Leavenworth

Here are some pictures from our trip to Leavenworth...

As you can tell, we all had a great time!

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To celebrate National Alisa Day (aka-my birthday) we are driving 6 hours to my in-laws -- who doesn't want a road trip with two small children for a birthday gift? Actually, Kevin did a great job yesterday celebrating my birthday and I was promised a chai and a People magazine for the trip--so, it is practically a day off, right?!

This and that...

This is one of those posts that just encompass a little bit of everything...

This past "weekend" (a pastor's weekend is not your average Saturday/Sunday) our family headed to Leavenworth, a "Bavarian" village located just west of the "apple capital" and just east of the Cascades Mountains. Kevin and I visited Leavenworth a few times in college and it was fun to go back. It was also fun because we got free lodging at a great place due to someone Kevin knows in Presbytery. I'll post more pictures later.

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On the positive Hannah news front: Hannah has lately seemed to be really understanding the alphabet in a deeper way. The other day when Kevin told her that we were going to Leavenworth, she practiced saying Leavenworth a few times and then told Kevin that it sounded like "L" -- where did she get that?! Then, this morning while feeding Abby her yogurt, she asked what kind Abby was having. I told her apple and she then said it sounded like "[making short a sound]". Hannah definitely does not know all of her alphabet letters, nor has she learned much more about letters since starting preschool (a source of frustration for me). Still, we do try to teach her (or at least, say) the letter sound along with the name of the letter. The kindergarten teacher in me was just thrilled to hear her putting it together in a more complex way.

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On the negative Hannah news front: last night Kevin and I went out to a play, having a sweet church lady watch the girls. Abby, who was exhausted after our trip, went to bed before we left and slept the whole time. Hannah was a pill. Her behavior has been improving, mostly, but last night she was awful! When we got back at 9:30, she was still up, having refused to go to bed and thrown a fit. She then pretty much trashed the place. Sweet church lady did the best she could, but Hannah was a handful.

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Abby has taken her first steps! I'm so proud of my girl! I honestly thought Christmas was a realistic prediction of when she would walk. For a girl that didn't crawl till 10 1/2 months, walking at 13 is pretty darn good. So far, she has gotten up to 4 or 5 steps. Best part -- when she falls, she doesn't get upset. Kevin and I were both worried that our cautious girl would be held back on the walking front due to not wanting to fall. Of course, she also has her first "black eye" due to crashing while attempting to walk....

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I got a job! Not sure if that "!" is excitement, dread or just plain fear... Now, don't get too excited -- it is very part time, which is about the only time I have. I will be doing after school programs for the school. For 2 days a week I'll be working with 10 2nd graders to improve their reading and math, then for 1 day a week I'll be teaching a digital photography class at the high school. This job is perfect for me -- gets me working in the district, is at a time where it isn't too disruptive to our lives, actually uses my teaching gifts (something my old tutoring job never did) and pays fairly decently. It will also be a way to get me substitute teaching some in the elementary, which I am less excited about but, at this point, I really miss teaching and need something outside of the girls, even for a just a few hours a week.

This week is sure to be crazy -- in the next 2 and 1/2 days I've got a dr. appointment for both girls, playgroup (which I run), preschool, meeting for job, dance, birthday celebration (cake making) and a newsletter to write. Oh, and packing to go on a 3 day trip. Ugh. I feel tired already...

Sweet on the outside.... trouble on the inside?

Lately I feel like I am living with identical twins, one good, one evil (of course they never appear at the same time).

This is good twin.

Isn't she cute? Adorable? She gives lots of hugs, tells you she loves you, loves story time, caring for her babies and playing with her sister.

This is what bad twin did today.

She refuses to do time outs, doesn't care what you take away from her, refuses to stay in her room for nap time (now that she knows how to use the baby door lock, no place is safe from her) and frequently tackles her sister. This kid has me pulling out my hair with no clue how to get her back in line.

Good and bad twin will be sleeping in this room tonight. Maybe a sticker chart to get furniture and toys back will help... We'll see. At this point, I will try anything, so if you have a crazy idea, shoot it my way.

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Here is one of my birthday trees. It is the Japaneses maple. The Prairefire Crab Apple tree is just a stick in the ground.

Rest for the weary

This past week has been a blur --- Kevin left at 4:45 am Tuesday morning for a conference in the Colorado Rockies and is driving home as I write this, 9 pm Friday night. It has been a LONG 4 days, but I survived, and for that, I am proud. Have never solo parented this long.

So, at Kevin's conference, which was for the Company of New Pastors, a PC(USA) program to support new pastors that Kevin joined his last year of seminary, he got to hang out with a bunch of Princeton friends. His roommate was Kenny, our neighbor and very good friend, which made me jealous that Jennifer and I couldn't tag along and hang out together. He got to meet another friend's 3 month old baby (but I'm not too jealous of this as I'll be meeting little Asher at the end of the month) and just generally got to hang out with a lot of cool people. Me -- I tried to make sure that all three of us girls lived through the last four days (cleanliness optional). Uhhh. Lucky Kevin. Tomorrow, lucky me -- I see a morning to sleep in, a People magazine to read and a nice big no foam, no water Vanilla Soy Chai to drink. It will be nice....

Someone recently asked me about the website with all the butterfly stuff and I thought I would include this link - they are having a sale where you get free fairy/butterfly wings when you spend $75 (which is a bit much) or just free shipping on orders over $35. Sale ends soon (like four days, I think).

The Lost Abby Stats Post

Really. It has taken me almost a month to post on Abby's 1 year development - something I've been waiting to do for three weeks now. My excuse? Well, there are plenty and I'll just skip them least I forget to give the Abby update.

Abby is 21 lbs and 4 oz, which puts her in the 52% and 29 1/2 inches, which is at the 57% (her height based on the sloppy standing measurement had her in the 25%--which is kind of a big deal because it made her weight way over her height as opposed to practically even). So, she perfectly proportioned, right in the middle (a place Hannah never hung out).

Speaking wise, she is developing quite a vocabulary. Here it is as of 1 year:

Dada

Mama

Hannah

Kitty

More

Uh-oh

Ball

Yeah!!

Pretty extensive -- although she doesn't do them perfectly clear or all the times we put her on the spot to do it. Kitty is really more of a "titty" or something like that - and she likes to follow it up with a lip smacking sound, like she is calling Bentley to herself. Dada and Mama often become more of a "dadadadadada..." or "mamamamama..." as she impatiently tries to get us to do what she wants (most often, pick her up!).

Teeth wise she is coming right along -- she had 8 when she turned one (the four middle ones on the top and the bottom) and the next week she got her first molar (ouch!). She does not like teething, but hey, only 11 more to go!

Abby also loves to blow kisses to us. Learned it from her sister who has a ridiculous routine of "2 kisses for you -- make sure you rub them all around! No, that one was for your head, not your cheek! Okay, now catch two to give to Daddy. Rub them all around for Daddy!" and so on and so forth. Still, Abby likes to participate in putting Hannah down for a nap and thus, has learned how to do kisses.

In the movement area she is still behind where Hannah was, although doing so well that I'm not worried that I'll be carrying her to 1st grade. Loves to crawl, loves to pull herself up on things and cruise around. Just yesterday she finally figured out how to use a push toy correctly and is zooming all around with it. It might take awhile for her to walk just because she is so cautious -- she won't let go because she doesn't want to fall (a fear Hannah never had). Maybe by Christmas she'll be walking? Easter at the latest? (Okay, that was a joke).

Every time I post on Abby I feel the compelling need to state that she is our sweetheart, our little love bug baby (in some form or another). I hate to bore you with the same post, again and again, using just different adjectives, but it is true! Our backs hurt from the constant carrying, we wish she wouldn't cry every Sunday when the nursery worker takes her, we hope for the day when she wants someone other than me or Kevin to hold her, but we revel in our daughter who is so full of love for us and expresses it so well.

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In other news, you might have heard that Obama won by a landslide. Not talking about the general election (although, 53% is pretty close to one), but the preschool one. Hannah's class, in the Republican belt of north/central WA, voted 10 to 4 for Obama. I'm guessing most of them didn't ask their dad's who to vote for (although our county, and all the counties around us, went McCain, I'm proud to say that Spokane went for Obama, something Kevin and I thought might happen when, the last time we were there, we noticed only one McCain sticker-and it was really more a Palin sticker-and at least 10 Obama stickers. For the Governor's race, how counties voted was totally, 100%, decided by the mountain range separating Eastern WA from Western WA-spooky, huh?)

Back to the preschool vote -- I totally violated my daughter's right to cast her ballot in privacy and spied on her. She voted for Obama (which I'm guessing has more to do with his fun name than her parents sharing their voting beliefs just because we didn't talk to Hannah about it -- she is a big mouth and Kevin takes seriously pastors not sharing who they vote for, although he did preach two sermons on our responsibilities as Christian to allow our beliefs to influence how we vote, just like we allow it influence how we parent, do business, etc.) and Dino Rossi, splitting her ticket between party lines. Disappointed that she voted for Rossi, he's struck me as a slimy car salesman type, but with a cool name like Dino, how could she resist?

As I was putting her to bed Tuesday I explained to her that Obama got the "most-est votes" and would be President. Tried to tell her that she should remember this day because it will still matter when she is bigger, that is was extra important what happened. I thought I was getting through to her till she asked when she could watch Obama and McCain in the races and then pantomimed swimming. Yes, my daughter was confusing the presidential race with the Olympic swim races (which, if those were mixed, Obama is thankful Phelps didn't join in). Well, teaching Hannah about civic duty and presidential politics might still be advanced, but, hey, I tried and I'll try again.

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I think it should also be mentioned that this past Saturday marked the beginning of, what we at our house call, National Alisa Month (aka-November). There are 20 shopping days left till the big (28?!) event. Mom, Kevin, if you are wondering what I want, look here. Kevin did kick off the celebration by bringing home two trees today to plant outside (I guess wet fall is a good time to do so-who knew?). We now have a Prairefire Crab Apple Tree and a Japanese Maple Tree. Our barren front yard will definetly benefit from the addition of these two trees (pictures at a later date).

2 Little Pumpkins...

Our Halloween celebrations were kicked off by some good ol' fashion pumpkin carving. This month I have inundated Hannah with pumpkin books, both fiction and nonfiction, so she was dying to stick her hand inside the gooey mess of a pumpkin and pull out some seeds to eat. Carving definitely took a backseat to squishing, although she did have fun telling Kevin exactly what shapes she wanted on the pumpkin's face.


Her grandma had also gotten her a Mrs. Potato Head for pumpkins, which Hannah was more excited about than carving.

Hannah enjoyed showing off her pumpkins, and even let Abby get in on it.


We had a warm-up to Halloween on Thursday, when Hannah went to school in her costume and then later, when we all went downtown for Moonlight Madness. Piggy and Butterfly had fun walking around (and Hannah even left her headband on for most of the time!). On Halloween we had some friends over for dinner (and pumpkin cheesecake dessert-yum!). Brianna also went as a butterfly. The butterflies had fun trick-or-treating, especially when they were given giant size Hershey bars! I do believe while trick-or-treating Hannah was on her best behavior in two days... Abby, unfortunately, had a less exciting time -- being pushed around in a stroller while others are off getting candy isn't the most fun. Next year will be more fun for Abby. Here is a picture of 16 day old Abby getting in on the trick-or-treating. Wore her out... (look at how tiny she is in the stroller as compared to this year!)

Our girls, 1 year ago.