Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Happy Halloween!

We had such a fun Halloween this year! Alison and I dressed up as characters from the classic Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland <3 of course Alison as Alice and I dressed up as the white rabbit.
Ethan got to be a little monster this year! Daddy didn't dress up but he did wear his Ghost Busters shirt!

Ethan's little monster shoes.

Ethan stayed at home with daddy (he slept through Halloween) and Alison and I met up with our friends in one of the other apartments.

Cutest little Alice in Wonderland I've ever seen :)
(Alice in wonderland was also the theme for Alison's first birthday)

You can't see it but I made a little pocket watch out of card stock and taped onto my shirt, can't be the white rabbit without a pocket watch!

Alison dancing

 Alison with all her friends! She was too excited to stay in the line up very long.
Taking the elevator up to the 9th floor to start our trick or treating!
Alison made it all the way down to the third floor before she was ready to go home.

Knock-Knock!

Alison and her friend Emily
Alison thought getting candy was pretty neat!

Alison said "Thank you" to everyone who gave her candy.

Checking out Audrey a 3 week old who lives on the floor above us.

Chris manning the door and handing out candy.


Alison and her friends Mrs. Michelle and Michelle's daughter Hadley.
Alison came home with a lot of candy! She was pretty picky about what candy she would eat, something I am not complaining about. She was pretty worn out by the end of the night but we told her she could eat as much candy as she wanted tonight because the Halloween Fairy was going to come while she was sleeping and collect all the uneaten candy. I read an article by a dentist that recommended doing this because it's better to let your kids have a big sugary night than to dole it out and expose their teeth to sugar over a long period of time. (PS you can see my pocket watch in this picture!)

Alison in some warm comfy pajamas cuddling with little brother.
I love cuddling with my kids on the couch.

The End

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Me Time Projects!

I might be more proud of this little box than I should be.
Alison got a new pair of shoes and by carefully peeling off the stickers from the bottom and putting scrap book paper on the lid, I got a pretty pink storage box!

Here is the pillow case dress I whipped up for Alison,
I still need to find a craft store so I can put a button on the back.
I got the embroidered pillowcase at a church thrift store in San Diego.


Sunday, October 28, 2012

Sunday Funday

Today we tried out All Souls church. I really enjoyed it and Chris seemed to like it as well. One of our neighbors in our building also went to check it out (Coach Carl from soccer practice and his family, other Alison is his daughter) it was nice having another family there that we knew. 
All Souls is an Episcopal church and this was my first time at one. I also found out that Episcopal is what the hubs was baptized in and that he went to an Episcopal church when he was little until his mom got too sick to go. We have been married for 6 and half years and you would think I would know that, lol. So it was like coming home for him. I enjoyed that it was traditional, it felt like 'church'. The sermon was about forgiveness and my neighbor and I both thought it was delivered well. I have been looking up all sorts of different kinds of Christian churches trying to find one that would fit my family and after a lot of thought, study and prayer we decided to try being Episcopalian. We are planning on going back next Sunday.

After church we met up with Mike, Rhonda and some other friends for breakfast at the O-Club, yumm yumm! Alison loves the pancakes there. I wish I would have taken a picture of the kids at church before Alison got pancake syrup all over her dress lol. She looked so lovely, I had her hair fixed (which never last very long as she really enjoys pulling out her pony/pig tails) and a pretty pink dress with a little apron with roses on it....but after breakfast she had syrup all over her front and she had pulled her hair band and bow out....she was a mess lol. Well at least I can keep her looking adorable for an hour or two! Anyways we came home and first thing was clean up Alison.
The rest of Sunday was spent relaxing and hanging out together!
Alison reading one of our new books, I have had my eye on The Wonder of Lullabies  for awhile now, probably close to a year but at $25 I kept putting it off but lucky for us Nova Natural put it on sale so I went ahead and ordered it as I am really tired of singing the same lullabies over and over. The book comes with a music CD and is just lovely. Alison loves reading the words while the woman sings the songs, she also likes to sing the songs from the book on her own and its pretty cute some of the melodies she comes up with! I am so glad I finally got this book, if I had known it would go over so well with Alison I would have done it a long time ago!

Ethan still in his church clothes. He managed to keep them clean through breakfast and didn't mess his hair up one little bit! Ethan loves being in his swing. Its in the living room where we spend most of our time and he can watch what everyone is doing and I can keep an eye on him from the kitchen.

The other day at the exchange I found this wonderful little creamer, it was marked down (a little less than $3) and I thought it would make a wonderful 'water pitcher' for Alison's kitchen. It was handmade in Poland. I love the blue and the dainty little yellow flowers. Alison started playing with it as soon as she saw it.

We are still in the process of unpacking so little things are coming to surface and today it was the little tea tea set Grandma Carolyn gave Alison, she got the tea set on a visit to China.
Alison loves to play tea party!


For Christmas, we are giving Alison creative things like some beeswax block crayons, window crayons, and and some Glob water colors. Glob is pretty neat, they are "botanically" crafted, meaning they are made out of fruit, spices, flowers and vegetables. So when Alison paints with Basil Green she will actually be painting with basil (and some other ingredients) which will hopefully open up a world of learning opportunity and spark her interest in where color comes from (maybe we will even try to make some plant paint with strawberries and other colorful fruits and veggies). Waldorf Schools like to do watercolor wet on wet painting and tell stories while children paint to help inspire their work which I think is fantastic. "Painting with Children" is a book I have seen floating around the Waldorf world and have only heard positive things about it and as I have never done wet on wet painting I did what I normally do, got a book! 

Ethan changed into his comfy stripped outfit (doesn't he look handsome in blue? *proud mama*)

Close up of those pretty blue eyes.
My 5 week old baby is in a 6 month outfit by the way, lol. I have one big little guy!
Alison at 6 months



Saturday, October 27, 2012

GOAL!


 Alison had her first day of soccer practice! 
A couple in our building organized it. Last year they had signed their oldest up for soccer and it cost $70 and they ended up having to coach it and do all the work so this year they decided to do an unofficial team with kids from the building and other kids they know. And Coach Carl I am happy to say is really great at keeping the kids engaged and made it a no pressure day.

Alison's first day at soccer!
 
Ethan came along too!

Coach Carl celebrates Alison's first goal!! 
Mommy cheered!

 
Alison didn't spend the entire time playing soccer...sometimes she walked around with her friend, whose name is also Alison, carrying her soccer ball.

 
And sometimes she pushed the other Alison's baby doll stroller around.

And sometimes she walked around far far away from everyone else.
Other Alison was really interested in Ethan and they had fun looking at each other. 
The other kids at soccer (with the exception of Other Alison) were a bit older but that didn't stop Alison from joining in!

GO ALISON!


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Crafting

I've been sneaking in a few moments of crafting here and there. I have a few projects going on at the moment: knitting a blankie for Ethan, sewing a sun dress for Ali, and making a birthday crown for her birthday at the end of next month. I sketched out 2 ideas, the one that wasn't selected featured a heart with a Scandinavian style pattern on it  framed with some leaves...it was pretty but Chris and I both liked the seasonal one with the letter A better.
Work in progress.
 

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Yep crafting can make quite a little mess...lol
I traced the pattern of the A with the Acorn (lucky huh?) out of  "1001 iron on transfers" book my mom had given me last time I was visiting Oklahoma. I love books where you can get a little insparation!
I just free handed the other two leaves.
Hopefully Ali will like it. We are still trying to decide exactly how we are going to celebrate her birthday, we are thinking a small affair at home with a friend or two.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Surprise!

Alison likes to help clean up, here she is helping mommy by mopping with the swiffer.

a package from Uncle Justin! 
My brother Justin sent some wonderful things.
Books from our  childhood, the bible story book in the middle of the picture is the one Boompa used to read to us at bedtime, I am so happy to have it to read to Alison and Ethan. He also sent my favorite little drinking glass from when I was a child and a few new things: a paci and bib for Ethan and a pink piggy bank for Alison!



I couldn't help but laughing at how adult he made this card for her! She of course loves getting mail (Great Grandma likes to send her cards and she reads them over and over!) When Alison was first learning to speak she called Justin "Uncle Ducky"
Thanks Justin!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Birthday Party

Ethan attended his first birthday party! He was looking dashing in a cute outfit great grandma sent, little overalls with 3 little puppies on them (we got quite a few compliments! but he is such an handsome boy he looks good in anything!)
Mommy and Ethan hanging out, watching sister run around and play with the other kids

Daddy and his little boy.

Birthday girl about to blow out the candles 
(the blond with the purple bow, very sweet girl and loves Alison)

Alison and Ethan both got to take a balloon home :)
Here we are in the elevator back up to the 5th floor where we live.

Another perk about living in an apartment building is sometimes you don't have to travel far for a party (this one was in the community room on the first floor). I am really enjoying apartment life, I honest didn't think I would. Sure there are things I miss about a house, mainly a yard, but the community here is really fantastic!

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Mommy's Big Guy

Mommy's big guy stretching.
Ethan is growing and growing. He has really slipped right into our family almost like he has always been here.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Miss Getting More Indepedent

I moved Alison's little stool from in front of her bed to in the bathroom.
She was very excited to find it there and brought me her tooth paste and tooth brush, which we keep out on the sink top, and asked mommy if she could brush her teeth. Really what mom wouldn't be excited about their 2 year old loving to brush her teeth. She also wanted to brush them all by herself, so I am not sure how clean she got them but we'll be brushing them again before bed.
(her piano broke during the move but the little stool make it so its now the step stool for her to get into bed and this stool was moved to the bathroom)

Little brother gets carried all over the house in his basket.
I found the blue hat I knitted for him, it does fit but at this particular moment its sliding off his head.
While I was pregnant I asked Chris if he had time to pick me up some yarn from the craft store and this is one of the yarn colors he picked out making it an extra special hat since daddy helped.

Alison's room is coming together. I still need go through her books and put some of them away. Get some curtains and spruce it up a little. But its looking better I think!
 We moved Alison into the big girl bed all the way now and haven't had any accidents. We pushed the little mattress under the bed as she hasn't needed it (eventually it will go back in the crib for little brother but for now he is in a bassinet in our room).
I clean up Alison's room every night before bed and then again every morning (I think fairies must come and play after she goes to sleep because even though its all clean when she goes to sleep, there are always books and toys out in the morning!). I think having a clean room with a bed made makes it feel like a safe calm place to play and as you can see she will go in and pull her toys our and make a little toy nest for herself. Now if only I would clean my room as often...baby steps Meredith, baby steps. 

Alison  Reading "The Cat in the Hat" to little brother.
She was so excited when Ethan stretched and touched her with his hand. She told us probably ten times, "Little brother touched me!!"
I love moments like this.

Chris and I, okay mainly me, couldn't wait any longer to give Alison her kitchen. 
After all Christmas is a long ways away! Here daddy is putting the finishing touches on it.
Chris took a video of her reaction to finding the little kitchen, so if your a family member I wouldn't be surprised if he sent it your way, if he doesn't send him a text asking for it :)

Yep, Alison loves her new little kitchen. Sorry I didn't get a better picture of her playing with it, Ethan was hungry so I was a chair bound. Alison at one point pointed to the big kitchen and said "Mommy's kitchen" and then pointed to little one and said "Alison's kitchen!!"
Our apartment is really starting to feel like home, now only if we could close on the sale of our California house. Baby steps Meredith, baby steps...