Bunk Beds and More

Here's a little update from the past week or so ...

 Ella playing with her friend Addie. These two get along so well and play cute things together! I'm so excited they get to be in preschool this fall together!

 Ben a week and a half ago... you know they don't feel good at all when they fall asleep voluntarily like this on the floor just before dinner. He came down with a 24 hour fever. Poor fella!

 Swimming at our neighborhood pool! Ben is sad because I wouldn't take his float-jacket thing off. 

 Here is Ella, having a blast in the water! She loves going swimming! 

Here's mommy... I finally got around to making that maternity swim suit I've dreamed of all summer. The swim shorts are Walmart but the top is the product of my own two hands! (Well, kinda... the black swirl patterned fabric is the cut from a top of an existing one piece I bought, all the blue fabric is what I designed and added.) I was so lucky and got to borrow a serger from a wonderful friend. Never having used one before, there was a big learning curve, but it was oh SOOO much fun! I could go on and on.... someday I will own a serger :-D

 The kids playing in the sand under our deck. Love that I only paid $3.16 for the sand and we now have a place for Ben to dig in the dirt! It's such a wonderful thing to have a fenced backyard. Sometimes I let them play out there alone, stick the baby monitor so I can hear everything they are doing. Very cute to listen in on their little conversations...

 This week we did come finger painting. Each day I spend time with Ella on her "learning time." We do little school books from the dollar store and Ben gets his own page too. Then we try to do something for art each day. It's a joy as a mom to see them grow and develop in many ways! 

 Bunk Beds! Ella really loves having her own space up there when she needs a break from Ben. No, he can't climb up there yet and doesn't really try. We switched Ben from the crib into this "big boy bed" a few nights ago and sometimes he comes out in the night but some nights he stays and sleeps the whole night. Ah...

 

 Here's Ella's toy, Hallie the hippo, swinging from the top bunk. Haaha

 Mommy and Ella got haircuts this week, yea! And I love how much quicker I can do my short hair. Phew! Also, this picture was taking on this past Friday, after my Dr. appointment. Baby #3 is doing well and even measuring a little on the small side, so my Dr. says I just may get lucky and have a 7 lb. baby to deliver. Just the thought of that makes me excited! It would make my upcoming VBAC so much easier! I'm planning a non-medicated delivery and preparing in many ways for this. Can't wait to meet our third child in two months!

 We started Ella on a chore chart this week! She loves it! She is frequently looking at it to see what she can do to get a sticker on her chart. I love the help with house-hold chores and the fact that getting a sticker is plenty of motivation! In fact, after having started her on it Monday, Tuesday morning she woke up an hour early out of excitement about her chore chart. :-D

 I really can't put together a post without including pictures of Ben and his trains. Oh that boy loves his trains!

 Finally, here is Ella modeling a little cape I put together yesterday for her friend, Donnie. We went to his 5th Birthday party and I thought a cape would be such a fun gift. The satiny fabric was a little more tricky to work with than I anticipated, but still a fun project.  

And that's all... life is busy and wonderful and fun!