October 2013

At Vala's Pumpking Patch with Izzy's class.

lunch time!

Izzy and Katelyn.

Bounce pillows!

Enjoying one of our last few nice days outside.

Addie and Cletus. It's a love hate relationship.

The "King" and Queen Bees.

She got caught!

Mark and I took the girls to the children's museum for a day of fun.

light up piano on the floor.

My little EMT.

clay time fun.

 

We went to the Life Time Fitness Spooktacular.

Loving the sandbox.

Sisterly love. Izzy is so good with Addie. I am always seeing her give Addie little kisses on the head and she is the first to go to Addie when she wants something. She's a great big sis.

Happy Halloween! Ella, Avery, Emery, Izzy, and Addie.

Court, Heather and Me before we went door to door.

Our last house.

Livie, Izzy, and Addie at the school Halloween party.

Addie being funny. That's her new saying. "Addie funny"



The cold weather is around the corner and I don't even want to think about it. It is so nice to be able to throw the kids outside and blow the stink off. Izzy is already being a little stinker. Her listening skills are lacking a ton. I have to threaten her constantly with taking toys, eliminating play dates, no snacks, etc. I can't wait until she grows out of this stage. In saying this though she definitely has a sweet side. The hugs and I love yous help smooth the rough edges.

We had parent teacher conferences for Izzy this month and she is doing pretty good. We have a few things to work on, but I think she will be ready come next Fall to be a big kindergartener. She is still enjoying swimming lessons and we started gymnastics and she is liking that too. I don't know what I'm going to do when Addie starts with activities. I need a clone.

Izzy is still saying funny things. It makes you wonder where in that little mind of hers she pulled it from. She told me it was ok for me to go to work because then I could buy her toys. Also, one day on our way to school Izzy heard the Robin Thicke song and said she liked it and wanted me to turn it up. Upon turning it up I started dancing and had my hands in the air and from the back seat Izzy says, "Mom, put your hands back on the handles....both of them." I died. Such a little boss.

Addie is doing well too. She is my little cuddle buddy and attached to my hip. She cries and cries any time I leave without her. She got a diaper rash at the beginning of the month and it took us the whole month to get rid of it. We were treating as yeast and it turned out to be bacterial. We got it cleared and another showed up 2 days after treatment. It looked different so I just covered it with everything. Something had to kill it, right? She also got the flu in the middle of the month and threw up for 24 hours. It was awful. She couldn't keep anything down and just laid around the whole time. This little peanut is going to be one healthy child someday.

We had a great Halloween this year. Mark and I went as the "King" and queen bee to our neighbors' Halloween party. We had a ton of fun. This year the girls went as a monarch butterfly (Gamma made it) and a peacock. Gamma came up to go to the girls' Halloween parties at school and then helped us hand out candy so we could trick or treat as a family .Our friends the Mulligans and Snodgrass's came to trick or treat with us.  The older girls had so much fun running from house to house. They did really good until who got to ring the doorbell became an issue. Happens every year! Addie was mesmerized by the whole process. I was constantly dragging her because the other girls would be 2 houses ahead of us. Addie would literally stop and stare at all the things around her.

I love these little girls and everything I get to experience with them. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I just wish it didn't go so fast.

September 2013

 The girls in their new jammies. They loved them. Simple pleasures.

 

Addie playing with my old iPod as a phone. Was cute to listen to her have conversations to absolutely no one.

This is Izzy showing off her reward for completing her goal list. I got the idea from a neighbor of creating a goal list. Then the kids have the choice of completing the goal or not. The have consequences for doing it or not. Izzy's goals were to listen, clean her room every night, write her letters and brush her teeth every morning and night. She did great and I need to do another one, but have had the chance to sit down to a new goal sheet.

Maia came over and spent the day with Izzy and the girls helped me get ready for the Halloween season.

Later that night, Mulligans came over to watch the Husker football game and Izzy, Ella, and Maia played outside on the playset.

Addie tried real hard to keep up.

My dear friend Heather and me.  

 



Let the football season begin! Mark and I had a great time Labor Day weekend at the first football game. We would like to give many thanks to our parents for meeting us half way and taking the kids for the whole weekend. We got to spend some great time together. The following weekend Mark headed to Lincoln and we stayed back to go to a car show and do some shopping with Gamma and PopPop. We watched the Southern Miss game at home and our friends, the Mulligans, joined us. Izzy and Ella played and it was a great time.

We went to our first and last dance class for Izzy. She decided that it wasn't for her, but she still wanted to go to Runza with the girls after. We have yet to make it but we will soon. So now we are just doing swim lessons and she LOVES it. Izzy had some fun birthday parties to go to this month. She went to Bounce U, had a neighborhood BBQ, and then to Vala's Pumpkin patch. She is getting so big and mature for her age. I know I always said I can't wait until she is big enough to do things on her own, but it came sooner than I wanted. Now that it's here I want to go backwards.

As for Addie she is sick already. Sinus infection and a round of antibiotics. I hope this isn't an indicator of how the winter is going to go. If so we have a long road ahead of us. She is her usual spunky self and is a delight. She makes me smile after a long day, but she also knows how to push the right buttons. The "cici" has been an issue. Izzy still had it at this point but only at night. If Addie is upset she wants it. I feel like it's affecting her bite and speech a little, but it's the only thing that calms her down. I really need to crack that. Oh, to find the energy to do it.

Hope you are all well and we'll talk soon.
Ariann

August 2013

 Addie wearing her "hat" because Izzy is. She just pushes her bike around instead of riding it. When she does sit on it she actually keeps her feet on the pedals pretty good.

 Oh, the "ci-ci." How will we ever let go?

 

 Hanging out by the fire at Gamma and PopPop's,

 

 The new fire pit my dad built,

 

 Great for roasting marsh mellows.

 

 First to arrive at the reception. Watching a movie to pass the time.

 

 Still waiting...

 

 Me and my girls.

 

 Izzy and the Princess, Morgan.

 

 Family photo at the Moonlight Vineyard during the reception.

 

Mark's mom and step-dad.

 

 I love their sober faces.

 

 Enjoying the swings in the back yard on a beautiful night.

 

This picture says a thousand words...

 Sisterly love.

 

Go Big Red! First spirit day of the year at school.

 



Wow! That month flew by. At the beginning of August we all went back to Grand Island for Mark's cousin's wedding. Izzy loves to go to weddings because she gets to see and dance with a princess. Morgan sure looked like a beautiful princess. Her wedding gown was the palest of pink and gorgeous.

Nothing is really new with the girls. Both growing and playing, dancing, and talking back all the same. We've managed to stay healthy and have a great summer.

My friend Ashley came home from Australia for a few weeks and we managed to get together and have dinner. It was great to see her. I wish there was more time.

Mark is happier than ever because football season started the last day of this month. Gamma and PopPop took the girls to the State Fair in Grand Island and Mark and I got to enjoy the first Husker Game together. The Huskers won, but only by 4 points. Should have been a blow out. Hope the season looks up. While at the fair, Izzy got to ride an elephant and thought it was the coolest thing. She talked about it for days.

We have inherited three new pests (I mean pets...) this month. Izzy's teacher at school was teaching them about the life cycle of a meal worm. The chrysalis of all three have now turned into beetles and she doesn't want to free them. What is a mother to do? Any suggestions are helpful.

On to another month. Hope all is well.

P.S. Izzy had her first sleep over at our house. Why can't I keep her little? I'm not ready for this.