Oh, Our Crazy Girls

Ava~
This girl is crazy and I never know what's going to come out of her mouth.  When we were at her cousins' house for their birthday, Ava was in the room with her Aunt Jessie when she was blowing up an air mattress for one of her kiddos.  Ava thought it was her bed for the night and quickly crawled in.  Jessie kindly told her that Addie was going to sleep their and her bed was down stairs.  Ava, in all seriousness says, "What do you expect me to do (Ava walks to the corner of the room) stand in the corner and sleep like a horse??"  Doing her best sad face, horse impression.

Here she is demonstrating for us how a horse sleeps ;)

Ella Bella~

I blame the entire following situation on too much Easter candy LOL!!  On Sunday night the girls would not go to sleep.  They were stalling at their best and after about 45 minutes of asking for this and that and me having to walk up the stairs multiple times; Ella hollers down one last time and asks for chap stick.  I hollered back at her to go get some and get back in bed.  They finally quieted down after that.  Matt and I walked up the stairs to go to bed about an hour later and at the top of the stairs I look into Ella's room and find her sitting in her bed, with an empty jar of Vaseline in her lap, the entire contents of the jar in her hair.  Matt and I immediately burst out laughing and Ella immediately bursts into tears.  We tried to reassure her that she wasn't in trouble although we have no idea what she was thinking!!  So we quickly gathered her up and took her to the bathtub.  We tried shampoo but it was obvious very quickly that shampoo was not going to do the trick.  So here we are; 10pm...Ella is screaming in the bathtub, I'm trying to scrub her hair, Matt is "googling" how to get Vaseline out of hair, and Ava is trying to figure out why we are all making so much noise and then starts to tell Ella over and over again that she is not in trouble and that she is going to be okay.  We learn that cornstarch is supposed to remove Vaseline per Google.  More than that we have learned that cornstarch does help but takes a long time.  So it is now Wednesday and we have done at least 15 washes of cornstarch, 1 small wash of Dawn soap, and lots of shampoo.  It is slowly getting better!  Every time I think about the surprise of finding Ella in bed with a tub of Vaseline it makes me laugh clear down in my belly!!  This girl keeps us on our toes!

Ella on Monday, after about 6 washes with cornstarch!!

 Cornstarch Bath Beauty :))  

"The Adventures of Ella and Her Purple Cow"

A very talented friend of our's has made an original piece for Ava titled, "Ava's Dreams" and now he has finished one for Ella entitled, "The Adventures of Ella and Her Purple Cow".  I am in love with these pieces and I love how the coordinate.   I also love how he was able to take pieces of my girl's personalities and put them into the painting.  I see so much of my girls in these pieces.  William Holland is a great friend and unbelievably talented.

"COW!!!"

9 Months Together

We are coming in on 9 months together.  9 months since we first held you in our arms.  9 months since we first got a taste of your fierce personality.  9 months since we first saw that smile that has the ability to light up the room.  9 months has come and flown by!!  You are looking less like a toddler and more and more like a little girl.  I simply cannot imagine our life without you in it.  I thank God for you every single day.

1.  When I saw you are looking less and less like a toddler, I am not kidding.  You have grown over an inch in the last 6 months and your toddler belly is shrinking as you get taller.  Your Baba continues to remind me that this is what is supposed to happen and what we want but I just wish you would slow down a little!!

2.  Another sign that you are getting bigger is that you graduated from your toddler bed into a big girl bed over the last month.  You like going to bed with some of your animals and blankets but by the time Mama and Baba come back up for bed and check on you one last time before we go to bed you typically have thrown everything out on the floor.  We get the point that you need more room!!  And now you have it...a full size bed just for yourself and a few of your babies.

3.  You continue to press your luck on a daily basis and try to see just what exactly you can get away with.  But you have also started putting yourself in timeout because of it!  When given a choice of time out or whatever is being asked of you, you will sometimes just cry and walk to time out.  You usually spend about 5 minutes in timeout and then go back and do what you were supposed to do in the first place.  Works for me!!  Honestly, I have a hard time not laughing when you do this.

4.  Ella, you really like your TV time.  Any time you are given a choice of watching a show or doing something else; you always choose watching a show.  So we have to make sure it's really an option we want to give you before offering.  Your favorites are Daniel Tiger, Strawberry Shortcake, and Mickey Mouse.

5.  You are loving the nice weather just as much as the rest of your family!  We get out for a walk or to ride bikes or to go to the park almost nightly.  It does us all good to get out an get some fresh air after a long day at school or work.  Some much needed family time without distractions.  

6.  You are very brave at the park!!  And you make your Mama nervous :)  You are climbing everything and jumping from one place to the next.  You're a little thing but nothing stops you!

7.  During the last month, we celebrated Ava's 3rd Gotcha Day at Coco Keys.  Last summer, you were very nervous in the water and would barely go in the pool.  But this time you were walking around the kiddie pool on your own and "swimming" down the lazy river with your parents.  I love that you are loving the water and becoming more comfortable in the water.    

8.  You are officially out of diapers...during the day AND at night!!  You are rocking the potty training.  You haven't had an accident during the day for weeks and overnight you wake up dry at least 75% of the time.  Good work Ella girl!

9.  You give the best hugs!  I love picking you up from daycare after a long day at work because first I get to hear you squeal with delight that I am there to pick you up and then your wrap your sweet arms around me.  You give the best hugs and help me forget about all the worries of the day.        

10.  We met with our lawyer this last week to finalize your adoption in the US!  This is the final step in your adoption and really it's more of a formality.  You've been a part of our family for over a year now!!  But we are excited to go to court and finalize your adoption and forevermore you will be a Fuller.