Naomi is 6 months old.

Just wanted to post an updated picture of Naomi.  She is 6 months old now, and just a doll.  Reaching for everything, playing with her sister, saying "dadada, and baba."  I will try to get some more updated pictures of the 2 of them.  Man, they grow up so fast.

Rembrandt

So, Annalia loves to paint, and most of all, all over herself.  This is her bath outside after covering herself with sidewalk paint.

Then we come inside and she wants to paint with watercolors.  She was in her pj's so I took off her shirt so she wouldn't get the sleeved all painted.  I turn around, and she looked like this.
So, after that, she needed to be washed off again.  And since she is obsessed with the new shower downstairs, she asked to wash off in there.  And she wanted to be by herself. So, at 2 years old, she has taken her first solo shower.  She did a pretty good job.  I didn't have her wash her hair, but she did use the washcloth to get all the paint off.

A Day at the Farm

Yeah, so I know I am behind, this really happened a couple weeks ago.  

We had a great time at Sunrise farms.  Annalia was so excited to go to the Pumpkin Patch, and as soon as she saw the pumpkins on the ground, she somehow knew exactly what she was supposed to do.  She ran over and picked out the perfect pumpkin.  (Which She and Justin carved last night)

They had a cute hay-bale maze for the kids.  I didn't think she would understand what she was supposed to do, but after once through, she just kept coming back to the beginning and going again.  

This is our friend MJ on top of the hay-bale maze.  But if you look in the back, you will see little Anna figuring out how to solve the whole "dead-end" problem.

We went with the MOPS group, and Andrea had her stroller.  For the first hour, Annalia pretended to be scared of the animals, and wanted to ride in the stroller.  Then we figured out that she was just cold.  All us moms were taken by surprise at the temp that day.  I am sure we all went home and finally pulled out the winter clothes!

A la Playa

One of Annalia's favorite books is Dora at the beach.  She loves the sand and the water.  This girl has no fear.  She would have walked right out into the bay if I let her.  Instead, she had to live vicariously through Elmo.  As she was able to toss him into the waves, and he always came back to her (except that one time Mommy had to wade out to retrieve him.)

Ode to my Children

I was convicted recently that I, as a parent, need to make sure that I share the blessings of parenting.  (Not just the "poop in the hair" or the "she ate a cricket" stories, and good as they are).  A friend recently mentioned that Justin and I have convinced him not to have kids yet, with our night-time tales, and the crazy things that kids do.  (Don't get me wrong, I know he loves my kids, he showed up with an Elmo couch for Annalia one day, just because.)  So, I wanted to share some of the beautiful stories.

• I had a really bad day, where everything I tried to do seemed to fail.  I was sitting down with Annalia, feeling sorry for myself, and I asked her "Can you say, 'Mommy's a failure?"  She looked me straight in the face and said, "No Mommy, I can't say that."  Then she held me as I cried tears of joy.
• Most mornings, Naomi wakes up happy, and when I come in, she is cooing, playing with her hands, and just all together beautiful.  When I walk into her line of vision, her eyes meet mine, they light up and her face breaks out into the biggest smile.  My heart just melts.
• The other day, as I was nursing Naomi, Annalia was, ever so gently, rocking Ernie to sleep.  While holding his head, she used her whole body to gently lay him into Naomi's Moses Basket.  When I said I need to put Naomi to sleep, she calmly informed me that Ernie was sleeping there and Naomi would have to find another place to sleep.  Eventually, she was able  to agree to a co-sleeping arrangement.  She is such a good little mommy.
• For the past couple weeks, everytime Justin comes home, she runs into his arms and says "Mommy AND Daddy are home now!"

I will have to share more later.  I promised the cutie we would play with sidewalk chalk today. 

Annalia turns 2!

Annalia turned 2, on September 12, 2008.  We threw a small party for the cute one, and me, who has always hated theme parties, went crazy creating a Super Why party.  Princess Pea cake, Super Why invitations, and a full Super Why story game where the kids had to find Super Letters all over the house.  I must say, it was worth it.  Annalia thought it was a ton of fun.   

My first attempt with fondant.  I made her a Princess Pea cake.  And it must have looked something like her, because Annalia announced "It's Princess Pea" as soon as she saw it.

A little love for Naomi.  Ella and Anna giving her a kiss.

Last year, she was more about the wrapping paper.  But this year, she knew how presents work, and she was all about what was inside.  As soon as she would get the toy out, she would hand it off to Justin  saying "Could you open this please?"  The politeness started to wane as the evening went on.

I asked her what flavor of cake she wanted, and of course, it was chocolate.  She is Karlene's daughter after all.

Naomi had a good time too.  Here she is making a face at Becky.

She loved her Princess tent.  Of course, she thinks it has something to do with Princess Pea. . . oh well.

A little Sunday Afternoon Ball

Nana and Naomi.  Isn't she getting big?  

I don't know if you can tell, but she is smiling like crazy at Uncle Patrick, and soon-to-be Aunt Nicole.

Mighty Girl!

She insisted on pulling Patrick in the wagon.

Daddy and Uncle Patrick trying to show Anna how to hit the ball correctly.

Oh well, so what if she hits it backwards.  She is having a great time.