A New Daddy's Girl

With Handley gone in North Carolina this week with my parents, Harper has taken over the role of Daddy's girl.  Usually Handley dominates that role, but since she isn't here to compete with Harper has done nothing but ask about her "Dada" during the day, picked up the phone and tried to call him, and followed him around non-stop during the hours he is at home.  She is in love (and so is he!) with all of the time they've had to bond this week.  

Handley is having a great time (just as I expected) and doesn't seem to be missing us at all.  They've gone to the beach, swam at the pool, played outdoors a lot, and today were going to see Toy Story 3.  I'm so happy she's getting to have some special time with her Mimi and Dadaw.  

On the other hand, it has been VERY quiet around here and almost boring.  It's been nice to have some one-on-one time with Harper, but we sure do miss Big Sis too.

Jenny's wedding

This weekend we made the road trip to NC for my cousin's wedding.  Jenny and her groom, Matt, had a beautiful day and it was so great to see all of my family.  The girls did great during the wedding and didn't make a peep.  After the ceremony all the kids were happy to be outside running around. 

The kids had fun dancing at the reception and we really enjoyed the evening.  Harper and Handley were both social butterflies and fluttered around the ballroom all evening.  

When we left to come home this morning we were one girl short.  Handley went home with my parents and will be staying with them all week!!!  It is her first week away from home, but she couldn't get in the car with them quick enough.  We'll miss her, but I'm not sure the feeling will be mutual.  

Braves Game

Tonight some last minute plans found our family of four heading to Turner Field for the Braves game.  Just before 6 PM the girls and I were still wet from playing in the sprinkler in the front yard.  We had thrown on clothes and were in the car on the way to pick up pizza for dinner when I got a call from Robby saying he had 4 tickets to the Braves game that started at 7:30 PM.  My first thoughts were: we aren't even really dressed, it's dinnertime, Harper didn't nap well today, we are leaving the house bright and early in the morning, and we don't need to be out late tonight.  I'm so glad those thoughts only lasted for about 2 seconds and I quickly thought about how much fun it would be to take the girls to their first ever Braves game.  We hurried home, got dressed in our red and blue and headed to pick Robby up from work.  

Handley was beside herself with excitement to go the game and she really didn't even know what to expect.  She's been to a few other professional sports games, but never a baseball game.  She kept telling Harper in the ride there, "Harper, this is going to be SO fun." She was also asking all sorts of questions.  She wanted to know if the people playing the game were grown-ups, what all they had at the game, who would bet there, if there was food, how would we cheer, if we would sit up high or down low, and she wanted to know if Daddy was a Brave. Ha! We taught her how to do the tomahawk chop on the way there so she was ready to cheer when we got to our seats. 

When we arrived we were happy to find ourselves in seats just behind home plate.  Handley was really into the game.  Right away she wanted to know what color our team was and watched pretty closely as batters came up to the plate. Every time the crowd would cheer she would stand up and clap her hands.  If she happened to look over and notice that I was not cheering she would prompt me to do so.  It was so fun watching her.  She also loved all of the food.  We had chicken fingers, a pretzel, popcorn, and dip-n-dots.  Every time a vendor would walk by she'd ask, "what do they have to eat?"  

Harper did great too.  She was squirmy at first, but settled down and was happy to sit on my lap and take in all the sights.  She kept looking around at everything and even though it's like sensory overload in there, she loved it.  Harper would also take cues from others and start clapping at appropriate times. :-) 

We actually stayed a lot longer than I thought we would make it.  We sat through the first 4 innings and then made our way back to the car.  Just before leaving the park we stopped at the kid's zone.  Both girls were tickled to death running around the bases in there and Handley even battled the big kids to make her way down the giant slide before riding on Daddy's shoulders back to the car.  She must have said at least 18 times, "That was so much fun!" 

I couldn't believe they both stayed awake the entire ride home and since they were wide-eyed and bushy-tailed when we got home I just had to go ahead and give them a bath to get all the ball-park grime and sweat off of them.  Even if it was 10 PM.  

I hope this is just the first of many games for us.  I remember going to the Braves games when I was a little girl and just loving it.  I'm happy that tonight we got to pass along that fun to our girls.  

Squeaky Shoes

This week I got Harper her first pair of real shoes. She's been wearing the soft soled Robeez, but now that she is really walking everywhere and a lot sturdier I figured it was time.  I decided on a pair of squeaky shoes for her.  Handley had a pair when she was Harper's age and just loved them. I had hoped that Harper would fit into Handley's old ones, but her foot is a little bigger so we got her a brand new pair.  

When I first tried them on her she started crying and wasn't too sure.  That didn't last long though.  Now every time she sees them she sits down and holds her foot up so that I'll put them on her.  These shoes might seem annoying to some people, but they just make me happy to hear her squeaking around.  I just love them and she does too. :-)   

*** NOTE: The squeakers can be removed, which is a good thing because Harper will be wearing these shoes to my cousin's wedding this weekend and I'd hate for her to be squeaking around during an event like that. ***

We've been having a great week, but nothing too exciting has been going on.  We've spent lots of time at the pool, which wears both girls out.  Yesterday Handley slept until 9:30 AM!  That girl has the life.  This weekend we are attending my cousin's wedding and I am so excited about seeing all of my extended family.  I have been meaning to post these pics for a week now.  Both girls have closets full of pink, but I love little girls in blue and loved that they were really admiring the flowers on our front porch so I had to grab my camera and snap a few pics. 

Pool fun with Gigi and Papa

Harper and I headed up to Alpharetta to go swimming with Gigi, Papa, and Handley today.  They have a great pool for kids.  The baby pool has a beach entry and the deepest point is 1 foot so it was perfect for Harper to play.  She loved being able to sit in the water and splash around.  We enjoyed a picnic lunch there and Handley, my little fish, showed off some swimming that I didn't even know she could do!  

Father's Day and 3 year check-up

We spent Father's Day weekend at the lake and had a great time.  Handley was excited to give Robby his gift and the picture she made for him.  She even sang "Happy Father's Day" to the tune of Happy Birthday.  Harper got to have her first ride on the tube and loved it!  

Today was Handley's 3 year check-up.  She gained 5 lbs and grew 3 inches in 1 year!  She did great and was so excited about going to the doctor.  She also was happy when she found out she was getting a shot.  That is how much she loves band-aides.  

Here are her stats: 

height- 38.5 inches (75th percentile)  

weight- 31 pounds (75th percentile) 

When we left she got to get a token to use in the prize machine and chose a bouncy ball as her treat.  She carried it around with her for the rest of the afternoon and was so proud of her band-aide too.  She's having a sleep over with Gigi and Papa tonight. When we got there to drop her off Harper and I stayed around to play and visit for a little bit.  Handley came up to me after about 30 mins. and asked me why I wasn't going home.  She told me she liked it best when it was just she and Gigi.  I guess that was my cue to leave. Ha!  

Happy Birthday Handley!

Today is Handley's 3rd birthday!  She was so excited about her real birthday that this morning I was awoken to sounds of her singing "Happy Birthday" to herself through her monitor.  When I offered her a cupcake at breakfast, she turned it down and said she wanted to save it for her party.  Too bad her party was a week and 1/2 ago!  

We had a fun filled day.  This morning we went up to Alpharetta to meet Gigi at Northpoint Mall.  We rode the train, checked out the indoor play area, and rode on the carousel.  Out of all of those fun things Handley's favorite activity of the day was going up and down the glass elevator and getting to see everyone down below.  

After lunch, including ice-cream with sprinkles, we headed home and both girls took naps on the ride to our side of town.

This evening we had a girls dinner (plus Dylan) with our friends Tiara, Avery, Dylan, and Jen.  All of our husbands were out of town or busy with other stuff so we headed to a local Mexican place for some fun.  The older girls had fun throwing pennies in the fountain. I thought it was a great distraction for them until I looked over and saw Handley's entire face in the fountain.  Ha! Harper hoped to join in their fun and Dylan stayed busy trying all sorts of new Mexican food.  After dinner a few of the waiters sang "Happy Birthday" to her, gave us a delicious birthday dessert and even had a big sombrero for her to wear.  It was the perfect way to end her birthday celebration.   

A few interesting facts about Handley.  At 3 years old she: 

• loves playing with her baby dolls and is very attentive to them.
• has an amazing imagination.  She is constantly packing her bags to go to someone's house, a party, the airport, park, or store.
• likes to boss Harper around (in a sweet way) and make her a part of the elaborate scenes she creates. 
• makes up all kinds of words and names for her imaginary friends and thinks it's hilarious."Shoo-sha, Amberger, and Gojuwa" were a few I heard today.
  
• enjoys playing with dress-up clothes and has a strong preference about what she wears each day, including shoes and accessories. 
• asks me each night before she goes to bed, "what are we going to do tomorrow?" and if I say something about being at home she'll ask, "but where are we going in our car?"  She loves to be on the go!
• loves her baby sister and is a little mommy to her
• can recognize all letters and can write the first 3 letters in her name.
• needs to be read at least 2 books, be told a story, sung a song and have her back rubbed (in that order) when we put her to bed.
• still loves her Be-Be(blankie) and Lambies, but will agree to leave them at home when we go places or just bring along 1 Lambie to stay in the car. 
• is very particular and loves routine. 
• is my little assistant and helps with chores around the house, likes to help me clean, and thinks it's fun when I give her "jobs" to do. 
• has an obsession with band-aides.
• loves her friends and generally plays very well with each of them. 
• has the kindest heart, genuinely cares for other people, and is eager to please.

Happy 3rd Birthday Handley!!!  We love you!!!

Little Stinker

We've enjoyed the past two days at the pool and despite my best efforts to plaster the girls in sunscreen, their tan legs and arms against their white little hineys are proof that we have been spending lots of time there.  I'm seriously amazed by the difference in Handley.  Yesterday during her last swim lesson she was getting toys off the bottom of the pool and today was begging me to help her swim with her floaties off so she could get dive toys, touch the bottom of the pool and do "froggie jumps" and swim to the wall by herself.  What a difference a few weeks makes.  

This evening while the girls were playing after dinner and I was trying to clean up a little.  Handley came running to get me and said, "Mommy, come and see. You won't believe what Harper is doing."  When I followed her I found Harper in their bathroom doing her new favorite thing.  She is obsessed with standing in the step-stool, opening the drawer, and playing with the hair clips and rubber bands that are in there.  She likes to sneak away every chance she gets to do this.  Every time I sneak up on her she'll look at me innocently, hold a clip up to her head and say, "bow" (what she calls bows or hair clips).  

As I was cleaning up the clips off the floor and counter and trying to distract Harper with another activity Handley just smiled and said, "She sure is a little stinker" (Handley's new favorite line anytime Harper does something she probably shouldn't) and she was so right.  She is a little stinker and love her for it. 

A special dinner and the lake

We had a really great weekend.  After Handley's swim lessons (be sure to read the post below too see how GREAT she is doing) I rushed home to get dressed for a special dinner.  About 6 months ago Robby was promoted and is now the Vice President of Real Estate, Engineering, and Construction for Racetrac Petroleum.  Friday they had a dinner party honoring him and 3 other guys that were also recently promoted to Vice Presidents.  The invitation said they would be honoring "The FAB FOUR," but it wasn't until we got there that I knew exactly that that would mean.  

The evening was centered around the four guys and every detail was planned perfectly.  There were posters and t-shirts depicting the guys as the Beatles and it was such a fun evening with a live band, dancing, dinner, and a special performance.  I can't go into details or Robby would shut down the blog all together. :-) I am SO proud of him and all his hard work.  It was a great celebration and a big thanks to Gigi and Papa for keeping the girls.  

After getting in late and sleeping off a bad migraine I got during the party we woke up early Saturday morning to head to the lake.  It was a beautiful weekend and the weather was perfect.  We spent lots of time tubing, surfing, wake-boarding, swimming (Handley loved showing off her new skills) and playing at some beaches.  I didn't take one picture because I was just enjoying a fabulous weekend with our family.  Gigi and Papa were able to be up there with us too so they came over for dinner on Saturday night and got to watch Harper eat her first corn on the cob. 

After a back-of-the-car picnic at Arby's on the way home and a finally making it here way past bedtime, both girls were still in great spirits.  The evening ended with them kissing each other good night over and over.  Harper's favorite phrase at bedtime is "one more" and she is usually referring to books.  However tonight it was "one more" kiss from Handley that she wanted.  They just couldn't get any sweeter. 

Swim Lessons - Update

Handley has done a complete 180 at swim lessons.  It only took the 8th or 9th day of her lessons for it to finally click, but she is finally having fun and showing so much improvement.  The first week and a half of her lessons she spent crying, whimpering, and saying she didn't want to do it.  

A few times I contemplated not continuing on with her lessons, but I'm so happy I did.  On Thursday and Friday she was mostly all smiles and was so excited and proud of herself for putting her face in the water, floating all by herself, and being able to do a few "scoops" to the steps and to the side of the pool.  Tomorrow is her last day, but I'm excited with the progress she has made and know that now she has the confidence we'll be able to continue working with her all summer. 

Below is a video of some of the things she is doing during her swim lessons. 

And she tries to give Harper "swim lessons" every chance she gets.  Harper is actually pretty good and mimicking what she tells her to do and if you listen close enough you can hear her saying "scoop, scoop" and blowing her bubbles.  HA!

Camp

Handley is doing two camps this summer.  One is at the church where her pre-school is and this week she's doing one at the church where Avery goes to pre-school.  Each is a few mornings a week.  She was so excited when she woke up this morning because she knew that she got to go to Avery's school and be in the same class with her.  The car ride there was filled with a ton of questions and lots of squeals.  She walked right in without looking back and when I picked her up a few hours later she was all smiles.  She said they had played, read books, sang a song, and had lots of fun.  Avery rode home with us and we made a quick stop by Chick-fil-a for lunch.  The big girls were happy to see the COW, give him high fives, and get a pictures with him.  Harper wasn't so sure about him, but she's still in the pictures. 

Handley's 3rd Birthday Party

We celebrated Handley's 3rd birthday a few days early yesterday. We had a combined birthday party with her BFF, Avery.  It was a big birthday bash at the pool and everyone had so much fun.  The weather was beautiful and every family seemed to have a blast.  

It was hard to keep Handley out of the pool.  She had so much fun swimming with all of her friends.  Harper was a little overwhelmed by everyone, but warmed up at the end and had fun splashing around too.  

After the party we came home so Handley could open up all of her gifts.  She got some really great stuff and we've been spending lots of time today enjoying all the new things!