Sunday, December 23, 2012

Merry Christmas

Praying that your Christmas is filled with reminders of Christ, feelings of Hope, and the love of family!

Merry Christmas!
Love, 
the Simmons

Will, becca, Anna-Kate (3.5) and Benjamin (10 months)

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Pajama Party

We did a sticker chart to encourage Anna-Kate to use the potty instead of her pull up.  When she completed the chart, we had a family pajama party!  (We also realized since that the power of reward is what was driving AK toward success, sigh.  I think the power of discipline may have to be what comes next, bigger sigh.)

For the pajama party, I picked something that Anna-Kate could easily help me with for supper.  Pizza biscuits!  I love that this picture shows her wearing her comfy Hello Kitty socks and her nightgown.

  She was so excited that the whole family would be in their pajamas!

I mean really excited!

While I was getting the biscuits out of the oven and plating them, she was getting the living room set up.  She found blankets for all of us and throw pillows off the couch for us.  We never used them, but we had them!

We enjoyed Tinkerbell with pizza biscuits in our pajamas.  

Loved spoiling our girl in a pretty simple way!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Brilliance in Training





This was our reminder to Benjamin that this book is more appropriate for him than all the books on our bookshelves that he prefers to pull out!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Photo Dump

This is my first photo dump from the pictures in my phone.  I have a new fancy phone.  But, I am just going to admit.  I might as well be 20 years older than I am for how little time I put into learning my gadget.  I don't know how to easily get the pictures off my phone.  Am I missing a cord?  or is there an app for that?  (I also don't know how to 'shop' for apps)  Should I really have this phone?  Some might be asking that very question right now.  

Anyway....I finally just emailed the better of the pictures to myself.  Here are a few of the images you have missed over the last couple months:

This was Benjamin's first time riding in the cart with Anna-Kate.  Can you tell that he felt like a big boy?!  So proud of himself!  And, I am obsessed with that big grin!

Will and I are teaching one of the 3's classes at church.  (They are the oldest third of the 3's, so they have all just turned 4. That also means AK is not in our class, on purpose.)  We average 15-20.  This was before the majority of the kids show up.  When all the kids are there, it is full speed ahead with all hands on deck!  How amazing is that man in the short chair?!

I took this to send to my sister-in-law.  How in-style does Anna-Kate look in this Banana Republic sweater!?  My sister-in-law's husband kindly did the laundry in their house.  After that laundry experience, AK was gifted this sweater!  If you doubted, the dryer does in fact shrink sweaters!

This is an image we don't see very often anymore.  AK seldom falls asleep in the car.  Over Thanksgiving, when she passed out for an hour, I had to get this picture.  

Natalie started walking.  I tried to get a picture to send to her parents of her practicing her new skills.  This picture is also funny because it shows what toy I used to draw her toward me.  Yes, a shiny noodle ladle from the toy kitchen.  Those utensils are her favorite!

Shopper in training!
I went to the mall with the three kids and my parents.  I let Natalie out of the stroller for a few minutes to let her shop with Anna-Kate.  She was so excited to be free!  Next time we will borrow Dad's credit card!

This was one of my "quick trips" to the grocery store!  

Benjamin is asleep; time for Natalie's first crayons experience at Mrs. becca's house!  She loved it!  Doing what Anna-Kate does always makes her feel so big!


Maybe next time the photo dump will be done by a more technologically savy becca!

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Baby's First

Mohawk!

and Baby's First tooth!  Finally at 10 months that first tooth broke through!  The second is almost through too!  (The drool and the fussiness may have arrived as well...)

Watch out Daddy, here comes trouble!

Big Girl's Millionth

Cheesy Grin!

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Then and Now

2009
Anna-Kate at 6 months

2012
Benjamin at 10 months

Love these sweet moments with my little ones!