What is in a name???

I have been meaning to take pictures of these two special friends for a few months now. As with everything else, I think that I will never forget these little details of life with a 3 year old but sadly I know I will. So here is the background story:

For many years Addison had this very creative way about her when it came to naming baby dolls or new stuffed animals that we welcomed into our home. She would name all baby dolls Baby and the animals would usually get the correct name also. So, for a cow, it would be cow, duck we might go for duckie. She would become offended if someone asked her for her babies name after she had just told them, it was BABY. She has since grown out of this and has started to create names for her stuffed animals and babies but this really has been a recent transition. SO, when Macy started receiving special baby dolls and stuffed animals I figured she would just copy what she had learned from Addison and take the obvious choices for names. She did do this the first few times but then these two stuffed animals came into our lives a few weeks apart and they were special from the beginning, why you may ask, well, because they were the first two items to get REAL names from Macy. She loves these guys and sleeps with them almost every night. The cow is named MOOOOO and the Kitty is names Shugua'(think gangster version of Sugar) or Sugar depending on Macy's mood. :) Though, we may need to look into renaming the cat to Miricle because Macy just informed me (2 days in a row) that Sugar was a cat and has turned into a dog. She will not listen to reason on this issue and so I am now just going along with it and stating that it must be a miricle as a cat can not turn into a dog. Have I mentioned how much I love these silly girls of mine!!!!

I was preparing for Mom to Mom this Friday and included our verse for the year in the document I was preparing. I wanted to share it with you all because I think it is very relevant and it was very uplifting to me as I wrote it today! I hope it is an encouragement to you as well.

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A day at the river

Yesterday morning we packed up our swimsuits, towels and a large cooler and headed out for a wonderful day of family and friend fun on the Willamette river. We are lucky enough to have some friends who have an awesome ski boat and are very willing to share there toys with us. :) Andrew and Kenny have been hitting the water a ton this summer and so they decided it would be fun to include the wives and kids this trip. :)

I can't believe what a beautiful day God had given us yesterday, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, the girls were in GREAT moods, we spent the whole day with dear friends and I started the day with a Starbucks....what could be better. :) I have to note that Addison showed much improvement from our last boat trip and she actually enjoyed herself this time. New situations are always hard for her and so this time she knew what to expect and was able to really enjoy the day. I could not believe that she would hang out on the back platform and play in the water with Macy and Reese. As expected Macy was fearless and would have jumped right into the river if we would have let her. Kenny's wake boarding skills have been improving greatly over the summer months and he was rocking out on the water yesterday and I know he was having a ton of fun! I tried wake surfing for the first time yesterday and had a blast! It is a work in progress for me to find the "sweet spot" and be able to go without the rope for more then a few seconds but I think it could be something I would enjoy trying again.

We finished the day off with a BBQ of Salmon and Chicken and some yummy wine. Here are some pictures from our day of family fun!

Addison is in Kindergarten

It is official....Addison is a Kindergartner. How can this be possible, I don't know. I feel my baby in my arms and now she is starting the school journey. WOW, where does that time go?

Last Saturday I kept a DeLapp girl tradition and did an official "back to school shopping trip" in Portland. It was always a fun day that I looked forward to every year from the time I started kindergarten to the year I graduated from High School. My grandma Finley, my mom and my sister and I would always make a day of it, hit the road early, go to all of the major malls in Portland along with Nordstrom Rack, T.J. Maxx and anything other great store that we deemed worthy of a stop. :) We would always have a fun lunch and usually dinner and then head home with very tired bodies and feet and a trunk full of wonderful deals and treasures. It was such a fun way to get excited for the school year ahead and a special day for us to bond and hang out before the hectic schedules of the new school year kicked in. Last year we introduced Addison to this wonderful tradition but this year she really understood the concept. It was so adorable to see her actually pick EVERYTHING that we purchased. I was so amazed at how she really thought things through and would work on making outfits and mixing and matching to get the most "bang for her buck"....I have to say, as a fashionista / shopaholic, I was very impressed! :)

The first day of school ended up being much harder for me then I had expected. I had taken her to preschool last year and did not have a hard time leaving her but this year was very different. I think the reality of the situation set in. The fact that she will always "go to school" year in and year out from now on. The fact that slowly she will be with me less and less and that she will be learning things and experience life without me was actually very hard for me to stomach this year. As we walked up to the school she was holding my hand so tight, she was very nervous but quickly she recalled meeting her teacher the week before and then she met another little girl in her class, she hung up her stuff and sat down to play puzzles with her new friend and then she said it...the words that I thought I wanted her to say but the ones that hit me hard "you can go now Mom"....I waited a few more minutes just to make sure and she looked at me with her sweet little eyes and said it again "mom, I said you could go"....and so I went. As I walked out the front door and past the playground IT HAPPENED. The tears won and my heart was heavy. I was excited for all of the amazing first that are to come, but sad for this signals a passage into a new stage in life. Welcome School Years!

Foote Household Words

My mom keeps reminding me that I must record these common Foote household words before they go away and I forget them and I know she is right. So, her are some of my favorites right now:

puuter = computer "I am working on my puuter" *Macy Age: 2 1/2

case.a.dilla = quesadilla "Mommy, I want a case.a.dill.a for lunch with extra cheese, please" Macy Age: 2 1/2

member = remember "I member you said that I could have a treat after quiet time" Addison Age: 5 1/2

last night = ANYTHING in the past. Though she says the words correctly she could be referring to something last week OR last year. I know she will quickly grow out of this and so I correct her in a very gentle way, but usually let it slide. Addison Age: 5 1/2

What soon = when or how soon "What soon will Nana and Grandpa Foote be here." Sadly Daddy has been correcting her and this is now only used in moments when she has does not have a chance to form her thoughts before speaking. Addison Age: 5

oozzz me = Excuse me "ozzz me, I burped". Macy Age 2

I am going to do my best to post new Foote words as they come along. I think I forget that kids really do grow up quickly, and even though I think I will never forget some of these funny and unique words or events that make me laugh and smile, the sad reality is that they will grow up, I will grow old and lose my mind and have no recollection of these funny and amazing times with my little people....and so I shall blog now to help me remember. :)

Someone has been listening outside the door....

The other day I was checking in on Addison and Macy as they played in their playroom together (which has stayed clean since the big redo) and I hear my little mini mommy Addison give Macy some sort of instructions. Macy responds back with something else and then I hear it.....Addison changes her tone of voice and says "you would like more Macy, is that correct?" You see, when I am working part of my quality assurance points that determine my tier level for my schedule each month is based on accuracy. We are required to spell and read back all information that is given to us. So, if you were standing outside my door at any given work hour you would hear me say, "I have that as Teresa Foote T.E.R.E.S.A F.O.O.T.E, is that correct?" over and over and over, is that correct? Is that correct? Is that correct?....you get the picture. :) I guess they really do watch and in this case listen to everything we say and do. :)

I love these girls!!!!!!!