What do you do at Lizzie School?

The question has been posed multiple times, "What exactly do you do at Lizzie School?" And, the answer is... Whatever we want:) I mean, I do plan, but the freedom to change our plans based on the weather or an invite from a friend is really nice! Lizzie is really interested in how things work, so we do a good bit of science related things, logic puzzles, and jigsaw puzzles. We sing our calendar songs and practice saying the date and also practice writing letters, specifically those in her super long name! Art is also a big hit for Elizabeth, and she loves to have guests (good friends) join her for Lizzie School. Below are are a few pics of Miss Lizzie Grace hard at work!

Following a fun fall leaf collection at Bear Creek Park!

Birthday cards make great puzzles!

Testing the surface tension of milk...

Add a drop of dish soap and Ooh La La! FIREWORKS!

A first attempt at writing her name! Not bad my dear:)

Free paint with Addie as a guest.

Backpack on and ready to go... It's Tinkerbell- a must for Lizzie school!

Another science experiment: mixing colors and...

What are the properties of plastic baggies?

Poke a pencil all the way through, and NO LEAK! Polyethylene, a component of most zipper baggies, has a shrinking property which causes it to shrink around the pencil when poked through the bag! Who knew?

Not from Lizzie school, just a funny pic of a mommy mishap! Elizabeth was watching me put on my makeup when I dropped my loose powder which hit the counter and then exploded in her face! Poor baby- I made her stand there blinded while I went and got the camera!

My Cupcake and My Frosting Fairy

We had a great couple of days dressing up the girls and partying! Friday afternoon, we had a great time at Justin's office party where the girls played with the other kiddos and had some great snacks! We darted off from there to CityView where we had our very first family fall fun night! Since Justin and I were pretty much in charge, we were thankful to Nana and PawPaw and Grammy for taking the girls around to enjoy the fun! And unfortunately we didn't get any pis. Saturday, we enjoyed hanging out at a couple of different friends' homes where they had a bounce house and inflatable slide set up. My cupcake and frosting fairy did get to go trick or treating with their friends, Lainie in the wagon with Juliet, and Lizzie running to keep up with Rae, Anna and Aidan. It was a fun couple of days, and we are still reaping the benefits/consequences of the loot!

Elizabeth's cupcake costume was made by Grammy:)

THANKS GRAMMY!

17 Months

October 31st marked 17 months on this earth for Lainie K... and she celebrated by putting on her pretty pretty princess dress. Although her vocabulary is still limited, we are communicating much better these days and throwing fewer and shorter fits. Elaine's motor skills still baffle me. Not sure if it is because she is advanced in this area or if it is because Lizzie struggled- maybe a little of both:) The combination of these skills and her fearless personality is quite scary! She quickly makes it to the highest slide at the big kid park, and though she is on the smaller side has skillfully figured out how to climb onto our bed. The advantage of her motor skills is eating time. I decided to be brave and give her a bowl of cereal with milk just to see what she would do, and to my pleasant surprise, she easily spooned every bite of it into her mouth and then asked for a 2nd and 3rd bowl! Which brings me to her eating patterns... probably the healthiest possibility, but just not very convenient, Elaine eats A LOT for breakfast, gets down and five minutes later requests a snack "nack," she eats a reasonable lunch, continues to snack, and then is pretty uninterested in dinner. I think we are working our way out of that 14th percentile though! I can ask Elaine to do pretty much any task, and she obeys well (ie: take Lizzie her cup, go put that in the trash, go get your shoes, clean up your mess (she will then request a napkin), put your toys away (we have this awesome organizer from Ikea, and she knows where everything goes!), go to your room for a diaper change (she is now telling me when she is pooh pooh)). She has also become quite the little helper, assisting me in unloading the dishwasher and moving laundry from the washer to the dryer!

Elaine LOVES:

-DOGS!

-Babies (pretend and real)

-Balls

-Outside (the wind in her face gets a million giggles)

-Baths

-Daddy

-Dancing and Singing (the itsy bitsy spider can cure most car time blues)

-Washing her hands

-Playing BOO! (lots of giggling involved!)

-Sissy (Zizzie)

-Kisses (everyone gets one or two or three before bed, including Kyleigh, and more recently belly baby!)

I have the power of the SPOON!

I love my JULIET! (Ju Eh)

Danger!

Yup, those are curls you see! Mommy is still trying to figure out what to do with them...

*Posts to follow... "Cupcake and Frosting Fairy", "What do you do at Lizzie School?", and "Ode to Grandparents!"*

Warning to all Parents!

So, with this nice fall weather we have had, when it isn't raining, we are outside! Friday evening we took a little walk after dinner with the Crawfords, just around our block, because Lizzie and Addie were riding the tricycle and scooter. As we approached our house, Justin and I began holding Elaine's hands and counting 1,2,3 and then swinging her between us. She thought it was a blast... that is until something popped! Elaine winced briefly and then just kind of whined until we got up to the door. Once we were inside, she was just a little fussy and refused to use her right arm to reach for her cup, play, etc. As I put on her pjs, I could tell she was uncomfortable, but I was unable to localize the pain, other than her right side. We decided to give her some Tylenol and see if we could get her comfortable. She went to sleep quickly, and we began researching. Thinking it was a shoulder issue, I posted our situation on Facebook and quickly began to get helpful responses from friends! I was able to talk to a friend who is a pediatric chiropractor and get some advice. Then a couple of friends with little ones who had been through a similar experience pointed to the possibility of the elbow rather than the shoulder. The more we read the more we leaned toward the elbow. Elaine woke up once and we gave her some motrin and applied Arnica to both her shoulder and elbow to reduce swelling. A chat with a friend who is a PT comforted me about letting her sleep rather than racing to the ER. I did however go in to check on her several times in the night to ensure that her hands were not clammy (a sign that blood flow is not inhibited). After waking Saturday morning, Elaine was only really fussy when she was frustrated by her inability to use her right arm, so off we headed to Pam's house (pedi chiro). Pam agreed that the elbow was the main issue and gently moved things back to their rightful location. While the relief wasn't immediate, it was clear that Elaine was able to use her right side- just not her first choice. After about an hour of being home, Elaine was using her right arm like nothing had ever happened! Oh how we LOVE Pam!!!!!

The moral of the story here is DON'T SWING your children by their hands! Little ones have weak elbows, and then once they get older their shoulders are at higher risk. Please learn from our mistake:)

Fall is So FUN!

How can anyone not love FALL!?! It is so much fun and a welcome break from the heat at just the right time! We Bassetts are huge fall fans, and we have enjoyed the fall weather greatly, especially these past few days. Saturday, we took a trip to Grammy and Pop's house where the girls had a BLAST!!! It was the first time I think they really noticed that there are animals larger than dogs that live there:) Elaine thought the goats were really funny, and a donkey even let her sit on its back! Elizabeth learned how to climb over the fence and enjoyed feeding the cows and shadowing Pop as he took care of the animals. It was an incredibly beautiful day, and we had soooo much fun!

Sunday, we came home from church, ate lunch and took naps. Then, off to the Pumpkin Patch we went!

(Side Note) I had charged my camera battery the night before and was ready to snap away... however, I failed to put the battery back into the camera before taking off! GRRRR! I had similar issues last year! Oh well, Justin's iphone takes pretty good pics, so at least we got a couple of good ones- just not as many as i had planned!

What a difference from last year- you would have thought Elizabeth owned the place, and Elaine, well, lets just say I did a lot of chasing! We actually stood in line and rode the train which was not built for adult passengers, but the girls thought it was great and I am sure we provided some good laughs for any onlookers. Lizzie conquered the big obstacle course and Elaine hugged a lot of Pumpkins. All in all, it was a blast! Can't beat a free night of fun with our girls!

When Monday rolled around, I just couldn't stop the fun of being outside, so we took Lizzie School to the park where we collected leaves and acorns- Science, right?:)

Then today, we just had to walk to Albertsons as Sonic happy hour was approaching and enjoy 50 cent juice slushes.

Fall Fever is real, and I have it! I just cannot help myself! I LOVE IT! Thank you God for being the God of seasons and showing yourself clearly in your creation- You are Beautiful!

16 Months

Oh, Elaine Karis is growing growing growing and her personality is blossoming! I cannot tell you how funny she is- the precious personality God has given her is sure to bring a lot of laughs throughout her life! Elaine's receptive language is insane, but because her expressive language hasn't quite caught up, she can go to some crazy extremes to get her point across. The tantrums are frequent, but she is learning that we don't respond and coming out of them more quickly. She is definitely not going to be a pushover, and some recent occurrences tell me that I am going to have keep an eye on my little bully. A couple of nights ago, Elizabeth had what she wanted; Elaine tackled her, pulled on her shirt and ripped the toy out of her hand. Elizabeth laid on the floor in shock! Yikes! We have an assertive little gal on our hands! I pray we are able to guide these persistent characteristics in a healthy way for the glory of God:)

Favorites these days:

-"VI"- Vitamins (good for the swine flu season)- anytime I open the medicine cabinet where they are stored, Elaine begins chanting "VI, VI, VI, VI!" After I open the bottle and get one out, she ceases her chanting for a simple "Eas" (please).

- "Nack"- Snack- Elaine is eating pretty much non stop these days! Especially the carbs... animal crackers, graham crackers, saltines, etc. Others faves include dried apricots, cheese "ees", yogurt "yo"

- "Bags"- Purses- She walked in the kitchen with a purse on her shoulder announced, "Bye Bye" and toddled her way into the playroom.

- "Bock"- Blocks- Elaine builds some pretty incredible towers "toss"!

- "Dawgs and Buzz" Dogs and birds. (still trying to distinguish 4 legged animals by their name rather than all as dogs:)

- Climbing, washing her hands, baby dolls, oatmeal, pasta, the wind in her face, puzzles, Daddy (anytime i reference "Justin or Daddy" during the day, she begins looking around and calling "DaDa? DaDa?")

-Being a little mommy. If someone else takes off their shoes or sets down their cup, Elaine is quick to return the items to their rightful owner. She will also "guide" her little friends and help them obey. This usually consists of Elaine pulling or pushing her girlfriend toward her mommy who is calling her. Oh funny, funny!

curls + bow = cute!

Contemplating what to do with this thing in my hair...

All Done!

Lizzie's Little Sister is now going to be the Middle Child... should be interesting!

A pic taken in the bathroom mirror. I actually think the angle and the way I am holding Elaine make my bump appear a little larger than it is. I did however cross over into maternity pants this week. Ahhhh, the comfort of elastic!

Dancin' In the Rain

It's A...

We are delighted that our Belly Baby is in fact a GIRL!

My sono went great today; everything looks just as it should, and baby girl was very cooperative:) Justin's response, "We need to get some Greek letters for our sorority house!" Don't let him fool you- this Daddy LOVES HIS GIRLS!!! He will happily be a daddy of 3 little princesses... princesses who watch College Game Day, don't throw like girls, and go fly fishing that is:) Seriously though, another little girl makes us both VERY HAPPY! We pray for 3 little girls who grow into godly women who fear the LORD and live lives of obedience to Him.

Elizabeth joined us for my appointment, and while she was rather bored watching the measurements of the baby's ventricles and femur, once she saw our baby's feet and face, she was much more into it! While her guess was boy, Elizabeth is elated to teach another little sister about dress up and Barbies and "how to not take all the furniture out of the doll house"! Although the sonogram was fun for her, I think watching me leave a urine sample produced the most questions and curiosity- I just hope I don't find her peeing in a cup as a result!

Sweet Elaine was napping with Granny during the whole revelation experience and doesn't have a clue that her world is going to be turned upside down in the near future. We are praying she gets a little less clingy in the coming months:)

We cannot wait to meet our new baby girl in late February or early March! Praise you LORD for knitting together our sweet girl in my womb; I am still amazed by Your handiwork!

Celebrating "Gender Revelation Day" and Lizzie's new baby sister with a ChicFilA treat!

ps- I promise a belly pic will be posted soon:)

Elizabeth Grace is 3 Years Old!

Tuesday marked our precious girl's 3rd birthday! Justin and I had a good time reminiscing about the big day, and Lizzie, well, let's just say she is VERY WELL LOVED! We had a blast on Saturday when six of her little friends and their moms joined us for a TinkerBell party! All of the little girls were sooo cute, and I think they had a really good time, I know I did! Tuesday, on her real birthday, Elizabeth chose Jason's Deli as her celebratory restaurant; I am guessing it has something to do with the free ice cream! We were joined by Grammy, Pop, Mamaw, Aunt Jenn, Uncle Brandon, and Nana for dinner (Paw Paw and Granny and Grandaddy were all out of town).

Now for a little taste of life in the world of Lizzie these days... Elizabeth Grace is now my rise 'n' shine girl, so typically a little before 7:00, I hear our bedroom door open and roll over to see my precious girl ready to go! She loves to pick out her own clothes (as well as Lainie's) and to dress herself, which I LOVE! Potty training is done, while we still have the occasional accident. When I ask, "Elizabeth, why did you have an accident?" Usually, she is quite honest and will respond, "I was just being lazy!" Overall though, I am very thankful she does as well as she does. Lizzie has also conquered buckling her car seat all by herself- this is hugely helpful to me. These are just a few of Elizabeth's accomplishments and exertions of her independence. She is incredibly helpful, and while we have those challenging moments, Elizabeth is overall obedient and desires to make Mommy and Daddy happy.

There is plenty to post about Elizabeth's personality and preferences, but in lieu of an extra long post, I am vowing to post more frequent quips from the mouth of my 3 year old. These will be sure to keep you laughing! Just today, as Lizzie did a household shoe sweep for me, she came to Justin's black dress shoes.

Lizzie: "Mommy, are these Daddy's fancy tappin' shoes?"

Me: "Oh, his black ones, sure!"

Lizzie: "So he likes to dance like the Fresh Beat Band?!" (a new fun dancing show on Nick)

Me: "Sure he does!"

Lizzie: "Alright, I'll take them to his room!"

Thanks for all of the smiles and sweet moments! We love you Elizabeth Grace!

Warning: the pics below are in no order! I uploaded sooo many, and it was just going to take forever to order them chronologically. Just enjoy the cuteness!

The ICE CREAM, what we came for!

Snacking and watching a little TinkerBell.

Icing the cupcakes all by herself! (With a little taste test)

Decorating their Fairy Wands

Checkin' out the wings in the mirror

Ready for a TInkerBell party!

With best boy buddy Aidan. They have so much fun together! Aidan felt compelled to put Lizzie's shoes on for her:)

At gymnastics class walking backward on the beam!

Birthday Pigs in a Blanket for a 3 Year Old!

YUMMY Chocolate milk from Starbucks with Daddy following a big girl birthday haircut. (Elaine was jealous!)

Doodling on her new Princess Magnadoodle in her new princess dress!

Happy Birthday to Lizzie with her best pal Addie!

The DOLL HOUSE! Thanks Grammy and Pop!!!

Lizzie School has begun, and we are having lots of fun! Here, she had to unscramble the letters in her name and glue them on her place mat. She did great!

15 Months

Someday one of these updates for Elaine will be on time... no promises though:)

Our little 15 month old is growing so much and is full of personality! While she is still very fond of Mommy and Daddy, she is doing much better when we aren't around. She wants to be big like Sissy (zizi) so badly, and in many ways she is becoming a big girl! Elaine loves to be outside where she can be really adventurous; I will often find her just standing at the back door squealing excitedly in anticipation of what she may accomplish today! While she still likes the comfort of her swing, she also loves the challenge of the big girl swing (as long as she remembers to hold on!). Also outside, she has learned to climb up the slide and slide down and more recently conquered the steps up to the big slide! No more letting her play while I check on dinner- the girl requires FULL supervision. Still outdoors, Elaine loves balls and has a pretty good arm and leg on her; maybe our little athlete? Lastly, the girls LOVES DOGS (dawgs)! While on walks or at the park, she becomes ecstatic when she sees a dog, and continues to tell us all about it until we acknowledge her sighting.

Inside, Elaine remains my accessory girl! When I say it is time to go, she will go find her shoes and attempt to put them on (I don't think she is far from this accomplishment). Once shoes are all set, she often will grab a purse (bag) and fill it with a few necessary items for our outing... yes, this is extremely cute! Elaine also loves our bed and Lizzie's bed and has successfully figured out her dismount. Some of her best tantrums (and she can throw a whopper) have been because we wouldn't let her up on the bed for some reason or made her get down. Baby dolls (baby) get a lot of her attention these days, as she will snuggle them and feed them a bottle. Lizzie is still working on her to "play babies" the way she does; I keep assuring her that the day will come! Lainie's appetite is typically huge when she wakes up from the 13 hours of sleep and then wains throughout the day- unless there is dessert involved at dinner time:) Her hair is slowly growing and the curls just keep getting curlier. Poor girl is currently working on all 4 of her one-year molars and another one on the front bottom; it is hard to tell if or when they really bother her though. I think she is gaining a little weight, but I still put a pair of 6-9 months pants comfortably on her tonight for bedtime. Speaking of bedtime, Elaine has become very fond of rocking and singing before bed. Usually with her daddy, she will snuggle up in the rocking chair with paci and lamb chop and just listen intently as he sings songs of worship with her. We pray that even now she is catching glimpses of the greatness and trustworthiness of our God!

We have been focusing on body parts lately. Elaine's favorite, and whose isn't, is her belly button- she is quite proud of it, but gets very frustrated when a onesie impedes her access to show it off. Other parts she can identify include nose (noooo), eyes (eye), ears (ea), head, tongue, hands and feet. We have also begun time out, typically for dumping Kyleigh's water bowl. Though she will sometimes throw a fit, she actually responds quite well to it. Yesterday she was disobeying, and I said, "Do you need to go to time out?" She promptly walked herself to her designated spot and sat down- self-monitoring, I love it:) While that incident was an easy one, don't be fooled! Elaine Karis Bassett is going to be a force to be reckoned with! I have a lot to learn from my friends with strong willed kiddos! I know God has great plans for this feisty girl!!!

Yup, a whole peach! Delicious and messy!

Loving Mommy and Daddy's bed!

After a yummy cupcake at Sissy's party:)

So BIG!

Ready to go! Do I match?

Peanut butter sandwich at the pool... good ol' peanut butter!

Lainie loved the pool this summer!

Back to School Banana Walnut Muffins (and sister pics)

I wanted to share a yummy and easy recipe for those of you who have kiddos heading back to school on Monday. I have made the muffins the past two weeks, and everyone in the house is a fan! Add a glass of milk and maybe some eggs or some fruit and you have a delicious breakfast!

1/2 c. softened butter
1 c. sugar (I used a little less)
1 tsp. vanilla
3 to 4 ripened bananas
3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 c. walnuts or pecans
Blend first 4 ingredients. Add remaining and mix until blended. Fill paper muffin cups with batter and bake 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees. I made half without nuts and then just added a half cup of nuts for the second half of the batch. It makes exactly 2 dozen muffins. I think next time I will add in some milled flax seed and maybe try to up the whole wheat flour. Hope you enjoy!