also, she's a true girly-girl with a passion for shoes! Sometimes we do a shoe change several times a day.
Amelia loves to dance. She seems to have a preference for hip hop and dance-techno music. We listen to pop music on the TV/radio and you can definitely tell she has her favorite songs! She has several cute dance moves. She also likes kid songs that have movements she can follow: Itsy Bitsy Spider, Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, etc.
Amelia loves hide-and-seek. She doesn't know how to tell me she's starting the game, but I can usually figure it out because she's hiding behind a door. I just hear giggling and squealing. I scream out, "Amelia, where are you?" and she screams and giggles even louder in delight. I pretend to not know where she is and go from room to room calling her name. Eventually she can't stand it any longer and jumps out from behind the door to surprise me. It's adorable.
Amelia has a kind heart. The first time she broke a crayon she ran over to me, held out the two pieces, and looked very confused. I told her it was broken and she looked at me and said "crayon, owie?" I nodded and she proceeded to kiss the crayon, stroked it gently, and told it, "It's okay." At that moment, my heart melted.
Amelia is silly. This has to do with our bedtime routine. Amelia usually requests several kisses from everyone: Alex, Jimmy and myself. For example: She requests "Daddy" and then leans in for a big kiss while saying "mmmwwwaaahhh." After she gets a few kisses from all of us, she proceeds to say all the OTHER things she would like to give a goodnight kiss to. Sure enough, she needs to kiss all those things too before bed.
Some silly examples (She really does kiss them!): banana, necklace, dirty cloth diaper, two floor pillows, the number and letter decals on the wall, wooden hippo, the diaper Alex is currently wearing, various shoes, small vase, ceramic cat, our cats, and cookie monster toothbrush. There are plenty more silly things, but that's all I can think of right now. She does it every night and she never ceases to amaze Jimmy and I with all the crazy stuff she comes up with.
What is Amelia like at 21.5 months?
Amelia loves to sing. She especially loves nursery rhymes. Once the song is over, she screams "Again!" over and over. Sometimes we sing songs 10 times before she gets tired of them. It's exhausting, but Alex likes it too, so it's something that keeps them both occupied, so that's a plus.
Amelia is a fashionista. The first thing she likes to do most mornings is put on a necklace. She will keep it on most of the day and if we go out, I let her keep it on. She also enjoys picking out her outfits. Her favorite accessory has to be her baby legs. She has about 20 pairs with crazy colors and designs. She doesn't know about matching her outfits together, so what she comes up with is quite unique. Also, she's a true girly-girl with a passion for shoes! Sometimes we do a shoe change several times a day.
Amelia loves to dance. She seems to have a preference for hip hop and dance-techno music. We listen to pop music on the TV/radio and you can definitely tell she has her favorite songs! She has several cute dance moves. She also likes kid songs that have movements she can follow: Itsy Bitsy Spider, Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, etc.
Amelia loves hide-and-seek. She doesn't know how to tell me she's starting the game, but I can usually figure it out because she's hiding behind a door. I just hear giggling and squealing. I scream out, "Amelia, where are you?" and she screams and giggles even louder in delight. I pretend to not know where she is and go from room to room calling her name. Eventually she can't stand it any longer and jumps out from behind the door to surprise me. It's adorable.
Amelia has a kind heart. The first time she broke a crayon she ran over to me, held out the two pieces, and looked very confused. I told her it was broken and she looked at me and said "crayon, owie?" I nodded and she proceeded to kiss the crayon, stroked it gently, and told it, "It's okay." At that moment, my heart melted.
Amelia is silly. This has to do with our bedtime routine. Amelia usually requests several kisses from everyone: Alex, Jimmy and myself. For example: She requests "Daddy" and then leans in for a big kiss while saying "mmmwwwaaahhh." After she gets a few kisses from all of us, she proceeds to say all the OTHER things she would like to give a goodnight kiss to. Sure enough, she needs to kiss all those things too before bed.
Some silly examples (She really does kiss them!): banana, necklace, dirty cloth diaper, two floor pillows, the number and letter decals on the wall, wooden hippo, the diaper Alex is currently wearing, various shoes, small vase, ceramic cat, our cats, and cookie monster toothbrush. There are plenty more silly things, but that's all I can think of right now. She does it every night and she never ceases to amaze Jimmy and I with all the crazy stuff she comes up with.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Just the Three of Us
I hardly have any pictures with the kids :( I tried to take one this morning and here is the result. I was only able to take two pictures until Amelia bolted for bigger and better things.
Hilarious, but perfect in every way.
Bro and Sis
I love it that they are now starting to play with each other. Their "play" is mostly just Amelia giving him toys, but it's very sweet. She is turning into a very caring big sister... who obviously picks out her own outfits ;0)
Letter Obsessed
Amelia is in love with letters. Stickers, magnets, stamps, toys, signs, puzzles... anything. She's now attempting to "write" her letters. It's really funny because she will just scribble on the paper, stare at it intently, and point out letters she can find. Since it's just mostly just scribbling, most of the letters she finds are: I, C, W, X, M, and T. It's really cute. I'm trying to get her to think about a letter before she attempts to write it, but I guess scribbling will work for now, ha ha.
Concentrating. This is serious work, ha ha.
Alex is playing with Amelia's old letter-chewy-things. Amelia likes to give them to Alex when he's crying. She also likes to tell him what each letter is... even if this means grabbing it from him and making him cry, ha ha.
We are working on putting the letters in order.
Again, in deep concentration
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