Summer is HERE!

Summer is here and I am going to soak up every moment this year!  I probably say this every year, but I really mean it this time!  What a fantastically, busy year this has been, but summer has been long-awaited!! :) I would say that my blog posting has taken a back burner so my mom could highlight her own blog (I wouldn't want to take any readers from her...), but truthfully, blogging has been the last thing on my mind!  That does not mean we have not had a great year since I last posted though, SO here is a catch up of our happenings here in Chattanooga:

We had a great spring, weather was great!  We have had lots and lots of rain, but the temperature has been wonderful!  Not too hot, but just warm enough to go sleeveless at dismissal and recess time so I could get a head start on my summer glow! We spend many nights eating dinner on our patio under the umbrella which led to daddy-daughter (and furry daughter) soccer games and bubbles in the backyard.  What a great way to end a long day at work! 

 Eric and his girls

Eloise has had a great year at school this year.  At the beginning of last summer she had moved up to the OT (older toddler) room which was a great transition for her.  Miss Annette and Miss Amy took such great care of her and we could see so much growth in Weeze over the year.  Her language really took off (blessing and a curse ;) and she has been potty trained!!! Yay!!  Those two ladies may have helped me through that more than Weeze, but we made it!  We have had a few setbacks here and there with potty training but overall it has been successful!  Bye-bye diapers!  Hello undies and pull-ups (at bed time)!

At the beginning of May, she graduated from OT and moved up to the Preschool room which has been another great move!  We have been so lucky to have had such wonderful teachers for Eloise and are looking forward to another great year ahead!  Watch out Ms Jean and Ms Hilda, here comes Weezy Baker!!! :)

Those of you who know us, know that we have fought tooth and nail to keep "princess" out of our house for Eloise.  Not that there is anything wrong with that...we just didn't want Eloise to be surrounded by it from day one.  Anywho, about a month ago she was invited to a birthday party that asked the kiddos to dress up, girls as princesses and boys as knights.  I can't lie, I was breathing a sigh of relief that I did not have to make a knight costume! Phew!! However, I did ask Eloise what princess she would like to be for Wells' birthday, which she said Cinderella (how can you not love Cinderella?) so we went to Target and picked us up a Cinderella dress!  Eloise wore that dress every afternoon for probably two weeks!! She looked great at the party too and loved every minute of it!  

 Eloise preparing a tea party for Eric, Izzy, and I on Mother's Day

Eloise with Anna Catherine (left) and Townes (right) at Wells' Birthday

In other news, I am within reach of being done with my National Board Certification process.  Who knows if I am going to get it, but I am almost done with it!  I have an assessment next Thursday and then I will be finished!  I will just have to wait for the results! :) I am keeping my fingers crossed. 

Eric has been on a couple of different trips this spring, his biggest one being to Germany in April.  He was gone for about a week and a half which wasn't too bad considering my mom came down to help out with Eloise while he was gone.  Thank goodness she was here, I may have gone insane  otherwise!!  Plus, it was just nice to have her around!  Not only do I enjoy her company but Eloise and Izzy can't get enough of their grandma.  :) Thanks again Mom! Upon his return, he brought Eloise a fun little German hat and scarf from a soccer team in Germany.  Check out our snazzy little girl in her goodies...

Isn't she adorable?

That's all I have for now, but hopefully in all my relaxation that this summer is supposed to bring, I will be able to post more often.  We'll see... ;) 

It SNOWED in Tennessee!!!

I know, I know... for you Iowan's, a little snow is no big deal, but you have to understand..this NEVER happens here! (Well, hardly ever!)  The way our morning started, I would have never guessed it would end so well!  Little Miss Eloise decided that she needed to be awake at 5:30 this morning, so we were eating breakfast at one of our favorite hole-in-the-wall breakfast joint when it opened at 6:30!  We got home, did a little picking up around the house, sorted some clothes for Goodwill, played with the Weeze-meister, and what do you know... I look outside and it is snowing!  At first, not too much, but after about 5 minutes, we had some hardcore snow coming from the sky and it was STICKING!!!!  I would say by the time it was all said and done (about an hour) we had a good 2 inches on the ground.  Pretty exciting! So exciting that while it was snowing, Eloise stood at the back door with it open saying over and over again, ITS SNOWING!!! It's so pretty!! :)  Of course, we do not turn down a chance to play in the snow, so we bundled up Eloise and headed outside.  Eric brushed, yes brushed, the snow off the driveway and sidewalk while Weeze, Izzy, and I played in the fluffy white stuff. I learned a few things about my daughter today...
1. She remembers how to make a snow angel (taught her that over Christmas break)
2. She likes loves to EAT snow (we had a little lesson about not picking up and eating the yellow snow, or any snow that has any bit of color!)
3. She could spend all day in the snow, her snow pants  and snow boots.
Below are a few pictures from our morning in the snow :)

Ready to go outside! 

Look Mom, I can make a snow angel! 

Yum...Its tasty!

I will call him Squishy and he will be mine!

In other news (since I haven't posted since October...) we have made two trips to Iowa (Thanksgiving and Christmas), I have decided to try to become National Board Certified (this could be a bad idea), Eric has gotten a little promotion (and a new office!) at work, and Eloise is continuing to LOVE her class at school. 

For Thanksgiving, Eric and Izzy drove up on Tuesday and Weeze and I flew after school on Tuesday.  We did this last year, but Weeze was little enough that she doesn't remember this adventure at all, but THIS year was another story!  First of all, you have to know that she is fascinated with airplanes and helicopters (really anything that flies in the air), so she was very excited that she was going to get to fly!  She was great, seriously, GREAT on our trek.  Especially considering during our layover in Atlanta, our flight to the Quad Cities was cancelled...yes, CANCELLED!  I panicked at first, but we got it worked out.  We got the last two seats on a flight to Peoria which worked out wonderfully because Eric and Izzy had not yet passed Peoria, so they were able to pick us up on the way home! Phew!!  At Christmas, we drove home and it was a doozy drive!  Weeze got the stomach bug on Friday night before we were to leave on Saturday, so we waited until Sunday.  Well, she hurled...all.over. about 3 hours into our drive...YUCK! Needless to say, Ruby (my car) got a good shampoo and overall cleaning once we got to Iowa.  It was a stressful drive, but all was well, and the flight home at Thanksgiving was memorable enough that the bad drive was easily forgotten! 

Mommy and Weeze on the airplane!

    

The girls on our way for Christmas! 

Weeze found some reading material on Christmas Eve

I hope everyone is having a great 2013!  We have had a great start so far and are looking forward to a great year ahead!