Last week the girls and I went for a walk to a neighborhood lake with old pal Bella, her mom and baby sister ...
Yesterday the girls went for a long walk in the woods
with their Daddy ...
When they got home they couldn't wait to show me all of the nature they collected ---- and to put on their dressy black shoes .......
When we got the mail they were pleasantly surprised to receive postcards from their teachers!! They were so truly excited (and a bit in awe) they put them under their pillows and slept with them last night. So sweet.
I never knew how much getting a note in the mail from your teacher meant until now.
One year ago Zoe and Ella went to their first preschool Open House. They met their teacher, Mrs. Lisa, and even though they were excited about being in the ladybug class they would NOT smile for a picture : ) I have to say, I love this photo -- it's one of my favorites and always makes me smile.
Today they met their new teachers, Mrs. Charlie and Ms. Yvonne -- AND they even smiled when I asked to take their picture : )
They had fun learning about their school by doing a scavenger hunt, they drew some neat art on the giant white board .....
.... and their smiles lasted all the way home!!
I think it's going to be a GREAT year.
Watch out Butterfly Class - here come Ella and Zoe!!
Yup, we've been having fun with YouTube, and probably spending too much time on it, but it's been a riot watching the girls' reactions to what different singers actually look like, after only hearing their music in the past.
Both girls love Dolly (they call her Dolly 'Partner', which I get a kick out of) but Ella especially loves her. She thinks her voice is really pretty and she always comments on her colorful eyeliner and big hair : ) This morning she told me Dolly sang to her in her dreams last night, how sweet is that?!
This is Ella's favorite song, and favorite 'look' of Dolly:
Now Zoe -- she loves, loves, LOVES Meatloaf. She's fascinated with him and prefers his 80's look (long hair and crazy eyes) over his current, shorter hair, more 'normal' look. She would watch his long songs over and over again if I let her, and she just smiles when I joke and call him her boyfriend (Tom doesn't think that's as funny as I do). I really get a kick out of how much she likes his music:
One of my favorite Dolly song is "I'll Be Home With Bells On'. Listening to it always takes me back to when I lived in North Carolina for a year when I was 20 -- I think I've always been a Southern Girl at heart : )
And one of my favorite Meatloaf songs is this one (though there really isn't one I don't like), and yes, his music takes me back to my high school and college days, but his newer stuff is really great too:
For Tom's birthday this past spring the girls and I bought him the book 'Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes'. We love reading the book and we love watching the author and artist perform the story too. I'm also excited I finally figure out how to post a YouTube video : )
After trying and waiting for a long time, June 26th 2006 was the estimated due date of Baby A and Baby B. We were thrilled. But a little over 10 weeks early our doctor decided it was time for us to meet the babies. On Wednesday, April 19th at 6:49 pm, Ella Marie was born. We named her after Tom’s mom, Della Marie, and her name means 'Light'. She weighed 2 pounds 14 ounces, was 16 inches long and was perfect. At 6:51 pm, Zoë Dianne was born. We named her after my mom, Dianne, and her name means ‘Life’. She weighed 3 pounds 5 ounces, was also 16 inches long and was perfect too.
Both girls stayed in the NICU for almost 2 months and did really well, especially considering all of the 'what could have/should have beens'. It was a 'one step forward two steps backwards' type of dance those first few weeks, but after 47 days we brought Zoe home and 10 days later brought Ella home. FINALLY, we were all four under the same roof, and were ready to start the next exciting chapter in our lives . . .
Ella and Zoe turned FIVE this April and are THRIVING. They are fun, funny, naughty and sweet. The joy they bring to our lives is immeasurable. They are also really fun to take pictures of : )
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