Big Girl Bed

Well, its Ava’s first night in her new big girl bed. I am parked outside her door on my laptop. I just know she’s going to hit the floor any minute! Her new bed and bedding has quite a story, but I must first go back to her baby bed and bedding.

For lack of a better expression. I have been known to have champagne taste with a beer budget. After Gordon and I first got married, I met a precious friend at my church who was pregnant with her first daughter. She asked me to come over and babysit one night..and I walked into the “nursery of my dreams.” I later found out she had purchased most of the decor at an upscale Dallas baby boutique named “Magic Moon” After visiting the store and seeing the price tags, I dismissed ever having the nursery of my dreams. Gordon and I struggled through infertility, lost two babies, and then had 2 baby boys! (I know my 2 babies in heaven must be sleeping in Magic Moon cribs!) Finally, I got the word that my girl was on the way. I found myself driving to the Magic Moon to “get ideas” I told Gordon. I stumbled into an enormous sale, where the bedding I loved which had a $600 price tag hanging from it was being sold for about the same or maybe even less than sets at Babies R Us. I then found the fabric that matched her bedding and bartered my skills as a teacher for the skills of a very talented seamstress whose 2nd grader at the time needed reading help. And, my friend who I told you about at the beginning of this post was gracious enough to allow me to borrow the crib that started it all when her daughter was a baby.

Here are a few pictures of Ava’s baby bed..and bedding.

Sorry, this is such a long story. (Remember I turn this into a scrapbook for Ava to know one day)

Anyway, right before her 2nd birthday Ava started climbing out of her crib. I dreaded the search for a new bed and bedding, mainly because I loved her bed and bedding so much. How was I ever going to find something to match? (Magic Moon is now out of business even if I could afford it)

I had thought about possibly finding the fabric and seeing if my mom could reproduce her bedding into “big girl bedding.” I never prayed for Ava’s bedding. I am not sure its even appropriate to pray for bedding when some children in Haiti don’t even have a bed to sleep on tonight.

Wednesday morning, I decided to see what I could find on Craig’s List. One seller was advertising Magic Moon Furniture for sell but did not include pictures. Later in the day, I emailed the seller and ask to see pictures.

To my total shock….this is what the seller was selling.

Yes, its almost the same bed..Twin version.

Yes, its the same bedding, Twin version.

And its from The Magic Moon, without the

"Magic Moon Price tag!”

I don’t understand the Goodness of my Lord, but I am thankful.

I just went to check on her…

Sleeping like a princess. I have a feeling Mama will be curled up beside her soon!

Happy Lunches

Today was “one of those days” where life just caught up with me and I was just plain tired!

We started the day, with a movie and I sat in my chair sipping coffee for 80 glorious minutes!

After watching the movie, my middle child ask me to get out one of his activities from the “activity closet.”

This was a birthday gift from one of his best friends for his recent birthday. The front page is full of large very colorful stickers.

He wanted to peel stickers. I learned from an ECI therapist that peeling stickers is actually very good for their fine motor skills. However; what do you do with random pages of stickers after they unpeel them and stick them to random pieces of paper?

Then I thought of what I had just done the day before to make their lunches for school “happy lunches.”

This actually filled up about 45 minutes of our morning:) After the stickers got “old” I pulled out dot art paint. That added another 30 minutes to the “Happy Lunch” activity!

Elmo’s World

Today, our home turned into “Elmo’s World” to celebrate Ava’s 2nd birthday!

Once upon a time, I did not care for this little red monster, but when he won the heart of my youngest, he won my heart as well. I had fun planning this Elmo party for her!

My sweet cousin, Kathy, made Ava some Elmo cupcakes!

Old Trick Or Treat Containers made the perfect place for “Dorothy the Goldfish” snack and “Mr. Noodle treats”

Perfect “A” tea cup jello

I picked up “several” Elmo’s from a local

resale shop for perfect table centerpieces!

The toddlers loved watching what each Elmo did

during the party.

Fun opening gifts…..

Ava is checking out the party boxes

to give out to her friends.

Thank you to our friends and family who

came to help our birthday princess turn

TERRIFIC TWO!

Balloons

Tonight, I had a mini date with Zachariah! We went to church for choir and then to the annual Chili cook off together..just the 2 of us. First of all, notice the Texas sized water glass in front of him…there was a time, not too long ago where the water would have been all over the table. He enjoyed having his own “fancy water” tonight.

It is so liberating to go to church with just one child. Before I was blessed with my triple smiles, I could go to church and talk and talk and talk with all my friends until they kicked us out the door. I was usually always one of the last ones to leave a church fellowship. I must admit, my triple smiles have changed that routine. We usually now hurry through the line, sit down quickly and then leave as fast as we can. At our last church dinner, my husband had to pull one child off the middle of the dining table. (Who will remain nameless, but I can assure you not the one most people will think of first)

Balloons, Zachariah loves them! After we finished our Chili and started visiting from table to table, Zachariah quickly noticed a group of boys and asked if he could go play with them. They were within eye shot of a conversation I was having, so I told him yes. These boys were 2x his age if not older. The next thing I know, as I am laughing with a friend, ZOOM….Zachariah runs past me with a balloon in hand and then the next thing I know about 4 or 5 boys 2x his age are chasing him around the dining room. He runs down a ramp, up on the stage, across the stage(still be chased by his crew), back down a ramp and back around the room. I found this hilarious. Why? Well, how to say. Zachariah is usually very compliant and tends to have a shy side. So to see this sudden change of personality just tickled me…meanwhile my friend says “Do you know your kid is running across the stage?” When I finally was able to lasso Zachariah back to my hand…after about 2 laps around the dining hall…he looks at me and says “Mommy, I was looking for you.” Uh huh…I bet you were! Well…Little guy was in balloon heaven tonight as he was awarded a whole bouquet to take home. And Mrs. Joni, he happily shared them when he got home!

Triple Smiles Linked- In

Today, I bit the bullet and showed my kids how to use the internet and computer. I feel a little bit behind in this area as a mom. I just had a conversation this past week with my cousin about how moms beat themselves up all the time by comparing themselves to other moms who seem “to have it all together” or whose kids seem “so much smarter or more advanced” than ours. So having said that I am not going to feel guilty that I am just now introducing the computer and and internet to my kids. One thing I find very ironic is that while teaching both in Irving ISD and Allen ISD I won several technology awards for the ways I was incorporating technology into the learning of my students. Yet,I know that I have many many friends and fellow moms whose kids have been on the computer much earlier than I have taught my kids. I will still sleep tonight! So, about 6 months ago, maybe longer, my cousin showed me this very cool system that makes the internet very easy and SAFE for preschoolers to navigate. It is made by Fisher Price and called “Linked-In” Each character link takes the child to the website centered around that character. For instance, if you place Bob the Builder in the middle, the child is taken to the Bob the Builder Website. If Elmo is put in the middle, the child is taken to the Sesame Street Website. I found the system on clearance at Toys R Us also about 6 months ago. It has been sitting in a box ever since. Don’t know why tonight was the magic night, but it was and they LOVED IT! I didn’t realize the system could be hooked up to my laptop or I would have taken it with us to give to them on Christmas Day.

Off to the Clifford Website….

Two brothers trying to figure it out:)

Ok…sister you can have a turn too.

LJ was so excited!!! I love this picture!

So there you have it, Triple Smiles is officially Linked In…..

Catching up on Christmas

I am planning to turn my blog this year into a scrapbook…..so I can’t end with our NY trip…..must end with Christmas!

Here are a few favorite pictures from our Tender Tennessee Christmas and then our Snowy Michigan Christmas. Ironically, did not snow on Christmas Day in Michigan as it did in Dallas..and even though we fully intend to spend Christmas Day in Dallas next year..it probably won’t snow for us then either! This serves an an open invitation to anyone who wants to travel TO US next year….We did our time this year!

Liner Family…

Zach and Colton

Nana and Papa with their 3 oldest

LOVE this pix of my snow princess!

Zachariah loves his new guitar from Grandma and Grandpa Donaldson

This is so much fun….even if I am freezing!

Grandma Donaldson gave us each sparkling juice for Christmas Eve Dinner…in a very special glass!

Love this picture of Ava giving a gift to her Grandma.

Ava pushing her new baby around in her new stroller! Stroller actually a NYC souvenir from FAO!

Watching a few flurries! Note the snow boots!

Great photo of the boys walking with their Grandpa in the woods.

Levi hard at work making a snowball to throw at….hmmm….

This picture was totally not posed! I have lots of witnesses! Just went in and found him asleep at the table. He was exhausted.

We had a fun trip…gone almost 3 weeks. That is a long time to be gone, out of routines,very little sleep, (except while in NYC!) , but very hard on little bodies who are by the way excellent travelers. And very hard on big bodies…who have to keep on keeping on even though little people won’t sleep like they do at home! So Santa….come to Dallas next year…that's where we’ll be….and anyone who want to see us…well, its your turn to travel!