Summer Reading

We signed up for summer reading at the Hoover Library.  Julia already enjoyed her free Chick-fil-A kids meal just for signing up, and now has earned a free ice cream cone. She has read over 1500 pages so far, so when we went to the library today she got a certificate, entered a bike drawing, got a ticket for a book to choose later, and earned 15 tickets.  She redeemed the tickets for a puppy bank.  Awesome.  And when holding up the tickets for the picture she exclaimed, "Look, it's a nine!"  We'll be back for more tickets and prizes in July, I'm sure.  She reminds me every night to write down the Ariel bubble book she reads to herself in the tub, so that's at least 4 pages every day. :)

  

birthday party

 

Julia's birthday party this weekend was lots of fun.  When she came home that morning (after spending the night with Nana while we were at the youth auction party), she saw the balloons on the mailbox and got really excited.  She kept running around the house looking at all the balloons and everything and saying, "for me!?!"  We had a Toy Story theme day - she wore her Jessie shirt, and we made sugar free alien cupcakes and had other Toy Story decorations.  It was also Poppy's birthday, so we had fun with the birthday flag.  We enjoyed having so much playtime with some of her friends from church - Charlotte, Patrick, Josh and Sam (and their parents) - as well as grandparents and Uncle Todd and the Martins.  Uncle Will and Aunt Stacey came soon after the party, enticing us back to the cupcakes.  We hope everyone else had as much fun as we did!

 

 

  

   

my favorite things

Julia's preschool class has begun doing a show and share time this semester.  Julia's turn coincided with her class birthday party yesterday.  She was to take three items in the yellow 'my favorite things' bag, one of which should be a book.  She wasn't into choosing the items much, but we gave her some options and the final three were, her stuffed Toy Story alien, her harmonica from kindermusic class, and a book from kindermusic that has lots of motions, 'Cookies!'  When I asked her about it after school, she said she played her harmonica, so I asked what her friends thought of everything and what they said and she replied "they all clapped.'

The Very Bright Julia

If she only knew the days of the week and could count by sight...
scary.

runny nose, run away

Julia has been having one cold/ sinus infection/ virus after another for the last month. When we had a warm day late last month and played outside, I drew this picture, and what did she add? The yellow and the green lines of snot coming from the girl's nose.

She had a fever and felt awful yesterday, not eating anything or enjoying her Valentine's party at school, and spending most of the afternoon/evening sitting with my in the recliner, reading babybugs or watching Sesame Street.

And thank God for her love of reading. After reading "It's Check-up Time, Elmo" so many times (yay for Sesame Street books on the dollar aisle at Target), she even knew how to say "aaah" when the doctor looked at her throat with the little light tool. I think he was impressed. And she kept saying "just like Elmo's doctor." Now we just wait for the longer form strep test (the short was negative). Looks like we both have a virus this go around, but at least she's better so far today. She was at least happy enough to be interested in and ask for lollipops, by color.

yay, daddy!

We has fun recently for Peter's birthday (At least I did putting those walnuts on his buttersctoch pudding pie, and Julia had fun eating the pie once she finally decided to try it. We heard "pi-ee! pi-ee!" for days).

Besides all the terrific cold and threats (and actual sightings north of here) of snow and ice in Alabama this year, we did have a couple of warm days in January where we got to play outside. Julia still enjoys the swing playing with the big bouncy balls.

Julia certainly loves her daddy. We often hear, "Dance, with me, Daddy!" when she turns on my clock radio by pushing the snooze button. If he's not dancing, he's requested to "chase me" or "tickle!"

Christmas Day and Sunday

We enjoyed Christmas day with Nana and Pa, and Uncle Martin and Aunt Andrea. Julia was excited about her doll bed and her table and chairs, and she spent a lot of time reading new books. She had tea parties with Nana, then with Uncle Martin and Daddy. Nana and Pa stayed for church Sunday, and then Julia settled for tea parties with just Daddy.

Trip to Indiana - Fun with Grandmas

We had fun going for walks around Meadowood - Julia's favorite part was the fountain that she is pointing to in the pond. She also read books with Grandma Young and watched one of her favorite cartoons "Frances."

The Entertainer / Scrooge McBook

Julia still loves music - notice the hand placement over the piano keys in the last picture. Books are also a favorite still. She loes to empty the shelves and practically wallow in the pile of books - it reminded me of Scrooge McDuck in all his gold coins. She has learned the words and sometimes the sign for so many words. One of her favorite books is a Sesame Street book that is older than me - she loves to point at everything in it and either tell you the word or sign or have you tell it to her.

She has learned so much and says so many words now I think I've lost track, but she does include strange sounding forms of "umbrella" (amh-bah) and "motorcycle" (ahgoowah), and Elmo pronounced 'Elno.'