singing to Abby

MA has discovered that if she sings the ABC's that Abby will not only let go of a pull or pinch hold, but she can avoid the hold altogether if she sings while she walks by her.  Pretty amazing how this little gal loves her big sister and has found ways to do it better than anyone else in Abby's life!  she's a special little gal.  Check out her singing to Abby.  Notice how thrilled Abby is with her singing!

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star

Singing to Abby at the counter...

playground with ma climbing

As much as MA is advanced verbally, she is a equally slow on the gross motor side; therefore, we've been going to the park.  She also loves it and it's good for her too!  She is stretched physically doing all the stuff there and she also gets many chances to interact with other kids which is a bonus!  We've also spent this past year "training in times of non conflict" which means practicing things that she's struggles with.  Parks give us the "opportunity" to practice leaving a fun place without a breakdown.  It's been an exercise in futility up until this summer, so I've just decided to not lose my mind and just keep at it.  We have occasional breakdowns, but it's not the standard these days (unless we're leaving Auntie's).

I did a video of her climbing finally this day.  She usually stops anything she can't do, but is somehow growing up a bit and pushing herself :)

A Day with the Tanners

A day with the Tanners = get what I want day!  MaryAlice loves to be the princess with our friends the Tanners.  They have two older boys, so MaryAlice is the only girl and the baby when she's with them.  She so loves them and has Mr Steve wrapped around her little finger :)  I have to recount another story about her love for Mr Steve...
The Tanners came to my grandpa's funeral during visitation which was so sweet of them to be so supportive of me, but MA assumed they came just for her and she wanted Mr Steve all to herself.  She was in his arms as they were trying to leave and pleading for Mr Steve to take her to the playground at the church.  He was re-telling her what I had been saying that we had a sitter coming who would take her, and Mr. Steven had to leave when she took his face in her two little hands and made him look at her (because he obviously he wasn't listening to what she was saying) and ever so sweetly pleaded her case, "But... Mr. Steve... I want YOU to take me to the playground!"  I thought she had him before then, but that sealed the deal!  And besides she lights up when she sees them coming!  So very cute!  I had to share that story before I forgot and the pics that went along with that day.  I had been in the hospital for several days and they were releaving Auntie Andrea for a day because she had been keeping the girls the whole time I was in other than daddy taking them home one night with him :)

I hate to leave Mrs Terri out because she loves her too, but it's more funny if you know Mr Steve and his natural inclination toward small children :)  You would assume everyone loves the sweet Mrs Terri, but Steve I think she saw as a challenge!!!!  Don't let him fool you, he's a big softy!!! Sorry Steve to give you up :)

Ian teaching her how to play video games

Always a ham!

Chasing bubble with Mrs Terri I presume :)

big cheese!

throwing rocks... one of her favorite things to do since
she did it on her first date with her daddy!

throwing rocks with her Grahammy isn't too bad either!
She used to call him "her boy"

4th of July... Hatfield style!

4th of July... Hatfield style :)  We had so much fun celebrating with our friends at their house.  The plan was a BBQ and then hopping on the boardwalk, which runs through their backyard, and walking downtown to the fireworks.  We knew the girls wouldn't last that late, but we left Belle to do to the fireworks with everyone as MA and Abby hit their limit after all the fun and swimming! 

We hadn't intended to leave Belle, but she really wanted to go and Mrs Alana came up with the idea to keep her overnight... much to Belle's excitement!  Nobody likes a sleepover like Belle!  She only had her flip flops with because we had no intention to stay, but they made the 3 mi walk a bit tricky.  Alana was pushing Jud in the big jogging stroller and she asked him if Belle could ride alone.  To everyone's surprise he let her ride nearly the whole way with him... what a sweetie!  Thanks to G-ray (sp?) the new exchange student from South Africa living with them, Alana didn't have to push both of them the entire way!!! I can't believe Mrs Alana didn't take a picture :)   I didn't mention that they left the house and hour later than they planned because it had been raining.  I guess picture taking isn't conducive when running!!!!

Fun... Food... and Good Friends makes for a perfect day!

MA: "Can I kiss Jud?"
Me: "Sure, if he'll let you."
Jud: laughing & staring at her trying to figure out why she was all up in his Kool-aid!

Mr Dan joined in the silly string fun... what a great idea Alan had!

Miss Nancy got sill stringed a bit too!

Mr Tim joined the girls too!

Jud likes to sit on the stool by the door when he wants to leave.  Mary Alice thought
was a perfect time to corner him into "visiting" with her!

MaryAlice and G-ray having a heart to heart!  I think Rainbow Dash 
and Jesus dominated the discussion... I don't get her stories either!

Mama and her big girl!

Jud thought she was funny.  He kept listening and laughing while
she chatted away. 

bubble blowing was part of the entertainment as well.  Alana was thinking of
the girls, but looks like more than the girls got into it!

Jud sat down next to MaryAlice as she "read" to him... thankfully Belle
helped a bit so he recognized some of the story she told!  I think we was
aiming for her lap. 

Fragile friends

(Auntie had belle & MA while I'm in the hospital & I had to share the hysterical post I got from her...

(1/3) Funny story. MA was carrying on about not being able to go to sleep w the "fragile friends" in the room. Thinking she w(2/3) to close her eyes. She said "i still see them looking @ me. I go upstairs in exasperation because of her hysterics of the "fragile friends" i just about about fussed at her for just making them until i saw them & just about (3/3) peed my pants when i saw the "fragile friends" i sent u a pic of them!

That silly girl kills me!

mud, paint and fizz

My girl likes to be messy.  She likes to grind things into her hands just to feel it.  She loves the mud and playing in the sink.  You can't tell in the pic, but there is mud all over her face even. Belle was so disturbed that I was letting her just play in it.  Belle is the one who wouldn't finger paint because the paint got all over her hands!  So funny!  The mom is laughing and taking pics and the eight year old is saying, "Do you see what she's doing?  She has mud all over her!  She's grinding it into her knees! Have you seen how much mud she has on her clothes?"  Love my different girls!

Since she so loved the mud, I had to take out the finger paints and see what she did.  I couldn't get her to do any kind of a picture.  She just mashed all the paints together and got all in it.  It was a huge smear of paint... mostly brown!  She is hysterical!  I had to post the video of her just singing while she was messing in it... total contentment!

The next project I envisioned as a nice bowl of baking soda with four small bowls of colored vinegar.  She was supposed to spend hours using a dropper to drop little bits of the vinegar unto the soda and watch it fizz.  She did that a few times and then was all in it with her hands.  Soon the small bowls where fizzing over as she put handfuls of the soda into the little bowls as well... a much bigger fizz!  Nicely done.  She's still over there.  Dropper is long gone and she's toting balls of vinegar and soda all over the table and floor!  She really slays me!  Every now and then she yells that something is wrong because she's put too much soda into the vinegar and it's bubbling over!!!!  Not the way I thought it would go, but WAY fun all at the same time!

What I like about you at 3...almost 4!

What I like about you at 3... almost 4:

mama's girl

like her Daddy, she eats lemons

my girl enjoys her food

• You like to sing all made up songs!  You make it up as you go.  Usually no known tune just a story about what you're doing.  I started laughing, but you do it so often and so loud now that sometimes you are asked to go sing upstairs or outside :)
• you play very well by yourself.  you have quite the imagination and can play for hours in your closet or in the sink
• You are such a huge little love.  You make everyone feel so special with your huge hugs and always something sweet from your chatty mouth!
• You can tell quite a story without skipping a beat.  You've been called bull headed from time to time as you're not easily distracted when you set your mind on something.  Most kids can be distracted, but you will persist even if it's the next morning
• You love your big sisters so much.  You even come back and play with Abby even when she is grabby.  The sun rises and sets with Belle.  You love to be with her and do anything she's doing.  You drive her a bit crazy because you get into her things a lot these days.
• You play very well with friends; although you won't hesitate to enforce your wishes if they're not followed even though you're a bit more tolerant that you use to be. 
• You're best buddy is your cousin Selah, but you have several friends at church too.  Ashlynn is your other buddy.  You are so cute with very affectionate love for your friends!
• You really love to dance!  You will dance alone, but prefer to shake with family dance parties!
• You're super funny on the trampoline because you love to jump, but only by yourself!  You can't stay upright with others dancing and get cranky when others try to interupt your turn :)
• You like your babies, but a large variety rather than one in particular.  It depends on the day which one you want with you.
• You cannot sleep without your blanket, which so happens to be your sister's blankets.  One of daddy's customers when he sold cookware made them before you were born, but neither of them took to a blanket so you've claimed them.  The funny part about your blankets is that one says "Abby" and the other says "Annabelle".  I suppose we could get you your own, but it's too late for that as you're already attached to them. 
• You suck your right pointer finger at night.  You had an owie on it one night and it hurt, so I was trying to get you to switch hands, but you kept telling me that the other hand didn't work!
• You love a crowd just like your daddy!  You come alive and work the crowd at church.  You definitely have your favorite people like our closest friends and Mr. Beau and Miss Jessica.  Beau often plays piano with you after church which may be where you learned to make up songs as the first one he taught you was, "Mommy and Daddy Are So Great!" You like to meat new people and have no trouble starting up a new conversation.  You remember people and are always excited to see relatives that you haven't seen in months. 
• You are the kids who gets into everything!  If you're quiet I have to worry which can be tricky with you because you do entertain yourself well, but all too often it's with something messy.  You've written on everything with anything you can find.  You get into soaps, shampoos and anything that sticks.  You decided one day you didn't like Peeps and proceeded to smash them into your hands.  You are a messy!
• You aren't a bit afraid of the water.  You jump right in and are even swimming!



reading with your friends Ashlynn and Emery



MA & Selah



your prayers about as creative as you

• You are mama's girl!