Daily Grace and Joy

Random Thoughts

2011-04-08T10:32:00.000-04:00

Arianna has started calling Isabella, "Bella Grace." We call her that occasionally, but you can tell AJ thinks she's hot stuff. Everytime she says it she looks at me, knowing I'm going to smile/laugh at her.
Bella really likes to help clean the house. She keeps expanding her abilities. Today she asked for a wet paper towel, and proceeded to wipe off the dining room table, and the kitchen counter. Then she folded all the small towels that were clean in the laundry basket. She also will folder her own pj's, clean her room, AJ's room, and the bonus room. I'm thinking I'll teach her to dust next! She says she's going to do all the work so I can have play time with Arianna.
Arianna has become a bear to feed. She is inconsistent in what she will eat, and when. She grazes rather than eating meals. She seems to think she can live on cereal and french toast sticks.
Both kids love doing art. We have lots of art supplies, but I think we need to move to more craft kits.
AJ is sporting rug burn on her forehead. I bet she won't climb out of her crib again anytime soon!
The girls have discovered wrestling/roughhousing with each other. Anyone surprised that Arianna was the one to introduce it?
Mommy loves, loves, loves their developing independence. They are doing so much more for themselves, and I encourage it anyway I can.
Andes Mints are nut free, have no potential for being cross contaminated. That's the first "normal" chocolate candy I've found that is safe for AJ. Yay!!!

Arianna

2011-03-22T08:39:00.001-04:00

I’ve been trying to come up with an Arianna update, but am having a hard time. She’s at that stage where almost everything she does or says in funny. Her vocabulary is exploding, and her sentences just keep getting longer and longer, but you have to see her to get it. I can’t write about it and do her justice.

She’s been sick for what seems like forever (we finally have her on antibiotics, but they haven’t seemed necessary until recently because it’s just a cold and/or fever). Yesterday I said something to her about her “cold” and she replied, “No, Mommy, I’m hot.” It was quite cute.

She’s showing mild interest in potty training. She sits on the potty, and will often go pee, but just isn’t very excited about taking time away from something fun to go. We’ve transitioned her to pull-ups, which she likes a lot. Now she pees in them, then when she’s done with whatever she’s doing, goes and gets clean one, and changes herself. That wasn’t quite the outcome we were hoping for!

Arianna likes school a lot. We’re told she’s getting more and more outgoing, and assertive. Her teachers are GREAT, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the program she’s in. We are exploring options for summer care for both kids since their program breaks at the end of the school year.

Arianna loves her big sister, but is without a doubt the bully of the two. It’s not at all uncommon for Arianna to hit Bella, and leave her in tears. Arianna is also our more daring child. She’s not scared of much, and is reluctant to stop doing something when we tell her no. She’s sure she need to open every door, touch every electronic, and jump off of every high perch she can find. She can get injured without much of a peep, and if she cries, she gets over it very quickly.

She’s become quite the affectionate kid recently. She loves to give spontaneous hugs, kisses, and I love yous. She loves to do art…especially anything that involves making a mess.

She is such a joy, and she brings us a smile all the time!

Who's God's Mommy?

2011-03-22T08:34:00.000-04:00

Last night Isabella asked me, "Who's God's Mommy?" I explained to her that God doesn't have a mommy, because he came first, before anyone else. She declined that explanation because everyone has a mommy...otherwise, how did he get out of someone's belly? After I tried several stumbling attempts at an explanation, she declared, "It's okay Mommy, I know all about God." I replied, "That's good, because Mommy is obviously confused!"

Squishy

2011-03-22T08:32:00.002-04:00

Over the weekend I was holding Arianna. She was pushing on my bra cup. She says, "That's you bwa. It squishy...like my diaper!"

Why are you my Momma?

2011-03-22T08:31:00.000-04:00

From Isabella...Mommy, why are you my Momma? I want Grandma to be my Momma. I'm going to pray and ask God to make Grandma my Momma, and make you my Grandma.

Marry a Girl?

2011-03-12T10:53:00.002-05:00

Last night Bella declares, "I wish I could marry a girl." I quickly remembered all the wise counsel I've received in the last five years, and instead of going in to panick or damage control mode, I simply asked, "Really? why?" She tells me that if she could marry a girl, she'd marry Arianna so they could always live together! Awww...how sweet (and not at all where I thought that conversation might be going)!

Blogging Again...Bella Style

2011-03-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

Before I had kids, when y'all were the ones with little ones, I alway wished you would send out more updates than you did. I thought if I was ever the one with kids, I would be better about keeping everyone up-to-date with what was going on. Now I understand the lack of updates! Holy cow...we are busy! I'm going to tackle an update now, because the dishwasher doesn't need to be emptied, the floors don't need to be swept/mopped, the laundry is all caught up, I don't have any "real" work that needs to be done, the kids aren't clammering for my attention, there are no dust bunnies hiding in the corners, and the island isn't piled so high that you can't see the counter top! That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Isabella is growing up so fast. She seems to mature every day. She enjoys all things girly...her entire wardrobe is pink and purple (she refuses to wear black, brown or dark green). She loves to dance, sing and put on "concerts" for us. Her favorite song is still "Living on a Prayer" by Alvin and the Chipmonks, but she will tolerate the original by Bon Jovi. She also likes the song by Willow Smith...is it called, "I whip my hair back and forth"? Obviously Mom is a bit behind on pop culture!

She's doing well in school. She's writing all of her letters, knows what they all say, but is still struggling with letter combinations (why IS the 'K' silent when it's with an 'N'?). She's starting to read a little. On her list of favorite things are her Barbies, her Grandma Rose, and her Mommy (possibly in that order!). She loves to build stuff and is constantly hanging bed sheets and blankets from her top bunk to make swings. She's also a master negotiator, always trying to find ways to bargain for "one more minute" of whatever fun activity she's engaged in at the time.Bella recently had a struggle with a little boy in her lunch room. We talked to the teacher and got permission for her to move to another room. However Bella decided that she wanted to stick it out and deal with him. She was NOT letting him get to her. We were really proud of her stick-to-it-ness. She's a very strong child that doesn't back down from anything!

Funnies From Friday

2009-08-22T10:53:00.002-04:00

Jason took the girls to the zoo yesterday, and Arianna called the gorillas (and apparently most of the other animals too) "Ma Ma". Um, I'm not sure what to think about that!

Bella is still periodically asking us for a new baby. While I was holding Arianna we had this conversation:

Bella: Mommy, do you ever think about having another baby?

Me: No

Bella: But I want one (she's starting to get whiny now)

Me: No honey, we're not having another baby.

Bella: But I need one, because that one (points to Arianna) IS NOT WORKING!!!

Two Quick Things

2009-07-28T18:56:00.001-04:00

First, Arianna is finally saying Ma Ma!!!

Second, a funny exchange when I got home from work today:

Daddy: Bella, do you want to come downstairs and see Mommy?

Bella: No, I'm working on my voicemail.

I guess a girl has to have her priorities, right?

More Random Happenings

2009-07-24T06:30:00.003-04:00

#1 Arianna took her first steps on Wednesday night. She won't walk to Jason or me, but took three steps to get to Jason's food. I guess we know what motivates her!

#2 Bella is such a hoot, she's constantly cracking me up with something she says or does. Last night she was playing with her magic wand and said, "I'm going to poof Arianna gone so we can have another baby." She's seriously on a campaign to get another baby...a boy this time. She WANTS a brother.

#3 Arianna is starting to form words (that you can only understand in context because they are still baby babble). She says, Bella, DaDa, Grandma, kisses...you'll notice there is no "Ma Ma" on this list. She's also picking up on lots of baby signs. She will sign dog, fan, light, Da Da (you can tell she's a Daddy's girl...she can say AND sign Da Da), nurse, and cracker.

#4 Mommy and Daddy are getting a date night tomorrow!!! Thanks, Grandma Rose.

#5 Bella has decided she's getting married in a pretty dress. She can't tell me who she's marrying, just that she knows she wants one of those pretty dresses (we attended a wedding last weekend, and apparently the dress made a big impression).

#6 Arianna got her first two teeth a couple weeks ago. Now she's working on getting four more...all at once. They are making her very uncomfortable, and she's not bashful about letting us know it!

#7 Bella is super-duper fascinated with all things related to hospitals. Her current obsession is the medflight helicopter at St. Joe. Whenever Jason brings the girls to me at work (usually twice a week) we have to swing by the heli-pad, and see if it's there. Occasionally we get to see it take off or land...and she LOVES that.

There is never a dull moment around our house. I could go on and on. I'm learning to appreciate all the ways I am blessed, even in the midst of what often feels like chaos.

Random Happenings In our House

2009-07-06T12:13:00.004-04:00

As I'm sitting here pumping, there are several random things floating around my brain. I thought I'd post them...

First, Arianna has had very little interest in walking. She pulls herself up and cruises (holding onto furniture, walls, etc) but doesn't attempt steps. Last night she grabbed the back of the rocking horse, pulls herself to a standing position, and proceeds to walk it across the floor (10 feet or so). Hmmmm...I think she's hiding a talent from us!

We are attempting to night-wean Arianna (yes, again) and move her out of our bedroom. So, we put her crib in the toy room, and Jason is camping out on the futon. We haven't decided if we are going to convert the toy room into a bedroom for her or have her share Bella's room. So, until that decision is made, she's bunking in the toy room. It looks a little funny, but is practical for the moment.

Arianna has starting using several baby signs. She says "dog" "bye-bye" "all done" "fan" "light" and I'm quite sure she's tried to use "nurse" but it's been inconsistent. It's pretty funny to see her do "all done" because what she's really trying to convey is, "I do NOT want that nasty food you're trying to convince me to eat. Please get it out of my face now."

It's so much fun to watch Bella and Arianna develope their relationship. They are starting to play with each other quite a bit. Arianna loves to laugh at Bella...and Bella loves to be silly to get a laugh. They are quite the entertaining combo.

Saturday evening we went to a cookout at my brother's house (thanks Jim and Amy for having us...it was great). There were several of our family members in attendance, so Bella had lots of people that she was comforable chatting/playing with. At one point I look over and my Dad is sitting is a circle with three other 60-ish men, and Bella. She has climbed up in one of the empty chairs and is hanging with the grown-ups as if it's her favorite spot in the whole world. I wished for my camera at that moment! She is such a ham! I think that was the only point in the entire evening when she let Aunt Amy get out of her sight, though. Bella LOVES her Aunt Amy, and was insistent that she go wherever Amy went.

What is she talking about?

2009-06-20T10:47:00.003-04:00

Bella has a couple favorite topics to chat about. The first one is her job. She'll tell you that she got a new job at the hospital, and that she works on computers (or does numbers). She also has a Ms. Shirley at her new job. This is all a direct reflection of everything that she knows about my new job (Ms. Shirley is my boss). She tells us constantly that she has to go back to work. Or she'll pick a specific toy that she has to take to work with her.

She's also has been talking about death a lot recently. This started with a dead squirrel in the road in front of our house. We tried to explain it in 3-year-old terms. Then, Jason's uncle passed away...so there were more talks of death. Finally, one of Bella's little friends has chickens, and one died. Bella made her a card (it never got delivered, but it was made...sorry Ava) and we chatted about it. Through all of this Bella has had lots of questions about who's dead (Aunt MaryAnn and Uncle Mike are popular...I assume because we don't get to see them very often). She's also asked Grandma Rose where her Mommy is (yes, you guessed it she's dead)...and on, and on it goes. I know she doesn't really understand it all, but I can't really tell how much of it she DOES get. So, we just keep answering her questions as best we can.

So, you take these two distinct trains of thought and rattle them around in her little brain and here's what you get..."My job died today". She tells EVERYONE she sees that her job died and she needs another one. She comes up with variations on this too. For example, she told me the other day, "My Ms. Shirleys died...all five of them. I'm looking for another one." Funny kid!

Party with Daddy's Family

2009-06-17T18:17:00.004-04:00

Aunt Bethany was in town, and we had a gathering at our house for a lot of Daddy's family. It was so much fun.

Here's Bella with her cousin Lauren. I never realized, until I looked at this picture, how much they looked alike.

One of the highlights was making ice cream. Here's Bella taking her turn cranking with Papa Calvin.

Bella Loves to Play Dress-Up

2009-06-17T18:14:00.000-04:00

Bella's Birthday Party

2009-06-16T18:17:00.003-04:00

Bella turned three in May. We had a cookout to celebrate. Grandma Rose and David made her a gorgeous cake, and let Bella help decorate it. We all had a great time with friends and family.

She so CUTE!

2009-06-16T17:22:00.000-04:00

Catching Up

2009-04-26T13:57:00.004-04:00

I'd seriously thought my blogging days were over, but I'm sitting here watching Arianna master the art of crawling. That just makes me want to post an update.

Arianna still doesn't quite have the hang of crawling, but she's definitely very mobile. She is already trying to follow Bella around! She babbles all the time, and is even starting to form some preliminary words. This morning when I leaned over her to pick her up from bed she looked at me and said, "Ma Ma." It was the first time her ma-ma-ma-ma babbles seemed to be in context and specifically aimed at me. She also says Da-Da to Jason...especially when she wants his attention.

Bella is such a riot these days. It's so much fun to watch her imagination develop. She created a pretend friend the other night. It was short lived, but she enjoyed it for a moment. She loves to play in her kitchen, with the princesses, and building blocks. She's a huge fan of playing outside. She also loves to watch TV or movies. We have to set specific limits for her or she'd watch Sleeping Beauty 18 times per day. One of Bella's biggest accomplishments of late is potty training. She's been doing really well. She seems to like to wait until we get in the car to come home from some place (restaurant, zoo, etc) to let me know that she needs to go potty. Then I have to take her back inside. I've learned a lot about helping her go in public bathrooms (yuck), but if you have any tips or tricks, I'd love to hear them!

Jason is on his break between semesters, for which I think we are all thankful. It was a tough one...and he goes back at it in three weeks. I'm starting a new job mid-May...and I'm really looking forward to it.

I'll post pictures soon (yeah, don't hold your breath).

"Talking"

2008-12-21T16:33:00.002-05:00

Arianna loves to talk. Here she's having a conversation with Aunt Amy.

Arianna and her Exersaucer

2008-12-21T16:28:00.001-05:00

Don't you just love that hair!!! Yes, it does that all by itself...and no, we can't brush it down.

Putting Her Back???

2008-12-16T12:36:00.003-05:00

Isabella declared this weekend that Mommy and Daddy need to go back to the hospital and put
Arianna back in Mommy's belly. Hmmmm...I don't think so! Getting a 10 pound baby out was quite enough for me.

New Arianna Pictures

2008-11-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

Making Cookies with Daddy

2008-11-30T21:19:00.001-05:00

Out of the mouth of babes...

2008-11-27T09:41:00.002-05:00

Bella says the funniest stuff these days, for example...

We've been explaining to her that Arianna doesn't have control of her arms and legs yet. So, when Bella gets close to her, Arianna often hits or kicks her. Yesterday, I was holding Arianna and Bella was sitting close to us. After Arianna hit her, Bella says, "She doesn't remote control her arms yet."

Bella was talking to Uncle Jon on the phone and in her rambling she tells him, "Uncle Jim is Sasha's daddy." Shasha is Jim's dog.

Facination With Birth

2008-11-25T14:24:00.003-05:00

Isabella is really fascinated with how babies are born...not the technical stuff, but going to the hospital, how messy the baby is when it comes out, etc. It's, of course, because of her recent experience with my pregnancy and Arianna's birth. She loves to watch the birth-related shows on TV (in fact, we watched one this week and had to explain to her why that lady was making so much noise when the baby came out).

One of our friends, Amy, was pregnant. We had told Bella that Ms. Amy had a baby in her belly and that the baby's name was Lexi. So, at Jason's basketball game last weekend we were told that Amy had gone into the hospital in labor. When we got home I told Bella I was going to check my e-mail to see if Lexi had come out of Ms. Amy's belly yet (knowing I would get an e-mail when Lexi arrived). When I was finished, Bella climbed up in our desk chair and says, "I want to see." I asked her what it was that she wanted to see. She replied, "I want to see Lexi come out of Ms. Amy's belly." I guess she thought we'd have a video feed and she'd be able to watch like she does on TV. She was a bit disappointed when I explained, and read her the e-mail update.

Life Update

2008-11-25T10:48:00.003-05:00

Life seems to finally be settling a little bit. We are all adjusting to our new "normal" and feel like we are achieving a routine that is manageable. Here's bit of what's happening...

Isabella is doing much better with our life changes. She really loves her little sister and proclaims often, "That MY baby sister." She still would prefer that 100% of the attention from Mom and Dad be directed at her, but is not acting out as much when it's not. She likes to put her face close to Arianna then cracks up laughing when Arianna touches her. Bella will say, "She's getting me."

Bella is learning something new everyday, it seems. She asked Jason recently, "Daddy, you teach me read?" She has a very curious mind. She knows all of her letters and can recognize them on sight. She also has mastered her colors, shapes, and numbers (to 15...sometime to 20). She likes to talk about all the people we know and how they are related to each other ("Ms. Amy is Jack's mommy and Lexi's mommy"). She also very excited about Christmas, not for the gifts or the tree, but because Aunt MaryAnn is coming to visit.

Arianna is getting big...in fact she's in the 95th percentile for height, weight, and head circumference. She's a really happy baby, which is a pleasant surprise after her rough nights in the beginning. She's just started to laugh (so adorable) and LOVES when people talk to her. She's trying to reach for objects, like toys, but doesn't quite have the muscle control just yet. She shows a significant preference for Mom and Dad over any one else. She's still sleeping pretty well for her age, and she eats LOTS.

I am settling in back at work and enjoying my job. With the state of our economy, I'm thankful every day to be employed.

We are hosting a new small group in our home on Thursday evenings and I'm very excited about it. It's a great group of friends that I'm looking forward to getting to know better. I believe God has really great things in store for the group.

Jason has some new news, but I haven't gotten his permission to share it. So, next time you talk to him ask him what he's up to. In addition to being the worlds GREATEST Dad, he's an amazing husband. The girls and I are really lucky to have him. When I count my blessing he's always at the top of the list.

That's about it for us for this moment. I'll try to post a little more often, and share some kid stories. Bella seems to supply us with at least one every day!

Funny Bella Stories

2008-11-25T10:43:00.003-05:00

Over the weekend Bella and I were in our family room. I had my 32 oz. Sigg water bottle sitting on the end table next to the chair I was in. Bella loves to play with the bottle, take the lid off, put it back on, take drinks, stick objects in the bottle, etc. Fearing that she was going to tip the bottle and make a mess, I had one hand on it as she played (and was watching for foreign object being put in my drink). She really doesn't like me interfering with her play/experiments. So, she looks at me and says, "You let go. You'll make a mess. You need to listen to me!" I wonder where she got that from???

Disney World

2008-11-08T16:42:00.002-05:00

Isabella really wants to go to Disney World again. We were just there in April, but she tells us constantly that she wants to go back. She also thinks everything with lights or crowd is part of Disney. Last night we went to see "The Lights Before Christmas" at the Toledo Zoo. On our way there we caught a glimpse of the Maumee Bridge (I think that's the name of it) and she tells us that it's the Disney castle. Then when we were at the zoo, there was a HUGE pine tree fully covered with light and she says, "That Disney World." On Thanksgiving Day we watched part of the Macy's parade, and when she saw the crowd, she declared that it was Disney World. One of her favorite things to say lately is "Mommy and Daddy love you so much...they take you to Disney World."

First Week Back at Work

2008-10-26T07:05:00.003-04:00

Well, we made it through our first week with me back at work. Bella was sick all week, which made Jason foray into staying at home with two kids extra challenging. He did it...and handled it like a pro, but it was very hard.

My return to work was tough. I missed the girls and Jason tremendously, and had major changes to my job description. Those two things had me feeling a bit like a fish out of water most of the week.

Thankfully, Aunt MaryAnn was scheduled to come and visit (from South Carolina) for the weekend. Having something to look forward too helped to get us over the bumps of the week. Now, we are all enjoying her visit.

I realize now that I'm going to be a weekend blogger. I tried many times to get a post up, but just couldn't seem to get to it. My apologies to anyone that's been checking for updates.

Arianna Pictures

2008-10-18T16:14:00.002-04:00

Jason said I used the "crazy" pictures of Arianna in the previous post (I think it's the grin that makes her look a bit crazy). I thought I'd post a few others to show her more sedate side.

Where does she come up with this stuff?

2008-10-18T15:36:00.002-04:00

Today I'm trying to put Isabella down for her nap and she's being a absolute booger. So I finally get her to lay down in her bed and I'm sitting on the floor beside her. I have one hand laying flat, palm down on her pillow. She is holding it with both of her hands and fidgeting with my fingers etc. I have my eyes closed (hoping to encourage her to do the same). I hear her breathing change as if she's stifling a laugh. I look at her to see what's going on and see that she's positioned her head so that my pinky is IN her nose! I scolded her because that's disgusting, but had a really hard time not laughing. Seriously, where does she come up with this stuff???

Learning Curve

2008-10-18T15:34:00.001-04:00

I figured out this morning that I've had a block on the comments area of the blog. I had it set so only other bloggers could leave comments. I've fixed it now (I think). My apologies to all of you that attempted to comment and couldn't! Please be patient, I'm still pretty new at this.

Bella the Beautiful

2008-10-18T07:58:00.001-04:00

Nothing to post about these photos, just thought they were adorable. And, after posting a picture of her in her diaper, I figure I owe her to post some good pictures.

Dressing Up

2008-10-18T06:21:00.000-04:00

Bella loves to dress up. Often it's in her own clothes (she finds the poofiest dress and asks to put it on), or she has one princess dress. Sometimes she likes to get in Mommy's underwear drawer and find things to wear (she's fascinated with my bras especially).

In this picture she's apparently preparing to go to the beach. That's her old bathing suit, which she's only managed to get her arms in, her sun hat from last summer, and her princess shoes. I can only assume that the lack of pants/shorts is because the bathing suit should have covered the bottom half!

She, obviously, did this all herself. Mommy just took advantage of the photo opportunity.

Arianna...

2008-10-17T14:33:00.002-04:00

It has been such a joy to get to know our little Arianna over the past six weeks. She's really starting to exhibit her personality, and she is a pistol! She has some really happy times...laughing and cooing, but when you do something she doesn't like, she's going to let you know about it. She's a little fussy in the evening, but that seems to be improving some. We're not sure if the improvement is because I'm not eating much dairy, or simply because she's getting older and more used to being here. She's awful cute, as you can tell by these pictures.

She does sleep better then Isabella did. In fact, I often think she sleeps better than Isabella does right now! I'm very thankful for Arianna's sleep habits, as it will make my return to work much easier.

"I nurse my baby."

2008-10-17T14:33:00.001-04:00

In order to appreciate this story you have to know that a nursing shawl, is a cover that has a strap that goes around my neck and covers Arianna and I when I need to feed her in public.

Okay, so last night my Dad was here for dinner and Arianna got hungry. I got my nursing shawl out and fed her. I must have left it on the couch, because pretty soon Bella comes up to us and say, "I nurse my baby." As you can see from the picture, she had the shawl on and had gotten her baby out to feed her. So cute!!!

By the way, if you are a nursing mom or know someone who is, these shawls are GREAT!!! My friend Ronni makes and sells them in all different colors and designs. If you are interested in getting one, just let me know I'll put you in touch with her.

Our Day

2008-10-16T17:23:00.000-04:00

I'm having a hard time imagining that folks that read our blog really care about our mundane, day-to-day stuff that happens. However, since I'm really doing this for the kids, I'm going to keep writing this stuff down. If you're bored, I apologize...but I hope someday Bella and Arianna get a kick out of reading what our lives were like when they were little.

So, Wednesdays have been busy while I've been on maternity leave. On Wednesday mornings I take the girls and go to the Mom's small group at our church. It's a great group of women that are also on this amazing parenting journey, most of them with small children. I participated in the group when I was on maternity with Bella too...and loved it. They have helped me keep my sanity through the early weeks of both of the girls lives.

Then on Wednesday evenings we attend a small group. It's several families from our church...some with kids, others without. It's really been a blessing to me to get to know the people in the group over the last several months. We are really thankful to have such a great bunch of friends.

Today we had preschool at Bella's friend Ava's house. Bella learned about fire safety (although she says she learned about fire trucks), did a craft project, had snack and got to play outside with her friends. She absolutely loves going to Ava's because she has a full size trampoline. At one point I looked outside and Bella and Jason were jumping together...so cute!

Tonight Jason is making dinner for us, and Papa Butch is coming to eat. Bella LOVES her Papa.

I took pictures of Arianna today, and got a few cute ones. I'm going to try to post them here later.

Amy

Isabella...

2008-10-15T13:35:00.000-04:00

Bella is almost 2.5 years old. Some of her favorite things are:

The Wiggles...we went to see them in concert over the summer. She loved it and sat completely mesmerized for the entire show. She's still talking about it.
Riding the four-wheeler...Daddy took her out riding yesterday for the first time. They rode all over the farm, and when it was time to come in the house, she cried and cried. Jason said she squealed and yelled in delight the whole time she was out.
Doing art...she especially likes cutting and pasting, painting and stickers. She enjoys coloring too.
Target...yup, the store. When we ask her what she wants to do today (assuming she'll say go to the park, or something similar), she'll ask to go to Target. If we're out running errands and don't go to Target, she'll get upset with us. I'm sure it's the toy department that she loves. She can find it all by herself without our guidance.
Preschool...she attends a once-per-week co-op at a friend's house. She loves it and asks to go all week. Thursdays are definitely a highlight in her week.

There are certainly others...like going to visit any of our friends or family. She's a social little thing!

She talks non-stop about any and everything...I think she gets that from her Dad. LOL.

As soon as I figure out how to upload pictures to the blog, I'll post some of her.

I Have No Idea What I'm Doing

2008-10-15T12:47:00.000-04:00

So, I'm finally trying my hand at blogging. I don't know what I'm doing, when I'm going to find time to keep it up, or who will read it...but here goes anyway.

I want a place to record the daily happenings with my girls. They are constantly amazing me with something they do or say, and I'm not writing it down anywhere. I'm hoping that by starting a blog it will prompt me to records all of their stuff.

You'll notice I chose the title "Daily Grace and Joy." For those that do not know, those are our girls' middle names (Isabella Grace and Arianna Joy).

Okay, so now for one of the funny things that I want to record. Bella is constantly asking us "What's that noise?" any time she hears something that she isn't familiar with. Recently she passed gas and Daddy asked her "What's that noise?" She promptly responded, "Fireworks." I don't know where she got this from, but now anytime she passes gas, she tells us it's fireworks!