"I Can't See AnySing!"

The heat in Texas is pretty much unbearable these days....even swimming has proved to be less than refreshing with the water temperature at 92 degrees. So, last weekend we left on a journey to find cooler weather! ha! I convinced my sweet husband that cooler air could be found in the lovely mountains of Ruidoso, New Mexico! On our way to Ruidoso, we stopped in Carlsbad, New Mexico and visited the caverns and watched the bat flight in the evening. The caverns are huge and just beautiful. Presley rode down in the hiking pack because it was way to steep for her to walk down on her own....and on her own is exactly what she would have preferred to do! When you first walk into the Caverns there is only the light from the entrance leading you down the path. After walking down a few stories you really can't see anything, but what they chose to light up. Presley was a little agitated by the fact that she couldn't see much and she kept saying, "It's dark in here, It's dark in here....I can't see AnySING!" awwwwww.....with toddlerhood comes wisdom. ;o) lol. Our intention was to hike down the 79 stories and then turn right back around and make the climb back up. However, we decided against that because Presley was sleepy and a little cranky by the end....otherwise we would have totally made the climb back up. HA!

Inside the Big Room... looking at the Whale's Mouth

Later that evening, and after a quick nap back at the hotel, we headed to the Bat Flight. Each evening in summer, Mexican free-tail bats exit Carlsbad Cavern in search of a smorgasbord of insects for dinner.We weren't allowed to take pictures, but seeing close to a million bats make their way out of the cave was absolutely beautiful and probably one of the most peaceful things I have ever seen. It takes close to 2 hours for all of the bats to exit, but we only stayed for about 30 minutes.Presley did great considering we got there at 7:00 and the bats didn't start their flight until 8:00. She really seemed to enjoy Carlsbad and vacationing with her has proved to be rather easy and enjoyable. ;o)

Friday's Photo

When I give piano lessons at the house I have Presley play in her room. I shut all of the doors in the hallway, keep her door open, and close the baby gate to the hallway. I use her baby monitor to watch her, but I turn the volume off. Last week after I was done giving Gretchen her piano lesson we walked in to see this.......Presley lining up all of her stuffed animals and giving them each an item of food from her play kitchen. ;o) I wonder who she gets her OCD from? ha! At one point, she had the animals reaching all the way to the guest bedroom door.....this has become a daily routine for her. She is also potty training her animals. She puts them on one of her little chairs at her toddler table and says, "good job, you're dry! Sit here and I'll be right back".....she listens to EVERYTHING we say! ;o)

A Letter Wrapped Up In A Prayer of Verses

I have been prepping this blog for the past few months so that I can create another blog book for Presley. Last year, I printed off her first year and now I am at work trying to get her second year printed. To prep for this I have had to transfer several of my posts from "Our Little Sweet P" blog to my current blog. No body knows this, but I tend to write posts that I never publish.....sometimes it's a post that just ends up feeling too personal to publish. I found 2 posts from last year that I wrote that I never published. One still feels a little too personal to post, but the other is a letter that I wrote to Presley on her first birthday. It's funny to look back to see where my heart was last year at this time. ;o) I think my love for her has grown even more since then.....if that is possible! It is a letter wrapped up in a prayer of verses. My dear friend, Karin, sent me a section of the book, Prayer Portions, that was about praying for your children. I loved the way the words from the prayers were dependent on verses from the Bible. I have a book called, "The Power of a Praying Wife" that another dear friend of mine gave me when I first got married. She (and her husband) have a life changing testimony and so when she gave me this book I was immediately grateful! I highly recommend it. ;o) It too uses the same outline. I kept a journal of verses that touched me after Presley was born. Once I became a mom, all of the verses that I had read when I was younger took on a new meaning. I created Presley's first scrapbook using all of these verses and I used them in the letter I wrote her.
To Our Little Sweet "P"-
Your daddy and I have so enjoyed this first year with you. I am so blessed to be your mommy. I have never met a more content, happy baby and I pray that this contentment and internal joy continues through out your life. Your mommy and daddy love you so much and find no greater joy than to call you our daughter. You are the sparkle in your daddy's eye and he loves you more than life itself. He would do anything for you! He adores you and looks forward to coming home from work every day because he knows the cutest baby in the world (C-b.o.a.t. as he would say) is standing on the other side of the door waiting to greet him with a smile and a hug. Presley, you are the child for which we prayed and the Lord granted us our request. Never in a million years could we have asked for anything more than you. You are loved beyond measure and we look forward to the next 18 years of raising you. May you lead a life that is pleasing to the Lord and filled with immeasurable joy. Your Grandma Vickie had a special verse that she held on to during her life....."trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths." Proverbs. 3:5-6 This verse is written on her grave and I pray that you will always put your trust in Him and follow Him with your whole heart. He will surely direct your path throughout life. Your daddy and I have picked out a special verse for you and pray that you would draw near to it daily. "For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience." Col. 1:9-11

"Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

Winnie the Pooh...."Oh Bother"

.....that's Joey's favorite Pooh Bear saying. ;o) Well, we took Presley to her first movie, Winnie the Pooh, last weekend and she loved it! For the past 2 weeks she has been talking about "Pooh Bear, E-wore, Pigwet, and Tigger." I prepped her for several days about what we were going to be doing....she doesn't like surprises. ;o) I knew she could sit still and be attentive for about 45 minutes....give or take a few minutes. So I made sure we got there about 10 minutes late to miss the previews. She sat on Joey's lap for the first 45 minutes and then the last 20 minutes she started to get antsy so we plopped her in her own chair. Thankfully, the movie had a lot of singing in it so it drew her back in every time she started to loose interest. We took her to the 10:05 showing after her breakfast and potty time, but right before her snack time. I brought a bag of Trix and some Yogurt Melts and that seemed to suit her well. She loves Trix....thanks to Grandma Axtell! ;o)

Some Trix for my Flick..........as Joey would say ;o)

When we first walked in the movie Presley hid her face in Joey's shoulder because she was scared of the THX demo that was playing on the screen.....it was pretty freaky looking. ;-/ However, after a few minutes of seeing Pooh Bear she was all good. She was really cute at first, talking about Pooh Bear and asking Joey questions about the movie. Of course, we seemed to pick the quietest movie theater in town ;-/ so we redirected her the first 5 minutes and then she was quiet the rest of the time......I am sure the Trix had a little something to do with that! We had a great time! I think Joey and I laughed more than anyone else in the theater......lol........It was just so darn cute. I had planned on taking Presley to the movies, just the town of us, sometime this week since it's so darn hot outside, but then decided to make it a family event. lol. I am glad that Joey was able to go with us to share in the memory of Presley's first movie......and to witness her excitement!

I Can....

No surprise here, Presley cries about EVERYTHING. She doesn't whine or pester, but she will cry at the drop of a hat. I was warned by friends (friends that have both boys and girls) of this, but I had NO idea! For those of you who are not familiar with or around Presley often- the fact that she cries about everything is an understatement. The other day a fly landed on her sandwich and she screamed and cried about it for several minutes. Yesterday, she was outside playing in her little pool and she spotted a leaf floating by her. She started crying and then began repeating herself, "its just a weaf, its just a weaf"....hmmmmmm, wonder who she heard that from? ;o) She hates bugs that fly and will scream and cry if they come near her. However, she loves bugs that don't fly and would kiss them if I let her. Yuck! SO, feeling completely exasperated I started on a journey of finding a solution........

This is Presley in all her glory!.................................and this is the look I get when I tell her to suck it up and smile (ok, I'm not that mean, but I do get this look a lot when I redirect or ignore her) Pathetic! I can say that because I'm her mother
This is Presley trying her hardest to swallow her tears and not cry because she knows if she does she's in big trouble with her mother!

My Solution.......
Several years ago I did a book study with some of the teachers at the school I taught at. We read the book, "Literacy Workstations: Making Centers Work" by Debbie Diller. In one of the chapters it talked about managing your workstations by creating "I Can" charts. Basically, the goal is to allow the kids to come up with the "I cans" of each workstation. It's a great way to cut down on interruptions while the teacher is doing guided reading and to make each child responsible for their own behavior....plus, it keeps the "you can nots" down.
Several months ago I went over to a friend's house, my former teaching partner, and saw this hanging on her fridge and wall......

Isn't she a genius! Well, fast forward about two months when Presley turned 2! She is a good little girl, but she uses tears to get what she wants.......A LOT. I was stuck on what to do with her in regards to behavior management. She loves charts, stickers, praise, and positive reinforcement. However, I couldn't find anything that fit her personality and way of learning....she is very visual, as most toddlers are. So, I sat in bed one night thinking....that's usually when I do all of my thinking. ;-/ I thought about what I did with my first graders and knew I needed to come up with an idea for Presley that set concise expectations. I came up with the idea of creating an "I can" chart for the home. At first, I just dismissed the idea because I felt silly creating something related to school, but then I decided I would just try it out.I created my "I Can" charts (To honor God with my hands I can....To honor God with my voice I can...) and they work great with Presley! She loves them, has memorized them, and understands what is expected of her. I will be able to adapt and use these charts throughout her elementary years....."I cans" are also a great way to introduce a new toy- the kids come up with appropriate ways to play with the new toy (a toy like a swing set, trampoline, etc.)

I used velcro pieces to attach the cards to the board (everything is laminated)

Now, do these charts work all of the time? Absolutely not, but it has helped......I would say it has cut down her crying by 33%......ha!

Flip book to take with us when we leave the house

The Fabulous Faces of Our 4th....Scrap Pages!

I don't think I've created a scrapbook page since Christmas! I just can't seem to find any down time to do it. I have stopped creating templates and just buy them or download them for free. Right now I am participating in a project on the Shabby Shoppe website called Project Scrap 2011. Of course, leave it to me to not follow the directions.....lol, actually I don't really think there are any set rules. ;o) I did a couple of Fourth of July pages and they were quick an easy ;o) All I did was put in the papers, pictures, and elements.I love the 4th verse of the Star Spangled Banner....

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Colorado Extras

Last year when we were up in Colorado Presley was just starting to talk. She would babble on and on to anything and anyone who would listen........even the plants!

Not sure what she was thinking here, but it looked like fun to me.....

and to my dad, apparently ;o)

Great Grandma Axtell and the Little Doggie

While we were in Colorado Presley wasn't the, oh how should I say this, most delightful of children. She missed her daddy and was very clingy to me. She wouldn't sit on anyone's lap or let anyone read to her......well, except for Aunt Reen. ;o) She connected to my Aunt and still talks about her. Presley loves animals....fake ones and real ones. Presley started to warm up to my grandparents the last few days we were there.....probably because everyone had left by then and so it was an empty house. My Grandma brought out her special little doggie and Presley was instantly entertained. She even allowed my Grandmother to sit near her for pictures!!

Reading with Grandpa

Presley loves to read. She always has and hopefully always will. She can sit down for a good 30 minutes and just look through her books. I don't even have to worry about her destroying her room during room time every day because all she does is sit and read while listening to her cd. I got her some Alphabet books by Frog Street Press that a dear friend and former literacy teacher recommended to me awhile back. I love this curriculum for preschoolers! It is what is used at the school Presley will be attending this fall and it is a great curriculum for a school setting. Anyhow, she is addicted to these little alphabet books and is a little OCD about them......which I've actually had to watch a little bit. No joke here.

Presley was very excited to have her Grandpa read to her on the 4th of July. She brought him book after book.........she even sat in his lap!

My dad took the time to read to both Corbin and Presley. ;o)

And when Grandpa was done reading she read to him ;o)

Speaking Sentences

Every day I am amazed at what comes out of Presley's mouth. She picks up on words so quickly and then tries to speak in sentences. Most of the time her sentences are jumbled up along with a few coherent words. lol. But! Sometimes she will look at me and say a full on sentence that is clear as day! I gotta remember today...........

I was outside with Presley watching her swim today and she was taking a long time to get into the water. I told her to go down the slide and to splash, play, and swim. Finally she started playing by herself. ****stay tuned

While we were outside I was sitting at the table and reading. After playing by herself for about 10 minutes Presley came over to me and said, "I want mommy to get in the water." I told her that I didn't want to get wet. She was persistent and kept repeating herself and then finally she said, "Come oooon mommy." How could I say no to that? I got in the pool with her and splashed her for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes of splashing it was starting to get really hot, but she was having too much fun so I pulled a chair over to the pool and put my feet in while I watched her play. She started playing and splashing around. I looked at her and said, "don't splash me Presley, I don't want to get my pants wet." To which she replied, "mommy, I splashing and playing." lol......made me eat my own words. She is getting too smart!!!

While we were outside there was a wasp that was flying around my head and I freaked out and she looked at me and started laughing....then she said, "Holy Cow" in a very excited voice. I must say those words a lot! ;o)

We were doing school stuff today and she was counting the puffy pom-poms I got a few weeks ago. I took 12 out and put them in front of her. She touched each one counting all the way to 12! ;o) I give props to the Numbers Video (Meet the Numbers by the Preschool Prep Series)I bought her a few months ago........it is the WORST video ever, but she loves it and it has really helped her learn her numbers....... whatever works, right??

Joey usually puts Presley down at night. It's usually the only time they have together because he gets home around 7 every night. He has a whole routine that he does with her........and this afternoon when I put her down for a nap she went through the whole process with me so that I would know!
Me: "pick out your books"
Presley: "ok, I got ur books. I have to lay down."
Me: "ok, you have to lay down."
Presley: "have to lay down on ur back" (she repeats what we say....for instance, she says, "mommy rock you" instead of mommy, rock me." )
ME: "oh, ok"
Presley: "I wanna tuck in. You have to tuck "bear bear" in.......you have to read ur books."
As I left the room she said, "night, night, sweet dreams.....see you later"
I'm so glad that she ran through the routine with me!

The Fabulous Faces of Our Fourth!

celebrating the birthday boy!!

Smoke bombs.......not the bomb!

Snakes, Tanks, and Turtles..........Oh My!

Presley stayed close to her Grandpa.......she wasn't a firework fan this year!