Aria's December Artwork 2013

Baby Steps

For those of you who know us well, you are aware of sweet Aria's struggles with food. Well, this was a small success. She tried an Icee for the first time. She loved it. I can't say I'm surprised since it is pure sugar, but trying anything new is a step in the right direction for us. I'm proud of my little Ari-bean!

Clearly, she is intoxicated by the sugar here!

...Sometimes Mommy Lets Daddy Dress Me

It's Ellie's shirt...in case you couldn't tell. ;)

My Girly Girl

Aria is my girly girl. She loves pretty dresses, princesses, and anything that sparkles. We stopped to play at the Dos Lagos playground after grocery shopping, but she preferred to ooh and ahh over the dresses in the nearby shop window. Love her! She brings out the little bit of girly I have!

Aria'a Fall Artwork 2013

I love that Aria's school does so many hands on projects with the kids! We hang everything for the month on the backside of our front door so we can admire it all season long. Then I snap some pics so we can remember them for years to come. 

Love this crazy turkey!

My favorite project. Pretty and whimsical. 

Literally a "marbeled" leaf!

Christmas time is here...The Vineyard tree lighting

We took the girls to our church's annual tree lighting in early December. It was a blast! There were carolers, a great tree, hot chocolate and cookies, Santa, a train to ride, and "snow"! The pics aren't the best since we were outside and the flash on my phone is mediocre, but we had a wonderful evening together as a family!

Ha, ha, this is the best pic I got of daddy and his girls. The girls were too excited to sit still for a picture. :)

Aria playing in the "snow" bubbles. The machine blew them from the roof. Pretty exciting for all the kiddos!

Learning to Cut...

This is one of those posts where I sit back and think about how big my little girl is getting. She is seriously growing up. She is three: Sassy, Sweet, Independent, Sometimes stubborn, Super girly, Super wonderful, And she is mine! She loves to do crafts - Anything that involves markers, crayons, paint, or glue is fair game. She has tried to use scissors before, but the coordination involved usually frustrates her and she gives up and asks me for help. I am happy to oblige. But not this day, because she is three. Today she has a growing determination to do it herself. "I do it mommy. You don't help me!" I watch her struggle through with determination. A little part of me falls apart when I see that she is starting to get it. With each successful cut, I see an apron string hitting the floor. My baby girl is growing up. She is getting it. Pretty soon she'll have it down and won't need my help anymore. Not for cutting at least. I am so proud of her and just a bit sad for myself all in the same moment, and we celebrate.