a swinging thank you

Here's a swinging thank you from Eden to her grandparents.

I told her we were going to video a thank you message, and she said we should video it WHILE she was actually swinging. I couldn't argue with that logic, hence the pajamas (mismatched b/c I hadn't caught up on laundry) and wet hair outside at bedtime.

Also, I think it's cute to notice how she is talking with the same rhythm/structure as a poem or children's book while she's on the slide. Crazy girl.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

first soccer class

A few Sundays ago, Eden tried out her first soccer class/practice. It's a soccer camp run by one of the local high school coaches (also a dad from First Pres) where they basically practice different skills for an hour. Each child has their own ball, and they make all of the drills into little fun games.

I pretty much had to guilt trip her into posing for this picture for me before we left, but I really wanted a "first real soccer practice" photo.

It was the last Sunday of the 6-week camp, so we joined in for one day just to see if she liked it enough to sign up for the fall.

All was great, except for my rookie-parenting mistake --- we got there early because I was nervous I had the wrong start time and because E was so excited. Since we were there early, I let her run around for 20 minutes with a friend before the class started. Not smart. With 20 minutes left in the one-hour class, she was D-O-N-E.

However, the beginning of the class looked a lot like this ...

The girl's got good form {maybe I'm a smidge biased}.

Definitely something we're keeping on the radar for next year.

- ashley

Annie deDog

This afternoon, the girls and I went for a walk down the street -- I was pushing Lydia in the stroller and E was pushing her baby doll in her stroller. Only, it wasn't Eden that was next to me -- she said, "Let's pretend I'm a mom and we're friends."

Turns out I was on a walk with another mom named Annie deDog and her baby was named Eleanor {the same name as a baby sister of one of E's friends}. We talked about where our babies went to school {Eleanor goes to First Pres, too} and where we work {Annie works at LSU}. Annie is a teacher at LSU and she even knows Graham Bodie, sometimes they teach in the same room. Actually, I should say that Annie worked at LSU but now she's at home with her baby because her baby is sick but next year she is going back to work.

- ashley

p.s. Last night, Eden told me and Graham, "Don't laugh at me until I close the door!" -- which she knew would crack us up even more. A second after closing the door, she opened it and said, "Quietly!! You have to laugh quietly!"

p.p.s. She's also now self-conscious ... on numerous occasions she has rolled her eyes and said "Momma, that is so rude!" when I've told her she is the sweetest/cutest/most favorite 4-year-old in the world. She has also started to tuck her head into her lap and say "Don't talk about that now!" when we bring up something uncomfortable like a retelling of something cute she did earlier or something she did wrong that day or, for example, when Dr. Ferrell started to tell me the story of Eden getting shots the last time she was there. She told both of us with her head tucked down into her lap, "Stop talking about that day!!"

what makes her happy

Like most people, Lydia has certain things that make her happy - and when she gets to do them, nobody has a problem.

1. Crawling, especially when it is into the bathroom or toward her sister or toward something that she wants.

2. The bathtub - when she is in it and when Eden is in it, either one.

3. Anything Eden gives her - even a broken pair of goggles.

It seems the cure for her screaming as we put on her pajamas each night is to let her go back in the bathroom to check on her sister. Works everytime. Of course, there are many other things, but these are the most recent.

a perfectly kept house

I think I need this book ...

... or maybe Graham needs it. ;)

- ashley

ears & feet

Lately, Lydia has been using her feet a lot. She is loving trying to walk around ...

This morning I woke up in the bed with Eden coughing and saying "My tummy hurts." It was 8:00 so it was likely a need for a bowl of cereal. We had already decided that Lydia was staying at home since she ran a fever yesterday. Five minutes later, Eden was dry-heaving in the bathroom. Fun stuff.

Most of the day went well. Lydia played and used her feet {but wouldn't take her bottles}, and Eden kept all her food down ... ... and each was a happy camper.

That was until around 10:00 or so when Lydia lost it for seemingly no reason. Of course, there was a reason ... her second ear infection. At least we know what it is and that it is not contagious. And she was rather happy for the rest of the day.

So happy indeed that she went for a walk in the backyard with Eden ...

Just a few steps but she did it. Yep. She is about to walk. So with the bad we have the good ... and to that, pppththththt ...

full on

Just this week, Miss Lydia has started doing the full-on back arch and screaming when you are trying to do something she does not want to do ... ... like putting her in her car seat when she's not ready, or walking into her room and closing the door (a sign that she's about to have to take a nap), or lowering her to put her down on the floor when she really wants to be held, or putting a chair in front of the outlet in the kitchen that you never knew was there before so she can't put her little finger in the socket ... ...

She's fully embracing becoming a one-year-old.

- ashley

pics, pre-walking, and a pink present from Finland

Lots of Ps in this post, particularly those pertaining to positively pretty girls ...

L's outfit is from Finland ... she is finally able to wear it without it falling off! And she looks rather cute in it for sure!

All these pictures are from a rather georgeous day last week. I drove up, got a hello kiss,

and proceeded to play in the front yard for a while before dinner.

so perfectly our girls these days -- reading books and chewing toys

We lounged around and played a bit ...

... then Eden took over taking the pictures for a little while.

Ashley's favorite -- just two weeks til our little one is one year old!

Seems she may be walking for a birthday present. Hard to believe

Our little photographer! Takes after her momma ...

Nottoway Plantation

Since Lindsay loves anything local, unique, and historic, we decided to take her to a local plantation during her quick visit to Baton Rouge. After polling the other moms on the zoo fieldtrip, I decided on Nottoway Plantation, just 20 miles outside Baton Rouge down the Mississippi River. It was a wonderful visit.

We decided to take the 45 minute tour of the main home, and I was hopeful that E would be patient enough and entertained enough to make it through. The tour started on the grand front porch, and I'll just say now that E was amazing!! We had to focus on pointing out things to her, but she actually listened to the tour guide off and on during the tour (asking questions about the family in all the paintings, etc.)

The White Ballroom {which was always painted all white to help with illumination during nighttime parties) was Miss E's favorite room. I promise as soon as we walked in the girl instinctively knew what this room was for and went to the opposite side of the ballroom from all the tour participants to start doing ballet ... ...

Yes, she did dress herself that morning, but I did not discourage her wearing her new ballerina dress from Target {that she has been wanting for months and that I was so luck they still had!} since I figured it would fit in pretty well on the tour. She told me as she was getting dressed that she would probably have lots of people tell her they liked her dress -- she was right.

All in all, it was a great morning topped off by lunch at the Nottoway Restaurant. I am so thankful that Lindsay took the time to come visit us in Baton Rouge before her weekend fun in New Orleans.

Thank you, thank you, Lindsay!! We all loved having you here!

Swinging Monkeys at the Zoo

Just before Lindsay arrived, Eden's class from PDO (the Swinging Monkeys) headed out on their spring field trip to the zoo. Thankfully, LSU is on spring break this week so I got to tag along for the fun.  As you can see, Miss E was the "top banana" for the day - and kept all the other kiddos in place waiting to go out to the bus.

Somehow, we lucked out with the weather -- in the 70s with a cool breeze. It was perfect.

I just couldn't get over how big they all seemed, especially when her little boy friends would put their hands in their pockets as they waited around.

skipping through the zoo with Ms. Kyra

the Monkeys and Tigers classes

E screamed out "Georgia!" when she saw the real giraffe. Can you count all the Georgia's in the picture below? 3 - one real giraffe, one Georgia lovee, and a Georgia giraffe on her dress {Thank you, CC, for the dress - all the other moms just loved it!}

wearing Momma's shades cause it was so bright

The part of the day that really made me laugh happened at the picnic. E decided she needed to take some pictures with the camera and then with the iphone. She kept walking around directing her friends and snapping away ... ...

two of the three moms that carpooled with me to the zoo -

Jordan's mom, Monique, and Rebekah's mom, Hannah

standing like a flamingo

It was hilarious to hear her, "Cade! Corder! Let me take your picture! Cade! Corder! Stand right there ... Ok, smile ..." The resulting photo ... ...

This makes me smile even more knowing that these two boys are in the class above hers and they still followed her direction. Her teacher, Ms. Kyra, told me later that E is not at all scared of the older boys in the playground when they are playing "bad guys" -- said she actually enjoys playing with them and growls right back at the bad guys as the fierce lion.

and she of course told Samuel where to stand to take her picture

oh my, they're so adorable!

this'll be a great photo if they know each other in high school

It sure is a good thing I was there since Miss E just needed to be carried around quite a bit and needed the secret stash of bunny cookies I had in my bag.

It's good to be needed.

- E's Momma