A first for everything!

Tonight we succeeding in doing something that has only taken 4 and a half years. : / We tired Jessica out!
Some quick background: Jessica has been crying herself to sleep basically since she was born. She hates going to sleep and fights every nap and every bedtime. It's just been something that we've grown used to. There have been many many times when we've had busy days or late nights, and we would think, "Well, maybe Jessica will be so tired that naptime or bedtime won't be such an issue this time. We have always been wrong, and no matter how busy the day or late the night, Jessica never seems to be out of energy.
Tonight Will had a planning meeting at a friends house, and the family was invited for a cook out (Florida speak for BBQ) and to swim while they planned stuff. I swam with Jessica and Will for awhile, and then joined the meeting while Jessica kept swimming and playing with some of the other children there. By the time we got home and ready for bed it was 9:00 pm (one hour past normal bedtime.) As we were kneeling down for prayer, Jessica said, "Can we please hurry because I am out of energy and I need to go get in bed."
I think my jaw hit the floor!! What?!! Jessica out of energy and asking to go to bed?!! Who is this girl, and what has she done with my daughter! I was still in shock as the prayer ended and Jessica went straight to bed without complaint. By the time I got up to go give her hugs and kisses she was under the covers and closing her eyes. I guess she really was out of energy. I didn't think it was possible for my little firecracker to run out of energy, but I guess there really is a first for everything!

PreKindergarden

Jessica is loving going to school everyday! She has a lot of fun and has made lots of new friends. She usually is so excited once she gets home that she talks and talks. Throughout the rest of the day she remembers things that she did and she tells me lots of stories. My favorite so far is when I asked her if she ever played with any of the boys in her class. She told me that they just like to hug and then fall to the floor, and they get in trouble. I told her that's called wrestling, and it's a boy thing. She said that she likes to play girl things. : )

This is a picture I took of Jessica on her first day. I'll admit it, when I dropped her off I got a bit teary eyed. I love to watch her grow up, but with each milestone there is a bit of sadness that her childhood is slipping away so quickly!

Dots or spots?

I just had to post this picture. I came home from volleyball a few days ago, and Jessica wasn't there at the door to greet me. Will told me that she was hiding, because she was afraid she would be in trouble as soon as I saw her. This got me curious, so I started looking for her. When I found her, I almost didn't recognize her.

I couldn't help but laugh. After she realized I wasn't mad, and she came out from behind the couch, I asked her what she was thinking. She responded (with a "duh mom" tone of voice), "I was dressing up like a leopard." Of course!! I should have known. It took a few baths to get her out of her leapard costume, but these are the moments when I am glad that I have a camera! Having children sure keeps life interesting! : )

Nemo Cake

When Will requested a Nemo cake, I thought "No problem", but it was pretty tricky. As I was finishing putting the last little bit of frosting on, I started wondering why I didn't just go to Walmart and buy a cake with Nemo on it! I was also thinking that cake decorating, and an art degree should be required for motherhood. The real test came when Jessica came downstairs to see how I was doing, and she commented, "Well Mom, it's almost cute." Thanks Jessica!

But Will loved it!! He recognized it as Nemo, and that was what counts. He had a great day, and today he's been happy happy playing with all his new toys.

Grandma got here last night, and Jessica and Will have wasted no time keeping her busy with games and books and vying for her attention. The house is full of happy playing noises, and it's very nice!

Happy Birthday Willbon!

I can't believe that my little boy is three years old today!! Time sure does fly. I was sort of hoping that turning three would mean that Will's stubborn/independent phase would turn into a cooperative/obedient phase -- no such luck just yet! I'll keep you posted.

Grandma Curtis is coming to visit tonight. We are really excited that she could come, and Jessica and Will have been counting down the days. Will knew that Grandma was coming on his birthday, so this morning when the doorbell rang, he started yelling, "Gramma!! Gramma!!" : )

Jessica helped me wrap some presents this morning, and Will was pretty upset that he was not being included. So after we got everything wrapped, we let Will help us write names on the gifts. He carefully drew some lines while saying various letters like "f -- r -- p". (They all looked a lot like l's, but he was trying!)

Well, I'm off to make a Nemo cake. If it turns out I'll post a picture.

Happy Birthday to my sweet three year old!! I love you!

Crazy and Hectic!

Well, this last week or so has been crazy insane!! Getting ready for girls camp was all-consuming, and little Jonathan has decided not to sleep from about 1-3 am every night!! I have been taking everything one day at a time trying to stay sane. Jonathan is soooo cute, but he is sure trying our patience lately. When he wakes up, he's not hungry, he just wants attention. He'll scream and scream, and the second I hold his hand and start talking to him he coos and smiles and wiggles all around. He just doesn't realize that it's the middle of the night, and I am too tired to play! Then when I leave he screams again. : / We've tried just about everything we can think of. All the things that worked with Jessica and Will he's just not interested in. We are getting pretty sleep deprived. Anybody want a cute little baby that will play and smile at you all night long? . . . as long as you don't try and fall asleep on the job? : )

Advice from Jessica

Yesterday Jessica was not being very nice to her brother Will. I started talking to her about why it is important that she be nice to her brother when she tilted her head to the side and interrupted me with this serious comment: "Mom, I was trying to be nice, but sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. That's just the way the world works." : )