What are the Aagards up to? 2010

January

Michael



** Won his FANTASY FOOTBALL league championship against the same ultra-competitive friend he lost to in the Super Bowl last year - is still RIDING THE HIGH from this ** WATCHING LOST: SEASON 5 episodes with Shelley as quickly as possible to gear up for Season 6 ** Finally reading THE LOST SYMBOL by Dan Brown - and said he finally came to a part he's having a hard time putting down ** Had his SCHEDULED TRAVEL for this month postponed, so will hopefully BE HOME all month long! ** Starting his fourth year as WARD MISSION LEADER (for all those who were still wondering) - currently his longest running calling yet! ** STAKE BASKETBALL is starting this month - and says he's set a goal to not score any points this year, only rack up assists (you can start laughing now...)

Shelley



** Preparing myself to teach the OLD TESTAMENT in Gospel Doctrine this year (my third year teaching) - and finding it a bit overwhelming ** Diving into an uninterrupted PRESCHOOL SCHEDULE and planning lessons for this month's unit: MY BODY ** PUTTING AWAY all the CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS and getting really depressed (January is my least favorite month of the year, but don't tell Rachelle...) ** Not watching any more TV until LOST starts up next month - there's just NOTHING ON! ** Is that really ALL? See, January really is DEPRESSING...

Shaelyn



** So excited to BE HOME and back into a ROUTINE - was a little too overwhelmed with all the traveling and visitors we've been having since the beginning of November ** Starting a new REWARDS PROGRAM again this month - this time to help her do every day tasks "with a smile" (and not a screaming hissy-fit) - where she can WIN DATES with Mommy and Daddy ** Has her OWN ROOM back from her month of sharing with Sister - now complete with all her toys moved over from the BLUE ROOM ** Perfecting the ART OF CONTRADICTING - every day, in every way possible ** Learning how to (and insisting on) DRESSING HERSELF everyday - great for independence; terrible for time (and frustration) purposes ** Wears her CINDERELLA DRESS everyday over her clothes, usually even to bed too - has worn it so much it is now TATTERING; pretty soon it will look like the rag dress Cinderella wears in the beginning of the movie!

Rachelle



** TURNING 1 at the end of this month!!! (on the 30th) ** Is learning things that are OFF LIMITS (like the cat litter and her sister's sippy cups full of chocky milk) and walks up to these things saying, "NO NO NO NO!" - it doesn't keep her AWAY from them, though ** Has her OWN ROOM for the first time - has moved out of Shaelyn's room and into the BLUE ROOM (sad!) ** SLEEPING MUCH BETTER now that she is in her own room ** Has learned a new word: BABY (which she says bah-bah) ** Still loves BABY DOLLS - carries them around everywhere, hugs them and PATS THEIR BACK and pokes their eyes out! ** TEETHING her top TWO FRONT TEETH - and looks like there's still a ways to go ** Has learned how to GIVE KISSES and now leans in for them often (but only from Mommy!) ** So, so, SO MUCH FUN to have around!

February

Michael


** Excited to SEE HIS PARENTS - coming to visit us for 10 days this month ** NOT TRAVELING this month - which makes Shelley very happy ** Getting over BEING SICK with the rest of the family ** Watching as many LOST EPISODES as he can from season 5 to be ready for Feb 2nd ** Looking forward to WATCHING THE OLYMPICS this month - and can't wait to make fun of figure skating, specifically "the high-energy portion of the program" ** Real favorites are DOWNHILL SKIING, LUGE, BOBSLEDDING, and anything else fast ** Thinks he has the COOLEST FACEBOOK PROFILE PICTURES in the world - and enjoys making people laugh with them

Shelley


** Preschool unit this month: THE WORLD AROUND ME - studying different countries around the world and their traditions ** Trying to psych myself up to CLEAN THE HOUSE before the in-laws come ** And MENU PLAN and GROCERY SHOP accordingly as well ** Hoping to NOT HAVE TO DO anything in sacrament meeting this month - in the last two months, I have sung twice, given a talk, and played my flute ** Current LOST THEORIES: Widmore is the good guy, Juliet resets time, MIB is defeated, and Ben gets what's coming to him ** Favorite OLYMPIC EVENTS - Opening Ceremonies (not a real event, I know...), Ladies' (NOT men's) FIGURE SKATING, skiing moguls, and LUGE ** Hope PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL DOESN'T see his shadow - so Spring will hurry up and get here!

Shaelyn


** Back in a HAPPY ROUTINE and thriving - we'll see how a visit from Grandma and Grandpa affect this good turn of events ** Her little brain is currently an IMAGINATION STATION and we are all players in it - throughout the day I find myself being Emily Elizabeth, Maisy, FAIRY GODMOTHER CINDERELLA MOMMY (my exact title), and Mrs. Pteranodon ** Figuring out how to READ and COUNT in TWENTIES ** "READING" EVERYTHING - asking me what everything says, sounding stuff out, and actually getting a few words right! ** Is obsessed with her two DINOSAUR PUZZLES that she got for her birthday - and can put them together all by herself in like 30 seconds ** Has EARNED DATES with Mommy and Daddy and is now obsessed - has so far earned getting ice cream with Daddy, going to the playground with Mommy, going to the store with Daddy (seriously - she loves this!), and baking cookies with Mommy

Rachelle


** Has 2 and 3/4 TEETH - how is this possible? In addition to the bottom two, she has one top tooth that has broken through and is halfway out, and the other that is just now breaking through the gums - this girl TEETHS FOREVER! ** CLIMBING ON EVERYTHING, just like her sister did - this means we're back to moving chairs away from tables, since she's made it to the top of the COUNTER-HIGH DINING ROOM TABLE ** Loving BUTTONS - anything with a button will be pushed - and we found our TV GUARD just in time! ** TWIRLING and DANCING when anything with a beat starts ** Favorite dancing form: PATTING HER TUMMY to the beat ** Acting like she only wants ONE NAP a day, but the last few days has converted back to two, so who knows where we are ** Has started GOING TO BED at 7:30 PM and WAKING UP at 6:30 AM - how can I stop this?!?! ** Playing with her NEW (to her) BIRTHDAY TOYS - favorite is the BALL GIRAFFE, and she figured out that the balls go in his mouth on the first try ** Toting around her VERY OWN CABBAGE PATCH DOLL, but still prefers "yellow baby"

March

Michael


** It's his favorite time of the year - MARCH MADNESS ** LOVING LOST this season - and spends lots of time reading Doc Jensen and discussing the finer points of LOST mythology, philosophy, and even religion with Shelley and co-workers (it's almost like a college course!) ** Also winning in our AMAZING RACE POOL we do every year with our friends - and since he's won before, everyone's convinced he's cheating somehow... ** Has UPCOMING TRAVEL this month, but this is all still pending, so dates and places are TBD - he is hoping to make it out to Nashville to see BF Brian ** Just finished and published WARD MISSION PLAN, so feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders for getting that done

Shelley


** Preschool unit this month: ABC's and ME - which is much less time consuming than Around the World (so might actually get some sleep this month) ** Happy to SEE ALL THE GREEN this month - because green is my favorite color (but no, I'm not Irish) ** WANTING LOST TO ANSWER ALL MY QUESTIONS - enough said ** Happy, happy, happy to see SPRING poking its head around the corner - so sick of being cooped up inside! ** Finishing KNITTING TOYS for the girls to give to them for Easter ** PLANNING SUMMER - trips to the beach, swim lessons, and teaching ballet

Shaelyn


** Has found her MAGICAL AGE - being 3 really agrees with her ** THRIVING in PRESCHOOL and PRIMARY - we get weekly report cards from her teacher at church that tells us how reverent and helpful she is ** Really into LEARNING right now - will find applications for everything she is learning in school, at church, and her music class - I happen to LOVE THIS!!! ** REPEATS EVERYTHING I SAY - like that "copy cat" game you used to do to your sister growing up just to bug her - except Shaelyn does it to be just like me ** MOTHERS RACHELLE - wants to help hold her down when I have to groom her, wants to be the one to go into her room first in the mornings and after naps, wants to be the one to get her food... ** Has surprisingly taken on the ROLE OF PEACEMAKER - whenever there is contention, she is the first to remind the family that we "choose to be happy" and to "make the world a better place by smiling all the while" ** Her mind is a never-ending WORLD OF CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION, and I can barely keep up with it

Rachelle


** Finally has 4 FRONT TEETH and can bite and chew - so bring on the pretzels, apples, and carrot sticks ** She also can eat things like GREEN CRAYONS (see above) - since she didn't have a "St. Patrick's Day" picture, she figured ingesting the color would keep her from getting pinched this month ** STILL NURSING - much to Mommy's happiness, although has cut out two feedings since last month ** Has reached my official "I don't like this age" age - 1 to 2 1/2 is really hard for me ** Learning to make all kinds of ANIMAL NOISES - monkey, giraffe, lion, elephant, cow, sheep, and sometimes cat and dog (her favorite is the monkey) ** Playing really well WITH HER SISTER - as long as she stays out of her sister's room and away from the princesses ** Officially down to ONE NAP - and back to going to bed at 8:00 and waking up at 8:00 (much better!!) ** Started EATING OFF A PLATE - and does much better about not throwing it on the ground than her sister ever did (because she actually WANTS the food that's on the plate)

April

Michael

** Has already traveled to CHICAGO, NASHVILLE, and ATLANTA this month; still upcoming - CHICAGO again and BOSTON ** Celebrated TURNING 32 on the 5th - in the midst of Easter celebrations, General Conference, his sister visiting, and being out of town on his actual birthday ** In the CHAMPIONSHIP yet again against his RIVAL in his fantasy basketball league ** YARD WORK TIME - and working hard to make the front yard look as good as the guy across the street (they are in an unspoken competition every year - half-hearted on Michael's part, full-blown insanity on the part of our neighbor) ** Planning to watch the NBA FINALS vicariously through ESPN.COM updates - the only time of year when even I wish the poor man had cable

Shelley

** Preschool unit this month: THINGS THAT GROW ** We're planting a PRESCHOOL GARDEN, learning all about SEEDS, how plants GROW, and having a great time! ** This is the LAST MONTH of preschool until next school year - and I'm kind of SAD! (But looking forward to the break...) ** Excited to teach about MOSES and the EXODUS this month is Sunday School ** Really enjoyed GENERAL CONFERENCE this month, and making changes to my approach of TEACHING THE GOSPEL to my children ** Implementing a new SUNDAY TRADITION - "Tell Me The Stories of Jesus" - spending time in scriptures (with and without the kids) learning more about Jesus, His identity, His mission, and how we can exemplify Him ** Happy to be wearing SHORTS and SKIRTS (though no one else is probably happy to be seeing my super-white legs!) ** Looking forward to a VISIT FROM MY MOM later this month!

Shaelyn

** Has started a NEW STORY GAME - will come up to you and say "Once upon a time... THE END!" and laugh hysterically ** Sometimes adds an element to this story - "Once upon a time, there was an Easter egg... THE END!" ** All of this story telling stemmed from these STORY BLOCKS we've recently given her - and it is one of her new favorite games to play. ** Is SOUNDING OUT EVERYTHING - last month we studied the ABC's in preschool and she is now obsessed ** Started out just telling us what words started with ("Waffle starts with W" . . . "Lotion starts with L"), but now tells us what sounds she HEARS INSIDE WORDS ("Car has an R" . . . "School has an O... and an L!") ** Also starting to RECOGNIZE WORDS on a page - can now read "princess," "alphabet," "bunny," among others ** Michael and I taught her how to say "JERRY! HELLO!" like Uncle Leo from Seinfeld - and now she says it all the time ** Says "PROBABLY" all the time (pronounced "prah-blee") for all occasions - "What do want for lunch?" "A banana... prah-blee" ** CHOREOGRAPHS her OWN DANCES to songs she requests over and over - and she has a very impressive sense of MUSICALITY ** Is a CRAZY, INSANE, BOUNCING-OFF-THE-WALLS child from 6:00 PM to bedtime (because she's TIRED from playing outside ALL DAY!) ** Favorite book: CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM! - loves the Scholastic "video" of this even more - especially loves "Flip flop flee!" and LOOSE-TOOTH T

Rachelle

** Still only has 4 TEETH - can you believe it?!? (She's 14 months old!) ** Is currently cutting 3 MORE TEETH (one bottom, two top), but it will be at least a month before I even see them - her teeth grow SO SLOW! ** Is still NOT TALKING, but has added two words to her less-than-10-word vocabulary: "HI!" and "KOO-KOO" for Big Bird and Cookie Monster (and really any other Sesame Street character). ** Also has finally learned to WAVE and will wave and say "Hi!" to EVERYONE - especially loves to do this at the grocery store ** Favorite animal noise is still a MONKEY OO-EE, but now loves to MOO and MEOW, too. ** Her HAIR is finally TOO LONG to leave down as it is down past her eyes, so I now have to pull it back - something she HATES, which has resulted in me creating a PEBBLE'S PONY TAIL on the top of her head, because it's the quickest way to get the hair up before she starts screaming! ** Has started her own new frustrating game: "GUESS WHAT I WANT TO EAT" - my non-picky eater has become suddenly VERY PICKY, and yet is still VERY HUNGRY, so I have to put all kinds of food in front of her before she finds something she actually wants to eat ** Favorite food right now: STRAWBERRIES and FROZEN GO-GURT ** Has learned how to HIGH 5 and loves to give them - will even open your hand up and force high-5 you! ** Also loves to GIVE KISSES - to Mommy, Daddy, sister, her dolls, her books, her reflection, blowing kisses, you name it; we hear "MMMMMM...AAAA" all throughout the day (because kisses come with a sound effect) ** Has figured out how to climb into all BIG PEOPLE CHAIRS - loves to climb up and then just sit in them like she's a big person herself; the look on her face when she's just sitting there is PRICELESS! ** Down to nursing about TWICE A DAY and once at night - a routine that works well for both of us!

June

Michael


testiaa ** HAPPY FATHER'S DAY this month! ** Mourning the END OF LOST (and good TV as we know it...) ** Wishing he were BACK AT THE BEACH again ** Celebrating his 9 YEAR ANNIVERSARY with me on the 15th ** Celebrating his 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY this month at his job ** NO TRAVEL (yet) scheduled for the month - but might as well be for as much as we're going to see him at home ** Hitting the "SLAMMED SUMMER" period he seems to be going through every year ** Has 2 little DADDY'S GIRLS clamoring for his attention (the youngest one especially) ** Looking forward to going to some MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL games this summer ** Giddy as a schoolgirl over the upcoming release of ECLIPSE! (Oh Edward... Oh Jacob... HA!)

Shelley


testing t** Enjoying SUMMER VACATION - and the break from teaching preschool! ** Teaching PRESCHOOL BALLET this summer (once a week to 6 little girls) and LOVING IT! ** Starting to think about next year's PRESCHOOL CURRICULUM (what was that about having a break from preschool?) ** ORGANIZING THE DOWNSTAIRS - a massively intensive project involving lots of furniture purchasing and building ** Happy about SYTYCD - sad about no more LOST ** Working out in the GARDEN - and already HARVESTING some veggies! ** Trying to COOK MORE HEALTHILY - on the menu this summer: lots of STEAMED VEGGIES!

Shaelyn


testing 123456789 ** NARRATES her life ("The little girl put her books away. Then she had to go potty. 'I need to go potty,' she said.") Is surprisingly good at speaking about herself in the THIRD PERSON ** Has turned from an all-outside girl to an ALL-INSIDE GIRL - I think the heat and the fact that I won't let her wear her ballet shoes outside are the main contributing factors ** Wears her BALLET SHOES everywhere, at all times, even to go to bed ** Also usually has on a LEOTARD over any clothing ** Newest PERSONAS she has taken on: WENDY (from Peter Pan), Tinkerbell, Angelina Ballerina (still), and MADELINE - I am usually Miss Lilly or Miss Clavel. Is UNDECIDED on whether or not she actually likes ballet class or not - but NOT undecided in her love for all BALLET DRESS-UPS! ** FAVORITE GAME: "Mommy and Shaelyn" (where I'm Shaelyn and she's Mommy and we do everyday activities) ** Has mastered the COMPUTER MOUSE and now starts and stops all iTunes songs, plays STARFALL non-stop, and tries to surf through YOU TUBE (so I have to stand right there to stop it!) ** Loves the PANDORA STATION I created for her - all Disney princess songs, with some Tarzan and Jungle Book thrown in ** FAVORITE SONG: "In the Leafy Treetops" - requested before bed every night ** FAVORITE THING TO WATCH ON TV: Angelina Ballerina ** NEWEST FOOD TO TRY (and like!): raw broccoli with ranch

Rachelle


testing t** 16 MONTHS OLD - and will go to nursery in 2 more months! ** Now has 6 TEETH (3 top, 3 bottom) with a 7th coming in (on top) ** Finally TALKING - and saying 2 or 3 NEW WORDS everyday ** LATEST (non-exhaustive) VOCAB: BALL (bah-uhw), KITTY (kii-dee), BYE BYE (buh-bye), SHOE (zheew!), JUICE (jeeew-s), OUT (ow), DOWN (dow), NIGHT NIGHT (nigh nigh), CHEESE (tch-ee), MORE (muh), BABY (bah-bee), MINE (nigh or nine or a big SCREAM!) ** Loves SHOES and wants to put on all pairs all day long (and throw them around and lose their mates, too) ** Carries around 2 BABIES most of the time - one under each arm ** LOVES and CUDDLES on all other moms but me ** FAVORITE WORD: Ball! ** FAVORITE TOY: balls (of course), baby dolls, and Shaelyn's flushing toilet on her dollhouse ** FAVORITE FRIENDS: Finley, Mia and Miss Amy ** FAVORITE SONG (to dance to): "I Gotta Feeling" ** FAVORITE FOOD: still frozen Go-gurt, any fruit, and beef stroganoff (and still HATES veggies) ** WALKS up and down the STAIRS - no more crawling down ** NURSING ONCE a day - before bedtime

July

Michael



** So happy he finally got to see ECLIPSE! (He'll kill me for saying that...) In all seriousness, he really did LIKE the movie and thinks I'm an idiot for liking EDWARD more than JACOB. ** Trying to JOG or do other exercise DAILY - usually after work ** Has already LOST SOME WEIGHT and feeling much healthier ** Excited to send Rachelle to NURSERY at the END OF THE MONTH - he is the parent that keeps her during Sunday School and Relief Society so I can have an uplifting Sabbath experience - SO NICE!! ** Doing much of the SAME OLD stuff - and gets sad when I do these monthly updates and he feels like nothing changes - Hey, I APPRECIATE all that he does for our family, even if his routines do stay pretty much the same

Shelley



** In my defense, I like EDWARD from the BOOK and JACOB from the MOVIE - yes, the characters are different for me from the books to the movies, so I can like them BOTH ** Having my FIRST REAL BREAK this month from all things preschool - no ballet, no preschool, no weekly playdates I'm in charge of... YAY!!! ** Also trying the whole DAILY EXERCISE routine and eating much more HEALTHILY - checking ingredient labels (GASP!) and trying to drastically reduce the SUGAR, SODIUM, and FAT our family eats and adding lots of WHOLE GRAINS, FIBER, and VITAMINS ** Enrolling in an adult BALLET CLASS starting next week - very excited about this ** Not ready to give up my 8:00 nursing with Rachelle - it's the only time we get complete Mommy-daughter CUDDLE TIME ** Turning over a new CLEAN LEAF in my life - a blog post about this to come!

Shaelyn



** Is in her newest cycle of COMPLETELY IRRATIONAL BEHAVIOR, and we are working through it ** Each cycle gets LESS INTENSE as I get better at parenting her and she gets better at SELF-CONTROL, so hopefully we will all surface out of this round unscathed ** NEWEST CHALLENGE: staying dressed - she would prefer to be in the nude all day ** NEWEST ACHIEVEMENT: overcoming some of her anxieties - she has no more fear of "new people" and has turned into quite the little performer ** Is GREAT WITH BABYSITTERS and has made Mommy and Daddy very happy as we have had more dates in the last 2 months than in her whole 3 years of life to date ** Giving her FIRST TALK in primary this month - her topic is "Following Jesus" ** FAVORITE NEW MOVIE: Edited Mulan (and she reminds you to fast forward the scary parts if you forget) ** FAVORITE GAME: hide and seek ** FAVORITE SONG: anything on Daddy's "upbeat playlist," like "Take My Hand" and "Buck Rodgers" ** FAVORITE BOOK: Peter Pan

Rachelle



** Turns 18 MONTHS OLD at the end of this month ** STARTS NURSERY on August 2nd - no one is counting this down or anything... ** Now has 8 TEETH - all four front tops and bottoms - and might have molars before she starts kindergarten ** Knows 30+ WORDS - newest words including "Lel-la-la" for Cinderella, "neh-na-na" for banana, "Aaahh-chooo!" for sneezes, and "aay-in" for amen ** Is HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY all day most days - luckily she is really good at stepping up the happy when her big sister is stepping up the challenge ** Calls Daddy "Mama" a lot - even though she's been calling him "Dada" for a while now ** "Mama" (I mean "Dada") is her FAVORITE FRIEND when he is home ** Has to have her favorite COOKIE MONSTER BOOK in bed with her before she'll go to sleep ** Other FAVORITE BOOKS: "Babies," any "Sesame Street" book, and "Baby's Day" - we read these over and over and over ** FAVORITE GAME: hide and seek - and she's getting REALLY GOOD at it (she hid under the desk this morning and it took Shaelyn 5 minutes to find her - and she stayed hidden and quiet the whole time!!!) ** Can CLIMB anything and has started pushing chairs around to get to the things she can't climb - AAAHHH!

August

Michael


** Just finished reading his MISSION LETTERS (he wrote home once a month for two years) and is in "REMINISCING MODE" - this includes watching old church movies in French, reading his scriptures in French again, and finding a NEW-FOUND VIGOR working with the Elders in his calling ** Has been enjoying his "DADDY THURSDAY NIGHTS" with the girls while I go to ballet - the girls love it, too! ** Will be living the "BACHELOR LIFE" for a better part of the month as me and the girls go out West to see my parents ** Coming to join us in Utah to SEE HIS FAMILY too ** Gets to go the AAGARD ROUND-UP - for the first time in 7 years! ** While we're in Utah, he's excited to do a session in the SALT LAKE TEMPLE with me, go VISIT BYU, tour TEMPLE SQUARE again, and eat at CAFE RIO ** Looking forward to SEEING MOUNTAINS again! ** Gets to see CREED IN CONCERT later this month!

Shelley


** One year CLOSER TO 30 this month - only one more year to go! (And since I've been so excited about being 30 for so long, I'm sure it's going to be very anti-climatic for me when it actually arrives...) ** Excited to GO TO AZ - I actually got homesick, which prompted the last-minute vaca plans ** Who would have EVER THOUGHT I'd be homesick for ARIZONA?!?! ** Have lost absolutely ZERO pounds since walking/jogging 3 MILES a day, eating much HEALTHIER, and taking a BALLET CLASS again - the goal was not to lose weight necessarily, but HOW is this POSSIBLE?! ** Started a weekly tradition with Shaelyn called "BAKING SUNDAY" - we bake something new FROM SCRATCH and then enjoy it all week. (When we get better at it, we'll start giving some of it away and have it be a service project, too.) - Maybe THIS is the reason I haven't seen the numbers on the scale change... ** Loving my weekly ballet class - and I'm getting less and less SORE after each class, so my muscles are adapting! ** Will come home from vaca and be in full PRESCHOOL-PLANNING mode - school starts September 7th!

Shaelyn



** This is the ONLY picture I have from the whole month of July where Shaelyn is NOT wearing her "PINK DRESS WITH THE FLOWERS ON TOP" - she wears that dress EVERYDAY except to church on Sundays, and even then she usually comes home and puts it back on after church ** Has decided that her CHURCH DRESSES should be DRESS-UP DRESSES, because they are much more frilly and fluffy than her actual dress-up dresses ** Still CHANGES CLOTHES 5+ times a day, just while we're at home in in the morning and during Rachelle's nap - always in her church/dress-up dresses, and always changes back into her "pink dress with the flowers on top" ** Wakes me up every morning in her WHITE, FLUFFY, EASTER DRESS asking me if I want to "get married" - meaning married to her ** Has been loving our BAKING SUNDAY tradition ** FAVORITE MOVIE: Enchanted (which she calls "Giselle") - she only watches about 15 minutes of this - just the songs ** FAVORITE PRINCESS: Giselle, from Enchanted ** FAVORITE BOOK: Yertle the Turtle ** Loves talking about QUEEN ESTHER - and was excited to find out there are queens and princess in the scriptures, too!

Rachelle


** Is now officially 18-MONTHS OLD this month! ** Absolutely CHARMS me on a daily basis ** Is the sweetest, cutest, most UNASSUMING little girl I have ever met, and I am TOTALLY in love with her ** Let me CUT HER BANGS so her hair stays out of her eyes a little better, but still REFUSES to let me touch her hair, so looks a little "MULLET-Y" most days ** Has turned into my "LOVEY" girl - almost always has a baby doll or her glo-seahorse or her blanket under her arm ** Can now say "DAH-DEE" instead of "Da-da," but still calls me "Ma-ma" ** Has started RECOGNIZING JESUS in pictures and saying His name ** Is EATING LIKE A HORSE and getting a lot heavier (even though she's still such a tiny little thing) ** FAVORITE FOOD: Grapes ** FAVORITE THING TO WATCH: Sesame Street or Signing Time ** FAVORITE GAME TO PLAY: Duck, duck, goose - and loves to be "it" and go around and pat our heads saying "guck, guck, guck" and then running away as fast as she can - she never actually says "GOOSE!"

November

Michael


** Is frustrated to be doing so poorly in FANTASY FOOTBALL this year (secretly, I hope this means he won't do it next year, but I know that is a desperate hope...) ** Is commisioner again for his FANTASY BASKETBALL league, which just started up this week - he's hoping for better luck here than he's been having with football ** Excited to actually SEE HIS GIRLS this month since he traveled 75% of October ** Also excited to EAT TURKEY and TAKE DAYS OFF WORK this month (me too!) ** Has GAINED BACK some of the weight he had lost this summer as a result of TRAVELING and HALLOWEEN - and knows the holidays won't help with this (although he says he's been getting more "You're looking slim" comments than ever, and has decided that people must just feel sorry for him!) ** Glad to be DONE WITH YARDWORK for the season (until we do our annual Aagard Leaf Harvest - but that's something to look forward to!)


Shelley


** 5 MONTHS PREGNANT and happy to have another baby on the way ** Experiencing the WORST REFLUX of my life that hasn't gone away, even though I'm way past the first trimester ** Have completely GIVEN UP MILK and most things dairy - my favorite things to eat and drink in the world!!! ** Still TEACHING PRESCHOOL 2 days a week - this month we're focusing on FUN WITH NUMBERS! ** Involved in the MID-TERM ELECTIONS for the first time in my life - actually working the polls and putting signs in my yard ** Counting down the days for HARRY POTTER - aren't you?!?! Glad to be easing my way BACK INTO THE KITCHEN - and maybe will finally be up to cooking meat by the time Thanksgiving rolls around!

Shaelyn


** Starting her LAST MONTH as a 3-year-old, and so ready to be 4 and have a birthday already! ** STARTING TO READ - and I'm not kidding about this - she has about 50 words she can read up to this point, and tries sounding out new words most times we read together ** Happy to be in a ROUTINE of preschool, ballet, and playdates - asks me every morning, "Mommy, what are we SLEEPING and EATING for today?" (...as though her activities are the only reason any of us sleep or eat in this house! HA!) ** Deep in the "WHY?" phase most preschoolers go through (and yes, it is tiring and annoying, just like all of you have testified) ** Has been getting in trouble lately for NOT DOING HER SHARE of work around the house - her combination of stubborness and laziness is downright deadly! ** Finally gave up wearing dresses everyday and is now excited to be wearing LONG SLEEVES and PANTS everyday - just like what Mommy wears! ** Was SAD TO SAY "GOODBYE" to Halloween, until I told her that means we get to have Thanksgiving, her birthday, and Christmas next - talk about a change of tune! She couldn't say "goodbye" to Halloween fast enough after that! ** FAVORITE MOVIES: Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland ** FAVORITE NEW SHOW: The Cat in the Hat Knows A lot about That! ** FAVORITE SONG: anything Miss Nicolle teaches her during music time at school (and she LOVES Miss Nicolle)

Rachelle


** Went from HARDLY TALKING ever to full-blown SENTENCES and CONVERSATIONS practically overnight! She was just waiting until she had something to say! ** Learning words and actions to all kinds of fun songs, like POPCORN POPPING and THE WHEELS ON THE BUS ** Has started to SAY PRAYERS this month, with the cutest little voice you've ever heard ** Can REPEAT almost anything you say, and Shaelyn just loves teaching her new words ("Good job, Rachelle!" is what I hear more often than not when they are playing) ** Has learned to SAY HER NAME - "Ah-sheuhw" - and everyone else in the family ("Shay-nin"). She can also say the name of everyone in "her" preschool class ("Cah," "Nana," "Ri-nin," "Cah-oh")
** Is my little CLING-BOT of late, always wanting Mommy, and ONLY Mommy, to hold her - she knows competition is on its way! ** Less COOPERATIVE about NAPS than she's ever been - not taking naps some days, not falling asleep until 3:30 on other days after being in her crib for almost 2 hours, taking off her diaper and pooping in her crib... it's been a real adventure! ** Finally letting me PULL HER HAIR BACK and is cuter than ever as a result! ** Becoming really CLUMSY and has about a dozen gashes, bruises, or bumps on her face and head to prove it

December

Michael



** Traveling once for work this month - to LAS VEGAS ** Taking a TRIP WITH SHELLEY to Washington D.C. this month - WITHOUT THE KIDS!!! ** Going to see the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA with Shelley as well ** Putting up CHRISTMAS LIGHTS on the house and planning the ANNUAL AAGARD LEAF HARVEST for the same day ** Installing a CEILING FAN in the once-was-a-dining-room-is-now-a-playroom or so help me!!! (Put to the Monsters' Inc. tune...) ** Has his SISTER VISITING for Christmas this year - and looking forward to seeing her ** Going to be spending more time WITH HIS FAMILY this month than he probably has these last 3 months combined!!

Shelley



** Has gratefully discovered the magic that is SILK CHOCOLATE SOY MILK - and before you get started on how soy isn't good for you, let me just say that I've already tried the almond milk, won't try the rice milk, and a little bit of soy until this baby is born isn't going to kill me! Don't take away the one luxury I have!!! ** Um, do the words "IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR" mean anything to you? ** Finished CHRISTMAS SHOPPING (suckers!!) and looking forward to WRAPPING PRESENTS ** So excited to be getting a REAL TREE this year and can't wait to smell that evergreen smell every morning ** Leaving the girls for 2 NIGHTS for the first time in my life to take a trip with Michael - and actually not too nervous about it (we'll see...) ** Planning a BIRTHDAY PARTY for Shaelyn, a CHRISTMAS PARTY for preschool, and cleaning the house for out-of-town guest(s) - yes, possibly more than one! ** Feeling BETTER for the first time in my pregnancy, only to get a cold and lose the new-found energy ** Feeling the BABY KICK more regularly - my favorite part of being pregnant!!

Shaelyn



** Turns FOUR this month!!!! ** Is the best "PRETEND PLAYER" I know - right now is playing "Baby Jesus" with her nativity set, and has been going strong at this game for an hour all by herself ** Has discovered the magic of PLAYS - after being in a Thanksgiving play for preschool, wants to put on plays all the time ** Enjoyed seeing a SESAME STREET SHOW at Christmas Town - which was, of course, a play!! ** Has learned how to WRITE ALL HER NUMBERS this past month in preschool, and is now counting to numbers HIGHER THAN 20 - tonight it was to 74 ** Getting better at motor skills she was lacking, like CUTTING PAPER and WRITING HER NAME - because she is finally willing to do it! ** READING BOOKS to Rachelle - one of the sweetest big sister activities she's participated in yet ** Still stubbornly refusing to CLEAN ANYTHING, but a new incentive program I'm starting this month might help with that ** Is obsessed with BEST FRIENDS, and who her best friends are - currently, they are (according to her) Savannah, Miss Jessica, and Rachelle - only one of those is accurate (her sister) ** FAVORITE NEW BOOKS/DVDS: Richard Scarry's Busy Town ** FAVORITE CHRISTMAS SONG: Zat you, Santa Clause? by Louis Armstrong (no joke!!) and anything from the Nutcracker Suite ** FAVORITE NEW LOVEY: Pink Care Bear - and she doesn't go anywhere without it

Rachelle



** Is in her LAST MONTH (or so) of being 1 - turns 2 in January!!! ** Current love: MR. POTATO HEAD - and I am constantly hearing the phrase "Help you, Mommy, tay-toe shoes" ** Other current love: DRESS UP ANYTHING - and has taken on her sister's desire to wear something dress up over jammies every night to bed ** Has learned how to tell KNOCK-KNOCK JOKES (because her sister is currently obsessed with them) - my favorite of her's recently: "Knock knock, who's there?, Cookie, Cookie who?, Cookie Monster!!!" and laughs like an insane person ** New (old) toy discovery: KITTY CAT KEYBOARD - this was something Shaelyn got for her 2nd birthday, so the age-appropriateness is right on. Rachelle loves talking into the microphone and making all the songs play with a "meow" sound ** MEMORIZING the LYRICS to every song she hears ** Following her sister's (bad) example and BECOMING BOSSY - telling me when I can and can't sing along with songs, when I can and can't tell knock-knock jokes, that I can't help her wash her hands... It's like re-living Shaelyn's 2-year-old life!!!! AAAAHHHHH!!