P is for Chester

The girls go to bring home the class pet this week! (They were studying the letter "P" and Ms. P brought a pet puppy to class to share). For two girls who have never really been than into stuffed animals, Chester was one well loved overnight guest. 

He came in a little puppy backpack with a Clifford book and list of instructions (I love Pre-K!!!! It's so stinkin' cute!!). We only got to keep him for the day/night and then he went back to class to be shared with the other friends there. 

He and his puppet self were difficult for Ada and Margot to share. I am not exaggerating  when I say we spent that entire afternoon in 5 minute intervals. Set timer for 5 for Margot.. set timer for 5 more for Ada and so on.. It was still fun though. They cried when they came home that afternoon wishing that Chester had been able to stay longer.

I would say that we might need to look into getting some animal puppets at Christmas time but something tells me that it just wouldn't have the same charm.

Today in Pictures

 

We tried Frankie's baby snow suit on from last year and .. it still fits!

The girls did some painting with Daddy. They recently got a haircut but if you don't see them every day you might not notice. Ada on the left, Margot on the right. Ada's is slightly shorter because Margot loves to wear hers up so .. we left it longer so she could keep doing that. Long by like an inch I think. 

See that lovely black boot on Ada's leg? She jumped off the bed about 5 weeks ago and sprained her ankle. The pediatrician gave us instructions on how to rest it so it would get better.. but getting Ada Grey to sit still and ice her ankle while wearing a tension bandage.. it just didn't happen. So, after getting x-rays to be sure nothing was fractured in there, the docs decided to put her in this "Wee Walker" boot thing to immobilize  the area and help it rest and heal.. crossing our fingers it only lasts the week or two that they suggested.

We ate our dinner out on the porch tonight and the girls played in the dirt gathering acorns and throwing them at various targets. 

Margot spent most of the time running back and forth on the sidewalk and then coming to the porch to get hugs and a bite of her dinner. Look at the beautiful happy hearted girl. 

Frankie wondered why she didn't get a second bowl of pasta..

 

"Daddy take a picture of my boot!"

Nite nite everyone!

Too Much

There is just too much to write. So much is happening and it is all happening so fast. I am overwhelmed by the thought of trying to play catch up here so.. just gonna hit the highlights. 

The girls are loving school. Here is Margot's self portrait that is hanging in the hall across from the principals office. Margot loves school - loves it. Doesn't want to come home. Has started crying on the way home because she doesn't want to leave. She loves her teachers. They love her. She is learning so much. Her patience with herself and others is increasing incremental each day. School has been the best decision we could have made for the girls. 

Ada is also loving school. Here is her self portrait - that tiny pink figure is Frankie who is always present in Ada's drawings of people. Ada is learning so much it is mind boggling. The child is in love with life. She is in love with learning. She is in love with God and talks about Him constantly. She and Margot both are starting to recognize letters in the world around them and hear when words sound similar. "Hey Mom! Mmm, Mmm Mmmmorning sounds like..  Mmmm, Mmm, Mmmmargot!!!" It's so fun. They are little people. Tiny people that are getting bigger by the minute.

Then there is Frankie. A tiny person who shouldn't be allowed to get any bigger at all .. and yet sitting on her (as lovingly suggested by a friend) doesn't seem to be producing the desired results. She is an angel.. except when she isn't and even then...she is. As Ada and Margot like to say about their baby sister, "We just love her."

I had a birthday. I turned 34. Can you even believe it? Me neither. Sheesh. These are the days right? The girls went with Stephen to the book store and chose books to give me for the big day. I am now the proud owner of TinkerBell (a Little Golden Book) and Barbie Mariposa - A Storybook. I found them both to be riveting. The girls haven't even been introduced to Barbie yet but he said Ada saw that book and was so entranced and excited to give it to me that when he suggested another one she started to well up with tears, declaring the fairy in this book to be so beautiful since she had butterflies on her shoes. They are on my nightstand and there shall remain for the duration of forever.

If you are  friends with me on FB you already know that we also signed a contract on a house on my birthday. Honestly this bit of news is still so enormous that I can't really wrap my mind around it. A house. Our own house. Our house. Our home. It's like when you meet that guy you want to marry and you sit around practicing writing your future name in cursive.. I just keep going over and over the idea in my mind and it just doesn't seem real. And I suppose it won't .. until it is. Couldn't resist this shot of Dad and Stephen  checking out the crawl space. Dry as a bone. Doesn't even smell like dirt which is crazy since it is actually...dirt.

 

I took just a few pictures and I am not sure how ok it is to post them yet but here are a couple that are the least intrusive to the current owners. The house was designed and built in 1965  by a NC State Engineering student. It is in excellent condition but could use a few updates and such. Basically it's a house we can grow into and refine in the coming years.

It is a split level/multi level design and this is the downstairs. Yes that is a fireplace and yes those are glass pocket doors.. it's just so fun. If you come stay with us in the future you will get your own little suite. We are still in shock that the Lord has allowed us to do this. We are not in an income bracket that allows for saving up for a down payment. So thankful for the City of Raleigh and the programs they offer to help families like ours own their own home. 

The craziest thing about all of this is how smoothly it has all gone. I was telling Stephen the other night.. we have had to make almost no compromises and we started out with a bucket load ready to splash at potential homes. The house is a fabulous 60s design.. it has all hardwood floors.. it has 2 1/2 baths - so tough to find in homes this age in our price range. It has a deck off the kitchen.. it has a great shaded yard.. it is almost 2000 square feet?!?! I know we still have the inspections and such ahead of us and something could go wrong and the whole thing could just fall apart.. and I can honestly say I am ok with that. I would be disappointed of course.. but I would be ok because this is so much more than I was expecting in the first place.. I am simply grateful. Grateful to walk this path to whatever conclusion said path holds. Right now it's a signed contract so... ima just keep saying that to myself and be excited.