The month started off with Elsie attending a Big Sister/Big Brother Class that the hospital puts on for siblings. It was cute and I am glad we signed her up!
The got to color a bib and then transferred it from the paper onto a cloth bib for their baby. Elsie put a lot of time into it and was the last one to finish (after I took the crayons away because they needed to move on). They read a story about becoming a big sister and then had a change to change a babies diaper and practice holding a baby. Elsie was really into it. After that we went upstairs for a tour of a hospital room.
After that Elsie has become SO into babies! We set up the swing and she like to put her baby in there, sing to it, and read it stories. She also likes to put her baby in the baby's crib, use our cloth diapers for the baby and use the baby's clothes for her doll :) It is really sweet actually.
After finishing up the floor/stairway project we decided to not do too much in March. John had to wrap up the bathroom project and I wanted to paint Elsie's room. Other than that, we didn't do too much.
On March 6th we had Elsie's three year old photos-yes she turned three back in December but not too much has changed for her since then :) I love the way they turned out and I was able to get a few with her. I posted more of those pictures here along with some updates on Elsie.
On March 7th (a Saturday) Elsie and I walked over to the elementary school for a Raising Readers event. Its an event for children 0-5 and focused on science and technology as well as literacy. One of the rooms you could read to therapy dogs and of course Elsie loved it!
There was a room that focused all on air and Elsie loved doing the stomp rockets.
And we did a balancing experiment too. After we made it around to all the stations we went and collected our free book-this program offers free books to the first so-many kids through the door. They also had a little zipper pouch filled with crayons, pencils, paper, scissors which came in handy later in the day. We headed home for an early nap and then got up to head to Des Moines to cheer on our High School Girls Basketball team play in the state championship game.
And a big congratulations went out to them because they ended up winning the state title!! A very good and exciting game! After the game we went with the Olson's to Old Chicago for dinner.
Elsie loves to use all of our throw pillows to make a "bed" on the couch-I guess the higher the better!
Over the weekend of March 13th-15th we had the opportunity to celebrate the third birthday of a very special girl!! Aubrey!! On Friday Elsie was invited to her friend party with some other little girls from day care and then on Saturday we went as a family to their family party.
On Monday March 16th we had our first 80 degree day of the year!!
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To enjoy the day we grilled pork chops on the grill and enjoyed our dinner outside on the deck! It was lovely!! John also mentioned to Elsie that he was making her a surprise-and of course she had to know-it was a little picnic table just for her! (He started it last April :). She wanted to work on it right then and there but it was getting late so she had to wait.
Mommy's Lucky Charm on St. Patrick's Day!
Elsie being silly. I purchased a new prime lens for my camera and was trying it out. Definitely takes some getting used to. I got it on Friday March 20th which was also a beautiful day (not quite as nice as the Monday before but still I think it got around to the low 60's).
When John got home we went for a walk to return some library books.
And then headed home for dinner-which was also enjoyed out on the deck! Elsie has been constantly asking to eat outside now that we have done it a few times. After dinner, John and Elsie set to work putting together her picnic table. John had cut all the pieces from wood left behind in the upstairs of our garage when we moved in last year. Finally, a year later the table is complete. I blame this on me because I kept giving him other projects ;).
John is so patient with Elsie when she wants to "help" him
Elsie and the finished product!
I mentioned back in a post about Elsie's new found love for Dancing with the Stars and how she imitates the dances with John. Here is the "tent light" I was referencing.
On the 21st my dear friends from MN made the trip down to visit and meet Adalyn. They arrived just before lunch and we just hung out and visited all afternoon. It was lovely an so wonderful to catch up! We went out for dinner and ice cream and then they headed back home that night. It was a wonderful Saturday!
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Last Wednesday (3/25) Elsie and I most likely had our last wednesday alone together. Ever since she was born we have spent our Wednesdays together (with a few exceptions of course). It is a bit bittersweet because soon she will have to share me with her little sister on my Wednesdays off. This particular Wednesday we went to tumbling class, Duckworth to drop off some clothes, the bakery for donuts/cookies, had lunch with John and Lisa at the new Mexican place in town, and just had a nice fun day together :).
Also last week, Elsie's new car seat for Bev's car arrived. She had seen the seat on my computer screen when we were trying to decided between a couple of different models and she exclaimed "Oh is that seat for me? It is the seat I have ALWAYS wanted!" Really? haha she loves is because it is purple and it has a built in cupholder :). I'm glad it is the little things that make this girl happy.
One evening we went for a walk around the block-without riding her bike. Elsie LOVES to collect things when we are out and about like sticks, acorns, and rocks. I told her this particular night she couldn't ride her bike because she would stop all the time to pick things up so we just walked. She collected quite a few rocks and then the following night her and John washed them up to "make them pretty". She came down to proudly show me her rocks and exclaimed that she is a "rock hound" Ha! So now that is what she says when she talks about collecting rocks. A little geologist in the making.
On SAturday 3/28 we celebrated Little Orson's third birthday with an Easter Egg Hunt. You can see more pictures and info here.
She looks so big to me here!
If you would have asked me a few weeks ago if we were going to do a garden this year I would have told you no. I figured we would have our hands full and April/May when planting happens we would be adjusting to life as a family of four-I didn't want to add one more thing to my plate. But...Saturday (3/28) I woke up and for some reason changed my mind so that morning we set out to buy our seeds and supplies needed to get some seedlings going indoors. Here is Elsie shopping with her own little cart. We bought seeds for peas, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, a couple of wildflower mixes, marigolds, zinnias, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and broccoli and cauliflower (the last two will be fall crops since we are too late to start them from seed now). Ha-I kind of went overboard. We are also planning to have a herb garden with basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, and mint. Add that to our raspberries and blueberry plants and we will have our hands full.
So on Sunday (3/29) we started seeds for our peppers plants (jalapeno and bell), marigolds (two varieties) and zinnias. We were going to do parsley but missed the part that they need to soak overnight in warm water before planting. Starting seeds indoors is all new to me so this will definitely be a learning experience for us all. After planting Elsie asked if we could watch the plants for awhile before going to bed-oh dear!
Another Sunday project we did was make this birdhouse. We have had this birdhouse kit around our house for 7 years! So John and Elsie put it together and Elsie painted it. I had to stay out of the kitchen because she wanted it to be a surprise for me.
Also on the same Sunday (3/29) we celebrated Easter with John's family and dyed eggs and had a hunt. It was a busy day for us I guess. I did a post on that a day or so ago.
On Sunday morning (3/29) it was John's turn to get up with Elsie in the morning. She has been waking up earlier than normal lately. So he went in and actually got her to lay down for another 15 minutes (although I didn't get up I heard/was aware of everything because of the monitor). Next thing I know Elsie is climbing up into bed with me and we are snuggling away watching Paw Patrol. About 10 minutes pass and I check out the monitor and John is sleeping away in Elsie's bed-ha! That man can fall asleep anywhere!
A Few Other Little Updates:
- Elsie complete Preschool Level Two in swim lessons this month and was recommended she move on to preschool Level Three. We are planning to do lessons this summer here in town but will pick back up the Red Cross Lessons in the fall.
- Book Club this month was at Kedra's house. Last month I picked Girl on the Train and I read it in three days. It was really good! This month's pick is The Husband's Secret I am 66% through it already.
- Elsie Update: Whoa Elsie was a handful for the last week of the month. JoLene mentioned it to us and we definitely noticed it at home too. Especially the last weekend she was a handful. I do know we have been putting her to bed later and she has been waking up earlier and we need to focus on getting her to bed by 7:30-that is her sweet spot I think. Other updates: She likes to call me Mother. She can imitate me to a "T" when I have scolded her-yes she is a sassy little girl. She loves candy-she recently re-discovered her halloween candy bag in a closet and is constantly asking for chocolate-I'm not excited about the Easter candy season coming up. She seems to want me more lately-she goes back and forth between the two of us.
- Baby Update: Not too much to mention here. :) Hopefully soon though! Still feeling good and not too tired-I guess it doesn't help when you wake up at 4:30 AM and can't go back to sleep.
