Giving Thanks--Part 2

When it comes down to it--the things that I am most thankful for are my beautiful daughter, my wonderful husband, our supportive and generous parents, our fun-to-be-around siblings, our tiny miracle growing each day who will soon be here to meet us, another year of good health, Jason's job (and very recent promotion!), our house and all of its quirks, reliable cars, kind friends, our freakin' crazy dog, and the opportunity to stay home with Amelia.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to list some things that I am thankful for OTHER than the typical family, friends, health, food, house, etc.

Target, Tivo, naps (hers and mine), coupons, good books, iPhone, happy songs on the radio, online Christmas shopping, cartoon specials that are still around from when I was a kid, our garage (after having lived a winter without one), any ice cream, my pink maternity fleece, HOT showers, pre-school, my swiffer, flavored coffee creamers, fires in the fireplace, getting mail, self checkout, Jason's chili, IKEA, the library, doctors with a sense of humor.

Happiest of Thanksgivings to you!

Giving Thanks!

We had the chance to do just a couple of Thanksgiving activities this year. Our favorite was talking about things that we are thankful for. As long as I worded it, "Things that make us happy that are in our life", Amelia pretty much got it. This year, our list included: food, friends, swimming, family, dress up clothes, GG & Papa, Daddy, Amelia, all of my girls (Jason's contribution), the baby, Grandma Papa & Dave, and squirrels/birds/bunnies/bones (Amelia's guess at Truman's list. I was pretty proud of my girl when "the Baby" was the first item in her list!

Amelia really wanted to write on the feathers, so I had her trace some of the words. I wish I had a sample of her writing pre pre-school because it is pretty amazing at how good she has gotten at tracing letters and even forming many of them on her own.

Second only to the thankful turkey were these DELICIOUS cookies. You may recall we made the same ones last year and this is what Amelia came up with.

Again, the progress! Quite the improvement from her abstract turkey from last year!

The whole flock of turkeys (and such)!

Free reign of icing and candies makes for one happy girl!

A Little Sketchy

After seeing this idea in numerous places on the World Wide Web, I finally decided to give it a go. The "idea" is to have a Family Sketch Book and art supplies regularly available to use when the urge strikes. I invested a couple of dollars in a large, spiral-bound drawing book from Target and I am surprised by how well it has worked out.

For one, it is great not to have to hunt for paper when Amelia requests it. Secondly, I love that all of her drawings are confined to one area and bound together at that! When the book is full, it will be easy to store and file away. Lastly, its great because I have been taking detailed notes on the stories she tells about the pictures which provides us with great entertainment (and will for years to come, I'm sure).

Here is a small sampling of some of the work she has done so far. We've been using it for about 3 weeks. Anyone in our family is allowed to draw in the book at any time.

On this page, we decided we would all draw our own selves. I helped Amelia make her dress since she wanted to have the same one on as me. She has rosy cheeks because she is happy. The best part? When I asked what she thought a good title for the picture would be, she said, "Eight".

This is Belle (from Beauty and the Beast). She created this entire picture by herself while looking at a Belle figurine.

On this page, she told me what to draw and then she copied it. The squiggly lines at the bottom are snakes. She decided they wanted to look our the window at the apple tree. You can see my window and her window. My apple tree (which she drew the apples on) and her apple tree.

This work of art was completed during one of my OB visits. She was so focused on the drawing, I didn't hear a peep from her the whole time the dr. was in the room. It is the new baby, Daddy, Natalie, and Amelia. Amelia made a point to say that the "new baby has crazy hair sticking out everywhere".

Rainbow.

She has developed a recent obsession with Peter Pan after renting the movie from the library. Here (created while looking at the DVD case), we have Peter Pan (notice the red feather in his hat?), Wendy, and John.

This was a joint effort between her and I. In case you can't tell (although I'm sure you can), this is Mulan. Amelia did most of the coloring, the eyebrows, and smile and the rest was done by yours truly!

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good picture of my favorite drawing so far. Amelia drew Daddy hugging a tree. I'm looking forward to watching this project unfold during the next few months!

(Bean) Bag Lady

Well, Christmas preparations are in full force around the Ward household. I really, really hate to put Thanksgiving on the back burner, but this year I am feeling the need to get all of my Christmas stuff in order ASAP. For goodness sakes, I started my Christmas cards over the summer...

I have been working on these gifts for a few months now too. I originally saw the idea HERE and changed it slightly. Instead of painting on the letters, I opted to use the applique technique I have grown to know and love.

I have made three sets of names out of beanbags and am pretty happy with how they turned out. I wish I would have gotten these to Amelia before she learned to spell her name, but I know she will love them anyway!

Here's a close up of one of the A's in her name. I was having trouble getting a good shot of all the letters together.

I decided for Amelia's set that I would stick with her love of rainbow colors.

This is for a friend of hers, again I had trouble getting all of the letters together, so I opted to snap a picture of a few of my favorites. This set is in girly colors.

And last, but not least, is Emma's set (another friend of Amelia's). I decided to go patriotic with her set. She and the recipient of the set above are sisters, so I decided to make them very different since some of the letters in their names are the same.

I am excited to make some more of these--they are really, really fun to put together despite the many steps involved! Plus, they actually involve actual sewing, not just applique. AND, I did the whole thing BY MYSELF!

Why My Second Child is Already Getting the Shaft

There really is no better title for this blog entry that has been swimming around in my mind since that April morning when I found out I was expecting.

1. The kid is the SECOND child in our family. (A second child to a fabulous first child, of course).

2. The kid's birthday will be ridiculously close to Christmas (maybe even ON Christmas). No swimming parties at the park for this kid and every birthday picture will probably have a Christmas tree in it.

3. If all goes as planned, the kid will be put into full time childcare at about 8 months of age so that I can become a full-time student. Amelia was not put into ANY care (with the exception of my mom's house once a week) until she started school this year at age 3.

4. Amelia was breast fed for 13 months before we called it quits. I would imagine that going back to school full time will put an early end to breastfeeding for kid #2.

5. Back to the birthday thing, my kid will most likely be a Capricorn--and not that there is anything wrong with that in and of itself--but the child's dear mother is a Capricorn too and if he/she is anything like me (high strung, moody, quick tempered) then yikes!

6. During my first pregnancy I have (at least) monthly pictures of how my belly progressed. I also kept a pregnancy journal from 20 weeks on and received weekly updates via email about the changes going on with the baby. Suffice it to say that this time around I have 1 "belly" picture, a journal started at 32 weeks, and check babycenter occasionally for an update when I think about it.

7. I kept to a strict caffeine-free diet during my pregnancy with Amelia. Absolutely no soda and not a single drop of alcohol (other than the margarita incident, but that wasn't my fault!). I never took a Tylenol and wouldn't even suck on a cough drop. Feta? None for me, thanks. Lunch meat? Wouldn't dream of it! A hot dog? Not with those nitrates! Let's just say that the diet this go around has been (much) less stellar. No doubt my kid is starting with less brain cells and a lower IQ already just on my food/drink ingestion alone.

If it seems like this is spoken like a true second child, its because I have first hand experience as a second child myself. A second child to a fabulous first child, no less. A second child with a birthday 12 days after Christmas. A second child who couldn't get her license on her 16th birthday because there was a huge snowstorm and the license bureau was closed. A second child who has a baby book that contains only her name and birth date--and the birth date is wrong.

Unfortunately, I think this list will grow as time goes on, but I'm trying to figure out small ways to make this child feel special despite all the ways he/she is getting the shaft already. In fact, last week I picked up the perfect baby book for him/her (I've been hunting for months). Now, I just have to make sure I get it filled out--right date and all.

Fire it Up!

A few pictures from our most recent fire station visit....

I feel like she looks so grown up in this one!

Big Sis in Training

Amelia and I have now BOTH completed classes on preparing for the new baby. A few months ago, I went to a Parents As Teachers event that gave many, many ideas on ways to incorporate older child(ren) into the arrival of a new baby. And now that I think about it, I guess its just about time to get that list back out and review it a bit!

This past weekend it was Amelia's turn to complete her big sister class. The hospital where we are delivering put on a great "Super Sibs" class for expectant big brothers and sisters. Amelia was pretty pumped when I showed her the shirt I (finally) made for her. Applique to the rescue again!

I am pretty sure that the main reason it was such a hit is because anything that is pink is a big hit around here these days!

Given my anal ways, we arrived at the class WAY early with PLENTY of time to spare. We decided to give ourselves a mini-tour while we waited. I gave myself a tour of the restroom, while Jason and Amelia took a peek at the nursery.

In all honesty, the class itself was pretty annoying (mostly due to the obnoxious puppets and nauseating music), but was perfect for Amelia. She listened great, answered some questions, and even volunteered herself to throw away the baby puppet's "dirty" diaper. Hope she is that eager with the real deal!

After the puppet show, we all took a tour of the hospital floor where I will be staying once the baby is born. The kids saw a post partum room, the "family kitchen" that is fully stocked with snacks and drinks, and the nursery, of course. I like that they explained to the kids that mom will be resting and even showed them the way the bed can move up and down.

Once back in the room, the kids had a chance to hold a life like baby doll.

Amelia will tell you that her favorite part of the class was seeing the baby in the nursery, but she was pretty pumped about the backpack she received with a CD and book inside. And just when I thought I had heard all I was going to have to hear from those darned puppets.....

Amelia keeps asking when she is going back for her next big sister class. I guess she thinks its like dance class where she goes every week. I keep trying to tell her that her next "class" is going to be more like lifetime on the job training.

On the way out of the hospital, we stopped by the gift shop to show her all of the neat things inside. Needless to say, she has a thing or two picked out for the baby.....

Bust a Move

I (finally) got Amelia signed up for dance class through our local park district and her first meeting was last week. The class is half tap and half jazz and lasts for 6 weeks. I have no real expectations for the class, especially after having attended the first one!

As you can see, she was pretty "jazzed" about going. Although, I think it might have been based more on getting to dress up in something new more than anything else.

(Notice in our picture taken BEFORE we left for class, she is appropriately dressed in a leotard and hole-free tights).

Not that you can see it in this picture, but apparently there was a string on her tights begging to be pulled on the way to class. When I went to get her out of her car seat after arriving at the park, she had an enormous hole in her tights and was pretty distressed about it. Luckily, the teacher put her mind at ease upon our arrival and she was able to (mostly) forget about it.

Stretching...

Warm Ups

Such coordination and poise!

Actually, I take that back. Amelia seems to have inherited my awkward dance moves and complete clumsiness (did I tell you that she had to go to the nurse's office at school because she ran into a door frame last week? No, not the door--the door FRAME).

This picture is evidence as to why I nearly peed in my pants while watching her class last week. Although she seems to be taking class very seriously, its just so darn funny to watch her imitate the teacher. Her heart is definitely in the right place, though. Don't believe me? Just ask her to show you her Arabesque. (And then be prepared to wet yourself! I think that move alone was worth the $40 class fee!).

And did you get a good shot of the hole? Needless to say, she now knows to leave the strings ALONE!

Numero Uno

As pretty much a last minute decision, Amelia and I decided to join our playgroup at UNO's pizzeria for a little pizza making play date. After our ridiculously busy weekend, most of me just wanted to hang out at home and relax, but I am so glad we came along!

The playdate was early in the morning, so we were the only people in the restaurant. Each kid got to make a pizza of their own which Amelia thought was great fun!

After all of the pizzas were assembled, the group took a tour of the kitchen area. Each child got to put their pizza into the oven! They also saw where the salads are prepared, the dishes are washed, and got to walk into two huge refrigerators.

Once back at the tables, the pizzas were pretty much ready. While they were cooling down, the kids munched on some apples they picked out of the refrigerator.

While Amelia enjoyed her pizza, some moms were talking about other things to do in the Chesterfield area while we were out that way. I remembered a park I saw in the newspaper with a huge sculpture of a man coming out of the ground. We decided to give it a try.

Central Park is actually a sculpture park and playground in one. I think there is a pool as well. The kids had a great time crawling all over the man.

Amelia especially enjoyed sticking her head in his mouth!

Just One More

My two most favorite people in the whole world.

Happily Ever After

The day that we've been talking about for well over a year finally came last weekend! It was Halloween, yes, but what we were waiting for was the marriage of Jason's cousin, Michelle, to her long time boyfriend, Adam. Michelle is Amelia's godmother and we were thrilled when she requested that Amelia be the flower girl on the big day.

The day was pretty hectic and started extremely early---at least for me. I was up by 5:15 AM to make sure that I got my H1N1 shot and could be back home to get Amelia dressed and ready for the big day.

I asked someone to come to our house that morning to do Amelia's hair because I was unsure of what to do with it myself. It could not have worked out better! We strapped her in her old booster chair and put on Toy Story while the hairdresser worked her magic. Amelia did not complain once! And many have asked after seeing the pictures below if she was sporting fake hair and I assure you, she was not! If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it myself. This lady was a miracle worker and hid ALL evidence of the self-given haircut that occurred 3 months ago.

We got to the church PLENTY early (some may say TOO early) with a very excited young lady. She spent lots of time practicing her walk up and down the aisle. She never once expressed any anxiety about going down the aisle and I was holding my breath that when the time came she would do as well as she did during the rehearsal.

Part of the way I occupied her was to say things like "I think Grandma is coming. You should watch out the window until you see her". That totally worked...for awhile anyway.

She also spent a good amount of time checking out the stained glass windows. Big surprise considering how bright they were and the colorful reflections they were casting on the floor.

Taking a rest to watch the beautiful bride get her picture taken pre-wedding. What? There are no pictures of the bride in this post? No wonder Amelia mistook the day for HER wedding day and had to be told several times that MICHELLE was the one getting married.

Giving me all of the details about where she was going to walk and who was going to be watching. She obviously has been listening well over the past year. All the while, I was trying to keep her from falling into the baptismal font. I thought that might be a hard thing to explain to the bride....

Leading up to the wedding, she would ask my mom, "What are you going to say to me at the wedding?". My mom would respond with something like, "Oh, Amelia! You look so pretty!". Then, matter of factly, Amelia would say, "Well, I won't hear you because I'll be walking down the aisle".

Still practicing...did I mention we got there early? And did I mention that GG made this dress? It turned out perfectly and looked so cute when it was all said and done!

The BIG moment (other than Michelle coming down of course. Oh, and that guy she married). She did SO great, I was incredibly proud. She walked super slow, was all smiles, and even cast a little wave when she saw my parents. She did so well, in fact, that I was pretty choked up by the time she made it to me.

After some post-wedding pictures which ended with a minor meltdown, we decided to get the heck out of there. We changed her into sweats, put her in the car, and hoped for the best as far as napping. To aid in getting her to sleep, we drove all the way to Warrenton and back. It worked! She slept for about an hour and was in a MUCH better mood when she awoke. We took a quick trip home to fix up her hair a bit and then it was off to the reception.

Amelia decided that she wanted to be escorted into the reception by Uncle Dave and wanted him to carry her. He, of course, obliged.

I just had to take a picture of her hair at the reception--I think I did a pretty good job getting it back in place. Although, you'll notice I didn't take one at the end of the night--it was not a pretty picture!

I am pretty sure that Amelia did not miss being out trick or treating given that she had the time of her life at the reception. She found a friend to run around with and pretty much was on the dance floor from the time we got there until we drug her off to eat dinner. There was also a stage in the back of the reception hall---if she wasn't on the dance floor, she was up there!

After dinner she was back to the grind (fueled in part by the candy buffet, I'm sure. Or was it the sugar cookies on the table?) and stayed on the dance floor off and on until we left around 10:30. Needless to say, she fell fast asleep on the way home and spent much of the day on Sunday recuperating.

It was really a fun night with family! Who's next? Dave?

Jason's parents

Jodi's parents