Bedtime Snuggles

There's nothing cuter than the kids in their warm pajamas, fresh out of the bath, and cuddled up in bed with stories.  Tonight Ava and Isaiah climbed into his bed and read books for a bit.  Here are a few pictures of our two loves...notice the Simba tail in Isaiah's mouth...that is the second Simba that we bought at Disney during our recent trip.  He loves chewing on the tail and must sleep with both Simbas every night. 

Ava reading to Isaiah from a Disney book.  She loves reading with expression and Isaiah loves listening to his big sister!

The next few pictures are of Miss Isabelle, Ava, and Isaiah last weekend when we went to visit.  If you remember, I temporarily "lost" the camera...so here are a few pictures of that day.

Ava loved all the "girly" toys!

Two cousins playing in the kitchen.

"Would anyone like any coffee?"

Miss Isabelle running back and forth on the couch.  She loves falling into the fluffy pillows.  What a smile!

Isaiah after his busy day last Friday...the first night in his "big boy bed."  Sound asleep!

The weather is supposed to be in the upper 40's tomorrow.  Hopefully we can get outside after school and ride bikes.  Spring is right around the corner and we can't wait!

My Three Happy's:
1) Watching the relationship between Ava and Isaiah...they really are best friends!
2) Digging out my Vera Bradley purse!  I bought it last year at this cute second hand store called Miss Meyers.  They only take name brand clothes, shoes, and accessories.  I don't know much about these purses but I have this cute pink pattern and got it for a real bargin!  It looks like it's hardly been used.  Every day when I strap it around  my shoulder I think of my Aunt Barbie!  She loves these!
3) Girl Scout Cookies...being a teacher I find myself ordering more than I think.  This year I ordered 10 boxes!  YUMMY!

Saturdays...You've Gotta Love the Weekend!

Andy found it!  The long lost camera I have been searching for all week has been found.  It was next to our Wii. Last weekend, we used the memory card to upload some pictures onto the Wii for Ava and Isaiah to create puzzles from.  I'm so glad we found it!

Here's a few details of our weekend so far!

Friday:
-We went over to Wes and Kara's house (our friends) to have dinner and see their new house.  It was lots of fun and Ava and Isaiah always enjoy playing with their two boys Carter (1) and Coye (5). 

Saturday:
-Our day started with pancakes and eggs made by Dad!  Yum!

-Andy found a big tub of paper downstairs in one of our storage rooms.  It had tons of card stock, various colors of typing paper, and scrap booking paper.  You should have seen the look on Ava and Isaiah's face when they saw this.  This morning Ava crafted and made books, paper airplanes, cards, hearts, you name it for 2 HOURS!  I'm not kidding...that girl loves glue, tape, scissors, paper, and markers. 

-Isaiah made little projects with Ava too but was interrupted by Andy and I deciding to give him a haircut.  He absolutely hates getting his hair cut.  He's had it done by Andy numerous times but only twice by other people.  It was getting pretty long and shaggy, so Andy took out his kit and went to work.  It looks pretty cute on him!  Isaiah did okay for the most part but got irritable towards the end when Andy was trying use scissors near his face and all the hair was beginning to itch his neck.  Once we threw him in the tub and gave him a lollipop, he was fine! 

-I love decorating the house and switching things around, I've been gradually trying to search through cupboards and storage containers to find long lost treasures that I can use around the house.  The kids don't really mess with the stuff anymore so it's time to get it all back out.  While I was looking, I came across all of our spring decorations and got those out.  The kids were very entertained for a while with their Easter baskets, Easter eggs, and pretending to be the Easter Bunny.  Andy and I were told to "pretend to sleep" while Ava and Isaiah stuffed some of the eggs with treats and hid them.  It won't be too long before the Easter Bunny visits...the little Leprechauns have to come first!

-After lunch the kids ran around the house, jumped off of stools, did somersaults and "tricks," and danced to music.  They love being goofy and it helped to wear them out before naps.

-This evening we met Grandma and Grandpa Van Slyke at Valentinos for dinner.  Then we went to the mall to get new ballet shoes for Ava...her old ones were getting a bit tight.  Grandpa and Grandma bought the kids a new spring coat, Ava picked out a new Tinkerbell nightgown...she already has one but insisted in getting a new one because it was "different...and Isaiah got Toy Story big boy underwear.  He may start wearing them around the house just to see what happens. 

-Andy and I have just settled in for the night to watch a movie.  That concludes our busy Saturday!

My Three Happy's:
1) Isaiah has only gotten out of bed one time so far since last Friday when we got his "big boy bed."  He's doing an amazing job!
2) I stopped biting my nails.  It's a miracle.  We'll see if it lasts.  I always seem to go through phases.
3) Finding my camera...I will be posting some pictures tomorrow.

The Lost Camera...

For many of you who know me, you may think I'm organized and everything has it's place...I wish!!!!!  That is, however, one of my goals in life.  Maybe when the kids get older and I have more time.  Anyway I am known for putting things down and forgetting where I put them.  Ask Andy and especially my kids at school.  I'll be walking around with something one minute, set it down, and then wonder where it went.  Since the first week of school I've always told my class to watch me like a hawk.  Someone usually sees where I put things and can help me relocate what I'm looking for.  Ava and Isaiah love to take pictures and videos with our camera...so I'm not sure if they put it somewhere or if I misplaced it.  Unfortunately the next few blogs will be without pictures.  I've officially lost my camera.

After school today Ava and I were talking about words.  We are trying to learn new words that primary teachers call high frequency words...words that appear often in stories...and many you can't sound out.  I asked Ava what new word she wants to learn and she said "of."  Who knows why she picked that particular word but that's what we'll be working on.  She is so motivated to learn.  That's why we're taking advantage of it now.

I'm not sure if this was just coincidence but tonight Isaiah saw the letter /s/ and told me what sound it made.  He has this little computer game made by Fisher Price where he can type a letter and it says the letter name and sound.  There are also a few other games you can play.  My little guy is growing up so fast.  It seems like yesterday that Ava was learning all that stuff. 

Andy and I always talk about how we look forward to every new stage in the kid's lives.  Each day is a new journey with them...one that can never be repeated again. 

My Three Happy's
1) Coming home to a warm crock pot with slow cooked BBQ ribs...yum!
2) Movie Tuesday: I know it's not a weekend, but Andy and I got the kids to bed and are watching one of our new Netflix movies.
3) Ava Lynn and Isaiah James...our loves.

Big Boy Beds and Our Little Reader

Today was a well deserved day off!  Andy and I had conferences on Wednesday and Thursday night and so Friday is a paid day off.  It was so nice to be at home with the kids...well actually we weren't really home that much...but the important thing was that we were together.

This morning we went over to Julie's house to see Miss Isabelle.  She is an absolute doll and I can't believe how much she has grown up.  The kids really love playing with her and they love her toys!  We played for a few hours, had lunch, and then left when it was time for naps.  I can't wait until summer when we can see each other more often. 

Isaiah is almost 2 1/2 years old.  This was about the time that Ava was taken out of her crib and placed into a real bed.  Today we took that brave move with Isaiah.  His room is pretty small...poor guy...but everything ended up fitting well.  Originally we bought his crib thinking we could use it for his double bed, however using the headboard and footboard just made the room look so small.  Plus it would cost 160.00 just to get two pieces of wood to complete the bed frame.  Right now Isaiah just has a regular bed frame, box spring, and regular mattress.  We're going to try to head over to Homemaker's (a huge furniture store) tomorrow to look for a espresso headboard and cute sports bedding to match his room attire.  Tonight was my night to put Isaiah to bed.  Of course I was worried that he would get out of bed millions of times and it would be such a battle.  Much to my surprise...he never came out and is fast asleep!  I'm so proud of my little guy!  I truly believe that it has much to do with how we started Isaiah's bedtime routine as a baby.  We've always read him stories, sang him a few songs, tucked him in, and then turned on his music.  We've never layed down with him or rocked him until he fell asleep.  Ava was quite the opposite and I think that's why we struggled keeping her in bed when she was 2 1/2.  It's so hard to believe that Isaiah is not in his crib anymore.  He's growing up so fast!

Our Ava Lynn really made us proud today.  This morning we were at home working on her chalkboard and she wanted me to be the teacher.  She knows all her uppercase and lowercase letters and sounds so I thought I'd try writing some sentences to see if she could read them.  The first one I wrote was, "The pig sat."  She knows the word "the" so that was easy for her.  Then she sounded out pig and sat and read the whole sentence back completely correct.  She was so happy and was eager to do more.  So we proceeded to do...The dog ran....The Dad is fun....The cat sat...The rabbit can jump.  On the last one she wanted me to make up a sentence with the word rabbit so she of course recognized that word.  I'm just amazed at how well she applies what she's learned and can already do this.  Andy and I are so proud of her!  We also talked about how the first word in a sentence starts with an uppercase letter and that sentences can end with a period.  So as I was writing these I was asking her what kind of letter to start the sentence and when I asked her what goes at the end she said "A pyramid Mom."  That made me laugh.

We hope everyone has an amazing weekend.  The weather has been a plus here and has made it so nice to go outside and play.  Love to you all!

My Three Happy's
1) Having a full day with my family
2) Seeing my sister and Isabelle!
3) Isaiah learning how to sleep in a big boy bed and staying in it on the first night...we love you Boo!

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day

...sharing our day with you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

What a busy Valentine's Day it as been.  The kids both woke up to a new stuffed animal in their room...Ava had a caterpillar and Isaiah had a frog.  Along with this they each got stickers, candy, heart balloons, and a puzzle they could color.  They were both pretty excited when they got up.

Ava had her party at preschool this morning and both of the kids had their Valentine party at Julie's house (daycare) with their friends.  At Ava's preschool I was in charge of the games.  I used this cute idea from Family Fun magazine again, but adapted it to fit the Valentine theme.  It's a minature golf game made from plates, different kinds of valentine scrapbook paper, pipe cleaners, styrophome balls, and golf clubs.  They also did a relay race with a valentine pillow.  I have some pictures of this on the slide show.  The kids really seemed to enjoy the activities.  I was lucky that my kids were at art while Ava had her party...I was really happy that I could spend some time with her.

 Ava and Mommy at her Valentine Party at preschool this morning.

Isaiah with his giant frog and heart balloon.

At Julie's house they decorated those mailboxes that I ordered, exchanged valentines, and had treats.  Isaiah must have had something chocolate because he came home with some on his chin. 

Tonight for dinner Andy suggested we have "breakfast" for dinner.  The kids thought that would be fun.  Andy got the skillet out and made heart shaped pancakes, eggs, and bacon.  We ate in the family room and watched "Finding Nemo"...part of it...we're going to have to finish the rest another day. 

Ava and Isaiah are both sound a sleep.  They had a great Valentine's Day and we hope you did too!

My Three Happy's:
1) Valentine's Day--Even though Andy and I don't go out and do something fancy, I love spending time with our family at home!
2) Valentine Cookies made by Andy's Mom...she uses this recipe that was passed down from her mother.  The recipe is in the Richardson Cookbook but I've never actually made them myself.  It's just assumed that she will make us a batch each Valentine's Day.  We look forward to it and love it!
3) My class...for some reason today they were wonderful!  I was not expecting such a calm day being that it was party day, but they did an amazing job and we did lots of fun reading, math, and valentine writing activities.  I wish everyday was like this!

A Little Something Sweet From the Heart

This weekend has been busy and very fun!  Last night we went over to Grandma and Grandpa Van Slyke's house for dinner and Valentine treats.  The kids loved the fun gifts they got in their Valentine bags.  They also helped Grandma decorate a giant chocolate chip heart cookie which was dessert.  After dinner Grandpa suggested that we stay for a little while longer and watch "Snow White," which was on TV, and have popcorn.  The kids thought that was a great idea.   When we got home the kids were pretty tired and went to sleep quickly.

Today we made valentine heart suckers made from 2 candy canes (thankfully Grandma Richardson had some left over from Christmas that she gave us to use), white chocolate or almond bark, sprinkles, and a sucker stick.  This idea was in the February Family Fun magazine.  They turned out pretty cute.  Here are a few pictures of what it looks like...

 This seems weird but you grease the cookie sheet and lay the two candy canes together with the stick in the middle and bake for 3-5 minutes at 375 degrees.  Once they are taken out of the oven you pinch the softened candy cane onto the stick.  After they have cooled you melt almond bark or white chocolate chips and fill the center.  These two parts I did because it required an oven and working with hot food.  The kids used valentine sprinkles to decorate the almond bark. 

 Miss Ava wanted to make a "funny face" while showing off her sucker.

 Isaiah picked this one out to eat...probably because it was loaded with red "lip-shaped" sprinkles.

 The finished product...to make it look cuter I put them in individual dessert bags and tied them with valentine ribbon.  I was pleased with how they turned out and this will definitely be something we make again next year.  We just have to remember to buy extra mini candy canes at Christmas.

 I love decorations but can never find any tasteful valentine ones.  When I was at Hobby Lobby yesterday they had these little canvases on sale.  So I bought those and some iron-on letters to make these little signs to hang in Ava and Isaiah's room.

 Our messy upstairs family room...again...and Isaiah playing with his Hot Wheels track that Daddy put together.  This was so long!

 Isaiah playing with Hot Wheels.  This tub typically overflows with cars.  Grandpa Richardson collects them and gives them to Isaiah often for presents or just for fun.

Ava dressed up and getting ready to play with her American Girl doll.  In her right had you will see the leotard she is getting ready to put on her.  Ava later told me she was getting Emily (her American Girl doll) ready for dance class.

This evening we're off to Great Grandma and Grandpa Richardson's house for dinner and more fun!  It's hard to believe the weekend is over already.  We hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow!  We love you!

My Three Happy's:

1) Hobby Lobby...that store is dangerous and I could spend a fortune in there!

2) 53 degree weather...that's what our outdoor thermometer says right now.

3) A clean family room...our house was a disaster until after lunch.  I turned on some music and told the kids we were going to have a cleaning party.  They actually helped me pick everything up as they galloped and skipped around.  I don't think they even realized how many toys they picked up.  I wonder if that will work next time!

One more funny story to share...yesterday Ava and Isaiah received a Valentine in the mail from Great Grandma and Grandpa Richardson.  Along with the card was some money.  Here is the conversation I had with Isaiah about his money.  I had to write this down yesterday so I would remember every word that was said.

Mommy: "What are you going to do with your money?"

Isaiah: "I'm going to buy trucks."

Mommy: "Are you going to buy a Barbie?"

Isaiah: "Yucky!"

Mommy: "Why is that yucky?"

Isaiah: "Sissie likes Barbies.  I like trucks." 

What a BOY!

A Glimpse of our Week

A Glimpse of our Week

A few snapshots of the things that make us smile. We hope it makes you smile too!

An Edible Beach...Who Knew?

Today I stayed home with the kids.  Ava was up at 2:00am with a 100.6 fever; but when she woke up she was fever free for most of the day.  Then again after her nap it came back  but nothing over the 100.6.  Isaiah has had a low grade fever as well the past few nights.  I'm hoping it's just a virus that will soon pass.  They both played and had a blast today but seemed a little tired.  Andy's going to stay home tomorrow if needed. 

Tomorrow is "Beach Day" at school and the kids are eating lunch on beach towels, can wear Hawaiian style clothing, and bring hats and sunglasses.  So I've tried to create some activities around that theme to do with them.  One of the activities we are going to do is to make an "Edible Beach."  Using vanilla pudding, crushed Golden Oreos, and shark gummies the kids are going to make a beach in a cup.  Tonight I tried it out with the kids and they thought it was pretty neat.  Here are a few pictures of this...

 Loving those gummy sharks!

 "Scooping the Sand" (cookie crumbs)

A finished product.  I wish I had little umbrellas for this!

All in all today was filled with "playing post office" with the mailboxes they made yesterday, games, stories, toys, making boats and airplanes out of boxes, and a movie "Alice in Wonderland."  They're both sound asleep now probably exhausted from the day.  You should see our house...it drives me crazy that it's always messy...but I wouldn't have it any other way.  Time is precious and before I know it all the things that constantly clutter the house will be gone.  They grow up too fast...I keep reminding myself, I can always pick up a messy house, but I can never go back in time and live a day again.

My Three Happy's

1) Staying Home...although the kids weren't feeling the best, we still had fun at home today.

2) Grilling...even in the winter Andy is still able to whip up some hamburgers for dinner and there's nothing like the taste of grilled food.

3) Pajamas...almost every picture you will see of the kids when they have been home all day shows them in their pajamas.  We love it!

Coughs, Runny Noses, and Cold Winter Days

Both of the kids have finally come down the icky stuff that seems to spread around every winter.  They  have slight fevers of 99.3-100 (nothing too terrible yet), runny noses, and coughs.  We've been so lucky that we've gone this far without any illness.  We'll see how tomorrow goes; I've already planned for a sub and have everything ready "just in case." 

The past week has been frigid and unbearably cold.  My kids at school are going crazy because we have not been able to go outside all week because of the negative wind chill.  I can tell Ava and Isaiah are needing some fresh air and exercise.  This weekend is suppose to be in the 40's so we're really excited to get outside again!

Andy and I have been pretty busy preparing for conferences next week so the next few posts might be short and sweet.  Hope things are well with everyone and I'm sure you're all looking as forward to the weekend as we are!

My Three Happy's:
-Mini Chedder Meatloaf Boats...dinner tonight (Smaller miniature versions of meatloaf in the meatball size with homemade ketchup sauce on top...love it!)
-Oriental Trading Company...for those of you who don't know what this is, it's a company that sells seasonal crafts, supplies, etc.  We ordered these valentine mailboxes and foam hearts.  The kids worked on their mailboxes tonight and we will be taking the other 10 mailboxes to daycare for their Valentine Party.  It's so inexpensive and there are so many options!
-My Babies...Andy, Ava, Isaiah, and Jackson...the best family in the world!

Live for Now

Live for Now

These are a few captured moments from the past few days! I find it easier to post lots of pictures this way. Hope you like it!

A Few Captured Moments...

The past two days have flown by so quickly!  Yesterday the kids were both invited to a friend's birthday party at a place called "The Playground."  Basically it's a building with rooms full of inflatables, slides, and climbing things.  They had a blast and were exhausted by the time we got home. 

Today we came home from school and the kids wanted to play outside in the snow.  When Andy shoveled the driveway he made giant mountains of snow for the kids to play on.  They loved climbing the "gigantic hills".  Here are a few of our captured moments...

 Isaiah on a sled ride with Daddy.  He was going really fast at this point!

Ava pretending to plant a garden.  She was using sticks as seeds and was digging holes with her shovel.

There are many more pictures on the slide show above.  We hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

My Three Happy's

1) It's the weekend!!! Yeah!

2) Blankets...tonight the kids were pretending they were groundhog burrows and they were hiding inside them...plus they're just warm and cozy.

3) Miss Isabelle...Julie said that Isabelle loves carrying around Ava's school picture.  I know this summer we will be able to see each other more now that the kids are on the same nap schedule.  She's a doll and we love her so much!

Wacky Wednesday

Wacky Wednesday

A slide show of our snow day!

Wacky Wednesday

Last night we received a call that school was cancelled for the next day.  What a nice feeling it is to know you don't have to set your alarm and rush out of the house.

We've had quite a busy Wednesday and did so many fun things.  We started out the morning with a breakfast complete with pancakes, eggs, and bacon.  We watched the movie Cars, played pirates, water colored, played games, and made gingerbread bears (a cookie kit from Crayola).  Here are two pictures of our fun day along with another slide show.  When you see pictures of the kids you will probably notice that they are ALWAYS in their pajamas.  On the weekends and on days like this when we don't have school our family lives in pajamas.  The kids change into different sets throughout the day of course; but there's something cozy about staying in pajamas and wearing slippers when you know you will be home. 

 Isaiah as Captain Jack Sparrow...you should see him with his entire outfit on.  He's adorable!

Little Miss Ava...she was a pirate but wanted pigtails instead of a bandanna in her hair.  What a lady!

My Three Happy's:
1) Peppermint Shakes...Andy got out our shake maker and whipped up dessert tonight. 
2) No School...our house is crazy when everyone is home, but there's nothing better than being together.
3) Valentine Cards...the kids already started making their Valentines for their friends after dinner.  I wrote on Isaiah's but he chose the valentine, the sticker, and the sucker for each of his friends.  Ava is in the process of writing her friend's names and her name on each one.  She loves it...but it will take us a few nights to complete all of the Valentines for both daycare and preschool.