Random Summer Fun

Took five minutes to let her ride the merry-go-round in front of the party store which is now, sadly, out of business.

Avery, Anna Claire, Amelia and Jackson enjoying their snow cones from the ice cream man.

This isn't really a "fun" shot, but she was very brave getting her x-ray at the dentist. She loved playing with their Etch-a-Sketch which quickly got added to her birthday wish list.

AC and Knox during soccer at The Red Barn.

She wanted me to take her picture with the rainbow on the ground. Sometimes pollution is pretty!

Having our picnic of Subway at the "birthday park."

How had we never noticed these bells before? They are very cool!

We both cracked up when we saw this on our stroller at Opry Mills. Do NOT do it!

Enjoying her complimentary birthday dessert at Torino's. All that was missing was the sparkler, and we'd be channeling Charlie's Steak House.

Anna Claire and Hudson Black enjoying their rainbow jello for AC's birthday.

Taking time to stop and smell the roses at Cheddar's.

I gave her red, blue, yellow, and white on her palette, left the room for about 5 minutes to get her a drink and came back to find this! Mad color mixing skills ;)

Trying out our skates off carpet. Thankfully, she loves wearing her safety gear.

I miss Meme.

Tonight, when we were saying prayers, we thanked God for many things: blueberry picking, gymnastics, new toys, yummy food, our family, each other.

Then Anna Claire wanted to talk about Meme, and I was not prepared for it.

"Mommy, I wish Meme could live with us."

"Me too, sweetie."

"Meme can't live in her house anymore. She can't play with me anymore. I really miss Meme, Mommy. Do you wish Meme could live in her house, Mommy?"

I was so choked up, I couldn't answer her. After asking me the third time if I wished if she could live in her house again, I managed to reply back, "Yes, honey, I do. You are precious, I love you so much. Good night, sleep tight."

"OK Mommy. I love you. Can I give you a kiss?"

This little girl melts my heart. Melts it.

Anna Claire's 4th Birthday

Anna Claire's birthday party was on Saturday, but her actual birthday was today. She absolutely loved her party, but I wanted to do what I could to make today special too.

So I put the ball in her court. When asked the night before, she said, "I have no idea, Mommy. No idea."

When I went in to wake her up this morning, she said, "I thought about what I want to do. I have ideas, Mommy!"

I asked her what they were, and she said, "I want to do art and play with all my Play-doh." Done deal. We would certainly do those things.

She walked into the family room through rainbow streamers I had taped above the door. She loved the streamers so much. She kept saying, "Wow! How'd you get those up there, Mommy?"  I also blew up a few balloons and had them floating around on the floor when she walked in, and hung up the birthday banner that we've used every year since she was one. I love how simple things can bring so much joy.

Two large gift bags full of presents went unnoticed by her. I think because our whole house has been cluttered with gift bags since her party on Saturday, she's become de-sensitized to seeing them! I would point the two bags out to her later.

We had breakfast. Anna Claire planned out her birthday menu the day before:

Breakfast requests: Lucky Charms with milk, but I want a glass of milk too. And Goldfish (rainbow ones). And blueberries.

Lunch: I want to have nap and lunch and then cupcakes with my friends at The Red Barn. We can get the little cupcakes at Walmart. Maggie CAN have those. (She has a little friend with a peanut allergy in her class and she is right, mini-cupcakes at Walmart are nut-free! I love how she thought of her friend instead of herself when picking out cupcakes! Precious!)

Dinner: I want to go to Cheddars for my birthday. I really want to go to Cheddars...I've always wanted to got there.

After breakfast, she was ready to play with her ice cream Play-Doh set and brand new Play-Doh that she received as a gift at her party. We played with it for the longest. It really is a neat set with some fun toys and tools.

Art time! She loves her "rainbow" tri-colored markers from Grandma. They are really cool. She figured out pretty quickly that she can use them as stampers, or turn them at different angles for different effects.

Presents from Mommy and Daddy. I looked at the time and realized it was getting late and she still hadn't opened her gifts from us. We kept it simple since Grandma had already spoiled her rotten, and her birthday party was her BIG gift from us, but they were things we knew would be winners: three summer dresses (she LOVES sundresses), a rainbow leotard she'd been wanting, two of the little Disney princess dolls she didn't yet have, an eye shadow palette like Mommy's, sparkle shoes, and my favorite of her gifts, this rainbow machine. I adore it and so does she!

Time to go to Wal-mart to pick out cupcakes. She picked the packs of minis that had some with blue and some pink frosting. "That way the boys and girls can have the colors they like." She also managed to squeeze a chocolate frosted doughnut out of me. ;)

I dropped her off at the Red Barn along with the cupcakes, then returned after their naptime with rainbow jello I had made using these directions, but I made them sans alcohol, of course. The kids loved them - they were surprised, Anna Claire included.

I stole her away after Jell-o and cupcake fun. She really wanted to go home and explained she didn't take a nap at school. She said, "I want to go be lazy, Mommy."

So, we watched TV and snuggled for awhile, then I tried to engage her in some fun (it was her birthday after all). We played with some of her birthday gifts, which she really enjoyed - mainly art though! She was true to what she said when she hopped out of bed. That's REALLY what she wanted to do.

Not long after, it was time for an early bath so we could have dinner with Pop and Daddy at Cheddars at 5:00. She loved, loved, loved Cheddars. We all did! She ordered the hot dogs, but of course, she preferred what we ordered. She loved my pasta and Pop's fried chicken. We also ordered her a Monster Cookie since it was her special day. I have to say, those are THE BOMB.

Then small group for church. We always take Anna Claire with us, but being her birthday, I wondered if she would mind going. Had she not wanted to, we would have just missed it. But she really did want to go! She loves playing with her Red Barn buddy, Lucas, whose parents lead our group. They did have a ball, and it was actually a fun way to end her birthday.

----

We enjoyed a super fun birthday celebration with Grandma and Freddie on Sunday.

They truly spoiled her rotten and her reactions were priceless: she got her bicycle, a REAL guitar, knee and elbow pads, tri-colored markers and a real sketchbook, soccer balls and cones, swim shoes and diving rings, Molly from Bubble Guppies, 3 books, princess panties, pink clip-on hair extentions (fun!), and more!

We loved dinner out with Grandma and Freddie. They took us to Torino's in Springfield. Anna Claire loved it. She ordered grilled cheese, but also loved sampling our food. She was so surprised by the waiters clapping and singing "Happy Birthday" to her, that I think it scared her. It was much like the Charlie's Steak House experience for Larry and me - her complimentary birthday cake had strawberries and whipped cream but had a candle instead of Charlie's trademark sparklers.

Last Night as a 3-Year-Old

After prayers, I reminded Anna Claire that this was the last time I'd see her as a 3-year-old, and my eyes started tearing up unexpectedly as I uttered the words. "See you in the morning, when you're four!" I told her. She was so excited, while Mommy was a mixed bag of emotions. ;)

Sweet girl posing for her last pic as a 3 year old.

Anna Claire's 4th Birthday Party: A Rainbow Art Birthday

Click here to view this photo book larger

Click here to create your own Shutterfly photo book.

Father's Day 2013

Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

by Anna Claire Averitt (age 4)

My Daddy likes:
Food: pretzels
Dessert: pistachio ice cream
Game: catch!

At his job my Daddy: works on his computer.
I like to: draw and color with my Daddy.
He is special to me because he likes to color and draw with me.

My Daddy is best at drawing, just like me.
My Daddy is 5 years old.
My Daddy is 3 feet tall.
He weighs ? lbs. ("I'm afraid I don't know, Mommy.")
He has black hair and brown eyes.
He likes to wear black shirts.

I had Anna Claire answer these same questions about her Daddy last year. Here's how she answered them a year ago to compare.

"You forgot Anna Claire!"

At church last Sunday, Anna Claire's friend Olli saw me walking to the car without Anna Claire. He didn't realize that she and her Daddy were already in the car waiting for me, so Olli hollered, "Anna Claire's mom! You forgot Anna Claire!"

---

Then, at The Red Barn on Friday, I dropped Anna Claire off for soccer to find out the coach was running a half hour late. So I let her stay and play and ran back to the house to get a sun hat so I wouldn't burn watching her at soccer. When I got back, her friend Jackson saw me come in without her. I don't guess he realized she was already there because he asked, "Where's Anna Claire?"

I smiled and said, "She's right over there," pointing to her. I said, "Did you think I forgot her, Jackson?"

He laughed, "Yeah, I did think you forgot."

---
Glad to know her friends are looking out for her! :)

Party Planning, Hospice, and Nesting, Oh My...

I can honestly say that this summer has been the most emotional one in my life. Bittersweet would be a good word - the fun and excitement of planning a 4-year-old's rainbow birthday party coupled with the anticipation and joy of preparing for bringing a new life into our home has taken the edge off the heartbreak and tears of bearing daily witness to my mom's rapid decline in health.

Then add to the equation that I am returning to the classroom in less than two months time - a new subject and grade level I've never taught before. And my mom's house looks like something out of "Horders." I know we need to go through it and get it sold fairly soon. But the mere thought of having to tackle either of these stressors makes my eye twitch. So I head for my go-to place when things get tough - avoidance. I have done nothing to prepare for the upcoming school year, and avoid Mom's house like the plague.

I do this partly to keep my stress level low with this new baby. I do it partly because Anna Claire deserves to have a great summer and I want to cherish this time with only her as my only child before her time gets divided. And I do it partly because I stay worried constantly that the passing of my mom will coincide with Anna Claire's birthday. I pray daily that Momma can hang in there until this sweet girl has a chance to celebrate her special day. But with her losing weight daily and refusing to weight (down to 102.8, 15 lbs. less than she weighed just one month ago), I am rightfully concerned. Hospice and doctors told us several weeks ago that they anticipate she has a couple of months.

I don't want my mom to suffer any longer than necessary, but the thought of having to explain the concept of death to my little girl on or near her birthday, would be more than I can bear. Prayers please!

How to Keep Your Child from Becoming a Picky Eater

Friends and others often comment about what a great eater Anna Claire is. And Larry and I loved hearing Anna Claire beg for more crawfish last night at dinner. Atta girl!

I've thought about writing this post about this for some time now, but after doing some reading, I truly think I know what I'm talking about and can write it with some credibility.

It Starts Younger Than You Think
I can tell you that it starts young, in infancy and in utero. Did you know that babies have very developed taste buds as early as 21 weeks in the womb? They take in and swallow their amniotic fluid which takes on the flavor of whatever you've eaten. Same is true of breast milk.

I nursed Anna Claire for the first 14 months, so it's no wonder we have identical cravings and that the child will eat just about anything, just like her mom! She was captive to my eating habits for a total of almost 2 years!

Exposure to Multiple Foods is Critical - and Do It Young
I also have to credit her Daddy. Larry is a graduate of California Culinary Academy and a true foodie if I've ever met one. It was his great ambition from the time she was able to consume solid foods to present her with opportunities to try everything. He had so much fun exposing her to foods and watching her reactions to them, as I did. And research does state there's a correlation between exposure to foods and children's eating habits.

Homemade Versus Store Bought Baby Food
I don't say this to sound snooty or judgmental, because had a been a single mom or had a different husband this may not be the case, but Anna Claire has never had store bought baby food. After tasting store bought baby food at a baby shower, I felt so blessed to have a husband that took such great joy in cooking and pureeing all of our child's foods - that stuff tastes gross! Here is an article comparing store bought to homemade baby food.

Another interesting fact is that babies actually have many more taste buds than we do. That's why they like lemons as wee ones, and reject them as sour later on. Little babies can pick up on the sweet notes of a lemon that we aren't able to as adults.

I say that to point out the store bought might be even less appealing to someone with more taste buds - if we think it tastes bad, what do babies who taste with more intensity think?

You Get What You Get and You Don't Throw a Fit
 I think many parents are quick to say their child just doesn't like many foods, so they present them with chicken nuggets every night because "that's all they'll eat." I beg to differ - we have an expectation with Anna Claire, and always have, that what we present her at mealtime is what she gets. And you know what, she eats it! Raising our expectations for kids can completely change the outcome, I've found.

I am proud of how well our sweet girl eats, but I feel we have done a great deal to encourage this. I am expecting a baby #2, and we plan and steering the same course for her!

VBS

 Anna Claire has thoroughly enjoyed VBS this week. Although she insists on calling it PBS (I guess like "PBS Kids"?) We have both explained to her that it's "VBS" and she looked at us like we were crazy, so PBS it is!

She has come home each day telling us about their crafts like making a necklace and making a jar. She also has been eager to tell us about their snacks: sweet and salty popcorn, and popsicles. She was so proud of her stamps and stickers each day for being a good listener.

I have noticed a sweetness about her this week, which could be VBS related. I do believe God rewards us when we honor him, so maybe our reward is her excellent behavior. She has been absolutely precious all week and has gone out of her way to be helpful!

The VBS T-shirt has been very important this week (you can see it in pics at the end of this post). After picking her up on Monday, that was all I heard, that she really wanted a VBS shirt like her friends. I tried buying one at the church Tuesday and Wednesday, but they were out. I finally called Lifeway where the church got them, and they were able to have when shipped to their Clarksville store from Nashville for her by Wednesday afternoon. She was so excited!

I was able to see AC's water games at "PBS." They had to fill a giant sponge with water from this bucket...

Then run and squeeze it into this bucket. Then run back to start, like a relay.

This is Anna Claire with Mr. John. She came home talking about him everyday this week.

The four-year-old teachers all used jump ropes to keep up with their kiddos when walking them from one destination to another. Notice the outfit - AC refused to wear regular clothes on water day when we told her she could get wet. She insisted on wearing her swimsuit and cove-up and that I bring her a change of clothes for after. :)

The kids reached their goal for offering, so the directors of children's ministry kept their end of the bargain and got slimed. And this was not green Nickelodeon slime either...it was a yucky brown color. Kudos to them!

Anna Claire was so excited about her VBS performance. I think she developed a fondness for being onstage at dance recital last week - no stage fright for this girl. ;)

Anna Claire and her sweet cousin Carolyn.

Not the clearest pic in the world, but I love how excited they look to get their red glowsticks from their teacher since they are the "red group" of 4 year olds.

Waiting for their turn to perform.

Anna Claire and her friend Parker (right). Parker's mom and I did yoga together while we were preggers with these two.

On the "big screen" at Hilldale

Pop came! She was so proud.

"Gy'nastics"

Anna Claire loves, loves, loves gymnastics. It is just about the best 50 bucks I spend each month.

Gymnastics isn't just something I put my child in for fun or to keep her busy, although it does both of those things. My eyes literally well up with tears each week as I watch my little girl progress and I'll tell you why.

Anna Claire didn't start walking until 18 months. And it's not because we didn't work with her. She had all of the walking toys, we stood her up holding onto our fingers, gave her Exersaucer time each day...all of those things. But she was a little knee-walker - it was just her preferred method of transport.

We took her to the doctor about it and also consulted with a physical therapist. I was worried if and when she would ever walk, and about what damage months of walking on her knees would do to her in the long run.

I patched the knees on all of her jeans and pants for months, and worried about her daily knowing that the outdoor play area for her age group was pavement.

Gymnastics has leveled the playing field for my child. She was the only girl to score a goal in soccer last week, and just wrapped up her first dance recital where she held her own with all of her classmates. I truly credit Action Gymnastics for giving my child the gifts of coordination, confidence, and mobility to move her in the direction of being on par with her peers.

Bars

I noticed the other day when Anna Claire was running across the yard that she has super-toned biceps! I am thinking this is why! She is getting so good at bars - pulling herself up, holding herself up, flipping... In the middle pics she is grabbing stuffed animals between her legs then tossing them into a hula hoop in front of her. :)

Getting so much better at beam. I am so impressed with how much these girls do with my baby in an hour. She is so much more comfortable on it, and gets that she needs to focus!

I just love this pic!

See this sweet girl on the left? I was her daycare teacher years ago!

I love how they celebrate accomplishments! When kids finally master a skill they've struggled with, they get to ring the bell!

Anna Claire with her daycare and gymnastics buddy, Amelia!

Her favorite: side to side jump on trampoline!

Character Matters.

Mom brag-time:
 I have had 3 people approach me in the past couple of days to tell me what a polite and thoughtful little girl I had. One even said AC restored her faith that there really are kids out there that are sweet to other kids. If there is any area we want her to excel in, it's in her character and treatment of others! Proud :)

Dance Recital 2013 - Day 2

Day 2 of recital is a wrap! Ready for summer fun!

All 12 girls in the same picture! Mission Accomplished!

We asked them to pose and this is what we got. ;)

I included this pic because we all got a kick out of what she said as I took it, "One more picture Mommy. Just one more and that's it. Ok?"

Electronics were abundant. This is not your grandmother's dance recital. Strongly considering purchasing a LeapPad.

Squeezy applesauce!

Waiting to go on for tap.

These 3 have been together at the Red Barn since Anna Claire was 14 months old - sweet Avery and Ava!

On stage!

They seem happy to be up there, don't they?

Love shooting pics of my girl outside.

Sharna wasn't able to do hair for day 2 so I attempted to recreate it. Not bad, eh?

I don't normally like closed eye pictures, but this one was deliberate.

Anna Claire and Amy

AC loved this yellow leaf.

Sweet friends.

Just letting her be herself as opposed to cheesy posed pics.

Favorite.

Ok, this bench totally grossed Paige and me out. AC sat on it before we realized it was covered with yellow pollen. We removed the child immediately.

I love that for both days she opted to draw and practice her letters instead of staring at a screen.

Cutie pie!

Playing with friends, waiting for finale.

Lined up and ready for finale.

Walking around to the other side of the stage.

Finale! There was a balloon drop and AC was ecstatic to get one of the fallen balloons.

Ok, two balloons.

Anna Claire and Parker

Anna Claire with her friend Amy

Ava and Anna Claire, so sweet! And you can really see my hairdo efforts in this one.

Love!

Mommy's in the picture! (rare)

Three amigos: Ava, Anna Claire and Maggie

Twice in one post! Holy Cow!

Paired with Kathryn again!

On stage!