Just Pics

I haven't been taking many pics b/c of my camera (it's opening on the top). I don't want to ruin it yet, so I'm being very careful, but I am not taking as many pics now! :( Well, here are some that I took last week and weekend. Daddy and Rachel being silly.

Rachel helping me put the dishes away. (We got her bangs cut later that day. They are super short. I'll have to upload a pic later today!)

Zoo pics added

Well, I've not been keeping up with my posting like I said I would. I get so excited about the pics that I take and tell myself that as soon as Rachel's napping, I am going to blog. It just hasn't been happening! Also, my camera is kind of breaking or coming apart at the top, so I don't take it out like I used too (I don't want to break it even further and not have a camera of my own).

We did go to the zoo on Sunday. What a beautiful day it was. :) I didn't want to waste that day at home in our little ol' apartment, so I dragged Ben out with Rachel. :) I really wanted to go to the Witte Museum to check out some stuff that we didn't get to see last time we went in august. We got there at 11 am, but it didn't open until noon. :( So we had a whole hour to wait, who has time to wait when it's GORGEOUS out. So I finally decided that I would NOT boycott the zoo, as I had been for a few years now!
That's a joke, but I just didn't want to go to the zoo for the following reasons:
1) As a 1st grade teacher, I went numerous times and had about enough of it.
2) I hate the HEAT so I didn't go with Ben and Rachel in the summer and fall (which is just as hot and humid).
3) I wanted it to be Ben & Rachel's "thing" to go to the zoo (kinda like a daddy/daughter date).
4) I don't like smelling the animal "smell". :(
5) I just don't really like the zoo (I found out why... my parents really don't like it either, or so they were telling me yesterday. I'm thinking that I got that "I don't wanna go to the zoo" attitude subliminally from my parents. ;)

But to tell you the truth.... I LOVED GOING WITH MY FAMILY!!! It was so nice to see that Rachel and Ben had a routine and Rachel remembered where to go for each thing! Daddy was so excited that I was there (awwwwww, I know, but mostly b/c he could take his camera with his HUGE lense and take pics that he couldn't take when he had Rachel w/ him). I had so much fun that we bought a family pass so we all could go together, but I could also take Rachel during the week when it's nice out (not hot)! ;)
Note: When we were driving to the zoo, Rachel heard us talking about going there instead of the museum and she said, "Zoo- Daddy and Rachel!" (Translated: "Hey, only daddy and Rachel go to the zoo!) ;) Ben made sure to change her idea on that! :) He told her that he wanted me to go with them and that it was okay! ;) I am glad that she has a place that she knows Daddy and Rachel go, that's just too sweet! (I'm a daddy's girl, so I love seeing that relationship grow under my own roof!) :)

Well, I'll post pics later.... I'm on my laptop again. :) God bless you!

R-A-C-H-E-L spells Rachel

We've been working on letters for about 6 months or so (she knows a handful of letters, but we're still working on the rest). Rachel was always interested in the alphabet. We had the regular magnet letters at first. For Christmas (not this last one, but the previous), Yaya bought her the cool magent letters that you can hear the name of the letter and the sound that it makes. It's perfect. Well, we've had the cooler one on the fridge forever, but just last week, I took out the old cheap magnet letters and she wanted to spell her name for us.... here is the pic of what she did with no help from us.... I was so impressed! (The C is backwards and the "L" is really a J, but I was so proud anyhow! ) ;)