Eat Like a Lady

While we were eating our macaroni and cheese for lunch I was trying to teach the girls how to "eat like a lady" or how to hold their spoon. So, after a while of trying it out Emily switched to the standard way...

Me: Not like a monkey, like a lady.
Emily: No, I want to hold my spoon like a bear.
Me: Hold your spoon like a lady.
Emily: Mom, ladies aren't hungry.

Fun Stuff

I decided to start teaching Emily how to read. We're not in any hurry, we're just enjoying, but I did trip over lots of fun stuff in my search so I'll just share it with everybody here.

Reading -
http://www.starfall.com/ Love the link that says, "Learn to Read". It teaches the family word groups. And what kid wouldn't love to learn it with a computer game. And a free computer game online.

http://hubbardscupboard.org/sight_words.html#ABCorder These are free printable booklets for sight words.

http://hubbardscupboard.org/printable_booklets.html This lists more of the free printable booklets. There's the one for sight words, word family books, and concept books.

http://handwritingworksheets.com/ This is what I use to help Emily learn the sight words. I've posted it before, but here it is again. Make your own handwriting worksheets.


Music -
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1 This one isn't reading, but it's teaching your kids about the instruments, hearing the sounds, seeing the instruments.

The Homemade Horse

Emily's preschool teacher sent us a letter home last week telling us we need to make a homemade horse and bring it to school for "rodeo week". So, we waited till the day before the deadline to do it. (That's not so bad. :) Here are the girls playing with their new friend the horse. Yes, it's a pretty sad looking horse, but at least the girls knew what it was without my having to tell them. Nathan helped too. He cut out the ears.

Baby Girl Update

Still no name. We've got a few odds and ends of ideas, nothing that has really stuck. I'm beginning to wonder if this is the first baby I'll end up in the hospital with a list of names instead of just a name. Ok, that could drive me crazy. Maybe not.

Emily was the first one to feel the baby kick this morning. I tried with Nathan after we put the girls to bed, but he just couldn't feel it. Emily was thrilled. She was pointing to the spot on her hand that the baby kicked. Of course, the kicking still isn't very strong. It actually tickles more than just the little movements.Sometimes I even forget I'm pregnant. I'll be walking down the hallway at church and someone will ask, "how are you feeling?" You know, the kind of asking that they expect a different answer then, "oh, fine", or "oh, great". So, they probably get an odd look from me as I say, "good." Then I realize, I'm pregnant. That's why they're asking! Um, that still doesn't change my answer. I feel just great and I forget I'm pregnant unless I'm looking in the mirror, changing my clothes, I feel the baby kick (which is few and far between since I can only feel the baby kick when I'm still and she's awake.), or 10 seconds after someone asks me how I feel because that's how long it takes to process why they are asking.

The nursery is set up. Too early? Most likely. But I was worried about waiting too long because of how busy our semesters can get. There's still stuff hanging around that will need to go up on the walls, but I can do that myself 8 or 9 months pregnant when I have everything. I'm thinking though, with the nursery already set up, this could be a long pregnancy. I'll just have to focus on crafting for the baby. :)I've already made this for the baby. I need to find a better way to store the bracelets. This baby has way more bracelets then I've had pieces of jewelry all my life. (Probably even counting the ctr rings they passed out when I was in primary.)


And then in my baby crafting search I found this! (Look, Nathan, someone with more hair bows then I have.) Nathan likes to tease me about how many hair bows I have. I'll tell him I've made some more and he'll say, "oh that's great. We don't have enough." Well, it looks like we don't have enough. We have long since outgrown my hair bow holder (I'd have to have 5 or 6 of the hair bow picture frames to fit my hair bows) So while I can do one for the baby's room because it's cute, I still have to put the rest of my bows somewhere else. I found this picture here at "Adopt a 'Do - Cute Girl Hairstyles". Just in case anyone wanted to see cute ways to do a little girls hair.


Then, I found another tutorial for a car seat tent, or cover. I don't care what you call it, I think it is so cute. I love the look of this one even better than the last one.
Not that I really need anything added to my mile long "to-do" list.

Do As I Mean, Not As I Say

This morning Emily wanted to wear the blue shirt. Well, the blue shirt wasn't acceptable for preschool wearing so I told her to wear her green shirt. So...

Emily: Mommy, I want to wear the blue shirt. You say yes?
Mom: No
Emily: You say no?
Mom: Yes
Emily: You say yes?
Mom: No. Mommy says no.
Emily: You say no?
Mom: Yuh...that's correct. Mommy says no.

Car Seat Cover

I really like covering up the car seat with my babies. I've always just thrown a blanket over the car seat though. I think it helps them stay asleep, keep people from touching, keeps them warm, etc. (Not that we're worried about keeping our baby warm when she is born in July. :)

So, in searching for some great deals on pre-hemstitched blankets and burp cloths for craft night tonight I found this! So cute! I did NOT want to spend $35 on this though, so I found a tutorial. (Even found a pattern for $7 but who wants to pay that when there is a possibility it is FREE!)
Here you go.

http://buzzaboutbaby.blogspot.com/2009/05/car-seat-canopy-tutorial.html

One more item to add to my mile-long list of projects for the baby. Yay! :)

The Perks of the Mommy Job

I love my job. I hear the cutest things from the girls all the time.

For example:

Every time I'm picking Emily up from school and walking with her to the car.
Emily: The baby in your tummy. Is the baby in the car? (wondering most likely if she can sit in the back seat yet.)
Me: No, the baby is still in my tummy. We have to wait a lot longer.

Emily has been saying "Oh my goodness", but instead of goodness it's something unacceptable in my house (no worries, she wasn't saying anything really bad). So, when she said it I told her not to say, "Oh my goodness" because repeating it to her didn't seem to be working. I can't remember the last time she's said it. I guess it worked.
Me: Oh my goodness! (I don't remember what I was saying it to. But this has happened twice.)
Emily: Mommy, don't say "oh my goodness".
Me: Oh, thank you Emily. I won't say it.

Meredith REALLY wants to go to school. Poor kid has quite the wait. So, she asked Daddy where he was going this morning.
Daddy: To school.
Meredith: Daddy, can I go to school with you?

Getting Emily ready for school...
Meredith: Emily, can I go to school with you?
Emily: No, you're too little?
Meredith: Too little? Oh.

Meredith: Mommy, can I go to school with Emily?
Me: Meredith needs to stay home with Mommy or she'll be lonely.

Or, how about EVERY time we get in the car. No matter what. Every time after we drop Emily off at school as well. No exceptions.
Meredith: Mommy, can I go shopping?

Or even when we get out of a store.
Meredith: Mommy, can I go shopping?

Or when we pass a store.
Meredith: Look! Shopping!
Where does this child come from? (Ok, Nathan. I'm not THIS bad.)

Baby #3 is healthy!

It' a girl! (Sorry, I couldn't give it away in the title) I'm thrilled. We're thrilled. I've been sitting next to the little girl babies in the ward and was kind of sad at the thought that I may not be able to do the hair bows and frilly dresses. No worries!

A lady in our ward mentioned how good Nathan is with girls and that he is better than she is at tying bows! He's great with hair and flowers too! And I can't wait to make 3 sets of matching flowers and frilly little girl things. Actually, truth be told, I've been keeping 3 sets of my favorite bows and flowers I have made.

Emily has been saying that it's going to be a girl for a while, but that she likes boys. This time I was open to the idea of a boy (definitely unlike the first 2 times) but ecstatic to have another girl. Now, which project to do first. Bracelets or hairbows.

Baby #3

Today is the day! I'm headed off to my ultrasound. Those that know me and don't necessarily check my blog ask me if I want a boy. Those that read the blog ask me if it really is a boy. To the second, I'm not sure. It was just a fun test to take. To the first, I would love to have either a boy or a girl. 3 girls would be just as exciting to me as to have 2 girls and a boy. I just can't wait to know for sure. Now baby, please cooperate. :)

I've already had two ultrasounds. One because they couldn't hear the heartbeat and the second to double check the due date. It's probably about time to post those.

The first ultrasound. About 10 wks.

The next two are from the second ultrasound 4 days later.
In the meantime, we're moving things around for baby. I know we still have 4 months, but we just don't know if we'll ever get a better time to do it with school, whatever may happen in pregnancy, and two other children. So, I feel like the whole house is topsy turvy ad it's slightly frustrating not to be able to just move everything myself. Emily is going to have to give up her headboard for the baby. We're going to let her participate in helping us put the crib together and let her give something to the baby herself.

Emily is ecstatic to be able to sit in the back seat. She keeps asking me to sit in the back and I tell her when the baby comes she can sit back there. Her answer, "I want the baby to come now."