We've Been Busy

We have been up to a lot this last week. Oh my, yes. It has really helped the time fly. All of a sudden, Hubby will be home with us again in just 8 days! I can hardly believe the 6 weeks is almost up. We are so thankful!

What have we been up to, you ask? Let's list the good stuff, shall we...


Big Sister learned how to take a picture of herself with the pocket digital. And, as you can probably tell, we've been spending time at the water park on post. The water park is awesome. It has two large water slides, a 'fun zone' with rope ladders and 'logs' to walk across, fountains in the pool area, etc. The pool itself is inclined, with a maximum water height of 4 feet; this is fabulous for young children. Both Big and Little Sister can splash together with me supervising closely, or we can hold hands, etc., and swim around deeper areas. Pool rules require a ten minute break every 60 minutes, enforced by lifeguards with whistles. While this sounds annoying at first, it's the perfect opportunity to catch some shade, have a snack, reapply sunscreen, or use the restroom. Or all of the above. We all have a lot of fun there, and we can't wait to bring Daddy with us!!

'
Mommy finally finished painting and decoupaging fun scrapbook paper onto our little ol' IKEA table. It gave it a lovely and girly face-lift. We girls like the pink and purple table very much.


The 3 kiddos utilizing furniture the way God intended. Much to Mommy's dismay. *Sigh*


The 3 kiddos playing sweet and precious for Mommy and the camera.
Did you notice what's in Little Sister's hand??


We finished Hannah's swim lessons. She did fantastic! She really made a lot of progress in the water, but best of all, her confidence level with 'new big-girl tasks' has visibly soared. Like... wanting to pour her own glasses of milk... or buckling her own seat belt... etc. It's hard to pinpoint, but she just has more confidence in herself and her abilities.


Exiting the pool using proper exiting techniques on the ladder, as taught and approved by the Red Cross Life Guards of America. Or... something...


With swimming specifically, she now walks away from the wall, and around the pool, all by herself! And at the water park she's been putting her entire face into the water while blowing bubbles, has attempted floating on her back, and has 'swimmed' (mostly me shoving her forward) a 18in. distance between my arms and the side of the pool, and back again to me. Much more confidence in the water! What a darling, happy lady!!


Little Sister at the Army Band's family night. There were snacks, a bounce house, music and dancing, and a magician! Big Sister and a friend rocked the bounce house almost the entire time. Little Sister stuck by me, and we chatted and helped sell snacks at our FRG table. Here she is with some of the goods all over her face. Too precious!


Little Sister required some more toddler-friendly toothpaste on our last visit to the super market. (Toothpaste is toddler-friendly when it's free of fluoride, and thus safer to swallow for little ones still learning to spit). She picked out Thomas the Train. This girl has never before cared who Thomas the Train is. But she is now obsessed with Thomas, and therefore, obsessed with her toothpaste. As is evident by the fact that she took both toothpaste and box to sleep with her. For the fourth consecutive night.

That's the good stuff, isn't it?!

Weekly Randoms and Pictures

Well, it's officially three weeks (minus one day) until Eric returns home. I can hardly believe our time apart is half over! And we've only had frozen pizza for supper twice. And pancakes for supper thrice. Okay, and once for lunch, but we were sick that day! And I served them with smoothie!
Our schedule this week consisted of story time, swim lessons, park time, making cookies with the girls in full charge (I made myself proud and really tried hard to step aside and let them do the work, spills and all!), as well as Amelia's 2 yr. well exam. Amelia is 23lb.s 8 oz., some odd inches tall... (2nd child, right?) right on target developmentally, and, other than seasonal allergy yuckiness, the overall picture of good health.

Here, Amelia is sporting her new stingray visor (courtesy of the craft time at the Barr Memorial Library) at the special Louisville Zoo comes to Story Time event. Both my brave ladies pet a very large snake named Regina, a hedgehog named Peaches, and a chinchilla named... Chincilla.
No pictures, though, as I was too busy holding Amelia back: she wanted to pet the miniature barn owl, who was not to be pet, but she was quite passionate about it. "I pet owl! I pet owl!"
Swim lessons for Hannah are going well. To be honest, she has had minimal swim time in the last year, and in a class full of 6 yr. olds, she is not progressing as quickly as they are. BUT: Hannah has learned to climb in and out of the pool all by herself, hold onto the wall while she kicks her legs underwater, and blow bubbles in the water with her mouth and nose. And after each lesson, she matter of factly states that she had fun. That is really all that matters.

Every princess needs a castle. And a good pointed-foot ballet move. Done and done!

Some of the free boxes I scored via 'recycle-dumpster-diving' were a little weakened, so we reused them to make a fort, instead, complete with 'secret tunnel.' Even Walter jumped in a few times.

By early last week, Amelia had been attempting to climb out of her crib several times. Each time she attempted this feat, she would catch her leg in the bars of the crib, and begin screaming, "I shtuck! I shtuck!" I feared she would lose her balance somehow during an escape attempt and break her leg. Paranoid? Possibly. Better safe than sorry? Most definitely.
Not wanting to purchase or assemble any major pieces of furniture while my hubby is away or 7 weeks before a move, I was lucky enough to find a secondhand toddler bed in our desired price range that was within a 5 minute drive. Unfortunately, the bed is blue plastic Disney Princess, specifically The Little Mermaid. You know, the one with the C-shells? Not ideal. I'm contemplating taking a little Goo Be Gone to the large sticker on the headboard.

I don't know, is it just me? I don't exactly dislike the whole 'princess' thing, with the dressing up, and the fantasy about living in a castle or dancing and singing to woodland creatures. I did that, too, and I turned out fine. (Mostly I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder or Anne Shirley, though. Way cooler.)
I just do not want my daughters worshipping specific characters who possess no valuable or admirable qualities as a person. Or who wear purple pasties and call it an outfit! It's called a tee shirt, Ariel, try getting one!
Erm... Anyway. Amelia has transitioned pretty smoothly. I do hear the pitter-patter of little feet leaving bed to get a book, and I have had to put her back into bed, at most, 4 times in one night. But it's been a solid week now, and the crib has been taken apart and tucked into a spare closet. In these pictures, I walked into her room after nap time only to discover some books scattered across her bed, while she was on the floor. I'm not certain if she fell asleep on the floor, though, or if she just woke up earlier than I expected... Precious, though, either way.
I can't believe our baby girl is in a toddler bed! Seems like just yesterday we were in the midst of colic and co-sleeping and total, insanity-inducing sleep deprivation.... *Sigh*
Well, that 'bout wraps things up for this week. Y'all come back, now, ya hear!!

This Week's Random Bits

Eric left for BNCOC/VA 2009. We dropped him off at Louisville Int'l Airport early Sunday morning, and then the girls and I drove straight to St. Louis to spend a few days with my Grammy and extended family. My younger cousin Sarah was having a BBQ to commemorate her graduation from high school. I used to baby sit her. I distinctly remember a time when she was 4, and explaing the ways of the big, wide world to her little brother John (then 2), and she'd say, "It's a cinch, John. This is how you're asposed to do it." And now she's old enough to vote and go to Ole' Miss. Sheesh.
Miss Amelia's mullet is long enough for piggie tails nowadays....

While in St. Louis we decided to visit the Saint Louis Zoological Park. If you're in town, I highly recommend it. It is a spectacular zoo! We spent about 4 hours there, with precise directions from Miss Hannah Bee to view the lions, tigers, flamingos, zebras, sea lions and hyenas. We missed the hyenas, but made up for it by seeing some crocodiles, kangaroos, wallabees, hippos, rhinos, etc...

Skip to Walter, resting in the backyard after an intense game of fetch. Our dog is awesome.

Here are my girls being read to by my Grammy. This scene warms my heart. The girls adore her, and Amelia would run around her house calling, "Gammy! Gammy! Gammy, Gammy!"

A family picnic lunch at the Louisville Waterfront Park right before Eric left. Amelia's chowing down on a cookie from the Homemade Pie and Ice Cream Kitchen. Yeah, they sell cookies there, too. If you're in town, I highly recommend it. I didn't get too many pictures of this day. But we ended the afternoon taking an early supper at the New Albany Brewing Co., Eric's pick. Awesome pizza.

Me, in front of the camera... er... sort of, for a change. Road trip!
Once in St. Louis, I was able to visit a Hobby Lobby for the first time ever. Oh. My. Goodness. It was heavenly. I spent my whole allowance on lots of little crafting 'wants.' Oh, yes... By the end of summer, all my projects should be crossed off my craft to-do list and looking good. Of course, it'll all just go directly into a moving box, but I'm so excited for our next home!

Amelia didn't really like getting wet by the sprinkler. She prefers baths and pools to showers and sprinklers.

And here's a Little Tykes thing, off the curb, which we will utilize for the remainder of our time here in Kentucky.

Hannah Bee running around our yard back at home, utilizing the awesome sprinkler Mommy found on the curb at the end of last summer. Woohoo!

At the zoo... love that face... love that girl...
And Miss Hannah Bee will begin swim lessons next week! This particularly excites Mommy, as I distinctly remember almost drowning as a child. Twice. I know my girls mostly swim in the bathtub at this juncture, but alas...
Saving the best update for last: Eric discovered, shortly after arriving to BNCOC/VA 2009, that his graduation date (and therefore, his return date) will be bumped up by 2 entire weeks! He is expected to fly home on either July 2 or 3, instead of July 17. FABULOUS! Obviously, we are quite excited by this, as we do so like him.
M'kay, that's about it I think.

We interrupt this marriage to raise children...

Giggle, giggle... I came across this little phrase recently, and how true it is! I may paint this on a sign and put it up in the house somewhere. Right next to my future "No whining" sign...
Well, after two weeks of no longer working part-time at the library, we are absolutely certain we made the right decision. I am so glad to be unemployed!! It's amazing the weight that's been lifted off our family's shoulders. There is much less stress in this house, more joy and laughing. Most importantly, there is more quality family time. We've been able to attend quite a few band parades, potlucks, etc., now, as well as a few picnics and hikes of our own. It's felt like a family vacation the last couple weeks! Granted, Eric's schedule will pick up again, but it will be much less stressful to keep up with it. Loving it!! Bring it on!
Hannah is liking the "home schooling" we're working on. She's already proven she can draw each shape, is quite handy with a pair of kiddie scissors, can identify all letters and write the letters "H, A," and "I," and probably a few more, I just can't remember. Our agenda is relaxed; we would just like to maintain a preschool level with her until she joins Pre-K in the fall.
We just spoiled her rotten with FOUR new Eric Carle books (from awesome Kohl's $5/for charity series) which we have to read each and every night. Her favorite animals from the series are the elephant (she has a stuffed one named Dumbledore) and the green sea turtle. She says she does not like the peacock because it is noisy. Hannah is looking forward to our next family trip to the zoo!
Amelia is getting all four molars in right now! Those things are vicious, and our happy, lively girl has had some rough moments. But has her smile possibly gotten cuter with all those pearly whites?!? You betcha!! When her teeth aren't hurting her, she's discovered how fun it is to climb on the couch, jump off the couch, and give Mommy a heart attack. Amy has a 'fly by the seat of her pants' zest for life that doesn't really suit Mommy, but I love her for her courage and assertive attitude. There will be few things/people in life that will slow that girl down! She has learned to say "apple" and "eat" in both oral and sign language. She also says, "Uh-UH!" now when she's upset or doesn't want to do something, while furrowing the Ferreira brow. She's quite opinionated for someone her height. Her favorite foods right now are string cheese and Mommy's mac-n-cheese, which is good because she still prefers a mostly vegetarian diet.
That's what we are up to lately! Loving life, our family, our blessings! It kinda makes you wanna sing Kumbaya... ;)

UnEmployeD AgaiN...

With Eric's hectic schedule getting increasingly more busy between work, more work, and school, with only one vehicle between the four of us, and with life being more than stressful when there was no quality family time to speak of, it was time to make a choice: either Eric was putting in his two week's notice or Amanda was. Seeing as how Eric signed a three year contract with the United State Army, well... Amanda is now unemployed again.
Back to just my full-time job! Despite the fact that I really enjoyed working at the library, we have faith we have made the right decision. We will be able to build our family time around Eric's schedule, accompany him to parades and public concerts, etc. We will have time to fulfill errands during the week when Daddy is at work rather than cramming everything into Saturdays, leaving less time for family play. This time with our girls is so precious, and already fleeting, and we made the decision upon joining up with the military to prioritize full-time motherhood as my only day job. My future career as children's librarian will wait a few more years.
We have plans to home school the girls with a preschool/Pre-K curriculum, attend story times and playdates on base, the 113th Army Band wives have just formed a meet-up group to organize outings to band events with our kiddies... Being a professional mommy is a busy job! And of course, I'll need plenty of time to watch TV and eat bon-bons...

Look out, September...

here we come! Well, as usual, time flies when you're having fun. The summer is coming to a close already, and the girls continue to grow right before our very eyes. They should knock that off...
Hannah is over 3 1/2 years old now, and just the sweetest little lady you will meet. She enjoys playing make-believe in her spare time, including playing doctor 'like Papa,' or with her Cabbage Patch babies, and loves dancing to music. (Especially with her new costumes from Uncle Rick and Aunt Ellen! Thank you SO much again!) She is a wonderful big sister and friend. Sharing can be hard sometimes, but she is always willing to lend a helping hand or explain a confusing situation to Amelia. For instance, recently in the van Amelia looked out her window and said, "Mommy!" Hannah reminded her, "No, Sis, that's not Mommy. Our mommy is here in the van. She's with us." Hannah is a thoughtful girl, and still really enjoys reading at least 3 books every night as part of our bedtime routine. Her latest favorites include the Henry and Mudge series, as well as Clifford, The Big Red Dog. "Good old Clifford!"
Amelia is now approaching 15 months of age! She took her first steps in late April, and we've had trouble keeping up since! Amelia has a sunny personality blooming: she has never met a stranger, and lives with zest for life and a nose for trouble. She enjoys making block towers (mostly knocking them over) and snuggling/throwing Cabbage Patch babies with her sister. She also loves her puppy, Walter. And tipping over his water dish. Her first word said was, "Mommy," (point 1 for Amanda!), followed by, "Daddy, no," and "go." She also says, "milk" and "more" with sign language, but Eric doesn't think that counts. She is a hungry little girl, as well, with her favorite meals being second breakfast and her two snacks between lunch and dinner. You can see how "more" and "milk" are frequently 'said.'
Eric is increasingly busy with work, traveling quite a bit to bordering states for parades and concerts. Still in school, and maintaining a great G.P.A. He's also up for a promotion again! His board will be on Sept. 4, so keep your fingers crossed!!
Amanda's still working part-time at the library on base. Hopefully, eventually, she will go back for her masters in library science and become a children's librarian. But for now is quite happy in being a devoted, though sometimes tired, mommy.
That wraps up the end of our summer! Love to you all!