Happy Holidays

Whooo!  How time flies.  So, my first semester of graduate school is done-zo!  I got a 4.0 gpa my first semester in graduate school.  1 semester down, 2 more to go.  But more importantly, Christmas is here and we are so excited.  Amaya is three and her level of excitement is FABULOUS!  Amaya is so excited for Santa and she is definitely in the Christmas spirit.  Here is a list of things we have done this holiday season:

1.  Went to see the fabulous movie:  FROZEN!  We love that movie.  Olaf was hysterical.  We will definitely be buying it the day it comes out.  We are Disney Fanatics!

2.  I took Amaya to Santa's Village at Lincoln Park Golf Course.  She was such a good little girl waiting in line to see Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, and was even more perfect when it was her turn to sit on Santa's lap and take a picture.

3.  First Haircut - Amaya finally got her first haircut on Christmas Eve from my friend Jaclyn S., and she was perfect.  Jaclyn said she was the best little kid she's done in a looong time.  Amaya and I had been talking about it in the days leading up to her hair appointment, and she was pumped all morning on the morning of.  She wasn't moving her head, she didn't cry.  She was perfect.  And most of all, she was so happy with the way her hair looked when it was all said and done!

4.  We went to Christmas In the Park at Lincoln Park.  *Proceeds go to the Lions Club.  Although Amaya was not acting very excited during this festivity (we were really tired after baking cookies for Santa and playing with Jaclyn and Deja), Amaya always points out christmas lights on every house we pass when we are in the car. :)

5.  Lastly, we went to the UND v. NDSU women's basketball game and Amaya was approached and asked to go to the middle of court during the game and do the chicken dance with some other little kids.  And she said YES!  She was nervous, but when it was her time to shine...she did.  She got a buffalo wild wings hat and crown.  And it was in front of over 1,000 people.  We were so proud.  :)

Amaya's first hair cut/trim

With her newest Hello Kitty earrings :)

Pre-Cut

Laughing at Deja

Getting braided up.  She did so good with Jaclyn.  She didn't move her head, she didn't cry.  She was perfect!

Amaya got a certificate, a candy cane, and a blowpop; she was an even happier girl after her haircut

After her haircut.  Daddy was worried about her hair getting cut too short, but we was very pleased.

Just because.  

At Santa's Village making crafts and waiting for Santa.

Sitting on Santa's lap, being a big girl.  She told Santa that she wanted "Little Mermaid" for Christmas.

Amaya with family friend Maya.  Alma is somewhere snapping pictures.

Before her Chicken Dance performance

quickly getting nervous.  lol.  But she was a champ.

Zoned in on the game.  by the way, UND pulled out the victory!

Baking and creating Santa's cookies!!!  

As you can see, I did the first cookie.  But Amaya did the rest.  Amaya and Deja had tons of fun playing, running around, jumping off couches, playing stylist and dress up.

Then me, Amaya, Jaclyn, and Deja went to Christmas In The Park to see the lights!

Finished product.  The cookies were delish.  I had...I mean Santa loved the cookies.!

One of Amaya's many gifts she received from Santa.  A cardboard house to color in.  We can all fit in there.  She just loves it.  She is really loving taking her Playskool camera and using the projection in there.  Her excitement lights up our home and I am loving the 3 year-old stage for sure!!!

Next, is the Kidkraft dollhouse.  I just knew I had to get this for Amaya when I saw it.  And it has lived up to the hype. 

Lastly, our Christmas tree.  It's crooked, but real!  

We had such a great Christmas.  Amaya is now 3.5 years old and such a joy.  Eric and I love her to the moon and back.  She keeps us on our toes, she is smart and witty like her Dad, and hilariously silly like her Mom (Me!)  I just hope she looks back on our memories and is blessed, thankful, and remembers the Happiness that filled her heart and ours!  

From our family to yours:  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!  

Birthday Party Etiquette! (link)

http://www.birthdayinabox.com/party-ideas/childrens-party-etiquette.html

Ideas Ideas 4 Amaya's 2014 Birthday

I know that Amaya's 4th birthday is not until May 27th, 2014 but I have learned a lot about myself and I NEED to start planning early.  I always have so many ideas in my mind about how awesome I want Amaya's Birthday to be and these past 3 birthdays there have been some obstacles in our way that I feel have gotten in our way of giving her the best birthday that we can.  So I vow, for her 4th birthday and on, that I will plan plan plan and start early.  So with that said here are some of my ideas for her 4th birthday:

I like celebrating birthdays on the day of, if possible, or as close to the birthdate as possible.  So I am planning to have her party Memorial Day weekend.  May 24th which is my birthday or the 25th which is a Sunday.  

Locations:   

1.  Choice Health & Fitness for a swimming party with possible themes of Spongebob (Bikini Bottom Luau) or Rio (rio 2 will be out in theaters next April and she might be so in love with the movie that we'll just use that as the theme for the party.

Things to consider:  stomachache and cramps since kids and adults alike will eat and then go swimming.  So what to serve and what time to have the party.  There are 3 time slots.  But I do like that Sunday is an option because it will not be as packed as a Saturday.   

2.  Red River Valley Gymnastics 

More expensive but such a great, more intimate experience and lots of room to run and many things for all ages.

That is all I have for now.  They are both close to home which is a plus.

Themes:  

1.  As i stated above, Spongebob - lots of ideas available. 

2.  Rio

3.  Superheroes (one or all) - Amaya loves superheroes, what can I say? :) 

4.  Doc Mcstuffins

So, if anyone has any ideas or comments I am open to suggestions!  

Oh its been too long....but we're back just in time for some Hall-O-Ween Fun!

The past 3 months have been crazeee!  I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work from the University of North Dakota and 3 very short weeks later I started an OVER Full-time Master of Social Work program at UND.  Amaya is back at the lovely Brenda's Childcare (home daycare) and she is having a blast with all of her old friends.  And the same kids are still there, which is great, as well as younger siblings of those same kids.  It's such a family atmosphere there.  So Eric and I are just as happy for that fact.  Thirdly, Eric started working at Amazon at the end of August!  He is back in the swing of full-time work.  He's making it look easy, let me tell you.  My internship was full-time and only lasted 3 months and I was dying.  I learned that I was not as flexible and not as good at multi-tasking as I thought I was.  Lesson Learned!

 GOOD NEWS ALERT!  I was offered a position at Community Violence Information Center (CVIC) in Downtown Grand Forks as a Kids First Child Visitation Specialist (part-time).  I accepted BUT I hope that whatever my work schedule is, since I will have to work in the evening, Amaya will be taken care of.

Alrighty, now on to Hall-O-Ween!  So I was extra proactive this year with house decorations, more proactive than years past.  I am just feeling really good about the holidays this year and I am getting better at trying things that I am always thinking up in my head.  I have never been very creative but Pinterest is helping and HGTV is always fun to watch and get ideas.

Amaya and I went to the annual YMCA halloween night this past sunday and she had lots of fun.  And two weeks ago we went to the pumpkin patch, so she has had her fair share of Haunted Houses.  The one at the patch was super scary and she started crying right at the end, we thought she was going to make it but it got all of us pretty good.  The haunted house at the Y! was a piece of cake compared to the one at the patch and she left saying "I didn't cry at all Mommy".  :)  Now the best part of the blog...The Pictures!!!!  Check them out and see how we celebrated halloween and check out Amaya in her costume!  She picked it out all on her own.

My favorite picture...Classic Amaya smile!  Miss Doc McStuffins

This is her more serious, professional picture :)

This was before we left to the YMCA annual halloween night!

Just cute! (I love her kicks, perfect for her costume)

Welp, I was ready!  so much for a family photo! lol.  

My two loves as Mr. Pig and Miss Moo!

Now she's a goat, man she moves on quick.  

She was very determined!

Home Decorations

I love this 

Arts & Crafts

Basketball Time

Learning how to shoot

All by herself...she did great!  And every week she truly got better and better and I am so proud of that.

She made sure to keep her hands so she was ready for the pass

playing a passing game with the other kids

Her first (of many hopefully) basketball achievement!

They look alike in this picture.  Daddy loves his Sweetpea!

Extra photo from the patch

Just Because

Mid way through summer

This summer has been super busy for us. We've been to the Lake twice, Bismarck, and I went on a mini vacation to San Diego.  And we've done our best to stay busy back home in GF.  Amaya restarted Gymnastics at Red River Valley Gymnastics but in a different class, Lil Acro, and she is also doing one session of dance.  Although I think she may not be ready for it yet.  But we will see how it looks at the end.  She spent 4/5 days in Bismarck with her Auntie Tara, Uncle Rick and cousins Kendall and Jaxon and she still asks us when we get in the car if we're going to go see her cousins.  :). She had a blast and I know they kept her busy.  They saw Despicable Me 2, went to the Sandbars (I still don't know what they are, lol) and her and her big cousin Kendall got their nails painted...among other things.  We missed her tons, but I knew she was going to behave, which she did, and that all the kids were going to have fun, which they did.  So it was a success for everyone involved.  We also went to the lake on the 4th of July and although my baby got eaten alive by mosquitoes she still had fun and especial wanted to stay out and watch the fireworks. I was not fond of the mosquitoes, but what else is new?  I just can't get used to them no matter how hard I try.  

But my Amaya turned 3 this summer and has been one busy kid so far and I don't see her slowing down.  I'm just glad all vacations have ceased right now because I am loving all this time at home with my fiancée and daughter!  I just feel so lucky and blessed.  Despite the issues that arise I am happy and things will only get better from here.  #operationAugust2014 

Pictures from the summer:

She got into mommys makeup

Cousin Love 

BISMARCK 

At the Lake!  Thanks to pacey for making the picture funny!  But more cousin love :)