Finley Anne

Pretty Painter

2012-02-02T13:45:00.000-06:00

Finley's school project this week was to decorate two puzzle pieces and put her picture inside of each one. Her teacher said we could decorate them however we wanted to and of course Finley wanted to paint. I had a little bit of watercolor paints left from her princess paint book, but it wasn't enough for Finley. She wanted more paint. I also had some finger paint in our art cabinet, but she doesn't like using it as finger paint...too messy for Miss F. So she painted her puzzle pieces with finger paint and a brush. They turned out really cute.

Finley has been obsessed with the Toy Story movies lately. She loves them all. If you have seen Toy Story 3, which features her prized toy garbage truck, you will get this. This morning, she was gathering all her toys up "to donate to Sunny Side Daycare." So for about an hour, we gathered up toys and took them to the couch (aka Sunny Side Daycare.) The downside of this game is that every single toy we own was out in our living room. Not so fun to clean up.

Tap Dancing

2012-02-01T15:55:00.002-06:00

Harlem Globetrotters

2012-01-31T12:58:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, we took Finley to see the Harlem Globetrotters take on the Global Select for the World Championship. The show was fun to watch, though I was disappointed that Flight Time and Big Easy from the Amazing Race were not in the game. Maybe I will get to see them next time they come to town. Finley was laughing along with the crowd, dancing and eating lots of snacks.

Happy Birthday, Sydney!

2012-01-30T13:46:00.000-06:00

I cannot believe Sydney is already one, time sure is flying! Sydney had a fantastic party with hot dogs and cake, so Finley was a very happy camper. And Finley had a blast jumping around in the bouncy house and playing on the swingset. Aren't birthday parties the best? Finley sure thinks so.

Let's All Go to the Auto Show!

2012-01-29T17:46:00.000-06:00

Clifton took Finley to the Auto show yesterday. Finley's favorite thing to do was climb all around the new cars. Luckily, she had a partner in crime, Clifton's co-workers son Owen.

Videos from Vail

2012-01-26T09:50:00.001-06:00

The first videos are from Beaver Creek, where Finley did some skiing and some tubing. The next ones are from Vail and the final video is her singing "Happy Birthday" to a polar bear in Vail. Vail had all these snow polar bears all throughout the town and Finley loved discovering them. Ignore my screechy voice!

Finley's First Snowman

2012-01-23T16:47:00.002-06:00

The thing Finley was most excited about for our trip to Colorado was building a snowman. When we arrived, there was very little snow. Saturday afternoon, that all changed. While Finley napped, a ton of snow was dumped from the sky. In the first picture, notice my sad, snow covered rental car. Let's hope it defrosts by Tuesday. When Finley woke up from her nap, we headed straight outside to build a snowman. Colorado snow is much different from the snow I grew up with in Maryland. It isn't good snow making snow. Heather helped by shoveling their driveway to get bigger piles of snow, but in the end, our snowman was tiny, but proud. And Finley gave him a bow...hysterical. It was impossible to get her to pose for a picture. She was a machine in the snow, running from side to side, making snowballs, helping build the snowman and just enjoying the snow. I am guessing she is going to ask her Daddy to move here to Colorado when we get home. She isn't bothered by the cold in the least and LOVES the snow. We had to force her inside after playing in the dark for awhile. The sun was beginning to set when we first starting the building, but it had been dark for awhile once we finally got her back inside.

Snow Bunny

2012-01-22T19:03:00.000-06:00

This post will be quick because we are getting ready to head out for dinner, but I wanted to post two adorable pictures of Finley today. She had the absolute best time skiing today. She did not want to leave. We were on the mountain for over 4 hours and she was in heaven. Clifton and I both prefer the sand and sun, but Miss Finley loves the snow. She told me she likes it better here than Disneyworld. That is high praise from this three year old. We had to rent her the smallest size skis and boots that they had, which took a bit since the first two places didn't have anything small enough. She did great in the beginners' area, she didn't have any fear at all. Just pure love of the snow. She even skiied down the mountain with Heather, she had a blast. I skiied down too, so I can attest that it wasn't easy at all and I was scared out of my mind.

Visiting Auntie Hodder in Vail

2012-01-21T17:37:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, Finley and I made the trip to Colorado to visit Auntie Hodder (aka my best friend Heather.) We flew into Denver because plane tickets were $78 roundtrip (score!) and made the drive up to Vail last night. the first part of the drive was awesome, the middle part was very slow, then I realized why. ICE. And lots of it. It didn't last for too terribly long, but it did make for some nervous driving the rest of the trip. We made it to Heather's house in time for a snack and then it was off to bed for Finley. This morning we took a walk around her neighborhood to see snow, but there wasn't much to be seen. We met one of Heather's friends out for Tumble Tots for the girls to play, then it was off to lunch with Heather's dad and his wife Mary. Finley had mac n' cheese, so she was thrilled. Then it began snowing...a lot of snow. It is nearly pure white out there as I speak. The plan is to go to Beaver Creek tomorrow morning to have Finley try to ski. If that goes reasonably well, we will do some snow tubing.

A Visit to the Aquarium

2012-01-17T18:40:00.000-06:00

Clifton had off work yesterday, so we took a family day at the Aquarium. Finley has an annual pass for the Aquarium since her birthday party was held there. And there are always BOGO coupons available. So for $15.99, the three of us could ride as many rides as we liked and go through the exhibits. We also had lunch at the restaurant, Finley is so taken with the fish. She says the sting rays are smiling and the big fish are sad. So cute!

While we were having lunch, the manager came over and gave Finley a coupon for a free carnival ride. Was he aware of her incredible aim? Turns out the booth operator wasn't scared either. Our coupon was supposed to get us 8 rings. She gave us a massive handful. Too bad Finley has great aim, but little arm strength. She had fun anyhow!

Finley Says

2012-01-15T10:57:00.002-06:00

"Go Texans, beat the Ravens!"

Pretty Girl

2012-01-14T16:59:00.000-06:00

With really chapped lips! This doesn't bode well for our trip to Vail this coming weekend. Anyone have any good chapped lips remedies? I try to put Vaseline on them as often as possible, but I haven't noticed any improvement.

Disneyworld: Day Seven

2012-01-13T20:38:00.000-06:00

Our last day at Disneyworld was spent at the Magic Kingdom. Finley and I had a plane to catch that night, but it left for a great morning at the park riding all her favorites. Disneyworld is such a magical place and I know how much fun she has there. I remember going to Disneyworld (back when the only park was the Magic Kingdom) and riding Small World with my grandparents. It really is the happiest place on earth and I am already counting the days until we can return...Grammy's birthday again? Finley is already asking to eat in the castle again so she can make wishes.

Disneyworld: Day Six

2012-01-11T13:21:00.014-06:00

Most of our second to last day at Disney was spent at Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is a fantastic spot to meet characters and Finley's first request was to meet Mickey and Minnie when we arrived. So we headed over to that area and her wish was granted. After that we headed to Dinoland USA to ride the dinosaurs...again and again and again. We grabbed lunch then got to watch the amazing Finding Nemo show. Then it was over to the safari (with a couple rides of Expedition Everest thrown in) to see some animals. After the safari, we watched the Jammin Jungle Parade. Grammy and Grandad went to go find some tigers, while Finley and I went to meet some more characters. The funniest thing was that there was a speaker near one of the Christmas trees in that area. Finley thought the tree was singing to her and she danced! We headed back for a nap, then it was back to the Magic Kingdom to meet Minnie, Mickey, Aurora, Ariel and Cinderella. While we met the princesses, Grandad saved us a spot to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade. It was a great last night in Disneyworld.

Happy Birthday, Joe!

2012-01-10T20:05:00.001-06:00

Joe's birthday party was at Pump It Up again this year. She had so much fun at his party last year and this year was the same. And look how much Finley and Max have grown since two years ago. There were bouncy houses, slides and obstacle courses that Finley was able to complete all on her own. It is amazing how good she has gotten at things, a lot is owed to gymnastics. There was delicious cake and pizza to be had and Finley was in heaven. As per usual, Finley was the last to leave the table...she loves her cake and pizza!

A Visit from Max

2012-01-09T22:26:00.000-06:00

If you live in Houston, you know we were hit with massive rains today. I walked into Kroger this morning after dropping Finley off at school, while I was checking out the storm had gotten very intense. So intense that the power went out at the grocery store. I thought it would be best to wait out the rain, but after 10 minutes, I realized it wasn't letting up anytime soon. I loaded up the car, got totally drenched, drove by Finley's school to make sure they had power, then headed home to dry off. I got a call from Courtney when I got back home and she had been stranded at an ATM machine in town on the way back from dropping off Max. I told her I would be happy to pick Max up after school if she was still trapped in the floodwaters, but I never expected that would actually happen. Turns out...it did! So Max came over to play this afternoon and Finley was not very pleasant. She hadn't napped at all during school (shocker) and was just being a pill with him. He kept asking her to share, it was so sweet, but she wasn't having any of it. Luckily, the floodwaters receded and Courtney was able to rescue Max from the storm that Finley was creating here.

Go Houston Texans!

2012-01-07T21:42:00.000-06:00

The Houston Texans defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 31 to 10 today. We met up with Clifton's co-worker Adam, his wife Allison and their son Owen at our house to walk over to the light rail. The train was free because it was gameday. We walked in the stadium just as the teams were being announced, the air was electric and it was the loudest I have ever experienced at Reliant Stadium. Finley ate a ton during the game, what else is new? She had fruit snacks, applesauce, cheese crackers, a hot dog and ice cream. She did really well considering how loud it was in there. We were in the 2nd row, right near the cannon that is fired whenever the Texans scored. Our seats also provided great views of Toro, the mascot. Finley had so much fun cheering for the team and holding up her Go Texans sign. After the game was over, we headed back over to the train and made the first one (lucky!) Clifton stayed on the train, he was going to meet his friend J at the Rockets game. That meant I got to carry tired Finley all the way home. It was quite a workout, but it was worth it to see such and awesome game. Two football games in one week, what a lucky little girl.

Disneyworld: Day Five

2012-01-05T14:10:00.002-06:00

Day five was met with an early start. We had breakfast reservations at the Crystal Palace with Pooh and his friends before the park opened. I highly recommend you try and snag these reservations if you go to Disney. It was so neat to get into the park early and be able to take pictures all alone, well with a few tours and the other early diners. Our table was ready right on time and Finley was so happy to eat breakfast with Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger. The Magic Kingdom was fairly empty this day, which was great for riding and not so great for picture taking. Finley rode the teacups over 10 times in a row at one point. We were all spinning in circles! We had late dinner resrevations in Epcot to watch Illuminations. Finley napped in her stroller on the way over, but was awake in time for dinner and the show. We had a table right next to the window, a perfect viewpoint for the show. It was freezing that night, so I am glad we had an indoor spot to watch. Too bad the monorail was not cooperating that evening, when we got to the platform they said the last train was delayed and to take the buses instead. But there were no buses...so in the cold we waited and waited. We got home really late, it had been a long and very fun day.

Disneyworld: Day Four

2012-01-04T13:57:00.006-06:00

Day four at Disneyworld was spent entirely at Hollywood Studios. It was Finley's first visit to the park and my first visit in 15 years or so. Finley started the day monorail watching from our hotel room, it was one of her most favorite things to do on the trip. We got to the park and waited for the Disney Junior Show. Finley got to meet Handy Manny before the show. We were lucky to get front row seats! We had lunch at the 50s Prime Time Cafe, Finley's favorite was her ice cream sundae. We rode the Great Movie Ride, Toy Story Mania, saw the Muppet 3-D Show, the Studio Backlot Tour and the saw the Beauty and the Beast show. Finley was thrilled to get to meet Lightning McQueen and Mater. We were able to see Fantasmic that night, which was a lot different from the Disneyland version. We also walked through the amazing Osborne family lights at the end of the evening.

Disneyworld: Day Three

2012-01-03T16:26:00.000-06:00

Day three in our Disneyworld adventure started with a monorail ride over to Epcot. Finley's first request was to meet all the characters, so we met Mickey, Pluto, Minnie, Donald and Goofy. After that I headed to the land to Fastpass Soarin while Finley, Grammy and Grandad walked over to Finding Nemo. I met up with them for the ride and Finley had a blast. Then we headed over to Journey into Imagination with Figment. I went over to Test Track while Finley met Daisy, the furry blue guy (?), Chip and Dale. We had an ice cream snack before we returned to our hotel for nap time. We headed back to the Magic Kingdom that night for teacups, Small World, Race Cars, Buzz Lightyear, the People Mover and fireworks. What a big day!

Go Coogs!

2012-01-02T20:59:00.000-06:00

Today was the day for the Ticketcity Bowl. We watched my beloved Houston Cougars defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions at the Cotton Bowl this afternoon. It was a loooong game and Finley did great through the whole game. Auntie Hodder and Josh were in town from Vail to watch the game, Josh went to Penn State and Heather went to Houston for undergrad and Penn State for graduate school, she would have been happy with either team winning. Lucky for me, the Cougars won and it wasn't even close the entire game. Case Keenum ended his collegiate career with a win in a 13-1 season. Amazing. We were lucky that our seats were in the sun, so it was nice and toasty the whole game. Afterwards, we headed to Pappasitos for a victory dinner before the drive home to Houston. I am already counting the days until college football begins in the fall. I am so pround to be a Cougar.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T15:20:00.000-06:00

We spent the first day of the new year at the Dallas Zoo. We are going to the Ticketcity Bowl tomorrow to watch the Houston Cougars defeat Penn State. Finley got to do lots of neat things at the Dallas Zoo, including riding a camel, feeding the giraffes, riding the carousel and riding a pony. What a big day at the zoo. Finley also really enjoyed all the animal statues all around the zoo. She wanted to pose on every single one. She also had fun driving the safari truck, she told us she was driving it to Disneyworld.

Christmas

2011-12-27T11:34:00.002-06:00

Finley got so many neat toys for Christmas, including the garbage truck. She had so much fun playing with all her new toys and opening presents. She really loved racing her Wheelies truck against the garbage truck. She also had so much fun coloring on her new play house. She also got a Cars racetrack to play with Daddy. Finley got me the Cat in Hat game 'I Can Do That.' If you have a pre-schooler, this game is awesome. We have played it several times already, it generally has us all laughing by the end of the game. Finley also got a new guitar, some Lincoln Logs, princess sets, lots of books and a Tag reader. It didn't take long for her to catch onto the Tag reader, she was reading books with it in no time. Finley also has really enjoyed playing with her Aquadoodle mat. The best part is that Finley wanted to play with each toy and read every book after she opened them, it was so cute. The garbage truck toted around all her Cars Matchbox cars. And Santa didn't forget her AAA batteries, so her music book is back working again.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-26T18:02:00.002-06:00

Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T19:11:00.000-06:00

We headed out for an early Chinese dinner at Kam's last night around 6 pm. Too bad lots of other people had the same idea and we had a little wait for a table. Finley ate lots of pork dumplings, well, only the pork part. After that she decided she would try hot and sour soup, but she wasn't a big fan. She did love the pork from the chow mein we had, almost as much as the crispy wonton strips. We headed home to get ready for Santa to visit. Finley left a note asking for AAA batteries for her book and wishing Santa a Merry Christmas. She also left him two cookies to snack on during his stay. After Finley got into her Mickey Mouse Christmas jammies, we read The Night Before Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Finley went to bed quickly...she was ready for Santa to get here with her garbage truck, princesses and batteries. Luckily, Santa came. Finley insisted that she heard reindeer on our roof last night!

Cookies for Santa

2011-12-24T15:52:00.000-06:00

Max came over this week so his mommy could do some Christmas shopping on her own. I decided it would be fun to bake some cookies with the kids. I used my favorite gingerbread recipe, but I didn't take into consideration that the dough needs to be chilled in order for it to be cut easily. Because I was working with two slabs of dough and two three year olds, speed wasn't on our side and the dough got too warm to cut out. We only got about 6 cookies cut out and baked, but that is just the right amount for Finley with enough leftover to leave for Santa tonight. Finley has been very excited for Santa to arrive. She wants him to bring her a garbage truck, princesses and triple-A batteries. The batteries were the most recent request since one of her favorite music books needs new batteries. I bet Santa is going to be a busy guy tonight. We have been tracking him on the Santa tracker. Last we checked he was in Cairo, Egypt and the Ukraine. We are going out for Chinese food tonight, then everyone will snuggle all warm in their beds to wait for Santa to arrive. I hope Santa finds everyone well, Merry Christmas to you all!

Message from Santa

2011-12-22T15:41:00.002-06:00

Video from Santa

Let's Visit Santa Again

2011-12-21T12:18:00.002-06:00

We headed back to the Bass Pro Shop to meet Santa with Max. This visit, Finley asked for "Princesses." Santa said he would get Finley a whole box of princesses, all different kinds. Looks like Santa has some more shopping to do. She and Max were hysterical in the shooting range area of the Santa line. Almost as hysterical that there is a shooting range in the Santa line. We headed to Center Court Pizza afterwards to meet up with Miss Leslie and baby Caroline. Once again, Max and Finley impressed with their pizza eating skills...four slices each!

Christmas Pageant in Pictures

2011-12-20T14:17:00.000-06:00

Finley looks pretty much the same in all her pictures on stage. She has a blank stare and is looking off in the distance. I think she was tuning out all the crazy crying that was going on around her. I asked her what her costume was and she told me she was dressed like a rat. She has been happy to sing "Twinkle, twinkle shining star" all the time since her pageant, but she wasn't happy to sing it that day. I guess she had a little bit of stage fright. We were so proud of her nonetheless and can't wait until next year's performance.

Finley's Christmas Pageant

2011-12-19T14:28:00.000-06:00

Last Friday, Finley performed in her first ever Christmas Pageant. She played a very serious shepherd. She didn't sing much, but she wasn't crying like the kids around her. Max was the breakout star this year, he sang every note perfectly, such a personality! Finley attended this same pageant last year to watch Max. Here are a few videos from the show. I got there 30 minutes early to get a good seat, wasn't early enough. Next year I will have to get there 45 minutes early...and maybe Finley will sing. Pictures to come tomorrow.

Santa Claus!

2011-12-18T11:18:00.000-06:00

We took Finley to meet Santa Claus at the Bass Pro Shops today, continuing our tradition. Here is her visit last year and here is the visit the year before that. She is getting so big! There were no tears this year. Santa asked Finley what she wanted for Christmas and she gave the same reply she has been saying for weeks now....garbage truck! Santa said that was his first request for a garbage truck, I sure hope he is able to find one for Finley. After the visit, Finley colored a picture of a garbage truck to send in a letter to Santa Claus.

Pajama Day at School

2011-12-16T11:00:00.006-06:00

On Wednesday, the kids were allowed to wear their jammies to school for Polar Express Day. All of Finley's pajamas are footed, so that would have been a struggle to fit shoes over. Luckily, there were adorable Christmas pajamas at Disneyworld and I had a 20% off coupon for them. Finley was so excited to wear her Mickey jammies to school. She requested piggy tails and she was set! At the end of the school day, the class celebrated Ella's birthday with cupcakes and they had a book gift exchange. Finley got Guess how Much I Love You and was very happy with her new book.

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

2011-12-15T19:00:00.000-06:00

The birthday party circuit is winding down for the year, but not before we celebrated Sarah's 3rd birthday at the Children's Museum. Finley had the best time visiting all the little houses set up for different holidays. She also made artwork with macaroni and tissue paper, it was supposed to be a Menorah, she went with an abstract interpretation of it. The kids all played in Kidtropolis and then we all headed upstairs to play the dancing lighted squares game. After all that fun, we headed down to the party room for Chick-fil-a and cake. Finley was a very happy girl and was so excited to sing Sarah "Happy Birthday!"

Day Two: Disneyworld

2011-12-13T16:58:00.000-06:00

Our second day at Disneyworld was also spent at the Magic Kingdom. Finley started her morning watching the monorail from our balcony, she loved seeing the trains go by. We hit all of Finley's favorites: race cars, carousel, the haunted mansion, It's a Small World, etc... The end of the day was spent inside Cinderella's Castle feasting with the princesses. Finley had an amazing time all day, but she really loved the castle. She got her very own magic wand and wishing star with the bonus of an ice cream sundae at the end!

Day One: Disneyworld

2011-12-04T21:08:00.000-06:00

Finley and I headed out to Disneyworld yesterday early in the morning. After an easy flight out of Hobby, we arrived in Orlando having watched an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and doing more stickers than I care to count. We checked into the Grand Floridian and were lucky to have a room available straight away. I watched my poor Cougars get crushed by Southern Mississippi and we had lunch at the hotel. Grammy and Grandad arrived and we headed off to the Magic Kingdom. For weeks, Finley has been asking to go on the Jungle Cruise first. We were happy to oblige. When we arrived into the park, the crowd was the biggest I had ever seen in Disneyworld. It was complete chaos and Main Street was wall to wall people. Justin Beiber had made a surprise appearance and they were filming for the Christmas day parade. By the time we finally made it to the Jungle Cruise, we had a bit of a wait ahead of us. Finley was so happy to ride the Jungle Cruise. After the Jungle Cruise, Finley wanted to ride the Magic Carpets right across the way followed by the Tiki Birds. Then we headed over to Tommorowland for The People Mover and Buzz Lightyear. We also caught a show at the Castle and got to see it all lit up for Christmas. We headed back to our hotel to watch fireworks from the balcony and let Finley get some rest. Grammy and I headed back to the Magic Kingdom for more rides...we didn't get as much rest. I will be able to blog most of the trip during the trip since the WiFi is now free. Considering last year there wasn't even WiFi in the hotel, this is a major upgrade. Paying for wired internet really was not cool.

Happy Birthday, Max!

2011-12-02T19:46:00.000-06:00

Finley's best friend in the whole wide world celebrated his birthday with an amazing party in his backyard. There was a bounce house, petting zoo and a pony to ride. Too bad Finley only wanted to play on the swings. She wasn't in the best of moods and she only wanted to swing. Once I got her to ride the pony, she loved it. The animals in the petting zoo were amazingly friendly with all the kids. Finley had her fair share of doughnuts and had such a fun time at Max's party. Happ birthday to Max!

Helicopter Fun

2011-11-30T15:20:00.000-06:00

Clifton got a remote control helicopter and Finley is sort of obsessed with it. Problem is that it only flies for about 7 minutes before it needs to be recharged for 45 minutes. "More helicopter!" I don't think Max was such a fan of the helicopter. I don't think the cats were either. But Finley is a huge fan....huge! Just as an FYI, the helicopter was under $20 on Amazon, it would make for a great gift. Too bad my husband is too impatient.

Finley's Birthday Party: Part Two

2011-11-29T09:12:00.000-06:00

After touring the Aquarium, the whole party headed upstairs for lunch. It was controlled chaos to say the least! All the kids got lunch, stuffed dolphins and balloons. After we all ate, it was time to slice Shannon's amazing cake. I say it every year, but this year's was my favorite. She is so talented! When everyone had their fill of cake, we all headed out side to the rides. We all rode the Ferris Wheel, Shark Voyage Train and Carousel. Finley did not want to leave, so after everyone headed home, we rode the Ferris Wheel again. It was such a fun party!

Thanksgiving Day Parade

2011-11-25T21:32:00.000-06:00

While I stayed home and prepped for Thanksgiving dinner, Grammy and Grandad took Finley downtown to watch the Thanksgiving Day Parade. They bundled up and took the light rail to downtown to watch the festivities. Finley even got to see Santa Claus.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T20:53:00.001-06:00

Finley had a most wonderful Thanksgiving. She celebrated with Mommy, Daddy, Grammy, Grandma, Grandad and Jack. She loved turkey! She had a bunch with dinner and then had a turkey snack before she went to bed. She also enjoyed cranberry sauce, rolls and green beans. Finley is not a fan of stuffing, which is just crazy. She finished off her meal with a slice of caramel apple tart and Blue Bell ice cream. Finley is very thankful for all her family and friends. I hope everyone had as an amazing Thanksgiving as we did.

Cute in Boots!

2011-11-20T16:32:00.000-06:00

Three Year Check-Up

2011-11-17T15:06:00.000-06:00

Finley had her three year old check up today. The doctor said her heart murmur is still there, we will have her looked at by a cardiologist if she still has it by age five. Other than that, she is just perfect. She did great with the doctor and she is right on track with all her milestones. We went for a doughnut before the appointment because we had a bit of a break between the time that I had to drop off some items with the organization I volunteer with and the appointment. Finley loved her doughnut, big shocker. I thought I was prepping her to have to deal with shots, but turns out, she didn't need any. She did get a flu 'mist', which was really easy and hopefully it works. Her doctor commented on how well she is, we don't get in to the doctor's office very much (thank goodness!) I thought it might get worse with school, but we have been lucky overall all.

Finley's stats:

height: 38.25 inches (only 1.75 inches until big rides at Disney!)
weight: 32 pounds (only three pounds until I have to turn her carseat forward facing)

height: 72nd percentile
weight: 64th percentile

Birthday Party Part One

2011-11-16T21:04:00.000-06:00

Finley's birthday party this year was held at the Downtown Aquarium. The first part of the party was held in the actual aquarium exhibit. Our very large group (19 kids, 2 babies and all their parents) toured the aquarium and took in all the sites. There were so many different kinds of sea animals to see, the kids really had a great time walking through all the exhibits. I was surprised how into it so many of them were, especially since it took nearly an hour to make it through all the different parts. From the jelly fish to the coral reef, Finley was having a blast. And if she lost sight of Max for more than a minute, she would exclaim, "Where's Max?" The kids got to touch hermit crabs and sting rays, it was really interactive. At the end of the exhibit, there was training session for the white tigers, which was really neat to see. It was so nice to have so many people come together to help celebrate Finley's birthday party.

Happy Birthday, Audrey!

2011-11-14T13:53:00.000-06:00

Audrey had a fantastic birthday party at her house last weekend. It included all of Finley's party favorites: juice boxes, pizza and cake. There was a great bounce house and a pinata. The pinata was really neat, instead of beating it with a stick, all the kids got to pull strings from the bottom to release all the prizes. Inside were little bottles of bubbles. The kids had a blast running around the yard chasing the bubbles. Happy birthday, Audrey!

Finley's Big 3rd Birthday

2011-11-11T19:39:00.000-06:00

What a big day Finley had for her 3rd birthday. It was a school day and they were having their Fall Festival for the day. Finley got to have her picture taken in the pumpkins, throw bean bags in a pumpkin, played in the tunnels, got some fall temporary tattoos, make a turkey with her handprint on a tile and even had a butterfly painted on her arm. I was volunteering at the fishing and bean bag toss station. The kids had such a blast doing all the fall themed activities. It was even more special for Finley because she got to wear her birthday crown.

After nap time at school, Clifton and I joined her class to celebrate her birthday. I brought in cupcakes for all the kids and they sang Finley "Happy Birthday!" She was so excited. Miss Juliana and Miss Jackie gave Finley a piggy bank that they had decorated. We have already filled it up with coins, she loves banks of any sort!

Since Finley had actually napped at school (twice this week!), we headed over to the zoo for the rest of the afternoon. We changed her into her zebra outfit since it had warmed up since the Fall Festival in the morning. Finley got to ride the carousel twice, once with mommy and once with daddy. And we ended the visit with a trip to see the zebras. Finley picked out a stuffed zebra at the gift shop for her birthday.

Then it was home to open presents. Finley got a Cars Memory game and two Lights and Sounds vehicles from the Cars movie, Mater and Lightnin' McQueen. She had so much fun racing the cars with Daddy. She even insisted on bringing Lightnin' McQueen in the car. Which was a little strange to hear it talking over and over again in the back seat.

After presents, we headed over the Pappasitos for Finley's birthday dinner. She didn't eat terribly much since she had been sick the day before. It was so strange to see her not eat a ton at Pappasitos. She loved being sung to again.

Then we headed home for one more round of "Happy Birthday" and candles. What a VERY busy birthday!

Happy Birthday, Finley!

2011-11-09T20:33:00.000-06:00

I will post pictures tomorrow of Finley's very busy day, but I wanted to be sure to send out a virtual happy birthday to the sweetest three year old in the world. Finley had a rough night last night, she caught a stomach bug at school and I think we both got about three hours of sleep each. Luckily, she was happy and healthy this morning to celebrate her birthday in full swing. Finley spent the whole night in our bed last night, I think for the first time ever. She would wake up every hour or so and would want to talk to me. She asked about her birthday, my birthday, what I wanted for my birthday, what she wanted for her birthday, how she loved school and how she was excited for her birthday party. With a lot of "I'm thirsty" from her and "small sips!" from me. Finley's three year doctor appointment is next week, so I will have her height and weight stats then. I love you Finley! Happy birthday!!!

Charlie Brown and Lucy

2011-11-04T13:36:00.000-05:00

Orange Party

2011-11-01T16:15:00.000-05:00

Finley had an orange party at her school for Halloween. There was fruit, cheese, cookies, cupcakes and Finley's favorite, juice boxes. It was so neat to see Finley in her classroom. She loves being at school so very much, she asks every morning to go to school. Of course, in Finley fashion, she was the last one to leave the party. She eats everything and eats it all very slowly. Finley's school is having their Fall Festival next week on her birthday, so I will be back in her class in a week.

As a side note, notice the big band-aid on Finley's leg? It looks like she has the same allergy to latex that I do. Her Cars band-aids have latex in them and have left her skin raw and red, poor thing.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:56:00.000-05:00

After a big day at school and dance class, with lots of treats mixed in, we headed out to Aunt Rose and Uncle Ferrel's house for a spooky carnival. They had quite the set up! There was a graveyard out front, a haunted house in the garage, and carnival stands for lemonade and candy. There were games for the kids to play and a great time was had by all. Finley dined on two hot dogs, popcorn, "triangle" chips and lemonade. Then she was ready to trick or treat. She did GREAT! She had so much confidence, she walked straight up to the door, rang the bell and said "trick or treat" all by her self. I was so proud of her. And the most fun was that she didn't want to stop. We hit a ton of houses and Finley has a pumpkin full of candy treats. We headed back to the Halloween party to hang out with the cousin Faith, Josh and Zack with all their friends. Finley didn't want to leave. Our little duck was fast asleep on the drive home, after all that she had only eaten one piece of candy.

Carving a Jack-O-Lantern

2011-10-30T18:20:00.000-05:00

Finley went to the pumpkin patch (aka St. Luke's Methodist Church) on Friday with Max. They were both dressed up as Charlie Brown and Lucy since they had a Halloween party to attend that afternoon. Pictures to come of that event, I want to coordinate with Courtney since she and I were very Mama-razzi that afternoon, especially at the pumpkin patch. Finley selected a short and round pumpkin from the patch and we brought him home. This afternoon we carved the pumpkin into a Jack-O-Lantern that Finley decided to name "Pumpkin." She really needs to get more creative when it comes to naming things. Finley was really good at scooping the seeds from the pumpkin, but if she had worked alone, we would still be scooping seeds. She was very methodical to say the least. Finley also helped me bake Candy Corn Cupcakes for her school party tomorrow. Finley has a big day ahead of her, party at school, dance class and then trick-or-treating with her cousins. Fingers crossed that she naps at school, but seeing how that hasn't happened since we got back from Nevis, I am not holding my breath. We told her no trick-or-treating (an empty threat) if she doesn't nap tomorrow, we shall see if it works. I wish her party was in the morning, then I would just pick her up after lunch at school so she would get a nap here at home.

Happy Birthday, Samantha!

2011-10-29T16:48:00.002-05:00

Samantha's birthday party was at Pump It Up and Finley had a ball. She went down the slide countless times all by herself. It is amazing how much confidence gymnastics has given her in her climbing skills. She had so much fun jumping all around Pump It Up. And she had even more fun eating her birthday party favorites, pizza and cake.

Cutest Cougar!

2011-10-28T12:45:00.001-05:00

Finley went to her first University of Houston football game this year last night to see them take on the Rice Owls. It wasn't her first Cougar football game, but it was the most exciting. It was certainly better than last year's game at Rice. And unlike her first ever Cougar football game, we did get Frenchy's chicken beforehand. The Cougars, led by Case Keenum who broke the NCAA all time touchdown passing record, remain undefeated and are certain to move up in the rankings again this week. The stadium was sold out and there was a very exciting parachute presentation at the start of the game. Finley loved watching the parachutes drop down into the stadium. Sadly, we didn't get to stay for the entire game because it rained and rained and rained. Finley wore her adorable cheerleader Cougar uniform that I got for 50% off at Target. It is a 4T, so it is a little big, but that way she can wear it for years to come. Go Coogs!

Arrival in Nevis

2011-10-25T20:55:00.000-05:00

Last week we packed up our bags and headed to Nevis for 8 sun-filled days. It was a bit of a process to get there, Our flight departed Houston at 6 am, which meant we departed for the airport a bit before 4 am. After a quick layover in Miami, we landed in St Kitts. It was Finley's first time to use the stairs to exit the airplane. After our luggage was collected, we boarded a boat for our hotel. It took about 45 minutes to get to Nevis and it was so beautiful to approach the island by sea. The hotel does your check-in in your room, so we were ready to hit the beach after Finley did some snacking on the welcome treats. There were macrons, fruit and little pastry turtles to welcome Finley. It was an impressive start to what would be an amazing vacation.

Zoo Boo

2011-10-24T10:22:00.000-05:00

Zoo Boo is one of my most favorite Halloween activities. Finley has never missed it, so we had to go again this year. At her first ever Zoo Boo, Finley was a giraffe. And last year we went three times (pumpkin, clown and spooky cat.) Finley is wearing her pumpkin dress to school today, still fits her great! Because of her school schedule and our vacation to Nevis last week, I am not sure that we will get to Zoo Boo more than once this year. The weather has finally cooled down a touch, it is still in the 80s, but it is way better than the 100s we had this summer. The only issue yesterday was the insanity of the mosquitoes. They are rampant right now, so we only stayed at Zoo Boo for a couple of hours. Even with bug spray on, Finley and I have a ton of bug bites. Finley had so much fun collecting the candy all around the Zoo at the Trunk or Treat stations. We taught Finley to say, "Trick or treat, quack quack." Adorable.

Another Day at Disneyland

2011-10-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

California Adventure

2011-10-20T12:12:00.002-05:00

California Adventure isn't as fun as its neighbor across the street, Disneyland, but it is the home of the Mickey Ferris Wheel. Finley had been obsessed with riding on the Mickey Ferris Wheel ever since we planned the trip. Little did she know that her daddy would choose the swinging car. And we would be in a swinging car with two high school senior boys. We swum. A lot. Finley was not happy about that.

First Full Day at Disneyland

2011-10-19T11:59:00.000-05:00

Our first full day at Disneyland was spent riding all of Finley's favorites. Astro Orbiter, Teacups and the race cars definitely top her list. The last picture is pure Finley joy.

Lunch with the Princesses

2011-10-18T23:45:00.000-05:00

The character dining options at Disneyland aren't as plentiful as they are in Disneyworld, so we only had one dining experience with the characters. Finley got to meet Ariel, Sleeping Beauty (aka pink princess), Cinderella, Snow White and her favorite (for that day) Belle. Meeting the princesses is so nice because they can interact and talk with Finley, which I know made her feel very special. It was also nice to have a plated meal instead of a buffet, which is the standard for most character dining options in Disneyworld.

Let's Meet Tigger Next!

2011-10-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

Disneyland: Then and Now

2011-10-15T10:34:00.000-05:00

San Diego Zoo

2011-10-14T11:33:00.000-05:00

Another post that is months late, but I have some time to fill up while we are without internet, so I am trying to schedule as many posts from our California trip as I can. It was wonderful to visit the San Diego Zoo and see so many new animals. Panda bears, polar bears and even a hippotamus. Finley especially loved the hippos, there was an adorable baby hippo and then the mommy hippo pooped right in front of us and that made Finley laugh so much. We bought her a stuffed hippo at the end of the trip who we named Diego. Diego is still really high on her list as far as her stuffed animals go.

Most Adorable Video of Max

2011-10-13T13:55:00.002-05:00

School Days!

2011-10-12T22:37:00.000-05:00

Children's Museum with Sarah and Max

2011-10-11T14:38:00.002-05:00

Last Friday after school we headed over to the Children's Museum to have some play time in the Mexico portion of the museum. It is such a nice and quiet part of the museum, with all the fun of the Kidtropolis without the crowds. The three kids had the best time playing with the cash register. They took turns ringing things up for over a half hour, it was really amazing how they were captivated by it. The cutest part of the afternoon was watching Max get so excited when the cash register drawer opened, it was pure joy. Speaking of Max, Finley has been having Max carry her lunch box after school whenever we go home with him. She has told him so many times, now he just asks to carry her lunch box when school is over. She has him well trained!

Finley had off school yesterday for Columbus Day and kept asking all day if she got to go back to school. She would ask what day it was, I would tell her Monday and then she would ask when she was going to school again. I think she really misses it!

Back Dancing with Mr. Carlos

2011-10-10T18:37:00.000-05:00

Finley made her return to dance with Mr. Carlos and her friend Ava Kate today. The best part about the new dance class is that there is a tap portion as well as the ballet instruction. Finley loved picking out new tap shoes and she didn't want to take them off. She looked adorable tapping around the room, she did really great with it. It was nice to be with Ava Kate again, Finley had a really great time in class. Now if her dance studio can get their studio space worked out, I will really be happy.

Open House at Finley's School

2011-10-09T18:45:00.000-05:00

This past week Finley's school hosted an open house. Clifton and I got to spend an hour or so with Finley's teachers to learn what she did in a typical school day. Miss Juliana and Miss Jackie had the kids working with Play Dough while they went over what the kids did each day of the week; Motor Skills, Mini-Gym, and Musikgarten. Finley is certainly busy at school. We also sat in a circle with all the kids and learned about the songs they sing to start the day. After that, we met with Miss Brandi in the library to talk about the music portion of school. Finley just loves school, which is fantastic. And on Friday Finley actually napped at school, which made for a much happier Finley that afternoon. Progress!

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes

2011-10-05T19:21:00.000-05:00

I made cookies and cream cheesecakes for our girls' trip to Galveston this past weekend. I had extra and since Finley had helped me make them, I brought the extra home to give to her. She ate a great dinner, so she was rewarded with a cheesecake. She didn't even wait for Clifton to cut up her cheesecake, she stuck her fork in it and started eating. Smart cookie!

Visiting the Zoo with Joe

2011-10-04T18:55:00.000-05:00

Joe has been a friend of Finley from her baby days. Joe was her first ever playdate. I cannot believe that both of them have gotten so big. On Sunday afternoon, I picked up Joe for an afternoon at the zoo. I was worried about having two mobile kids at the zoo, but it ended up being much easier than I thought. The two of them were content to hold hands with each other all over the zoo. We visited the giraffes first, per Finley's request. It was so cute to watch Finley and Joe interact with each other. Finley was following him around like a little puppy, sometimes she was even chasing him. And as always, a car ride with two kids is always entertaining. You get a running commentary of everything outside their windows....helicopters, taxis, fire engines, etc... Finley really enjoyed her visit to the zoo with Joe and can't wait to visit with him again soon.

Teacups Revisited

2011-10-01T13:02:00.000-05:00

It's not as good as her first teacups video, but she is still pretty cute.

Happy Birthday, Grammy!

2011-09-30T07:44:00.000-05:00

Sous Chef

2011-09-29T16:41:00.000-05:00

Finley is such a good helper! I am going on a girl's trip to Galveston this weekend and she helped me make the Oreo Cheescake Cups. The funniest part was I offerred her an Oreo to snack on and all she wanted was a banana. After she finished the banana, she was happy to eat a cookie. I was amazed that she didn't even ask to eat a cookie when she was preparing the cupcake pans for me. I think I would have snuck a cookie! Today was our fourth day without a nap, neither at school or at home. I am not sure what is going on, because she is exhausted. Last night she started getting ready for bed at 6:30 pm. School is wearing her out. Hopefully this is just a phase and next week we are back on track.

First Roller Coaster

2011-09-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately, we have been SO busy with school, swim lessons, gymnastics and dance class that we really haven't done anything else but school, swim lessons, gymnastics and dance class. So now seems the time to finally transfer the videos and pictures over from my old computer to my new one from our California trip. Yes, I realize the trip was in June, but right after the trip I got my new laptop and these pictures didn't make the transfer over. This was Finley's first ever roller coaster ride. She rode Gadget's Go-Coaster in Mickey's Toontown.

Happy Birthday, Lia!

2011-09-23T21:30:00.000-05:00

Another weekend, another birthday party. Lia from our playgroup is turning three and had her party at the Children's Museum, which is super convenient for us. Finley had fun playing all throughout the museum until the party started. The party was really fun, all the kids had a blast chasing the balloons around. We were in the party room a little longer than expected since Pizza Hut had thought the order was for 11:30 PM instead of lunch time. Um, really Pizza Hut? A delivery to the Children's Museum in the middle of the night?!?! Luckily, the kids were totally happy running around the room and snacking on fruit. There were cupcakes as well, which made it Finley's kind of party. We were so happy to celebrate Lia's birthday with her!

Gymnastics

2011-09-22T11:30:00.000-05:00

Finley has been working very hard in her gymnastics class. She can do a somersault by herself on the mat now, she doesn't even need the wedge to prop her up. All the kids somersault across the floor during warm-ups, Finley will do one somersault and then walk the rest of the way. She has now advanced to doing a somersault on the balance beam. That is a huge accomplishment, considering jsut a few short months ago she wouldn't even get on the balance beam. She loves her coach and there are only two other little girls in her class, so she gets lots of one on one time with Coach Leah. I got Finley a new leotard, but she wasn't very excited about wearing it. She still likes her pink leotard best, but it hasn't worn as well as I would have liked. Finley takes gymnastics right before swimming, which has worked out really well until this week. Finley has been so tired from school and all her activities and it finally caught up with her. After no nap on Friday, we went out on the boat on Saturday. We put her down for nap late, around 4:30 pm, after we got home. She didn't wake up from her "nap" until 9 am on Sunday morning! This girl likes her sleep (just like her daddy.) On Tuesday after gymnastics class, she was a mess in swim lessons. She cried for the first 10 minutes. Poor thing is just worn out. Does anyone have any tips for getting a toddler to nap at school? All the other kids in her class nap. Her teacher says she will lay down, but never actually falls asleep. We talk about it all the time, but she flat our refuses to sleep, which means she comes home tired and then takes a late nap at home. I am sure we will get on track soon!

Dance Class

2011-09-19T20:35:00.000-05:00

Finley started dance class at her new school last week. King's Dance still hasn't found a permanent dance space and there wasn't a good class time for Finley. So we signed up with Houston Metropolitan Dance since it is so close to our house and I have heard great things about it. Finley isn't technically old enough yet, buy only by a few months, so they accepted her on a trial basis. She did great her first and second classes there, she adores her teacher, Miss Kendra. Turns out, our old dance friends are starting a class back with Mr. Carlos at Kings in the same time slot. So there is a little dilemma. Go back to class with Mr. Carlos and Finley's friends or stay with the new class?

On a random note, this is the same studio where Auntie Neon took her dance classes when she was a little girl.

Finley's Dream Visit to the Zoo

2011-09-17T10:57:00.007-05:00

Last week, we actually had temperatures in the 90s instead of triple digits, so Finley and I headed over to the zoo to spend the day. We did all of Finley's favorite zoo activities. We fed the giraffes, rode the carousel and she even got a rhino stuffed animal to take home (she named him Horns.) Finley loves animals so much, it is so cute to watch her run from place to place. The cutest part is that she kept asking to go to all the indoor places because she was used to it being so hot outside. So the reptile house, aquarium and Natural Encounters were all visited, even though we really didn't need a break from the heat.

Pewtunia

2011-09-16T07:49:00.000-05:00

We visited Lois, the Houston Museum of Natural Science's corpse flower, last summer when it was getting ready to bloom more than once. The Houston Zoo's corpse flower, Pewtunia, bloomed on Wednesday morning. By the time we made it to the zoo that evening, the smell was gone. Lois took days to open and bloom, which was the exact opposite. It was 100 degrees, so we didn't stay at the zoo for very long. I am really ready for some fall temperatures around here. Finley wasn't in the best of moods, I think she is still getting used to school. Finley loves to sleep and waking her up for school three days a week hasn't helped things very much. Especially when she has only napped at school one time.

Finley Sings

2011-09-13T12:15:00.000-05:00

Cute Video with Max

2011-09-12T15:15:00.002-05:00

Texans versus Colts

2011-09-11T18:38:00.000-05:00

This wasn't Finley's first trip to a Texans game. It wasn't her first time in a suite at Reliant Stadium (or even her second.) It was her first Texans game in a suite and she did amazing. She even got to see the Fighting Texas Aggie Band at halftime that she missed out seeing last week at the Aggie game. Two Texans cheerleaders came to visit the suite, Finley seemed unimpressed. She was impressed by the Texans win and more importantly, the ice cream cart that rolled by in the fourth quarter...helmet sundaes are a toddler favorite. As long as she spoons the ice cream and M&Ms herself, no help from her mommy or daddy.

Any man who carries your lunch box...

2011-09-10T14:55:00.001-05:00

...is a man worth keeping around!

Flowers at School

2011-09-09T16:53:00.001-05:00

I believe I was in second or third grade when I did the science experiment involving carnations and food coloring. You know the one where the white carnations become whatever color food coloring you put in their water. Finley did this experiment today in school and was so proud of her yellow flower. It is hard to tell from the picture that it is yellow (and a bit hard to tell in person,) but Finley is already a science super star. The big even at school today was a fire drill. Apparently, Finley was screaming when it went off. I am not surprised at all, seeing as that was here same reaction to the smoke detectors at our house. I wonder how long I will hear about the fire drill for. She still isn't napping at school, which means it is almost 5 pm here and she is still napping. This isn't going to work on Monday since she has dance class at 4:15 pm. I am going to take the plunge and send Bear Friend to school with her, I hope it helps her sleep.

A Visit to the Doctor

2011-09-06T14:21:00.001-05:00

I was on the line with the doctor's office at 8:30 am in order to get Finley in as soon as possible since she is still running a fever. The doctor said her illness is standard with kids who have never been to school before and it was going around: high fever, lasts for days and chest congestion. Great. And it is a virus, so there is no easy antibiotic fix for it. She did draw some blood to check on her white blood cell count since her fever had been so high, but it all checked out and we were sent home with orders to keep on with the Tylenol/Motrin dosing. We had to skip both gymnastics and swim lessons today, which has made Finley stir crazy. The doctor's office for two hours just isn't the same as her usual fun activities.

Finley's First Aggie Game

2011-09-05T09:47:00.000-05:00

Finley has been to football games before, the Texans, the Cougars and the Cougars some more. She does like to cheer on her Aggies (and the Cougars and the Cougars some more), but hasn't made it to Kyle Field until now. Clifton took her to the game last night, but she didn't make it for very long. She came home from school on Friday a little under the weather. She had a scratchy voice and by the evening, she had a small fever. On Saturday, she went to Grandma's house for an overnight visit and to celebrate Faith's birthday on Sunday. Clifton picked Finley up for the game Sunday afternoon and they headed off to College Station, which is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from here. Finley slept on the drive to the game, so he thought she would be fine. Sadly, her poor little nose was running like crazy and she was not a happy camper. They only made it through the first quarter and she slept the whole drive home. Her fever was up to 102.6 by the time they were back and she was miserable. After some snuggling and medicine, she was off to bed. Early this morning her fever was up to 103.8, more medicine and more sleeping (she is still sleeping now!) Hopefully, she makes a speedy recovery and is able to go to another Aggie game this season. Whoop!
I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day!

Still Loving Swim Lessons

2011-09-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

Finley is still loving swim lessons. She has a new teacher, Miss Crystal, since Mr. Cameron is back in school for the fall. We have dropped to one lesson per week since she is in school on Wednesdays now. It is amazing how quiet the pool is now that school is back in session. Hopefully all her swim lessons will be useful for vacation, we are headed to Nevis for a week of fun in the sun. Finley already has her bucket, shovel and sand toys to play with. We also bought her this Sea Window so she can join in the snorkeling fun on vacation. The hotel has a kids program with the Sea Turtle Conservnacy, which I know she will enjoy. She is super excited to go to the beach (and so am I!)

Just Lounging Around

2011-08-31T14:20:00.000-05:00

Finley's First Day of School

2011-08-30T19:04:00.000-05:00

I picked Finley up at 2:30 pm and she was so excited about school. Her teacher gave us her artwork and her daily report. Finley "ate a lot of lunch", read "The Kissing Hand", did All About Me art and was "Cheerful, happy and played well.' What a good little girl! Finley had been taken to the potty three times, but didn't use it. She was honest with me about it. We had discussed she would get a treat at home after school was over and she said she didn't need one because she hadn't gone potty. The teacher said she hadn't napped, she had quiet time, but hadn't slept. Once we got home, Finley talked all about her day. She was most excited about going down the slide with Max. She loves her teachers and couldn't wait to go back. Meerkat got left at school, which stressed her out a bit, but I explained that Meerkat was going to school and we would bring him home on Wednesday. She ate a yogurt snack when she got home and then opened a package full of stickers from Grammy and Grandad. She was tuckered out and went down for a nap, sleeping until nearly 6 pm! And when she finely did wake up, she was still tired. We are going to have to get used to this long school day. Clifton and I gave her "Preschool Day Hooray" as her first day of school book. We read it last night and it described her day perfectly. Her elephant nap mat also arrived in the mail and she is excited to take "elephant sleeping bed" to school with her. Hopefully, she will actually sleep tomorrow.

First Day of School

2011-08-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

Finley's adorable dress is made by Max's mom, isn't it the cutest? I will have more to report once I pick her up.

First Day of School Tomorrow

2011-08-28T16:34:00.000-05:00

Finley starts pre-school tomorrow and she is very excited. On Friday, there was an open house and orientation. She got to meet her teachers and spend time in her classroom while Clifton and I attended the orientation. She had so much fun. Her teacher asked if she had been in school before, when I said no, she was amazed. Finley ran right into the classroom and started playing with all the kids. It probably didn't hurt that Max was there. I hope tomorrow goes as smoothly!

Happy Birthday, Soham!

2011-08-27T14:13:00.000-05:00

Soham is in our playgroup and he turned 3 this week. He had everyone over to his house for snacks and cupcakes, but the highlight was a visit from the West University Fire Department. The firemen were so patient with all the kids and everyone had such a fun time sitting in the truck. Finley even tried on a fire helmet, isn't she adorable? Future firewoman maybe? Are you sick of all the birthday party posts yet? It is only the start of birthday season, we still have a few more months to go.

Max Visits Again

2011-08-26T13:02:00.000-05:00

Finley was over the moon with yesterday's schedule. We had a birthday party at Soham's house (pics to come from that), then we got her picture made for her passport, home for lunch, the gym with Miss Michelle and then we headed to pick up Max. She kept asking if we were going to get Max next. It was so adorable. The two of them are so cute together, both were a little worse for wear due to no naps, but they still played so well together overall. Finley just loves having Max over to play. Miss Michelle told me that all Finley could talk about today was Max. I think it is so cute how they have the same looks on their faces in the last two pictures.

Happy Birthday, Sarah Kate!

2011-08-25T22:01:00.000-05:00

Sarah Kate was the only kid at our wedding besides our fantastic flower girl, cousin Faith. Sarah Kate was just a baby then and now she is turning 7! The party was a cupcake decorating and pool party. The party started at 6:30 pm, so Finley wasn't going to be able to make the swimming portion of the party. We headed home past Finley's bedtime and the swimming hadn't even started yet! Luckily, Finley was there for her two favorite things at a birthday party: cake and pizza. Finley did a great job decorating her cupcake, I was amazed she didn't make a total disaster of Sarah Kate's kitchen since she was one of the youngest kids there. It was so fun seeing what the kids came up with. There were your standard cupcakes, but then one kid created a curled up snake on top of his cupcake, so creative. I had to include a snapshot from Sarah Kate's bedroom. She has a dollhouse for her American Girl dolls. It was taller than I was and I think Finley could have fit inside if she tried. She did ride the dolls' scooter...

Book Worm

2011-08-23T18:46:00.000-05:00

Finley loves books. We usually read one before nap time and two before bed time. Lately, she has been wanting to "read" them herself. The funniest part is that she sort of mumbles nonsense to herself while she is reading. It is almost in a whisper voice and it is tough to tell what she is actually saying.

Today was a big day for Finley, the fall classes for gymnastics and swim lessons started this morning. I was a bit concerned about scheduling both on the same day, but I really wanted to keep one day completely open during the week (Thursday~ we have playgroup, but don't have to go) and this was the only way to do it. She did great! Gymnastics was so quiet without the summer campers there. When things started, Finley was a little distracted with all the kids. There were 10 kids in the warm up and she has gotten used to one on one interaction with her coach. After the classes broke out, it was just Finley and one other girl with their coach. Finley became much happier and even did a flip over the bar. Her coach said she wasn't sure about going upside down, but she did it! After that, we headed straight to swim lessons. Finley also has a new teacher, Miss Crystal, who has been training with Mr. Cameron the past few weeks. Mr. Cameron has started back to college, so he is only teaching in the evenings. Finley kept calling her teacher Mr. Crystal, but other than that, she did great. She has passed four of the nine objectives for her Goldfish class. Miss Crystal had her floating all by herself today and Finley was so proud of herself. We can always change her swim class to another day if they schedule gets to be too much for Finley, but for now, it works.

A Visit with Max

2011-08-22T16:01:00.000-05:00

Finley has been looking forward to her day with Max all weekend. The two of them are such peas in a pod, it really is adorable. I decided to brave the grocery store with two toddlers this morning and it was not as bad as it could have been. That being said, there were balloons, white chocolate covered pretzels and fruit galore to entertain the two of them in the ridiculous Mickey Mouse car cart. The two of them made a bit of a white chocolate mess and we lost a balloon in the milk aisle, but other than that, they were perfect. i meant to snap pictures of them, but I my attention was focused on getting them in and out of the grocery store without incident. Finley has loved having a playmate over. In exactly one week, she will be starting school and will be in Max's class. These two are going to rule the school!

Busy Baker

2011-08-20T15:55:00.000-05:00

We had a very busy day yesterday! We met Riley, Sydney, Kendall and Courtney at the pool (and their mommies Georgia and Lori.) Finley had so much fun playing in the splash pad area, she especially loved the slide. She even wanted to go on the big slide for older kids. She was really insistent, luckily, it was closed for cleaning. She had such a good time pushing baby Sydney around in her float, even though sometimes she would wander a little too far off with her. After the pool, we headed over to Lori's for a "Chickafila" lunch. Shockingly, Finley only at the fruit, all but the apples. Struck me as very strange, but I figured she was tired from all the pool fun. We headed home for a nap, I thought she would get a good one in. She slept for less than an hour and woke up grumpy, so I figured we needed some hands on activity to occupy her. I decided we would make some chocolate banana bread. I had never made it before and it doesn't need a mixer, so Finley could do everything herself. She was so good! She only had one little spill, that I made a million times worse trying to clean up. She was much gentler with the stirring and didn't try to eat the plain flour once. I cannot wait to decorate Christmas cookies with her this year.

Time to Make the Doughnuts...

2011-08-18T13:46:00.002-05:00

I ordered a doughnut pan from Amazon. Finley loves the doughnuts we have made so far, especially the chocolate frosted ones. The good thing is they are tons healthier than the doughnuts from a doughnut shop. The bad thing is she is getting used to chocolate for breakfast.

Fort!

2011-08-17T16:46:00.000-05:00

Finley has decided she doesn't want to nap again today...fun times. Especially since she is so tired from swim lessons this morning. Too bad it is 104 degrees outside. So we are trapped indoors. Which means, Finley needed some entertainment from something other than her countless toys. She asked if we could build a house out of cards since we had been playing flashcards. I said we could build a fort instead. She loved it! It became even more exciting when I shut the fort door and gave her a flashlight to play with inside. Too bad the fort fun only lasted 20 minutes, but in toddler land, that is an eternity.

Three funny Finley moments from today:

Finley: I have a stomache
Me: Does your tummy hurt?
Finley: No, I have an egg in my tummy.
Ahhh..a stomachegg

We were getting my car inspected this morning and the guy at the desk asked if she would be starting kindergarten next week. I told him no, she is only two years old. His reply "she sure does talk a lot." yes, yes she does.

I was upstairs getting Finley's swim bag. I was gone for 30 seconds. She managed to smear markers all over her face while I was gone. Thank goodness they are washable markers!

Last Day of Gymnastics

2011-08-15T16:09:00.000-05:00

Well, it was technically Finley's last gymnastics class today. She will be starting her fall semester next Tuesday, so there really won't be any break at all. Still, I got to go in the gym with her to see all her accomplishments and snap lots of photographs. The best part was that she was the only student in class, her very own private gymnastics lesson. Finley has come a long way since the first class, she will even do somersaults on her own at home...even on the hardwoods.

Happy Birthday, Izzy!

2011-08-12T13:38:00.000-05:00

Izzy had a super fun splash birthday party to celebrate her turning three. Finley feasted on watermelon and strawberries, which coordinated perfectly with her fruity swim suit. The kids had so much fun dumping water on each other from the buckets. Izzy's mom had put a baby pool at the base of the slide, which everyone had so much fun sliding into. The kids took a break from the backyard fun to sing (or sing/scream if you are Finley) Happy Birthday to Izzy. Finley only had eyes for the candy coated marshmallows. She didn't even take a bite of the cupcake, she totally turned her nose up, all she wanted was the marshmallow! I cannot blame her at all, the marshmallow lollipops were adorable and were exactly the sweet treat that Finley wanted after all the water play fun. Look at how much these kids have grown in one year...Izzy's 2nd birthday party.

Playdate at Chick-fil-a

2011-08-11T15:37:00.000-05:00

Or "Chickafila" as Finley calls it. We were supposed to have Max over for lunch while his Mommy was at a doctor's appointment, but she ended up getting out early, so we all met up at Chick-fil-a for lunch. Little did we know it was orientation for Bellaire High School, which is within walking distance of Chick-fil-a. The place was a total madhouse! We ended up having to share a table since the high schoolers had camped out at nearly every table. After we ate, Finley wanted to go down the slide. Of course, she went down the slide all of once and ended up dancing, jumping and running around with Max for the majority of the time.

I had both Finley and Max in my car and the two of them were so cute talking to each other. They pointed out nearly every car and truck we drove by, it was so adorable. The cutest of the cute is when Finley said, "I love you, Max." And Max responded, "I love you, Finley." Cue me tearing up in the front seat. Those two crazy kids...