Smart Cookie

I've been working with Aubrey on reading and writing. She's always been such a smart cookie and I feel like she's totally capable of learning things that kids would probably wait until school to learn. So, i've been doing things each day to teach Aubrey how to recognize, write and read words and numbers. She's doing such a great job, Nick and I are so proud of her.

When I was gettings things out to have "craft time", Aubrey took a marker and a piece of paper and, without me asking or telling her to do this, she wrote one of the words that she's learned recently. ("to") I was busy getting everything out and Aubrey said, "Look, Mommy! I wrote the word 'to'!" and I looked at her paper and this is what I found:


To say I was impressed was an understatement! And of course I had to take a picture of it. =)

So, I just wanted to recognize Aubrey for being the smart cookie that she is. If she can do this at 3, I don't know what's in store for when she's 5!!!

Great job Aubrey! So proud of you!

Jasper's "Cave"

I was busy doing stuff around the house and when I stopped to check on Aubrey, this was what I found:

I guess she made Jasper a "cave"... She does this all the time- she traps Jasper in at his bed and yells orders at him like, "Bapper, you need to listen to me or you're going to get into trouble" or "I told you not to do that, Bapper. Aren't you listening to me?" and my personal favorite "Bapper, you are a naughty boy and you need to stay in there until I tell you to come out."

And don't tell me that she gets it from me because I do NOT lock her in her room by piling all of her toys at her doorway. =)

Is this my daughter...

or is this my daughter?

Here are pics of me and Aubrey at the same age, same hair style.

So what do you think? Do we look alike or what?

Aubrey met Tinkerbell!

One of our neighbors have a little girl named Erica who is almost exacly one year older than Aubrey. Erica is such a sweet little girl and Aubrey just loves playing with her. They play really well together and Aubrey almost never wants to leave.

Well, Erica's birthday party was this past weekend at a local park not too far from our house and it was a Tinkerbell party... and there was a rumor that Tinkerbell herself was going to be there! Aubrey was pretty excited!

Aubrey and the Birthday Girl "making a cake" as they told me...

Tinkerbell painted Aubrey's arm and sprinkled her magic pixie dust ontop and Aubrey was just beyond excited! She was pretty bummed when it all washed off. I told her Daddy has to take us to Disneyland so she could get her arm painted again. Hey, if my nagging won't work, maybe Aubrey's will? =)
Then we went on a Tinkerbell Treasure Hunt. Aubrey was pretty excited as you can tell...

When it was time for Tinkerbell to leave, Aubrey decided that she was brave enough to take a picture with her. Some random girl decided to join in on our picture but I just cropped her out because I don't want to post pictures of people without their knowledge... but here is Aubrey being a little timid with Tinkerbell... but loving the sucker she got from the treasure hunt. =)

It was a really fun party and on the way home Aubrey informed me that she wants a Tinkerbell party next time for her birthday. So, I guess we'll be seeing Tinkerbell again in a year! Unless Nick takes us to Disneyland that is. (hint hint wink wink)

WHY!!!!!

WHY do we have to have disgusting creepy creatures like THIS in our world:



Oh, can't see it that well?? Here, let me zoom in for you!

I tried, desperately, to muster up enough courage to kill this thing but I simply could.NOT.do.it. I was freakin' out really bad.... so I called Nick, did my whole "damsel in distress" routine and he rushed home to kill this monstrosity. Every time I look at these pics I shudder. Ick.

Oh, and I might I add that I discovered this spider not even 2 hours after I called our pest control company and told them to skip this month because Nick and I didn't think we needed any service because we seemed to be bug free with it cooling down and all. Um, sorry Pest Control guy, it's me again... I changed my mind. Please come over. NOW.

Not that I really want to know, but does anyone have any idea what kind of spider this is? Nick thinks every spider is a Brown Widow these days so he's no help.. and NO, I do NOT want to google it, thank you very much. =)

Halloween 2009

This year was so much fun! Aubrey definitely understood the whole concept of trick or treating and she was so excited to go. When she woke up in the morning she asked, "Is it dark yet so we can go trick or treating?" which made me laugh because she had literally just woken up. So, it was quite challenging getting Aubrey to wait ALL day, but I did my best to keep her busy.

First up was carving a pumpkin. I didn't want to go all out because we weren't going to be home... and since I couldn't imagine a Halloween without carving a pumpkin, we ended up just doing something simple... and Aubrey asked for a scary pumpkin so there ya go.




Aubrey has been hanging onto this little pumpkin for weeks now. I let her paint it just like last year and she loved it yet again this year... except her pumpkin always starts out pretty with all of the paint colors but then it starts to look like poop. Oh well!

Concentrating!

Then we headed over to our friends' house. We brought some homemade chilli (a family tradition), ate some dinner and got the kids ready. Here is Aubrey as Sleeping Beauty.

SO excited!

Here are Aubrey and her BFF Scarlett. These two have been friends since conception, so it is so cute to not only watch them together, but watch them grow up together! And how cute are they as two Disney princesses?!?

This pic just melts my heart.

The whole gang right before we headed out to go trick or treating.

Aubrey and Scarlett insisted upon being in the same wagon together and once we started to take off they were too excited for words!

Aubrey wanted to wear her sleeping beauty high heels... so she was a little slow at getting to the door. She'd get upset if everyone knocked before she got there, which happened pretty much every time. She eventually got over that once she started to get candy. BUT then the problem turned into Aubrey crying if the people didn't answer the door. Little Miss Sensitive got SO upset. Nick and I were trying really hard to help her feel better, it was precious. Eventually she got over that, too, thank God!

And as any true BFF would do, Scarlett tried desperately to cheer Aubrey up. She asked Aubrey if they could hold hands and Aubrey's face lit up. These two were so sweet to eachother all night long it seriously was the cutest thing i've ever seen. Just look at that smile!

And then one of the other 3 year old girls named Zadie joined in. It was such a cute sight!

We hit up a good amount of houses and Aubrey's pumpkin got so full that she simply could NOT carry it anymore. But, her favorite piece of candy from the whole night was the huge Hershey's bar that a very generous family was handing out. Aubrey's Halloween was officially complete. =)

We had so much fun and can't wait until next year! But after birthday parties, 3rd birthdays AND Halloween, this mommy is ready for a vacation. =)

Happy 3rd Birthday Aubrey!

Today is Aubrey's 3rd Birthday!

Wow, these past three years have gone by fast but I can honestly say that they are full of blood, sweat, tears, sleepless nights, lots of love and 1,095 days of hard HARD work.

If I could describe Aubrey in four words I would say: loving, unique, stubborn and smart. She is so sweet, caring and loving, but she does things on her own terms and likes things just the way she likes them and you can't change her mind... but she is so smart and Nick and I are SO proud of our baby BIG girl!

Here is a look of our baby girl ON HER BIRTHDAY for the past three years:

Birth day:

1 year old:
2 years old:
3 years old:

And if you like the sass in the last pic, then check out the rest of the pics I took up at Lake Las Vegas today for a little Birthday "photo shoot". =)

3rd Birthday "photo shoot"

We celebrated Aubrey's birthday with a dinner at home with the whole family. Here are some pics of the fun we had...

Don't you love how excited Aubrey looks??!:

The proudest Mommy and Daddy in the whole world!

Kisses for the Birthday Girl:

I love my mini-me!
Singing Happy Birthday to Aubrey- she couldn't be any happier!

This is the doing of Auntie Nicole. Aubrey does NOT look impressed! =)

Happy Birthday Aubrey! We couldn't thank God enough for bringing you into our lives and for the past three amazing years! You are beautiful, inside and out, and we love more than words could ever express. xoxo