Getting Ready for Pre-School

Charley has one more year before she starts kindergarten, and we decided to sign her up for pre-school. The pre-school we decided to send her was through the school district. Not all of the elementary schools offer it, but we were lucky that the one in our neighborhood did. It is 3 hours a day, 4 days a week, and it follows the district calendar. We felt like it would be a better transition for her into kindergarten. We know she really doesn't need to go, and it wasn't that we felt she needed extra help before kindergarten, but it would be more of social learning....making new friends, playing in groups...and learning when it was time to be quite and not talk (she can talk your ear off!). Plus she loves learning, and thought it would be fun for her.
Last Thursday was an open house at the school. So we went to meet her teacher! She is a new teacher, they just hired her....they opened a 3rd pre-school class a few weeks ago, and she got the new teacher, and her room wasn't quite ready yet. But she was there and was really nice. Charley wont start school until after Labor Day, so she'll have plenty of time still to get the room ready.
But Charley was excited to see her name on the door to the class and in her little cubby where she can hang her new backpack and coat.
Ben and I were talking one day on how we wanted to do something special for Charley when she started school. She really is a great girl, and sometimes with a younger sister that can steal (demand) a lot of attention, it can be hard. So we came up with the idea of having a 'Charley's get ready for school day.' We were going to get a babysitter, but since my mom was in town, we took advantage of her watching Gabby. Ben and I took Charley out to lunch, just her and us and then we took her to get her school supplies.
Our original plan was then to drop Ben off home and then me and her go shopping, but since Nana and her aunts was there, it ended up being a 'girls' shopping trip. But we made sure to let Charley know it was for her. She got a few outfits (one modeled above), and 2 new pairs of shoes.

The few people I heard her tell about her special day, she was always sure to mention that she got to go to lunch with mom and dad "without Gabby". I know she loves Gabby, but I know she loved getting all the attention from Ben and I.

I think as the other 2 girls get older and start school, we'll just take turns on different Saturdays and take them each out to lunch before school starts and get their school stuff. My hope is that it will be something that they can look forward to and get them excited for going back to school.

'Lawyered'

The other day I had to drop something off to Ben at work. The girls were playing in his desk and found his candy and change drawer. Ben filled their pockets with the extra pennies from the drawer.

On the way home this was my conversation with Charley:

C: I love my money
Me: Well, money doesn't love you back.
C: Yes, mom, but I love my baby dolls and toys and they don't love me back!
Me: *Silence*.....*still nothing*.......
Jordan: you just got lawyered! (Jordan is here visiting)

Charley is only 4...but I think we got a future lawyer on our hands!.....until then I think I'm in trouble!

Beach Babies

Warning: Picture overload of my girls!...
Above, Ben and Charley boogie Boarding

Daddy's girls

Cousin Love

Schramma Love

And brotherly love...bonding with xBox

Beach fun...

Picnic on the Beach

Sand castles

Gabby's smile cracks me up!

pretending to camp, and roasting marshmallows.

Playing at the park


It was very hard to pick through 384 pictures I took the other week at the Schramm Family Reunion. It was so much fun. We are so happy we were able to go this year. It was an adventure flying out there, but well worth it. The girls loved it, and every one made it out except Jared.

The first day the girls were a little scared of the ocean. I was barely able to get their toes in. But by the end, they were mad when I took them out to go inside. In fact one day Gabby was running up and down the beach yelling "This is so much fun!" "This is the best day ever!"....I later realized she was quoting the movie "Tangled."

7 years

Ben and I celebrated 7 years of marriage last weekend while we were in NC. Schramma & Schrammpa watched our girls so we could go out!

Here's to many more!...cheers!

Different Personalities

Last week Ben had to go up to Logan for work. He had something he needed to do at the court house at 2pm and at 4pm. Both things would only take a minute, so instead of hanging out in Logan by himself, he took us! While we were there, we took the girls to the temple, played at the mall playground, I meet my old friend from Omaha, Analisa, and we were able to hang out for a while, went to dinner, and on the way back stopped off to see Granny & Grandpa Schramm. It was a fun little day!

While we were at the temple we stopped to take some pictures of the girls. Just by looking at the pictures you can see their different personalities. Charley is cute and sweet, and is always wanting to please. Gabby is also cute, but she is just spunky! She just wants to go whether you are ready or not. And she has a mind of her own.



It will be interesting to see what this 3rd little girl has in store for us!

Watch out World...Gabby is 2!!!

Gabriella, Gabby, Gabbers, Gaberella, Yo Gaba Gaba, Gaber-daber-do, Gab, Gabzilla...etc...

Age: 2 years

Birthday: 7/20
Length: 33" (28th %-tile)
Weight: 24lbs (16th %-tile)
Head Circ.: 49.3 cm (90th %-tile)
*our little lolly pop (a big head with a little skinny stick body!) ....or I think she got grandpa Z's big head and wide feet!

One of these days our girls are going to just have one party...I can't seem to figure out how to do that, so for now, we'll at least have 2!!! 2 years old, 2 birthday parties...that sounds about right!
The first party was on her birthday. It was just a little one with just us, and my parents on web cam....she just opened the presents they got her. And earlier that day we went to the park with some friends, and I brought cup cakes. So it was a fun little day for her, but nothing really big. It was a good day!
The new night gowns my parents go the girls...they found good deals on the night gowns, so they got one for Charley too! They look so cute in them! (I pull out the camera and Charley automatically tilts her head and poses!...what a girl!)
Since the girls cousin's were here, we took advantage to have a little party with them, and her little friend across the street, Brooklyn. If you can't tell....this is a Rapunzel cake...it's her tower!

Happy Birthday to my CrAzY little girl!! We love you tons!!

Girl Cousin Sleepover!

Yesterday we had 4 little girls at our house, ages 1, 2, 3, & 4! The girls cousins from NC were here for a wedding, and they were able to spend the whole day with us, and even spent the night! Lucky us, we are experts when it comes to little girls and have plenty of girly stuff to go around. So what do you do all day when you have 4 little girls? Well, we played dress-up (obviously!), played with princess barbies, played house, ate lunch, took naps (my favorite part!), painted our nails, watched and danced to the Princess Sing-Along Movie, ate dinner, and when Ben came home, he took over and they had a pillow fight....then it was off to bed!

They even played really well together! I'm hoping that they still remember each other when we head out there for family reunion and they'll play just as good!

Barricade

Today we are trapped in the kitchen. It isn't because we have too...It's because I am forcing us too.
We have been trying to potty train Gabby for a few weeks now, and I fell like we've made very little progress. Since we just moved into a new house, and I'm not wanting her to pee all over my new carpets, we are staying in the kitchen and I barricaded us in the kitchen where there is tile, and much easier to clean. Plus there is a bathroom just off the kitchen. I will not have 2 kids in diapers!!!


On another note. We spent this last weekend with family at the Hinkley/Ewing Family reunion here in UT. There wasn't a lot of little kids, so the girls enjoyed lots of attention. And we loved seeing everyone. The pictures above were taken at Temple Square. On Sunday we all went to Music and the Spoken Word, walked around Temple Square, then went to lunch. It was hard to get everyone together for a group shot, so I don't have any. But I did take some of the girls. Gabby wasn't wanting to take pictures, so the one with the two of them was the only one I really got. But Charley was a good sport. She is growing up to be such a beautiful little girl. They both are, but Charley isn't so much a baby anymore.

Unheard of....

When the girls wake up before me, they know to stay in their room until I come get them. And normally they read books or play with their toys. And normally they make a mess.

Well today they woke up early, and I thought I heard them playing in their room. But when I went in their room it was CLEAN and their beds were MADE!!!!..... I didn't even tell them!!

Potty Training:

I am trying to potty train Gabby. She is going to be a tough one. She is very stubborn, and not really wanting to....even though I know she can do it. We'll yesterday I trap her in the bathroom...I'm sitting in the doorway....and she is running around with nothing on her bottom and keeps jumping on and off the toilet. Well after a few minutes, she drops to the floor, bare bottom and all, and face down starts yelling, "NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER." A full on tantrum! You know how hard it was not to laugh! I have no idea where she learned that.

I am tempted to pay someone to potty train her....any one need a few extra bucks?!?!

Happy 4th

We had a fun 4th! It was perfect weather too. We had little rain sprinkles through out the day, but for the most part it was 78 and breezy. In the morning our little cold-e-sac hosted a kids parade, the whole neighborhood was invited. The kids decorated their bikes, we tossed candy at them, there was an adult egg toss (Ben almost started an egg fight when he tried to throw an egg at Regan, but he hopped out of the way and Ben got someone else!), and everyone brought cookies and someone brought a snow cone machine and popcorn machine.

In the afternoon our neighborhood had a big party at the park. They had food, carnival games, and those big blow up things. Then we came home and sat on our back balcony and watch fireworks. We had a perfect view. Once it got dark, we started hearing the big bangs from the fireworks, and Gabby got scared. But once we took her outside to show her what they were, she didn't stop squealing.

The only problem with yesterday....we let the girls go to bed late...and they woke up early. I have a long day ahead of me!

Nana & Grandpa's Visit

Last week my parents came to visit. Bella was able to come with them. My little brother Ruben needed to come out to Utah for a summer program at BYU, SOAR (Summer of Academic Refinement) The girls had so much fun. We spent everyday doing something fun. (I am still recuperating from it all!) We went to the splash pad, made paintings, went to concert, lunch at the creamery, Trafalga, the dinosaur museum, the Animal farm, they went on a hike, and went to the park every night.

green ruffles...

The girls room is as done as it is gonna get until we get new beds and bedding for them. But that is going to have to wait until we know what gender the new baby is. If it is a boy, then he will stay in the nursery, and have his own room. If we are having a girl, then after she starts sleeping through the night, I'll move her in with Gabby, and Charley will get her own room.

My mom just finished the girls curtains! I love them! And a few days ago I had the girls paint me some pictures on canvas to hang in their rooms. I loved the idea of them making the pictures rather than trying to find something to match their room....which would have been hard. But the one Charley made is hung above her bed. Gabby's is on the other side over her bed.

Now on to my page long of other things I need to do around the house!....