Crafting

We (some say bravely) encourage Amara to be crafty with different materials. This normally isn't a challenge--considering she loves stamps, stickers, coloring, etc. I found these sweet Valentines foamies at JoAnns and we decided to put a few together.


Also recently, in planning for a few baby showers, have had my sewing basket out--which apparently was a green light, for Amara to play with some tiny thread spools she found.

Now, I have to make SURE to pick them all up and keep them up, or I find them mostly on her fingers, but largely on the floor too!

...Anyway, luckily these foamies are adhesive, not glue b/c that would NEVER work at this point--but we had fun with them, and actually got a few of them completed! Pretty cute!

Sure, some of the hearts and "doggies" which are really bears have teeth marks in them, but I would argue it adds to the personalization and character, right?

I love the next-to-last picture there where she is focusing so intently on her tasks--with her tongue out. Not sure which of us captured that, but it's priceless to us!

Little Gym graduation: Bye, bye, Birdies :(

Amara is officially done being a Birdy and ready to be a Beastie! Of course, this means nothing unless you're part of "The Little Gym" organization--but the names alone are worth noting!

This week was the last class of the first session of TLG that we tried. It started way back in September (I believe) and she has gone with Grandma most Wednesdays since then.

She has learned a lot of new skills, from rolls to balance beam, bars to different ball games--and always looks forward to seeing friends and Miss Amber. It's amazing for me--considering I'm only able to go once a month or so, to see how much she and Grandma learn every single week. I had heard they were ready for cartwheels, and I saw first hand--learning the donkey kick, the predecessor to the cartwheel, wow!

She is fearless on the balance beam too! First they side-stepped, then moved on to walking forwards, and NOW, they are actually doing forward rolls on the beam!

I love this picture of Amara's sweet smile--because the way Eric got this picture of Amara coming up to me (she likes to watch movies of herself in the camcorder after we tape her) it looks like she's giving her first interview--ALTHOUGH, it's not too far off! Between all the moms, dads, and grandparents, it looked like a paparazzi-fest in there!

Her love of bells, carried over from music class has been enhanced as well--as class opens and closes each week with songs about her Birdy friends, using bells. She'll miss her classmates, no doubt--many special friendships have been established these last 5 months--one little fella, Karim, seeks Amara out and gives her kisses, (I hear even knocked her down one week with one) and Amara returns hugs. Eric already gave him a warning :)

As always, class ends with getting stamps from Miss Amber. This week was a big smiley face, to go along with a very proud little girl, who wore her medal out of class and into Chik-fil-a for lunch.

Next week...BEASTIES!

Swimming

It's REALLY hard to believe we've been going to swim class (Eric, Amara and myself) for over a year now. Back in late December/ early January LAST year, we started the swim classes at at the Grove City Y. Then (and up until November of this year) we did the 9 o'clock class...but now, with her sleeping in later, and naps being slightly later, we've opted for the 11:40 class--

We enjoy getting up, having breakfast, then heading upstairs to put on Dora swim-pants and her Elmo bathing suit, to go and see Miss Kaylee (the teacher). Kaylee can't be more than EARLY 20's, cute as a button, and has been her teacher since we started...and man does she connect with Amara! Just yesterday at class, Kaylee came over to check in with Amara and held out her hands (Amara was standing on the side of the wall) and said "jump!" and in Amara went right to her! No hesitation at all!

Her class is anywhere from 1 (it has happened that she was solo once or twice) to as many as 6 kids (plus parents) in the pool. Our FAVORITE weeks are when we get to use the tiny therapy pool where it's got to be 80 in there and feels like a giant bath! She immediately grins and just gets comfy and starts playing. Her favorites are the barbel--both for chewing on (for some reason) balls, and now most recently--getting the rings off of the steps--a feat she was MOST intimidated by a year ago.

What a little fishy we have!

Toys

Amara got SEVERAL toys this Christmas--luckily we've been rationing them and she's not disinterested in much yet--

she hasn't been one to watch videos much (ok, ever) but she has started to recently be interested at least if there is singing, or kids involved.

Grandma Young got us these tickle elmo hands--and she doesn't care for the one that talks or shakes, but she will put the one on that does nothing, and watch the kids on the DVD dance to the song. Quite funny actually--

The funny thing about this giant bear--is that we saw a similar one at Pottery Barn kids almost a year ago--and we didn't get it--and Eric beat himself up over it because of how much she liked it. BUT, Kristin/ Jim got us this one for Christmas, and because it's almost exactly her height, she sits him in her chair and feeds him, lays with him, etc. Even today, she was laying down on him (just like here) saying "sleep" because he's so cushy and feels like her pillows in her bed she snuggles with.

Chillin'

I'm really not sure who enjoys sitting at the front window in Ily's bed more--Ily, or Amara! On this particular day--I THINK Amara was in the bed first, and Ily came to check things out (as usual) and it became a bit of a contest to see who could get closer, without falling over!




Surprisingly, Ily let Amara snuggle right up to her (even edging her out it appeared) and in the end, they enjoyed the winter sights outside together :)

In the last few months, to say that these two have become more friendly would be an understatement--they play, Amara gives Ily "hugs" and Ily even let's Amara point out her eyes, ears, mouth, nose, etc. If you'd have told me Ily would be ok, being a live doll for Amara, I would not have believed you, but the proof is here!

(I must admit, I especially enjoy that she has her tiny ballet slippers on, from Grandma Jackie) that are the CUTEST thing you ever saw!) She wears them around the house all day most days without an inkling of taking them off, and they just look so sweet and comfy!)

Tree away...

As much as I always hated taking down the Christmas tree, and the rest of the decorations, I REALLY hate taking them down now. I decided though, that maybe if we actually all got involved, and tried to make a game of things, that it might be a little more fun, than just putting it all away at night, and POOF the next day, no decorations.

Granted, I really didn't anticipate how this would affect the cleaning up time-line, but it was fun regardless.

Amara continued to be infatuated with the beads, so it was a no brainer for her to help with those. We also were very ornament conscious this year, so she couldn't hurt anything and enjoyed putting them away (as she has learned to do in her music and gym classes also).

We all miss the beauty and whimsy of the tree and decorations, but we hope that with the anticipation of putting it back up next year and the 6 weeks of so a year we get to enjoy it, it will be all the more special when it comes around.

Aunt Kristin's Christmas

After the festivities of Christmas morning at home and Christmas afternoon with the cousins, we got together with E's family at Aunt Kristin/ soon to be Uncle Jim's house.

We all had a great time watching the dogs play, opening presents, and watching a beautiful snow lightly fall--which actually ended up being the beginning of a steady amount of snow around these parts.

Among the ENORMOUS amount of amazing and wonderful presents she received were a giant bear, Elmo chair and a drum--like I said, there were TOO many to list, but those are some of the favorites, even now--which almost a month later, is kind of a record! I'm pretty sure that mallet to the candy drum Unle Matt/ Aunt Steph got her has barely left her hand--and certainly helped her cut her bottom eye tooth, so BONUS!