This, That, and the Other

I know I have not written in a while so there is a lot to tell. Avery and Abby had their wellness check-ups a week or so ago. They are both doing great! Abby is just above average on height and weight. Avery is just above average on height and in the 25th percentile with her weight, which explains why so many clothes are very loose around her waist. (Must be nice!) The doctor noticed that Abby's right leg is curved in a little. She said this was fairly common and it usually will just straighten out with more walking and running. She told us not to worry about it and she would check it again next year. I felt bad that I hadn't even noticed it before. Abby had to get one shot for which she did not even cry. This is the second time she has not cried after getting a shot. She just gave the nurse the meanest glare I have ever seen. Avery had to get 3 shots! OUCH! She was tough for the first one and then cried with the last two. Poor girl!

I have been so thankful for the girl's health! They have been extremely healthy children all their lives. Avery has only had one ear infection and puked only once. Abby hasn't ever thrown up and has never had an ear infection. The girls average about 2 colds a year and that is about it. I constantly thank God for giving them such good health. It is a HUGE blessing!

Since Abby was about 9 months or so she has been taking a pacifier just at nap time and at bedtime. We often tried to give it to her during church to keep her quiet, but she unfortunately wouldn't usually take it. A week and a half ago we decided to totally wean her from her pacifier since most doctors say you should at age 2. I dreaded doing this because she did seem to love to sleep with it. She has been so easy to put down to sleep since very early on. We simply would give her pacifier and blankie and she would lay down and immediately go to sleep. It was wonderful! Anyways, the day I decided to take it away I talked with her about it several times throughout the day. I would tell her that she was getting to be such a big girl and didn't need her pacifier anymore. I would ask her, "Does Avery use a pacifier? Does Mommy use a pacifier? Does Daddy use a pacifier?" She would reply, "No" to all of these. After a while she would even say it all herself. She would ask herself the questions and answer herself. It was adorable! That night I didn't give her her pacifier and laid her down with her blankie and a stuffed animal I had been putting her down with to hopefully take the place of the pacifier. I closed the door fully expecting a long night of lots of tears. She didn't utter a sound, not even a peep! Wes and I were shocked, to say the least! She didn't ever ask for her pacifier or fuss about it again! Needless to say, this was an extreme answer to prayers. Do I think it is silly to pray about pacifiers? NOT AT ALL!

The weather has been gorgeous here and we have been taking advantage of it by playing outside with the girls. I have been doing some work in my flower beds and Avery even helped me pull weeds. I wonder how long she will get enjoyment from that. I even took the girls to the park for a picnic the other day. I loaded their battery powered Barbie car too, because there is a great paved path that I thought would be fun for the girls to drive on. I didn't take my camera, but it was a hoot watching Avery drive her and Abby all around. She is definitely not ready for her license. She kept looking off in different directions and before she knew it, she would be off the road. Abby often climbs out while Avery is still driving. She falls and gets right back up. She is very tough!

On Sunday, Wes and I started teaching Avery's Bible class for the Spring quarter. It was a lot of fun. I was a little nervous since I had only taught cradle roll, 4th graders, and the youth group. I did observe the other teacher the week before to get an idea of how to do it. Anyways, they were so cute. They would say the most hilarious things. The lesson was on Jesus calming the storm and at one point we were discussing how big and scary the waves probably were. I asked them if they would be scared. They all replied, "YES" except for one little boy who said, "I wouldn't be scared. I would just go surfing!" This same little boy kept getting Wes' attention by saying, "Hey Man!" Wes finally told him to call him "Wes".

I have enjoyed doing some more scrapbooking lately. For those of you who scrapbook, have you heard of or seen the Wish Blade? This new machine is amazing! My friend told me about it and I saw it on HSN as I was flipping through the channels the other night. Basically it can cut any letter or shape you have on your computer. So you could automatically have any of your fonts or shapes that you already have on your computer cut out. You don't have to purchase certain fonts. You can just use what you already have, make it any size you want, even "weld" the letters together and the Wish Blade will cut it for you. No more buying stickers or QuicKutz fonts. I immediately tried to think of things I own that I could sell on EBay. I think I will have to wait and ask for it for Christmas! :(

Today Wes and I took cupcakes to Avery's preschool class to celebrate her birthday, which is Sunday. It is hard to believe she will be 4! Time is flying too fast!

Here is a funny story about the girls... The other night, Wes asked Abby to please take her bowl of grapes back to the kitchen to eat. She didn't respond at first. (Shocking for a two year old - I know.) He told her again and Avery said, "Daddy, that's just the way she rolls!" She cracks us up!

I had to include this hilarious picture of Wes who still keeps me laughing even after all these years. Okay, I will admit it. Sometimes his humor annoys me, but for the most part I am glad he has a great ability to make people laugh.


If you watch The Office, you get why this is so funny. If you don't watch the office, well, you need to start!

I hope you have enjoyed my ramblings.