What A Helper

I've talked before about what a good helper Abigail is, so I decided I should probably start to include her in the kitchen. I knew she would love it if I had her help me more. So she helped me this morning bake some muffins and then I let her "wash dishes". Inadvertantly she washed my floor, countertops and window as well! :) The OCD in me raged against allowing this, but I sought to be an overcomer today. :)

Peas

Jackson ate his first veggies in his high chair (also a first) the other day. The firsts are so precious...he wasn't so sure about the taste but he did great. :)

Anticipating...

Great form...

Took the spoon and food well...

Hmmm.....not sure about this...

Mmmm...I don't think so.



Happy 3rd Birthday Abigail!

I can't believe my baby girl is 3 already!!!! Born February 20th, Abigail shares a birthday with her cousin Chloe. Since Joe and Tara were unable to come to Abigail's party over the weekend, we celebrated the girls' birthday one evening. They came up for tacos because Abigail made it quite clear that she wanted tacos for her birthday.

Sammy is sooo good with babies and little ones. He was awesome with Abigail (still is really) but now he is just so good with Jackson. Over Christmas while we were together he was holding Jackson on his lap. Squeezing and loving on Jackson, Samuel shook his head and lovingly said, "He could barf all over me."

The birthday girls.

Then, over the weekend we then had a larger party for Abigail. Attending were Sprunger grandparents, Grant and Cara's, Darin and Arial's, Uncle Ted and Aunt Lou and Ben. It was great. Abigail thoroughly enjoyed herself. In fact towards the end of the party we put a Dora video on in the basement for the girls, Abigail, Braylyn and Morgan, so they could wind down a little. After the two left Abigail stayed down there contentedly eating her goldfish and watching Dora. If you know Abigail this was UNPRECEDENTED. This communicated to us that she must have had a good time and was also VERY tired. :)

Ready to party with Dora!

Braylyn, Abigail and Morgan

Make a wish!

Aaahhh cake and ice cream. Or should I say frosting and ice cream?

Present time! She had a ton of them!

Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Sprunger!

Thank you Morgan!

Thank you Cousin (or "Uncle") Ben (and Heide)!

Thanks Uncle Ted & Aunt Lou!

Abigail enjoying her new presents the next day. Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Gudeman!

Prayer

Prayer is something that has really developed with Abigail. She simply loves to pray! She's more diligent about praying than I am sometimes. I'm so thankful for her because she helps me to be more routined and disciplined with it. But anyway, we pray for Daddy all day long - when we eat breakfast and lunch, before naptime, and throughout the day. The other day I was putting a load of laundry in the washer, when she said to me, "Mommy, we need to pray for Daddy." I agreed and asked her if she wanted to pray right then, and she said yes. So we stopped what we were doing, she folded her hands, and we prayed.

Today as John was walking out the door to go to the gym, she was telling him goodbye at the door and looked him in the eye and so seriously said, "Daddy, we will pray for you." He was not even in his car when she said, "Mom, let's pray for Daddy." And we did - we stopped right there and prayed.

I'm so thankful God is using her to develop in me a life of unceasing prayer.

Kids Say The Funniest Things

The other day I was working in the kitchen while Abigail was playing in the living room. I wasn't paying too close attention to what she was doing when all of a sudden I heard her say, "Hola amigos!" and she kept on playing. I had to laugh and think - that girl watches way too much Dora and Handy Manny!

Today I was struggling to get Jackson down for his morning nap. He was having such a hard time falling asleep. He's had a cold lately, so I think he probably just was not feeling well. Abigail and I were upstairs in her room, and I decided to go and hold him a while. I was in his room for quite a while rocking him. I would rock him for a while and try to put him down and he would start crying again. I had just picked him up and started rocking him when I thought maybe some Tylenol would help him settle. Before I could get him on the changing table Abigail tip toed in and said quietly, "Mommy, do you think we should give him a little Motrin?" I cracked up and told her what a good "mommy" she was.

It's funny because as I write this she is playing "mommy" right now, putting her baby down for nap. It cracks me up to listen to her play with her babies because she replays real life conversations and situations. For example, I just heard her say just before shutting the laundry room (which serves as the babies room) door, "Now you need to lay there quietly and try to get some rest because you are a big girl. Don't call me because you are a big girl."

Winter Fun

Yesterday Abigail "helped" her Daddy shovel snow. Although I don't believe the cheap, little, plastic, pink shovel was the best tool to use. Thankfully we have better shovels and a snow blower to actually do the job. :) She certainly had fun though and took a great nap afterwards!



 



While stuck inside...this is Jackson's first time in the jumparoo. Even though he hasn't quite figured out how he can jump in this, it was fun to have something different to play with! :)