Grace in Small Things - 54

1. A spring breeze.

2. Sunshine at 7:30 pm.

3. Ana's look of total relaxation while getting pushed in the baby swing.

4. The way exhausted children fall asleep after a full day.

5. Coffee ice cream.

Grace in Small Things - 53

1. The theme song to Zoe's new favorite show... 64 Zoo Lane. Zoe sings the ENTIRE song EVERY SINGLE TIME she watches the show. (I warn you... it's perky... and will get stuck in your head.)

2. Zoe's school "carnival". Silly little games, silly little prizes, a couple yummy snacks, a lot of preschool friends. One and a half hours of fun for $6.

3. The way Zoe's creativity comes in waves. On one hand, she names her fish "Fish"... but on the other hand, she has created an entire alternate family (with her "other Mommy") and a best friend named Aleigh (which I have no idea how you would spell).

4. Ana had a tummy bug. I believe it has passed. Phew.

5. Having Zoe's birthday party scheduled. Step 1 checked off the party to-do list.

Congratulations Mayci!!!!!!!

My cousin Mayci is graduating from high school today. At 11:00 she'll be all dressed up in her cap and gown and marching into the Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds. She'll be surrounded by her friends. She will be smiling her beautiful smile. Our family will be beaming with pride. (And no... for all of you wondering... I'm not in Florida. We couldn't swing another trip just yet. So... I'm missing it. Someone better be taking pictures!!!)

It is VERY hard for me to believe she is graduating from high school since she was born the year I graduated from high school. HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE????? When she was a year old my uncle and aunt came to visit me at college. I was a freshman... and she was 1.


It is a little surreal to me as I write this post. As I'm writing the math is all coming together for me. When I was a freshman in college Mayci was 1... and now when Mayci is a freshman in college Ana will be 1. In just a short time... I can take Ana and Zoe to visit Mayci at college... and I can take a photo of them all together in Mayci's dorm room.

And then... I will blink my eyes... and Ana and Zoe will both be in college.

OK... I need a tissue now. Sniffle sniffle.

Congratulations Mayci!!! We are all very proud of you and we all know you are going to continue on to do amazing things.

Best Shot Monday - Mommy and her girls

Yes... I know it's Tuesday. But it's the first weekday after Memorial Day weekend... so I'm saying it counts!

I finally uploaded the camera pics. It had been a while. I was happy to find a couple photos from Mother's Day that I love. Here are my 2 favorites.

Zoe's face just looks so sweet... and Ana has her little nose scrunched up which just makes me laugh.
I think this 2nd one is my real favorite. All relaxed but happy faces for the camera. Even though Ana has baby's head in her mouth it's just perfect. She has baby's head in her mouth at least 50% of the day... so it's just what she looks like. heehee

Make sure to visit Tracey at Mother May I to check out everyone's best shots!

Grace in Small Things - 52

1. Brief thunder and lightening showers.

2. The giggle I got over an e-mail Nick forwarded to me about local belly dancing lessons. Belly dancing... heehee.

3. Wheat Thins - Toasted Chips - Garden Valley Veggie flavor. Yum.

4. Big Fish Games ... I love playing games free for an hour.

5. Listening to Zoe sing in the basement recording studio.

Grace in Small Things - 51

1. Plane tickets booked for our July/August trip to Florida.

2. A new pink 2 wheel bike.

3. The joy on Zoe's face after getting that 2 wheel bike.

4. Perfect bike riding weather.

5. The thrill Ana gets out of riding in her "new to her" little red car.

(Pictures coming soon... promise!)

What?

What do you mean my mommy's blog has been suffering since I've been crawling?

I'd think that my gettin' into trouble would be givin' her all kinds a good stuff to write.

Not my fault.

Ebeanstalk is giving away $1000 of toys to bloggers!

Did that get your attention? $1000 of toys for free... just for being a blogger. How awesome is that?

Ebeanstalk is a great site (and not just because of the giveaway!). The products they sell are all specially chosen and researched. Each toy listing has information on why it is appropriate for each developmental age level. I love searching by age... and they even have the infant toys separated into newborn+, 3+, 6+, and 9+ months. It makes picking out toys really easy. Most importantly... Zoe and Ana think their research is right on target. The things I've gotten from ebeanstalk are their favorites. And, they're giving away $1000 in toys. Awesome.

Some info from Ebeanstalk -

"Ebeanstalk is dedicated to a baby's development. And we select the best baby toys matched to a baby's development. To see great information on how a baby grows up, check out the info on our baby toys page.

"Picking toys for a baby is not as simple as it sounds. Here are some quick baby facts:

• Toys for a newborn baby: A newborn baby is briefly looking at objects and attempting to imitate facial expressions. They can follow objects with their eyes and usually quiet down, when they are picked up.


• Toys for a three month old: They will enjoy ‘frolic play', reaching for objects and will repeat enjoyable activities. Believe it or not, they will respond to ‘no' (about half the time) and will start babbling.


• Toys for a six month old: They'll search for hidden objects (object permanence). They'll reach for themselves in the mirror, play peekaboo, crumple paper, roll from their stomach to their back and even respond to their name.


• Toys for a nine month old: They are pushing toy cars, playing pat-a-cake and looking for hidden sounds. The baby toys they are playing with are also getting more fun."

Oh yeah.... the giveaway. Did you think I forgot the giveaway?

The toys include: Road and Rails Railway Station from Plan Toys, Thomas Trains, Jungle Bean Bag Toss, a Schoolhouse Tent, Bath Toys, Balance Boards, a Newborn Playmat, Ball Pit, Melissa & Doug Toys, a Talking Globe and much much more!

Who's gonna win?

* One blogger will get $500 worth of toys
* Five bloggers will get $100 worth of toys (each)

If you're interested in participating in the giveaway just let me know and I'll send along the information! Leave me a comment including your e-mail address (in the comment... not just in the form) or e-mail me directly (xcolleenx@aol.com). I will forward you the e-mail that includes all of the specifics on the giveaway. (Write a post, e-mail to let Brian know you posted, and then send another e-mail with a child development question you'd like answered. Easy peasy lemon squeazy.)

Grace in Small Things - 50

1. Pillsbury Toaster Scrambles

2. Pizza delivery

3. A self-inking date stamp I plan to use for marking the backs of all of my photos

4. Zoe's new song... "I smell poop! In this diaper!" (Because her life is a musical... everything must be sung.)

5. Season finale weeks. As much as I'll miss the shows we watch... I'm looking forward to having time to put our Netflix subscription to use again. (Our current 2 movies have been sitting on the shelf waiting for 2 months! eek!)

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

Um... Ana's crawling.

Today it's for real.

Sort of.

Save me.

Grace in Small Things - 49

1. Flight status checks that show you where Daddy's plane is on the map.

2. Having Zoe sleep a little bit later this week. (Every sleeping moment counts!)

3. A Friday afternoon playdate.

4. Going to Target with Ana while Zoe stayed at her friends house.

5. Zoe's new love of Oobi (what a wacky show). She calls Oobi "Boobie" which makes me laugh (aren't I mature?). "Mommy.... I need to see some Boobie now!" heehee

Not Wordless Wednesday - Cherry Blossoms (then and now)

Then - May 5th, 2006...
It was sunny and warm.
Zoe was just 5 days over 10 months old.
Now - May 6th, 2009...
It was rainy and chilly.
Ana was just 4 days under 10 months old.
5/5/06
Zoe was happy and smiley and into the camera.
To be honest.... she was freaked out by the flowers and could not wait to be picked up.
5/6/09
Ana was happy and smiley and refused to look at the camera for me (which was strange).
To be honest... she wished I would put down the camera and help her roll around in the flowers.
5/5/06
The cherry blossoms fell from the tree on lovely spring breezes.
They were a fluffy and pink... a beautiful mess.
Zoe decided they tasted like crap.
5/6/09
The cherry blossoms fell from the tree during days of downpours and thunder storms.
They were damp and pink... still a beautiful mess.
Ana decided they tasted like crap.

So... then or now... rain or shine... warm or chilly... Zoe or Ana... flowering cherry tree blossoms make a huge pink mess that is beautiful... but tastes like crap.

Best Shot Monday - Shades

I don't know what else to say... except that this makes me smile.

A good shot is one that makes you smile every time. Don't you agree?

As always... the best shots are amazing!

Grace in Small Things - 48

1. Being awakened with a "Happy Mother's Day!!!"

2. Having "M O M" written by Zoe for the first time. (I love the envelope more than the card. heehee.)

3. An unopened bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups just for me.

4. The difference it makes by celebrating with a BBQ rather than a regular party.

5. Sitting back and realizing how truly blessed I am to have my 2 girls.

Happy Mother's Day!

Grace in Small Things - 47

1. A walk through town.

2. Ice cream on a spring day.

3. Little girls in "twirly" dresses.

4. Bare baby feet propped up on the stroller snack tray.

5. A new 3 seater swing for the deck.

Umm.... Happy Easter?

Yes, I do realize Easter was weeks ago. I have a dream that one day I will catch up. I will post about things that are current. I will get Zoe to school on time. Ana and I will not be the last people into the pool for swim lessons. I will be punctual. One day.

I just don't know if it's an obtainable dream. Other people are on time, right?

Anyway... Easter was wonderful.

The Easter Bunny knew that Ana likes Cheerios...
and that Zoe enjoys a piece of chocolate once in a while (especially if it's shaped like a bug).
Zoe had fun figuring out what a Viewfinder did. (Oh those W legs. Those crazy crazy legs.)
Ana would have been just as happy if her basket was filled with nothing but Easter grass.
The girls were the cutest in their Easter dresses. (Ana kept that headband on almost all day. Ridiculous.)


Tickle tickle tickle. (I think Zoe gets that cowlick on the back of her head from Uncle Jim.)
After finding out what goodies the Easter Bunny left for use we headed of to church. (I married into an Orthodox Christian family. I will not begin to explain the traditions and customs... but Christina at Momology does a lovely job. I'll leave Pascha to her.)

After the service the kids had fun at the church Easter egg hunt. On leaving church everyone is given one red egg (an Orthodox tradition) so Zoe started off with 3 or 4 eggs in her basket. She did find one egg during the hunt... and that was good enough for her. She was thrilled.

The cousins all took a quick moment before the hunt to pose for a picture. All 5 of them were clean and dressed nicely. A rare moment.
Zoe gave Father George a big "thank you" for giving her some more chocolate to add to her collection.
Ana took a lot of time to figure out the best way to get into the box to get at the shiney things inside (with no success except for putting a few mushy wet spots on the box and deciding that cardboard is yummy.)
It was a fun day of celebration.

At the end of the day... it was also a relief that the big holiday seasons are over for a while. We have the small holidays to celebrate. But, as much as I enjoy the big days... I can rest knowing that the big event holidays won't be back for a while.

Take Me Back Tuesday - Cruel World

I'm sure I've posted this photo before... but I just love it so. Everything about it cracks me up. It's dated 1978... so I'm about 5 and Jim is about 2.

Dear Jim... I'm sorry I find humor in your agony. Don't feel badly though... I laugh when Zoe or Ana have screaming fits too. I'm such a rotten sister and mother. But come on! That picture is funny. The screaming, my hair, those pajamas, the carpet, and the fact that someone took the photo. If it were now... I would have taken that photo myself. Love, your favorite sister in the whole world.

Head over to visit Kari and who else is sharing today...

1 month ago...

we were in Florida. I don't know why it takes me so long to get around to posting Florida vacation pictures. Maybe it's because I think maybe Florida vacation pictures are getting old?

Oh well. Too bad. You have to see more of them. (Oh... and in a few months you'll have to see even MORE of them since we'll be going again during the summer! squee!)

I will do this as briefly as possible though. So... without further ado... our April Florida vacation in 1 post! (Can you imagine how hard this is? There are really about 50 more photos I would like to add.)

Zoe enjoyed the pool as usual. I went in once or twice. It was still too chilly for me. Not too cold for Zoe though. Can you tell she loved every minute?
Zoe also enjoyed spending time with her BFF. (It's hysterical to hear Zoe say that. I'm not sure she has any clue what it really means... although I'm sure Avery did explain.)
Ana enjoyed getting in the pool a few times. She seems to love the water as much as Zoe so she also didn't seem to mind the chilly water.
We went to one of the many neighborhood playgrounds that are all over the huge development.

We spent a lot of time with Grace since Grammy and Pop Pop watch her during the week.
Zoe and Ana enjoyed seeing Travis (my cousin). He came to Grammy and Pop Pop's house for the weekend with Nanny and Pop George. Travis made swimming in the pool VERY exciting.
Mayci came to visit us too. (She's my cousin.) Since she had to work she was only able to visit for one day. It is unbelievable to me, but Mayci is graduating from high school in just a few weeks. She was born the year I graduated from high school... so someone explain how it's possible that she's done with high school. I mean... I was just in college, like, yesterday. OK, fine. Maybe it wasn't just yesterday. (Umm... now I feel really old. Let's forget I mentioned this.)
There were early morning play sessions before the sun was barely up.
Pop Pop took us to the Central Florida Zoo.
We saw an alligator. What trip to Florida would be complete without an alligator? (Or... maybe this was a crocodile. I've stopped paying attention.)
Oh! Look! I was in Florida, too!
There was a train ride in the parking lot of Waterford Lakes Town Center.

And... at the very last minute... we saw Snow White (at the MCO terminal).
Fun was had.

We came home.

Zoe would like to hop on a plane more often then we already do. Just this morning as she was walking through the kitchen she announced to me "I sure miss Grammy. And Pop Pop too. Can we go see them today?" Sadly... she'll have to wait until the end of June for them to visit us... and then the beginning of August for us to visit them. Tough life she's got.

Grace in Small Things - 46

1. Weekend mornings when Ana sleeps later and Daddy takes Zoe downstairs.

2. The sounds of rain on the front door cover/awning.

3. A new box of crayons.

4. How careful and thorough Zoe is when trying to pick out books for a friends birthday gift.

5. The free hour preview of playing a silly downloaded computer game from Big Fish Games. Something about the free hour always makes playing more fun.

Grace in Small Things - 45

1. Baby hiccups.

2. Our flowering cherry tree when in full bloom... and the way it looks like pink snow when the petals fall in the wind.

3. Ana's frustrated temper tantrums. The way her platinum blond hair is set off by her deep red angry face. (Mean mommy that I am... I laugh every time.)

4. The sound of the ice cream man rounding the corner... and knowing that one day we'll be ready and we'll be quick enough to catch him.

5. Freshly brewed iced tea.