Getting ready for Christmas

For Family home evening on Monday we decorated our home for Christmas.  

With music playing and girls exploring the Christmas ornaments, our evening was perfectly delightful.

After all the decorations where up Grace asked to go "night night" so I put her to bed.  Then Gwenevere, Grandpa Thomas, Papa and I enjoyed hot chocolate and read our first Christmas book of the season.

Growing Grace 15 months

Grace turned 15 months last Saturday and I've been wanting to post about her growth but feel so overwhelmed with how much she's changed.   I haven't felt like I could do a proper job documenting it all and I still don't think I can articulate her  growth I figured I better try.

Grace is always testing my patients,  she if full of emotion and isn't afraid to tell you when she's upset.  Although, she's vocal and needs lots of re-assurance of love, Grace is a joy to have in our home.

Grace loves to clean, helping me with the dishwasher and likes to clean the toilet.  We have to make sure we close the bathroom doors or else.

Grace loves to look outside and watch for Papa to come home  (i'm grateful for our low windows,  I feel like  they provide an escape for my little ones when we've been stuck inside all day.)

Grace loves to brush her teeth with my tooth brush and take baths with her big sister.

Grace loves to read books, Good night moon is her favorite.  fallowed by every other book available.

Grace loves to take care of her baby doll.

Grace loves to talk and sing and dance.  Grace can say so many words I can't keep track of them all.  The other day James and I where driving in the car with Grace to pick up Gwenevere.  In the back seat Grace started singing Jingle bells.  Gwenevere sings it every time we get in the car.  I had to  double check to make sure it was Grace singing, it was amazing.  And anytime we put on dance music Grace boogies.  Grace also cries when Gwenevere goes to ballet and she isn't allowed to go.  I can't wait to put her in a dance class.  I think she'll really enjoy it.

Grace loves bikes. She wants to ride Gwenevere's all the time but she's just too small.  I hope she still wants to ride when she gets bigger.

Grace loves to play with Gwenevere and Gwenevere is a good big sister and let's Grace play with her most of the time.

I love to dress her in sky blues, grays, silvers and pinks, these colors really make her eyes shine.

Grace also loves soccer.  I can't tell if she likes the black and white design more or kicking the ball.

Grace is getting better at not falling all the time but she's still very clumsy.  I think she takes after her Aunt Grace.  It it possible to have a graceful Grace.

Grace loves playing with spoons and eating cheerios for breakfast.  I think she'll be a right hander:  Whenever I give her a spoon in the left hand she's pass it to her right hand before eating.  She's getting better at eating by herself and therefore eating more and nursing less.

We bought a new car-seat for her.  She doesn't like getting into her car-seat but she doesn't complain too much once she's buckled.  Here she is reading the user manual and helping me get it adjusted just right.

She's pretty happy with her new seat.

Grace loves shoes:  and she's very picky in her tastes.  She already tells me no when I go shoe shopping with her.  LOL  But what she does like she wears all the time, totally worth fallowing her opinion.  I never knew a child could have such an opinion.

For thanksgiving I wanted to make a Thanksgiving tree.  The girls wanted to help.  I wasn't happy with the idea of them helping me but when I finally gave in they where both very happy.

Grace is very particular with her food,  but it makes me feel better to know she's picky about her junk food just as much as she's picky about her healthy food.

Grace has 6 teeth on top, two on bottom, and 5 more almost through.  I'm hoping `we'll have them come through in the next week or so.

Grace loves to play with her toy computer and when she gets the chance, Papa's zune.  I took these pictures on Saturday theday she turned 15 month.

chewing on her fingers to help with her teething

We love you Grace.

Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving!

On behalf of the little Roemhildt family I want to say we had a wonderful Thanksgiving day.

This year I really wanted Gwenevere to understand why we celebrate Thanksgiving, and I really wanted her to feel grateful for the blessing she has in her life.   These were my goals for this holiday and I feel comfortable saying, I think we accomplished them.  (happy face)

Last week I taught a preschool lesson on the pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving.  We made puppets and re-enacted their story.  Later on when I asked Gwenevere why we celebrate Thanksgiving she said "Because the Indians helped the Pilgrims make popcorn."   (I am calling that a success.)  

For the second half of my goal.  I put to use Thomas the Thankful Turkey.  Growing up my mom had a wooden Turkey she would pull out each thanksgiving and fill suckers as it's feathers.  I LOVED that turkey.  Well, two years ago James made me my very own sucker turkey and we've named him Thomas the Thankful Turkey.  Once a day Gwenevere could have a sucker if she told me what she was thankful for and she could help Grace get a sucker by telling Grace one thing she should be thankful for.  By Thanksgiving time Gwenevere and Grace had recognized a lot of things to be thankful for including: Cats, Dogs, Puppies, Rainbows, Mama and Papa, All things beautiful, baths, milk, toys, food, suckers, letters, and more.  

We also had a family home Evening lesson on being thankful, and despite our very emotional, and somewhat temper tantrum week I think we might have made progress in our gratefulness.  

As for Thanksgiving day:  It was wonderful.  but to be honest I was a bit moody.  An emotional week with two whinny girls can do that to you.  With all good intentions to be a nice, happy wife, I gave James a bit of the nasty side of life.  (sad face).    I must say I love James:  patients, kindness and humility never looked so good.   With that said our day turned out to be a great day.

First we woke up and cleaned up the house a bit, then we watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.  Both girls loved the Hello Kitty Balloon.  Grace yelled Kitty every time it appeared on TV. 

After the parade we went on a family walk around the neighborhood to get some exercise.   Then we came home, put Grace down for a nap, James started cooking the ham, and then watched the Dog Show with Gwenevere while I started prepping the mash potatoes and stuffing.  

We had the Box family come over for dinner, they brought the yams, pies and rolls.  The Dinner was great and oh so delicious.  After dinner we had some quiet time while I cleaned the kitchen and then went to the Box's house for dessert and games.    

I truly feel so blessed.  I love my family and I love this time of year.  

Happy Thanksgiving! 

This one's for Dalynn

I remember when Meika where these PJs

Sisters: Friends for life

The other day I was getting lunch ready for the girls,  Grace's chair was on one side of the table and Gwenevere's stool was on the other side.  Gwenevere asked me to move her stool over by Grace so they could sit together.  Gwenevere declared   "Grace is my friend."  this sweet statement melted my heart.

Yes girls, I pray that you two with be friends for life.  I hope to see you laughing together, crying together and even teasing me and papa together.  Sister's make the best kind of friends.

after bath time I decided to cut off Grace's mullet  Gwenevere wanted to join in on the fun so we cute an inch off of her hair as well.  Looking good girls.

Happy Halloween

The day before Halloween we had a Preschool Halloween party.  I am often teased by the fact that I can't just throw a small party.  We had 16 kids and counting.   Luckily I had the help of my amazing friend Tanya.  And to say the lease, we had a very fun party.

We had a pumpkin bowling game, a fishing game, a play dough area, a Halloween story time, a costume parade/conga line and dance party fallowed by a super fun cupcake walk and pinata.

 I even decorated 

 

We went around in a big circle and told everyone about our Halloween costumes.

This is Cinderella and my attempted to be a cow girl.

Pumpkin bowling

Grace going fishing

Playing with Play dough

Story time

Pinata time

the "oh so yummy cupcakes"

I don't mind if I do

Halloween parting continue

James had Halloween day off of work.  SO COOL!  To start of party day we went to story time at the Library where the University Place Fire department where the guest speakers.  They even brought their fire truck.

After story time we headed to Sonic for .50 cent corn dogs and yummy smoothies for lunch.  Sonic was short staffed that day and super busy so it took a long time to get our food.  While we waited Grace danced to the sonic music station and kept us entertained.

Gwenevere now calls Grace her "Friend"  

After lunch we drove around and looked at houses while the kids slept in the car.  It is always nice to have some quiet time with James by my side.

We arrived home in time to eat PB &J Sandwiches  get dressed in our Halloween costumes and go Trick or Treating at a local living assistant home.  Grace and Gwenevere loved all the decorations and the residents loved Gwenevere and Grace.  It was a win win kind of night.

Saying Hi to the doggy was almost as fun as getting candy

Once Grace realized the object of the night was to get as much candy as she should there was no stopping.

Unless there was a cute fake dog to pet

After visiting the assistant living center we realized we had enough time to go to our ward's trunk or treat party.  There we met up with the Grace's favorite friend Abram, who was also sporting a homemade ghost costume.  RIGHT ON!

 We ended the night with a sugar high but it was a GREAT Halloween.  A few days after Halloween a gave Gwenevere some money and she gave me all her Halloween candy.  We eat a lot of junk food already so I wanted to keep the candy intake down.  Gwenevere bought yet another toy dog with her candy money and the candy we are saving for their stockings this year.    

And since this is a long blog already why not add a few more pictures.

Pre Halloween partying:

On Monday night we put Grace to sleep and turned on a movie while James and I carved pumpkins.  We let Gwenevere stay up too help but she enjoyed taking pictures and watching us do the "gross" work.

And though we don't have any pictures of my Halloween costume let it be noted that I wore my Mother's German dirndl dress on Halloween night.