December fun

Holy Moly, December is here! We are all anxiously awaiting the birth of our baby boy/brother! He could come any day. Its fun to hear everyone guess whether he will be here before or after (or on) Christmas. This past week we took G to the library to see Santa. He read stories, sang songs, and let G sit on his lap. She did so much better than we expected. She didn't talk to him, but when it was her turn she walked right up to him on her own and sat on his lap. She kept looking at him then back at us in complete amazement that she was actually seeing "Ho-Ho". So precious!
Her list of things she would like from Santa keeps growing. A few popular list items are a pony, pretty princess dresses, chewies (fruit snacks), Nala, and The Lion King. She's been a pretty good girl and I think Santa and his elves have managed to meet the demands of her ever growing list.
Mamaw took G on a little field trip to the mall this week. She made her first trip to Build a Bear and got Ruddy, one of "Ho-Ho's deer". She also got to ride the Merry-Go-Round several times. Our future engineer just had to figure out how the ponies went up and down.

Sitting on Ho-Ho's lap! 

He loved her shirt!

Giada and Ruddy

Thanksgiving

This year we spend Thanksgiving at home. G (and Mommy & Daddy) got to see lots of family that they never get to. It was lots of fun. There were over 90 people at the Arnold Thanksgiving! Not everyone was able to attend, but it was close. Giada had lots and lots of cousins to play with and the weather was beautiful and the kids enjoyed being outside.
We also took G to the circus for the first time over the Thanksgiving holiday. She loved the balloons that the clowns made, so long as she didn't have to get too close to a clown without Mommy. Of course the ponies were her absolute favorite!
G has also become Mommy's little helper. She loves to help Mommy to laundry and especially cook.
The Disney princesses are still her top favorite things, but she also has some new interests. She loves Simba, Nala, and The Lion King. She's also a 101 Dalmation fan. Barbies are also a new favorite.
We are all missing being outside. G had a blast helping Daddy pick up all the leaves and riding the tractor.

Don't let this face fool you. She was beyond thrilled!

Finally got this project complete! Looks fantastic.

SNOW DAY in Nov.

The first snow came much early than normal. Last night we got 1-2 inches of snow. It was very windy and the snow drifted so its hard to tell how much we actually got. School was cancelled so Mommy and G got an extra day together! G was beyond excited to watch it snow last night. She was equally impressed when she woke up this morning and the ground was covered. She was ready to "jump in it". We spent a little time outside, but because it was 22 degrees we didn't stay out long. This winter is predicted to be pretty cold and wet so I guess we better invest in some snow pants/bibs so G can play outside a little longer.

Mommy is 33 weeks pregnant. Baby is looking good. He is very active which puts Mommy & Daddy's mind at ease. Now everyone is predicting whether baby will be here before or after Christmas. I guess time will tell.
G was Cinderella for Halloween and we are getting good use out of her costume. She puts on her "pretty dress" almost everyday. We also watch Cinderella the movie almost every day. She loves Gus-Gus, kitty, Cinderella, sisters, and the fairy godmother. Ariel is another favorite princess, she has a Barbie Ariel and a smaller toy Ariel that she loves to play with.
Everyone in our house is getting excited for Ho-Ho's arrival next month. G is trying very hard to be a good girl and listen to her Mommy and Daddy so she can stay on Ho-Ho's nice list. She is also excited to meet the elf Ho-Ho will send in the next week or two to keep an eye on her. Mommy and Daddy are excited for the extra encouragement to listen and be nice, too. G is an amazing kid; she is so good, but she has had some "terrible twos" moments that remind us she is growing increasing independent. Our next couple of weekends are very busy so we went ahead and put up the Christmas tree and decorated the house this weekend.
Our beautiful daughter is doing so well being potty trained! She only wears a pull up when she sleeps. Mommy and Daddy are so very proud. She loves to sit with, read to, and play with Mommy and she loves to watch ball with, run with, and play hide and seek with her Daddy.

Boo at the Zoo & Halloween

In mid-October we headed to the zoo (G's favorite place) for Boo at the Zoo. G wasn't so sure about the bouncy houses, but loved getting dressed up like Cinderella. She also liked seeing all of the other princesses and other characters. We were able to get up close and personal with a few animals. G got to pet a lizard and see the rhino up close. She got lots of candy, but wasn't allowed to eat much of it. She did get a sucker that she enjoyed. 

cheese

Meeting the Princesses

Hugs from Ariel.

Hugs from Belle.

With Belle and Cinderella (her favorite).

Halloween was very cold. We decided not to go trick-or-treating, but we did go to our neighbor's house and feed the horses carrots. The horses were dressed up for Halloween too. One was a zebra and the other was a giraffe. G loves, loves, loves ponies. She got to pet the ponies and feed them lots of carrots. 

Pumpkin Patch

In early October we headed to the pumpkin patch. G had a blast. Her favorite part was the petting zoo:  pony, sheep, and goats. We picked out several pumpkins. G even went down the barn slide with her Daddy and played in the straw in the barn.

Checking out the goats. 

She would've climbed in with the pony if we would have let her.

playing around

Checking out the Indian corn.

Mommy & G

update

     We are now six weeks into the school year and we are all finally getting back into a routine and adjusting to the new schedule. G and I struggled a lot in August with adjusting to me being back at work all day. The school day is an hour longer this year than in past years. Therefore I am with children all day long. I have no time to plan, prepare, grade papers, communicate with parents, etc. until after the students go home at 3:30. However, since I want to see my child for a few hours each day I pack it all up and work from home after she goes to bed. It has made for some very late nights for me and my weekends are not my own. Rather I spend them working on school work:  planning lessons, preparing materials, grading papers, emailing parents, creating curriculum resources, and the list goes on and on. I will lose sleep before I give up time to play and interact with my baby girl. If you are reading this and have a school age child, thank their teacher. You will never know the personal time they sacrifice with their own family for your child.
     We have a very active two year old. She loves ponies. Earlier this month our church had a block party. At the block party G got the opportunity to ride a pony. Brian and I thought she would chicken out, but she surprised us all and LOVED it. She wanted to do it again, but unfortunately the line was very long so we only rode once. She still talks about it today.

     G also LOVES princesses right now. We went to my cousin's wedding last week and she thought the bride was a beautiful princess. She also thought the mother of the groom was a princess because she had on a pretty, pink dress. G got to talk to both princesses and the mother of the groom even held her and danced with her. G was ecstatic. Then the mother of the groom had to put G down and talk to other people. That's when G lost it. She was so upset and wanted the princess. It was quite funny. Needless to say, we have since got her a princess dress for Halloween. G will be Cinderella this year.
     We talk to G about her baby brother almost daily. She knows his name and also calls him baby brother. I think she is going to have a lot of adjustments come December in sharing her Mommy and Daddy. We know she will do fine and she isn't the first child to get a sibling. I think she is going to LOVE having Mommy home all day everyday again. G and Mommy are both counting down the days til Mommy is back home full time!

23 1/2 weeks

G checking our her brother's bed and wanting in the belly picture.

Loving on Uncle Nick at the wedding reception.

     G is quite the singer. She loves going to Kindermusik class and is singing more and more. She will sing her Kindermusik songs, songs from the Frozen soundtrack, and her ABCs. She loves listening to music and DANCING. We often have dance parties in our living room. She has also recently learned to count. She can count all the way up to ten! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of our smart, beautiful girl. She still loves to read books. She listens to Mommy and Daddy read. She reads on her own and does a really good job. It is so sweet. She will read to Wrigley any time he will lay with her. She also reads to her stuffed animals. She can get them to sit still longer than Wrigley.

     We have a very busy fall ahead of us. Our weekends are booked solid. We have trips planned to the pumpkin patch, the zoo, yard chores to finish before winter, meals to cook and freeze in preparation for baby's birth, BOO at the zoo, the Fall Festival, and many more activities. We hope we can get it all in. Fall is always here and gone so quickly. We are all loving the weather!

     We are blessed to have photographers in our family. My sister and brother-in-law did a fabulous job with G's two year photo shoot. Thank you Roberson Photography!