Meet The Teacher

Lillian had Meet the Teacher this morning. Lillian was so excited to go to school this morning to meet Mrs. Sweeden. We got to school a little early because I wanted her to see all the changes the school had done over the summer- new carpet and paint. The school looked great and so refreshing! I could tell all the teachers had worked hard on their classrooms and they all looked so colorful, friendly and inviting. Way to go St. Francis!

Lillian walked right into her old classroom to see Mrs. Lee. Everyone couldn't get over how tall Lillian had gotten over the summer and of course how Lydia had grown too. Lydia enjoyed Mrs. Lee's classroom too (Lillian's teacher from last year) and didn't want to leave. That was tantrum #1!

We checked in and made sure all of Lillian's records were up to date and then walked around for a little while. I was getting papers left and right and of course, Lydia wanted her own papers to tear and shred. Then, she was eating the papers! I had to take them away and that was tantrum #2!

We finally made it to Mrs. Sweeden's classroom and Lillian proudly walked in all be herself. She started playing with all the toys and talked to her buddy from last year, Katie. She also has two other kiddos she knew from last year in her classroom this year.

There are 12 kiddos in her class- 7 boys and 5 girls. It is a nice mixture. She was excited to see all of her friends and see how their summer was. Mrs. Sweeden said they would be cooking a lot this year and Lillian is thrilled! She can't wait to be the chef! So, we just enjoyed the classroom and then I needed to fill out additional paperwork and listen to the teacher. Lydia didn't like this part because she wanted to eat the pencil and I wouldn't give it to her. And it was tantrum #3!

I had another mom help me out while I could finish everything for Lillian. We got it all complete and then it was time to leave. Do you see what is coming next? That was tantrum #4!

And this all happened in.... 15 minutes!

Julie

SCHOOL STARTS ON WEDNESDAY!!! I AM SO PROUD OF LILLIAN!!!

Lydia Lydia Lydia!

Lydia is growing away and doing well. She surprised me yesterday morning....I saw her makeup in her crib on the monitor. I thought I would just do one more thing before I got her in the morning. Isn't that how it always is? One more thing? I never looked at the monitor again and just walked her in her room. I found her sitting up in her crib! She had never sat up from a laying position before all her herself. I was so proud of her and clapped for her. Of course, she just smiled.

I always fill up her humidifier with water in the morning before I get her out of her crib. Once out of her crib, then she starts taking me for walks around the house. So, I have to delay until I am caught up! :) I walked in the kitchen and started filling up the container and looked over to the monitor. I saw Miss Lydia standing up in her crib! So, I rushed back in and she was just laughing! What a goof ball!

So, Greg (Nina's hubby) came to the rescue! Before he arrived, I decided to vacuum behind the crib. I plugged in the vacuum cleaner and popped a fuse. So, complete darkness in Lydia's room. Then, Lydia decided to give me another surprise...this time in her diaper! :) Greg came to the door and I was so in need of help! He fixed the fuse for me and started lowering her mattress in her crib. I changed the diaper...Greg would have nothing to do with that! :) So, we got all that taken care of and I feel better knowing Lydia won't get her in her crib. Thanks Greg!

Greg then helped me change Lydia's car seat around to face forward. I had to take advantage while he was here! He converted it for me and I even cleaned out from underneath the seat...there was a lot of "treasures" found hidden beneath the car seat! And Lydia loves it!! She rode in it for the first time this morning and couldn't stop smiling! She kept wanting me to play with her hands and feet...not so safe while trying to drive! :) I love seeing her smile! It warms my heart!

I will tell you more about the morning in another blog....I needed her smile this morning!

Julie

Lydia's New Trick...

Lydia pulled up for the first time today! YEAH!! I know our pediatrician said it might take her a little longer because she has more weight to pull up then other little babies, but I was starting to wonder considering she is 11 months old now. I looked over at her from the kitchen and there she was pulling up on her new ELMO table. It isn't new, but it is to her. Her boyfriend, Brady, gave it to her since he is the older man and done with it for now. She has many boyfriends, but he actually kisses her on the lips when he sees her! :) He has good taste and so does she! Thanks Brady for sharing your toy with Lydia! What a great first moment for her! Love you all!

Julie

Lydia's First Day of Kindermusik!

Lydia had her first day of Kindermusik this morning! She started taking classes at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. She was such a big girl in class today and participated for the most part. Of course, she loved walking every where and found a new toy. The air conditioner vent in the floor...she loved feeling the air blowing on her legs. She was a cutie pie! It was nice to see her interacting with other babies her age and a little older.

She enjoyed the music and especially when it was movement time- up and down, side to side, walking around in a circle, etc. That really made her smile! Just like her sister! :) Now, quiet time...well, that doesn't happen in this house or there. The other kiddos and parents were laying down and listening to the music. As for mine, we were walking. Shocked, huh?

Lillian came with us today because school doesn't begin until next Wednesday for her. She loved it just as much as she did at 6 months of age! :) Although, it was WAY too young for her, she still loved helping all the other babies and playing with them. But, next week, she will be in school and this will be time for Lydia and I. Now, Lillian has dance and cheer and Lydia has Kindermusik. :)

So, enjoy the pictures and maybe next week I will take a few more pictures. I forgot to take some when we arrived. :( I blame it on my allergies and just being a mom!

Julie

Oh yeah- Lydia got another tooth in this week. It is her top left incisor! FINALLY! :)

Cheer Bears

Lillian had her very first class of Cheer Bears this afternoon! I thought Lillian might enjoy the cheer and tumble side of gymnastics and I thought we would give it a try this semester. She went from a 45 minute Kids Gym class to cheer and tumble for an hour. She was so excited the whole class and couldn't wait to show me her skills each and every time. They started working on toe touches and form right away and I was thrilled that she enjoyed it so much. I only got a few minutes with Miss Lydia calling my name and walking me everywhere, but I thought she did a fantastic job! Lillian was exhausted when we walked in the door from class and I know Mondays will be hard on her since school will be starting soon too. She should sleep well tonight! :)

Lydia today did something great at gymnastics too. She gave her first hug to a baby! It was so adorable and she leaned right in and put her head on his shoulder. He is only 6 months old and a ladies man! :) It melted my heart and she did it three times just to make sure I noticed her being sweet...normally, she is the one pulling her sister's hair! :)

What a great day for both girls! Enjoy the video and love you all!

Julie

Hello Kitty Birthday Party!

Some pictures from the fabulous party!

Hello Kitty Birthday Party!

It was a Hello Kitty kind of day here in The Martin Household! After the Hello Kitty mall experience, we had a Hello Kitty Birthday Party to attend for Allyson. Allyson is one of Lillian's best buds and she turned 5 years old.

The birthday party was held at one of the local splash pad and park in Temple. Lillian had a really great time playing with all of her friends and I dare say she enjoyed the new playground more than the splash pad. We have gone to this park before, but not since all the renovations and upgrades. It was really nice! We got hot playing at the park, ran through the splash pad to cool off, had dinner, ran through the park, had cupcakes, hit the pinata, opened presents and ran through the park again! I couldn't get Lillian off the playground and I hope she sleeps well tonight! She would still be playing if I let her, but bedtime was calling my name.

As for the other little one, Lydia decided to smear me twice with a cupcake. She loved playing in the frosting and smearing it all over herself and me. To bad I don't have pictures, but I couldn't dare touch my camera with the amount of frosting on my hands. My friend, Jessica, helped clean Lydia up and then Lydia struck again. Another hand in the frosting! I came home with frosting all over my bathing suit and down my legs! She even had it in her rolls! hee hee

Another great birthday party and thanks Allyson for inviting us! It was a splashing good time! Happy Birthday! Good night and sleep tight!

Julie

Hello Kitty!

Hello Kitty! She came today to the Temple Mall today and Lillian went with some great friends- Jessica, Jack and Lily to meet her. Lydia was napping and we met them afterwards for lunch. :) We all know my Miss Thing would have never made it waiting in that long line! DRAMA MOMMA!

Lillian was so excited to go today and she did great waiting in line with her friends. Jessica said she was a big help! Lillian colored some pictures for Helly Kitty this morning before she left and Miss Kitty was so thrilled when Lillian gave them to her today. As you can see, everyone had a great time!

We all went to a nice lunch and then home for naptime. Okay, Lydia napped and Lillian and I tried to talk to Daddy on Skype. We managed to chat for a few minutes, but the call kept dropping. Rich did play his guitar for us and surprised me by playing the chords to "You Had Me from Hello." That was our first dance at our wedding! It was wonderful and it reminded me of that amazing day. And honey, you had me from hello too! I love you and I would marry you again!

Enjoy the pictures!

Julie

Lillian Joins the U.S. Army

Lillian decided today to join the United States Army and follow in her daddy's footsteps. She said she is going to Iraq to serve her country like her Daddy. Isn't she adorable!!!

By the way, thanks Ayden for letting us borrow your outfit! :)

Love you all!

Julie

What is New with Rich...

Well, not too much! He is doing well in Iraq and hasn't seen too much "action." I am happy about that, but Rich says it makes the time go slow. He is enjoying flying although he hasn't had the chance in a while due to admin situations, paperwork and other daily issues. Plus, sandstorms! We are coming up on the 4 month deployment mark and still counting down until Rich is home.

He is staying very busy and in his brief down time he is enjoying learning to play the guitar. He is excited about playing the girls a song by the time he comes home. He is still planning on taking his R&R sometime in January which is the 9th month mark for this deployment. We are all excited for this time and have started thinking about things we would like to do besides just stay home and be a FAMILY!! Just the four of us again! :)

He sends his love to everyone! I thought you would all like to know he is doing well! Good night!

Love you all!
Julie

Fun, Sun, Sand and Water!

Pictures from the lake....

Day at the Lake!

Today we loaded up and headed to the lake. Poor Lydia had to miss her morning nap in order to make it this morning, but she hung in there like a champ. We met our great friends out there- Rhandi, Allyson, Brian, William, Jessica, Lily and Jack. It was fun to have a lot of friends around to play with Lillian and Lydia.


We played in the lake and of course, Lydia dropped my sunglasses in the lake. This seems to be the theme for us because she did this the last time we went to the lake too. So, maybe it is my fault and I shouldn't give them to her, but she has a thing for my sunglasses. Just ask Lillian! :)


Lydia did a great job walking in the lake and sand and stayed in the water for a while. They is hard for her because she doesn't like being held when she knows she could be walking somewhere. She could walk a million miles! And Lillian made sandcastles with her friends and even played Ring Around the Rosie in the water. This time she actually got the idea of how to make a sand castle and really tried to do her best. She also loved going under water and swimming around in the lake. Of course, it isn't the cleanest water, but how do you tell that to a 4 year old little girl who thinks it is the best thing ever!? What is that disease Rhandi that you get from the lake? This is the problem when you have a friend who is a pharmacist! :) You know to many bad things! :)


We all had lunch and then swam a little more before Lydia was ready to go home for a nap. She cried all the way home and was trying to cry in her sleep in the car seat. She was exhausted from her day at the lake! Funny, I have one exhausted and napping and the other one acts like she has enough energy for two weeks of play. Of course, Lillian didn't want to leave the lake, but that is part of the deal when you are the BIG Sister! :)


Thanks to all my friends who made today so nice! Thanks for going with us and for putting up with our wild family. We are a lot to handle!!! Love to you all!



Julie

Go Cowgirls!!

Today we went to Stevie's 3rd birthday party. Lillian was so excited to get all dressed up in her cowgirl clothes. She had a pink cowgirl hat and bandanna to tie the whole outfit together. And to top it off....cowboy boots! She borrowed the boots from her pal- Ayden. Lucky, the boots fit her perfect! And thanks to that little outfit...Lillian won Best Dressed today at the party! Way to go Lillian! :)

By the way, it was a cowboy theme party and so adorable. Stephanie, Stevie's mom, had decorated the place so cute and even had wanted posters hanging on the wall of all the children that attended this evening. Lillian asked me, "Why am I hanging on the wall?" I told her she was wanted and she said, "Why?" So hard to explain that concept to her at this age. Lillian played in the bounce house and with all her friends all afternoon. And you can only guess what I was doing.... go ahead and guess... yes, walking Lydia around and sweating in the 101 degree weather.

After we ate dinner, we then headed to the cowboy pinata. Lillian is getting really good at these and really tried to hit it hard. Stephanie got a super duper one and it took all the kids and then her to crack this one open. But, they all did it and all the candy fell to the ground and then the hunt was on! Candy was flying everywhere! :)

The day ended with a pony ride. Lillian and Lydia each rode the pony. Lillian was so excited to ride the pony and stood in line like a big girl without complaining one time. And when Lydia was starting to get fussy (we were behind Lillian in line), then Lillian let her little sister go first. It was so sweet! She kept telling the owners of the pony, "Don't forget my little sister!" Now, that melts my heart!

Lillian didn't want to leave and talked about Stephanie's house all the way home and how she wanted to go back. She even asked if the pony would still be there. Both girls had a great time and so did I! I will say, I was running around with my head chopped off for most of the party. All the other babies Lydia's age were just quietly sitting there in the living room or rolling around on their tummies. Not my wild woman...she had me running and sweating! How do I end up with two wild women in my life? Just lucky I guess! :)

Love to you all!

Julie

Ps- Thanks Stephanie for a great evening!

Shout Out to Hubby!

Well, another visit to the famous Yo Yo's! We all needed a treat after Lydia screamed the whole time in Children's Place! hee hee All I needed to know was what size Lillian needed in jeans for school. It sounds so easy, but no...not in my shoes! :) We get there and I go looking for the dressing room. Please keep in mind this is a new Children's Place built at Fort Hood which is the largest military installation in the world! I saw a sign for Dressing Rooms and headed that way. I passed the bathroom and ended up in the stockroom. So, I asked an employee and she said I went right by it- the ONE DRESSING ROOM!! One dressing room? Whose idea was this? This is why I shop online!!

Of course, it was occupied the WHOLE time we were there. So, my poor baby had to strip down to her underwear in the store while Lydia is screaming to get out of the stroller. We were in the store for 15 minutes and everyone thought Lydia was dying or something along those lines by the way she was shouting! At least I got what I needed and then we ran out the door.

Off to Yo Yo's for something a little more refreshing! We had some ice cream (we are addicted now) and then discovered you could write on the walls. How cool is that? So, we grabbed a pen and went to work! Enjoy the artwork and now whomever goes to Yo Yo's will know we were there! Enjoy!

Love you all!

Julie

YO YO!!!

Well, I am officially one of those moms....

I always said my second child wouldn't do this and that to keep up with the oldest. For example, the second child always seems to hit the junk food stage earlier than the first child. I was always so good with Lillian and monitored everything she ate and drank. Then, I became a mom of two! Wow, what a change! My whole attitude is different and you go into "survival" mode!

So, leading up to my story, yes Lydia had her first ice cream today! Technically, the other day at the water park, she stuck her hands in Lillian's ice cream and that was the first. But, I didn't think it counted since it was accidental. :) We had dinner today with a great friend and her two children, Lillian and Jack. Yes, it is a disciplining nightmare having two Lillian's in the same room..."Lillian, no. Not you Lillian the other Lillian. Oh, someone just answer!" :) hee hee It was a great dinner and then we headed to Yo Yo's for ice cream. We have never gone before, but we will be back again!

You get to pick out your flavor of frozen yogurt and then add all your toppings- strawberries, mango, kiwi, cheesecake chunks, snickers, sprinkles, chocolate chips, m&ms, etc. The bar goes on and on! Then, you pay by weight. As usual, Lillian had her chocolate waffle cone with chocolate and vanilla swirl with m&ms and sprinkles. Then, I had my massive ice cream that I shared with Lydia. It was like Lydia knew it was going to be good because she was screaming until she got a bite and then we never heard another word. She had two spoons in her hands and then turned the whole bowl up on her face. She was a hot mess! She loved every bite and wanted more!! I am in trouble now... we all know where my kiddos get their love of ice cream. DADDY!!

Today was a great day to be with friends and to share a first moment with someone. And for the first time today, Rich saw Lillian and Lydia in three months. We finally got Skype working and we were all able to see one another. Lillian showed daddy her scratch on her arm, asked him to fix something when he got home, told him his pen ran out of ink and danced to two songs from Vacation Bible School. He just laughed and laughed! And Lydia even showed Daddy she could walk all by herself and Rich was proud of the girls! It was a great way to start August! Lillian asked Rich if she could see him tomorrow too! Melt my heart and his!

Isn't this why summer is so fun? Friends, family and ice cream!!

Love you all!

Julie