Daddy Time...

I think Elsie has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger...and I think they both enjoy it! One day I was busy feeding James so Elsie asked Daddy to "Please put a bun in her hair"...(to her a bun is the same as a pony!) Jon is such a guy's guy...so these pictures are pretty special...
Look at that pony tail! It is amazing to me that Jon can figure out how to take a motor apart and back together...but he struggled with figuring out how to get that pony holder to do it's job!

After awhile of bouncing around that Daddy pony tail fell out...so mommy had to do another one...Elsie wanted one that looked like a tree on the top of her head...just like in the story book "Stephanie's Pony Tail" by Robert Munch

After the pony tail Jon and Elsie looked through the new American Girl catalogue...and Jon took it one step further and pulled up the American Girl web site so they could create a doll together...so cute! I think Elsie has a pretty good Daddy...

Teething and Chew Toys...

This little guy has proven to be a good little teether...so good that I was pleasantly surprised to find 2 little teeth poking through! Earlier in the week I thought James might have been starting to teeth...he suddenly decided to quit napping and he had a bit of a red butt and his gums were starting to widen...but I didn't realize he was to the point of popping those little teeth through!

Won't be long now till we start seeing 2 little bottom teeth every time this little guy smiles...he is gonna look so darn cute! For now James favorite thing to do is chew on all those chew toys...he gnaws on them like a mad man...often screaming at the toys! And Elsie...the ever helpful big sister...is more than happy to dump the entire basket of baby toys out on and next to James...so much for my believe on not over-stimulating babies with toys!

Embrace the Camera...

It is Thursday...Embrace the Camera! My 3 week in a row...I am very proud of myself!

My Mom took these snap shots of the kids and I last night...the kids were up late because my mom and sisters all came over to watch the CMA awards...these pictures were taken right before Elsie crawled into my lap and fell asleep...James was tired, too...but he still managed to stay awake until 11:00! The little stinker!

Some things I simply have to point out...I am in my Pj's with wild hair and no make up because I had just showered! (I do that every time someone is over to hold the baby-thanks mom!) It was almost 10:00 and Elsie was still prancing around in her leotard and tutu...and yes she slept in it all night! And the only reason James is looking at the camera and not crying like he had been doing is because the flash was blinding him! Had to point all that out so I don't forget...life is all about those crazy memories and moments...

Reaching...

James has been perfecting the whole "reaching for toys" thing...he is getting very fast at reaching! His favorite thing to play with is the little wooden man that hangs down from this carseat...as soon as he sees it dangling he reaches it and sticks it right in his mouth...
He is getting good at putting everything in his mouth...it is cute now to watch him chew on all his toys...but it won't be quite so cute when he scooting around on the floor finding every little thing the vacuum left behind and trying to eat it!

Swimming...

Last week we spent the afternoon swimming at the local pool for Elsie's birthday...Elsie was able to choose what she wanted to do...and it was a toss up between swimming, bowling and going to the Mall of America! I am glad swimming won out...this way I was able to sit in the hot tub for a bit!
This was the first time James went swimming...he is a pretty easy going kind of baby so he didn't really have any reaction to swimming. But then he loves taking a bath...so it was probably all the same to him! He looked so cute in his little swim shorts...hanging on tight to Daddy...

The birthday girl and her aunties had fun swimming also...I think they prefer the hot tub over the big pool...

We all swam for a few hours then went home for cake, gift and the pinata...I think Elsie had a fun Birthday...

Elsie Jane...

Last week Elsie let me take a few pictures of her...but at first she wanted nothing to do with the camera...I think she is in the 3 year old camera shy stage. Not so lovely when she has a mother who slightly obsesses about pictures!
Don't ya just love that outfit...she matches so well! And that funky hair...her new favorite way to wear it is in those stretchy headbands...right across the forehead! If you haven't noticed this hair style already in previous pictures, she wears it like this almost every day!

On this particular day she found Auntie Ceara's high heals...yes, Ceara I stole your shoes! Elsie pranced around in these heals and pretended to be Auntie Ceara for the afternoon...

We tried to do a little photo shoot...Elsie was actually willing so I had to take advantage of it! However, because it is always something...and the sun was shining in quite harshly making the photos look rather dark...but at least we tried...

A little attitude going on here...

Birthday...

For Elsie's Birthday we just had a low-key day on her birthday...she had her first day of dance class then went to visit Grandma B. The day after her Birthday we went swimming with her little aunties...(pictures to come!) and had cake and a pinata in the evening...
Elsie had a Barbie Birthday cake...I am not a fan of making cakes...we have cupcakes for every holiday because they are easier to frost! This cake turned out better than I thought it would...even if it does look like she has funky hips!

After swimming we opened all the gifts...Elsie's favorite part! She opened dress up shoes, a dress up dress, a Liv Doll, a new coat and snowpants (which she thankfully forgot she picked out while shopping!) play-doh, headbands, fake fingernails...so many fun little gifts! She is one lucky little girl! Her favorite things are the dress up shoes and dress up dress...and yes, she has already wore them to the grocery store!

Lucky girl...

And the pinata...just the 3 girls wanted to whack at the pinata...they each took turns...and finally after lots of turns the pinata broke open enough to spill out all the candy...

Elsie's turn...in her fancy new dress up dress and shoes...

When the pinata finally broke, it hit against the wall and knocked down a picture...but at least the candy spilled out! I love the look on Marissa's face...I think she looks a little shocked!

Candy, Candy, Candy! Between the super dyed cake and lots and lots of candy we are still on a bit of a sugar high today! I think tomorrow we will start back on our healthy diet...because I know a little girl who is having a few issues from such an icky diet!

Blowing the candles out...and just for the record...the next day Elsie had cake for Breakfast, and lunch and a little for a snack also! Does that make me a bad mother or a fun mother? Tomorrow we really, really need to get back on track! Dye, sugar and a 3 year old mixed together makes for an un-happy mother!

All pooped out from a day of partying...she fell asleep on the couch with her new Liv Doll...and she must have been tired because I don't think she moved all night!

Happy Birthday Miss. Elsie Jane...and to think she is now on the count down for turning 4!

Snack Time...

Last week we got some samples of baby oatmeal in our Diapers.com order...and it just so happens that Elsie loves baby food and begged to have some for a snack! Being a gluten-free family Elsie has only had baby rice...but I let her try the oatmeal...and she loved it!
Yes...she is three. Yes...she is eating baby food. Yes...she is enjoying it! She just might be a little crazy! I remember when we had our foster baby last year Elsie would always enjoy a dish of rice cereal along with the baby...must give her warm fuzzies from her baby days!

Yum...well I think not...but Elsie assured me it was great...and that is all that matters!

Jump, Jump, Jump...

We have a little man our house who loves to jump, jump, jump! A few weeks ago we tried out the Johnny Jump Up for the first time...and James loves it! He is a very active baby...and hates to not know what is going on around him...so this is the perfect thing for him!
Now that he is used to jumping, that is all he wants to do in or out of the Johnny Jump Up...and he kicks his legs like a mad man when we change his diaper...and kicks in the tub till he has water dripping off his head (and all over his mommy)!

James is quite the go-getter kind of baby...and he is working on getting his first teeth now! So far he has proven to be a good teether...just doesn't like to sleep very much...but at least he is not fussy! Such a fun little guy...

Pet Peeve...

I have a pet peeve...and a certain little somebody doesn't seem to care...I cannot stand to look a fridge full of magnets, pictures, paper clippings and whatever else! It really drives me bonkers...a bit too cluttered for my liking...but ever since Elsie has been into colouing and has discovered the purpose of magnets...my fridge looks like this! Sometimes there are so many pictures on the fridge that some of them drag on the ground as we open and close the door! I always tell myself that this is just a phase...and all to soon it will be over...then I remember that James' creative days are next! This just might be never ending...

Embrace the Camera...

For this week's Embrace the Camera I am posting pictures of Jon and James...I think I have more pictures of myself with the children than Jon with them! My mom loves to take photos...so she is always more than willing to snap some of the kids and I...lucky me!
There are 2 reasons I don't have many pictures of Jon with the kids...the first is that Jon works out of town quite a bit...so when we are together we are busy spending time together and forget to take pictures...the second reason is rude but the truth...Jon takes horrible pictures! It seems his eyes are closed, he is making a goofy face or something...drives me crazy!

So these pictures are special ones...daddy and his boy...relaxing after a long day at work...James was loving his daddy time! (after taking several eyes closed pictures I told Jon to keep his eyes open...guess he did...just should have told him where to look!)

Happy Birthday...

My baby girl is turning 3 today...where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday I was snuggling this little baby...and now she is 3! After being on bedrest for the last 3 months of my pregnancy we couldn't wait to hold our little girl...and finally after a fairly long labor and a long delivery Elsie was born...an all natural birth, I might add...3 weeks early! Elsie was a very happy and contented baby...and a very good shopper from day one!

Now she is a sweet, spunky and carefree three year old...she is still a super happy girl...and still loves to shop...much to my delight! Elsie is into mothering her brother, colouring and drawing, fixer her hair, cutting with her scissors and learning the alphabet...and anything else that tickles her fancy at the moment!

Happy Birthday sweet girl...

Decorating...

I have been working on re-decorating Elsie's room...and I think she loves it! James has his clothes in Elsie's room but his crib in our room...so for now we can still get by with a girly theme!
Last winter Elsie and I made the heart picture...we individually glued each sequined in the heart...that took some time...good thing both Elsie and I were working on it together! The hoop pictures are just embroidery hoops with some fun printed fabric inside...

Here is my favorite part of her room...the giant green chalk board! This chalk board was a free chalk board my sister and I picked up along side the road! What a find! Jon thought I was crazy to bring it home...but it works perfectly in Elsie's room...and it is low enough so James can use it when he is learning to stand! The giant Pom-poms I made from a tutorial on the Anderson crew blog...so easy to make and so fun looking...love them!

I love to decorate...I think the best part is that decorating is constantly evolving...so I am never finished decorating...and I think Elsie is going to be quite a little decorator also!

Halloween 2010

Halloween was not a huge success this year! We had the costumes and candy all ready...but then Elsie became sick with the flu...her first time of ever having the flu...yuck! She was terribly disappointed that she could not go trick-or-treating! By the time evening came she was feeling a little better and really, really wanted to go...so she put her costume on and we went just to Grammie and Papa Wayne's house... (please ignore the fingerprints in the window...I do sometimes wash windows!)
I think we had the cutest Strawberry Shortcake and little Gorilla...

James costume was a bit to small on him...the buttons kept popping open down the legs! But he still looks so darn cute!

This is the only picture of Strawberry Shortcake I could take...I think Elsie was a bit too embarrassed to let me take any pictures...Our plan is to go Trick-or-Treating later this week to Grandma B's house...so maybe then Elsie will let me take a good picture!