Rainy Day Painting

"The sun did not shine
it was too wet to play
so we sat in the house
on that cold, cold wet day

It was too wet to go out,  

too cold to play ball.

So we sat in the house,

And did nothing at all."  

So starts the cat in the hat...

Well it was to wet and too cold to go out yesterday but that did not keep us from having fun that was funny.  We got out the real paint, not the crayola wonders clean finger paint but the nice messy real stuff.  I wish I had taken the camera but by the time I thought of it you were already thigh deep in blue paint, so the only pictures I have of are your finished work.  Oh well next time I will be smarter and have the camera downstairs in advance.  I rolled out some old wrapping paper to cover the floor and then gave you several big sheets of art paper,  a few old brushes and let you go.  It was a lot of fun to see you play with the paint and bash the brushes into the paper.  When it was all done I think that we painted for about 45 mins and then it took almost an hour to you get you clean and thankfully then you took a nice long nap so I could clean up the basement.  It was messy but it was fun.  I don't know if you will love painting the way that I do when you get bigger but it is fun to share this with you now.

 

I love you little foot prints in this picture.

   

First Party

 

With Oma and Opa headed to Florida for Spring break, Jacqueline got her first birthday party a little early.  Her favorite thing was the balloons. 

  

Holding on to one balloon pointing towards the other two that were still floating high above her highchair.

  

Diving in to a gift from Oma and Opa.  Jacqueline got some beautiful clothes, and cute new toys but she enjoyed sorting the clothes in and out of the gift bags over and over again. 

 

If you have played at our house recently then you know that this little girl loves bubbles, so I got excited as she was ripping the paper off the bubble mower.  (It is already put together and we took it for a test spin yesterday.  When Jacqueline is pushing by herself she goes a little too slow to get bubbles but it makes a great sound and she loves that too, and if she walks with Daddy or I then we get a flood of bubbles. )

  

Sometimes Jacqueline just loves to be a grown-up and do it herself, here she is with cake and ice-cream,  not diving in but attempting to use her spoon. 

  

In the end she surrendered the spoon and let great-grandma Norma feed her cake and ice-cream a lot more got in her mouth that way. 

It was a fun but crazy day.  Jacqueline has several new teeth pushing through and so we had no afternoon nap on this day but still did good for the night.  It was really nice too that Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Meeuwsen could come. 

Bubba the Moose

 

So Adam came home from Alaska with an extra bag.  An early birthday gift for Jacqueline from Aaron, Chelsea and Raylee.  And what filled that giant duffel bag... Bubba a huge stuffed moose.  The picture above is just after Jacqueline opened him up, and the photo below is the two of them playing in her room.  I think that Bubba is going to be a very hard top.

Busy Day

Yesterday we got a visit from Aunt Sharon and Great-Grandpa Ed.  It is always nice to get a chance to see both of them.  Grandpa really enjoyed watching you play with your stack tower and your shape sorter, as far as he is concerned you are already a genius.  We all had a lot of fun watching you and Grandpa play.  It was so nice of Aunt Sharon to drive him over so that we could see both of them.

 

  It was such beautiful weather here we had to play outside for a while too.  It seems crazy because it is only early March but the daffodils are already blooming outside and the tulips are up quite a bit already too. We walked around the yard and saw all the flowers, we walked around the neighborhood and then finally we walked down to the park to go play.

  Your favorite thing at the park is the swings.  You would swing all day if we let you.  The whole time we were at the park you giggled and smiled.  It was a busy but a great day.

Missing Dad

 

So every-time your dad comes on skype your face lights up.  I know it has only been a few days but I think you really miss him.  And as for me... while I have spent the last hour searching the house because something was beeping, stupid smoke detector in the basement.  Your daddy would have been able to figure it out and fix it faster. Dad's are great for things like that.  They can fix anything. They know what to say when you have a bully, or a boo boo or a real horrible terrible no good really bad dream.  Dad's are special.  

When I worry, your dad is calm.  When I am stressed he finds a way to help more.  When I talk he acts.  Your dad is a special guy.  He has the wisdom to know if he lets you fall, you will learn, the strength to pick you up off the ground, the compassion to wipe away the tears, and the ability to make you laugh and forget the fall. 

Right now dad is your hero, but as life goes on I am sure there will be moments when you think he knows everything and moments when he knows nothing at all.  Times you need his shoulder to cry on and times you just wish he would leave you alone.  Regardless of how you may feel about dad, I can promise he always loves you. You have a great dad.

Psalm 103:13
Just as a father has compassion on his children, 

So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

I know your dad is having fun in Alaska but I am glad he comes home on Saturday.

Butterflies are blooming

Yesterday we went to see the butterflies are blooming exhibit at Frederik Meijer Gardens.  It was so much fun.  We had such wonderful weather that we were able to not only explore the indoor garden but play in the outdoor children's garden too.  You really enjoyed pointing to all the butterflies and the flowers. I think that you liked the butterflies best but that room was too warm for you.  After a little while in there you were ready to go play outside again and cool off, (proof that you are your daddy's girl, I liked the warm muggy air of the butterfly room.)  It was also really fun to see you enjoy the waterfall this time.  The last time we were at the gardens you were afraid, this time you explored the waterfall sicking your arms through the rocks reaching for the water. 

It was nice to be able to spend the day with just the three of us before your dad left for Alaska.  For the next week we are on our own.  (Your Uncle Aaron and Aunt Chelsea were hoping that your daddy would have taken you with, they keep reminding us that it is free to fly with you right now so they wanted you to visit.  The trouble is you like to move way too much to sit on a plane for that long.  You were not even happy to stay in your stroller at the gardens you wanted to walk, I can not imagine what it would be like to try to have you sit on dad's lap for a 6 hour plane ride.  Sorry Uncle Aaron.)

11 Months

 

 

 

You are such a cute little peanut.  I can not believe that you are 11 months tomorrow.   It just does not quite seem possible.  One moment is seems like you have been here forever the next it seems like we only just got you home from the hospital.  After hold your beautiful little cousin Ava I had a hard time remembering you being that little.   I know that you were smaller then her, but at the same time that seems surreal. 

It seems like there are so many things you are learning right now.  This week you started blowing kisses, you have been doing goodbye for a while, your sign language is improving (you know more, want, water, eat and we are working on please and thank-you), you have started using a sippy cup instead of a bottle occasionally, you are still getting better at walking and pulling your self up.  It seems like everyday you learn a new trick.  It can be tough to keep it all straight.  We just keep on learning, playing and growing. 

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
(Proverbs 22:6)

Silly Girl

 

Sometimes when I am to focused on my to do list you remind me how silly things are important too!  I pull out my laptop to work but all you want is to hear the Abby Cadabby Broccoli song.  Today I was trying to organize all your old clothes just in case Abby wanted to borrow anything for Ava but for every piece of clothing I got sorted and folded you pulled two out of the basket and tossed them across the room giggling.  The only thing I could do was giggle too.  Maybe we will finish sorting another day.