All I want for Christmas *Updated*

Is my two front teeth!

This blog post is dedicated to my littlest redhead, Felicity. Or as Tim likes to call her, Lissy, or as Peyton likes to call her Lissy-bug, or as Veronica likes to call her Gissy. (I don't mind the first two ;) Felicity is getting so big, nearing her first birthday, October 4. Right now she has four teeth that are almost all of the way in. Her two bottom middle teeth and the ones right next to her two front teeth, on the top. I could have titled this blog, I vant to suck your blood... she literally looks like she has vampire fangs, it is hilarious!! Her two front teeth are starting to break through, maybe by Christmas she won't look so goofy, maybe. I will post a picture of this when i get a chance... I used this picture as inspiration during Papa Pumpkin Camp! In the background is the pumpkin Tim carved. Introducing, Felicity Vampire!

Felicity is also almost walking, she will pull herself up to almost anything,a couch a chair, the wall a tonka truck, you name it. Speaking of tonka truck, this is, coincidentally, her new favorite toy. She likes to climb inside it and just lounge, every once in a while her sister or brother will drive her around the living room. This is how she rolls...

I am a little concerned for my future. She absolutley knows when she is being a bit mischevious, and absolutely doesn't care. If she gets caught she gives it up, but if you don't catch her she is home free! How I know this? Well, if she is holding anything that is not hers or isn't a toy if you walk anywhere near her she will automatically hold out her hand as if to give you the offending item. I have known for a while that this is a worrisomer trait in her but never have i been worried as much as today. I walked in from outside and she was playing with a lesson book I have for ronni that I left on the floor. I was just watching her for a little while, then she saw me. She opened the book and literally tried to climb in, basically hide herself in the pages. The closer i got the louder she laughed! I knew, for certain, at this moment that I am in big trouble where Lissy is concerned! I am sure she is not at all unlike another third child I have known in my life. (I may or may not be referring to myself)

She also did something really sweet tonight. With any of my other children we never really used a pacifier, we made sure they knew how to suck on one just in case, but never made sure we had one when leaving the house and going somewhere special. With Lissy we have definitely used it more, sparingly still, but more. The thing is is that she really likes the pacifier. If she could pick a favorite thing in the whole wide world, it would be the pacifier. Anytime a child would come over to my house, she would find their carseat in order to find a pacifier, and she has been rewarded many a time by a nice juicy pacifier just waiting for her to steal. Sometimes it didn't matter if a baby was in the carseat and the pacifier was in their mouth she would ultimately steal or try to steal the pacifier. Today we have are a watching a couple of kids for a friend. Sure enough there is a baby and sure enough there is a pacifier. Felicity is stoked I am sure. Anyway, the little boy was crying and felicity went over to him, took the pacifier off of the floor next to him and rather than put it in her mouth she picked it up and held it out to him. It was so sweet! Then after he stopped crying she took the pacifier out of his mouth and tried to hand it to me (still not putting it in her mouth).

Another sweet thing she does right now, kisses. She has for a few months, anytime you ask for kisses she will open her mouth and lean towards your mouth saying, "AAAHHH". She will also say a few words. She has been saying momma and dadda since about april, but lately she will say a few more. A lot of times she will say them a bunch of times on the first day she says them and then anytime you prompt her again it is hit or miss. For instance, when the Bills won their first game of the season she said touchdown. She also has said diaper. She is one of our best diaper changing babies yet. She will go to the closet where the diapers are, take one out of the drawer (with a little help) close the drawer and then close the door and then go to the diaper that you lay on the floor. I can't say enough about this sweet little girl, she just melts my heart.

My little girl is getting big, it really is crazy how fast time flies!

It's been a long time

You know it has been a long time since you have posted on your blog when:

Your url doesn't come up in your history

When you can't remember exactly what your url is

When you have to find your blog via a search engine

When you (finally) get to your blog and you forgot that you even posted the last post

When you are talking to no one when you blog because it has been so long people don't even come to your blog and check it unless directly told to...

The strangest thing

Ronni just came running into the living room and kind of stumbled because she has dress up shoes on. I literally just said these words to my daughter, " it's kind of hard to walk in high heels isn't it, Ron?" And as matter of factly she said back, "Yeah, it is"... For some reason I didn't think we would ever have a conversation like this, looks like my little girls is growing up...

Works for Me

If anyone has ever wanted a pretty good resource for parenting, here is the best one I have found. It is called, Rasing Godly Tomatoes, and it is basically a book online. It is pretty straight forward and easy to read. Here is the hyperlink, I would encourage you to check it out. It has everything from Potty training to sitting still in church to sibling rivalry. There are somethings I actually do disagree with, but it is the closest thing I have found to be, in my opinion, a good parenting style- online. It may not work for everyone, but it works for me!Here is the book, it is by L. Elizabeth Krueger. I have never bought a parenting book before, and to be honest have never really read one either, I am seriously considering purchasing this book, if that tells you how good I think it might be!

Giant Heads

So a few weeks ago Ronni asked me out of the blue, "Mom can we go and see the giant heads?" Giant heads, what the heck is she talking about? But the kids didn't drop it, finally this past weekend, they showed a placemat I had purchased that has all the presidents on there and a picture of said giant heads. Sure enough our kids just requested we go and visit Mount Rushmore! So now, Tim and I are planning our first whole family vacation! The kids are super excited to know that sometime after peyton turns four and Ronni is almost six we are going to get to go. So excited in fact, every morning since Peyton has asked us if he is four. We are gearing up to start homeschooling and I am pretty sure I have found a year long topic in which to study! Thanks, kids, get ready to learn about the giant heads.

"Wow"

"That was just about all they could say, Wow". This tagline from one of my favorite children's books, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, by Kevin Henkes and it pretty much sums up my July.

We spent most of July working on art projects. The kids went to their grand parents house for a week and my cousin Jeanna from Nevada came for a week as well as my cousin Ivy. We had Tricia camp, and it was a blast! I made a mosaic and a cool bracelet and we did a murder mystery dinner party. I was Wilma Winterflood and I was posh (that is a fancy word for fancy). I excelled in all the social graces as well as tapestry. (I will add some pictures in here at some point.) Getting ready for this special event was such a wonderful time, I did most of my cousins makeup and hair, it was a neat bonding experience.

We had a week at home, in which I started a new semi-full time job, doing daycare out of my home for a few weeks. Then more family came into town, my cousin Tiffani and my aunt Polly. We had pool party after pool party and did another fancy art project. I never knew myself to be

such an artist! It was certainly fun dabbing into the world of creativity for a few weeks.

Then this past weekend we headed south to visit my brother for his birthday. It was sort of like FuToN weekend only there were more girls and for a few hours there was no one was playing a video game. I don't know how the XBOX handled being neglected for 2 whole hours, but it (they-

afterall there were 3 XBOX's set up!) worked just fine after the majority of the guests went home. After a fun party we headed back home for another pool party! This one included two of my great aunts and a bunch of extended family. It was a wonderful time.

Then on monday we said goodbye to aunt Polly and now we look forward to a quiet August! Yeah right! It has been crazy busy, but a great time. I enjoy having such a large family, there is never a dull moment! Through it all the kids and Tim have been great, I am feeling very blessed to have such great kids and a wonderful husband.

How Big is Felicity?

SO BIG! This little trick never gets old, however, Felicity has modified it a bit. Instead of lifting her arms on her own, she looks at one of my hands, grabs my index finger, very dramatically turns her head in search of my other hand and grabs the other index finger, then proceeds to lift up her arms and smile with the cheesiest smile ever! So Big and so cute!

This is her with Bethany on the slide.