April PA visit and Disney

On Sunday, we returned home from a week and a half of traveling.  We flew to Erie first to visit my parents and grandparents and when we returned back to FL, we drove down to Disney for the weekend.  It was busy but very fun!  Ashlan did absolutely great while traveling.  All flights went about as wonderful as they could go, and she didn’t even use the DVD player at all!  We are very pleased with the little traveler she’s turning into. 

So we were on the plane and there was some major turbulence.  Ashlan turned to me and told me she was scared.  I was trying to think of how to make her feel better, and because of all our trips to Disney I said, "It's ok, honey.  Just think of it as a ride…a plane ride."  However, Ashlan immediately responds, "Well, I want to get off!"  Lol.  Luckily, the turbulence was short.

So a week or so ago, my mom, dad, Ashlan, and I were sitting at my parents kitchen table.  Dan was in the other room and then came into the kitchen where the rest of us were hanging out.  My mom says, "Oh, hi Dan" and Ashlan immediately says, "Hi Dan.  Oh, look mommy, it's Dan."  We were all laughing so hard.

Dan and I had a date night while we were up there and Nana and Papa watched her.  As we were leaving, Ashlan comes over to me and says, "Mommy, you have fun with Daddy."  So cute.  And then the next morning when she saw me for the first time, she said, "I wuv you, Mommy", and grabbed my face and kissed me on the lips when I bent down to give her a hug.  I love moments like that. 

Ashlan likes her privacy in the bathroom, lol.  She always says, "Mommy leave" after she gets on the toilet.  We stand outside the door until she tells us she's finished.  Every once and awhile, she's in there for a bit and we ask her if she's ok.  So this time, Dan asked her if she was ok and she said yes.  A few minutes later, he asked her one more time and she said yes again.  I opened the pantry doors a few seconds later (which are on the opposite side of the bathroom) and Ashlan must have thought we were opening the bathroom door again because she screamed, "I'M STILL POOPING!!"  Lol, she’s too funny.

We all had a great time at Disney again.  Ashlan got to see Minnie, Pluto, the Chipmunks, plus Mickey, Daisy and Donald again.  Before, we had to ask her if she wanted to go see them.  Now, she sees them and runs up to them, lol.  She was very interested in seeing Minnie.  Almost every time we see characters, it’s just a fluke.  We don’t seek them out, we just happen to pass through an area where they’re at.  If the line is short, we ask if she wants to see them and most of the time she says yes.  So this time, we were taking a shortcut through a building and happen to see Minnie, Pluto, and Mickey standing there.  Mickey was in line first to be seen, but Ashlan kept looking towards Minnie’s direction because she really wanted to see her.  We take pictures with Mickey and then Pluto, and you could tell Ashlan was really getting antsy to see Minnie because she turned to Pluto and says, “I really want to see Minnie”.  Lol.  Poor Pluto, haha.

She is definitely turning into a groupie with one band that we see regularly at Disney.  We go to Epcot most nights we’re there to see bands and because the fireworks show is awesome over the lake and it’s MUCH less busy than Magic Kingdom.  So this one band that is a cover band for British music is called British Revolution.  It’s nice because Ashlan can run with the other kids in the bush maze that is in front of the stage, and it’s great for us because we can watch the band and not have to entertain her at the same time.  So, we did that on Friday night.  On Saturday, we got to Epcot a little earlier and wanted to catch the Mariachi band before the other bands.  Ashlan sat still for a bit but you could tell she wasn’t into it.  Then she looks at me and says, “I don’t want to watch this band- I want to watch the other band”.  Lol.  So apparently that’s not the music she likes.  We did go to Mo’Rockin again (a Moroccan band and belly dancer), and Ashlan really likes trying to dance with the dancer and other little kids…and we like to watch her, lol.

Anyway, onto the pictures…

"Ashlan's room" at my parents house.  Pretty awesome for a two year old!

At the Erie zoo.

Playing with cousin Rose.

Check out the height different still.

Aww, hugs!

Hanging out with Aunt Sarah.

Ashlan immediately wanted up when Rose crawled up next to me, lol.

"Oh, you can sit in there?"

"Don't mind if I do..."

More hugs!

Too cute.

Painting with Nana.

Now putting a foam frog together.

All smiles.

Looking at the frogs in Nana's pond.

With Donald and Daisy.

With Mickey.

Waiting for Minnie.

Seeing Pluto.

And finally Minnie!

She loved her!

Banging on the drums.

Running through the bush maze while British Revolution plays.

She found a little friend...always does!

Clapping when the band asked, lol.

She's a groupie!!

Mo'Rockin.

Trying to dance with the belly dancer.

Clapping with Daddy.

Going to see the band again...what a surprise.  They're starting to recognize her, lol.

2 years, 4 months old

Ashlan turned 28 months on April 3!!  Man, time is flying by so fast and she continues to amaze us daily.  Seeing how she was as a baby, never could we have imagined how sweet, helpful, generous, and loving she would turn out to be!  On Sunday, Ashlan helped me with the roast that I put in the crockpot.  She always says, "Let me help you", so I let her, lol.  She unwrapped the bouillon cubes that we used and then threw the wrapper away.  She also dumped the carrots into the crockpot, and the potatoes that I cut up.  I am so lucky to have a daughter that helps me!  I guess what goes around, comes around- right, Mom?  ;)  She also helps me empty out the dishwasher almost every time unless she’s sleeping.  She will put all the non-breakable items on the counter, so then I stack them and put them away.  She also will help me load the dryer.  I will take everything from the washer and put it on the dryer door, and she will push it in.  She loves to help.  She's been doing those last two things for months now.  I think the laundry thing started almost when she could walk, lol.  Recently, she has also been helping me clean the dining and nook table, and the sliding glass door.  I give her a paper towel or a cleaning wipe, and she will wipe the heck out of whatever it is.  When we did the sliding glass door, I stood on the opposite side and sprayed and started to wipe.  She thought I sprayed her side and was vigorously wiping so the Windex wouldn't drip lower.  I was holding back my laughter because she was trying so hard, yet it wasn't even on her side!  She is such a joy to be with every day!!  

Another big thing is her independence now to go to the bathroom by herself.  She still can't get her pants down yet, but she can take her underwear off, so we just leave her with underwear on because of that and because it's warm here.  On Saturday, she had just gone potty (that I helped her with), so I figured she was good to go for awhile and that I could vacuum her room.  When I stopped vacuuming, I heard a door handle jingle.  I went into the bathroom and Ashlan was coming out of the toilet room.  She exclaimed happily that she went potty.  She even wiped herself!  Of course, I did it too just to be sure, but I couldn't believe how independent she has become.  When I go in the bathroom with her, she closes the door in my face and tells me to leave, lol.  We’re so proud of how far she's come in less than two months!!

So Ashlan's room is pretty much done.  The tower came in the mail a few days ago, so I put that up and also put up the rest of the Rapunzel suns that I made around that, and the quote.  I still want to get her some pillowcases and window treatments though, and I'm not really happy with the way the crown and tulle turned out (above her bed), so I might get more tulle, lol.  It doesn't look fluffy enough for me, too sparse!  But she loves it…and that’s what matters.  When we go in there, she proudly shows me Rapunzel and the tower, and says her hair is like Rapunzel’s.  Too cute.  

Another thing that Ashlan loves to do lately is "paint" cookies.  We originally made the first batch back in late January or maybe February because I didn't have time to do it around Christmas.  We have since done it a bunch more times and she never gets tired of it.  She is pretty particular too- she will cover almost every inch of the cookie in paint (egg yolk & dye), and then tells me we need sprinkles on the cookie when she's done painting it. It's so fun to do that with her but not so fun for my diet, lol! 

Trying to help me with the cookie cutouts.  So sweet.  

Painting her Easter cookies.

Helping me with the Easter cookies.

Painting her cookies.

Her first drawing on the wall- I think that's pretty good, considering she's almost 2 1/2!

Eating the cookies she painted.  :)

So diligent.

Rapunzel costume from Nana and Papa.  She LOVES it!!!

Now right hand- ambidextrous!  

An egg hunt with another friend.

Ashlan had a blast looking for eggs!

Swinging at the egg hunt.

We fed the ducks some cheerios.  They seemed to like that.  :)

At the Egg Hunt at Moosehaven.  Glad Ashlan got to do another egg hunt because people weren't very nice with this one- some parent was putting eggs in his 3 year old's basket!  Come on, people!  :(

At the bounce house.

They held hands down the slide the whole way- too sweet!!

Check out her face!!  LOL!  Priceless!!  (And she wanted to go down that one!)

Being a great helper with helping me with laundry!  <3

Ashlan's other wall in her room.

And even helping me weed!  I'm so lucky!!!