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!

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.

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!

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!

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.

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...

 

Big Day

We met up for brunch today with Mike and Rhonda at the Kadina Officers Club, they have quite a spread!

Afterwards we went to their house and Chris helped Mike bring in a TV stand and we chatted and watched some football. Mike and Rhonda also got some Ethan snuggle time!

We love hanging out with theses two, they are really fun people who are always on the go.

Alison was full of energy! It might have been the 4 medium sized pancakes she ate!

A few days ago I posted about how she was being a handful, well she is still being a two year old but she is much happier. In the book that I'm reading, "You are Your Child's First Teacher" it talks about how children learn more through movement and that seeing mommy and daddy up and about helps them settle and gives them something to mimic. We it worked! I changed my normal routine of resting while the kids were awake and getting my house chores done while they were asleep to doing the house chores during the day. I might add I am now enjoying my quiet time with tea, reading, blogging, handiwork and whatever else catches my fancy! It has helped me feel recharged and less of a 'nanny' to the kids and more like a happy balanced mom. It also mentioned about having them help with chores which is something I was doing with Alison already. I think its important for kids to help out.

I was a little hesitant at first because I normally like to keep an eye on Alison especially now with Ethan around but its worked out really well and she has reverted back to the Alison we all know and love with reasonable amounts of crying and whining lol, she is after all a two year old (at least until the end of next month!). She actually whined because she wanted to help me vacuum, which I let her do as I have a feeling that won't be happening during the teenage years. 

After our visit we went to the exchange to go shopping and learned a very important lesson:

 "Get Ethan out of the car first and into his stroller and then get Alison out, 

no matter how much wants out of the car."

 We were in the parking lot, Alison was standing quietly by her car door, I was getting the stroller out of the trunk and and getting it set up and daddy went to get Ethan out of the car to put int he stroller.

All of a sudden Alison runs out into the traffic lane!!!!

AT THE SAME TIME A CAR THAT IS DRIVING TOO FAST IS COMING!!!

I screamed her name in a voice I have never heard come out of my mouth, full of panic, dread and heart ripping fear and luckily she stops dead in her tracks as the lady in her car slams on her breaks. 

It took all my self control to not completely fall apart right there in the parking lot. I had so many emotions! I felt so relieved, like the worst mom in the world, thoughts about "what if" and thanking God with all my heart that Alison stopped when I screamed her name or we might be telling you about how Alison actually got hit by a car instead of almost. Chris was pretty shaken too. Normally Alison is really great about staying with us in the parking lot but I guess with us not paying attention to her she thought running in the parking lot by herself would get our attention, boy did it work! I squeezed the stuffing out of that little girl and we had a serious talk about the dangers of a parking lot and how you never ever run in one and never walk around without holding someones hand or being in the buggy.She was pretty shaken about the whole incident and told us several time later that she was almost hit by a car. Whew, God was really looking out for us.

And mommy and daddy learned an important lesson, Alison gets out of the car last.