Family Fun Night

A few weeks ago, Kevin, Anna and I enjoyed Family Fun Night. We've been trying to do fun things as a family and trying to make it special, and of course devote 100% of our attention on Anna. On this night, we decided to make cookies for a 4th of July party we were going to the next day. Anna had more fun eating them than making them until it was time for sprinkles! Then she was all about it.

SPRINKLES!!!

The final product...

After we made cookies, we made homemade pizzas. Anna did a great job at putting her favorite topping on the pizza and she couldn't wait to eat it!

This is Anna's Happy Face Pizza!

While the pizza was cooking, we sat down and played a game of Memory. Anna loves playing this game on my iPhone and she's VERY good at it so we thought we'd introduce her to the old fashioned way of non-electronic games. :) (She prefers the iPhone.)

After we ate our pizzas and made a batch of Rice Krispie treats, we made a big palet in the floor and all snuggled up to watch Toy Story 2. (Anna and I had just seen Toy Story 3 at the movie theater the weekend before so she was all about Toy Story.)

Family Fun Night was a success. The summer has been so busy and we seem to be going 100 miles an hour so it was nice to slow down for a night and hang out just the 3 of us. I can't wait to do it again soon.

Storytime Live!

I managed to get free tickets to the Nickelodeon Storytime Live show at Robinson Center a few weeks ago. It's a kids show that includes Ki Lan, The Backyardigans, The Wonder PEets, and of course, DORA!!! We went with my friend from work, Christy, and her daughter Caitlyn, and I also invited my sisters and their kids. The kids all loved it! Anna was a BIG fan of Dora especially. I'll never forget the smile on her face!

Anna, Jacie and Christian

Here's Anna glued to the stage! She could barely take her eyes off the action. Christian had a fun night with the girls!

And Jacie enjoyed shaking her little booty to the music.

Another great memory with my sweet baby girl. I love you Banannas!

Big Girl Panties

So far, potty training has been unsuccessful. Nothing seems to work. We've tried everything. I made a sticker chart... she could care less. We've bribed her with treats... doesn't work, she just throws a fit when she doesn't get them. We've tried bathroom breaks every 30 - 45 minutes... nothing ever happens. So now I'm trying "Big Girl Panties!" I was hoping it would encourage her to start using the potty. When I first put them on her, she felt so proud. She said "I'm a big girl Mommy!" I thought to myself this could be our big break - the panties will do the trick. WRONG! As much as she likes wearing the panties, she likes to pee and poop in them even more! The other night, after a trip to the potty with no success, she ran into the living room and pee'd in her panties and all over the floor. And she justs laughs and laughs! Trying to stay cool and let her know that we don't pee pee in our panties, I cleaned up the puddle in the floor, I changed her, put her in a new pair of panties and not five minutes later that little stinker pooped in them! I hear her calling me from the other room, "Mommy, I pooped!" I walked into Kevin's office and sure enough, poop... all over the floor! At this point, she went back into the diaper as I cleaned up the poop. First night of panties - no success. The best part of the whole story was I missed a turd and the next day she called me into the office and told me I forgot to pick up some poop. Anyway, since then we have continued the panty thing but she still continues to pee and poop in them. But starting next week, her daycare is having a potty training boot camp. Maybe they will have better luck than me. Either way, she still looks pretty darn cute in her Big Girl Panties.

Let's Swim!

Our friends were out of town for the weekend but said we could use their pool if we wanted, so of course we took advantage. It's too hot not to! Anna had a great time jumping off the side of the pool into the water. She also learned to swim... sorta. We taught her how to kick her legs to swim so she started swimming back and forth between me and Kevin. I was very proud of her, and she was excited too because she likes to do everything by herself with no help. Typical 2 year old!

Here she is about to jump off into the water. All that jumping and swimming required a short drink break.

When we got out of the pool, Anna's diaper was soaked full of water. Kevin and I were cracking up at the sight of it.

Fathers Day 2010

Fathers Day was very fun this year. For lunch, I had my sisters and their kids over and we made lunch for my Dad, better known now as Papa. All the kiddos love their Papa.

After lunch, my family from Fort Smith came for a short visit. I didn't get any pics while they were here, I'm sure Peggy can send me some. It was great to see them because it's been a while.

Kevin had to work on Fathers Day, but when he got home we tried to make him feel special. Anna had made a pretty picture for him at school. Their was a sweet poem on it and her cute little piggy prints.

The picture had a nice poem on it that said...

"Walk a little slower Daddy," said a little child so small.

I'm following in your footsteps, and I don't want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast. Sometimes they're hard to see;

So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.

Someday when I'm all grown up, you're what I want to be.

Then I will have a little child who'll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right, to know that I was true;

So, walk a little slower Daddy, for I must follow you.

Happy Fathers Day Kev! You're one in a million.

Reed-ster Man's Birthday!

Anna's best buddy, Reed, celebrated his 3rd birthday at Jump Zone a few weeks ago. Anna was in heaven because she LOVES jump houses.

Happy Birthday Reed!

There she goes...

Even Kevin got in on the fun.

S#@*%+

Anna said her first dirty word today. Considering Kevin and I don't have the cleanest vocabulary, I'm surprised it took this long. :) Either way, we were at dinner and she was being really loud so we asked her to be quiet. She looked at Kevin and said, "Don't tell me to hush. You shut-up Daddy!" I realize this word is tame compared to others but Kevin and I were in shock because we've never heard her say anything like that. How could my sweet Anna say something so ugly? Who has taken over my childs body? Made me a little sad. But I'm sure when she's a teenager and talking back to us, I'll wish she was saying shut-up! Oh, the joys of parenthood.