Spring Preview 2

What beautiful weather we have been having here in Columbus! Over the weekend the girls got a start on their potted garden with Daddy while I cleaned up the yard. Bennett enjoyed watching all the action.

After all of their hard work, a picnic was in order!

Spring Preview

Today was such a wonderful day that we decided to take Bennett for his first walk. We all enjoyed the warm weather, but he seemed to love the change in scenery. He kicked and smiled the whole ride!

Just Like a Rockstar!

The girls attended their first rock concert- the Fresh Beat Band from Nick Jr! In true groupie fashion, they were up and dancing in the aisles the entire time. Aaron and I had fun just watching them.

The only thing we've heard since is "when can we go back?"

Growing Up Too Fast!

Ava is officially six and a half today. I often find myself wondering how time has gone by so quickly! I mentioned this to her today, and she reassured me, "Don't worry. I'll always be there for you." which proves my point.

The past six months have brought many big changes for Ava. The two biggest have been starting all-day Kindergarten and meeting her new baby brother.

Ava loves school. She has already learned to read, and she enjoys writing and drawing too. She loves to buy her lunch at school because she gets to eat lots of things that we usually don't serve at home. She is a hard-working student and has made many friends. She has declared that she wants to be a teacher when she grows up. She hones her skills in the basement where she has her own easel, pocket chart, and calendar set up. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Ava participates in Daisies (Girl Scouts) and she takes ballet and tap once a week.

Ava is an AMAZING big sister. She loves to hold, talk to, play with, and sing to Bennett. It's the first thing she wants to do when she walks in from school. Bennett adores his big sister!

Ava is a fun-loving, sometimes boisterous kid with a big heart. She loves to dance and sing (the Fresh Beat Band is a favorite) and dreams of being a rockstar. She still loves pretending and playing dress-up. She is also a "techie" like her dad. It is so much fun watching her learn and grow, but I can't help but to wish it would slow down just a bit!

Life at 3.5

Lily recently celebrated her "half birthday", so I thought now would be a good time to give an update on what she's been up to. These past six months have included many new things for her, the biggest of which is becoming a big sister to Bennett. She is quite a natural! With Ava in school full-time, she spends much of the day with him. She loves to talk to him and play with him. She celebrates even the tiniest of milestones with Bennett and is there to comfort him when he is upset. It is such a joy to watch them interact!

Lily has accomplished many milestones since her third birthday- potty training, a big girl bedroom, and preschool, to name a few. She has adjusted well to her "big girl" status. She enjoys going to school twice a week, and art is her favorite activity.

Music is another activity that Lily is passionate about! She goes to music class once a week and has also taken on ballet and gym class. She has a tendency to act shy in her classes, but this is certainly NOT the case at home.

Lily is a sweet girl who definitely has a mind of her own. She is quiet around others, but has a big personality at home. She loves to play make believe with her collection of fairies, dress-up dolls, Squinkies, and dollhouses. She is such a blessing to our family!

Bennett at Four Months

At four months old, Bennett is making his presence known around the house. Ava and Lily have been very welcoming to him so far. They have come up with several nicknames for him, including B-Boy, Prince B, Mr. B, Mr. Man, and simply "B". It is so much fun watching them interact!

Bennett has mastered grabbing his toys. He is fascinated with his hands and loves to stare at them. He also loves watching the mobile in his crib.



He is a wild man in the bathtub! His version of the cannonball is lifting both legs at the same time and then throwing them down.

His most favorite thing is simply interacting with people. He loves to babble, read books, and to be tickled. His smile easily brightens our day!

Let's Go Jackets!

One of the perks of refusing to drink from a bottle is that you get to go everywhere with Mommy and Daddy. This past weekend we took Bennett to his very first hockey game, even though he's just short of 4 months old! He even got to see the Blue Jackets up close while we took part in the Tunnel of Pride. Even though we only stayed for one period, he was a very good boy.

Our Little Daisy

One of the activities Ava is involved in at school is Daisies. A Daisy is what you call a Kindergarten Girl Scout. Tonight we went to her initiation ceremony.




Even Daisies sell Girl Scout cookies, so expect a phone call soon!

Post-Christmas Fun

We managed to squeeze in some more Christmas activities before the girls went back to school. We enjoyed the Wildlights at the zoo...





We visited COSI...






But the girls had the most fun playing with their new things!