Happy Memorial Day!

Do you know why I love Memorial Day weekend? Besides the warm weather, cookouts, time with family, three days off and remembering those who have served our country for all of our individual freedoms and liberties- I ALSO love Memorial Day weekend because it marks my last full week of school this year! Yeah! I am sooo ready for summer vacation- and let me tell you so are my students. They are antsy and have MAJOR attitude right now. It's okay- though. I can do anything for one week! I have had a great year overall (even though it was a bit of an adjustment learning how to be a full-time working mom) but now I am ready to send this group of little angels on to 8th grade. Bring on the summer!

.... This weekend was just a taste of the summer to come..

Visiting Grandma and Grandpa Leppin in Dwight

Blowing bubbles outside in the warm sunshine......

(Getting frustrated when Daddy didn't let her do it herself)

First pool time of the year!! Yes! Grandma and Grandpa Davis

got a heater this year so we were able to swim on May 30th

Family cookouts.... The greatest way to spend a summer day..

Wow! This was a fun weekend. Now .... just 3 and a half school days until summer truly begins.

Splish, Splash

This past week had some great warm weather days. When Isabel gets home from school we usually take Lucky for a walk and play outdoors for a little bit until Jason gets home too. We finally broke out the "water table" Grandma Kathy bought Bel and she LOVED it. What is not to love? Splishing, splashing, and dumping water all over yourself. It was so much fun that it attracted the neighbor girl too. She played with Isabel for a good 20 minutes or so. Of course I had to keep reminding Bel not to DRINK the water in her water table.

Just Hanging Out...

Isabel loves to dance!

Texting while driving?

Bel accidentally calls people on my phone all the time.. it is so funny!

Terrible Two's Already?! Surely not.

Sweet little Isabel Grace has developed a very headstrong personality lately! She wants to do what she wants to do, when she wants to do it. And now that she can get around really well (pushing, pulling, climbing, walking, and nearly running) she is capable of getting almost whatever she wants. The problem comes in when Jason and I decide to take anything away from her, or when we try to stop her, or heaven forbid... when we say "no". Oh -she does not like this. Case in point. Today, her Aunt Belinda and Uncle Bill sent her a present from Arkansas. It came in a box filled with pink paper and she was very excited about opening it

Oh- the pink paper was so much fun to crinkle and crunch.

...and the pink and green bunny inside was perfect!

He was such a cute bunny! I said "Oh look Bel the bunny is in the box. See let's put bunny in the box. BUNNY in the BOX. (see how I was trying to be a teacher there?) Well... Isabel did not LIKE the bunny in the box. In fact, that made her really mad.

She threw that bunny right out of the box.... On the floor and SHE proceeded to get in the box.

But she was stuck....

and it made her mad.

REALLY mad.

(But kind of funny)

The best thing about these little tantrums is that they last about 3.5 seconds and then she usually forgets what she was mad about. I mean, you need only tickle her, read a book or give her a cookie and suddenly life is good again. I'm sure as she gets older she will not be as easily distracted but for now we have it under control. I have to admit though, I do love seeing her personality develop. Granted- I really have nor frame of reference and no other children to compare her to, but I do think at times she might be an independent, stubborn, persistent, and focused little thing. (Maybe she gets some of that from me?) But she is also showing her funny side, always laughing, joking, socializing, and even dancing- the life of the daycare party (a little more like her daddy) Anyway you slice it- we LOVE this little wanna-be terrible two.

Wow!

My brother-in-law is really handy. I just have to share with you his latest project. He and my sister moved into my old condo and have been slowly redoing it. Check out this link to see how he redid my old firplace. Amazing!http://kerruishclan.blogspot.com/

Happy Mother's Day!

I love Mother's Day! This year, not only did I get to celebrate my own amazing momma, and be with my little sis (who is an expecting momma) but it was my 2nd Mother's Day so I got to enjoy being a momma with my beautiful daughter too. My dad took all of us out to a delicious Mother's Day brunch at the Baker Hotel in St. Charles. It was all-you-can-eat and let me tell you .. I can eat a LOT! Last year, we had Isabel's baby dedication over Mother's Day weekend and she was just a little peanut- only about 8 weeks old then. This year, she was a crazy toddler running around the restaurant with a mouth full of teeth, babling and waving to waitresses. What a difference a year makes!

             Bel made me a present this year (I think she may have had a little help from her Grandma)

She made me this beautiful stone for the garden and on the back it has her handprints!

I just love it and I love my family too. Thank you for the special day everyone. Being a mom is hard work but by far the best thing I have ever done with my life. Happy Mother's Day all!

Our Crazy Kid!

Isabel is developing quite a little personality! She loves to make people laugh (like her daddy) and plays jokes on people. Her fave thing right now is tickling our feet (or her own feet) and saying "tickle. tickle" She also likes dancing, yelling, babbling, and her newest trick? Finding mom's sports bras and wearing them around the house. (What?!) Yep-- she picks them out of the laundry pile, puts them around her neck, laughs and runs around. Don't try to take them away or she will yell and cry.....

This is quite a look! The girl has a way with accesories...

She also has discovered Lucky's "house" and takes it upon herself to try to free him. She goes to his cage - shakes it- yells and tries to drag it around.

What a sweetie- so funny! We love watching her little personality develop. I can't wait to see what other changes are in store.