Wednesday Randomness on Thursday...

***Blog Frequency: Some of you might notice that I am doing good to blog a couple of times a week now. I remember when I started my blog. I was pregnant with Mariele, and Analese was still taking two hour afternoon naps. I also used pregnancy as an excuse to pretty much do nothing around the house, so daily blogging was very common back then. Life has changed! This is not a gripe or a complaint. It is just life as I know it now, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Taking care of a preschooler and a toddler is a very busy job. Add homeschooling to the mix and who can find time for blogging? I WANT to blog more often, but a blog or two a week is all I can afford time-wise at this point in my life. On the upside, the end of the year blog book should be easier to compile and cheaper this year!

***Birthday season: We tend to drag out the birthday celebrations in this family. Analese's official birthday is Sunday, May 2nd, but we have already started the festivities, and by festivities I do mean birthday gifts! Analese is about as pumped for her birthday as any one child could possibly be. I realized the other day that she does not fully comprehend when I tell her it is "x" number of days until her birthday. To assist her in learning about time, we did a fun birthday chain project for school the other day. She designed the top part of the chain. She drew a birthday cake with 4 candles, A smiley face for "happy" BDAAY ANALESE KRISTIN (I had to correct the K which she had drawn as an H) ARTHUR. We attached the links to this page, and every night at bedtime she gets to remove a link!




We had to hang it high up on her wall. Mariele ripped it down the first time because we did not put it high enough. Here Mariele is a little frustrated by the lack of havoc-wreaking opportunity.



***Speaking of Mariele, she is getting a little bored and feeling left out when we do school. She is not always content to just play in the diapers anymore. So I ordered her a little plastic table with two kid chairs. She likes to color now (with her left hand) and I thought she might sit for brief periods and color while Analese and I are doing phonics lessons.

***The Little gym: I am enrolling both kids in the fall. Analese will be taking a gymnastics class and Mariele will be taking a parent-child class. They are back to back on Tuesday morning, so PERFECT!

***500 in 2010 - coming right along there. Around 170 miles. Hoping to complete the 500 by our Dec. 5th cruise date!

***HOAs: GRRRRRRR! We have our heart set on a 12.5 foot play set to put in the backyard for the kiddos. Because it is over 12 feet, it will go to a variance committee that meets on June 2nd. It is a very nice looking, cedar wood play set. I am just irritated by HOA hoops. We did get approval to cut down a small, sickly tree. I was sweating that one out. I think I am more excited about the play set than the kiddos are. I can't wait to sit out there and watch them play!

***REMINISCENCES: I cannot believe Analese is turning 4! She has been sleeping in her own room in her own bed for about a week now. She had been sleeping in the crib that is sidecar to our bed for quite some time now. We have not pushed the issue. We were just hoping she would be ready to move at some point in the future. We have finally reached that point. For the first couple of nights, Lee was staying in there with her until she fell asleep. On about the third night she said, "Daddy, I'm big enough to sleep by myself." Lee asked her if she wanted him to leave and she said yes. Every night since, Lee reads her two bedtime stories, kisses her goodnight and leaves the room. She falls asleep almost immediately. AND....wait for it.....She makes up her bed when she wakes up in the morning! She loves to get my big reaction when I go in there! I'm just so proud of her! Again, I can't believe she is turning 4!!!!

***Cute pics of the week: Bath time fun!