Soccer Season Begins

In the fall, Ava could not stop talking about her desire to play soccer along with her sister. We found out as long as she would be 4 by the first game for spring (which she is) she could sign up! I had zero issues with getting them on the same team, so as of now, I'm taking them to the same practices at the same time on the same days of the week, and we don't have to split up on Saturday mornings to watch their games....yet. I know I've got it easy, for a while anyway.

The girls first game isn't until mid March, but we're back to going to practice two nights a week (which means my crock pot gets a good workout), as well as gymnastics one day a week. Both girls enjoy both sports and hopefully when we get to Vegas we can continue.

Whistling Mullet

Both Jonathan and Juliet are learning new ways to whistle.

Potty in the Big Easy

"Who Dat" you ask? That's right! Juliet is pretty much potty trained and it took no time at all! I took a big chance in choosing to start potty training Juliet the day before we were to go out of town for the weekend. Why not, right? I've got nothing better to do. :) She spent last Wednesday in big girl panties and after only one accident, she realized she needed to use her potty chair and not the inside of Kylie's jean drawer to pee. She quickly got the hang of it and enjoys screaming "POTTY", dropping her drawers and running to the bathroom to do her business. The candy she gets as a reward may have something to do with it, but she understand if she pees, she gets a treat. Before she actually starts peeing, she'll say "I did it" and then go.

We left town on Thursday to head to New Orleans (Jonathan is there for work) and I took the potty chair with us. I wasn't about to let her go diaper-less in the car. Its a little too soon for that. I brought it so when we were in our hotel room, she could use it. And she did over and over and over! Thursday night we got to NO late and she even pooped on the potty all on her own accord! Jonathan was on the phone, I was getting thing settled and Juliet sat down and filled her chair! She is so proud of herself when she does it and she even does a cute pee pee dance in which she kicks her leg. She gets mad when I have to put diapers on her for car rides or bedtime, and she also cries in the morning when she wakes up and needs to use the potty. She will hold it until I wipe the sleep from my eyes, try not to fall as I'm half asleep walking to her bed and quickly rip off her diaper and PJs so she can use potty. She did pee a few times on the floor of our room in the Hilton in the French Quarter, but better there than on the carpet in the house we're trying to sell, right? And I figured my little baby's pee is no worse that what we all know is on that nasty hotel room floor.

How cute is a diaper-less tooshy?


Here is the highly coveted treat...Valentine's Day candy hearts.

I didn't take any pictures of our time in NO, but I did get a cute shot of Juliet sleeping. We pushed through naps the 2 days we were there and one evening after swimming but before we headed to dinner, Juliet fell asleep all snuggled up next to Kylie. Kylie loved it!

"I have 4 Valentine's"

Those were Jonathan's exact words yesterday. This is the first year we've ever really done anything for the girls for Valentine's Day. Last year I was visiting Jonathan who was in Vegas and the girls were with Mr. Joey and Miss Krissy for the weekend, and prior to they they were too young to understand, or even care. Before church, the girls each woke up to a goodie bag from me, and then to Jonathan giving each of them a card and a bouquet of tulips (I also got roses). I made cinnamon rolls and the girls' sweet indulgence followed at church with a bunch of candy! For dinner that evening, I unwillingly stepped out of the kitchen (I even left the house for a bit) while Jonathan made us all a fabulous dinner! He did an awesome job on our steamed mussels (yes, the girls ate them...they loved them!) and pasta in a garlic wine sauce and a salad to go with it. I know the girls would have also enjoyed the chocolate fondue we ate had we made it while they were awake.

Getting into their bags.

Gel window clings. They loved them!

Juliet snuggling on daddy with her card and tulips.

Ava gets her card and tulips.

And Kylie get her card and tulips.

Enjoying breakfast on their new heart plates. They also got some stuff from Grammy and Grandpa about a week or so ago...one being these place mats they've been using at each and every meal.

On our way out the door in the dresses Nama and Bopa got them for V Day.

Such a Blessing

After we moved to PC back in July of 2007, God provided us with a wonderful church family at First Baptist Church Lynn Haven. We've made some wonderful friends through our Sunday School class, and our girls have gained surrogate grandparents during our time here. Miss Krissy was the only one who could calm down Ava in the nursery, who was at the time 20 months old and didn't really like people. I never dropped her off in nursery, rather Jonathan did, and that kinda minimized her crying. We also attended our first ever Sunday school class at FBCLH. Someone told us to look for Joey Ramsey as he would be the one teaching our age group's class, and we soon found out he was married to Miss Krissy. Joey was our teacher, Krissy was Ava's and our relationship with them just kinda fell into place. Over our last 2 1/2 years here, they have kept the girls on numerous occasions for us. They kept all 3 girls when Juliet was 4 months old...the first time we ever left her and had our first date as parents to 3 kids. Joey would rock Juliet to sleep because he didn't like to hear her cry. Last month I picked the girls up around 930pm and Juliet was asleep on Joey, who was also asleep in his chair. She drooled all over him! I've dropped the girls (and my van) off with Krissy and have taken her car instead, and she'll drive my girls home, get them ready for bed, put them down and stay with them until I get home. Last year when Jonathan was at Weapons School, she even kept the girls for a long weekend so I could go visit him in Vegas over Valentine's Day weekend. Who does that, really, if they aren't family? Two weeks ago Krissy took the girls for the day and one of the things she did with them was take them to Build-A-Bear. They absolutely love their animals and have to sleep with them every night. Those girls adore Miss Krissy and Mr. Joey and its going to be sad for everyone when we have to leave. Its like I'm yanking the girls away from their grandparents! We can't thank them enough not only for what they've done for us, but they love they have for our girls like they are their own grandchildren. Thank you Lord for Joey and Krissy and all they've done for our family.

Wish us luck!

After doing some research (that being Jonathan, not me) and talking to friends who have done it, it sounds like we could very easily do this. Now we just need some buyers!

Our First "Lap Book"

Today we finally finished our very first attempt at a lap book. I'm pleased with how they turned out especially for me doing it all on my own (as opposed to getting templates from a book or online). Our topic was the continents and we've been discussing them for the last few weeks.

Since Valentine's Day is this weekend, I want to do another lap book on love and focus it on God's love for us.

Dentist visit

Today was Ava's first official visit to a dentist. She went 6 months ago with Kylie and I to watch and get a feel for what would happen on her next visit, but today she got to sit in the chair and get her chompers cleaned and examined. She did great and got a good report. I didn't get pix of her in the chair since I was in the next room getting my teeth cleaned, but we did get a photo outside the office.

They very much liked the "sticky hands" toy from the toy chest and of course brand new Princess toothbrushes.

Quardruple Date

This weekend we went to dinner with our friends the Flottmanns, Schantzs and Echols and had a terrific meal at Cafe 30A in Seagrove Beach. Deployments and moves are looming, so we wanted to go out together before the military splits us up from friends yet again. This was by far the best meal I've ever had in a restaurant, EVER! The food was amazing, (and it should have been since it was pricey) and I told everyone about it at church the next day. It was worth every bite and us girls of course chatted about girl stuff and the guys chatted about, what else, their jets!

Candace and Magan obviously looking at another camera.

Jennie and I

Jonathan and me (and our waitress)
The whole gang.

Still-y and SQUIRMY

As I write this, Jonathan is sleeping soundly with Kylie in her bed and I'm icing the bruises I just acquired since I pretty much got punched out of Ava's bed as she fell asleep tonight. We never lay with the girls when we put them down. We're outnumbered and usually we've got a disaster of a house to clean once they are in bed. Well tonight, Jonathan laid down with Kylie and they were both asleep in a matter of seconds. She had no nap today and he's going on a week and a half of 12+ hour days at work and trying to keep up with school. I told Ava I'd put Juliet to bed, and then came back and lay with her. That girl cracks me up! She cannot sit still! She wiggles, she rolls to one side, then the other, then she itches her face, then she itches her head then she moves her legs, and we repeat this cycle for about 10 minutes. But once she's out, she's OUT...and then she start snoring. All this goes on while Kylie doesn't move a muscle.

Before I forget to document this, Juliet says some pretty cute things these days. One of my favorites is "moi gen". She's saying "more again" and that's the phrase she uses when she wants more of something...that something being playing like tickling or wrestling or chasing. She's been saying it for a while now and I just don't have the heart to correct her.