photo 365...

Motivation.

This morning we ventured out to have Landry's 2 year pictures taken and we also wanted to try for a family picture IF the toddler in our bunch was cooperative enough.

Well....my poor youngest daughter has NEVER in her life had a sucker or lollipop of any kind. Nope, not even at dance when Miss Heather gives all the other kiddos one, not when Big Sis gets one, not when Carly gets one...not at the doctor's office...not ever.

After the picture taking fiasco we had with her for her 18 month pictures this last summer, I decided today might just be a good day to let her have a sucker for the first time. She is beginning to understand the "If you do ______, you get _____".

This sucker turned out to be a LIFE SAVER! This girl cooperated much better than I expected. Daddy even opened it up and let her have a lick or two part way through the shoot when she started to lose interest in the pictures. I only wish I had gotten a picture of her face because it was priceless when she took that first lick...and then the second one. And after those few licks she went back to being Miss Cooperative. It was greatness.

The best part was how she sat in my lap and licked her sucker while we went through our pictures which is quite time consuming. After she finished her sucker she and Sis went to play with the legos. I wasn't stressed and I didn't break out in a sweat trying to keep up with her and look at pictures like I did last summer.

Don't get me wrong...we did have a few times where she acted like a normal two year old, but overall, I was quite pleased! There was not one single fit and it was so nice!

Today I got the "Best Mommy Ever" award in her eyes. She loved her sucker....and it totally worked. I am so glad we had some "motivation" for her today! These bad boys will be used in the future when we need her to cooperate for something...these are "special occasion" suckers after all!

photo 364...

Today our BG attended a "Legacy Line Jr. Clinic" at the high school where she will most likely go. She absolutely loved it!

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mmmmmmm.....

Today I busted out a few of our Valentine's Day decorations....which include this double heart candy dish with valentine colored dark chocolate M&Ms.

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ummmmmmm....really.....already?!

YEP. This is what you think it is.....Our little 2nd Grade Rock Star Daughter is learning CURSIVE!

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sigh.

I have been looking online for over a week now (actually longer off and on) at ideas for what I want on my blogs. It is a new year and I am SO ready for new layouts! I only have 4 days left before I finish my 365...I am so sick and tired of looking at our family blog....I really, really, really don't love it....it bothers me every single time I pull up my page....I am just over it!

My problem is that I have found several things I think I kind of like, but nothing that I just love. I have no idea what I want. I don't even know what colors I wanna use. Why won't something just jump out at me....maybe because I am a VERY indecisive person...yep that could be it!

I am frustrated....and wish I could find something. Sorry for all the negativity on this one...I will keep at it and I will find something....

photo 360...

no lunchbox today for our BG!

Ashton LOVES when she gets to buy her lunch on the days her school serves "Breakfast for Lunch". This happens every other Tuesday and she gets so stinkin' excited!

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{I apologize for the not so great picture of the tv....I took a ton and tried several different things but this is the best I could get}

LP doesn't feel good today...she has a cold that has turned into an ear infection so she and I snuggled in my bed for most of the morning watching Hi-5 {her favorite show} over and over.

We have 5 recorded and we watched most of them multiple times. You know she doesn't feel good when all she wants to do is lay on me and watch tv...this is a busy girl who usually plays while the tv is on.

I was happy to snuggle my littlest girl...I only wish I could make her better fast!

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practice...practice...practice

Today Ashton and one of her friends {who is also going to be on the same softball team} went up to the school to get a little practice in with their Daddies. It it just about time for "Spring Softball" to begin.

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already?!

This morning we took Lan-Lan P to an Open House at Apple Creek. This is the same preschool that Ashton (and Macy, and Grayson, and Anna, and Carly) went to and we LOVED it. We can't believe Landry will be going to preschool in the fall!

photo 356...

Date Night For Mommy and Daddy!

Since we don't have grandparents that live here or regular babysitters we have to get creative with our nights out. My Gym offers a "Parents Night Out" once a month where the kids can come play and have pizza for a few hours. My hubby and I enjoyed a yummy sushi dinner then did a little shopping and headed back to pick up the girls a little early.

Oh how I LOVE date night with my hubs!

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the newest obsession....

...in our house belongs to two little girls. Our ice maker in the fridge broke and so I went and bought a bag of Sonic ice to tide us over until it gets fixed. The girls are loving eating the ice...I am sure it isn't great for their teeth, but it isn't like they eat it all the time!

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this is gonna take me awhile!

One of my "mom friends" from Ashton's school has been determined to get me hooked on the Twilight books. She couldn't believe I hadn't read the first one so she asked a friend of hers if I could borrow her book. She brought me the book just after Thanksgiving break. After having it for a month, and the fact that it didn't even belong to her...I felt like I needed to read it and give it back. So over Christmas break I busted my tail to read it whenever I could and the car rides to and from Waco helped a ton!

I was so proud of myself when I had it finished and I gave it back. The next day she showed up with these two massive books...which she again borrowed from her friend.

Oh my.....I really liked the first one, but reading two like this....holy moly! It is gonna take me a while! I hope they are good!

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"I do jammies myself!"

This is what has occurred several nights lately when Daddy has taken Lan-Lan to get her jammies on. She picks out the most random set of jammies in her drawer...the ones she hasn't worn in forever because they are out of season and I am not sure why they are still in her drawer...yep those jammies.

And tonight, she picked out the top with "parkly hearts" and her "cind-ella" pants. She was pretty proud of herself...not only did she pick them out by herself, she also put them on all by herself.

This is a battle that we don't care to fight...it isn't one that we need to win...we are very much into picking our battles with this "very two year old toddler" of ours these days.

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widdle crocs for a widdle girl

Today we went to the mall and { after a GINORMOUS fit because she didn't want to be in her stroller} got a certain little two year old of ours her very own crocs. Two pair...one fuzzy for winter and one regular for summer and two sparkly heart jibbits for her fuzzy ones.

She thinks she is so BIG because all the big girls she knows have crocs! I didn't used to be a fan of crocs....I used to think they were the ugliest things ever. But...they have grown on me, they are so convenient, and the smaller they are the cuter they are.

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Guess My Coins

This evening after Landry went to bed, we spent some time with Ashton working on counting money and playing "Guess My Coins". We would tell her how many coins we had and the total amount we had in our hand and she had to figure out which coins we were holding.

It was a fun way to practice some math skills and play a game all while spending some time with our BG. I remember doing this with my kiddos when I taught...I love watching her mind figure things out!