Tims-miss break, a new room and Lucy's big news

First I will start with a few leftover Christmas photos I just found on Dave's phone...

In front of the tree at Donna's house on Christmas Eve

 

Our little family

  

Sam had Lucy's name in the gift exchange and he helped her open his gift to her



Loving her new robe from Sam!

  

Checking out the Christmas loot!

 

Dave asked her to make a "surprised face!"


Yes, Lucy had the best "Tims-miss" (how she pronounces Christmas) ever, but she also had a pretty great break!  In fact, due to the super-cold weather, it's the break that won't end!  She had school on Friday, December 20 and didn't go back until Thursday, January 2...and that day she still got to sleep in and go to school once she'd woken up on her own.  She had a "real," full day the following day but then it was the weekend again and on Monday she ditched since Daddy's school was called off.  Today Dad's school was closed again but Lucy went to her school, though I'm told she wasn't too happy about it...

But back to the break...We made the most of it with trips to the Aquarium and to Recreations Outlet (and a failed attempt to go to the Festival of Lights) and lots of playing with new toys!

I suggested she go down this slide on her belly...I had a feet-first trip in mind but this crazy cat had other ideas...we laughed so hard and made her do it over and over again!

She loves jumping on trampolines!!  The place was pretty busy and we had to wait in line each time she wanted to jump and we were so proud of her...she waited pretty patiently and didn't put up a fight when we told her she had to come out to let someone else have a turn.

We had fun and not surprisingly, she asked to go to Skyline for lunch afterward.  She even paid her own way!  At the Stallkamp Christmas celebration, we each bring a gift valued between $1 and $5 and Lucy ended up with a $5 Skyline gift card!  (I have yet to use the pocketknife I received...)



She had fun playing with Hannah and Rachel's toys at Stallkamp Christmas



We had a pass to the Newport Aquarium in 2013 but decided not to renew it for 2014.  Lucy enjoys it fine but she flies through the place and there are other things she enjoys just as much, if not more.

Our pass expired on New Year's Eve so we decided to go one last time...and Lucy had the time of her life!  Dave said, "You'd think this was her first time ever being here!"  She had such a good time, so we did, too.

She was most excited to see the white gators and they didn't disappoint

 

Dave held her up to see these tiny turtles and she said, "Hi little guys!"



We also had plenty of fun just hanging out at home:



She got to make her own "dirty pizza" with a new PlayDoh set she got for Christmas!



Now that's a cute kid!!!!!



On Saturday, December 28 we attempted to go to the Festival of Lights.  I never wanted to go on a Saturday (and now I will never try it again!) but we'd been trying unsuccessfully to line up schedules to go with some friends and we saw this as a final opportunity and seized it.  I'd hoped that everyone who wanted to go had already been but it was nearly 50 degrees that evening...and did I mention it was a Saturday?  We spent about 45 minutes on the highway and another near 30 on the exit ramp and decided to forget it.  GranJan and Grandpa were with us and we all decided to go to Applebee's for dinner...where we waited nearly an hour for our food.  Lucy got a little loud at dinner but all in all, she was a very good and patient girl and everyone was impressed with how she handled the long drive to nowhere and the long wait for cold dinner.  How could we refuse her when she wanted to go inside GranJan's house for "a few whiles"?

Potty training is improving with this little lady.  Because she's showing signs of moving forward in the process, I decided to reward her with an ice cream treat...and obviously I wasn't going to let her eat it alone!

Notice how she seems to have two different ice cream cones?  She chose vanilla ice cream with sprinkles and I chose chocolate chip ice cream.  She took one look at mine and asked to try a bite...then asked me to trade her...

"Thanks, mama!"

Lucy has actually gone potty at school a few times!  This is a big deal because while she has "tried" at school (sat on the potty for a few minutes) in the past (which also took some building up to), she had never gone until just before Christmas.  She's gone many times at home but with no real consistency.
But lately?  Lately she has been telling us when she needs to go (instead of waiting to be prompted)!  She's even gone at friend's houses - Grandma's, GranJan's...and Donna's!  That one was particularly noteworthy because it was on Christmas Eve (so it was in the midst of much excitement) and because there was no potty seat!  We know we're getting so close and Dave and I are ridiculously excited about the prospect of no more diapers...at least for this kid...

Which brings us to Lucy's big news...in May she'll be a: (read her shirt!)

And because she's going to be a big sister, we also spent the break moving Lucy out of the Baby Suite and into Big Girl headquarters!  She has a new room...and luckily, she's very excited about it (and her new room has become my favorite spot in our house!).

I found the perfect bedding online and received it as a Christmas gift from my parents.  Lucy and I took one of her new pillow cases to Lowe's and she picked out the perfect paint color (this paint is from Lucy's Grandma and Grandpa!  Thanks for the Lowe's gift card!) - I knew it was a winner when I saw the name of the color - Purple Popsicle!  She loved helping Daddy paint her new room:

And she was quite pleased with the result!

I was a little nervous about transitioning her over...just because it was the unknown and a change for her and I wasn't sure how it would go...but she has been awesome!  She has loved everything about the switch - even the new garbage can!

We started her out in there at nap time and she did well, though she's generally very good about nap time (going right to sleep).  She did two days of naps in there successfully so that second night, we asked if she wanted to sleep in there and she said yes and she's been there ever since.
So another milestone - big girl room and bed (full size) at 2 years, 9 months.

 

She always wants to sleep with her "tiny baby" and with "Giraffey"



Looking pretty small in a giant bed...



As we were putting a few more finishing touches in her room last night, she asked,
"Is that baby ready to come out of your belly now?"
I keep telling her it won't be until after her birthday so I am sure on March 26
she's gonna expect the baby to be out!


Recent Lucy funnies:
"When I get big, I can drive.  And when you get little, I can drive you!"
I asked her what her favorite thing she did at school was one day last week and she said, "Play play play and nap nap nap!"
She frequently asks us (and the answer is always NO), "Do you like to eat dirty snow?"
Lately she's been burping a lot...but she always remembers to say "Sooms me!" (her version of "excuse me").
She's very into being a superhero lately and she usually needs a sidekick...I get to be Super Mama but Dave is usually Super Goof (Goofy's superhero name on Mickey Mouse).  Out little lady calls herself Super Luce!

We're in love with this little Super Luce...baby #2 has a lot to live up to!