Emerald Farms

Traci and Gabby
Our conductor

A bunny!

Lovin' the goats!

Giving kisses!

Wow!

Mommy...a puppy!

Saturday Maya and I went to Emerald Farms here in Greenwood with our buddies Traci and Gabbi. It was HOT! We only stayed about an hour, but we had a lot of fun! The girls loved seeing all of the animals wandering around the farm. They had goats (babies!), bunnies, peacocks, llamas, and chickens. The peacocks were showing off for us, and we got some pretty pictures. They also have a train that carries you around the farm, and Maya loved riding it. It was a lot of fun.

Last weekend we went to Anderson to visit Nana and Papa. Maya was happy to get her "Dora" baby back, since we had left it there when we visited the last time. She thanked Nana profusely for giving it back, like Nana had taken it from her or something. : ) We played with Nana's neighbors, who have 2 girls, ages 3 and 1. We had a bonfire and roasted marshmellows, and played outside all day. Sunday we got to see Casey's cousin, Tommy, who we haven't seen in years, so that was very fun! Maya had a ball running around Uncle Larry and Aunt Shirley's yard and playing with their dog and kitties.

Potty training is still non-existent, but she has been telling us when she needs to be changed, so that is progress.

Next weekend we are headed to Columbia to see Disney on Ice, which she will adore I'm sure. I'll post more pics when I get time. Chau!

The Easter Bunny!

Well, I'm sad to say that I have no pics of Maya and the Easter Bunny this year. She loved the Easter Bunny last year. She got on his lap and wouldn't get off, but this year was a different story. The second time she saw him she did roll on the floor in front of him (???) and dance and sing for him, but she wouldn't get on his lap. No way Jose. Oh well.

She is too funny these days. I really will post some pics soon - I just have to get our camera back from Nana and Papa. We left it there last time we visited and we need to get it back and USE it! Life has been so crazy busy lately that we haven't had much time for pictures, but we need to slow down and realize that we can't get this time back, so we'd better take advantage of it while we have it!

Maya is continuing to chatter up a storm. She is reading her books and making jokes and telling us about her day at school and lots more! She read me her "First book of 100 words" tonight that we used to look at when she was a baby. She could identify almost all of the words in the book, and I was amazed. She's been learning her numbers over 10, but is a little confused. She goes from 10 to "eleventeen, fifteen, nineteen, thirteen, etc." Oh well. We'll keep working on it. She is progressing in her Spanish thanks mostly to Dora. She still isn't thrilled when I try to teach her something in Spanish, but is a little more receptive than she was.

The potty training is coming along. We might go for it during Spring Break. We'll see!

That's all for now - I'm running out of battery!!!

Maya and Gabbi enjoying Gabbi's potty reward stickers

Maya in her new bathing suit and coverup with her slippers

I just did this whole post about our weekend, and when I tried to post it, it erased everything. It must have taken me an hour, and now I've got other things to do, so here are at least the pics. I'll have to rewrite later. Ugh.

Maya - so proud of her alphabet puzzle (Thanks Ash and Todd)

Maya and Gabbi enjoying Tubbytime!

Almost Friday!

This week has been a blur - Maya has been recovering from a cold and ear infection, and even though I stayed home with her on Monday, and Casey with her on Tuesday, it has been a long week. However, my kids at school this semester are WONDERFUL, and that is making work a much more pleasant experience. I think this might be my most wonderful group of kids that I've had since I started teaching public school, so it is a nice change.

I'm also taking a graduate class on Thursday nights which is going well. It was FREE and when I complete it I will get a bump in pay for having my bachelors + 18, so that will be nice. It is BORING, but again, FREE, so I am suffering through it. Casey enjoys having a little father/daughter time on Thursday afternoons.

Maya is precious as ever. Have I mentioned on here that she loves to sing the Barney song "I love you, you love me?" complete with hugs and kisses in the right places? I have GOT to get that on video.

We are looking forward to the weekend! Happy weekend everyone!

Monday night

Today I got to stay at home with Maya, who has been battling a virus (probably) for the last few days. It made me think about how much time we are away from her during the day, and it made me sad. I had fun cuddling with her and watching Dora (the same episode 5 times in a row) and letting her eat a poptart because you get to do what you want when you're sick. I thought about how long she actually is at daycare during the day. My day at school goes by so fast because I am terribly busy, but I wonder if hers goes by that quickly too, or if it creeps by. I must just be having a weepy moment, because she is always happy to go to school and having a ball when I pick her up, which is truly a blessing.

The cutest thing in the world is to be rocking her to sleep and have her sing "Hush a baby" as she calls it, right along with you. She messes up the words still, but that makes it all the more precious. She also loves to sing "Rock a baby" or Rockabye baby, and insert her and all her friends name in the baby slot. It is too cute and something I'll always treasure - having those beautiful blue eyes staring back at me while her little voice is singing away.

What an amazing gift from God - a child. Truly we cannot begin to fully understand his love (can we ever) until we experience it through the eyes of a parent. I thank Him daily for every moment I have with her.

We are doing well - working away. Casey is trudging through graduate classes to finish getting his certificate, and I am taking one as well to finish my bachelors + 18. We are busy but thankful to have jobs in this present economy!

We hope everyone is doing well, not working too hard, and staying warm and well!

Argoland

Oh, poor neglected blog. I really do wish I had more time to update this thing! I have a few moments before bed, so let me see.

Christmas break was wonderful, and of course, we were spoiled rotten. We got all kinds of goodies, and Santa was good to us. Most importantly, we go to spend some quality time with our family, which was much needed. Maya is old enough now to remember and love her family, and she dearly misses everyone when they aren't around. Just tonight we were saying out prayers, and she said, "What Grandma doing now mommy? What Papa doing?" I quickly replied, "Sleeping," to lull her into bedtime bliss. I thought to myself, how amazing it is that at age 2 she is wondering and worrying about what everyone is up to already. How cute.

She is really growing into her own little personality lately. She has become very aware of others and their feelings. She tells me she's sorry if she bumps into me or drops something. She loves her kitty cats and follows them around (and they tolerate her - Chief adores her, to be honest). She has grown especially attached to her "buttyfly bankie" as she calls it, and wants to take it everywhere. She has her "bag" with her "lips" inside, which she pulls out frequently and proceeds to smear all over her face and mine. She tells you that she misses you when you've been away, and she's recently started singing the "I love you" song from blasted Barney. I wouldn't be so pleased except that she sings the songs complete with hugs and kisses for you in the right places, and it is the most wonderful feeling in the world to be loved so unconditionally and completely.

She has been a bit whiny lately, so when she starts we send her to her room. She screams the whole way, but promptly runs down the hall and goes to her room. She screams for a few more minutes, and when she has quieted down, I go back and say "Feel better now?" and she replies, uh-huh, and she comes out ready to play. When you say something she agrees with she says, "That right, mommy."

She is still singing up a storm, but has added "Baa, baa black sheep, Do you know the Muffin Man? I love you, you love me, Jesus loves me, If you're happy and you know it, and a few others to her repertoire.

She loves her friends dearly, and has been behaving lately at school. Potty training is slow going, but we're not pushing it. She goes when she wants to on the potty, and we're still in the trusty diapers for now. She and her friend Gabbi LOVE to go to the mall and run around and "ride" the cars, and if Papa will just cooperate, she won't realize that those things move and play music if you deposit those precious little coins. Don't tell!

Casey is plugging away at his graduate class to finish his PACE teaching requirements, and I start a graduate class of my own the 22nd. Ugh. At least I will have my bachelor's plus 18, and I probably WON'T get my raise because of funding issues. Oh well. God will provide - not to worry.

I get a new batch of kids the 21st, so that will be new for me. I'm used to having the same kids all year long, but at this school we change midyear, and start all over. I'm hoping it will go well and that I won't be too stressed.

God is good and we are truly blessed.

-Jennifer

Christmas already?

Merry Christmas everyone! We have had a busy November and December, but now that school is out we should have a few days to relax. We have gotten off to a busy start. We'll be in Columbia this week from Monday - Friday, and then we'll stop in Greenwood, unload, reload, and then be off to Anderson for a few days. It will be busy but fun. It is so nice to see everyone for a bit and not have to rush, rush, rush.

Maya is every bit of two and she knows it! She is generally very good natured, loving, and a total hambone, but when sleepiness sets in she is a booger! Her buddy Jackson gave her a train set for Christmas, and she has been having a blast setting up the tracks with her daddy and driving her train. We opened presents at our house on Sunday morning so that we wouldn't have to haul so much to Columbia, and I must say I was a bit disappointed. I thought she would be more excited, but she seemed to just be confused! Maybe she needs one more year to figure it out! She was excited about her moon that her daddy picked out for her (it hangs on the wall and has a remote so you can see its different phases) and especially excited about her suckers, which is all she's been saying that she wanted for Christmas since we started asking her. Specifically a "white sucker" and then recenty "a brown sucker." Well, at least that was an easy request. We'd better relish the simple requests while we still have them!

Her speech is progressing very well - she can sing the alphabet and several other songs. Her current favorites are "the wheels on the bus" (still - this one has always been her favorite), "twinkle star," the theme songs from Dora - Backpack and "The map," the theme song for the Backyardigans, and "Jingle Bells." She also has become obsessed with singing/playing "Ring around the Rosey." Cute, cute, cute!

Casey, poor thing, is trying to work on his 3 graduate classes that he has to complete by June for his final certificate. He has been working his bum off trying to get them done as quickly as possible. I dragged him out Chrismas shopping all day Friday (we took Maya to school so we could get some shopping done) and he was a trooper for the most part. We enjoyed our few hours of being child-free, but we missed her too!

We hope everyone has a safe and happy Christmas! : )