A baby girl!!

Well, we have officially found out we are having a baby girl. I was pretty sure that we were having a boy due to pregnancy symptoms but obviously I don't know my body as well as thought. We are excited and can't wait to see what adventures this little one brings us. We just pray everything will turn out beautifully!

Happy Grandparents Day!!!

HIPPO!

Here a some pictures from our Zoo visit today. Seeing how we are regular guest at the zoo, the kids pretty much know where things are and what they like to see. Ethan is a huge fan of the petting zoo and tot spot. Gracie is a big fan of the fishing pond and the Hippo's. Gracie absolutely loves Hippos. Anytime she sees an elephant or rhino, she yells hippo. I love how she says the word Hippo :)

Labor Day Weekend

I love 4 day weekends because you can easily pack in a family vacation, a water park and celebrate two birthdays!! Needless to say we had a really busy weekend but the exhaustion and laundry is so worth it. We drove out to Grapevine, Texas and meet up with my Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister and her family. I haven't seen them since last Christmas so we have been overdue for a family visit. My Mom came up with a great idea of us all staying at Great Wolf Lodge and seeing how we have been to one before in Ohio we know that the Great Wolf is a really cool place. Of course, Ethan was so excited and has been talking about this for some time now so when he saw the HUGE Hotel, the excitement was just too much for him. As soon as we got there, the kids could see the water park and were itching to get wet. He loved playing with his cousins and hanging out with his grandparents. While we were there we were able to celebrate my nephews birthday which happens to be this week so we made our way on over to Chuck E. Cheese and celebrated JonMichael turning 2 and Trevon turning 9. However, all good things must come to an end so by the time we had all the swimming, eating, and playing that we could handle we had to say goodbye. Ethan was pretty upset about his part and told his Grandma Margie and Papo Jerry that he wanted them to come and live with us. He even offered up his room for them to sleep in and he would go sleep in the office. It was pretty sad to tell him no but we will see them again. As we were driving away, Ethan asked when we could go back to Great Wolf. I told him that we are going to try to do it again next year. He was okay with that answer because he knows he only needs to gorw 1 1/2 inches to ride the BIG adult rides!! I think it is worth the wait.

Gracie standing in front of waterpark

Gracie and Ethan ready for our visit

Looking at the decor

Standing in the tree hut

Gracie trying to get on the banana boat

Ethan getting soaked

Gracie sliding

Brother and Sister time

Ethan soaking people

At the lodge they have a game where you become a magical wizard,
go around on a treasure hunt and use this wand to open each clue.

After opening a clue

Aracade Fun

Gracie trying to cheat for brother

Gracie looking at the pile of candy in a machine.
It took Eric 8 tries to get the kids some candy.

JonMichael turing two!

Trevon turning nine!!

Enjoying a cupcake

I like icing!

Ethan enjoying the bedtime play that is put on in the lobby

Gracie and daddy watching the show

1st Day at Preschool

Today was a big day for the Ashe Household. Ethan started his 1st day at preschool. He was really excited and kept telling Gracie that he had to go to school but she had to stay home because she wasn't a big girl yet. As soon as we got to school, Ethan noticed a little girl standing by his classroom door and being his mother's son went up and started a conversation with her. It was so cute, he didn't need his mother there to push him along. He was just fine doing it himself. He was like, "Hi, What's your name? My name is Ethan. Wanna see my lightning McQueen backpack? It is really heavy. " He just looked so grown up and turned into his own little person. The other mother asked me how old he was and when I told her he was three she said, "Wow, he is a talker isn't he?" Ughh yes, it runs in the family. Last week we had Open House at the school and I showed Ethan where his name tag was so he would know where to hang his back pack and lunch box so as soon as his teacher opened the door to his classroom, he went and did it all by himslef. I was surprised by that and thought he would of needed his mother's help just a little bit. I do have to admit it was so weird walking out of there without him. For 3 1/2 years he has always been with me and now I have to share him. Even though he doesn't have to go to preschool, I know that he wants to do what all of his friends are doing and as my mom friends say with a laugh, "He needs some time away from you. " They have kept reassuring me that he is ready for it and seeing how it is ony two days a week, to basically buck up! As soon as I buckeled Gracie, she started to ask for him. "Ethan, Ethan, Ethan???" and she kept asking for him for about a half an hour. I could tell she was confused why he wasn't with us. Thankfully, the day went by fast and after Gracie and I spent the day together we went and picked big brother up. Of course, Gracie and I are were so excited to see him and were just loving on him and he was like, Mom please control yourself. I did make him give Gracie a hug though because she was dying for it and told him that she really missed him. He told us all about his day on the ride home and what he had learned. I could tell he was exhausted. It is a new routine and will take some getting used too. Since he did so well and got a good report we went out for ice cream after dinner. However, his poor little eyes were dropping so much that he said "Mom, I am too tired for ice cream." Needless to say he feel asleep as soon as his little head hit the pillow. I am so proud of my big boy and myself to say the least for not sobbing!

Growing up...

In a couple of days Ethan will be attending preschool twice a week! He is super excited and tells everyone that he is going to go to school like "big kids". I on the other hand needed a little bit more convincing to let him go but I know he is sooo ready for it and will absolutely love it. Plus, it will prepare him for elementary pre-k next year and that happens to be everyday. I just hope I am ready by then too. He has grown so much this year and it shows. Anytime, he listens really well or solves a problem by himself he replies with, "It is because I am growing up Mom!". I have to agree with him, he can still act like a three year old but now he knows the art of reason. Just the other day we were in the checkout line at the store and Ethan asked for some candy. I said "NO" and he said, "But I ate all of my dinner and I have been a really good boy in the store." I started to laugh that he knew to point out his good points in order to get what he wanted. He was able to get his candy. He still rocks as an older brother and Gracie is lucky because some of things she has done to him that he has let her get away with is crazy. I remember being a young sister and hitting after being hit. Ethan just says, "We don't hit Gracie" and walks away. That is some constraint! A couple of nights ago, I had dinner cooking in the oven and Gracie kept walking by touching the oven door. Ethan scolded her right away, "Don't touch that, it is very dangerous and HOT!". After he said that, I didn't think twice about what Gracie was doing, I was surprised my kid used a 4 syllable word and he was not repeating after me!

Now, little miss Gracie is her own person and is either hot or cold. You got to love her tenacity and stubbornness though. She loves to play with other girls her own age but the boys already know not to come too close because she will give them a tongue lashing. When we are at playgroup, I will say "Oh man, where is Gracie?" and the other mom's all say "oh she is fine, just playing, no one will hurt her. I laugh and say, "Yeah I know she is fine but I am worried about your kids!" She is in the whole baby doll phase and likes to put her babies to sleep and feed them. She loves singing songs and her favorite is "Ring around the rosey". She loves playgrounds and running with the big kids. If Ethan is playing with his friends that are his own age, than that is where she will be. She will be the pesky sibling that follows the older one around. She has a major shoe fetish and loves trying on everyone shoes. She hates to brush her teeth but loves taking baths. Recently, she has insisted on walking around the house shirtless and just thinks it is the coolest thing. It is a game that Ethan plays with her. He will take off his shirt and say "Look at me Gracie" and she will come running up to me upset because she is still wearing hers. Her and I are learning the fine art of time out. It would be okay normally but when you have two people who are too alike pitted against each other it can be quite hard. I have a feeling over the next 17 years, Gracie and I will have many more moments like that. It will be interesting but I guess that is why there is that saying - Daddy's Girl-.

Gracie loving dinner

Ethan riding on train

Duck Pond

They were acting like they were talking to each other

Chasing the duck

Gracie kept eating the bread instead of throwing it.

Jeremiah and Ethan

Three's a Charm!

I don't know if there is any truth to that but we will see in about 5 months. Our little family of four will be welcoming it's newest member. That's right, we are having another baby! We are excited and were a little surprised by how quick we got pregnant. We weren't planning on actually trying till June but it seems that once your husband comes back from deployment, you lose track of everything. I am due January 31st, which cracks us up because we will be celebrating a birthday every two weeks in our house but if my life isn't busy, it wouldn't be my life. Of course, Ethan is excited and that was to be expected seeing how he has been requesting a new sibling for some time now. I asked him "How does the baby come out of my stomach?" and he replied with "Mom, they will cut you with some scissors but don't worry because they will put your blood back in and use glue and tape". Ethan also thinks we are having a baby boy and I have to agree with him. I am having the same pregnancy and cravings I had with Ethan, but we will have to wait and see.

However, since becoming pregnant, people have been so kind to ask us what we were thinking since we already have a boy and a girl. "Why on earth would you have more?"..... Ugh, in our house everyone is treated equally and if one gender came out potty trained you can bet your house that would be the gender I would be rooting for but since that doesn't happen, boy or girl we are blessed to have more. People may think we are weird but the one thing that Eric and I know is that we are not normal. I don't know if this will be our last, I am secretly waiting for my internal baby switch to turn but we really don't know. Of course, if it was up to Eric I could be pushing our 10th child out and he would be right there asking if I was ready for 11! I always thought it was the other way around, where guys were the ones you had to pressure into having more kids. Not my husband, he seems to love me barefoot and pregnant!

If you give a mouse a cookie...

Today we went to the Magik Theater to watch the play "If you give a mouse a cookie". Ethan loved it and was laughing at all of the mouses crazy antics. Gracie was throwing the biggest fit beforehand but as soon as the play started she was glued. She sat there patiently eating her popcorn like she was at the movies. It was such a cute play and the actors did a great job getting the kids involved. I know we will be going back again!

Ethan watching the show

The Actors

Us right before the show

All of our friends

Annalise and Gracie

The kids getting ready for the show

Before the show