Style?

I was looking at a website for a particular outfit for Anna Claire, and I came across the outfit pictured above. Mind you, this website claims they sell 'designer clothing for children with style'...if that's the case, and this outfit fits their motto, then AC will never be in style. (I will say this particular site does offer some super cute outfits..this one just doesn't happen to be one of them!)

Such a Ham....Part II

So, the silliness continues. I'm taking full advantage of the fact that AC is allowing bows to be in her hair. Today, I had the wild idea to put her hair in pig tails. I attempted this feat while she was eating her lunch from Chick-fil-A, hoping the nuggets would act as a distraction. Here are the results....

Such a ham....

Folks, we have a silly girl on our hands! She is quite the entertainer, and when we go out to eat, she quickly finds people to entertain (including her parentals). Today was no exception! While we were waiting for our lunch to arrive, Anna Claire felt it necessary to pretend she was sleeping on our hands...odd, but she thought it was hilarious. She was even pretending to snore (she learned that from her daddy)!
Her other trick today was to make "sweet eyes" at us.

AC Hearts Izzo's

We have Izzo's here. For you Aggies, it's an exact replica of Freebirds. (Sidenote: the owner worked through college at Freebirds, wanted to move back to Baton Rouge and open a Freebirds franchise, but the powers that be said no, so he opened his own version.) Anna Claire loves their chicken burrito and insists on eating it just like the grown-ups. In other words, she must hold the burrito herself and will not let me cut it up in small bites. She does well. We usually go on Monday nights and there's a clown that wears a big bow in her hair. AC is not a fan of the clown, but tonight when we went in here, she pointed to where the clown usually sits and said "Bow go?" She asked this multiple times during dinner, making sure the clown was no where around!

PS: The bow she is wearing is one we bought in Dallas when she was a baby. Click here to see a picture of her wearing it on a headband this time last year.
PPS: Today is the one year anniversary of this blog! My how time flies!

Let's Take Dora on a Walk

The weather is beautiful today, and AC kept saying, "ouside! ouside!" and so we took a little walk. Dora was kind enough to join us on our little stroll, and what stroll wouldn't be complete without collecting a few rocks. This has become AC's newest passion - rock collecting. We can't take 2 steps without picking up a couple of rocks. Today, Dora held the rocks in her stroller. Gracias, Dora.

Chatter Box!

It's official...our child is a chatter box! I'm not ashmed to admit that she comes by it quite naturally! Bless her heart. She talks non-stop! Whenever one of us steps out the room, she immediately asks, "Where Da-da (Ma-Ma) go?" and when she sees a school bus (she can spot one a mile away), she says, "Oohl Bus..round and round and round" (to go along with the song, "The Wheels on the Bus"), but her three favorite words are "pease" (please), "mine", and "no"....lovely.
Today at school, her teacher gave her some sunglasses. She was so excited to get home and show her daddy, but he wasn't home yet. I put them on her while we were getting out of the car, and when we got in the house, she went in every room, asking "Where Da-da go?". She even has hand motions.
One of her new favorite TV shows is The Wiggles, which she confidently refers to as "The Wi-Wi's"....that's nice. She will bring us the remote and say, "Wi-Wi please"....oh dear. Anyway, today, while catching a few minutes of the Wiggles, Anna Claire found it necessary to scoot her chair as close to the TV as possible. When I asked her to move her chair back...this is the look I received, as if to say, "What's wrong with where I'm sitting, Mom?"

Church Nursery....Her Second Home!

As you can imagine, AC spends quite a bit of time in the church nursery! Fortunately, she loves playing there with her good buddy, Brennan...or "B" as she calls him.

My friend, Lindsay, is my hero for finding these clips that AC will keep in her hair! Fabulous.

Google

We have a 'site meter' on our blog that shows us information about who visits our site. It doesn't give names - just location, time spent on blog, and how he/she got to our blog. Anyway, someone from Chiriqui, Panama, found our blog by going to Google and searching "McKenzie brownies New Orleans". Really?
So, I did my own Google search, thinking I might be missing something about a McKenzie brownie in New Orleans.....and well, on page 10 of the Google search, I found a mention of McKenzie's Bakery in New Orleans, and I'm on page 17 now with no mention of our blog. This person must have been serious about finding McKenzie brownies in New Orleans.

The "Wah-Wah"

We have a new addition to our mall here - the Boulevard - an outdoor, store-front shopping area. Anyway, they have two huge water fountains, and Anna Claire loves them! We showed her how to throw pennies in, and this made her squeal with excitement! We were out there today, and every store we went in, she would quickly point outside and say, "Wah-wah pease" (read: Water, Water, please).


Please note the clip in her hair....before we went shopping, a huge package arrived from my friend, Lindsay, filled with clothes and accessories for AC, including some hair clips. I tried one in AC's hair, and she pulled on it at first, but then realized it wasn't coming out, so she left it alone! Beautiful. Thanks, Lindsay!

Wacky Hair...

AC needs a hair cut...but if you recall the last time we went to the kid-friendly hair salon, they didn't do much, so I'm on the hunt for a new place to take her. This morning, while she was eating breakfast, I tried to put her hair up. She kept the bow in long enough for me to snap a couple of pictures, and then she pulled the bow out, saying "No, Mommy", and tossing the bow on the floor.

It's Raining. It's Pouring.

And Wednesday evening church has been cancelled. Crazy. Here's the view from our front door. The small river is actually our driveway.
Here's AC modeling her new Yankees outfit that her daddy brought back for her from his recent trip to NYC. (And yes, she's being a good PK - notice the church directory in one hand!)

Editor's Note: This is my 3rd post for the day...be impressed. *grin*

Fun Times in the Church Nursery

My friend just sent me these pictures that she took on Sunday night while the kids were playing.
In the first picture, AC and Brennan are having a snack at their new picnic table.
While they were having a snack, we looked over and AC was sitting like this, starring at Brennan. Too sweet. Fortunately, my friend snapped the picture at just the right moment.

Tag...You're It!

I've been "tagged" to do a list of fives by my dear friend, Lindsay, and since she and her husband are responsible for Brad and I meeting, I owe her one (or two or three....)! Lindsay and I met while teaching at CCA and have been friends every since.

1. 5 things under 5$ I couldn't live without: M&M's, a Sonic Diet Coke, notepads from the dollar spot at Target, Pentel RSVP fine point pens, and Clorox Anywhere spray

2. 5 favorite movies: You've Got Mail, My Best Friend's Wedding, The Holiday, Rudy, August Rush

3. 5 favorite baby names I love: Anna Claire, Jack, Molly, Madeline, Blaise

4. 5 songs I love: "Let My Love Open The Door" Pete Townsend , "Bubbly" Colbie Caillat, "Love Song" Sara Bareilles, "Amazed" Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, "When You Say You Love Me" Josh Groban

5. 5 positive influences: Brad, Mom & Dad, Elizabeth, Lindsay, Katherine

6. 5 things always in my purse: phone, keys, wallet, hand sanitizer, snack for AC

7. 5 life changing moments: Receiving an acceptance letter from A&M, Graduating from A&M, meeting/marrying Brad, having Anna Claire, moving away from family

8. 5 current obsessions: cute clothes for AC, Kleinpeter ice cream, flip flops, friends' blogs, finding nursery workers for church

9. 5 places I want to go: back to NYC, England, somewhere in Canada, Nachitoches, LA (where Steel Magnolias was filmed), and Dallas to visit friends and family

10. 5 appliances or kitchen tools I could not live without: KitchenAid stand mixer, banana slicer, microwave, pink ceramic knife, cookie sheets/muffin tins

11. 5 people who I would like to see their top 5's: Elizabeth, Mom, Brandee, Robyn, and Katherine

Whew. I did it. You're welcome, Lindsay.

Note: this is the only game of tag you will ever see me play!

Happy Mother's Day!

Today has been a super special day! Anna Claire melts my heart daily, and today was no exception! She and her daddy made this a wonderful day! This morning, at the end of the service, Brad had the kids come in and deliever flowers to all the moms. When Anna Claire brought me a flower, I cried. Brad has been working extra hard to get her to say "I love you" and right now, we get "I O"...which works. We know what she's saying and that's all that matters. Being a mother to her is a pure joy! I am blessed beyond measure to call her my daughter. I've had incredible Godly role models in my own mother and grandmothers that I am able to look up to and long to emulate. I also had the opportunity to hang out with my mom while at Elizabeth's graduation. She's the most fabulous mom and an even more fabulous grandmother!
I'll leave you with a fun picture of my mom! We were in the hotel room, and Elizabeth was stressing about walking across the stage at graduation. She wanted everything to be perfect, so Mom decided she would show Elizabeth how to receive her diploma gracefully while smiling and posing for the camera.....here's what her idea looked like. Fortunately, Elizabeth didn't take her advice and walked across the stage with ease. Mom, I love you!

Howdy, Whoop, and Gig 'em

Anna Claire and I just got back from College Station, where we attended Elizabeth's graduation from Texas A&M! We were there for just a short time, but in true Etier form, we didn't stop the entire time!
We're trying to work on Anna Claire smiling for the camera....here are the results...



Entertaining an 18-month old in a hotel can be quite the adventure! I brought along all kinds of toys, but she was more interested in climbing in the empty cabinet under the sink, calling the front desk, and opening and closing all the doors and drawers.


And here's the happy graduate with equally happy parents! (Editor's note: Her degree is in Nutritional Science. Contact me if you would like her contact information to offer her a job) *Grin*

Mother's Day Is Fast Approaching...

Allergies are in full swing around here, and so AC has not been doing much that is photo worthy. Runny nose, itchy eyes...the works. So, until she's on the mend...go check out MyMomShops Blog and Parent Magazine's Blog and enter yourself in some fun drawings for Mother's Day. For each prize, you just have to post a comment and you're entered to win. Never hurts to try. If you win something, just remember who told you to enter! *grin*

A Slight Detour

Today, AC and I were in the bedroom getting ready, and she found a Ziploc. I asked her to go throw it in the trash, and off she went. I continued getting ready until I heard a happy little voice say, "Mama, Mama". I went in to the kitchen to find her sitting at the table, drinking my coke from lunch. Yes, she managed to climb up in the chair, take my cup from the table, and have a refreshing little drink while on her way to the trashcan! Needless to say, she was very proud of herself!

The New School Bus

Anna Claire is the proud new owner of a Little People school bus. Usually she rides it all over the house, but when we let her take it outside today, she wanted to push it. We walked over to the church parking lot, and she had the whole space to herself! She was a happy little girl!

And who needs a playground when you have the railing at the church entry?
Anna Claire noticed something in the sky that she had to stop and point out to us.
Ever wondered what an 18-month old keeps in the seat of her new school bus? Here you go....