We all scream for ice cream

So here we are with dessert which hasn't been happening a whole lot lately because my girls have not been the best eaters. I'm loving the different a few years makes in eating ice cream. Gillian (above) clearly enjoys the yummy treat and did get a little on her chin but Alyssa (below) put her whole heart and soul into it. She apparently screams for ice cream :) She certainly takes after me.

Learning to love to read

My daughter loves books of all kinds. I want to encourage her and foster this love. We were in Target yesterday and I told her that she could get a book or a toy. Since I'm blogging about it you can guess she picked a book. She is also going to be the one to model this love of reading for her sister. Who loves to point out all the things in the story she knows especially the animals. Which is exactly what is happening in the picture.

As a teacher I know how important this is to do at home. When I ask my students...Who reads with you at home? Who do you read to at home? There answer is often nobody. This breaks my heart. If there is one thing that I wish the parents of my students would do it would be to make sure their kids are reading every night. No matter how important I tell my students reading is...this message needs to come from their parents.

So here are some of my ideas on encouraging reading.

• Read (at least 20 minutes) everyday!
• Reread their favorites. I know this can be boring but start pausing at different points and let them fill it in. Gillian has several favorites that she can read to me now since they're memorized.
• Read all kinds of genres: fiction, nonfiction, poerty, and magazines. Gillian loves to read Highlights they have a preschool version called High Five.
• Be a good role model. I often have a book with me too although with the kids around I rarely get through one. It's still good for them to see.
• Go to the library and borrow books. I will be getting Gillian a library card as soon as she's old enough.

I'd love to hear some what you're doing. I'm sure there are tons of other great ideas out there.

While the hubby is away...

My husband is away so it's just me and the girls. This was us last night. We were all snuggling in the bed watching cartoons and reading books. I know this seems like just an everyday moment and it is but those are the ones that are easily forgotten.

So here are few everyday moments that happen at bedtime that I wanted to remember.

Gillian will for no reason at all just say mommy...I love you.

Alyssa loves to run over super fast and yell hug and give me a big squeeze.

Alyssa has quite figured out how to kiss and she licks instead.

Gillian likes to match the color or style of pajamas to what her sister is wearing

Gillian's favorite book is Pinkalicous and makes me read it almost every night.

Alyssa needs her Tigger stuffed animal to fall asleep.

Alyssa who can't sit still for very long decided to start naming her body parts. She just finished with her belly and went for her nose. The picture makes me laugh because it looks like she's picking it. So after that it was time for her to go to her room and I got some one on one time with Gillian. Which I find I don't get a whole lot of lately.

Tag, you're it!

So here it is the sixth picture in my sixth folder. I love this picture. When I saw that this was the sixth one I wasn't sure that I wanted to post it. It makes me miss my mom, it also makes me smile. This is that last Christmas that we celebrated at my house with my mom. She was around the following Christmas but too sick to be at our house. I love how my mom is looking at my daughter and that I caught moments like these to look back at. My mom passed away a about a year and a half ago. I miss her everyday but she was an amazing and strong woman and she passed that along to me which is how I get through the days without her.


So go find your sixth picture in your sixth folder, I'm tagging:
The Kids Did What?
Moms check nyo
Our Cozy Cottage
One Day at a Time
A Mommy's Musing

A Day at the Museum

We spent the day with the cousins at KidCity museum. I have heard so many people talk about this place and I finally had the chance to check it out myself. It opened at 9:00 and we we waiting at the door. It's a good thing since it's February break and when we left at 11:00 it was packed. There were so many hands on things for the kids to do. They loved it. My nieces are five and along with Gillian who is four they got into everything. Look at the smiles on their faces :) This was a slide in a musical jungle room. There was something to look at in every corner.

Alyssa had just as much fun but in different areas. It's hard to tell but in the picture she is actually in a spaceship and very serious about driving it. She's thinking come on mom another picture...I'm busy!

I thought the mural in the farm room was so cool and this was our last group shot before heading out to lunch. Alyssa thought the pig made a good slide too. I love that they are all so close and enjoy being together. Today was especially cute watching them make sure to include Alyssa. She's the littlest cousin and sometimes gets left behind. Today she loved hanging with the big girls.

Feeding the Birds

So this morning was for the birds, literally. February is feed the birds month so we celebrated by having some friends over and making some bird feeders. I collected some pine cones from the woods nearby my house. As a child I remember doing this with peanut butter but with all the allergies we decided to use Crisco instead. They stuck on Frosted Flakes, Cheerios, bird seed, raisin and etc. What a mess but the kids had a blast. Gillian was especially proud of her creation and wanted to hang on the tree outside as soon as everyone left. This is the beginning of my February vacation too so I am excited for that as well. I can't wait to see what other fun things I will be doing with my girls.

Fingerprints...I mean handprints on my heart

So I let Gillian decide whether she wanted to make her own Valentine's for the kids at daycare or go with the store bought ones. I always think homemade is better but store bought is easier. We decided to fingerpaint and make little hearts. Aren't they cute? She was having fun since fingerpainting is one of her favorite things to do and I thought she knew what my plan was. I turned around for a second to grab Alyssa who was getting into something and came back to quite a mess.She went from fingerprints to handprints :) and needed a bath! I didn't think to take pictures of her until after but if you could have seen her you would know I caught her red handed hehehe. Being messy is so much fun! There she is all cleaned up and ready for bed looking so sweet and not at all like she could have been a mess 20 minutes ago.

Wii is that really me?

So my hubby brought home the Wii Fit for me last night and I was so excited because I have been asking for it forever. By the way he bought it for $89 at Walmart. So we were playing around with it and creating our Mii characters where you put in you height, weight, and some other info. Once it calculated all the numbers I appeared and I was huge and I was not so excited anymore! First it told me I was obese and had bad balance. All the weight on my Mii was around my belly. I looked like I was pregnant. I sure hope I carry my weight better in real life. I really can't believe that that Mii is supposed to be me.

Obviously I know I have work to do to get back my body after having two babies. I joined WW and that I have been making an effort to exercise and eat healthy. I do have to say that the games were actually fun and I could really see myself doing them regularly. My favorite was the hula hoop one. I do not like looking at that Mii...maybe that in itself will be motivating.

Say a little prayer

So my father in law returned home after his surgery all the tumors and one of his lungs were removed. He was staying with my brother and sister in law and was having some severe pain and having trouble waking up so he is now back at the hospital again. So I'm asking again to say a prayer and send some good thoughts his way. I truly believe in wishing for miracles and the power of positive thinking.

Barrettes and my best friend

My daughter will not seem to keep anything in her hair but I think I may have found the barrette for her. I know you've seen these all around and some of my friends who are much fancier then me showed me how and now I can't seem to stop. How cute are these for Valentine's Day. These four are my latest creations. I can see that this could become something else I don't have time to do.

I have to send some love back to my best friend Kristin. I have to say at first I was a little embarrassed but then I started thinking about when the last time I saw her and that made me realize it's been way too long. We are holding each other's youngest daughters and look how tiny they are. My daughter Alyssa is now 19 months old. I know everyone has that friend that they just love and no matter what happens or where they are you know you can call that person and they are there for you. To talk or cry to or share wonderful news with. They are the first person you want to call to tell any kind of news. She was my first call when I found out I was pregnant...both times and the first person even though I was hysterical that I called when I lost my mom. Anyone who knows Kristin even just through her blog knows how great she is.

So my whole point is think about your best friend and all the times that they have been there for you. Think of all the wonderful memories that you have shared and still have to share. Call, email, or blog about how wonderful they are right now!

My first award and a little honesty

Thanks so much to Regina from My Life with Little Girls for this award. So here goes.

1. I am completely addicted to facebook.
2. I really love authentic Mexican food but I also can't get enough of the seven layer burritto at Taco Bell.
3. I don't think I could make it through the day without coffee...I'd be a cranky mess.
4. I would rather do anything else than clean my house.
5. I used to take horseback riding and piano lessons when I was a kid and I'd love to do both again.
6. I sing extremely loudly along with my radio on my commute to work and I pretend like I'm not when another car passes me.
7. I don't like American Idol anymore. I only watched the first couple seasons
8. I take entirely too many pictures especially of my kids but I love looking at them.
9. I love the smell of lilacs.
10. I don't mind getting stuck in the rain...what's that saying a fool in the rain...that's me :)

I am fairly new to blogging and I have really seen some great ones although I don't want to pick seven random people, I am going to pass this award on to some that I have really been following.
Currently Crafting
Heliotrope Tree House
Doodles Place
My Sweet Three

Here are the rules for this award:
a) List 10 honest things about yourself - and make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!
b) Pass the award on to 7 bloggers that you feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

Happy Birthday Melmo!

My youngest daughter Alyssa has been completely into Elmo or as she says Melmo. So we are going to celebrate by wearing read and reading some Elmo stories. We will play with some red play dough and make our own Elmos with red, white and orange construction paper that I have precut. I would have never imagined that this would have been a perfect afternoon for me. That I would be coming home from a busy day at work and having an evening filled with Elmo. I couldn't be happier but I do kind of find it funny. Finally we will end with some Elmopalooza! I know you're saying rock on and I'm sure Gillian, Alyssa and I will be dancing away and having a blast.
So Happy Birthday Elmo!!! Hope you all do some celebrating of your own too :)