Easter Dresses

Easter 2014

Lucy 3&1/2 (the 1/2 part has become quite important these days) and Abigail 5& 3/4

Abigail turned 5....a while ago (August actually)

Abigail knew exactly what she wanted: a Fairy Queen Birthday Party. Fairy Queen you ask? Yes, Fairy Queen. What's a Fairy Queen party? Don't worry--Abigail explained every detail of how the day should go and so it turned out just how she dreamed.

 Fairy wings lined the mantle for each fairy princess as they arrived. 

Purpleicious...aka Lucy.

 Each fairy being sprinkled (aka sprayed) with gold sparkly fairy dust.

All of our party guests! Such wonderful friends to Abigail.

We were so blessed and lucky that Katerina, a young woman from church, could come be our resident artist. She is amazing!! She face painted each of the girls faces with whatever they wanted-- no request was too small or big. She was wonderful.

 This isn't a great picture--but Abigail had a crown painted on her forehead.

 Searching for their hidden fairies in our game of "Find the Fairy".

I forgot to take pictures, but soon after the girls arrived each girl got to decorate butterflies with jewels.

 Each girl got a turn being the Fairy Queen on the "throne"--watching the other girls dance and handing out compliments. As the girls took turns being the "Queen" a gold crown (thank you Pinterest inspiration) was placed upon their head. They loved it! There was dancing, dancing, and more dancing until they were all danced out.

 The Lunch Spread

 Fruit Fairy Wands.

 This was the only decision that we had a major influence on....the cake had to be chocolate. Abigail thought she wanted vanilla...but we knew it she really wanted chocolate. Thank you Costco.

And they all played happily ever after!

Changes

Yes--both girls are in ballet costumes--don't your little girls live in costumes too?

We love this house. It is the first house Tyler and I bought. It is the house where we brought Abigail home to in 2008 and Lucy home to in 2010.  It is where their first steps were taken. It is where we planted our first garden together. It is where Tyler installed his first back splash when we updated our kitchen--we love that back splash. We've dreamed many dreams in this house and many dreams have come true in this house. There are so many great things about this house--I could go on and on.

But...

We want more room and our dream house in our dream neighborhood came on the market and so through so many little miracles and blessings our dream house became ours less than 24 hours after walking through it and we move at the end of July. More about the dream house to come.

Abigail's First Day of Preschool

Abigail started preschool today.  She was beyond excited.  We love her preschool and her teachers are darling and enthusiastic.  She came home bubbly as ever and I know this is going to be a great year.

Her "first day of school outfit"

Abigail with one of her teachers

Learning Hour

Some time ago (I know--it's been a long time since I've last posted) I started "Learning Hour" for Abigail and her cute friend Chloe. "Learning Hour" is simply that-- an hour each week that we get together and dedicate to letter learning.  Having a name like "Learning Hour" just makes it all the more fun and official and suddenly instead of feeling like I was making Abigail sit down with me, it became fun and exciting for her and even better to have a friend there too.  For me, it has been a wonderful experience to be "teaching" again and to do something that I love.

Abigail and Chloe painting toilet paper rolls that turned into Octopuses 

Every week we learn a letter (we started with the letters in their name and then moved on from there) and its sound, read a book where that letter sound was a predominant theme, practiced writing the letter in various ways (dry erase board, making it with popsicle sticks, magna-doodle, and so on), and then did some sort of letter page.

 I've kept all of the pages we've made in a binder and over time we've almost made an alphabet book of our own.

Chloe and Abigail eating "O" shaped things like Oranges

Practicing writing

They love these little clipboards and small pads of paper

"F" is for flour

F is for Frog

It has been really fun for me to think of different activities they can be involved in and to sometimes even dig through my old files for ideas.  There is something else besides "fun" though that these little learning hours have accomplished for me--not sure how to quite describe it except to say it has been really very good.

It has also been really fun to have that one-on-one time (or two on one time) with Abigail and her sweet friend.  We've tried to do Learning Hour during Lucy's nap so we really do get an uninterrupted hour of learning.  Then when the hour is done--the girls just enjoy playing together.

Lucy woke up for this "Fairy" fun of "F is for Fairies".  I love that Lucy kind of looks like a fairy here in her pink everything.

 These two really are such sweet and wonderful friends.

Magic Word

Today at lunch* Abigail asked for her sippy cup of water:

Me: "What could you say to ask for that?"

Abigail: "Can I have that water?"

Me: "I'm thinking of a magic word that will help me want to give you that water"

Abigail: "Abra-cadabra!!"

Me (laughing): "That is a magic word. I was thinking of please."

Abigail: "Pleasy-pladeesy!"

What a girl, what a delight!!

*Today's lunch was no normal lunch as a dear friend, Anne, was here in Atlanta presenting at a medical conference, & did a lovely thing of renting a car and coming to our house for a most wonderful visit and lunch. Anne and I experienced Vienna together--and other great cities--during a semester abroad. She is an amazing person who radiates a love for life & adventure that is captivating. She is such a great person and friend.

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home

I'm so glad when Daddy comes home

Glad as I can be

Clap my hands and shout for joy

And get thrown as much and as high as daddy can last

While Lucy isn't yet talking, she makes a clear "again" noise/sound/syllables/word which comes out about 1 second after landing.

And hug him tight like this.

--Lyrics used from "Daddy's Homecoming" from LDS Primary Songbook #210.