Hello....Paintbrushes!!!

Today Mommy and Emily had a nice relaxing day at home! I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing that every morning when Emily wakes up she says, "Where are we going?" So, today we had the day "off". We had quit an eventful day! It started off outside at 8:20 in the morning trying to see Daddy's plane land - which we realized we missed when Charles called to say he was here and we were still outside :). Then we fixed bacon and eggs for breakfast and Emily discovered that she likes fresh raspberries. Then we read the ENTIRE book of Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes! Then the queen showed up for a visit. Still not sure exactly where the queen came from or who she is, but she apparently was here all day and had to have her own piece of PB&J sandwich for lunch! Then we played beauty shop and fixed each others hair. Then we painted - the point of the whole post, which I elaborate on below! Then we had lunch, read some more Nursery Rhymes and took naps....woo hoo :) Oh yeah, and we fixed dinner in the crock pot all day!

So onto the point of the post (I am sorry, this is looking like an Aunt Vicky Post :) So for about the last year and a half, ever since Emily discovered the art of painting, it has been a big hassle and MESS for her to paint. We had to strip her naked, strap her into her booster seat, watch as she finger/hand painted the paper, the table, herself, the booster seat, etc., run her to the shower and hose her off as soon as she was done! Then her painting would turn into a big brown mess because she would just mix all the colors together on her paper! Needless to say she loved to paint and I hated for her to paint because I knew the mess it would turn into; therefore I very rarely let her paint!

That is until now.....someone invented paintbrushes for this very reason!!!!!! Why it has taken me a year and a half to think to buy paintbrushes at Wal-Mart (to which we have gone EVERY week of the last year and a half) I have no clue! But this week at Wal-Mart I actually remembered to buy Emily some paintbrushes and today we had our first experience with them!

Emily loved them, I loved them, everyone was happy :) It is still a bit more messy than her Color Wonder Markers (thank you to Aunt Vicky and Uncle Jeremy) but not nearly as messy as finger/hand painting! Also, her picture turned out very colorful and bright and cheery :) And she also got the hang of switching paintbrushes for each color very quickly.

So, I thought i'd share some pics of her creating her first paintbrushed masterpiece! She has already told me that one is for her bedroom door, one for her bathroom door and one to take to Daddy at work....in that order :) Enjoy!

Painting so nice and clean!

"Hi Mommy!"

Her 3 finished Masterpieces - so nice and colorful!!!
A "brown" sample from a previous finger/hand painting!

Potty Training Update

While I don't have a picture for this post, I do have VERY GOOD NEWS!!! Emily has not had an accident since LAST SUNDAY!!! Yes, it has been over a week since she has had an accident! I just can't believe how well she has been during potty training! We started on Saturday, January 17th. So, we are in our 5th week. The first 2 weeks were really great! Then, the ice storm hit and with all the excitement and guests she kind of forgot about going in the potty! However, since then she has done REALLY good!

She still wears a Pull-up during naps, at night and during gymnastics. Her Pull-up is always dry when she gets up from her nap so it would probably be OK to sleep in panties...I am just not that brave yet :) The same for gymnastics. She usually goes to the bathroom once or twice during class and they Pull-up is always dry but I am REALLY not brave enough to try gymastics in panties yet! Her Pull-up is still wet at night so I think it will be a little while before we can wear panties at night!

Anyway, I just wanted to share her good news! She has just done such a good job and I am so proud of her!!!!

6 Month Dentist Check-Up

Among all of the birthday celebrations last week Emily had her 2nd dentist appointment. She was actually very excited about going because she remembered all of the stuff she got at the last appointment!

Again, she was the perfect patient. The dental hygienest (sp?) even said she needed to show some of the older girls how to sit still in the chair. Emily passed with flying colors, no cavities again woo hoo!! He did tell us that we should get her to quit sucking her thumb by the time she is 3. I think it's going to be kind of hard because she sucks it at night while she's alseep! How do you stop that?!?!

Notice the sunglasses she had to wear to block the light :)

Yes, she is using the pointy hook thingy in her mouth...Emily did not flinch at all!
Here she is using the water sprayer and the sucker!! Emily didn't choke, cough, move, etc.!!!

Surprise...Happy 30th Birthday to Me :)

So, for the last of my 30th birthday celebrations, Charles and I were going to go out on a date tonight just the 2 of us! Gigi came up to babysit Emily. We were going to go to Outback to use our gift certificate (thank you to Layne & James) and then go to the movies.

Well.......Charles had a big surprise up his sleeve! He calls me about 4:30 and says that he wants to go somewhere a little nicer than Outback so I should dress up a little more. Then when he comes home from work I am all ready to go thinking we could make the early show and not be home too late. Well, he is taking his sweet time getting ready and tells me that we are going to have to eat a little late because he couldn't get a reservation any earlier. I thought OK so I fix dinner for Emily and Gigi and then just sit down to read my new People (the best Christmas present ever :)!

Charles gets a phone call and goes into our bathroom to take it. Then someone comes in the front door and it is James and Adrianne! I was like what are you all doing here! So we sit and talk for a little while later and in comes Gary and Tarah and Charles is like Ok, we have to go!

So we walk outside and there is a limo with the driver standing there all in his little cap and white gloves and everything....so cute!!!!! So we all get in and drive up to Rogers for dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse....YUMMY!!!! The table is all decorated with "30" confetti and a beautiful arrangement of flowers and we are in our own little room just the 6 of us! It was so fun and I was so surprised! I really had no idea that he had planned anything at all!

After dinner, they bring me chocolate cake with chocolate icing with chocolate covered strawberries and lit candles! It was gorgeous and delicious! It was a perfect evening! And I was really, truly surprised! The perfect way to celebrate my 30th birthday!!!!

Emily wanted to see in the limo before we left :)

Happy Birthday to Me Again :)

My real birthday was Thursday the 19th. I had a nice, relaxing, unproductive day :) Emily and I had a playday at Scheri's house with her and Sage Lee and Tarah and Jack. Scheri had baked a cake that the kids put sprinkles on and they gave me a gift certificate to Motherhood Maternity...how did they know just what I needed :) We had lunch at Scheri's and then came home and both took a nap!!!

Charles left work a little early and came home with balloons and a cookie cake! It was delicious...I don't know when the last time I had a cookie cake was! I also got the new John Grisham book that i've been wanting too! Then, we went to Fast Lanes to go bowling! Emily LOVED bowling! She even got to wear bowling shoes...they were so cute! We bowled and had fried pickles and pizza....a very nutritious supper but oh well! After we bowled we went and played some games like they have at Chuck E. Cheese's. Emily collected lots of tickets and got to pick out 3 prizes!

We came home and had cookie cake! It was great 30th birthday!

Happy Birthday to Me :)

This year I turned the big 3-0! It sounds so OLD! I know in the big realm it is really not that old, but I still sounds old to me :) My celebration started on Sunday when the family came up for lunch at my favorite, Red Lobster! My mom and Emily baked me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing....just what I asked for! Mom and Dad had spent Saturday night with us and Mom had gotten up with Emily on Sunday. So, I got to sleep in a little which was wonderful! However, when I did get up, Emily is sitting on the counter, her face covered in brown and blue frosting! Her and Mimi were icing my cake :)

After lunch we came back here and had cake and ice cream and I got to open my presents! I got lots of money that I can spend on whatever I want to :) I have spent a little of it but still have quite a bit left! It is hard now to spend it on me...I never thought I would say that :) Thank you to everyone for coming over and sharing my birthday with me! Thank you also for my gifts!
I am sorry that I didn't get more pics than this! I think my Mom has them all on her camera!

Valentine's Day 2009

We had a nice relaxing Valentine's this year! It started on Friday when Charles brought Emily and I flowers! I got my favorite Gerbera Daisies and Emily got her favorite a red rose! I also got a box of Dove Chocolates! My absolute favorites! Charles started that several years ago, I always get a heart shaped box of Dove Chocolate. He knows me too well :)

We went to Penguin Ed's on Friday night for Emily's Valentine's. On Saturday at lunch, Emily and I surprised Charles at school with a picnic lunch and cake from Rick's Bakery....his favorite! We had planned on eating outside on campus, but it was too cold! So, we sat in the back of my car on beach towels! Emily loved it, Charles and I had cricks in our neck after....but we were all together...ahhh :)

Then on Saturday night Mimi and Bub stayed with us and Charles and I went out for our Valentine's. We went to Jonny Carino's....YUMMY!! I love their salad and this one dish...I don't remember then name of it. It is noodles, sauce and lots of cheese! You can't go wrong with that! Then we went to Target and bought baby bedding for Baby Girl Martin! The perfect Valentine's Day!