Prayers on Video

We tried to capture Ashley saying her prayers the other night, and she was too interested in seeing what she looked like in the camera so she said them very fast. Here are the two "takes" to get her to say them. Still too cute not to share. Enjoy! Prayers - Take One


Prayers - Take Two

At the Park

We took Ashley on her new TRICYCLE to our neighborhood park. She is a little afraid of the pedals, but we'll get there soon enough. Thankfully, this trike as a steering mechanism for the parents until the kid gets used to pedaling. Pretty neat! Here are some videos of Ashley at the park.

My little Tooter

I don't know how appropriate this is to post on a blog or not, but my daughter is a Little Miss Gassy!! :o) She knows now that when she passes gas that we laugh (we can't help it) and ask "did you just toot?" (or we say fart - again, can't help it) And she says, "yeah, I faated." And then she tries to make another one right there on the spot! I sware this kid toots on cue! It's hilarious! So now, she thinks it's super funny and knows we're going to laugh. I know...we're bad parents. But after all, tooting is completely natural. :o)

What does a Frenchman say?

Yesterday, Paul was keeping Ashley occupied in the car while I was running errands after work. Among the typical games we use to keep Ashley entertained in the car, such as "what color is a schoolbus?" and "what sound does a cow make?" etc. Paul decided to trick Ashley and ask "What does a Frenchman say?" She had a puzzled look on her face when Paul proceeds to say in a very nasal tone "oui, oui, haw, haw!" Apparently she thought it was hysterical, so he asked her again...

Paul: Ashley, what does a cow say?
Ashley: Moo!
Paul: What does a dog say?
Ashley: Woof, Woof!
Paul: What does a Frenchman say?
Ashley: Wee, Wee, haw haw!

So now that is our game du jour and she loves it. She gets the answer right every time!

Maybe we should trick her next time and ask "What do Italians sing?"
Answer: That's Amore!! :o)

Our weekend!

Our fun and relaxing weekend started on Friday night when we met up with our friends, Drew and Holly. Paul and Drew went to the Spurs vs. Celtics game courtesy of Paul's Aunt and Uncle (Thank you!) and Holly hung out with Ashley and me at the house. We ordered a DELICIOUS pizza from Little Italy with caesar salads (All three of us ate the whole thing) and played with Ashley. After giving Ashley a bath and sending her to bed, Holly and I enjoyed watching a movie. We watched Changeling. It was very good. A bit distubing at times, but all and all, an excellent movie. Then on Saturday, I woke to Ashley calling for me through the monitor ("I waking Mommy! I want a befest bar!). I made breakfast (eggies and english muffins - and a breakfast bar for Ashley) then did some laundry and Ashley helped me bake some apple honey wheat muffins (she likes to put the paper liners into the muffin cups for me). Paul and I worked on tidying up the house and playing with Ashley and then I met my friend Heather at her house to go to the BILLY JOEL and ELTON JOHN CONCERT!! Yes, at the last minute her sister wasn't able to go and she invited me to come along!! I couldnt' believe it! It was an awesome show. I couldn't get over the fact that I was watching these music icons play their own songs. Like just seeing Elton John sing "Tiny Dancer" and watch Billy Joel play "Piano Man". I was just in awe. What a once in a lifetime opportunity and I got to share it with a great friend. We danced around to "Crocodile Rock" and swayed to "She Always a Woman". Billy Joel was a hilarious entertainer, between him dropping the F*** bomb here and there and jumping up and dancing an Irish Jig on top of his piano, I was constantly cracking up. The light show was great and the video that played behind them was cool. It changed from photos of Elton John young with his gigantic sunglasses or swirling rainbows of color. It was one of those shows that will forever be burnt into my brain. I always liked each of these music giants, but I really had a new appreciation for what roads they paved for lots of musicians nowadays. It was truly and experience and I will never forget it. Thank you SOOO MUCH Heather!

On Sunday, we went to church and then met up with Papaw for lunch at the Olive Garden. It was delicious meal and a wonderful visit. Ashley was quite the little star with Papaw. She sang several songs for him and enjoyed putting on a little show by counting to 16, saying her ABC's and pointing out that not only was there a flower decorating a nearby table, but it was a "yellow sunflower"!

We put Ashley down for a nap, and Paul and I watched the movie "Man On Wire". A really cool documentary film about the man who walked a tight rope between the World Trade Center twin towers in 1974 and lived to tell the story. It was a great story and I recommend it for all of you to rent. :o) That evening I made beef stir fry for dinner and Ashley likes to be a big helper. She helped me make the brown rice by pouring the water and rice into the pot and stirring it up. She was so proud of herself for "cooking" with Mommy! It was a relaxing and fun weekend all rolled up into one. Thank you God for blessing me with wonderful friends and family.

St. Patrick's Day

Erin Go Braugh! Attached is a web album of St. Patrick's Day. I dressed Ashley super cute for daycare and Paul and I went to a party at Drew and Holly's house after work. We definitely went "green" that day. Hardy, har har! :o)

St. Patrick's Day

Ashley and the Cookie Jar

Attached is a link of two videos of Ashley just being Ashley. Be sure to check out the look she gives me to make sure that I don't take her cookie jar. :o) Enjoy!
P.S. Once you open the video, make sure you click on "View HQ Video" so it isn't so pixelated.

Ashley and the Cookie Jar

Prayers

Over the last week or so, we have been teaching Ashley how to say her prayers. We used to only ask her to say "Thank you Jesus, Amen". But now we say "Now I lay me, Down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Guide me through the starry night, and wake me up with the morning light - Amen". She really enjoys saying her prayers and it's really sweet to hear her little voice say each word. Well, last night, I was dressing her in her pajamas and she has this cute set that has the words "I am getting my beauty sleep" on the top. She noticed the words on it for the first time, and I read them to her. I guess I read them in a similar rhythm like a prayer, and so after I was done reading the phrase, she said "AMEN!" :o)

Some more little Ashley-isms

We're Ashley's best friend. She has told us on separate occasions. It melts our hearts. She has been extra affectionate lately too. The other day when she was playing in her room and we were out in the kitchen cleaning up after dinner, she was yelling for us to come in her room. Finally, after several, "We'll be right there!" Paul goes in and checks on her. When he got in the room, she ran and hugged him and said to him, "Come in here Daddy, you too fa away." What a sweetie! She likes us to cuddle with her before bed too. But she wants us to cuddle her separately. When I am lying with her she kicks Paul out of the room, and vice versa.

Remember my one blog where she likes to say "Where a na pants?" well, Paul and Ashley were in Target one day, and Ashley saw someone with a sports bra on and short shorts, and she says to Paul, with her arms and wrists out, "Where are na pants?"

Also, this one was pretty funny... We were shopping at Kohl's last week and Paul had Ashley with him in the men's department while I was shopping in the women's department. Paul said that at one point a women was talking to Ashley and saying hi. Ashley proceeds to tell the women that "I lost my Mommy." The women looks up at Paul with a questionnable face, and Paul finds himself stumbling over his words to explain that "no, she didn't lose her Mommy. I'm her Daddy...ummm...she's two..." :o) Poor Paul. That is the second time he's been put in an awkward position to prove that indeed, he is her father. There was one time during church when Ashley was unruly. Paul had to carry her outside because she was screaming and crying so hard. Apparently, she at one point was crying for me, and he couldn't get in touch with me (I forgot my cell phone that day). So here he is in the parking lot at church with a screaming child in his arms, kicking and flailing about and is saying "Nooooo!!! I want my Mommy!! Noooo!!" He said it looked like he was kidnapping her.

Ashley is getting really good at recognizing letters of the alphabet. She knows that "A" is for Ashley, and "S" is for Sarah. She'll point to letters and say the sound they make. For example, I had on a Boston University sweatshirt on the other day, and she pointed to the "S" in Boston and said "ssssss". Or she'll see the letter "A" on something and say "aaaaa". It's pretty cool! I am so proud of my girl!

One day on our way to church Ashley was playing with her toy CD player (she calls it her "Dee Bee Dee player") that is very noisy. When we stopped the car to get her out we said she had to leave the noisy toy in the car since we're going to see Jesus. Well, she was not havin' that. So there we were, walking in the parking lot and Ashley is saying at the top of her lungs, "I don't want no Jesus, I don't want no Jesus." :o) fun, fun.

Parenthood.

I waking...

Ashley has been doing sooo well in her toddler bed. She never gets out of it unless we come in and tell her it's okay to get up. In the mornings, when we are getting ready for work or are "trying" to sleep-in on the weekend, I hear her little voice say, "Mommy...I waking....". It's so cute. I guess she hears me say, "Are you waking up?" Now, at naptime and bedtime, when she doesn't want to go to sleep, she says "I no nigh-night, I waking".

Mommy, Mom, Momma, Mom-Mom

Ashley has been calling me Mommy since she has been able to speak. Lately, she likes to change it up! Last weekend, she called me nothing else but Mom. And instead of calling Paul, Daddy, she just called him Dad. I know it wasn't a big deal, but it just sounded so cute and mature coming from her little chipmunk-sounding voice. Now, a whole week later she is switching it up. I guess she is hearing what other kids call their parents. I am not sure, but I hear Mom, Momma, Mommy, Mom-Mom....and if I don't answer her the first time, she switches to a new one to get my attention. I even get.... Sarah! She likes to use our first names a lot. It cracks me up!

Christmas Music in March

I am still listening to Christmas music in March. Yes, I am telling you the absolute truth. Ashley likes to fall asleep to the Boots Randolph instrumental version of the song "Sleigh Ride". During Christmastime, we put Christmas music on in her room to fall asleep to. After Chistmas was over, I put the CD of nighttime lullabys back on (you know, the "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Rock-a-bye Baby" types) But she cried until I put the Christmas CD back on and figured out which Christmas song was "Ashley's song".

So now I have to skip to track 8 every night for "Sleigh Ride" aka "Ashley's song". It is set on repeat for 60-90 minutes.....EVERY NIGHT. It has become my lullaby some nights since I hear it through the baby monitor. Merry March everyone! :o)

This isn't the version she listens to, but I thought I would put a link to the song just to get into the spirit of "Ashley's song".

Karaoke

A couple of weeks ago, Paul and I went to our friends' house for a party. During the festivities and food, the karaoke machine was busted out. I got the nerve to sing Kris Kross's "Jump" (complety sober I might add....I was the DD)and Paul performed an ode to Beaches with his dramatic rendition of "Wind Beneath my Wings". Hope you enjoy watching us make complete fools of ourselves. Oh and by the way, be sure to notice that not only did I sing the song, I dressed the part....backwards jeans and all! :o)

Sarah Singing Kris Kross with her Clothes on Backwards


Paul + Beer + Microphone = Bette Midler song dedication to Sarah