Anali's Third Birthday and Time at Home with Family

Anali just celebrated her third birthday with a few of her friends and their parents. We did a picnic in our yard and just played. The girls planted flowers in the garden I planted when Anali was born. On Sunday, we had another cake and gave her a few gifts from family. A couple of days after her birthday, she said during prayers, "God, thank you for my happy scooter and my camera." Her name means gracious, and it fits her so beautifully!

Planting in Anali's garden

Ava, Jasmine, Anali, and Kimberly

Anali as we sing her "Happy Birthday"

Asher running up our alley

Asher and Anali in the wagon

I like my kids. I like being home with them. Our mornings and afternoons consist of cereal, dancing, walks to the swings, trips to the library or Target, naps, naps, and more naps (for me, too!), book-reading, snacks, playing in the kid pool, weeding the garden, playing with friends, and all things that are in no way related to school or work!

While Asher naps, Anali and I fold laundry, read books, play ring-around-the-rosie, or attempt to clean. When we wakes, he likes to sit on the bottom step to signal that he wants his shoes on for a walk.

Asher is getting quite good at signing: Mama, Daddy, Eat, Thank you, Please, Plane, Dog, Baby, Walk, Dance, Swing, Sit, Car, Truck, Bird, Hat, Shoes, Socks, Shirt, Nap, Brush Teeth, and so on. And he can say Mama, Dada, Ana, Dog (Da), Down (Do), Ball (Ba), Banana (Nana). What he can't communicate with his words, he makes clear with sparkly eyes, grunts, screams, running and pointing, and other such gesticulations.

Asherangelo

"Ah, you caught me!"

Anali has a new shelf for her art supplies, allowing her to get to the paint, brushes, and rags by herself. She does ask first, but I secretly like to watch her little acts of independence. I'm pleased at how responsible she is, too.

Asher, of course, sees her painting and wants to join in. She did remarkably well at sharing tonight, allowing Asher to paint one side of the pad while she painted another. She passed him brushes and added paint, as needed. For his part, well, you can see his part. He was thankful, and messy, and altogether adorable!

"You want me to keep it on the paper?" [Crestfallen]

"Ack!"

As we were leaving to swim lessons this evening, Anali said farewell to her messy brother: "Bye, Mustache Boy." He waved happily in return.

Returning home, she sings, "I love shakes. I get shakes for swimming. Shakes make me happy." She was so cute! I don't always reward cuteness, but I couldn't pass it up tonight!

Other significant events: Asher can point to his toes, head, and tummy on command! He also learned the word "No" today. It made me reminiscent of when Anali first said it. It used to be cute, with a soft pitch and a tender enunciation, "NNNooooo." Almost like an abbreviated, "No thank you." Asher was more of a "No. No. [I don't think so, Mom. Not eating the broccoli.] No." He had a head shake to go with it. Pretty precious! Almost made me not mind that he skipped the broccoli!

Graduation Shakes

Our first celebration shake. Wish I could say it was our first shake. Anali "graduated" from her first swim lessons this evening. We're looking forward to continuing lessons this summer. I have loved watching her as a student. A hint of the proud-mama-moments to come. As I pried the shake from her cold hands, insisting Daddy be allowed to finish it, she protested, "But Daddy didn't swim!" Ah, I see she's inherited my sense of social justice.

My friends and I will walk at UW's College of Education graduation ceremony this weekend. I hope Brandon buys me a shake. I'm pretty stinkin' proud of our (my whole family contributed to this one!) accomplishment!

Anali scored a "Got it!" in the sculling with hands category. In fact, she made the mark in all areas but in holding her breath with her face in the water. I consoled her on the way home, confessing I still don't like to put my face in the water.

I don't know at what point I began to become claustrophobic under water. I can remember playing "barnacle" in the pool when I was a kid, clinging to Dad's back as he played the blue whale making his way through the ocean. Okay, now that I think about it, I must have been a weird kid. I remember pretending to be a flea on a dog, a barnacle on a whale, and a hunk of clay. I even went so far as to name my flea self. I was "Deet," if you must know. Matthew was "Doot," leaving little Hannah to be "Dot." Shannon had graduated from play school by that time. I hope that doesn't mean I was in middle school!

"Kick, kick, kick," Anali calls this.