Little Bites of Heaven

Owen's Baptism

2011-05-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

5/1

We went to Cincinnati Sunday to celebrate the baptism of our nephew/cousin, Owen. I have been blessed with the pleasure of serving as his Godmother. He is SO cute and such a good baby!

Addie had to smell all of the flowers!

She and another of Owen's cousins, Mikey, had a great time together.

Back at the party, Poppy enjoyed playing with the little ones...and vise versa!

Me and my older sis, Lori.

Cousins

2011-05-04T23:02:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking it's going to be a few years until we actually get a decent picture of these four little monkeys!

Easter

2011-05-04T22:44:00.046-04:00

4/24

Easter fell on my birthday this year, so it was an extra special day. We had some company in for the weekend - Mom, Phil, Julie, Josh, Noah and Faith - and Dustin's family and a couple of our friends joined us for brunch as well. It was such a fun day!

Easter baskets!

We started a tradition a few years back to hide the kid's Easter baskets and let them search for them. After getting ready for church, they went searching!

Addie found hers behind the sofa

The Easter Bunny hid Noah's behind the drapes

Addie finally got a Pillow Pet - has been wanting one since Christmas!

Faith

Noah

We hid 75 Easter eggs for the kids and Chase found them before the egg hunt began!

Addie, Noah and Aaron ready to hunt for eggs on floor #1

Let the hunt on floor #2 begin!

Hunting on floor #3.

Checking out their eggs!

A couple attempts at a family picture

Chase with Gammy and Poppy

Chase and Gammy

Dustin and I with my birthday cake - German chocolate! Thanks, Debbie!

One of our little bunnies about ready to call it a night!

A glimpse into our future....

2011-05-04T22:42:00.001-04:00

4/23/11

Gymnastics in yard with neighbors

2011-05-04T22:41:00.003-04:00

4/15/11

Buzz lightyear vehicle

2011-05-04T22:33:00.001-04:00

More fun times at our house!

4/11/11

Sand Table

2011-05-04T22:22:00.000-04:00

4/10/11

Chase enjoyed his first time playing in the sand table with Sissy.

Putting a little in our hair.

And our mouth.

Not a fan, little buddy?

The handsome men in my life - Daddy and Chase

2011-05-04T22:20:00.001-04:00

4/9/11

Strings

2011-05-04T22:19:00.009-04:00

About a year ago, Addie began to take note of strings (aka wrinkles) on people's faces. (For some reason, she doesn't think I have any strings on my face, though. That's my girl!) She talks about strings a lot and wishes she had them. I thought this was a cute conversation that we had after we all (me, Addie and Wrigley) showered (at once) one night. :)

4/7/11

Sibs playing on train

2011-05-04T22:12:00.001-04:00

I could watch these two play together all day!

4/5/11

Best friends

2011-05-04T22:05:00.001-04:00

4/1/11

These two are so funny together!

Weekend fun with Noah

2011-05-04T22:05:00.000-04:00

4/1/11-4/3/11

Playing with shaving cream

Home Depot workshop - making flower boxes

Meeting the firemen who live down the street from our house.

Face painting at an event at DCBD

Games at DCBD

Balloon artist at DCBD

Cinderella(S) :)

Painting the flower boxes made at Home Depot workshop.

Making Rice Krispies treats.

Addie singing to chase

2011-05-04T21:08:00.002-04:00

3/31/11

Chase - 14 months old

2011-05-04T21:02:00.000-04:00

This was drafted WEEKS ago....not going to go back to edit because I'm so far behind. Not to mention he's now 15 months, so I'll have to get to updating that soon! Anyway.....

3/29/11

I've been really bad about posting anything that requires much thought lately. I feel like I haven't had the time to really sit down and think! We probably over scheduled ourselves these last few months - soccer and swim lessons on Mondays, school, jump bunch and gymnastics on Tuesdays, playgroup on Wednesdays, school on Thursdays, and dance and gymnastics on Fridays. And those are just the events we commit to each week. Add in all the other errands and activities, meals, naps, cleaning, organizing, a dozen or so loads of laundry a week, etc. etc. etc. and you are left with little time remaining for this momma to sit down and talk about her sweet, sweet boy at 14 months old!

Given what I just said, I guess it's probably not necessary to even mention that I haven't picked up my camera (iPhone not included) in weeks to snap any pictures of the kiddos. This is especially sad since I have an old/new friend who has agreed to mentor me in photography. We went out to lunch recently and I learned some great tips on how to appropriately shoot in manual. My homework was to go home, practice, and let her know when I'm ready for another dose. Let's just say, I'm a terrible student! Fortunately for us, she's a wonderful photographer and came over to get some AMAZING shots of us a few weeks ago. Once I receive the CD, I will post some. In the meantime, in honor of my baby boy's 14 monthiversary, here are a couple:

ISN'T HE JUST PRECIOUS!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!

Chase is my little cuddle bug. He will just lay in my arms for hours and if I am not constantly kissing him, he whimpers to let me know he wants more. He is an amazing little boy.

In terms of size, he's still on the bigger side, but his growth has definitely slowed. He weighs about 26 pounds, wears 18, 18-24 month and 24 month size clothes, size 4 and 5 (at night) diapers, and a size 5 or 5 1/2 shoe.

He has 8 teeth going on 12 (working on that first set of molars). He is pretty good about us brushing his teeth. I love his teeth. That's probably weird. :)

He sleeps for about 12-13 hours at night and takes either 1 or 2 naps a day. He naps anywhere from 2-5 hours a day, but averages 2.5-3 each day. He's a good sleeper - no problems there!

In terms of his vocabulary, he really isn't saying much yet. He says mama, dada, bubba, and ball. He also makes the SH sound a lot and I think he might be referring to Addie (Sissy). He whispers, so it makes it hard to make out anything! He also talks with his mouth closed - again making it difficult to understand what he is trying to say. He makes a vroom-vroom noise with his mouth closed when referring to trucks, cars, trains, etc.

He can get loud and jabber away when he wants to, but for the most part, he's a pretty quiet, reserved guy. I can not tell you how many times someone will walk into our house, be greeted (loudly and excitedly) by Addison, start chatting with me or something of the like, and a couple minutes later inquire, "Where's Chase?" That's when I point to a spot 3 feet away where the little man is sitting, just taking it all in. :)

Granted, a lot of the time, he is sitting in his high chair eating and when there is food involved, Chase is very focused. Such a guy! The only instance you'll hear a peep from him during meal times is when he has run out of food! He eats a ton. He eats everything that is put in front of him. It would take me all day to list all the food he's tried. If you're curious, just go into your refrigerator and pantry and take a look around - you can pretty much assume he's tried (and liked) most everything you see. :)

Last snow

2011-03-31T20:40:00.039-04:00

Much to Addie's delight, we had a late March snow this year....hoping it's the last one of the season! When we lived in Cleveland, it snowed a foot on my birthday (April 24th), so I'm not going to say another snow is impossible!

Addie, ironically, woke up this morning asking if she could go sledding "this day". I sort of laughed and thought to myself, "Yeah, if you lived in Alaska!" I guess I should have looked at the weather forecast!

Well, even with being the snow bunny I am (sarcasm), I thought I'd save this special moment for when Dustin got home from work. Poor guy walked in the door after a long work day to see Addie waiting for him. I may or may not have told her that her Daddy would take her out to build a snowman right when he got home from work. He didn't mind, of course. :)

Riding the snow. Just like our coast-living counterparts do with the waves!

This girlie LOVES her daddy!

And there he is...good ole Frosty. By the next morning, his head had fallen off and just a few hours later, his eyes, nose, mouth and buttons. His body remained for a few days, albeit becoming more frail by the minute. Just served as a nice little reminder that spring showers bring......snow.

Chase figured out our doors

2011-03-26T14:18:00.000-04:00

Spring Break

2011-03-25T13:54:00.000-04:00

Addie experienced her first spring break this year, though she didn't realize it. We went on with our normal schedules but threw in a couple extra play dates with some schoolmates in lieu of school, itself. We had a great day of 60 degree weather to start off the week and hit up the zoo. Fun was had by all.fr :)

Abby, Addie and Matthew (Maff-a-you) at the Zoo

Half Pint Hullabaloo

2011-03-20T21:55:00.000-04:00

We attended the Half Pint Hullabaloo this weekend. This annual event is geared toward preschoolers and provides a ton of activities for a morning of great fun! We met some of our friends there (Matthew, from Addie's preschool class) and saw lots of other familiar faces! Amongst many other things, Addie enjoyed...

Face Painting

Musical entertainment

Hulabubbles

Making an I Spy bottle

Seeing her cousins, Aaron and Logan (Between Addie's pale winter skin and Aaron's expression, you'd think they saw a ghost!)

Making Chase his very own I Spy bottle

Digging for dinosaurs (in oatmeal)

Making purple chalk

Dressing like a fireman(woman)

Building with blocks (the bounce house was also in this room - always a favorite!)

Watching puppet shows put on by the police and fire departments. She now knows about calling 9-1-1 in an emergency and not to go anywhere with strangers. She's been repeating "If you don't know, don't go" all day.

Community Service Event

2011-03-20T21:33:00.000-04:00

We went to an assisted living home for our most recent MOM's club community service event. The kids danced and sang for the residents. In the past, Addie has kept her distance from those in wheelchairs and beds, but this time was much different. She walked right up to everyone to say hi and hand them the green carnations we brought them for St. Patrick's Day. Chase was in true form and stuck to me like glue. :)

Soccer

2011-03-11T21:08:00.001-05:00

Addie and Aaron with Coach Chad. Coach Chad gave her a hard time about wearing that tutu!

Bottle Update

2011-03-10T20:55:00.000-05:00

Chase took his last sip from a bottle on 3/9. Awwwwww. :(

Movie in bed

2011-03-07T15:03:00.004-05:00

Addie was watching a movie in my bed after her nap while we were waiting for Chase to wake from his. Once Chase woke up, I let him join her for a minute. He thought it was the coolest thing ever!

Doesn't he look bigger than her? Just about!

What's up, sis?

Addie's first Buckeyes Basketball game

2011-03-07T14:49:00.004-05:00

Daddy took Addie to her first OSU Buckeyes basketball game yesterday. (They creamed Wisconsin 93-65.) She had a blast and can't wait to go to another one! Other than getting up to potty and get a hotdog and popcorn (lucky girl!), they stayed in their seats the entire time. She's a super fan! And the Buckeyes are ranked #1. What a great season to see her first game!

Super Kids and the King

2011-03-07T14:34:00.004-05:00

We almost let them go to church like this but changed our minds last minute. I'm sure the congregation appreciated our judgement call. :)

Impossible to get a good picture at this age!

Heaven

2011-03-07T14:05:00.010-05:00

Addison and I had the sweetest conversation about Heaven on our way home from Church Saturday. It started when she asked where Jesus lived and I replied, "Heaven".

It caught me off guard and I tried to do my best to explain, yet not scare her. It went like this - not exactly verbatim and with some other side chatter in between:

A: Where is Heaven, Mommy?

M: Heaven is all around us.

A: When will we go to Heaven? When we get older?

M: Well, when God needs us, he'll send his Angels to come get us.

A: How will we get there?

M: We'll fly with the Angels.

A: But I don't have any wings.

M: The Angels will bring us wings. (At this point I'm choking back tears)

A: Will the angels bring me purple wings?

M: Of course, if that's what you'd like!

A: We need to watch a movie on our way because it's a REEEEAAAAALLLY long trip.

A: What will we do when we get to Heaven?

M: We'll play and laugh ALL DAY!

A: And then I'll stay with God?

M: Uh huh. (I'm almost unable to breathe by now)

A: But, I don't want to stay with God. (Cue the tears. Thank goodness she couldn't see me.)

M: It's okay sweetie, we all will stay with God and everything will be so wonderful and beautiful that we'll never want to leave.

A: Will God say, "ADDIE! CHASE! NOAH! FAIF(Faith)! COME TO HEAVEN!"? (My sister, niece, and nephew were at church with us)

M: Yep!

A: And then we'll go?

M: Yes, then we'll go to Heaven because God will need us.

A: To be his Angels?

M: You got it, babe!

A: I want to go home, Mommy.

M: Me too.

OH.MY.GOODNESS. That was a tough conversation. Yet, Addison's curiosity was full of the utmost innocence and excitement. Oh to know no sadness greater than a skinned knee....

The end of the bottle

2011-03-04T14:30:00.016-05:00

Chase is nearing the end of the bottle era. Both our pediatrician and dentist recommend eliminating the bottle shortly after their first birthday (definitely by 15 months), so it's been in the plan but I wasn't quite sure how I was going to work it.

As it turns out, after our dentist appointment on Wednesday, I decided I would no longer give Chase a bottle at bedtime. The dentist didn't have a problem with continuing the bedtime bottle, but stressed the importance of brushing Chase's teeth after the bottle. We always brush right after bath and I like to get everything put away and cleaned up before we go to his chair to cuddle, read and get the bottle. So, rather than having to take him back into his bathroom to brush his teeth once he's all settled for bed (brushing his teeth isn't the most calming thing, per se) I decided to just NOT GIVE HIM THE BOTTLE! Tough love, baby! Honestly, he didn't seem to mind one bit. It made mommy sad as it's just another sign that he's growing up, but it's for the best.

So, March 1 was his last bottle before bedtime, which left 2 bottles at each nap. (Oh yes, he has been back on 2 naps for a few weeks now, with the exception of maybe a day or two a week, due to our schedules. I guess the "one nap a day" was short lived!) Anyway, on March 3, he gave himself his bottle before heading upstairs for his morning nap and as of today, March 4, he took no bottles at either nap time (he refused). So, I guess I'll start putting milk in his sippy and see how that works. We could very well be off the bottle within a week or so!

I just looked back to see when Addison was off the bottle. This whole time I thought it was right after her 1st birthday, but it turns out her last bottle was a few days prior to January 7th, which would put her just over 13 months. Funny how Chase is just over 13 months now and we are eliminating the bottle. I definitely didn't plan it this way.

This all made me recall a book we own, titled Let Me Hold You Longer. It's a tear jerker so I don't make a habit of reading it too much, unless Addison requests it. It's a book that encourages parents to savor not only their children's "firsts"—like first steps and first words—but the "lasts" as well. Most of us (I know I do) tend to rush through our children's lives, excited to reach the next milestone. But in doing so, we often miss their "lasts". Those lasts are so bittersweet, aren't they?

With that being said, I snapped a couple of pictures of Chase yesterday drinking what will ultimately be one of his last bottles ever.

For whatever reason, my heart aches a bit when I look at these...

While I realize that it's such a wonderfully amazing gift to be given the chance to raise and nurture a child through infancy and adolescence and into adulthood, I'll always miss my babies. I'm sure the nostalgia when I think of every stage of my children's lives will never completely fade. I am very thankful to have had this outlet to document it all!

This week in the Green Room

2011-03-04T13:52:00.003-05:00

Hello,

Such a fun week we had in the Green Room celebrating Dr Suess' birthday! Tuesday, we read Green Eggs and Ham and made "green eggs and ham" for our science experiment. We spoke about the eggs (yolk and whites) and took a survey to see if we liked the eggs or not.

On Thursday, we had a guest reader and read The Cat in the Hat. The kids enjoyed making their very own hats that they were able to take home! We have been able to go outside so please dress the kids accordingly. We have gravel on our playground so tennis shoes, for example, work best to keep the small gravel out of our shoes.

We celebrated the beginning of a new month... March and learned our new March song sung to the tune of the Muffin Man. Matthew and Shreya were the special persons of the week! Thanks for sharing. Danielle is the special person of the week for the AM class no PM special person. The letter "Qq" is the letter of the week for show and tell. Thanks again for the fantastic items the kids are bringing in.

March 14th are conferences if you have not already signed up and save the date for May 5th! We will be going to the zoo. More information to follow.

Thanks again. It has been great watching the kids grow and making new friends, such great kids to have in class!

Addieisms

2011-03-02T13:36:00.006-05:00

Addison after soccer:

A: Mommy, my knee hurts. I think I need a band aid.

M: Honey, you don't need a band aid unless it's bleeding.

A: It is bleeding, Mommy. (lie) I hurt it at soccer. Someone kicked me with the ball.

M: Well, Addie, you know sometimes we might get hurt when we play soccer.

A: Why?

M: It's just the nature of the game. When someone kicks the ball, it could hit us and that would hurt. That's what happens in sports. You know, if you're going to play sports, you have to be a tough cookie....(continue lecture about how sports can be dangerous and if she wants to be an athlete, she's going to have to endure some pain along the way. Not just with possible injuries, but also with losing, etc.) Yes, I am sure my 3 year old comprehended every. single. word. of it. :) Have I mentioned she REALLY wants to play hockey? God. Save. Me.

A: Well, maybe I didn't hurt it at soccer. Maybe I hurt it getting into the car.

M: Okay, I'm sorry sweetie. We'll ice it when we get home.

A: Actually, I think there is a bug in my knee. Yeah, that's the problem, Mommy. Can you get it out? Can you get the bug out of my knee?

M: Addison, there couldn't be a bug in your knee. There is no way a bug could get in your knee.

A: Well, I think I bumped into Chase. That's the problem! I just remembered! So, we need to get a band aid when we get home. Okay, Mommy?

Keepin' up those pearly whites

2011-03-02T13:03:00.006-05:00

The kiddos both went to the dentist this morning. Addison has been going every 6 months since she was a year, so if I'm calculating correctly, this is her 5th visit. Like the last couple of times, she did beautifully. She climbed right up into the chair and didn't even give a second thought to the fact that I was with Chase (who was having his checkup, simultaneously) a good majority of the time.

I looked over to find her sporting some shades and having some chapstick applied to her dry lips. She picked chocolate for her toothpaste flavor. Her very serious side always comes out when she's at appointments like this!

She told me the suction, or straw as they call it, was her least favorite part. You wouldn't have even known. The hygienist was great and talked to her the entire time, explaining everything she was doing. Addison seemed very interested. We left with a shiny new toothbrush, floss and a purple balloon. Addison told me "I really love going to the dentist". She's such a good girl!

Now, Chase on the other hand. He wasn't the happiest camper. Of course I expected this as I clearly remember Addison's ear-piercing screams the first couple of times she visited the dentist. Chase actually didn't do terribly, but definitely wasn't fond of having a stranger's hand in his mouth. After a cleaning and fluoride treatment, he turned to Grandma to save him!

Making sure that crazy lady isn't planning to come near him again!

Both kids received great remarks on their teeth. It appears we are doing a good job taking care of them. Whew!

We floss Addison every night and need to start with Chase - an idea I am certain he will not like. We also need to make sure to pay special attention when flossing Addison's back teeth as they are pretty close together.

Chase's oral frenulum is considered "thick" but not too low and they don't think it will cause the teeth to gap. However, we do have to take special care when brushing his teeth to be sure we're getting under his gums. They showed me how to do this. If the frenulum doesn't cause a problem, they won't do anything about it. They wouldn't do anything at this point, anyway.

Oh, and they also said an adult should be brushing their teeth until they are TWELVE! Crazy to think about brushing my 6th graders teeth, but I'm not surprised this is what they recommend. And you better believe I'll follow that advice. No reason to set them up for unnecessary teeth problems! Hopefully they won't mind. We just won't tell their friends. :)

Glad to have that appointment over for the next few months and thankful Grandma was with me to help out!

This week in the Green Room

2011-02-25T19:58:00.007-05:00

Hello all -

I am glad this weather decided to hit on a Friday and not interfere with another preschool day!

This week was a fun week. Tuesday we discussed Presidents Day and George Washington's birthday. We made a flag to celebrate this with profiles of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. We made a three corner hat which they all enjoyed a ton. On Thursday we had an ocean day in honor of our letter of the week. We read The Rainbow Fish (Matthew's favorite book) and made an octopus out of their precious little hands. We made an ocean scene out of some edible fish and worms and we had a special ocean snack which they all loved. This was an english muffin with blue cream cheese and goldfish on it. We had an ocean in our sensory table and discussed all types of fish.

Next week we are learning about Dr. Seuss and many of his fun books the entire week. We will be eating green eggs and ham on Tuesday and making a cat in the hat hat on Thursday. The letter of the week will be P. Keep sending in those share items. They really understand this process now and are a bit disappointed if they do not have an item to share. It is so fun to see them describe their item and tell us about it.

The very special people for this week are Matthew in the morning class and Shreya in the afternoon class. Please don't feel any pressure about this. Send in whatever they would like to share. Pictures are fun (they don't have to be on a poster but many have been). Lots of kids have brought in their favorite book for us to read or other items that are important to them that they want to show to their classmates.

We are asking that you please send in items from two different food groups for snack now. This has actually always been the policy but we are trying to follow it more now since we are applying for a 2nd Step Up to Qualify star. Thank you.

We hope that Mrs. Ramsey is feeling better and back with us next week! She was really sick and the kids missed her very much!

Have a great weekend,

Mrs. Reed and Mrs. Ramsey

Chase versus the vacuum

2011-02-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

My little man is a timid one, for sure. He didn't want to crawl past the vacuum cleaner that was sitting in the corner of my kitchen. As soon as I moved it, he was fine. Silly little guy!

This week in the Green Room

2011-02-19T09:25:00.004-05:00

Hello,

Another busy week in the green room. We were so happy to have Mrs. Ramsey back on Thursday! All the kids were very curious about her absence and missed her very much (so did I).

February is dental hygiene month so we talked about this the entire week. We talked about the different parts of the tooth, the proper way to brush your teeth and how many times a day you should brush. We did a science experiment on Thursday with and hard boiled egg and some coke cola that really showed the kids the importance of good brushing. Ask you child what they thought of this experiment. It seemed to make a big impact on them. Even our artwork this week was inspired by dental hygiene month. We painted two pictures with tooth brushes. Your children all LOVE to paint! We also made a tooth puppet.

We painted a flag that is the first part of a project we will be finishing on Tuesday for Presidents Day.

We will be having our parent teacher conferences on March 14th and the sign-up sheet will be out shortly. Also, due to conferences we will not be having school on Thursday, March 17th. In addition the preschool follows the Olentangy school schedule for spring break which will be March 21-25th. We have scheduled our spring field trip for May 5th. We will be going to the Columbus Zoo. This will be just like the apple farm in that we will not have school this day but instead meet at the zoo (both parents and kids). It will be very fun and Mrs. Mendenhall is planning several fun experiences for us to have while at the zoo. We just wanted to give you a heads up of some of these important dates.

Next week will be the Letter O and the very special people for the week will be Abby (am) and Grace (pm).

Enjoy your weekend and we look forward to seeing your children and hopefully enjoying some nice weather again next week. We were all very happy to play outside again on Thursday and hope it continues for this next week.

Together we teach,

Sara Reed and Michelle Ramsey

The Piggy Bank

2011-02-15T14:52:00.007-05:00

We've started to use the Piggy Bank that Addie received for Christmas. It's a special piggy bank. There are 4 different sections: Save, Spend, Donate and Invest. I explained to her what money in each section could be used for. For example, she could save her money for a new toy, spend it on an ice cream cone, donate it to people who don't have very much money of their own and need it more than we do, or invest it for college (which she knows about, thanks to Blue's Clues). Whenever she chooses a certain section, for example, invest, I'll remind her that once that section is full, we can take it to the "big bank" and put it there until she is older, but that she won't be able to use it for a while.

She currently earns quarters when she follows her bedtime rule. The rule is as follows: once she is bed, she is not to get out. She must stay in bed until her light comes on in the morning. This light is a night light that is set on a timer. Once the light comes on, she is allowed to get out of bed and quietly read her books until someone comes to get her. It's been working great. She has the not-getting-out-of-bed part down and has about a 50% success rate on the latter half of the rule. Sometimes she dresses herself (potentially dangerous), sometimes she brushes her teeth (messy), sometimes she opens and closes her door (occasionally wakes Chase), and today, for example, she went potty (which I can't blame her for!)

She gets really excited to earn her quarter and it's a nice alternative to treats which she used to ask for when she would obey the rule. Plus she is learning the value of money. Or as much as a 3 year old can comprehend, I suppose!

She tends to favor 2 different sections - spend (she really loves ice cream!) and donate. Every time she chooses donate, I remind her that we will be sending that money to someone who lives far away and that the money will no longer be hers. After hearing this, she slowly, yet confidently, drops the quarter into the slot.

I really think she gets it. I'm so proud.

The Smash Cake Series

2011-02-14T22:13:00.003-05:00

Chase ONE YEAR

2011-02-14T21:50:00.006-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day from Chase

2011-02-14T20:21:00.007-05:00

You know me, I have a hard time choosing which photos to post. I love all of these of my sweet little man!

Those green/blue/hazel eyes! What color do you think they are?

My smooooooshy face!

Happy Valentine's Day from Addie

2011-02-14T13:24:00.001-05:00

Wrestling

2011-02-14T13:20:00.000-05:00

Beauty shop

2011-02-12T12:52:00.000-05:00

This week in the Green Room

2011-02-10T22:34:00.002-05:00

I went and backdated these weekly emails I get from Addison's teachers so I have them for her keepsakes. Most people won't be interested, but I LOVE hearing about what goes on in school. I get limited information from the student, herself, these days. Too busy to tell old mom about her day. :)

Hello Parents,

Happy Valentines Day! Tuesday, Miss Becky (our music & movement teacher) who the kids love, came again! The kids are really enjoying her and seem to like all the new songs she is teaching us. We made "a dozen roses" with our hand prints. Did you enjoy it? The kids were excited to make these for you! Thursday, we decorated our valentines bags and made a craft before we celebrated by eating fun snacks and passing out valentines to our friends. We did a science experiment with milk (it's letter M week) and food coloring. Ask your kids what happened when we put the Q-tip that had been dipped in detergent into the milk. Kinda look like a rainbow!

Thanks again to our Special Persons of the Week, Addison and Reagan. Thank you parents, the kids tell us how much fun they have making the posters with special pictures with you! We loved the posters you made and like hearing all about you and families. Next week our Very Special People are Lily, AM and Audri PM.

In our morning class we had a new student start, Mattia Arena. We are so happy to have her with us. It is like she never missed a beat and has been with us since the beginning of the year! Welcome Mattia!

Next week will be the Letter N. Please keep bringing in those share items. The kids love standing up and telling their friends about their items and it is a great way to learn how to speak to a group and also it is a great way to learn to wait our turn (which is so hard at this age). Mrs. Ramsey and Mrs. Reed also enjoy this time very much with the kids!

Enjoy your weekend, stay warm and we will see you next week!

Thanks again!

Together we teach,
Warmly,

Mrs. Ramsey and Mrs. Reed

Addie's Valentine

2011-02-10T19:22:00.003-05:00

This is the Valentine we made to pass out to Addie's friends and teachers at school today.

Chase naps - again

2011-02-10T15:28:00.005-05:00

UPDATE: (2/13) Chase has taken 2 naps a day since this post.

We all do it. We make posts about our kid's sleeping schedules that we think no one else cares about (though I will admit I love reading about other children's sleep patterns/milestones), but we do it, anyway, for our own record keeping. So, here's mine:

I decided to put Chase down for a nap this morning while Addie was at school because 1) he was up at 7am and 2) I needed a nap, myself. He fell asleep in my arms at 9:05am and I had to wake him at 11:15 to get sissy from school. I then put him down at 1:40 for what I was hoping would be an afternoon nap. He fell asleep at 2 and is sleeping as we speak (3:30). Now I'm all confused as to what to do. You would think I'd have this down pat by now.

Addieisms

2011-02-10T15:20:00.004-05:00

Driving past a cemetery: "Mommy, how'd those decorations get there? All those rocks?"

Putting her down for a nap: "Mommy, if I dream about the bad man, will you come help me?" (this is the first I've heard of this....oh no!)

Driving to school with Chase next to her, wearing his PJ's:

A: Mommy, Brother Tom used to wear those PJ's. But he didn't wear Chase's. He had his own.

M: Oh really? Does he still wear them?

A: No, he's too big now.

M: Oh? How old is Brother Tom?

A: Ummmm, I think he's about 20.

M: Where does Brother Tom sleep?

A: In my bed. He's soooooo sweet and I hold him.

M: Awww, that's nice.

(good ole' Brother Tom!)

Chase's stats at 1 year old

2011-02-09T15:13:00.003-05:00

24lb. 12oz. (75%) and 31 inches (80%). Dr. B. says Chase is looking great. He got 3 shots and was so caught off guard that he couldn't even outwardly cry. He held it inside the whole time. It was SOOO sad.

Ice Skating

2011-02-06T20:01:00.004-05:00

On a whim, we took Addie ice skating today for the first time. She's been asking to go for a couple of months now. We have a rink about 4 minutes from us, but we also have access to an outdoor rink (a.k.a. iced over tennis courts) at the club we belong to and thought we'd try there. So, while the munchkins were napping, Dustin and I called around to the local Once Upon a Child stores and found some size 8/9 skates and helmet. They weren't purple, as she has requested (they were boys, actually), but they did the trick! She had a blast and was pretty good!

Imaginary friend?

2011-02-06T19:38:00.003-05:00

Addison might have an imaginary friend. His name is Brother Tom and she has been talking about him a lot lately. I'll be interested to see if this continues...

Chase and Lovey

2011-02-06T19:36:00.002-05:00

Chase - 12 months

2011-02-05T13:59:00.004-05:00

It's hard to believe my little boy is 12 months old. He has really developed such a huge personality. He has stolen all of our hearts and complements our family perfectly. Our sweet Chaser.

Here's a little recap on what the munchkin has been up to lately.

His vocabulary currently consists of: Mama, Dada, Ball, No, and Duh (Done). He can also sign "all done". Well, it's sort of more like hand flailing, but it's definitely intended to mean "all done".

He's a big eater. Each meal takes anywhere from 20-40 minutes as he plows through his food. He loves fruit, especially pears, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, and mandarin oranges (LOVES THESE). He also loves avocado, cheese, meat, salmon, bread, eggs, peanut butter, beans (green and black), crackers, and pasta. We started him on whole milk and he can't get enough. He still takes 3 bottles and I limit them to 7 oz. each. If I didn't, I think he would just keep drinking that milk! He's been doing great on a sippy of water and gets really excited when he sees me filling it up.

He's pretty much down to one nap a day. Every once in a while I'll try him on two naps. He'll always fall asleep for his morning nap and then it's half and half on whether he actually falls asleep for his afternoon nap. He'll stay in his crib for 2+ hours if he doesn't fall asleep, which is nice for me to maintain my "mommy time" as they both nap (or in his case - rest), but I don't think we're going to try for the 2 naps anymore. If I put him down for 1 nap, he'll sleep 2 1/4 - 3 1/2 hours, and though I can tell around 10am that he could easily fall asleep, he gets a second wind and does just fine (a little more needy/clingy) until his 1pm nap.

He goes to bed around 6-6:30pm and sleeps for 13-14 hours.

He wears a size 4 diaper and mostly 18 month or 18-24 month clothes, though he's kind of all over the board with clothes, depending on brand and style. He can still fit into a few GAP 12-18 month onesies, but they're getting difficult to snap. His 12-18 month GAP Jeans are flooding on him but 18-24 month need rolled up. I actually had to put away an 18-24 month Gymboree romper the other day, as well as two size 18 month Carters Rompers.

He wears a size 5 or 5 1/2 shoe. If he were walking, I think the 5 would be best but I went ahead and bought a pair of 5 1/2s recently because I know he'll be grown out of the 5s shortly.

It is extremely difficult and frustrating to change his diapers and clothes. No one likes to do it. Enough said!

He has 8 beautiful pearly whites. His front two teeth may or may not end up gapping due to his oral frenulum but I am actually leaning towards not.

He is starting to sit still for books and especially likes the "touch and feel" ones.

He loves to play peek a boo. He prefers balls and cars/trucks to most other toys. Though, if his sister were a toy, she would be his favorite one. :)

He is standing a lot and starting to walk behind things.

He LOVES kisses. If he is being kissed, he leans into it and seems to take it all in. He also reciprocates with mouth-wide-open, slobbery kisses. He giggles and smiles all the time.

He has a lovey. It's a brown owl, made out of a microfiber material. Over a two week period, I introduced him to several potentials (taggy blankets and other lovies) and this one was the winner. (Congratulations, Emily!) He clings onto it while sleeping (a lot of times he lays on it). The only bad thing is that he sucks on it, so it gets a little stinky. I have been known to wash it daily and sometimes twice a day!!

Dance Dance Baby

2011-02-04T14:58:00.003-05:00

Addie before Dance and Gymnastics today.

Houston, we have a problem.

2011-02-04T13:57:00.007-05:00

Chase hates, hates, HATES being on his feet. He pulls up and once he's there, he stays for a long time because he doesn't know how to get down, but getting him to stand is not easy. And walking is even worse. He won't walk holding our hands or behind anything unless he has to (in other words, if the thing he is holding onto starts moving!)

Honestly, I think he mainly lacks confidence. He has pretty good balance and can stand on his own (unknowingly) for 20 seconds. I know he'll go at his own pace and that's completely fine. It has just caught me off guard. Addie was cruising by 10 months and walking on her own at 13 months....and she was a pretty early preemie. Dustin is rumored to have started walking at 8 months :), so I thought, while always taking into consideration his prematurity, Chase would be on the earlier end, too. I was wrong. I'm beginning to think that maybe he's a little too laid back!

This is about the best we've done so far. Poor guy is miserable!

I absolutely LOVE the end of this one when he is saying "no" and shaking his head.

2011-02-03T21:06:00.003-05:00

Babies

2011-02-03T14:47:00.007-05:00

If Addie had one wish right now it would be to have babies. Really. I wish I knew where this recent obsession originated. She often talks about babies. Sometimes they're her babies. Sometimes they're her sisters and brothers. Regardless of the relationship, they will always come out of her belly. Because that's where babies come from, didn't ya know?!

She stretches and says it's "because I need to get bigger so I can have babies and take care of my brother and sister".

She proclaims she's full at dinner "because my babies are making my tummy too big".

She scoots the dresses in her closet over to one side to "make room for my babies' clothes".

She coddles her baby dolls, dresses them, changes diapers, feeds them, puts them down for naps, tells me I'm being too loud because her babies are sleeping, etc. It's all about the babies!

She is so funny when she talks about them. She tells me she's going to have a lot of babies and names them weird names. She wonders where they will all sleep and tells me I can come over to play with them, but only if I'm very gentle. I really need to get it on video. After a great conversation today, I pulled out my phone and tried to capture some of it. It had mostly ended so I had to probe for more. She's hilarious.

It's clear that my daughter is destined to be a mother, no doubt about it, but do most 3 year old girls talk like this? I'm sure it's just a phase. Before long, she'll be too into her friends and then (MUCH) later on, makeup, fashion, boys (EEEK!) and such to even think about babies.

I'll try to catch more of our chats another time.

Addison jumping on a trampoline at her friend's birthday party

2011-01-30T15:02:00.003-05:00

Chase's FIRST Birthday Party!

2011-01-30T13:02:00.022-05:00

We had such a fun time throwing Chase his first birthday party ever. We chose a snowman theme for our jolly little fella.

We decided to give our house a break and host the party elsewhere. The fact we were expecting around 70 people made this much more appealing! We found a great community room at one of our township parks.

It was nice to have it outside the house, but the prep work was a little more challenging. I spent weeks sorting supplies and decorations into bins and carefully planning the menu.

My main focus was the dessert table. It didn't turn out according to plan due to some inexperience in the preparation of a few of the items. For example, did you know that if you want to make "lollipop cookies", you need to bake them with the skewers in them? Yeah, me either!!! However, even given the few mistakes that no one else would know about but me, it was pretty cute! Dustin worked hard making our pretzel snowmen and marshmallow snowmen.

All of the food was snow-themed and turned out great!

A week and a half before the party, our friend, Andrew, passed away. He left behind a wife and two young children (ages 2 and 3 months). A family support fund was set up for the children and I asked our attendees to consider donating to the fund in lieu of gifts. Though it doesn't even begin to compare to what Brooke, Aiden and Addison have lost, we collected some very generous donations and it felt good to send that money in the next day.

I was really excited about our craft tables. We had a play dough table, a sand table where the kids could fill a snowman bottle with different colors of craft sand, and a coloring table where the kids could color in a gift bag. They could then go to the bins and fill their bags full of favors, all snow/winter themed, of course. :)

Addison strategizing at the desert table.

Some pictures of our friends and family....

Addie, Grandpa, Grandma and Chase

Chase and his Gammy

Chase, Gammy and Faith

Chase and I with my long-time friend, Beth and one of our Godsons, Andrew

Great friends

Friends and family

More family

Beth and Andrew

Poppy, Matt, Beth and my future Godson, Owen!

The birthday boy, also known as Justin Bieber. :)

Addie high on sugar.

Momma and Bieber

Addie still high on sugar

Addie, Faith and Gammy

Mommy, Chaser, and Aunt Emily.

Grandma, Uncle Jim, Nicole and Aunt Dee

Addie and Grandpa

Chase getting excited for his cake

which quickly turned into a full-blown sob fest when Mommy tried to put his hat on him.

Fortunately, he quickly recovered!

Family picture with the birthday boy

Poppy and his fly boy

Aaron and Grandma

Logan

Julie and Faith. Poor Noah had to stay back in Cleveland with a fever. :(

Addie and more sugar. The fruit definitely wasn't eaten, but the sugar coated marshmallows were!

Thanks to all of our wonderful friends and family for showing so much love for our Chase. We had a great day celebrating his first of many, many, many birthdays!!

Happy FIRST Birthday, Chase!

2011-01-29T09:56:00.003-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHASER!!! You are such an amazing little boy. More to come...

Dance and Gymnastics

2011-01-28T14:01:00.007-05:00

Addison started Dance and Gymnastics this week. The format of the class is 10 minutes of tap, 10 minutes of ballet, 5 minutes of free dance and 35 minutes of gymnastics. She's been participating in gymnastics since she was 9 months old and has benefited from it in more ways than I ever imagined.

I first got started at The Little Gym when Addison's Early Intervention Specialist recommended I place her community classes to strengthen areas in which she may be delayed due to her prematurity. I loved the place from day one.

I guess I can't be certain, but I really believe that the gym helped Addison walk at 13 months (adjusted age: 11 months), which is pretty unusual for such an early preemie. I have also been told that Addison has really good arm strength, especially for being such a little peanut. It has enhanced both fine motor and gross motor functions. And finally, I think involving her in structured group activities at such a young age has helped her tremendously in the social arena and gaining independence. So, there you have it....my sales pitch on TLG!

Anyway! When I was looking around for a dance company to place Addison for ballet, I was left with some hesitations. First of all, I don't think my daughter is the most graceful little girl and am not sure ballet is her thing. It certainly wasn't a "sport" I excelled in and so far, it's been "like mother, like daughter"! Second of all, Addison LOVES gymnastics. Between school, soccer, mom's club, all the other extracurriculars we have going on, and leaving time for some at-home R&R, I didn't think both ballet and gymnastics would fit into our schedule at this time. I was excited to learn that TLG had a class that combined both dance and gymnastics. This will give Addie an opportunity to decide what she likes best. Well, maybe. When I asked her what her favorite part was, she said, "ALL OF THE PARTS!"

Tap

Ballet

Free dance

Gymnastics

Chase also started gymnastics this week. He is polar opposite of his sister and will undoubtedly take some time adjusting. He spent the first half of the class staring towards the speakers in which the male voice and music were coming from, saying "dada", and the other half of the class glued to me. This will definitely be a good opportunity for him!

Chase's first haircut

2011-01-28T13:32:00.001-05:00

Chase had his first haircut today. He just needed cleaned up a little before his big birthday tomorrow. My stylist, Nicki, took a few snips off his front and sides (we left his back alone to preserve the curls he's getting) before doing my hair. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but there really wasn't much of a difference from before to after, so I'll be sure to get some next time!

This week in the Green Room

2011-01-27T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hello Parents,

It is so hard to believe January is over and the next time we see your kids it will be February! Special thanks to Donovan and Griffen (and parents) for being the Special Students of the week!
Next week it will be Shelby in the am and Cooper in the PM.

Our letter of the week is L. Keep the items coming. The kids love to get up and talk about each item that begins with the letter of the week.

On Tuesday of this week we had our music teacher, Miss Becky, come in for the first time. The kids loved it and we are very happy that this will be something we get to enjoy every month. She is great with the kids and they loved that she played the guitar.

We studied and talked about penguins this week. We talked about how they take care of their egg while it is waiting to hatch. We even practiced "waddling" with an egg between our legs (this was hysterical). We talked about how penguins live and keep each other warm. Ask your child what they can tell you about penguins. We read several informative books on Penguins to the class. We counted, painted, acted like and made our very own penguins with a bow tie and top hat!

As always thanks for sharing your children with us and thank you for your support with the pizza sales. The money earned from this is what allows us to have enrichment programs like music and art.

We will be going outside weather permitting so please make sure kids have boots and hats/mittens. We also need you to make sure they always have an extra set of clothes and or underwear in book bags in case of accidents. Lastly, when packing snacks, please make sure they are healthy snacks and no peanut butter snacks are allowed due to allergies. Thanks again!

Have a fantastic weekend.

Together We Teach,
Sara and Michelle

Swinging

2011-01-27T14:47:00.000-05:00

The indoor swing and trapeze bar we got for Addie a couple of years ago has been a great investment. Keeps these two busy for a long time!

Ballerina Boy

2011-01-25T14:28:00.003-05:00

Oh, the things he'll be subject to with Addie as his big sister. Bless his little heart!

Chase naps

2011-01-24T11:57:00.004-05:00

For my information:

Last Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Chase only took an afternoon nap. Today, he took a 2.5 hour morning nap. Not sure what this means for an afternoon nap, but I'm guessing he won't take one. Maybe he's not completely ready for one nap after all...

Disney Princesses on Ice

2011-01-23T14:25:00.006-05:00

Video is dark - taken with phone

Disney Princesses on Ice

2011-01-23T14:11:00.013-05:00

Dustin and I took Addison to Disney on Ice - Princess Classics today. We were ALL so giddy with excitement and couldn't wait for this day to come! Addison dressed as her favorite princess, Cinderella, leaving a trail of glitter everywhere she went. A few people from Dustin's firm shared the suite and there ended up being extra room, so we invited Addie's friend, Abby, and her parents. The girls LOVED it. And I have to admit, so did the adults!

We arrived early so as not to miss a single second of this exciting event. My camera seemed to dislike the ice - was having a hard time focusing and couldn't decide if it wanted to use flash, so we didn't get great pictures (some taken with my phone), but good enough.

Addie and Abby waiting for the show to begin.

The following stories were told:

Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Mulan, and after intermission, Cinderella (by far the biggest production of the show).

Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs

When the dwarfs first came on ice, Sleepy was sleeping on a table (he was pretty disguised - you wouldn't have noticed unless you were really looking) while the other 6 dwarfs were skating around. Addison said to me, "Mommy, where is the other dwarf?" She must have counted 6 dwarfs and realized that one, the seventh, was missing. I couldn't believe it! I am constantly amazed by her.

Aladdin and Jasmine on a magic carpet ride.

Giddy girls

Dancing with daddy - Out of focus. :(

Girls dancing at the finale.

Milk

2011-01-22T15:19:00.004-05:00

Chase had Cow's milk (Organic Whole Milk) for the first time today AND LOVED IT. Our pediatrician called yesterday to ask me something completely unrelated (about Addie, actually) and while I had him on the phone I took the opportunity to see if it was okay to switch Chase to regular milk. I knew at a year, he would give me the go ahead to do this (like he did with Addie), but our one year well check isn't for a couple weeks. I was running low on formula and had no desire to buy another carton so I was planning on switching him to milk, anyway, figuring a week wouldn't make a difference. Dr. B concurred and advised not to buy anymore formula. YAY!!! I realize this means that Chase is becoming a toddler (sad), but I am ecstatic not to have to spend another dime on that stinky, expensive formula!

Snow Bunnies

2011-01-20T14:28:00.009-05:00

People have been saying that we've had a lot of snow this winter, in comparison to years past. I'm not saying that because frankly, I can't even remember what I ate for lunch yesterday let alone how much snow we got last year. So, I guess I'll take their word for it.

What I do know is that my kids LOVE the snow. Addison seriously can't get enough of it and Chase absolutely loved the cold fluff when he played in it for the first time in his life on this day.

They are my little Snow Bunnies.

Addison showed off her strength by pulling 25 pound Chase around in his sled.

We made snow angels.

And sat on the ground

And posed for the camera

And took off our mittens to feel the cold snow on our skin.

Addison made snow cupcakes - all her idea.

We had so much fun in the snow. Or at least the kids did. The truth is, I'm not much of a snow person. Bundling all of us in layers, trying to take pictures while attempting to keep mittens on a baby and wearing myself out pulling both of them around on sleds for a half hour is not exactly my cup of tea. Once a winter is good enough for me. Unfortunately, I don't think this is going to fly with the kids...especially the older one. :)

Sledding Video

2011-01-20T14:25:00.003-05:00

Rhyming

2011-01-20T13:25:00.002-05:00

Addison is very much into rhyming these days. She is constantly taking a word and rhyming something to it, even if they aren't "real words". It's so fun to listen to.

She is definitely a thinker. When I read to her, I often notice her staring straight ahead and can just see her wheels spinning. She'll then say something pretty intellectual or ask me a question about what I have just read. She just always seems to be trying to comprehend everything to the highest degree. So interesting!!

Mommy. Kristi. Mommy. Kristi.

2011-01-20T13:24:00.003-05:00

Addison: Mommy. Kristi. Mommy. Kristi. Mommy, sometimes I'm going to call you Mommy and sometimes I'm going to call you Kristi. Okay, Kristi?

Pulling up to feet

2011-01-20T13:22:00.003-05:00

Chase is finally getting to his feet. Glad he reached this milestone but sad to see him incurring more injuries. Today he hit his chin on the table top and bit his tongue. Poor kid!

This week in the Green Room

2011-01-14T22:33:00.000-05:00

Hello Parents,

Mother Nature dumped a bunch of snow on us Tuesday which caused afternoon preschool to be canceled so this week seemed very short for some of us.

We made winter trees by painting our hands brown and sprinkling sugar on our hand print which looked like winter snow. It is great to see how many of your kids have decided that having paint on their hands is not nearly as bad as they thought it was at the beginning of the year. This shows us that they are feeling more comfortable with sensory issues. Finger painting is one of their favorite things to do now!

Thursday was BEAR DAY. This was such a huge hit and we still have several bear projects to do so we are going to continue bear day to next Thursday, January 20th. Please have your child bring their favorite bear to schotol on Thursday the 20th.

We talked about hibernation. Ask your child about it. They should be able to tell you what it is and how these animals prepare for hibernation. We did a science experiment where the kids could feel how the fat or flubber these animals build up during this time protects them from the cold while they "sleep". We made bears and paw prints with coffee grinds. Our classroom smelled great all day! Ask your child to sing you the new songs we learned about hibernation. Here is how it goes so you can sing with them. Several parents have been asking for the words to the new songs. The song is sung to the tune of Frère Jacques.

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping
Let it snow, let it snow
Sleeping all the winter, sleeping all the winter
Snug and warm, snug and warm

Bear is sleeping, bear is sleeping
In a cave, in a cave
I wonder when he'll wake up, I wonder when he'll wake up
In the spring, in the spring

Just a reminder that we do not have school on Tuesday, January 18th. Olentangy school district is off this is an in service day for us as well.

Also Thursday, January 20th is the last day to turn in pizza order for the Little Caesars pizza fundraiser. This is a great way to earn money for the preschool for our enrichment curriculum. We don't have school on that Tuesday but you can drop orders off or bring them in on the 20th. Thanks again!

Have a fantastic weekend. Together we teach,

Warmly,
Mrs Ramsey & Mrs. Reed

Mani and Pedi

2011-01-11T21:41:00.007-05:00

Grandma and Addie went out for mani's, pedi's and dinner today. She had such a great time!

Ice Cream Sundae!

She was ecstatic (to say the least) when she came home and couldn't wait to show off her nails!

Thanks, Grandma, for an absolutely fabulous special treat!!!

Little Miss Self Sufficient

2011-01-10T22:49:00.005-05:00

Yesterday morning, I woke at 7:40am to find Addie in her room, all lights on, completely dressed head to toe (LITERALLY!) and brushing her teeth. She had on her panties, tunic dress, leggings, socks, hat and Dora slippers. Everything was put on the correct way, coordinated perfectly and I was very impressed with how well she was brushing her teeth. We usually brush them for her to ensure a thorough cleaning, but I'm going to let her start doing most of it!

Sneaking up on her...

She's been very interested in dressing herself (and picking out her own outfits, which isn't always a good thing!) lately. She must do this all very quietly because I sleep through it. It scares me that she might get hurt getting into things all by herself, but all my attempts at stopping this behavior have failed. So, I guess I'll just start praying!

Meeting Owen

2011-01-10T22:39:00.006-05:00

We took a road trip down to Cincy to meet baby Owen. He is so sweet and such a good little guy. Addie and Chase loved him and can't wait for him to get bigger so they can play with their new cousin!

Makeup

2011-01-09T21:22:00.002-05:00

On our way home from Cincinnati today, Addison asked me if she could get into my makeup bag I keep in my purse. I told her that she could have a little lip gloss when we got home. I say these things to simply appease her and hope she forgets. She never forgets. EVER.

"Mommy, look. I put on lip gloss and eyeshadow." Um, Addie, that "eyeshadow" is lip liner.

Teeth 7 and 8 - Chase

2011-01-07T19:31:00.007-05:00

Tooth #7 (to the right of middle bottom) has come through and #8 (to the left of middle bottom) is on it's way!

This week in the Green Room

2011-01-06T22:32:00.000-05:00

Hello parents:

Well it was life back to normal and back to a routine this week. We hope you all had a fabulous holiday season and enjoyed the time with your families.

On Tuesday we read the Rainbow Fish and talked about the lesson of sharing in this story. We also made our snowmen pictures & practiced counting the number of cotton balls used.

On Thursday we read Under my Hood I Have a Hat. We practiced making "H's" in blue finger paint. We liked how the paint felt on our whole hand. We also made some awesome pictures by rolling around balls in paint using a box. Roller ball painting is what the kids named it! Ask your child about this. They loved it.

We learned a new song sung to the tune of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" about the month of January and winter time.

Welcomed Lily to the am class! It is not too late for a child to start if you have a friend interested. There have been questions about that. Registration is going on now for next year. There is also no school on Tuesday, January 18th due to in service day and Olentangy schools are off.

Next Thursday, we are having a "Bear Day". We would like everybody to bring a bear with them to school. The kids will love this day! It is a" beary' special day! :)

Just a quick reminder at pick up to please pull up as close as you can to the car in front of you. A few parents expressed concern. We try to give the children to you as fast and safely as possible not wanting to have cars lining up in the street. Thanks so much!

As always thanks for sharing your children with us! They are very special and bring a smile to our faces by some of the things they say and do. Happy New Year!

Warmly,
Mrs. Ramsey & Mrs. Reed

My funny little girl and the things she says!

2011-01-06T18:36:00.008-05:00

After school on Tuesday....

Addie: Mommy, Mrs. Ramsey asked me to put a bubble in my mouth. (This is something the teachers use to get the kids to be quiet. They puff out a cheek with air, as if there is a bubble in their mouth.)

Mommy: Why? Were you talking when you were supposed to be listening?

Addie: Yes. But Mommy, Shelby was talking.

Mommy: Addie, just because your friends aren't following directions doesn't mean you are allowed to do the same. You need to always do as your teachers say.

Addie: But Shelby kept asking me what Lily's (the new girl in class) name was. I kept saying, "Lily", and she kept asking me.

Mommy: I understand, sweetie. Next time, just put your finger over your lips to help Shelby remember that she shouldn't be talking.

Addison: Okay, Mommy. I will.

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On our way to soccer....

Addie: Mommy, look at that big hill. We can't drive our car up that big hill. Maybe we can ride our bike up that big hill. Let's think a minute. How else can we get up that big hill? (taps her chin with finger) We can walk. We can run. We can (gets louder) SKIP. WE CAN HIKE. (louder) OOOOOOH, I KNOW, MOMMY! WHEN WE GO TO CANADA, (louder) WE CAN GET THE HORSE (breathes and swallows) AND RIDE IT BACK HERE (louder) AND IT WILL TAKE US UP THAT BIG HILL!!!!!!!!!!

Mommy: That's a great idea, Addie, but I think that would be a really long ride for the horse. Maybe we can find a hill to ride up in Canada.

Addie: Yes, Mommy. That would be a greeeeeeaaaaat idea.

(a good solid minute of silence - very unusual)

Addie: Mommy?

Mommy: Yes?

Addie: Mommy. I am very sorry for screaming in the car. Let me say it in a lower voice. (repeats everything she said about the horse and the hill in a whisper)

Mommy: Oh, it's okay sweetie. I know you were just excited about your wonderful idea. You don't need to apologize for that.

(SERIOUSLY...where does she get it?!?!?)

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Also on our way to soccer...

Addie: Mommy, if Aaron (her cousin who is in soccer with her) tries to push me away when I try to hug him, will you please hold him for me so I can hug him?

Mommy: Sure, honey. But, I don't think he'll push you.

Addie: Yes he will, Mommy. And if he pushes me, I will say "Aaron, please don't push me. I don't like it." and if he doesn't listen, I will tell an adult. Like you or Aunt Kaffy (Kathy) or Coach Chad or a Fireman....

(LOL!!!)

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She calls wrinkles "strings" and points them out on everyone (embarrassing!) and puckers her lips to try to make them herself. "Look at my strings, Mommy!

Soccer is back in session

2011-01-05T21:32:00.004-05:00

Addison is thrilled to be back in soccer with Coach Chad. And a bonus this session is that her cousin, Aaron, is in it with her! They're in the 3-4 year old group, which means parents stay off the field. She seems to be fine with that, but I'll admit, I miss participating!

Owen Matthew

2011-01-02T19:14:00.004-05:00

Our new nephew/cousin, Owen Matthew, is here! He arrived in the wee hours of January 2nd and weighed 7lb. 1 oz. and was 20 3/4". He's a cutie and we can't wait to get down to Cincinnati to see Matt and Beth and meet Owen!

Chase 11 months

2010-12-29T19:27:00.005-05:00

At 11 months, Chase continues to be the happiest baby (almost not a baby anymore - SO SAD!) in the world. I don't just say this because I'm biased. He really is just happy as a clam 99.9% of the time. He gets antsy when we're not replenishing the food on his tray quickly enough and only cries when he gets hurt. But, it REALLY has to hurt to get him to that level. I'm talking, "OOOH, I heard that crack when he threw his head into that hard table leg" type of hurt. Because it's so unusual, when he does cry, it's just heartbreaking.

Chase has beautiful hazel eyes that just draw you in. He seems to melt in the arms of whomever is holding him. He likes attention. He is super sweet and cuddly and might be a little flirty. ;)

He's mostly on finger foods. We have introduced a few new foods to his diet, including blueberries, grapes, and mandarin oranges. He also tried chocolate soft serve ice cream for the first time this month. He couldn't get enough! He takes 3 bottles a day, 5-6 ounces each. He drinks from a sippy cup, but hasn't mastered the act. He tends to choke on the ones with bigger holes in the spout (Born Free) and doesn't get anything out of the other ones (Foogo, Playtex, etc.).

He weighs around 24 1/2 pounds and is long. Before we know it, he's going to be grown out of his 18-24 month clothes. He wears a size 4.5 shoe. He's still in a size 4 diaper.

His sleeping schedule is the same. On a typical day, he wakes up between 7:15-7:45. Naps from 9:30-11:30 and again from 1:30 or 2 - 3 or 3:30. Bedtime between 6-6:15.

He's crawling on all 4's, but mostly army crawls for speed. He's pulling up onto his knees. I think he'll be pulling to his feet in no time, but it may be a while before he's standing on his own and I really don't see him walking anytime soon.

He has 7 teeth, going on 8. And boy are they cute!

One big development this month is that it appears he may be phasing into one nap. Several times in recent weeks, he's slept in until 8:15 or 8:30 and has had no problem staying up until 1 or so, when he usually goes down for an afternoon nap. In those instances, he's slept 2-3 hours. There are other times when he seems to have a hard time falling to sleep for a nap. He eventually does, so I'm not sure what to make of it just yet.

He loves balls and is halfway saying the word (is that possible?) and loves unstacking things that I stack. He also likes to eat books and cardboard boxes. Yummy!

He likes to do the "so big" motion with his arms and thinks it's so funny to put his hands in his hair while eating. He also thinks that signing is funny. I sign "more", "all done", "bath", "night night", "milk", "water", and "banana", and he just cracks up! Hmmm..... :)

I think I covered the majority here. I should really start writing things down as I think about them because it's easy to forget. And I never want to forget! I could just bottle Chase up and keep him at 11 months forever. Though I like to tell people that my children are like fine wine...they get better with age.

Basketball

2010-12-27T23:21:00.001-05:00

Watch out, WNBA!

Train

2010-12-25T23:00:00.004-05:00

Addison and Chase received a very cool gift for Christmas from Grandma and Grandpa Frazier. It was actually intended for Chase, but he's a very good sharer and fortunately, the weight limit is up to 40 pounds, so Addison will be able to ride it until she's like, 8. Chase will probably outgrow it before her. HA!

They love this thing!

Merry Christmas - Part 2

2010-12-25T21:28:00.003-05:00

Celebrating with my side of the family who all came to Columbus, knowing I wouldn't feel up to traveling. So much fun!

Merry Christmas - Part 1

2010-12-25T21:27:00.008-05:00

I love watching my kid's faces on Christmas morning. Every year is going to get better!

EARLY Christmas Morn

2010-12-24T23:45:00.009-05:00

I've included this picture because I am proud of the outdoor lights I put up all by myself!

Did the garland, too. :)

Wrigley on the watch...

Santa came! He ate his cookies, drank his milk, filled our stockings and under our trees, and left a letter.

Christmas Eve - Part 2

2010-12-24T22:09:00.005-05:00

After arriving back home, Addison went outside to sprinkle glitter dust on the lawn so Santa and his reindeer would be able to find our house. She loved this!

"Sprinkle on the lawn at night. The moon will make it sparkle bright. As Santa's reindeer fly and roam, this will guide them to your home."

We then came back inside to set the cookie and milk out for Santa. Addison helped me word the letter.

She decided she wanted a cookie, too.

Santa won't mind if we drink some of his milk.

He comes through there?

Christmas Eve - Part 1

2010-12-24T21:26:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Christmas Eve at Uncle Damon and Aunt Kathy's today. I was, surprisingly, feeling pretty good. It must have been the Christmas Spirit. Oh, and getting showered and dressed may have helped a little. :) I've gotten pretty used to these surgeries and probably have a little easier time recovering than the average novice surgery patient.

It was wonderful spending time with family and sharing gifts. We all had a great time....until Aaron lost all his cookies. Literally. He had consumed 8 or 9 cookies, unbeknownst to his parents until he confessed, earlier that day and it eventually caught up with him. Poor guy! Never a dull moment when Fraziers are involved!

Teeth 5 and 6 - Chase

2010-12-22T19:29:00.004-05:00

Teeth 5 and 6 (top to the left and right of the two middle teeth) are cutting through.

Surgery

2010-12-20T07:49:00.000-05:00

Surgery #4 of the the year today. :/

My sweet boy

2010-12-18T21:25:00.003-05:00

I usually put Chase in the Pack n Play while I shower and get ready. I pull it close to my bathroom door so he can see me. He is so sweet - just plays by himself or with sissy and doesn't make a fuss. I usually get out of the shower to find him looking at me and was finally able to capture this sweetness on camera.

School Christmas Program Video

2010-12-16T22:56:00.000-05:00

School Christmas Program

2010-12-16T21:24:00.007-05:00

Addie's school put on a Christmas Program today. It was the most precious thing ever! They sang and signed "Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem", "We Wish You a Merry Christmas", "J-E-S-U-S (to the tune of B-I-N-G-O) and a couple others. She did such a good job, aside from being the nose picker of the group. Hey, someone's gotta do it. It just so happened to be my kid this year!

Walking to the front with her favorite teacher, Mrs. Ramsey.

One of the many pictures of her digging for gold. :)

And this is what happens to little brother when he misses morning nap to watch sissy's Christmas program and then is intentionally kept up until afternoon nap so he and sissy will sleep at the same time and give mommy some alone time! He was a champ and made it, only to pass out on his bottle. This hasn't happened in many, many months. So sweeeeeeeeeeeet!

Wilson Christmas

2010-12-11T20:47:00.000-05:00

We celebrated Christmas with Dustin's Mom's side of the family today. The timing was such that Addison would be missing her nap, (for the second time in her life), which wasn't a big deal. However, at 12:30, she went potty and began crying that she wanted to lay down. So, she went to the guest room and fell right to sleep. Not sure what was up with that, but it made for a more enjoyable afternoon (and messy hair in pictures)!

Uncle Dan from CA

And the gift opening begins...

Chase wanted to play with the balls on this bag so badly. Because the balls were attached to the bag, he had to drag it around with him. It was hilarious!

Teeth 3 and 4 - Chase

2010-12-11T15:49:00.003-05:00

Teeth 3 and 4 (top front) started cutting through on Thanksgiving. They're so cute!

Stamping envelopes is funny!

2010-12-08T20:42:00.001-05:00

Chaser thought it was just hilarious when I was self addressing our holiday cards.

This week in the Green Room

2010-12-06T22:31:00.000-05:00

Hello Parents,

Hope everyone had a good weekend. It was nice to see everyone after a long Thanksgiving Break. Last week in the Green room we read Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You Hear? We asked the kids what they hear? Cute answers. We also read The Crippled Lamb on Thursday. My favorite book to read at Christmas time.

We made mittens, snowman, out of different size circles and decorated a Christmas tree. The kids are still counting the ornaments that they glued on the trees (math). You will have to check out our beautiful artwork the kids did.

This week and next week we will be practicing our songs for the Christmas Music program on Dec 16. Light refreshments following our program afterwards. The program starts at 10 for the AM class and 2 for the PM class! Scholastic book orders are due Dec 10 if you are interested in buying books.

We also are collecting new hats and mittens to decorate our Gathering room Christmas tree. We will donate the items to Delaware County People in Need. (P.I.N) Thanks for your support!

Last day of school is Dec 16.
See you in 2011...Jan 4th!

Creative ensemble

2010-12-06T20:16:00.004-05:00

Addison dressed herself in this outfit and wore it all day, hat included.

Flower Girl calling

2010-12-06T20:04:00.001-05:00

Dustin's cousin, Megan, and her fiance, Ed, must have heard what a great little flower girl Addison was and asked her to be the flower girl in their upcoming wedding this summer in North Carolina. It was perfect timing as Addison was fresh off Lori's wedding and still talking about it. She is really excited for her second tour of duty!

Megan is so creative. She sent Addison a beautifully addressed envelope with a book and card. Isn't it so cute?

Aunt Lori and Uncle Shawn - wedding bells

2010-12-03T19:51:00.001-05:00

Aunt Lori and Uncle Shawn got married in a beautiful little chapel. Addison served as Flower Girl and did pretty well considering she didn't practice. She didn't want to throw the rose petals on the ground as she walked down the aisle so Noah (the ring bearer) left the alter to help. As he threw them out, she picked them up to put back in her basket. It was a moment to remember!

Congratulations Aunt Lori and Uncle Shawn!

The dance move Addison Michelle taught her.

Dancing with Poppy.

Yummy cake!

Chase 10 Months

2010-11-29T15:30:00.008-05:00

There isn't too much difference between Chase at 9 months and 10 months. Here are a few things that are different:

He is army crawling - started this the first week of November.

He is eating more finger foods and is becoming a little difficult with being fed pureed foods. I continue to give him pureed food (at least 3-4 ounces each meal) because I don't feel like he consumes enough fruits and vegetables when feeding himself. I mean clearly, at 24 pounds, I have reason to worry! But, in all seriousness, I don't want him to start dropping weight now that he's on the move, so as long as he continues to tolerate being spoon fed, I will continue to give him pureed fruits and veggies.

I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post all the new foods he tried. Other than those (collard greens, corn bread casserole, turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing), the only other pureed foods I can remember are mango and yogurt. Some finger foods he eats include egg whites (not a fan), crackers, puffs, yogurt melts, cheerios, black beans, green beans, bread, sweet potatoes, cheese, ham, turkey, and chicken.

He now says "mama" and "dada". Those are the only words I can make out so far. He's a pretty quiet guy.

He is growing too long for many of his 12-18 month clothes.

He has two bottom teeth and his two front top teeth are coming through.