Could it be true??

Yesterday we clapped and sang and danced. We even went out for supper to celebrate. What is the big news? Avery stayed dry all day at Lynette's AND all evening at home! Last week she stayed dry all day at Lynette's for the first time (but then not in the evening). She came home from daycare with a certificate and a big smile. I helped her proudly hang her certificate on the fridge.

We had high hopes to potty train Sis over the summer, but those hopes were quickly squashed when she refused to sit on the potty most of the time. Then I had high hopes that returning to daycare would be the big motivator that we needed. Once again this proves that children are always more willing to do things for their beloved daycare folks than for us.

We're very proud of her. She's not even 2 1/2 yet. I have to keep reminding myself of that because she already acts more like a 3-year old!

Running Tuesday

I'm following Skinny Runner's lead and blogging about my run today. I haven't done a long run for awhile, but was super motivated to get out and run today. It must be the stress of starting a new school year! Here's my workout:

Distance: 5.01 miles

Time: 54 minutes

Averaging 10 minute miles

Not bad, considering that I usually run 11 minute miles. My faithful workout partner, Casey, hung in there for the long haul. I usually don't run him for more than 4 miles with the fear that he will drop dead from a heart attack before he ever stops running. You've never seen a dog get so excited to see his owner in workout clothes! He did great today and the 75 degree weather was a welcome change from 100+!

If you like to run and need a little motivation, check out Skinny Runner's blog. I figure that if she can run 10 miles a day, surely I can run a few too, right?

There's a 15K coming up soon that I'm thinking I might sign up for. It's always easier to run long distances when you are working towards a goal. Let me know if you want to join me!

Back to School

Today was my first day back to school. We had a wonderful summer. We took a little vacation to KC and visited the new waterpark, Schlitterbahn. The kids had a blast! The T-Rex restaurant in the Legends outlet mall was also a big hit for Garrett and Avery. I'll post some pics when I download them. We also had some fun visitors the last few weeks. Annie & cousin Finn spent 5 hot and humid days with us and Grandpa Reimer spent last weekend with us.

Now it's back to work. The students start next Wednesday, so we have a week to prepare. Garrett & Avery had a blast at Lynette's house today. Garrett was so excited to see his best friend, Jacob! He said, "I can't wait to see Jacob. Avery, aren't you excited to see Jacob too?" They were both sleepy kiddos tonight!

Big Girl

Our little Avery is growing up. She recently switched to her big girl bed! Her bedding has cats and dogs on it, which fits her perfectly. She LOVES her big kid bed. She doesn't try to come out of her room. She hasn't been napping because she spends most of her time "reading" books! We listen to this on the baby monitor and it's one of the sweetest things I've heard.

I included a few pics of our big girl. For her birthday, Grandpa Reimer bought her a pink Strider bike (Garrett has a green one). She is getting very good at it! I also had to include a pic of her with her hair in a ponytail. She looks so grown up ! I can't believe she is almost 2 1/2 now!

Here a few of the cute things she says:

Yesterday morning she wanted to sit on the bathroom counter as I got ready. She asked me, "Wanna do our makeup together Mommy?" As if she wears makeup every day! I must confess, I do put some on her (not daily of course)!

She always says to Greg:

"Hey Daddy." Greg says, "What?" Avery says, "No say, 'Hey Avery!" I'm not sure what this is about, but it's cute!

When she wants to show us something, she says, "Look it, Mommy!" I remember Garrett saying "Look it" also.

Casey continues to be her best friend. She says, "I like Casey. Casey is my friend. He's nice."

One more cute story:
Garrett was stung by a bee twice last week. After many tears and hugs, he was okay. His little sis was so concerned about him that she made 3 trips up and down the stairs to carry his favorite stuffed animals, blankets, and pillow to him, which he had left in the basement. When Greg offered to help, she said, "I get it, Daddy." How sweet!

Summertime Cuties

The Cute Things They Say

I love to write down the cute things my kids say. I always like to think that I'll remember them anyway, but the reality is that I can't remember it all. So here's Avery's latest cute sayings:
-She LOVES cereal and mac 'n cheese. She's always climbing in the pantry to dig out her favorite box of "ceweals" or to bring me a box of "mac 'n cheese" (she articulates it so well!) to cook for her. Every Saturday morning she says, "I want ceweals."
-She has distinct taste in everything from music to clothing. When we're driving in the car, she says, "I don't wike this song!" or the other day we were listening to country music and the lyrics went something like, "bang, bang, bang." Avery chimes in, "I don't wike bang, bang, bang."
(This reminds me of when Garrett was a 2-year old and went swimming with Aunt Annie. She jumped in the pool and yelled, "Ta-da!" He yelled back, "I don't wike ta-da!," which really meant he didn't like the splashing!)
-If I wear a new shirt, she notices right away. She asks, "Where you get that shirt, Mom? It new?" She also showers me with compliments about my clothing. "I wike your pants, Mom." How cute is that? Look out, Greg, I think she might be a future shopper!

Happy Father's Day, Greg!

Happy Father's Day to the best Dad and husband we could wish for. Every day with you is a fun adventure! These pictures were taken when we visited the outdoor safari on Mother's Day. Just for the record, you drive very slowly (10 mph) through the animal enclosures, so the kids can safely ride in the front seat!