the ice cream shop

I am not above bribery! Especially when it works and results in me getting good ice cream! A while back we started a good listening jar. I put a cute tag on it with a ribbon and placed the jar on the kitchen counter. I told her that each time she was a good listener and did exactly what I asked her to she would get to put a penny in the jar. There are measurement lines on the side of the jar and I told her each time the pennies got to one of the lines she would get to go to a real ice cream store and pick out her own ice cream!
She doesn't remember to ask for a penny (and I don't remember to give her one) everytime she listens to me so it has taken her quite a while to reach the line but she finally did.
Saturday we took her to a real ice cream store for the first time! I have never seen her so excited as when she saw all those flavors of ice cream to choose from.

Gotta love that fake little girl smile!

And of course Avery got to enjoy the treat too.

One determined little girl!!

Bribery may not be the best parenting tool. Hopefully we will not still be using this when she is in highschool since I don't think ice cream will have the same value to her at that point!

where did the time go?

May 26? The last time I posted on this blog was May 26? How can that really be possible?

Anyway, the girls are doing great. Some quick updates for you...

Sam just had her first dentist check up and I was super pumped that she didn't have any cavities or concerns. BUT they did tell me that her front teeth are predominantly pushed forward, which is due to her constant chewing on her blanket. Bummer.

Avery just had her 18 month check up! Holy cow. Basically, her head is huge, she is tall and weighs a lot. But if you have seen her at all recently you already knew all of that! What pictures can't tell you is that after being told at her one year appointment that she was very delayed with her communication skills she has made up some serious ground and caught back up. She has all kinds of words and communicates with us just fine. Very proud of how far she has come lately.

The girls are having a fun summer with lots of different babysitters. Sounds horrible but I am doing my best to get back to work at least a little bit. Since it is summer I am working with a group of high school and college aged girls to allow me to work random hours throughout the week. I think it is good for the girls to have different people to play with them and discipline them. So far it is working out for us pretty well.

And here are a few pictures that haven't been seen anywhere else!

Post naptime snuggling! So cute.

I have a very fun recipe to share with you all but this one post has really worn me out tonight! hehehe

Summer FUN to do list

It has been a long time since I have posted on here...sorry about that to the two (or maybe three?) people that read this little blog. And I have lots of updates, photos and stories to share but those will have to wait. Today I want to talk about summer!

I am super excited for summer this year. The girls are a bit older now and a bit easier to have outside together. We are getting out a lot, playing a ton and ready to take on bigger and more exciting adventures. So, to get us motivated for all the summer fun I wanted to create a To Do List for us. Something we will keep posted in a visible spot (thanks sis for that idea!), that we can cross off the things that we have done and add new things as the summer goes on.

I want this summer to be all about making memories, having fun and spending time together as a family. I am hoping this list will help remind me of that goal and stay focused on HAVING FUN!

So, here is our list!

1. Camp over night at Devil's Lake State Park

2. Hike part of the Ice Age Trail

3. Build sand castles on a beach

4. Have a water fun party in our backyard with Sam's preschool friends

5. Bike ride to local restuarant and ice cream parlor

6. Go to a concert on the square

7. Canoe trip with family

8. Water park

9. Camp overnight in a different state!

10. Play-dates at the pool with friends

11. Water skiing or tubing (we have to find someone with a boat first!)

12. Add more loose parts to our backyard play area; stumps for climbing, logs for balancing, big tree cookies for stacking and building, etc.

13. Madison Farmer's Market (frequently!)

Now I challenge each of you to create your own Summer FUN To Do List. Let me know if you do cause I would love to steal some ideas from you!

stress or guilt

We have all had it happen. You get asked to do "something". You know the kind of "something" that will require your time, talent, money, etc. but is helping out, giving back, volunteering and getting involved.

So there are with two options...

Do you a) say yes you would love to knowing full well that you don't really have the time, money or energy to committ but will figure it out somehow OR b) say sorry but no you just don't think you can?

For those that say option A this means you will inevitably face added stress, long nights, expenses you can't afford, time away from family or time not doing the things that people are suppose to do in their free time (things called hobbies, do people still have those?).

For those that say option B how long does it take for the guilt to set in? The guilt that keeps you up at night laying there worrying about the relationship that you may have hurt because you said no. The guilt that makes you think about how you can rearrange everything else in your life, undoubtably disappointing other people or yourself, to try and go back on your no and tell them yes.

I grew up with a mom that always said yes. There was not a committee she didn't serve on, an event she didn't run or a bake sale she didn't bake for. Somehow she got it all done. But she was stressed, overworked and running around like crazy all the time. My sister has adopted this method. Somehow they are able to deal with the stress, smile and just get it done. I fail at this. I do NOT handle stress. BUT I have also kept myself somewhat disconnected so that I don't get asked to do a lot (which is, I am realizing, a bit sad), until recently.

All of a sudden I am being asked! And I am saying yes. And suddenly I felt the stress. I DID NOT LIKE IT. So, the next thing I got asked to do I said no. I wanted to do it and was excited to be involved but it would have required major schedule shuffling, money, lots of time and stress. But now the guilt has set in. It is all I think about. And it is driving me NUTS!

I just can't decide what is worse the stress that I grew up watching or the guilt I am currently experiencing. Which do you choose and how do you deal with it?

house keeping skills need some work

Okay, Avery I get the message. I will clean up the dog's bed more often!

Happy Easter!

Just wanted to share a few pictures from our Easter! We had a great day that included church, lots of outdoor playtime, a bike ride to a park, a visit with friends and some Easter egg hunting. We also video Skyped with family for the first time and were able to see all the cousins and even some of the extended family that was gathered in St. Louis for the holiday. Sam had a blast getting to see all her cousins, grandparents, Aunt Jojo and Uncle Chris. I am excited to do this more often with the kids.
Hope you all had a great Easter!

trying to get a picture

All I wanted was a little picture of my two girls sitting on a rock. Is that so much to ask?

Apparently... it was.

The last two were the closest I could get and I was singing "If You're Happy and You Know It" while trying to take the picture. Not exactly frameable but still pretty cute.