Some Christmas Activities...

We got ready to go to Niederman Farm - it was SOOOO cold the night we decided to go. Blame me, not Josh :) Kaleigha & Jilly-bean were all bundled up.

This is one of the scenes at the farm - a life-size nativity. The walk tells the story of Jesus and some other important events in the Bible. It was free and totally worth our time!

My two little "santa's"

Kaleigha was in a little "cherub" choir at church and this is her sitting in the pew after she was done singing. Actually, she didn't sing at all - she and her little buddies just kept trading standing places on the stage. Finally, she held hands with one of her little girl friends, who is older and actually stands still :)

These are the gifts she and I made for her teacher gifts. Inside the bow, we also tied our Christmas Card, which was a postcard type card this year.

Big Three Year Old!

Pictures of Kaleigha and the coke bottle

I wanted to write a post as a tribute to my Kaleigha, my first born little child, as she just celebrated her 3rd birthday.
Things I love about Kaleigha:
* Her squeeky voice.
* Her cuddly-ness
* The way when she smiles, her eyes smile too
* Her kindness and protection (99% of the time) of her baby sister
* Her love of books and reading stories with us
* Fish kisses
* Her two spunky little pig tails
* Giggles
* and so much more
God has blessed us so much with the gift of her in our lives. What a wonderful present to be this little girl's mommy!

Rock-Star Kaleigha:

Happy 3rd Birthday!

New Baby Kaleigha, December of 2006!!

Almost Three!

We celebrated Kaleigha's third birthday party last weekend and it was so much fun!! We had a pinata, cake, games - and even a veggie tales birthday cake. Kaleigha had a blast and so did everyone who came. At least they all had fun while they were at our house. Then, turns out about 17 of our guests... were puking the next evening. Not what we had planned for... :(

Part time - best of both worlds

Our family

I have been really enjoying being part time this year. I was afraid I would feel like I was missing out on things at work - but I actually am glad I am missing all the meetings :) It has been so nice to get to spend more time at home in the mornings, instead of rushing them off somewhere.

There are so many things that I love about this set-up.

1. I get to sleep in if I want to :)
2. Less meetings at work!

3. I can actually go to the store in the morning.

4. Sometimes I clean in the morning.

5. Less stress in my teaching position

6. Less stress in my life

7. Keep my teaching license current

8. Pay down my school loans

9. Keep my job (in the just- in case I need to go back to work fulltime)

10. SPENDING MORE TIME WITH MY GIRLS!

Thinking about my girls, here are some recent pictures that my friend Shawna took about a week ago:

Eventually they "get it"

I just looked in on my sleeping little 2 year old and there she is laying in her big girl bed completely asleep. When we first got that bed, she wasn't used to this new freedom that came with this new bed... and she would try to escape time after time.

Oh, the drama with that dumb bed. She would get out, we would put her back in. She would cry, I would shut the door and cry. She would get out, I would get frustrated. I would put her back in, she would get frustrated.

It was a dance, that has finally ended. About a month ago, she was getting out again and falling asleep on the carpet. She told me after the second morning that she didn't like sleeping on the carpet. Her bed was more comfy. So, now she sleeps where she is supposed to... the bed. I wonder if God looks down at us sometimes after correcting us time and again. Then one day he lets us out of the comfortable bed and it stinks - but then - eventually we "get it" and a lesson is learned.

Balance Beam

Last night was her first gymnasics class. As she hopped from activity to activity, I wondered how can my first baby be almost three? Three short years ago, I was pregnant and waiting for the unknown... our own child. Then she was born and we held her so much and were excited for the day when she would be able to swing, do somersaults, walk on a balance beam and go down the slide like big kids.

Last night she wanted me to hold her hand on the balance beam, but how much longer will she need me to hold her hand. Her sweet little hand that is no longer a baby hand but the hand of a child. So many things she can do by herself now. I know that her needs from her mommy will continue to change, and diminish.

Is it crazy to say, if I could just hold her as a baby again... I would.

New Diet

So I just had a baby(need to lose the baby weight) and I am trying this "new" diet. I read this book: Volumetrics and it talks about eating food with more water bulk, fiber based foods and soups. It entails a lot of cooking, which I like because I hate trying a diet and you are making weird things just for yourself that you can't share with your family... or you are reducing calories and feeling hungry. I haven't been hungry this week and I have lost a pound and a half... not bad.

Some of the fun things that I have made: Volumetric Burgers, Bran "Muffins", Taco Salad, Steak Kabobs, Tuna Salad. I just love food and I love eating!

I feel like it is a good approach for the whole family, because we are all eating healthier, less processed foods (and it tastes good and I am losing weight :) ).

Terrible Twos? Me or her :)

It's amazing how much better behaved My 2yr old has been this week. I have had 5 good days in a row.... I wonder: is she the one who changed her behavior magically, did my parenting suddenly become stellar or did my perspective and expectations of her change. I have to say that I think that I was expecting too much out of her, causing me to be frustrated. Many of the times it wasn't her fault at all... just my unrealistic expectations.

Like when I told her to pick up her toys. She did, until I left the room. When I came back the little turkey was reading a book... Initally I was upset, why isn't she still picking up the toys. But, then again - her role model (me) had left the room and wasn't picking up toys anymore either... So, I asked her to start picking them up again. And, she did. I realized she wasn't trying to be disobedient - she just thought we were done. How glad I didn't go with my first response and scold my little girl.

After all, she is still only two.

(I also just can't help but believe someone is praying for me, and I am so grateful for it!)

Summertime Fun

Several things that I love about summertime... and some pictures to share.

I love when it is warm with a nice breeze blowing and you can sit outside without feeling miserable.

We had fun playing outside today with the sidewalk chalk. She tried to wave at everyone who passed by.

Another thing that I enjoy about summertime is fresh produce and being able to eat healthy tasty food. For dinner last night I made a zucchini & acorn squash bake. My husband liked it, which was a relief! And, then for myself I made a caprese salad.

This is the zucchini bake before I put it in the oven. To finish it, we topped it with sliced parm. cheese.

The beginning

The other day I was looking through my old Xanga posts and I realized how many great things I had documented on our lives... with working part time now, perhaps I will have time to keep that up again. So here it goes to my attempt to write about our lives and my adventures with my two little birds.