Meet Garden

Last week, Brad went to pick up our car from the shop (a guy in our church is a mechanic), and he came home with a baby turtle!?!? Our friend had caught it out by his shop, and they both agreed that Anna Claire would enjoy this little creature.
Well, they were right. She immediately named it "Garden", and she checked on it every 2 minutes!
After living in a box of sand and water for 4 days, we decided to go to the pet store and get the turtle a home it deserved.  The lady who helped us has her master's in herpetology (or turtleology as I called it) and she works at the pet shop for fun. We found out that our little turtle is a red-eared slider. We bought the necessary supplies and came home to set Garden up in his/her new home. The lady showed us how to determine gender on this type of turtle, but it is too early to tell.
Anna Claire is crazy about this little creature, and I must admit, I enjoy watching it, especially in the new "home".

Saturdays

Last Saturday, we went for our first snowcone of the season! Delicious! Anna Claire's favorite is Tiger Pride (LSU - purple and yellow/gold) and the flavors are King Cake and Birthday Cake. Yum.

There is an empty field next to the snowcone stand and while we waited for our treats, Anna Claire ran her little heart out!

Afterwards, we headed over to the other mall in Baton Rouge - one we've never been to because we prefer the "new mall" (that's what the locals call it even though it's been around for atleast 10 years!). This other mall has a new playland, so Anna Claire checked it out. It was adorable - lots of things to climb on, slide down, etc. - all with a Louisiana theme!

Today, we went over to a family's house because one of the Sunday school classes was having a party there. This family lives right on the river, so there was the option to go fishing! Brad had a blast, and Anna Claire even tried with her princess fishing pole! They caught a few little ones, but they threw them back in. Anna Claire had just as much fun running around with all the kids! Needless to say, she is taking a really good nap right now!

Name That Tune

Recently, Anna Claire has been singing this one particular song that she learned at school. She sings the same words every time, but Brad and I have NO CLUE what she is saying! We will ask her, "Are you trying to say ______ (fill-in-the-blank)?" And she will say, "No" and immediately start singing again. Please help!
 

Where Did the Weekend Go?

Friday morning, AC participated in a trike-a-thon at school. One word: hilarious. There was a starting line with balloons and flags used to rope off the track (read: large circle in the gym). AC was pumped. She had been learning about bike safety all week. She even came home one night in tears saying that she needed a helmet for the trike-a-thon because it wouldn't be safe for her to wear her daddy's helmet. Just to clarify- she saw Brad's helmet in the storage room one time and tried it on. For whatever reason, she thought that we would make her wear it if she said she needed a helmet. Funny.

Saturday was a full day - good times, not too many pictures. We took flowers to Mrs. Pat (a lady from our church who lives in a care facility) for her birthday.

Brad and I attended a wedding at Nottoway Plantation. We had never been there, and I must say, we will be going back! The place was beautiful! The couple looked stunning! And the weather could not have been more perfect....even a heart-shaped cloud was in the sky!

When we got home, AC wanted to put on my little jacket. She immediately draped it over her shoulders, folded her hands in front of her, and said, "Look, I'm Mrs. Pat!" This is a different Mrs. Pat than the one previously mentioned. And she's right, this particular Pat always wears a sweater draped over her shoulders, and apparently, AC took note.

Sunday morning, AC and I struggled with the time change, so I told her that we would need to eat a quick breakfast before heading out the door. While I still getting ready, AC went in the kitchen to fix breakfast. Even put a snack in a ziploc to take to Brad, who was already at the church. She was so proud of her culinary skills.

Sunday night, AC dressed herself for church. I was very proud of her and even a little surprised at the lack of accessories.

Back at Christmas, we bought matching pj's for AC and her American Girl doll. The pj's for AC were too small, so we had to send them back. The pj's were on backorder, so they finally arrived TODAY! I have a feeling she will demand to wear them to school tomorrow.

And Hug 'Dem Neck

AC's new favorite song that she learned in chapel at school. She sings this song on repeat. It reminds me of "The Song That Never Ends"! Something in the American Girl catalog distracted her, so she didn't sing the whole song. Luck you.

Super Cheese

Anna Claire is in full-on cheese mode! Lordy. She refuses to take a "cute" picture without first taking a "silly" picture.
Last week, AC's school celebrated Dr. Seuss all week with various activities and treats. One day was wacky day, and AC had a ball with this! She quickly caught on to the concept and helped me get her outfit all ready for the day!

Silly picture of said day:

Cute picture of said day:

On Sunday, for whatever reason, AC woke up looking older to me. Before she hopped in the van to head to church, I demanded a picture.

Silly picture:

Cute picture:

Tonight, after dinner, AC went in the living room to play while Brad and I cleaned up the dinner dishes. Yes, Elizabeth, we cooked at home tonight, and no, we did not use the quesadilla maker. AC was rather quiet, so I peeked around the corner to see this:

AC studying the pages of her American Girl catalog. I've never seen a child so enthralled with a magazine, but she will comb the pages of this same magazine daily. She asks questions, talks about the things she wants now, and dreams about the things she wants "when she's older" (translation: when she's 4. in October. at JC Penney for the Hannah Montana birthday. Remember?)

Proud to be an American...

A couple of weeks ago (ok, maybe it was last week - I can't remember), patriotism was the theme of the week at Anna Claire's preschool. Since then, she is repeatedly saying the pledge, singing some song about "red, white, and blue" at the top of her lungs, and waiving her American flag with pride. Let me just stop right here and state the obvious. Papa Bear (aka - my dad, George, Mr. Boy Scout) will be glowing at the end of this post because if there is one thing he always taught his girls - it was a respect for the American flag. I digress.

Tonight, when Brad went to check on Anna Claire, he quickly came out of her room and said, "Emily, grab your camera and come here!" This is what we saw:

That's right, AC is sound asleep, yet holding on to her American flag. And do you see the black and red scarf she is laying on? That was a Christmas gift from one of my aunts to me, but AC has taken a strong liking to it. Silly girl. She sleeps with it, plays dress up (She can go from being Mary (as in Mary & Joseph) to Batman in one swoop of the scarf), and wraps her baby dolls in it. I'm sure you will see it in more pictures in the future. It's going to be around for a while, I have a feeling. Sidenote: She's wearing it in the above video among other purses and necklaces. We're going through a Fancy Nancy meets Bag Lady together at Mardi Gras phase. Classy.