Spring Breakin'

Spring Break was a couple weeks ago down here, but NWA didn't have it until last week. So we had some cousin company. Julie, Hannah, Anna, and Trey came down Thursday. It was Hannah's birthday, so Anna helped me make some funfetti cupcakes to celebrate.

Mary Ella loves some cupcakes!

Cousin love

Friday we took the kids to the Mississippi Children's Museum. It was a blast!

ME sportin some new dance moves.

Music time!

We took a little snack/outdoor break.

Art time!

ME could have driven the tractor all day! After the museum we came home for lunch and naps. Julie and I ran to Sweet Dreams and found Anna the cutest Easter dress. Then when Brad got home we all went out to eat at Amerigo. Yum!

Hot tub time!

Saturday we had planned on going to the zoo, but there was rain in the forecast so we didn't want to chance it. We took the kids to Liberty Park which was just as fun. Brad stayed with the kids after lunch, so the big girls could shop. It turned out to be a beautiful day for it! When we got back home the kids had locked themselves in ME's room to play, and Brad was on the couch. Hmmm...it's a good thing they play well together! ME had a ball with her big cousins! She just hugged and kissed them all weekend! Anna and Trey are so sweet to her and entertain beyond measure!

She had to do everything they did.

"Cheese!"

"Funny faces"

Saturday night we ate in, fish tacos. And had a party on the patio!

Mary Ella was cracking us up with her new dance moves!

Uh oh!

We also roasted marshmallows for s'mores.

Yum!

Pretty in pink on Sunday morning

It's always hard to say goodbye to these kiddos...I cry almost every time. Thanks for a great time and spending your Spring Break with us!

P.S. Last week we took Mary Ella for a follow-up ultrasound on her kidney. And again, Praise God, everything looked fine!

Easter Bucket

Before Mary Ella was born I made her this Easter basket. I love it, and it made for some beautiful Easter pictures last year. But it is too big and fancy for serious, get in the grass and dirt, Easter egg hunting. So I ordered this one for her first, real egg experience. I love Easter, and I can't wait to see what she thinks this year!

I got it from my friends' etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/twosisters76 for $20. It came in just a few days, and I know they are taking more orders. You can choose your color, picture, font, and ribbon. So cute!

"What kind of devil bird chirps at night?"

Can you name that movie quote? It's from Failure to Launch, and it's been going through my mind a lot lately. We LOVE our new house, and having our bed back, but unfortunately the sleep hasn't been so great. We have all kinds of birds in our backyard, and they chirp at all.hours.of.the.night. We don't even have a tree in our backyard, but I guess they live in the ones behind our fence. It has bugged me because I can't sleep in, but since the time has changed they have gone even MORE crazy. If you go to bed at 10 or 11 or 12, they are chirping. If you wake up at 3 or 5 or 6, they are chirping. And it's not just one, it's a variety. I'm all about birds and springtime and new life, but "What kind of devil bird chirps at night???" Daddy finally got tired of it, and after supper at Kristo's we made a trip to Wal-Mart to try and find a remedy.

These pictures were taken after ME's nap. Apparently the birds don't bother her. Ha! We had a little outside playtime.

And found some dandelions on our walk.

Nice, new face

My choice at Wal-Mart was the owl. I figure there's no harm in scaring them away. I don't want to harm them. I just want them to shut up!

She was cracking us up with the "who who."

And Brad's choice was a slingshot. Ha! We'll see how tonight goes!

19 Months

Mary Ella one year ago at 7 months.

Now I'm 19 months!

She loves to twirl!

And carry a purse!

Love this one!

This is her favorite spot in the new house, playing on the brick fireplace in the kitchen. She loves to step up and down it and cop a squat on the ledge. This is also where she goes to perform. It's so cute, but it scares me! I'm afraid stitches are somewhere in our future.

Freshly painted rocking chair, one of my projects while Mia was here. I have since added a pink crown on the top rung.

This may result in stitches too! She can rock so hard that she turns it over! We are definitely in the climbing/acrobatic stage.

"Uh-oh" face

Mary Ella,

ALOT has changed this month! We are finally settled into our new house and our new life in Mississippi. You have a beautiful new room with lots of space to play and a new yard to explore. I couldn't be happier to hear your feet pitter patter on the wood floors every morning. You hit the ground running! You are talking up a storm and are busier than ever. Here's what you've been up to:

• You weigh 30 pounds (95th percentile) and are 33 inches (90th) tall. We had a great check-up with your new doctor. We have scheduled an ultrasound to check on your kidney since it's been a year. I am praying that everything looks good. I also asked the doctor about taking you to a dentist, and he said I could schedule an appointment now because you were so well-behaved. We'll see about that!
• You are wearing 24 month or 2T clothes.
• You eat much better now that we are back at home with our routine and high chair. Still picky about veggies, so we started a Flinstone vitamin a day.
• You sleep like a champ at least 12 hours a night! You have not gotten up one time since we have been in our new house. We have totally switched to one afternoon nap a day. You sleep from 2-3 hours. Works great!
• I have surrendered to the mess of letting you feed yourself with a spoon. I was told at your 15 month appointment to let you do this, but I wasn't about to let everything fall into your lap with the booster seat we have been using. But now that we have the high chair back, I let you go. You get very excited and are doing very well!
• Your vocabulary has exploded this month! I know there is no way I can remember all of the new words you can say, but here are some that I have written down: "me," "Tole" (Cole), "Me---A" (Mia, sometimes), "Joe," "Bad" (Brad), "Anna," "Tay" (Trey), "I" (Eli), "Pa," "Oma", "sky," "water," "peese" (please), "hey" (very Southern), "yay" (even more Southern with 2 syllables), "Minnie," "cheers," "duck," "yellow," "chihuahua" (I have no idea where this came from) and you have tried to say Jessica. You sometimes yell "Ma" for me, and I have heard you refer to your daddy as "my dada." Between my Texas twang, our families' Arkansas' accents, and the Mississippi drawl, I cannot imagine that you will sound like anything other than a country bumpkin. But I love it! You are not talking as in putting sentences together yet, but you will try to say almost anything. I think we are just around the corner from having a full-blown talker on our hands!
• You now know the difference between a pig and the Razorback hog. I was calling everything a pig, but when you see a Razorback you yell, "Go Hogs Go!" And for some reason you think a regular pig says, "moo." Oh well, you got the most important one right! :)
• You love anything that moves, and think everything goes, "choo choo." You especially love spotting airplanes and can hear when they fly over when we are inside.
• Favorite books at the moment: anything with ABCs, "Do Your Ears Hang Low?" "Are you my Friend?" and "It looked like Spilled Milk." You love all of your Karen Katz, Leslie Patricelli, and Sandra Boynton books. I cannot resist stopping to read a book you bring to me, no matter what I'm doing. It melts my heart. I think you already have that figured out.
• You know that Daddy is Brad, and Mommy is Jessica. I had no idea you knew this! One day I was rattling off names for you to say, and you were able to say Brad. I said, "Who is Brad?" And you said, "Dada." You can also point to Brad and Jessica in person and in pictures.
• You know when you are in trouble, and you have started running or coming up to me with your arms up for a hug and lips puckered for a kiss. You use this as a distraction method. The other day you ran around the corner and came back like an innocent angel trying to get a hug and kiss. It cracks me up! You know how to turn it on!
• You came back from Disneyworld with a sassy attitude and a nasty, "No!" It took a couple days, but we got you all straightened out!
• You have a funny new face where you scrunch up your nose and poke your lips out. It is quite comical.
• You still like to be clean and will you a napkin to wipe your hands and face, but you blow your nose at the same time. Ha!
• You like to practice running. I say, "1, 2, 3" and you take off running as fast as you can. You stop, turn around, and do it again. You like to hear me say how fast you are. :)
• On most days you can be seen pushing your baby and stroller through the house with a purse on the handle or on your shoulder, and a cell phone up to your ear. You are a priss! OR cooking in your kitchen and serving food and drinks at your new table and chairs.
• We love you so, baby girl! Happy 19 months!