Sea Life Aquarium

The weather has turned cold again and we took a break this week from packing box after box for SeaLife. We have never been and the kids loved it, Gavin especially. He would stand in front of the glass and stare until we took him to the next exhibit.

The aquarium was the perfect place to spend our morning and we will absolutely go back. Love these 2 little people and I always love their expressions when they experience something new!

Dress-up

The weather is starting to turn warmish around here and it has become bearable, almost enjoyable to get outside and play. The winter was long and there were many times I felt we had run out of stuff to do.  I had to get creative when we were starting day 4 in a row of house time. Reegan dresses in her princess outfit almost every day, so one Saturday morning we brought out all the dress-up clothes, accompanied by the Pandora Disney station and the kids went wild.

We had a lot of laughs, great family time and a change of pace. And even though that morning is a special memory for me, I am thrilled for the shorts, sandals, and pool that can't get here soon enough.

4

Reegan turned 4 on February 11 and we celebrated with a small party on Saturday February 8. For the longest time Reegan went back and forth between a painting party with 2 friends or a minnie mouse party at our house with more friends.  Ultimately, the painting party won out. Reegan asked her friends Haylee and Cade to come and luckily they were both able to make it!

The kids each picked out one figurine to paint and then the girls picked out a small plate also.

Saturday night the family came over for pizza, cake and presents.  Reegan is one lucky, spoiled little girl but deserves it all.

Perfect timing for this as her Cinderella dress is becoming way to small.

New tutu for dance class

The sweet girl loving all the attention from her favorite people.

Reegan requested a pink, strawberry cake for her birthday.  I tried hard to convince her that an ice cream cake was the way to go since I had to work the night before. She was having none of it.  So Friday day I made the cake and bright and early Saturday morning, Jason frosted it.  So yummy, we loved it! We served it with neopolitan ice cream and it was perfect!

Happy Birthday little one! These past 4 years have been the best and I look forward to all that comes this year and for many more.

Snow Days

After a little computer trouble I am back to the blog world. We're still having a few issues with our picassa account, but working on getting it all straightened out.  So, I am back.

Time is flying by and I can hardly believe it. Winter has come and (hopefully) gone. We had a couple of snow days this week.  I was lucky enough that I worked the night before the big storm started and then didn't have to work again until a few days later. Preschool was cancelled and Jason worked from home. I bought this big roll of paper back over the summer and was waiting for the perfect time to break it out.  Day 2 of being indoors seemed like the right time.

Gavin tries so hard.  He is so funny when he draws and usually only lasts 5 minutes.  He spent the rest of the day rolling on it and trying to rip it up.

 Day 1 of the storm, Jason got out 2 times to shovel, but on day 2 our sweet little helper was anxious to get out and help. Of course she has the perfect, pink, princess shovel to assist with.

 This was Gavin's first time in the snow and he was not a fan.  Silly boy.

Jason pulled them through the yard for maybe 3 minutes and then Gavin told us he had enough.  No more snow. Reegan continued to sled on her own for the next 20 minutes while Jason shoveled and Gavin and I read books inside.

I wont be too sad if this is the last snow of the year, there's always next year.

I do have some cute videos I will try to post of them sledding too.

Pinterest Round-up

I have had some really great luck with Pinterest when it comes to finding new recipes. In fact, at the beginning of the week I take a look and pick out a few to try.  Sometimes I pass it over to Jason and have take a look.  I have found many pretty good recipes, will probably try again and a few REALLY good recipes that I want to share.

The weather has been cold and its perfect for soup. Here are my favorites.
http://simply-delicious.co.za/2013/07/16/baked-gnocchi-with-bacon-tomato-and-mozzarella/

http://crockingirls.com/recipes/nicoles-corn-chowder/

http://recipeswagger.blogspot.ca/2012/08/creamy-tomato-tortellini-soup.html?m=1

I have made these muffins a couple of times and love them. I use whole wheat flour and leave the apples in big chunks.
http://www.midgetmomma.com/2013/10/10/whole-wheat-apple-muffins/

I have made this the last 2 year for Christmas morning, so yummy
http://thedishydecorator.blogspot.com/2012/01/cinnamon-roll-casserole.html?m=1

A couple easy desserts.  Reegan loves the strawberry cookies and helps me make them
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/01/23/strawberry-chocolate-chip-cookies/

http://livingachangedlife.blogspot.com/2011/04/recipe-review-berry-cobbler.html

Enjoy!

Right now

Right now Gavin is 18 months and Reegan is 5 weeks from turning 4 years old.  2013 was special for us. Our children are growing before our eyes and becoming little people instead of babies.  This saddens me, but excites me as well.  I see just how my behavior and actions affect them and how they say and do everything I do.  It's great and a little more than slightly annoying at times :).  These little people don't just teach themselves and it is a job that I am so honored and scared to have.

Reegan has grown so much this year. I am seeing glimpses of the young lady she is slowly turning into.

• She is loving preschool and asks me almost every day if she gets to go to preschool.  Christmas break was not welcome by Reegan. 
• Loves to sing and makes up songs every day about everything
• Loves gymnastics- does handstands, teeter-totter, and cartwheels in the living room
• Obsessed with everything Hello Kitty and princesses
• Loves her baby dolls and rocks them to sleep many times during the day and pushes them in her sparkly wagon and stroller
• Tries to be a mom to Gavin and tell him what he can and cannot do
• Whenever I ask her what she wants for breakfast or lunch she always responds with "hmm, I don't know yet, I will think about it"
• Tells us she had dreams about kitty cats 
• Loves to play up high, down low, on the side, too slow game (high five game)
• Repeats Daniel Tiger Neighborhood
• Takes a nap 3-4 times a week, unless she naps with me. Then she will almost always fall asleep
• Asks for music so she can dance every day
• If she hears the word project gets really excited, then sometimes sad when its a cleaning project and not a fun art project
• When I leave for work she asks me to call her with my face (Facetime) before bed
• Tries to tell jokes, but they never make sense
• When she gets mad at me she will tell me.  "I am so mad right now", "you need to be nice", 
• Every time she is told to lay down and go to sleep she gets up a million times to go to the bathroom, she needs water, needs an animal to sleep with. Then after laying down for 2-3 minutes tells us she can't sleep.
• Learned how to skip on Thanksgiving and now wants to skip all. the. time
• Thinks every snack should be fruit snacks
• Wants to "write" on the grocery list and will often grab a pen and a scrap paper and ask what we need at the store
• Loves the time after Gavin goes to sleep in the evening so we can play games and with her "special" toys
• Wants to look at pictures on my phone and play games on the iPad every day
• Tells us how she and Gavin are going to get married when they get bigger because they are best friends!
• Calls me her BFF (I may have started this)
• Wants to wear dresses and leggings everyday, does not like jeans
• Goes to bed around 9 but doesn't go to sleep if she has napped until close to 10:30 and wakes up at 8. Falls asleep by 8 when she doesn't take a nap
• Asks to eat at Panera whenever we are at the mall (I am easily convinced) and wants to go out to eat every meal!

Gavin is the sweetest little guy with huge personality. He wants to make us laugh and will do anything he can think of to get a laugh.

• Currently says: mommy, dada, ball, car, dog, purple, one more, thank you, more, bye-bye, hi, Bella, papa, one, two, three. Understands a LOT more
• Gets so excited whenever I say anything about food- eat, dinner, snack, milk and will either hang on my leg while I try to get it ready or will try to climb into his highchair
• Likes to play with balls, especially his soccer ball
• Likes to play with cars and will run them over the ground or us
• Will mimic everything that he possibly can.
• Goes to sleep around 8 at night and wakes up around 9 right now (I think he's growing) and takes a 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. He usually would fall asleep as soon as we placed him in bed, but has found that he can play and stand-up in bed.  We don't like this new found independence in bed.
• Still takes his pacifier at nap time and will rub his head/hair when he's tired and rocking with us.
• Obsessed with books and brings us books to read to him all day long.
• If he gets cranky,90% of the time food will cure it and the other times he just wants to rock in the chair.
• Climbs on everything and loves to jump on Reegan's bed (then he gets in trouble)
• Follows Reegan around and wants to be wherever she is.
• Will wave and say hi all day long to us
• Tries to do somersaults
• gets excited when he hears the garage door open and runs arounds
• has started jumping and tries to skip like Reegan   
• If he wakes up before Reegan he is constantly trying to get to her room to wake her up. He also does this the days she is at preschool and we are home together.

 There is so much more that I can't think of. Their love for each other is amazing and while I know there will be moments of dislike, I pray everyday that their relationship grows and they continue their friendship. I didn't know I could love so fiercely and I am so thankful to be their mom. They are a light and being able to spend every day with them has been the greatest gift.

One of my goals for 2014 is to better document the every day.  What new things they are doing and the funny/cute things they say.  One way I'm doing this is a photo a day on Instagram/Facebook.  5 days down, 360 to go!