to help with:
laundry
and supervision. 😉
– love ’em.
Wordless Wednesdays: Ever Willing
From My Monkies to Theirs
We had the privilege of going with Aunt Jes to the Zoo last week. [Thank you again, Lauren, for the tickets]. The girls had a blast and were quite good for staying up hours past their nap times.
We started our adventure early, having breakfast in the car to try to get down to the Zoo and utilize our morning energy stock. After bathing in sunblock and stuffing the stroller with dryer sheets (keeps bug away without the need for bug spray on skin [motions to eczema kids]), we hit the zoo. We organized a plan of attack when looking at the map and show times.
Abi was initially QUITE nervous about the animals themselves moving unpredictably. But with Mommy holding her, she only shuddered a little bit and eventually warmed up to the fact that the animals were in cages and not free to, say, bite her toes. It’s funny but while that little girl ADORES animals, the actual things make her nervous and she comes a little unraveled at first. Security is found in the trusted’s arms, though.
Rachael was her regular all-in three year old self. She took an extra step of independence in wanting to walk for most of the Zoo, with some stroller breaks. [Now, I’m a fan for her walking and she’s on the verge of being too big to ride in a stroller at “walking events” but for now if I have the option of getting her red-head skin out of direct sunlight under the stroller’s extended hood, I’ll take it.]
We re-slathered on sunblock throughout the day (Matt would have been so proud, Mr. Apply hourly to avoid 3rd degree white skinned man) and paced outside viewings with inside AC rechargings for this pregnant Momma. But I must say, while the on had some hot moments found behind the double stroller of 66+lbs of kids…. on hills, the breeze and the temperature when not “working out” were perfect! I was thankful. And the baby animals – especially the baby fox? A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E.
The Zoo Park: YAY for burning energy with JOY!
Such a brave “jumper”. hehe.
Abi’s idea was to ride on Rachael’s lap. =)
My Spiderladies.
Turtle Petting:
Oooh… he’s slow and isn’t unpredictable in movements. I can do this!
brave in the trusted arms of Aunt Jes.
– despite her pain-labeled face in this pic, she really was thrilled. Just caught her in an odd-faced moment. –
It was a wonderful time. And while we were there all day, I only took a few pics so as not to be “the photographer” but instead to be fully there. =)
– Thanks for sharing in our Zoo fun!
Mobile Project
I had an idea. While thinking through things that I’d like to get before Hannah comes, I thought about a crib mobile.
After looking around online I wasn’t impressed with the prices. THIRTY DOLLARS? Who pays THIRTY DOLLARS for a mobile?!
So I decided to do something better: make one.
So I gathered an arrangement of ideas in a pile:
And out popped the idea of making butterflies.
So I got to work and made this.
Each butterfly is made of an old clothes pin, painted in leftover pastels from the nursery paints. I used half a black pipe cleaner from our homeschool supplies for each antenna. After cutting out a simple pattern for the wings from an index card, I used some fabric scraps to sew the wings and pinch them into the paperclip. Superglue to keep the antennas on and reinforce the string’s knot. Voila!
I mixed and matched the colors for cute combos.
Then I grabbed two “charactered” sticks from the backyard, sanded them down (something about not wanting bark particles falling in the baby’s face) and washed them (don’t want dirt falling in the baby’s face either), and used some nearby twine-string to adjust out the balance and hang the butterflies. A lighter to cauterize the string’s edges and superglue for reinforcing the knots and attachments to the stick and I’d say this project costing me a total of $0 turned out well. =)
Rachael and Abi each blessed it with a little swing and we enjoyed watching it bobble about.
I hung it on the shelf’s hook coming out from under the shelf hung above Hannah’s crib.
Hope she likes it as much as I do. =)
Plus, it looks great with our pastel nursery with the flower, bee and butterfly chair boarder around the room.
Win, win!
Straight to Bed
Yesterday I cleaned off the extra twin bed in the girls’ room. I had been using it as an “outgrown clothes” pile for a few months after setting it up in celebration of passing out of the first trimester of pregnancy with Hannah. Since Alivia never made it beyond the first trimester, I wanted to celebrate Hannah’s advancement and the Lord’s blessing us with a thriving pregnancy. The plan is for all three girls to share a room in the nursery (Rachael and Abi’s bed will eventually bunk together), and continue to leave our “new kid room” freed up for Respite care kids from foster care and, when the time comes, our new adopted child(ren).
With Hannah baking in the oven and Abi’s second birthday approaching, I set up the bed before I got too big and it would be highly uncomfortable to build a twin bed. Then it sat there… collecting outgrown clothes as a loading dock for storage in the file clothes boxes.
Life continued on as normal.
Looking at the calendar, I came to realize Abi will be two in a little less than 2 weeks. (Wow on many levels). See, 2 is the age Abi will be when Hannah arrives. This may not sound phenomenal to you all, but to me it makes September feel like tomorrow. And all the preparations and joys and anticipations that September holds right along with it.
So I started chipping away at the clothes on the bed yesterday: sorting, stacking, putting in boxes, and labeling some newly added boxes before shoving them under the bed until Abi grows into them, for Rachael’s outgrown clothes, or until Hannah will grow into them, for Abi’s outgrown clothes. Kinda crazy and fun the memories that flooded out of those little clothes as I enjoyed the folding and storing process.
Once the bed was cleaned off, Abi said, “Hannah’s bed” when becoming acutely aware of a new climbing structure in the nursery.
“No, Abi. That’s Abi’s bed…. this is Hannah’s bed,” I pointed to her crib.
She looked confused.
“Hannah’s bed?” She patted the new twin.
“No, that’s Abi’s new bed. Hannah will sleep in the crib.” I re-explained.
She carried on with life.
Today at nap time we followed the normal routine: new diaper, fan on, lights out, Rachael potties. And then Abi took a bold step of initiative.
“Abi’s bed” she said and began to climb up on the twin bed.
“Do you want to nap there?” I asked, a little startled.
A huge smile spread across her face.
“Abi’s bed.” She repeated.
So I let her pick out her sheets (she picked the striped hot-pink ones. hehe), dressed the bed, brought over the familiar loves (ducky, lambie and blankey). And my proud almost 2 year old had the biggest smile I’ve seen on her face as I tucked her in “just like Rachael.”
So proud of herself that it’s contagious.
She was still beaming as she fell asleep – no fuss, no need for verbal reminders of nap time. Just Abi – being huge… just like Rachael.
(shrugs shoulders) That was easy.
Abi’s private section of the nursery.
The nursery’s layout.
Rachael’s close by for moral support. 😉
I was planning on having her try out napping in the “big girl bed” next week and then transition her to “night sleeps” at 2 years old. We’ll see if she doesn’t just transition herself.
Go, Abi, go!!!
– (Sigh) My growing girl.