These girls know classy

What can I say, my girls know classy!  The other morning when it was 54 degrees & their mother was wearing a coat, the girls decided they would go outside to play on the swing set in panties & coats.  Real classy, let me tell ya :)  This is the insanity that I deal with on a daily basis, trying to get 2 little, willful people to wear clothing.  They were obviously born with Northern blood & I will always be Southern b/c I was freezing & they were not.  You will probably notice the addition of that bar with rings to the swing set; yes, they enjoy it, but never do it solo, they always do it together, which usually ends with an injury.  They ended up with this new piece of equipment b/c their father has a problem can't resist his girls.  And look at that lady like swinging position that Jessie has adapted in the 2nd & 3rd photo, great, right??  We are already setting aside money for finishing school for her, we know she'll need it at some point.  Also, did you notice Ella over 2 with that paci...my only question is does the Mother of the Year award arrive via FedEx or UPS??  Have a wonderful Monday!

It's a great look

Total lady

1st Field Trip

Jessie & her little class had their first field trip on Tuesday to Shenot Farms.  It was really a great time.  For obvious reasons, I am not allowed to share the ones of all the kids, but here are some of Jessie & I.  It was a rather long hike, about a mile when all was said & done.  The kids got to do a corn maze, see the pumpkin patch, & the apple barn, where they produce cider.  Farmer Vicki, explained how the bees & bugs actually helped the farmers produce the crops.  They even got to taste the cider & have an apple.  Fun times & Jessie absolutely loved doing this with her "friends".  I was designated the "photo person", but really everyone brought a camera, so I didn't really find that all that necessary.  I have to admit it was pretty funny to see all those little 3 year olds in the corn maze doing a better job of getting out than the adults...haha!  Fun times :)

I realize it looks like I've got her in a headlock, but it's the best we got after a mile hike

Lovely mom & son

This past weekend I was asked to take some pics for a friend & her son.  This pretty lady & Michael work together & we have become friends through the years.  Her son is precious!  He has a great laugh & is a very bright & curious little boy...he also loves his mom very much.  Not gonna lie, kinda nervous to take pics of an older child, but I think we got some keepers.  Enjoy a look at what I've been editing!  Have a great day :)

P.S.  Still trying to calibrate my new iMac, these look awesome on there, but washed out on my PC??

Color or b/w??  If I were a boy mom, I'd like this one

Jessie 3 1/2 years

My 1st born turned 3 & 1/2 on Sept. 4th, so I'm way behind!  What is Jessie girl doing these days?  Well, she loves her little preschool & always gets so excited on Tues./Thurs. when she knows she'll be going.  She's very confident in everything.  She is very agile & we came back from our trip to her skipping & jumping around on one leg.  I don't think she did that before we left.  She continues to be a dominant/independent child & doesn't really want help with anything.  She also continues to enjoy art. She has taken to drawing people in our family.  Everyone may not look to scale, but we always have smiley faces.  I, in particular, have stick legs & a big round face/head, no body.  Here's a pic she drew of Daddy:

He's got his glasses, but no hair, unfortunately :)

We are struggling with listening & obeying with Jessica.  She is just outright disobedient when she doesn't want to do something.  She is doing better with getting to sleep at night.  Usually, she just goes right down, with "no jazz"....that's what we call her whining & complaining (jazz).  She is interested in everything from princesses to pirates.    Her favorite shows are Curious George, Daniel Tiger, Dora, & sometimes Barney...thankfully she's off the Cailou kick.  She is very loving right now & comes up numerous times per day to get hugs or kisses.  She always gives "big boa constrictor" hugs to daddy.  This little girl could swing all day & she finally is not afraid of her slide in the back yard.  Actually, she's very proud that she goes down her big slide & is "not afraid anymore".  She's a big girl for her age, size 4T some 5 in clothing & size 9 shoes.  She loves to help me around the house & enjoys any kind of outings that we do.  She is very excited about Halloween & says she's going as a butterfly...of course, Ella says she is also.  She can buckle herself in her car seat & weighs 38 lbs.  I can hardly believe it, she finally gained some weight.  She now likes cereal with milk...especially Apple Jacks.  She also really likes hot dogs.  She is understanding more & more about the Bible stories we read to her & actually says prayers for me & Ella most days at lunch.  She knows her 1st bible verse by memory & will proudly say it for you (Psalm 139:14).  Her nicknames include, Jessie Jane, Goose, Goosie, & Chickabee.  If you ask her how a big girl walks, she will walk on her tip toes around in a circle, she thinks it's funny.  She still insists on sleeping with the light on due to her fear of bugs.  She went through a camping phase a few months ago before Ella moved in with her & she actually slept in a tent on her floor for a while, but now she is in a bed again.  She seems so grown up to me, although, I feel like she was a baby just a few weeks ago.  Crazy, what a difference 3 & 1/2 years makes!!

Ella at 28 months

While I was editing & blogging about France, my baby girl turned 28 months old & wow, someone please tell me who this little girl is running around my house?  She changed so much in the week we were gone.  I think her face has changed drastically.  Particularly, she looks older with her hair back from her face.  We've made huge strides with the potty recently.  I'm potty training extra hard though, so that may have something to do with it.  And Ella truly is over it too, she insists on wear panties like sissy & has for some time.  So I knew we'd be getting there soon.  Of course, we still have some accidents, but I'd say she's good 90-95% of the day.  We still, also, are not close on night time, but that will come!   She is thankfully a better sleeper than she has been.  The teething has subsided for now, the lower 2 year molars are in, the top are not, but I'll take some piece while I get it.  She loves anything her sister does & she wants to do whatever Jessica does.  Which makes for some rather long days for me.  Because as any mother will tell you a 3 & 1/2 year old can do things that a 2 & 1/2 year old just can't physically do....meaning I have to help Ella try or else!!  She's my happy/ friendly little girl.  No one is ever a stranger & she genuinely likes other children.  She's rough though, sometimes I feel she's rougher than her older sister.  Baby school is going well & they were very impressed she told them she needed to go potty & did at school.  She emulates whatever her sister says & has an absolutely astounding vocabulary for a child her age.  She's done great being in with sissy at night.  They are proud of their "princess" room & beds & do great at night.  It actually seems like they both sleep better now that they are in together.  She must have really missed us while we were gone, she's told me about 1000 times that she missed me while I was in France & she's glad I'm home.  Ah, the pacifier situation.....I know of all people, you would think my child would/should not be using a paci anymore...but with our week long absence I knew she'd need it in order to go to sleep for grandma.  Our deal is that the Great Pumpkin is taking it & giving her candy in return for her beloved paci.  She seems excited about it, we will see.  She's more & more interested in art projects.  The girls & I almost always do an art project related to a bible story everyday.  She loves to swing in her big girl swing & loves to wear jewelry.  Her favorite foods: pasta, fruit, bread, pretzels, for a treat she'd rather have yougart.  She also loves cheese, but yougart is her favorite dairy right now.  She's a very big girl for her age, easily larger than some 3 year olds.  She's in a 2T or 3T for clothing depending on the brand & how much it's been washed.  She can wear a size 7 shoe.  She really enjoys being the only child when Jessie is at school & likes to have little jobs to do around the house.  She loves to dance & sing.  I'm trying to get her enrolled in a beginning ballet class, like a creative movement class or something.  Favorite sayings: "Whoops, spaghettis"--when she drops something, "I hungy, no "r", for when she wants to eat, of course, the "Luv u mommy", gets me every time.  She also is constantly singing to herself.  Probably, the funniest, is this potty song that she sings to herself as she's running to the potty.  She made it up to my knowledge, "Go potty, right away!"....over & over again & until she actually goes.  It's kind of set to the tune of a song Daniel Tiger sings about the potty, funny, right?  Those eyes, used to be grey, now I believe hazel would be what most would call them.  I think she has my OCD, she's always organizing things based on size & color.  That's about all I can think of for now, I'll do a better update at 30 months!