October Fun

I'm sort of excited for fall. Not excited for the cold, but I love Halloween! I took Ash to see the Witches at Gardner Village. She really liked it, there was so much for the little kiddos to do. She got a balloon made into Ariel that was way cool, it was really neat to watch the balloon guy make it! We walked around and looked at the witches. My mom took us to eat at Archibalds, that place is super tasty! We didn't stay too long because I had to work in the afternoon, but it was lots of fun. Ash asks me everyday if it is Halloween yet, I think she is anxious to wear her Cinderella costume!

Bling

Ashlyn got her ears pierced last week, she was sooooo brave! I was thinking I would wait until she was maybe 5 but she insisted she get it done. Besides, she has been so good sleeping in her own bed, I thought I would do something special for her. We went to Claire's and picked out her earrings, I hadn't planned on doing it or anything, we just went in to look around and Ash saw the stand where the do it and she jumped right up into the chair. I picked out some little white gold "diamond" ones so they matched every outfit, cuz that's just how I am. Ash liked them too. She didn't cry when it was done, not until we were paying for the procedure and I wouldn't let her have something at the register. She was so excited to show her Grandma and Grandpa afterwards. Now she tells everyone to look at her "diamonds", it's really cute. Even fake ones are a girls best friend!

Christmas List

Ashlyn: Mommy, I know what else I want to put on my Christmas list for Santa!

Me: Oh, yeah?

Ashlyn: I want a bra! A kids one, not a big one like yours!

Me: Ummmmm, well, maybe next year.



She makes me laugh, all the time, especially when she comes up with stuff like this all on her own.

Utah Sate Fair

I took Ash to the fair on Wednesday. We had a really good time but it sure was hot! And WOW very expensive. I should have figured that out before but it's been a while since I have been. Ash got to go on some rides and I even had to go on one with her cuz she was too short. Let's just say me riding in the back of a helicopter ride was a funny sight. I bought Ash some Dippin Dots, they are one of her most favorite treats. Then we relaxed and listened to a country band play. When we left Ashlyn was so tired, she was almost asleep before I got her buckled in her car seat.

Sleeping Beauty

So Ash has slept in her bed for almost three weeks now! I think she has been sleeping better and I think she might actually like her bed now. Really, only two of the nights were horrible. I turned into a tired grumpy mom and I don't like feeling that way. But now, Ash hops in bed and of course I have to read and sings songs but once I leave she stays in for good. I think she is pretty proud of herself too. And I am proud of me for not giving in. Looks like I will be buying a bike for the little princess soon.

School Daze

Well, I survived Ash's first day of Preschool. She woke up this morning all excited to go. We went to the orientation last week and she has been all sorts of excited all week. Every day she has asked if it it time to go yet. When we got there I thought she would be a little hesitant but she ran in, put her book bag in her locker and went and grabbed a name tag. The teacher remembered her name and that impressed me. So after a hug and kiss, I left. Then it was time for me all by myself. I went to Costco and that was really weird without Ash. My mom even commented on how weird it was to be shopping without her and there wasn't a little girl asking if she could have every toy in sight. After that I went home and it was way too quiet. I decided to be productive and I cleaned out the garage. On the way to pick her up I was so excited to see her. I got there about 15 minutes early and sat on the benches and waited outside where the "pick up" area is for parents. I chatted with a few of the other moms and waited not so patiently, and of course Ash was the last one out. She came running to me with a big hug and showed me her artwork that she was so proud of. And she can't wait to go again so I guess it was a hit!

My Two Favorite People

Bedtime

I am trying to get Ash to sleep in her own bed. It's hard because I work nights and it's not something I want to deal with when I get home. I just want to lay her down and then have ME time, cuz it's usually the only time I get my myself. And honestly, I don't mind her in my bed, she is very cuddly and wakes me up with loves and kisses. BUT, I know the longer I go with her in my bed, the harder it will be to get her into her own bed. She also has a very cute bedroom with a very nice bed that is just not being used at all.
She has slept in her bed the last three nights in a row. I promised her that if she does it for a few weeks she will get a big girl princess bike with a pink helmet, she only has a tricycle right now. I've also been doing little special treats for her every day.
The first treat was a trip to Jungle Jim's. I wanted that first day to be a big deal, so that "treat" was a little more expensive than the rest plan to be. She had a great time playing and going on the rides there.
Yesterday we went to Family Dollar and I let her pick out a couple of things. It didn't cost much, maybe five bucks is all.
Today after running some errands I took her to Burger King and let her eat inside. I don't know why this is exciting to her but it is.
Hopefully, she will get used to being in her bed fairly soon. I almost gave in last night when she woke up at 0430 but I held my ground and got her milk, let her go potty and made her get back in. I was so close to just putting her in my bed again.
So, I am trying again tonight! Wish me luck!

Presents

Lately, Ashlyn has been really into watching commercials on Nickelodeon and they are usually toys that she thinks she needs. Yesterday she saw a commercial for a Tinkerbell house.

Ash: Mom, buy me that!

Me: That's a pretty big toy, maybe you can ask for that for Christmas.

Ash: No, how bout Halloween instead?

Smart little girl, isn't she?

Mini Me

When I found out I was pregnant with Ashlyn, my mom told me that she hoped I had a little girl just like me, as girlie and princess and spoiled and all that stuff. I was a good kid but I didn't get my girlie behavior from my mom. Well, I'm pretty sure it's come true. She is so much like me, she even talks like me and that is not a good thing some of the time.
A couple days ago, we were getting ready and Ash had showered and I was off to find her Kitty Cat towel, so I grab it from the dryer and head back to the bedroom, Ash is standing in the tub and yells, "MOM! Get me out of the tub for Hell's sakes!" I asked her what she said and she said it again. Hmmmm, yeah... pretty sure she got that from me.

Funny Girl

A couple days ago I picked up Ash from my moms after work. When I walked in, she woke up, ran to me, gave me a hug, and then said, "Mommy, I wasn't good!" I thought this was pretty funny. At least she is honest, right?

Check Up

I took Ashlyn for her 3 yr check up on Monday. Yes, she has been 3 for a while but her doctor told me if I spread the visits a little longer, she will have her 5 yr check up right on time with starting kindergarten.
Anyway, Ash was really excited for her appointment. She got right up and wanted to get ready so we could go. When we got there she said, " I know this place, I went here for my itches!" A few months back we had gone for a rash and it was discovered she had a mild case of exczema, nothing some special lotion wouldn't fix.
When we got there they started with a vision test. Ash thought that was really fun and thought it was a game. And the nurse said her vision is just fine, unlike Mom.
The doctor asked me some questions to see how she is developing and what not. He asked if she talked in complete sentences and how often and I chuckled and told him a little too well sometimes. And I had to laugh when he asked if she wanted to take the paper gown home to color and she told him to "throw that thing away".
The visit went well and Ash is healthy and happy and that makes me very happy!

Camping at Moon Lake July 11th-13th

Our first camping trip of the summer was to Moon Lake. This is my most favorite spot to camp, I have so many memories of going there every summer since I was a kid. Ashlyn is getting more fun camping as she gets older. She was so excited the morning we went, she woke right up and told me to get in the shower cuz we were going camping. She was a little confused when we left because Grandpa, Shay and the Fifth wheel left before us and she kept telling Grandma to turn around and go get them. The weather was perfect the whole time and the water was super high and it was weird not seeing all the beach that is usually there. Kyler and I had some fun when we rented a paddle boat. Ash stayed on the shore and played in the water and got soaked in water and sand. She loved every minute of it. I ended up coming home before them so I could go to work, I thought I would enjoy the break from Ash but in reality I missed her so much! They came home a day early and I was totally ok with it. In fact, Ash was so happy to see me she started crying. It was very tender.

5th of July

Since I had to work on the 4th, Ashlyn and I made up for it the next day. We started out by going to Murray Park for a little picnic. Ash is very into picnics these days and she wants to go on one every day. We got there and played and ate and fed the ducks. Ash was very generous with her PB&J, hope they like grape jelly! After that we took a drive in the new car up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Silver Lake. It was super crowded so we left and went off for some ice cream where Ash had a super time playing at the Arctic Circle play area. Ash had a blast and it was fun to have some time to play with her.

Say Cheese!

Wheeler Farm

Monday night we went to Law Enforcement Family Fun Night at Wheeler Farm. It was pretty fun- minus the car breaking down before hand. Ash had a blast playing with other kids. She had a great time with Diana's twins, Taylor and Kyle. They chased each other around, played in the dirt and had some yummy sno cones. In fact, I think the two sno cones Ash had were her favorite thing of the evening. Hmmmm, good thing for spray and wash!

Animals

Yesterday before work, and before the storm came in, we went to Gardner Village to the petting zoo. Ash had a great time riding the ponies and loved seeing all the animals. It was feeding time so they were way more active than I have ever seen them. Shay was sad cuz she could not ride a pony but the animals sure liked her so I think she still had some fun. Afterwards, we went to eat at Archibald's, it was tasty! It was a great day for it because I think the weather scared away customers cuz it was not crowded at all. It was a fun spur of the moment thing to do.

The Graduate

On June 5, 2009 my Shay graduated from Granger High School. I am so proud of her! There were tears in all of our eyes, even Grandpa's. Afterwards we went to Red Robin for dinner. It was fun Shay had a good time but I don't think she even cared about graduating half as much as we did.

Friends

Swimming

Today it was really warm so we put up a little pool in the backyard. The water was so cold. Ash tried insisisting it was warm. But she had fun!

Me: Honey, are you sure it's not too cold? You have goosebumps.

Ash: I don't have a goose bum, I have an Ashlyn bum!

My Tiny Dancer

Ashlyn performed at her first dance recital last Tuesday. It was at Cottonwood High School auditorium and she did so good. I was really worried that she was just going to stand there and stare at the audience because it was her first time on a stage in front of people. I was such a proud Momma! Grandma, Grandpa, and Shay came to watch. We only stayed for the first half of the entire show and then went for dinner and ice cream after. I think Ash really enjoyed herself because she keeps asking me if she can dance on the stage again. Today we registered for summer dance and fall session. I can't wait for the next performance!

Mother's Day 2009

Finally

Ok, so I really, really suck at updating my blog. I think I spend too much blog stalking other blogs and than I feel like my life is a little boring and who wants to read about it?
So let's see, lots has been going on since my last post. We went to Disneyland to celebrate Ashlyn's 3rd birthday in March. We had an awesome time. It was the real vacation I've had in years and was totally worth the wait. We went to her birthday dinner at The Rainforest Cafe. It was tasty but I did not anticipate that Ash would be scared of the atmosphere. The animals move and they have a pretend lighting and rain storm. Ash ended up crying herself to sleep, it was sad. I think I made up for it later- I ordered a Tinkerbell birthday cake and had room service set it up in our room while we were gone. Overall, it was fun, the kids were well behaved and I definately want to do it again soon! And so does Ash, she keeps me telling me she is 4 now so we need to go to disneyland again.
Ashlyn also started dance in late February. She loves it and it's been good for her social skills. She adores her teacher Sarah and has to give her a hug and a kiss goodbye after each class. Her recital is coming up on May 12th and I am super excited. I hope she does ok, but I'm sure either way it will still be adorable!
Another milestone we have passed is Ash is now potty trained. It is so nice and such a relief! I feel bad I didn't do it sooner, but it's so hard to potty train and work full time. But it's over and done with and glad it's over.
I enjoyed a nice Mother's day today. We played outside because it was such nice weather. Then we had yummy BBQ for dinner and rode bikes afterwards. It was a good day and I'm glad I had it off from work to spend with my daughter and my mom.
Well, that's about it for now. I am going to try to update a little more often. But no promises!

Happy Holidays

Ash and I had a great Christmas. Ash had it all figured out. She was a little confused last year, but this year she caught on really quick. I tried not going overboard this year, but I just can't help myself. And the fact that I kept storing gifts in different areas did not help. When I got it all together to wrap it, it was a little overwhelming.

Ash's favorite toy that Santa brought was a Little People Learn-About-Town. I think she really enjoyed her rock star and Snow White dress up kit. In fact, it was quite the struggle to get her to take them off! She also likes her V-tech laptop and has conquered a few of the games already.

This year, I actually had Christmas Eve and Christmas day off. I don't think that has happened in the almost 6 years I have worked at VECC. It was nice being able to relax on Christmas Day and not have to rush to work. We had fun playing with toys and just hanging out at Grandma's house.