Music and the Spoken Word

Every Sunday morning, we watch "Music and the Spoken Word" together as a family. I didn't think Olivia would be very entertained by it. Boy, was I wrong! She absolutely loves to listen to the MoTab! Olivia will actually sit and watch the entire half hour program, then get upset when it is over.

This last Sunday Olivia especially enjoyed it. She kept telling us about all "the jingle bells and pretty music." I love that she enjoys music so much. She will get up and dance to just about anything! Her new dance is to gallop (she just mastered it in dance class.) Even when we are at stores, she will gallop. What a cutie!

What a Little Stinker!!

Lately we have been struggling at bedtime. I don't understand, but Olivia has been getting up 1 to 3 times a night for the past 2 weeks. She has always been such an amazing sleeper (we really are spoiled!) We can't seem to pinpoint what the problem is. We've tried milk (because she asks for it when she wakes up), changing her diaper, rocking her and letting her scream it out. Nothing seems to make a difference. So Wednesday night, Liv and I did the bedtime routine and I went downstairs to get some things done. Then I hear, "Mommy. Mommy. MOMMY!" So I went upstairs to see what was going on. And this is what I saw when I entered . . .

Oh yes, this is my completely naked child! So I thought I had better make this a funny memory or I may get angry (remember, I haven't had more than a few hours of sleep a night for about 1 1/2 weeks.) I left her there and ran downstairs to grab the camera. After I took this picture, I proceeded to pick up her diaper and pj's. And it doesn't end there. I stepped in a small wet spot on the carpet, looked up and realized she had peed all over her bed. Bumpers, sheet and carpet! What a little stinker! You are probably thinking to yourself, "maybe she is getting interested in potty training!?" I thought the same thing. No, she isn't. Since the "occurrence" I have tried a little harder on the P.T. thing with no luck. Sigh, maybe one day she will stop being so stubborn! Until then, I will think about this and laugh.

Olivia and Hailey

This is the newest addition to the Hendrickson family, Hailey Ann Maughan. We went to visit Ryan, Jen and Hailey last week. I was really worried how Olivia was going to act. She never sees me holding other babies/kids. As you can tell from these pictures, she absolutely LOVES her new cousin. I think that Olivia held Hailey more than Dave and I did combined! Olivia can call her Hailey, but prefers to call her "Tiny Baby" and is constantly patting her tummy. She was so proud that she was able to hold Hailey, "By myself!" (or so she thought!)
When she started to act disinterested, I would try to move Hailey. Boy, that was such a bad idea! Olivia just wanted Hailey on her lap at all times. It was so fun to see the Maughan family and glad that we were able to spend some time with our new niece and cousin.

I Can Do It Myself

About 2 weeks ago, my mom found a book that I use to love as a kid. It is a Sesame Street book about 'I can do it myself' The book talkes about making your bed, brushing your teeth, and putting on your shoes. Then it says, "I can do it myself" Our smartie never misses a thing. She has been telling us that she can, "Do it myself!" About 1 week after reading this book with her, I found her putting on her shoes and saying to herself, "I do it myself!" She even velcro'd them! She was so proud of herself! And so was I! I can't believe how big she is getting. Now whenever you try to put her shoes on her, she gets mad and lets you know that she can do it herself.
I was totally impressed that she got them on the right feet! She actually puts them on right about 80% of the time. Way to go, Liv!

Shh, Olivia's Sleeping!

On December 1st, Dave and I were upstairs getting ready while Olivia was downstairs watching a show. Dave went to check on Livie. He came back upstairs and said, "You'd better come see this, you might be mad!" I thought, "Oh, great! Liv's into the DVD's again and has made a huge mess!" We walked downstairs and found Olivia like this ... Wow! She must have been really tired! I love that she crawled up on the couch to sleep. What a cutie!

Edible Finger Painting

What a fun project! I was really suprised how clean Olivia stayed. I thought it was going to be much worse!

It took her quite a while to warm up to the idea of sticking her fingers into it! But once she got the hang of it, she was all for it. She especially enjoyed licking it off her fingers.
We really liked using our edible "paintbrushes" but next time I will totally use unsalted pretzels or maybe cereal straws.

Mmm marshmallows. Olivia loves marshmallows!

Painting and eating marshmallows at the same time. What a multi-tasker! That's my girl!

I love her "Say cheese" smile. Can't wait to do this activity again!

Daddy and Olivia

We are so glad that this semester is over. David did very well in his classes, but it does not come without a price. He has been gone so much! Olivia has really missed him. I found them one morning watching TV. David said that Olivia pulled him down to the ground and snuggled right in to her Daddy. He absolutely loved it! I think he missed her just as much as she missed him!

Today's the Day!!

So, I have been telling Dave for the past few weeks (actually been dreading it ever since she turned one!) that we needed to start saving up for a big girl bed. Well, today proved to be the day. Olivia fell out of her crib. Poor thing was so shocked she didn't even cry! I did though! I was kinda hoping that she could stay in her crib until about eighteen! Sigh, guess I know what we will be doing this weekend! Any opinion on toddler vs. regular bed?

I'm Thankful for. . .Olivia!

I can't believe how little she was! My life has so much more joy and fulfillment since she entered it on January 15, 2008. She was such a great baby. Our only problem was trying to keep food in her little belly! Poor kid, reflux was not fun! Luckily, she grew out of it. And now look . . .
She is such a beautiful little girl! I can't even call her my baby anymore. She has grown so much the past 22 months. I love her personality, that gorgeous red hair and blue eyes, how she laughs, her great hugs and kisses, and her curiousity! Thank you Olivia for joining our family and making life whole! I love you!

Our Trip to San Diego

On Wednesday, we left for our trip to San Diego. I was worried about how flying with an active 22 month old would be, but Olivia did so amazing! We had all been sick during the beginning of the week and by the time we left for our trip, Olivia and I were still sick! David seemed to be getting better, but I think that the trip wore on him a bit. He is sick now, poor guy! But despite not feeling well, it was a great trip. We went to see David's brother, Sam, graduate from basic training. It was really good to see him. And it reminded me how grateful I am that we are in the Air Force. I am grateful for the men and women who sacrifice all to give us the freedoms we enjoy. It was really great to see David in his blues again. He doesn't get to wear them much and I love how proudly he wears them. (And I must say, he looks mighty fine in them!) We were so glad that the family was actually supporting Sam for his big accomplishment. We know what it is like to not have support when you are sacrificing so much. And we didn't want Sam to have to go through the same thing. I am so grateful that we were able to support him and go to his graduation.

On Saturday, we went to Sea World. It was such a blast! Olivia LOVED Shamu! We had breakfast with Shamu, which was really fun! I am so glad we did it! The trainers were there and had the whales doing all kinds of tricks. One of the whales did the right trick, but in the wrong place. We got wet, but were lucky because we didn't get the worst of it! Olivia was pretty freaked out at first, but she calmed down when we told her how fun it was that we got wet! So the rest of the trip, Olivia would tell us, "Whale splashed you!" It was such a great time! I am so glad that we were able to go. We really needed a vacation! Now on to the mounds of laundry!

The Season to Give Thanks

This is my favorite time of year. I love autumn with the changing leaves. It always seems to slow down in November, a great opportunity to remember our forefathers and to express gratitude for our many blessings.

I have been thinking a lot about all of my many blessings. I have been blessed with an amazing family. David is my best friend and I would not be able to go through life without him. Olivia is beautiful, healthy and growing like a weed. She is so smart and learns many new things every day. I have two great jobs, teaching dance and raising Olivia. We are so blessed that David is able to provide for us and go to school. I am eternally grateful for the country we live in and the men and women who give us our freedoms.

We are all happy and healthy, what more can a person want?!

This month I am going to focus all of my posts on gratitude. So get ready to hear a lot of thanks!

Halloween 09

Olivia's costume turned out great! Daddy helped by making the wand and crown. He did an amazing job! Thanks Daddy, you're great! I was worried that she wouldn't want to get in it for Halloween, but she was actually excited to be Princess Presto. We had our traditional stuffed pumpkin for dinner. This year we tried pumpkin pancakes with apple syrup and loved them! They will be our new breakfast tradition every Halloween. This year, Dave and I dressed up. This is our "man with the yellow hat" (from Curious George, for those of you who don't know.) Dave's costume turned out better than I pictured. He loved being the man with the yellow hat because Olivia was so excited! Every time she looked at Dave, she would point at him and say, "man in yellow hat!" It was so cute! I wish we would have thought of his costume before I had Princess Presto made. We could have let Olivia be George! Maybe next year if she is still into him. I (not pictured and on purpose) made myself an Indian costume. It really turned out pretty good since I used a regular dress pattern and modified it to be an Indian. I have to dress up every year for my dance classes, so I actually got on the ball this year and made mine.
We had a great time at our ward's trunk or treat. And of course got way too much candy! But it was great. Olivia even said, "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" at almost every car without much prompting. My little girl is getting too smart!
Overall, it was a great Halloween week! Can't wait until next year to come up with new Halloween meals and costumes!

Our First Snow Day

So today we decided to play out in the snow. I mentioned going to play in it once to Olivia at breakfast, and she would not let it go until we got out there! She was really hesitant to step off the porch until I gave her a little shove! And she loved it! Especially once she tasted it! It was hard to convince her to not eat the snow with grass and leaves on it!
Oh, my happy little blue eyed baby! I love her red hair and blue eyes! Daddy is going to have a hard time keeping the boys away from her!

This was our first snowman this year. It was so much fun to spend time with my little princess!

This is her, "Say Cheese" face. I love it with the cute squinted eyes and crunched up nose! Despite the early snow and cold, we had fun! Just wish it would wait until at least November!

Food Fun For Halloween!

This year, I decided to make fun things for lunch and dinner the whole week of Halloween. So far, the family has been loving it! Last year, we only did dinners, so I had to find 7 more ideas for lunches. This is some of the things we have done so far this week: Mummy Bagel Pizza's were a blast to make! Livie mostly enjoyed eating the olives and cheese rather than putting them on her pizza!
She loves to put olives on her fingers. But the best part is eating them!
I think she really enjoyed eating these pizzas! The picture doesn't do her face justice! She had pizza sauce from ear to ear and clear down on her neck! Oh yeah, and on her eyelids! Crazy kid!

Cauldron Chili with Spider Bread

Oozing Eyeballs and Worms

Maybe one day I will have cute Halloween plates to put all of these fun things on!

Just Daddy and Me

Olivia is so much like her Daddy! She has been trained to say, "Go Aggies" and while Daddy and Livie were watching some NFL, she would repeatedly cheer for the Aggies! It was so cute because she had to sit right next to Daddy and cuddle right into him. I love how much she loves him and how much he loves her! What a Daddy's girl!

What a Mohawk!

The other day, I got Livie all ready. Dressed and hair done. She looked so cute! I turned on "The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" (it is a new favorite) so I could get in the shower and get myself ready. When I came downstairs, this is how I found Livie . . . Instead of getting angry, I took this picture. I love the nice mohawk it gave her when she pulled out her "po tail"! She even gave me her mischievous grin, perfect for the picture!

Bored and Lonely!

Ok, it has only been two days since Amy and her fam left. I am totally bored!! We miss you guys so much! Livie asks about "Allee, Piercer too, Amy too, and Derek too!" all the time! It was so nice to have Allee and Livie talk on the phone today! Hope they are having a great time in their new house!

Happy Birthday, Livie!

Just wanted to say, "Happy 21st Birthday" to my baby! Ok, she is only 21 months, but why not celebrate once a month? I love any excuse to let Livie know that I love her and how very important she is to our family. Normally I like to do something with her for her birthday, but we had a crazy day! With Amy and Derek moving, taking Daddy to school, and throwing a shower, we didn't have time to do what I wanted! So tomorrow we get to do a craft project and go to the park. I am so excited and will make sure to take pictures!

Love you lots Olivia!

Boo at the Zoo

We love going to Boo at the Zoo! We went last year and decided to make it a family tradition! This year was even more fun because Livie actually wanted (and was old enough!) to do the activities! I love any excuse to dress Livie up in her Halloween costume as many times as possible in October! This year she is Princess Presto, a super hero princess with the power to spell! It is from the show "Super Why" and it teaches kids how to read. Livie loves her "Princess Gesto" costume (as she calls it.) We met many interesting characters! Princess Aurora and a dashing fireman were kind enough to pause from their fun to take a quick shot! And when I mean quick, I mean quick! As you can tell by me holding Livie there and Allee trying to keep Pierce still!
Daddy and Livie did great at the ring toss!
Livie loved the bean bag toss, but we couldn't get her to toss the bag. Instead, she would run up to it and shove it through one of the holes. She thought she was being so funny and laughed the whole time she was doing it!

Of course we had to get her picture by Curious George and his friend, the man with the yellow hat! Livie loves George, but lately she has been really into "man in yellow hat" as she likes to call him. We all had such a great time at the zoo! I love going and can't wait to go next year.

Family Pictures

On Saturday we had family pictures with my whole family. It was so much fun! Plus I can't remember the last time we had family pictures. I know that it was before I met David! We had Eric Richards do them. He is awesome!He totally captured Liv's attitude that day!
She was being a little bit of a stinker! But even the grouchy face pictures I absolutely love!
Katie, me, Amy and Christy

Me and Dave

Livie

I love how beautiful blue her eyes are! What a gorgeous girl!

Livie Our little family. I'm so glad that we were able to get pictures done before Amy and Derek leave. Thanks Amy for getting it all set up! We are going to miss you guys so much!