What do butterflies do for the winter?

Dave and Ada have been attending story time at the Outdoor Campus (once a month) where they listen to stories and get to make a "project" after the stories. Ada was telling Benjamin and me what she learned. She learned about butterflies, foxes, birds, etc. She was so proud of her bird feeders that she made with daddy. When Dave asked her what butterflies do for the winter she said "they go on vacation to somewhere warm." Benjamin stopped what he was doing and said "there is no where warm around here." Dave and I couldn't help but laugh!

I don't like snow...

Yesterday the weather forecast called for chance of snow. It was snowing in Parker when I left work but it had not started to snow in Hartford when I arrived home. I picked the kids up from Dani's, made supper and about a half hour later it started to snow. I told the kids it was snowing so we all ran to look at the snow through the window. Benjamin was so excited to see the snow as he enjoys playing outside in it. Ada, on the other hand, was wide eyed for a few minutes and then turned and looked at me with the most serious face. With her hands on her hips she said, "Humph....I do not like snow!" Ada does not like being cold so we call her our little Susan (my mother-in-law who also does not like being cold). She was so serious and I had to try so hard to not bust out laughing! When she went to Dani's today she did not want to walk in the snow. The only way she would walk in the snow is if Dave promised to hold her hand. She did the same thing with me when I picked the kids up today. It is going to be a long winter if she is going to refuse to walk in the snow.

Shopping with Benjamin...

Benjamin and I went shopping on Monday night. We needed some one-on-one time and I needed a break from Ada as she is in her terrible two's full force. Dave and Ada had a good night and she went to bed for him with no problem at all. Benjamin and I had a great time. While we were shopping he told that he was having the best time ever. He likes to shop and has a long list of stuff that we should get our baby. We picked up some Christmas presents, my testing strips, and some groceries plus a few other stops. It was a long evening but he was a trooper and never once complained or asked to go home.

When I picked the kids up from Dani's house today she told me she was curious about something Benjamin told her and wanted to ask me about it. Benjamin told Dani that he got a little red puppy from mamma's underwear store. After I got over the shock of what he told her, I then explained that we went to Victoria's Secret to use up a gift card where I was going to get some underwear. They had a promo that if you purchased anything by PINK you could pick out a toy puppy for free. Benjamin picked out his favorite color--red and was so excited about his new puppy. I didn't realize he would say all the details about his new toy puppy like how he got it from an underwear store! I can't get mad at him as he said the truth about where he got his puppy but I can be embarrassed!

A Foggy Morning...

This morning was very foggy. In fact while I was walking Benjamin and Ada over to Dani's Benjamin asked what is up with all this fog. He then asked me where his knife was so he could cut the fog. He preceded to pretend to cut the fog with his pretend knife. Where does he learn this stuff?

Ada...

Ada is quite the little talker. She is very shy at first but once she gets comfortable and starts talking this girl does not stop. I have no idea where she gets that from! She is always singing whether it is her ABC's, numbers, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, or some other song that she has made up. She is definitely in the defiant stage and likes to press our buttons. The other day she said "I am going to be naughty so I am going in time out (naughty spot)" and she did all by herself. She then was naughty and climbed up the kitchen cart just like she said she was going to do. She has always been a climber but when she could get hurt is where we draw the line and we have stayed firm with it. The other thing that we pray is a phase is her tackling Sammy and squishing him. We will find her laying on top of Sammy underneath the kitchen table, the living room, the hall, it doesn't really matter where Sammy is as long as she can squish him she is happy. Now this makes the rest of us very unhappy--including Sammy!

Ada loves Dora, the Princesses, and Tinkerbell. We are not quite sure where the exposure to Tinkerbell comes from but she loves her. Ada enjoys showing us her "Princess Dance" and dressing up. She also enjoys showing off her Spanish speaking skills and likes counting in Spanish but it is only when she wants to do it she will not do it if you ask her to. She also likes drawing, coloring, doing projects, reading books, and playing with her babies.

Ada has officially gotten in all her teeth. She had all her baby teeth except her two year molars by February 2009. She got her first two two year molars bottom right and top left during the month of August. She got her bottom left two year molar in October (started in September) and her top right in the beginning of November (started in October). Ada has always had a rough time teething. Every tooth was an experience for the whole family as she let everyone she was not happy! We had many sleepless nights and early mornings so hopefully now we can get back to normal!

Ada is and has always been a mommy's girl. It is always "Mommy do it", "Mommy I need you", "Mommy where are you?", and "Mommy where are you going?". She can sure be a challenge sometimes but I love this little girl more than anything and I enjoy the time we have together! She is growing up so fast! I am in disbelief that she is going to be a big sister in a few short months.

Readasaurs Reading Festival...

The last few years the Sioux Falls United Way has held a reading festival where there are booths to visit, activities for the kids to do, and at the end each child receives one free book. Benjamin was more than excited to go when we found out that this year's theme was dinosaurs! He was in heaven. He really enjoyed this large balloon dinosaur and didn't want to leave it's side. Ada on the other hand said it was scary and would not go near it!

My Kitty...

Benjamin and Ada love Sammy! They always want to hold him and be with him. Lately, they like to play mom and dad and have Sammy be there baby. This poor kitty gets drug into places he does want to be but yet he tolerates the kids very well. Every morning Sammy cannot wait until they wake up to play with him.