Archive for September, 2012

Donovan and Serenity =)

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012

Serenity and Donovan absolutely melt my heart.  Sometimes I find them with their heads together over some activity, giggling and just enjoying each other.  Serenity got in the tupperware cabinet and put lids on all the tupperware so Donovan could stack them and knock them down.  She didn’t even complain when he knocked down her tower, she cheered him on!  She has also come up with a way to swing Donovan while she is swinging herself.  Earlier in the summer I put the big swing and the baby swing on the same side so I could push them at the same time and leave up the rings.  Well, now she swings on her stomach and runs on the ground to push herself and Donovan at the same time.  And when she gets tired of that, she gets down and pushes him by hand!  I love it! As soon as Donovan wakes up in my bed in the morning, his first words are “sister?!?”  If he hears her he pops right out of bed and wants to go see her.

 

 

 

 

Serenity in August and September

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012

Highlights from August and September

*Mama’s Birthday.  Serenity made sure we celebrated my birthday in style.  She sang to me a lot, helped Daddy make me Bailey’s cupcakes, and helped me blow out my candles.  And for gifts, she got me flowers… and jalapenos.  My girl knows what I like!

*We did more science experiments, including milk, dish soap and food coloring, and using paper towels to test absorption.

 

*Eric took Serenity toy shopping and they came home with magformers.  I think it’s everyone’s favorite toy, including Donovan and the adults!

 

*Samantha’s Birthday.  We went to Dallas for Samantha’s birthday!  Serenity was SO happy to get to see Samantha for real! (She pretends Samantha is with her all the time.)

*The Plan of the Day.  Sometimes when Serenity is supposed to be in bed, she’ll poke her head down the stairs and tell us “The Plan of the Day,” which is what she thinks we should do the next day.  Once it was “party hat day” and the next day we made party hats and hung streamers!

 

 

*Norman Visit/ Baptism. Last weekend we went to OKC for Everett’s baptism.  We spent the night with Gavin, Jennie and Corwyn.  It was so much fun to watch the kids play together!  They would all stand by the door and Serenity would shout “ready, set go!” and they’d race!  The next day was the baptism.  It was so wonderful to get to be there.  I am one of Everett’s godmothers, and it makes me so happy.  I just love that whole family so much and I love being a part of it.

Hugging Corwyn, who she adores.

*I think I’m going to start a new photo series of all the crazy ways Serenity falls asleep.  This night she got the roof of her book club, which is a giant cardboard book, and spread it out on her pile of pillows for a bed.  One night she put a created a box of pillows around herself like a little fort.  One night her head was hanging off the bed!  It’s crazy!

 

*She’s letting me do a lot more things with her hair!  She’ll sit still for me to braid it!  A lot of the time I’ll do a little bit of a french braid on ones side to pull back the short bits, and then put it into pigtails!  I love it =)  I’m still not that good at it but she’s SO cute!

New twirly dress from Vanaema

 

 

Donovan is 15 months! Ok, 15.5…

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012

Donovan loves Dinosaurs! Basically anything that roars.

The kitchen cabinets are one of his main toys these days =)

8/24

Donovan is turning into a book lover!  He has some real favorites at last, so he gets his own book time instead of just wandering around during his sister’s book time.  We’ve read books to him before this, of course, but now he asks for them and sits still for them!  His favorites are the llama llama board books.  He especially loves Llama Llama Nighty Night.  We bought him a few Elmo books recently, and he loves Elmo Says.  We have had out our Alphabet Block books, and he brings those to us.  We’re working on letters a little bit. He seems to like Z =)  And just in the last few days he’s shown an interest in dinosaurs!!!  I’m trying not to get too carried away by this because I love dinosaurs =)  But he got a Dinosaur wooden puzzle from Kelly, and he brought me the piece and said “Saur!” “March!”  So we played the Laurie Berkner song, and I read him both Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs and Dinosaur’s Binkit, and he sat through both books twice!

 

9/25

*Donovan’s First Art

*Donovan’s Music Class

Donovan was so bummed when we took Serenity to dance class and he didn’t get to go in and dance that I decided I would enroll him in music class.  We didn’t enroll Serenity until more like 18 months, but Donovan doesn’t stick things in his mouth really and he LOVES music and dancing.  He adores it!  It was so cute.  The very first class he never wanted to sit down.  He just danced and spun in front of the mirrors and used all the instruments like a pro.  He even sang AHHHHH! at one point.  And he showed off his knowledge of animal sounds =)  He just did everything!  You could tell in the middle of songs he was watching so carefully, and sometimes he would actually follow along.  I had to make him sit in my lap to use the wooden sticks, as I was worried his dancing would get too wild =)  He did not like having to give things back between songs, but not bad for a first class ever!

 

Donovan got to do his first two art projects!  Eric asked if he could finger paint, so we went for it.  He had no hesitation about getting his hands dirty.  Then Serenity asked to do Do-A-Dots, so Donovan got to try it as well.  He already likes to color with markers and crayons.  I think he may know the color blue at least =)

 

Do a Dots! Yum evidently.

Donovan is learning all the animal sounds!  His favorite is Baaa, but he also knows what cows, frogs, lions, bears, birds, sheep, pigs, chickens, goats, dogs, cats, horses, and the letters B and D say. Oh, and cars and trains =)

 

Helping Papa make cinnamon toast for Mama’s birthday

 

I made a tetherball with a beach ball and hung it, at first outside and then from the vent inside. Great for whacking!

 

We all snuggle up to watch shows together. Right now his favorite show is Elmo, and he knows he can get it both on the tv and on the computer, and is not shy about asking for both. =)

 

 

At Samantha’s birthday. Donovan loves hats =)

 

First fingerpainting!

 

 

He still loves everything ball related

 

 

With Corwyn =) I love that they are so close in age =)