T - Ball

This year we signed up for a different league of t-ball for Aria than we have done in the past. She gets to be on a team with all girls her age! And the best part is that Daddy is her coach! So far they have only had two practices, but she is already having a blast! I think Daddy is, too. Aria is thrilled to tell people that he is the coach. And having Dad as a coach is proving to be quite effective. So much for the 'T' in t-ball...

Don't worry. I haven't got ahead of myself. I know the tee will still be needed at times, but I am blown away by her growth in hand-eye coordination and ability to do the different skills needed for t-ball. It's not like we worked on hitting all winter in the basement. It is really fun to see her excited about playing, enjoying herself, and working hard to accomplish a more difficult skill. Plus, she is excited about her Daddy's favorite activity. It makes for great bonding for the two of them!

Now, for a way to convince the dog NOT to chase the ball. :)

Memorable Quotes

One thing I've definitely missed in the past 10 or 11 months of no blogging, is keeping track of the hilarious things Aria says. And maybe they aren't all hilarious. A better name would be memorable things Aria has said. Here goes the recent ones...

One night Aunt Teran was babysitting. They were going to paint fingernails and Teran asked Aria if we had an old towel to put down in case they spilled. To which Aria replied,
"We have the towels my dad uses when he bleeds."

(Shaving accidents are apparently quite memorable.)

A couple of weeks ago Aria told my mom that when she gets married, grandma will be one of the bridesmaids so she has to "wear a dress and paint her fingernails."

(Grandma didn't even want to wear a dress to her OWN wedding.)

The other day we were talking about the humidity. Aria did not know what it was, so we explained it to her. After a pause she said, "I thought it was like humility, just with a 't' instead of an 'l'.

And, after attending numerous graduation parties over the past two weekends, Aria has decided she wants to have ice cream and toppings at her graduation party and she wants it to be at Grandma and Papa's house.

(Can we please just do kindergarten first?)

Mother's Day

I've decided to come back! And what better way to start than a couple pictures from Mother's Day, a day I never thought I would get to celebrate. Six years ago, I didn't think it was possible. I didn't think the in vitro cycle would work. I thought I would never experience pregnancy, motherhood, the joys, fears, and love. And now...

Look at my girl! She is 5! Five whole big years old. It is crazy how time flies.

I chose for our family to go to Mary Poppins at Theatre Cedar Rapids. Wow! What a show! I have been there for 3 different shows, now, and they have all been awesome. This was certainly no exception. Mary Poppins was Aria's first show at TCR and she really loved it, too. I know I see a play or two in her future. It was a great day!

3 Generations

A picture from Father's Day...

Hairstyles

You are looking at pigtails designed and done by Aria!  She has recently learned how to do her own ponytails.  I have a feeling we have many hours in front of the mirror ahead of us.  Thank goodness we have separate bathrooms!

Swimming Lessons

I don't think I ever posted about our horrible swimming lesson experience this spring.  Basically Aria had a teacher with a bit too much of an ego and a demeanor that did not fly with Aria.  He forced her under the water within the first 5 minutes of her first lesson and it was just downhill from there.  We removed her from the lessons and had to provide lots of encouragement to feel comfortable in the water again.  We decided to wait to do lessons again until this summer at an outdoor pool, far, far away from that teacher.

So, for the past 2 weeks, we had swimming lessons again and it was 100% better.  Aria's teacher was the perfect young lady to work with preschoolers.  She was friendly, happy, fun, and experienced.  My only hope for Aria in these lessons was for her to feel comfortable in the water again.  And she does!  She tried everything her teacher asked, except for the bob, which goes under water.  She no longer seems scared and even wanted to draw a picture for her teacher when the lessons ended.  I think it also helped that 5 of the 6 kids in the class knew each other from church.  It is always more fun to do things with friends!  A 20 minute drive across town every day for two weeks was worth the confidence gained and fun had by all!

 

We Got a Pool

We participated in a garage sale in May and earned some extra cash by selling most of Aria's baby stuff.  So, we decided to do something fun with our proceeds and bought a pool!  No, it isn't an in-ground, 20 foot pool by any means, but Aria absolutely loves it!  It is 10 foot in diameter and just over 2 feet deep.  It is a quick set pool, so we had to blow up the top ring and then the pool grows as you put water into it.  It has a filter, which we have hooked up, but we haven't done anything with chlorine, yet.  We aren't exactly sure what we need to do with the chemicals.  In the meantime, Aria has been in it every day.  I must admit, we did buy the pool for fun, but I also hope it helps Aria become more comfortable in the water.  She loves the water and swimming, but does not want to go under the water.  I know she will get there whenever she is ready, that is how she has accomplished most skills in her life, on her own time.  However, giving her an almost daily opportunity to try sticking her face in the water in her own pool seems to have more potential for success than a weekly trip to the public pool.  Our pool is just deep enough to let her float around on her tube and kick and swim, yet shallow enough that it only comes up to her waist when she stands up straight.  And there is room for us to get in with her.  It truly feels like summer having a wet swimsuit hanging in the bathroom and a little girl who smells like sunscreen and swimming pool every day.

Ideal Sunday

Last night, we fixed popcorn and smoothies for supper and had a little picnic in the basement while playing board games.  It was the perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday evening as a family.  We played Seeds for Birds, Chutes and Ladders, Dominoes, and YooHoo, Can You Moo?  And we were reminded that our beautiful little daughter most definitely inherited her parents' competitive nature.  Losing isn't fun.  Nevertheless, it was a perfect family evening and I just wanted it to be recorded!

Magic Tree House

Aria has a new love.  Magic Tree House books.  I had heard some friends talking about their kids' love for the books, so I thought we should check them out.  The first one I actually checked out for her was a set of four audio books.  She loves to listen to stories during her rest time, so it was a perfect introduction.  She was instantly hooked.  There are over 50 Magic Tree House books and in case you don't know what they are, each book involves an adventure for Jack and Annie, brother and sister who discover a magic tree house in the woods near their home in Frog Creek Pennsylvania.  The duo go all over the world and into all parts of history.  The stories are adventurous, mysterious, magical, and educational.  We've learned about penguins, polar bears, Abraham Lincoln, Leonardo da Vinci, the deep sea, dinosaurs, dingoes, China, Japan, and India. I actually really enjoy them, too.

Because I started with audio books, we didn't start from the beginning in our reading, but it didn't really matter.  I think the first books we listened to were 42-46.  Then we went to the library and decided to check out an actual book.  They are easy chapter books and can be read aloud in about an hour, at least the first few.  We have listened to or read at least 16 Magic Tree House books and if we keep going at this rate, it would not surprise me if I have read or heard them all by the end of the year.  But I am certainly not complaining.  If there was one thing I hoped Aria and I would share a love for, it was definitely reading!  And we are definitely there!

Pegump Puzzle Night

Apparently it was puzzle night in the Pegump household.  Aria had big plans for the completion of several puzzles.  Here is an hour's worth of work:

Franklin
Ariel
The Shy Little Kitten
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Noah's Ark

Phew!

A Day for Adventure

Justin doesn't have much travel involved in his job and we are quite thankful for that.  In fact, I can count on one finger the number of times Justin has traveled overnight for work.  But, last week he had to attend a meeting in Dubuque.  When he first shared he would be going there for the day, a light bulb went on in my head.  Our really great friends, Heather and Ryan, live in Dubuque!  There is a fun river museum in Dubuque!  Aria and I are hitching a ride and coming to Dubuque with you!  What turned out to be even more special was that Justin's meeting in Dubuque just so happened to fall on our dear friend, Heather's birthday.  So we got to enjoy the museum and take Heather out for lunch.  She picked a fabulous place where we got to eat outside right next to the river.  Ironically, Justin was at the same restaurant and we didn't even know it!

It was such a fun day to travel to Dubuque as a family in the middle of the week and have a fun adventure.  Aria and I had a great time at the museum.  My absolute favorite is always the otters.  They are just so adorable.  Aria says her favorite was the alligator.  We also enjoyed their new turtle exhibit and the eagles.  We tend to like animals, in case you couldn't tell.  Except snakes.  We explored the old riverboat, drove the little remote control boats, played in the water tables, and learned a little along they way.  The fact of the day was that girl turtles are bigger than boy turtles.  And even though Daddy didn't get to enjoy the museum with us, we did get to find a yummy ice cream shop for a special treat after he was done!  This is certainly a great stage of life we are in!

Whatever She Dreams Up

Grandma and Papa are willing to participate in whatever Aria dreams up and in most cases her imagination is quite extravagant.  Last Sunday, I came downstairs to discover this:

They were playing Frozen, of course.  The blue blanket is the ice and they are all dressed up in their winter gear.  Note the date was June 1.  I'm not exactly sure why Aria is wearing a pillowcase on her legs or why there is a border of luggage and toys around the ice rink or why Papa has to wear a girl hat and Grandma's hat is too small, but they were having fun.  Even though I give them grief and it occasionally causes me to roll my eyes or grit my teeth, I do think it is wonderful that Aria has two people in her life who are always willing to say yes.  Whatever she wants to play, whatever she wants to eat, wherever she wants to go, it is awful hard for Grandma and Papa to say no.  But Aria knows she is loved and that is what matters most.

What is New has Come!

Back in April, when Aria asked Jesus to be her Savior, we purchased a white rose to recognize the event.  That was on April 17.  A few weeks later, the rose was pretty much dead and I was about to throw it out.  However, I noticed two little sprouts growing off the original stem.  They were not there when we purchased the rose, but they now had two little rose growing from them.  This week, one of those new roses bloomed.

I find it incredibly amazing that the petals of the original rose have never fallen off even though they are dried.  And, even more amazing, is the new growth of yet another beautiful rose.  It reminds me of two verses.

"I am the vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in me--and I in him--bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing."  John 15:5

"So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away --look, what is new has come!"  2 Corinthians 5:17

Such beautiful lessons from God's beautiful creation and the beautiful life we get to live in Him.

Air Fx

We have a new trampoline park in town!  And it is super fun!  One morning about a month ago, Aria and I were trying to come up with a plan for our day.  Then I saw a friend post on Facebook that they were going to try out the new trampoline park, did anyone want to join them?  It was just what we wanted to do!  They have a special time for kids 6 and under Monday through Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 am that is half the regular price.  We had a blast!

It truly is wall to wall trampolines.  There are also block pits to jump in, an area with a basketball hoop, a 48 inches and under area, and a place with balls to play with.  It was so. much. fun.  For both of us.  I do think the price is a little steep.  Regular price is $10 per hour.  You can pay $7 for the 48 inch and under area only, but that would not be near as fun.  The one hour time for kids 6 and under was perfect.  I'm sure we will be back.  Aria has been itching to go again ever since we were there.  And she wants to bring Daddy.

A Great Family Day

On Memorial Day, we decided to do something special as a family.  We needed a time to just be the three of us and make a memory.  So, we headed to Pinicon Ridge Park.  We rented a paddle boat and had a great time putzing around exploring nature.  We were treated to spying an eagle, an eagle's nest, and three baby eagles peering out of the nest.  We saw numerous geese with their goslings toting close behind.  We saw turtles and frogs and fish.  Aria pedaled.  Mommy pedaled.  Daddy pedaled.  We stuck our hands and feet in the water.  It was relaxing and refreshing and just plain fun!

Then we had a picnic and played at the playground until it started raining.  We drove around the park for awhile in hopes it would quit.  It was light enough for us to take a quick walking trip across a cool bridge that had fun lights on it.

It was a fabulous family day!  Just what we needed with our three day weekend!

From First to Last

This preschool year sure went fast!

The lilac bush is bigger.  The child is bigger.  The hair is longer.  The brain is fuller.  The confidence is greater.  The friendships are deeper.

People say it all the time, but man they sure do grow up fast.  Above she was 3 and now she is 4.  Above she was cautious about leaving mom and now she loves to spread her wings.  Her creativity has magnified and her excitement for school is brimming.  Wow!  What a difference a school year makes!

Artist Ted

One of Aria's favorite picture book series is Doctor Ted, Firefighter Ted, and Artist Ted, all by Andrea Beaty.  Ted is quite the character.  In the books he becomes a doctor, a firefighter, and an artist.  He "saves" the day with his new skills, while annoying his mom, teacher, and principal.  They are quite funny!  We can hardly go to the library without checking out one of them.

Most recently we have Artist Ted.  In the book, Ted can't find a paintbrush or paint, so he makes his own.  For paint he uses ketchup, mustard, chocolate syrup, toothpaste, and jam.

One day, as we were reading, I asked Aria if she would like to paint with those things.  What four-year-old would answer "no" to that?  Certainly not my kid!  So we got out some condiments and started a masterpiece.  We didn't have jam I was willing to use for painting, so we used some vanilla pudding with pink food coloring instead.  Otherwise, we used the same things Ted did.

Aria had a great time!  It was smelly and gooey, but oh so fun!  Unfortunately, I said we could not keep the picture forever because the mustard smelled pretty bad.  But, we do have a wonderful memory and an excellent connection to one of Aria's favorite books!

Eadie's Birthday

Aria's good friend Eadie turned four a few weeks ago and we got to celebrate her birthday, cowgirl style!  Eadie's mom is really good at picking a theme and finding all sorts of creative ways to celebrate within the theme.  From the games, to the treats, to a buckaroo making animal balloons and hats, it was a great party! Yeehaw!!  I really enjoy watching the girls interact with each other these days.  Sure, they are friends because their parents were first, but they do choose to be friends and have a lot of fun together.  They also know each other well.  Aria and Eadie have a lot of fun playing dress up together and Aria really wanted to get Eadie a new dress up dress for a present.  When Eadie opened the present, she was so excited!  I loved seeing Aria think of a present she knew her friend would love and they would enjoy playing with together!

Children's Museum

One of the perks of being a stay at home mom is doing random fun days with Aria.  I'm so glad we can just pick up and go to the Children's Museum for a fun outing, just the two of us.  I think we skipped rest time on the day we went and just explored.  I didn't bring my big camera so I could play and have fun with Aria.  But I did have to snap a few shots with my phone.

The first time we went to this museum, Aria was just over one year old.  I remember her doing these very same things, but on a whole different level.  It is crazy how fast she grows up!  I am thankful for the time to make memories and learn and grow together.  There is nothing better than being her Mom!

Elmo Live

One of Aria's Christmas presents from Justin's parents was tickets to Elmo Live at the end of April.  We had great seats and enjoyed watching one of her favorite characters dance around the stage.  The best part was room right in front of us for Aria to jump and dance around with the music!  She also enjoyed some cotton candy.  I'm not sure how anyone can eat that stuff, but she liked it!  :)