"The Business"

This is a picture of Ella giving us what we refer to as "the Business!" It made me wonder if this is what daddy and I look like to her most of the time...? Ah, terrible two's? She's definitely her own woman these days as I think of her the other night "playing" in her closet when she was supposed to be sleeping. (Mommy's Christmas present to herself was an elpha system for Ella's closet to organize all her things) So she had taken all her pretty hats and shoes off the neat shelves and was playing dress up! How can you be upset when they are that cute? Ella had a visit from the Binkie Fairy on Jan. 10th and in its place she got a Dora sticker book with 160+ stickers of Dora in every season. (Thanks dad) It became her new security blanket for the following few days; going to bed, school and everywhere else with her but that has since faded. With the binkie days behind us, we are hoping to lose the diapers here shortly too. She was promoted to a new classroom at the end of last week and some of the kids are potty trained already, so we're hoping that with this reinforcement at school we will be able to make this transition soon. Avery just received his 2nd 9 weeks report card on Friday and he's doing exceptionally well - again, so very thankful. His progress in 9 weeks is pretty amazing and we're very excited about his new "take home readers" that started last night. He told me to circle "too easy" for his book and he wants a challenge. Hooray! He still says he doesn't like school and it's boring but he is doing well so we leave it alone. And of course laugh when he tells me in the car line one morning, "When I'm President I am going to make a law that no one goes to school!" Yep, in his own words... yikes.

Merry Christmas 2010!!

Happy New Year everyone, we hope you enjoyed your holidays as much as we did. It's been almost a month and finally getting around to posting. We extended the holidays as long as we could with lots of family time and fun activities. Christmas was in Texas this year, at our house, and we loved having Wade's family here to share it with us. Stephanie and Andy also spent their 1st Christmas as a married couple with us as well, the kids loved every minute and were spoiled as usual. Here they are making homemade sugar cookies with Aunt Shelly just in time for Santa's arrival. Daddy and Avery posing for the camera with his new cooler on wheels for NASCAR and the yearly river float. Many fun times ahead for that cooler! Ella loved her Dora dishes from Aunt Shelly. If we only knew then that she would refuse to eat off anything but Dora's face from that day forward! A Furr-Real kittie from Fess and Toni - her instant favorite toy. For the days leading up to Christmas, we got many laughs at the meowing box everytime we would turn the lights on or off... to quote Christmas Vacation "Aunt Edna wrapped the cat again!" We loved it! Thank you. Sandy sharing her gift to Avery - now he wants to donate all his used toys to Africa! GG with her great-grandchildren. They both adore her and vice versa. Presents under the tree for Christmas morning. (A big thanks to Grandma Trish for the handmade Advent hanging up beside the Christmas tree, so beautiful) - Santa has made his stop. Notice it's still dark outside and Avery is up, playing with his new Bow and Arrow from Santa! Ella opted to sleep in on Christmas morning. She really liked her Imaginext Sesame Street house. She just played all morning, peaceful and quiet. Her stocking has been emptied! I want more mom is the look she's giving... Action shot - I think he likes it! Wow, another Christmas has come and gone but wait, we have another Christmas to celebrate with the Schmiedecke's! A New Years Christmas, you betcha! Grandma and Grandpa flew in on the 26th and stayed with us through the 5th of January. Steph and Andy joined us on New Year's Eve for a full turkey feast and opened presents with fireworks popping outside. It was a great time. Andy even initiated the yearly tradition of the passing of the emergency snow shovel to Wade. Darn it, I have to keep that thing for a whole year! Grandpa got a renewal for his Sirius XM radio in his pickup Grandma got a pretty ornament and plane tickets for San Diego Quality time with Grandpa and Avery checking out Andy's new tool set. Avery posing with a learning toy and a big smile for his new game Pirates+Legos+Game = Happy Avery Say arggghh! Too bad the fun has to end. Back to work and school and everything that comes with it but we are thankful for these things all the same. Happy New Year everyone!