Party Poopers

Last weekend Audrey and Kate were hosting a huge party at our house.  Make-up was applied, dresses were put on, and tea cups were filled.  At one point, Kate needed help buckling her high heels.  Audrey said to me, "Mom, you have to hurry.  The party poopers are almost here!  We have, like, eight coming."  I said, "The party poopers?  That usually means the people who don't have fun at a party."  She said, "Well, for us it means the fun people coming to the party!" :)  I guess we all need to watch for invitations to be the party poopers at an upcoming party!

Princesses

In the summer, our evening schedules are not quite as rushed, so bath time can be a little more leisurely, fun, and play-filled.  The other night both girls were using our princess towels, and when they were done and cuddled in towels, I said, "Oh, look, it's Princesses Kate and Audrey Von Paulsen."

Audrey looked at me, tilted her head, and said, "No, Mom, I'm Princess Audrey Von Maur."

That received a laugh out loud from me! :)

Bug Box

Audrey recently bought a bug box for catching some critters this summer.  Once we got home, she had a slight panic attack, as she realized the bugs might not just walk in on their own.  Instead, she might have to touch a bug.  We calmed her down by insisting she could ask for help from others!

Since then, the girls have had fun catching and releasing some different bugs. Their first capture was a butterfly, which we fed sugar water for two days and had fun watching.  Audrey's second capture, a ladybug, was named "Harold Dumpling Cutiepie, Jr." and was let go after just a day.  Yesterday, she caught another butterfly, so things are really hopping around here.  It's been fun to research the different bugs she is catching to see what type it is and what to feed it.

Here are the crazy girls showing off their first butterfly capture!

Big Girl Bed!

After being such a fabulous sleeper from about 2 months old, we decided it was probably time for Kate to take a step away from her crib.  Our little sweetheart still hadn't ever tried to crawl out of her crib, so we decided to leave her in as long as we could.  It was getting harder for me to lift her out, so summer was the perfect time to switch.

Kate was so excited for her crib to convert to a toddler bed, even though there wasn't much changing!  She still continues to sleep like a champ and doesn't get out of bed until someone comes to get her out. :)  She's even started making her bed each morning, so this switch has gone very smoothly!  Since Audrey's back to sleeping great, too, we are all very appreciative of our solid nights of sleeping!

Kate picked out her own jammies for the night! :)

You can see Kate's initial reaction to Audrey joining in the picture session.

Graduation

For many weeks, we heard about all the preparations that were occurring for Audrey's preschool graduation.  We listened to Audrey sing songs, watched as Audrey practiced dances, and helped Audrey learn her lines for the skit.  Some mornings, I could even hear Audrey's class singing/yelling from their room while I was teaching in my room! :)

The graduation night finally arrived, and Audrey was so excited.  We had to hurry home, so that she could wash her hair and wear it down, in hopes that her graduation cap would actually fit.  Once ready, she looked gorgeous, and the night went perfectly from there.  She remembered all her lines we had practiced, and she performed the songs with confidence!  We were all so proud of her.

Thank you to all who came to watch and celebrate with Audrey!  She grew so much in confidence and knowledge during this preschool year.  Now, watch out kindergarten, here comes Audrey! :)

Audrey was so surprised to see Dana there!  We so appreciate the role Dana played in getting Audrey ready for preschool.

Audrey and her good friend, Lilly