Coloring

Audrey has become incredibly good at coloring. Here she is enjoying her new good smelling colored pencils in the dining room.

Dance class

Over the summer we enrolled Audrey in a local dance studio's summer session to see if she would enjoy doing it for the whole year. Of course she *loved* it. So now she is taking tap/pre-ballet every week. Usually we don't get to see her during class. December however, had a special visitors day and here are some pictures and a little video.

The Silliest

Audrey started her Montessori school this year and loves it. She came home the other day and told Ryan...

Audrey: "Daddy, I told my friend Grace that my Daddy is sillier than me"
Ryan: "Oh really, what did your friend Grace say to that?"
Audrey: "She said that her daddy was sillier than her too. We both have very silly daddies."

The next day, Audrey and I were heading up the stairs to go to bed and I wanted her to hurry...

Me: "Audrey, if you don't hurry, I am going to have to give you a xerbert"
Audrey: "Mama, you can't say that, only Daddy can say that because Daddy is the silliest."
Me: "Well if Daddy is the silliest, what am I?"
Audrey: "Mama, you are the nicest and Daddy is the silliest."
Me: "Then what are you?"
Audrey: "I am the smartest!"

Binky Free!

Last weekend, I thought I would start getting Audrey ready to give up her binkys - my goal was to have her done with binkys by four.  Saturday morning, I pulled her on my lap and we looked on the computer at a big girl "princess" bed and a big girl fancy bed set.  I told her that whenever she was ready, she could throw her binkys into the trash can and mama would get her a fancy big girl bed.  I emphasized the fact, that I wasn't going to make her throw them away, she got to do it whenever she was ready.  And as a reward for becoming a big girl, she would get to sleep in a new fancy big girl bed.  

Immediately, she wanted the binkys, and ran upstairs to "take a nap".  So I was pretty sure, we were going to be talking about this for a good long while.  

About 20 minutes later she came downstairs with her binkys and was telling me about them and how she liked them, etc.  About 5 minutes after that, I asked here where the binkys were and she said, they were in the garbage can.  I ran over to take a look and sure enough, there the three binkys were (one sucking-on binky, and two flipping-nose binkies) in the garbage can.  Audrey just beamed up at me, I am ready for a big girl bed Mama.

So the rest of my day was spent purchasing a bed frame, bed and setting the whole thing up.  That night she of course, talked about how she wanted to have her binkies back, but we reminded her that she threw them away.  She has asked for them a couple of times since, but that is it.  We are binky free!!

Overheard

Daddy: Audrey who do you think is the silliest, Mommy or Daddy?
Audrey: Daddy - you are the silliest ever.
Daddy: Who do you think is the cutest, Mommy or Daddy?
Audrey: Audrey! Daddy, I am the cutest one.

First Purchase

For Valentines Day, Gigi (aka Grandma in Pheonix who now lives in Seattle), sent Audrey a Valentines card with money in it - $1 bill. Audrey was thrilled and immediately exclaimed, "mama, I got money! I love money!" Then she ran up to her room and put the bill into her piggy bank, where she puts all of the money she ever gets.

When she came back down she headed straight for her puzzles and I was watching her do her puzzle and realized that she doesn't have very many of the more age appropriate puzzles. So I suggested to her that if she wanted to, she could use some of her money to buy a new puzzle. She loved that idea.

So tonight, we pulled all of her money (she probably has $12 in small bills from Gigi) out of her piggy bank and put it into a baggie and put the baggie in her purse. Then she and I went to Wegman's and had sushi for dinner. Yes, she loves sushi - California rolls are her thing. Afterwards we went over to the miscellaneous goods section and the puzzles were on super sale. So she picked out 2 puzzles and then we picked an empty register with a patient looking teenager and Audrey made her first purchase. She carefully pulled each of her dollar bills out of her baggie inside her V-day purse (I crocheted the purse) and handed them to the cashier. All $1 and $2 bills. Her total for the two puzzles was just under $6, so she waited with an outstretched hand and then put the change back in the baggie and the baggie into her purse and he handed her the bag with 2 puzzles in it and a receipt and you should have seen her face. She was positively glowing! She was so proud of herself for doing something so big. It was adorable.

She also did both puzzles by herself when we got home.

(Pics will follow, but I still haven't found my camera cord).