This and That....

Today was a rare day in the McKenzie household....we had nothing planned! Woohoo. We were able to just play around the house and relax. And here's what happened....
I was getting some things ready to take over to the church nursery, and Anna Claire was pretty sure this Bumbo-like chair was just her size.
And then, I made some ice cream sandwiches using cute little western-themed ice cream sandwich makers from Williams-Sonoma that we found on clearance for $2.99 - love it.
Tonight, the next Michael Phelps showed up in our living room. Here's Brad showing us what he would look like if he was warming up to swim in the Olympics!

D is for Ducks and Dogs

Ducks:
We bought a little duck that will grow in water. Apparently, it takes 10 days to grow. Anna Claire is fascinated by it, and she has gone to the kitchen no less than 100 times already to check on it.
Dogs:
Anna Claire and Sophie have always been best buds. Today, when Sophie came in from outside, she pushed the boundries of their friendship....she sat in THE chair! Anna Claire doesn't share her chair well, but she made an exception for Sophie.

Sweet Dreams

Anna Claire has started asking for a pillow and blanket at bed time. I think it's because they use these items at school for nap time. She always has to have her 3 animals (the dog, the duck, and the monkey) and her "lovey" (sp?). Thanks to Bernadette for making the cute pillow and to Anita for making the cute blanket. She loves them.

Did It Have Hair?

I'm sure this won't be the only post I devote to the funny conversations heard around our house these days now that Kerstin is here with us. I must say she does very well when it comes to speaking English, and we've been impressed with all she has been able to comprehend. All this to say....we have some rather funny conversations when trying to get on the "same page". Case in point.....Tonight, she was walking back to her room, but when she got to her door, she stopped, turned around and quickly came back in the living room. Here's the conversation between Brad (B) and Kerstin (K):
K: I just saw an animal!
B: An animal? What did it look like?
K: It was about this big (picture her using her hands to show about 3 inches long).
Now, they go to inspect the scene.
K: I think it went into the wall. It had 4 legs.
B: Was it furry?
K: (confused look on her face) What is that?
B: Did it have hair?
K: (looking a bit confused) No.
B: Was it a lizard?
K: I don't know what that is.
B: A geko?
K: Oh yes! That was it.
B: Good. I'm just glad it wasn't a mouse.
K: A mouse? I know that animal. If it was a mouse, I would have said that.

First Day of School

Today, Anna Claire went to her new class with new teachers and friends. She's in the two year old class, but she won't be two until October. Anyway, as Brad said, "the kitchen sealed the deal." Anna Claire LOVES any and all play kitchens. Her new classroom has one, and she walked in and immediately starting "cooking". She had a great day at school! Here are a couple of silly pictures from this morning. My intent was not to get a silly picture, but that's what I get these days from our little darling. In the first picture, her shorts look like I have them pulled up to her ears, and in the second picture, she is refusing to look at me all the while having her hands in her pockets (probably seeing if she has any rocks hiding out in there)!

Kids Today....

The youth group at our church hosted a back to school bash last night with "decades" as the theme. Here's a sampling......
Anna Claire spent her time at the party playing in the gym, but paused long enough for a picture with her mama.

Meet The Teacher

This morning, Anna Claire's "school" hosted "Meet the Teacher". Anna Claire is in a new classroom with new teachers. She went right in and started playing with all the toys. Her little school continues to be such a blessing, and she just loves going each day!
Here is a picture from last year's "Meet the Teacher":
And here's a picture from this morning: