Happy 3rd Birthday, Emma!

My big girl is 3! This year I completely fell behind on the planning of her birthday party because of the move. So we asked her what she would like to do for her birthday. She said Chuck E. Cheese. Not my favorite place by any means, but it is her birthday. We told her she could invite one special friend, however, she informed us that she had 2 special friends, Nash and Hannah. So on Emma's birthday we all met at Chuck E. Cheese for a little pizza and games. After that we headed to the house for cake and presents.

It's never too early to learn

As we were cleaning up after dinner, Emma said that she wanted to help wash dishes. No time like the present to learn especially since I detest doing dishes. First, I told her to help me clear the table. So she went to the table, grabbed her father's glass and threw it into the sink breaking it into many tiny pieces. I decided then that she could "wash" the dishes. She kept saying "scrub, scrub, scrub" and telling me that she was a "big helper." So sweet. Too bad when she is actually old enough to have chores, I am sure this will all quickly change. I especially love the last picture. I think Emma's face says it all. I'm sure I'll be seeing this face again in about 10 years!

Family Friday

I love our family Fridays. Usually, we just spend the time hanging around the house doing nothing which is absolutely wonderful. We started out the morning playing outside before it got too hot. The girls had so much fun seesawing with each other. I love that Ava is finally getting to the point age-wise where Emma and her can play together. So the girls played today and we did yardwork. I love the fact that we actually have real grass (with no fire ants) and real flower beds:) It's the small things in life that make me happy!

Emma's B-Day Celebration at School

Today at school, Emma's class celebrated her birthday. Sadly, I couldn't be there because Ava was home sick with a lovely green nose and cough. But SuperDad stepped in and brought cupcakes to her class during snack time. I love the pics of Emma being such a big helper passing out plates to all of her friend. I think its time to put a little of that into action at home:)

4th of July Parade

Oh the joys of potty training...

I think I just need a moment to vent. I am so sick of potty training! Emma is going to be 3 this month and is still not potty trained. I have tried for over a year, testing to see if she's ready off and on. Well now I have decided no matter what we do, we will get potty trained this time around! I have to admit it. Emma is a little like me... well, maybe a lot like me. She is so stubborn. So you take a stubborn kid who could care less if she rolls around in a dirty diaper, and you have problems with potty training.
We're making progress I have to say. One major problem I have though is getting her to go around other people. Like at Mother's Day Out or church, she will not tell anyone that she has to go, or when her teachers try to get her to go she becomes all shy. So I'm open for suggestions. Anyone? I can't be around her forever to take her to the potty!
Now Ava has shown an interest in potty training. Yes, 14 months old and she's more interested than Emma. She claps when she hears Emma go potty. (Yes, that's right. It's a real family affair.) She also thinks she deserves an M&M when Emma goes potty. And to my great delight, she no longer wants to wear a diaper. Yesterday I was getting ready when Emma goes running down the hall yelling that Baby Sis had poo-pooed. I told her that I would be there in a minute to change her. After a minute I realized that Emma never comes to tell me things like that so I went running down the hall only to meet Ava halfway wearing no diaper. Needless to say, I have a huge stain on my playroom floor the size of a dinner plate. Good times.

Popsicles!

So far this summer we have spent a lot of time outside in our backyard. We have a huge deck that the girls can play on. We have a redneck swimming pool set up for the girls, and we tie up the hose high and set the nozzle to mist so we can feel like we're at the Sprinkler Park, or as Emma says "the Sprinkle Park". Today we busted out the popsicles and the girls had a good time. Poor Ava could not get the concept of holding the stick part of the popsicle. I do not know how her little hands could stand holding on to the popsicle like that!

Top 10 Reasons Why My Girls have the Best Dad

I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what a wonderful dad my girls have! After growing up in a house without a dad that was present, I was so excited to have kids because I knew Jason would be a great father. There really are not words that could adequately describe how thankful I am, but here goes a list of the top 10 reasons Jason is a wonderful dad!
10. He lets me sleep in on the weekends. (This one might be the most important one:)
9. He has such sweet compassion for our kids when they are sick. He runs to their side and will hold them for hours.

8. He plays like he's one of the kids. He gets on the floor, helps to paint, and is hanging out in the middle of the sprinkler park.

7. He never complains. He's not like me. Even when everything in life is overwhelming, he's happy!
6. He sacrifices. Even though he's out there making the money, there is never an entitlement with them. He always puts us first.

5. He attends Mother's Day Out parties. When I can't attend the girls' parties, Daddy is always there. It never bothers him when he is the only man in the midst of many mothers!

4. He loves to take beautiful pictures of our kids
3. He loves me! He always lets the girls know this.
2. He's a godly man. He is constantly seeking God first and patiently listens to Him in order to lead our family.
1. He knows his priorities! He truly has his order right, God, family and then work. He always works to keep balance in his life. He make us his priority !

Not a Fun Week

Remember when I said in the last post that this was going to be a fun week with Vacation Bible School? Well, I was wrong. I had a short-lived stomach virus, Emma had a stomach bug and Ava ran a fever of 102.5 for a couple of days. Needless to say, I was useless this week in my 3 year old class. I have missed 3 out 4 days so far. Hopefully, we will all be back to ourselves by this weekend. Nothing like getting back from vacation and then being sick for a week to make you feel like you need another vacation:)

Fun Family Weekend

We had so much fun this weekend as a family. We started our fun on Friday when we got up and headed to the Sprinkler Park. This was our second time there this week. It's such a great fun free cool thing to go to. Plus, we always see several families we know there. Later that afternoon Jason took the girls outside for some painting. On Saturday the girls got to the park for a bit in the afternoon. Our girls are definitely outdoor girls. They go crazy when cooped up too long. This week should be fun though. We have VBS at church!