2008 in Review

Someone suggested posting a list of what our kids have done/accomplished this year (their highlights) and I thought it was a brilliant idea! So here it goes

January
I was 15 months old
I was 26.5 lbs and 31.5 inches
I flew to New York to see my cousin Nick and Liza get married. Learned that I did not like the cold
I became obsessed with taking things apart and putting them back together.
I started really talking in sentences
I dislocated my elbow for the second time.
I learned to ride a "big girl" swing and go up and down a slide by myself for the first time.
I knew the sounds of all animals and could name 26 animals and wanting to learn more.

February
I started to sometimes wear underwear at home- and stay dry!!
I flew to Louisville Kentucky to see my cousins.
I went to The Louisville Slugger Museum. I loved the bats and would not let go of Derrik Jeters.
I got my first haircut in Indiana. I did not cry at all!
I went to the Lousiville Zoo, I loved to see all the animals in real life- well except the Gorillas.
I started to name all my colors
I learned how to jump

March
I became interested in all the different types of flowers that grow on my block.
I started to insist on what I will and will not wear.
I loved dancing to Noggin Music Videos.
I went on my first Easter Egg Hunt
I got a tricycle from the Easter Bunny.
I went to Charlotte to meet my new Friend Eli

April
I went to New York City for the nth time. This time I brought my friend and we had a blast.
I went and ate at the American Girl Museum
I went to the Bronx Zoo.
I slept through many parts of New York City
I learned all my Letters. I could name and recognize them.
I told mommy no more diapers and than potty trained in 2 weeks!
I started Gymnastics and fell in love
I learned to roller skate.

May
I got my first Trophy for Gymnastics and I was in my first Show!
I went to Charlotte again to see my friends MEredith and Eli.
I met my friend Sam for the first time. Check out his blog.
I drew my first self portrait.
I dislocated my elbow for the 3rd time- jumping out of a chair.
I can ride my bike down the block
I am really enjoying pretending.

June
I learned that I love playing with shaving cream- and messy art.
I dislocated my elbow for the 4th time.
I started to go potty all by myself.
I went "camping" in Boone and hiked on the Blue Ridge Parkway for the first time.
I learned to swim.
I went to New York City AGAIN.
I met my new Cousin Mila for the first time.

July
I watched my first fireworks celebration and played with my first sparkler.
I grew tadpoles. I continued my love affair with Animals
I went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
I went to my first Aquarium.
I threw mommy's wallet out the window and realized that mommy can get VERY angry.
I started to read.
I spent my first night away from mommy.
I went to Sesame Place and LOVED the water rides and the shows.
I went back to New York City and got to dance on the BIG piano at FAO Schwartz.
My friend moved away and I was very sad.

August
I started talking- really talking 3-4 word sentences!
I am reading more and more words.
I started to spell words- sounding them out.
I learnd to use words to argue my point.
I started preschool at Jenkins Preschool Academy.

September
I had my first Hurricane Day- and the storm never came.
I began to learn to cook.
I went to my 3rd concert.

1. The Dirty Sock Funtime Band
2. Laurie Berkner
3. Raggs Live in Concert

I learned how to paint my toes all by myself.
I started to pay attention to the news and give my opinion.
I fell in love with Barack Obama

October
I turned two. I am 35 inches and 30 lbs.
I can count to 20, I know all my letters, can recognize my numbers to 10 and know all my colors and shapes. Most Surprisingly I can read.
I had three Birthday Parties.
Overnight I started doing real puzzles. I can now do 48 piece puzzles.
My friends Meredith came to my Birthday Party and her mom did my 2nd Birthday Pictures- she is an awesome Photographer!!
I dressed up as a flower for Halloween and enjoyed trick-or-treating.

November
I really got into art- started drawing faces and people everywhere.
I participated in my first Presidential Election and let everyone in the polling station know who I wanted to win.
I went to Charlotte and got 3 days of Quality time with Meredith
I went to Sophia's 4th Birthday Party- my first real tea party.
I started to identify and draw expressions with emotion.
I saw my first snow fall.
I learned how to skip and gallop.
I was in my first Thanksgiving Show at School.
I went to Louisville, Kentucky for Thanksgiving and had my first Fried Turkey- I did not like it.
I got my first Report Card
I started writing letters, M, N, H, I, A , S
December
I learned how to cut...
I continued to need to do things perfect.
I got a "big girl" bedroom from my mom for Christmas.
I went and picked out my Christmas Tree. TOld the lady I was five.
I learned my last name, my age, and my address.
I started to use pronouns really well.
I am acting out my books.
I had my picture taken with Santa.
I can read many of my books.
I helped decorate the tree for the first time.
I learned the story of Christmas.
I love my family very much.
I can dress myself and take off my pants.
I had my first bungee jump.
I went to my first photo shoot.


and the rest of the pictures....

June


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July



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August

September

October

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November

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December


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and

and lastly,

My Wild Child

and her first bungee jump. As expected the child who went down a 5 story water coaster at 10 months old, who forced me into moving her into a toddler bed because she was repeatedly climbing out of her crib at 12 months old, loved her first bungee jump at the mall tonight.

Asynchronious...

Asynchronous Development is a term that describes uneven development. It can mean uneven development academically, physically, and/or emotionally.

Abigail at nearly 27 months was the poster child for Asynchronous this morning; sitting in her booster chair playing Scrabble...

Through the eyes of a child

I don't know who said that you have never really seen the magic and splendor of the Christmas until you have seen it through the eyes of a child. Today I realized how true this really was.

For the first time in my life Christmas was truly not about receiving presents, instead it was about watching my daughter learn secret of Santa, the joy of making cookies as a family and the wonder of waking up on Christmas morning to discover that a jolly old man in a red suit left presents under the tree.

This was the first Christmas that Abigail really "got" Christmas. She learned the Christmas Story from the Bible, she visited Santa, and she baked Cookies. As Abigail approached the tree she shouted "Presents, Santa came and left me presents!!" Pure excitement, as if she doubted this "Santa story" was really true.

Hope everyone had a wonderful day I will share pictures tomorrow.

An interlude...

between remembrances.

Abigail surprised me today. We went to Power of Play to burn off some energy before food shopping. It was a lot of fun for both of us. Abigail had a lot of fun playing with everything and deciding when she was ready to go, and I had a lot of fun watching and interacting with her. The difference in her is amazing. Last time we had been there she had played with the toys but without much "sense". This time it was fun to watch her "understand" what all the rooms were for. She has always "cooked" in the kitchen; or fed the babies in the play house, but today was different.

Today Abigail brought me into the "Doctor's Office" Made me sit in a wheelchair, put an x-ray on the light box and told me my leg was broken. She then put medicine on my leg and told me that I was all better.

This is reason number #135 that I am so happy she is going to Jenkins Preschool Academy.

On a side night, Abigail has had a tricycle since March of this year. She has been able to pedal it decently but not with great agility.In other words, she crashes into walls Today she proved how skillfull she has become on the bike...here is a little video to share.



and a CTKS (cute things kids say) moment tonight at bedtime: Abigail farted tonight while puttng together her bedtime puzzle.. She looked at me laughed and said " My butt" I asked her what was wrong with her butt and she said " My but is leaking!!" and started giggling. The joys of being two.

Remembering 2008...

I cannot believe 2008 is almost over. It has been a busy year filled with lots of travel, lots of fun and lots of photo's. Somehow during all of that Abigail went from a baby to a little girl. Here are some of my favorite moments from 2008...

January-

Showing off her cool sense of style

February-

Taking a moment to stop and smell the flowers

March-

First Pedal Bike- Grandma's Easter Present

and

Easter 2008- What a pretty dress!

April-

In a New York City Taxi- Enjoying
a rare moment out of a car seat

and

Playing in the Playground in Central Park

May

Gymnastics Class...haning from the bars.

and

Hanging out with Teesa and Sam
at a Charlotte Shoneys (I think)

I will finish the second half of 2008 later in the week

Starting to feel a lot like Christmas

Our Beautiful Christmas Tree

You can almost here the bells ringing on Santa's sleigh and it seems everything is coming together. The Christmas tree is up, the packages are arriving and hidden and the Christmas Spirit is alive and well in Wilmington...the only thing not cooperating is the weather. It was 74 and foggy today...not much chance we will be having a "White Christmas" here.

Abigail helped us to decorate the tree last night. It was not actually planned (started it after bedtime) but she had a nightmare and woke up and caught us in the act...so she "helped" out. Here are a few pics...

Hanging an ornament

Hanging more ornaments...

Deciding on the best place to put the ornament with Grandma

Posing with mama... she was "done" by this point!

Hopefully everyone is having as good, if not better holiday season as we are

Begining to look a lot like Christmas...

everywhere we go...well not really since it has been in the 70s since Friday. But inside it is starting to look like we are ready to celebrate.



We will decorate the tree tomorrow but I finished (i think) the fireplace tonight. Trying to keep it "simple" this year.

Saturday we went to Mayfair to see Santa. This is Abigail's first picture with Santa and I was not expecting a good picture. But like always Abigail surprised me. She was a little warey at first but Santa was awesome and she warmed up quickly.

This is a picture of a picture so the quality is not the best, but you can see the joy in her face...and that is what the season is all about; spreading joy.

A Great Idea

I read on another blog about letting your kids paint on canvas and I thought it might be a fun idea to try it with Abigail.

So tonight, after a very long day we sat down to paint on canvas. I think they may be mixing colors in school because I think that was Abigail's favorite part. She loved to mix the three colors to get many others. In the end, Abigail painted three pictures...one was "Australia" another was "Fireworks" and the last was a boy (notice the mustache). I framed one of the pictures... may add more as the weeks go on. But this was a fun activity to do.

Australia

Fireworks

Boy

Unreachable Dreams....

Last night, when we were getting our Christmas Tree the woman at the tree lot was asking Abigail questions. There conversation went something like this.

Treelady: Hey Sweetie, what's your name?
Abigail: "Abigail Forps" .
Tree Lady: How old are you?
Abigail: "I am going to be 5"
Treelady: How old are you now?
Abigail "Two...but going to be 5 when I am tall...SOON"


Poor kid she may make it to five but she's never going to be tall!

19 days left ??

I dont know where the year has gone but somehow there are only 19 days left until 2008 is over. It is amazing how fast this year has gone. Although there have been a lot of changes and some of our really good friends have moved away I have to say, overall, it has been a WONDERFUL year!

Here are some pictures from getting our Christmas tree today.

Staying Warm with Grandma
at the Tree Place

I want THAT ONE!!

Trying to stay warm....
yes, those are my socks you are seeing

Here are some pictures of Abigail playing in her room earlier today. Two-year-olds are meant to be multi-taskers. Abigails is doing a 25 piece puzzle, dressed like a princess, while having a tea party....and of course telling mama to stop taking her picture.

Nothing is better then puzzles
pieces dunked in pretend tea.

Yum, Yum, This tea is delicious!

Just to add...I know I am biased but I love the way the colors in her new furniture really brighten up her room. It makes me feel like it is a real "big kids" room.

Abigail's new dresser!!

When I was in high school my cousin gave me a dresser that was painted black. For the last 10 years I have used it and never bothered to change it, but I wanted to give it to Abigail and black would just not work for a 2 year old...so I decided to redo it for her. I officially finished it today and I have to say it looks awesome...

Here are the before pictures








and the after...I really love the way this came out!

Hand me downs and scissors

Abigail and I went with friends to see Laurie Berkner in Concert in Atlanta Ga. Here is one of my favorite pictures from December 2007.




Today Abigail proved that hand me downs are wonderful, even though 2 year old's are not always so cooperative when it comes to posing for pictures.

On a side note...Abigail has been practicing her cutting. SHe loves to do it...when she can do it the right way!