2013 Lawrence Year in Review

“It’s hard to believe another year has come and gone.” “2013 flew by so quickly.” I know, I know. Insert cliché here. When you don’t live in a climate with seasons, it’s hard to comprehend the passage of time! This year, like each of the past five, has been a year of great change.

Our biggest change will be happening in the first part of 2014. Bonnie was offered a promotion to run the Parts Distribution Center in Pleasant Prairie, WI. So, the Lawrences will soon be trading in their sandcastles for snow forts! Scott and Bonnie have called Jacksonville home for nearly 10 years. And, Florida is all Shelby and Pete have known. So, it will be a little sad to leave, but it will be an exciting adventure moving us close to Scott's and Bonnie's brothers. Currently, we are deep into the relocation process getting ready to list our house and looking for a home in the northern suburbs of Chicago.

This summer, Scott took a gigantic leap of faith by leaving the insurance industry and striking out as a professional photographer. Being a full-time photographer has always been a dream for Scott. He has enjoyed learning how to run his own small business – from marketing to bookkeeping as well as developing photo packages and products. His new endeavor has allowed him to spend more time with the kids, network with other professional photographers, and take classes.

Bonnie has continued with her running. She ran 2 half marathons (The Donna & the Thanksgiving Subaru Distance Classic). She also ran the Gate River Run - a 15k that runs over two of Jacksonville's large bridges. Since she comes home from work after dinnertime, Bonnie has perfected the "make ahead" dinner. She preps them in the morning, and Scott has heating/serving instructions. They have been a success with the whole family - so long as they don't contain any "strange vegetables".....

Shelby took dance classes again this year. Her recital piece in June was a ballet number to Tim McGraw's "When The Stars Go Blue." Simply adorable. She is also taking gymnastics classes. She seems to have a knack for both. Shelby loves to help out around the house begging to clean up the kitchen (Windex is her favorite). She likes to play and wrestle with Pete on the floor. Just wait until he's bigger than her.....

Where Shelby is all about dance, gymnastics, and finer motor skills, Pete is more "search and destroy." He waited until he was 17 months to walk. But, within 48 hours, he went from crawling to running. It was incredible. Ever since then, he has been a holy terror! All cabinets are locked and the kitchen counters are cleared! He loves riding his tricycle, riding in the bike trailer, and reading about trucks (i.e. all things transportation!). He is still our easy-going boy, but Pete is happiest when he's outside playing.

We're so blessed to have such a great base of friends and family, and have loved our time in Florida. We look forward to the adventures the new year are certain to bring us.

With much love,
    Scott, Bonnie, Shelby & Peter Lawrence

2012 Lawrence Year in Review

Merry Christmas, friends and family! 2012 was an amazing year for the Lawrence family!

Our most exciting news was welcoming our son Peter to the world! He was born March 20th - which is also Scott's birthday! Pete has a set of blue, ladykiller eyes and the nickname "Chunky Monkey." Pete has just learned to crawl. So, we have the challenge of baby-proofing a house full of Shelby's tiny toys and ponytail holders! And, this boy loves to eat! Bananas, carrots, pot roast and even salmon are among his favorites! He is such a low-key, loving, baby. If you say at least two words to him, he's got a huge smile for you!

Shelby turned four this fall. For her birthday, we took a family vacation to Disney World with the Lawrences - Nancy, Dave and Uncle Mike. She had a great time! Shelby waited patiently to take pictures with The Princesses and her favorite characters, rode the new, little roller coaster in Fantasyland, and loved riding Small World with her little brother. She danced in her first recital this summer. She tapped to "Puttin' on the Ritz" in sequins, feathers and tulle. Not many people can say their first stage appearance was to a sell-out crowd in a 450-person theatre! She loves dance and is continuing lessons this year. She also seems to have a natural talent for gymnastics.



Scott has been busy with work this year. He's picked up some extra responsibilities in the northeast region. And, he's traveled to New York several times. Scott dove into the Volkswagen lease program and started driving a Passat this fall. The program allows him to switch out vehicles on fairly often. So, ask him what he's driving on a regular basis! When he has spare time (haha!), Scott continues to take portraits of friends. And, recently, he has started to ride his road bike again with a friend from church.

Bonnie is still loving her job at Volkswagen - and no she's not driving a VW or Audi yet! She took two months off work to stay home with Pete. Bonnie is still cooking up a storm. She's perfected some signature dishes: sourdough pretzels, homemade pizza, and faux Cadbury Creme Eggs. Besides having a baby, Bonnie's biggest accomplishment this year was running a half marathon! She ran in the Thanksgiving Day half marathon through the Mandarin neighborhood. She ran 2:17 - which was better than her goal. Now Bonnie's looking forward to the Donna Deegan half marathon in February!

Rough Week

It's was a rough start of the week for all the Lawrences.

Scott: Tweaked his back and was walking (shuffling) like an old man.

Pete: Going through a growth spurt and eating non-stop.

Bonnie: Caught Pete's cold and has lost her voice. Also, she's facilitating Pete's growth spurt with increased overnight feedings.

Shelby: Wet her bed (couldn't make it to the potty because there were monsters on the floor) and spilled her cereal.

Good thing it's only a four-day week!

Latest tunes

I've talked before about Shelby's impeccable taste of music here and here.

Now that it's Christmas (and she's three), she has her favorite carols, too. And, I must say they are not what you'd expect a three-year old to request demand. Her current favorites are:

- Santa Claus is Coming to Town as sung by the a cappella group  Straight No Chaser (if you don't know them,....well, you should!)
- Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree... The Brenda Lee version (as if there's another!)

The girl loves her sherbet!

The Newest Chef

We went out to eat on Saturday night and the table next to us ordered one of those fabulous brownie desserts where they pour the flaming hot caramel over the brownie table side. Shelby decided she must have one. We were full and didn't want to be a small fortune for the dessert. So, I blurted out,

"We can make brownies together tomorrow." Wait......What?! What was I thinking? Making brownies with a two-year old. Well, I put it out there....guess I have to own it.

Shelby insisted we both wear our aprons and she was a very apt and eager student. She was very careful with each step and just wanted to be a good helper. She was great! And, she was so proud when we took that pan of cooked brownies out of the oven.

Say What??

This weekend, Shelby dismounted from the couch in an unconventional method and landed on rear. Like any good two-year old, she wanted the boo-boo fixed. She approached Scott (who was unaware of the aforementioned couch gymnastics) and demanded loudly,

"Daddy, kiss my bottom."


Nice.

Why, Thank You

Saturday morning we were on our way out the house. Scott was driving. I was rescheduling a haircut on my phone. After I hung up, I realized I forgot my purse. 


Touching moment: Shelby was very concerned and said,"Oh no, Mommy. You use mine?"

Sad moment: My 2-year old had not one, but two purses in the car for our outing.

Ironic moment: The purse she offered me was one of my old ones I had given her to play with.

Big Girl!!

If you've spent even 5 minutes with my daughter, you know she suffers from an excess of personality and has a stubborn streak (the internet is screaming "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!").

We've been trying to potty train Shelby for almost a year. We have the little potty, we bought Pull-ups, and we've been talking up how cool using the potty is. But, every time we bought it up, Shelby pitched a fit. The back arched, the legs went limp and the screaming ensued. We decided, along with her teachers, to lay off the "potty talk" and just let her do it on her own time.

Well, a month ago Shelby decided she was gonna sit on the potty, she was gonna to wear underpants, and she wasn't looking back. Amen!

She's basically went from 0 to "mastering #1" in a week! She's been wearing her Hello Kitty and Minnie Mouse underpants during the day exclusively. Even at nap, she's going diaper-free. She told me if she pee-pees in her pants, "Kitty will be sad." So, she wants to be sure to use the potty. Don't judge. Whatever works!

Now, she wants to try out every potty in town. She almost fell over with glee when she first saw an automatic flushing toilet!

"#2 training" hasn't been quite as smooth. I feel it's going to be another battle of wills to get this one  mastered! Stay tuned.

Why Me?!

The most offensive and incendiary language does not involve a four-letter word. It's a three-letter word....uttered by a two-year old: WHY.

Shelby has learned this horrible, filthy word - presumably at school. The first time the "w-word" is used, it's not so bad.....just a little kid being cute. But, by the quadrillionth time, people are shooting dirty looks. I am incensed.
Exhibits 1 & 2:

Shelby: What's this?
Me: It's a butterfly.
Shelby: Why?

Shelby: What's this [pointing to the bottom of her shoe]?
Me: It's dirty.
Shelby: Why?
Me: You walked through some mud.
Shelby: Why?

Case. And. Point.

Sesame Street - 21st Century

It's a pretty well-known fact that Shelby loves the iPad. She also loves Elmo, but she will not tolerate any sketches in Sesame Street that do not contain the lovable, talk-in-the-third person Muppet. Yay for us.

How excited were we when we found the PBS kids app that features Elmo vignettes with various celebrities!

Her favorite segment features Amy Poehler explaining the word "Challenge." I love Amy Poehler [side note: she and Tina Fey are my favorites]. Now Shelby requests "Miss Amy" on the iPad. What kind of world do we live in where hilarious, raunchy, "Baby Mama" Amy Poehler is referred to as "Miss Amy?" I love it.

For your viewing pleasure......

Old Soul

Shelby and I sat down to watch some pre-bedtime Mickey. Before I could hit the "On Demand" button, Shelby pointed to the show that was on and said, "No. Watch this!"

It was Wheel of Fortune.

The show had as much appeal as a Dora and Mickey episode combined. I have heard of friends who learned their alphabets from the show. Maybe we're on to something!

How is it that Vanna looks the same as when she actually had to turn the letters? And Pat Sajak looks so old now....but has managed to keep the poufy hair?

Raising a Southern Belle

Shelby was "scolding" us tonight and said, "No ma'am!"* It was classic.

Scott and I were born and raised in Cleveland, OH and Rockford, IL, respectively. First generation immigrants to Florida, if you will. Our daughter, however, was born here in Jacksonville, FL. She is a native Southerner and Floridian. Are we Floridians by proxy?...some provision of the 14th amendment? Oh my. Is Shelby our "anchor baby" to get us accepted into our adopted culture?

My grandma was the child of first generation immigrants from Sicily. She used to tell us how she was the translator between her family and the non-Sicilian community. Her mother wanted to buy a colander and could only explain it as "pasta stay, water go." Pretty clever, but you can see her need for a translator. From all accounts, my great-grandma lived in this country for 60 years and still needed a translator most of the time!

Every time I strain my pasta, I remember her story and smile!




*For the Yankees in the readership, that translates to "I don't think so! Please stop that behavior at once!"

Thanks a Lot

Shelby: I use keys to open doors at work.
Me: What else do you do at work.
Shelby: Check messages on iPod.
Me: Is that what you think I do at work?
Shelby: Yeah.


Thanks a lot.

Big Party

We went to Baby Church* Wednesday night for dinner and meet with our small group. Shelby can hardly contain herself as we approach the building! And, she loves the teachers who watch her in the Kids Room. When we went to pick her up when we were done, the teachers were talking with Shelby and laughing so hard.

They said they had 24 kids in the room that night! And, Shelby told the teachers, "Slumber party. My house. ALL the people!"

HILARIOUS!!! There is something new about her that makes me laugh everyday.


* Shelby has dubbed church as "Baby Church." We're not sure why. But, Baby Church it is.

Mickey's House!

We finally made the trip to the Mouse's House! Scott and I have lived here for six years living a mere 2 hours from Disney World and we hadn't made it there yet! I guess it takes a two year old to get you to the state's biggest attraction! :)

We had been talking up "going to Mickey's house" for weeks now and I think we successfully whipped Shelby up into a Mickey frenzy. We stayed at the Polynesian resort....hey, it was the first vacation we've taken when we haven't visited family (no offense, family!).




We spent most of our time in Fantasyland - home of "It's a Small World," "Dumbo," the Carousel, the Tea Cups and, did I mention "Dumbo?!" Shelby saw the Dumbo ride and said, "I ride that!!" And, we rode it over and over and over! "It's a Small World" was a favorite, but Dumbo was much more favorite. Shelby quickly got the hang of the controls and was quickly the master of the elephant!




We had so much fun!




After you see this site, how can you not want to visit again and again! I think there will be many happy returns to Mickey's House.



To see all the pictures of our trip, visit Scott Lawrence Photography!

That was easy!

Shelby has been playing with the Easy Button pretty much since she realized she had opposable thumbs. Now she 1)Knows she gets a reaction when she's cute & 2)Can hit the button more rapidly.




*Mom's note: I know there are no pants. It was just that kind of night. She's two. Don't ask.

Sign of the Times

Shelby: I play c'uter!!!!

Dad: What do you want to play?

Shelby: I check email.

Dad & Mom: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA!

Shelby: Hahaha! I funny!

Fail.

Yesterday was full of "excitement" (a whole post must be devoted to the "fun" later). But, one thing was just hilarious. I went to pick Shelby up from school I saw her friend Chloe and her parents in the parking lot as I was headed in. Chloe's mom looked at me with confusion and said that Shelby wasn't at school - the teachers told her Shelby was picked up early. I could hear the proverbial crickets chirping. And, I'm fairly certain I had the stupidest, trying-hard-to-connect-the-dots look on my face.

Then it dawned on me: Scott picked her up to take her to a doctor's appointment.

FAIL.

Musical Taste

On the way home from school, I typically listen to my podcasts from NPR.....yes. Not only do I listen to NPR, but I stockpile NPR shows to listen to later. Hey: I like to be informed!

I digress.....We listen to Car Talk & Wait, Wait. But, sometimes, when I've had a rough day, or just need something different, we'll listen to music. A couple weeks ago I put on Glee, Volume I and started at the beginning. A Glee-ophile knows that Journey's "Dont' Stop Believin'" is the first track. We listened to it. Of course, I belted out Rachael's part. Shelby was bobbing her head (her version of dancing) and smiling during the song. When the song was over, she requested "more?!"

Well, today was another Glee Day. The intro to Journey started playing and Shelby started singing!! I'm not sure which language she was singing in, but she was singing and her whole little body was moving to the music. When the words started, she sang even louder. It was SO CUTE. By the end of the song her legs were kicking and moving all over the place and she was yelling "MORE!" We listened to it 4 times! On the 4th time, I wasn't fast enough on going back to the beginning and the next song came on. Man, was she upset!

I'm not sure if I'm more excited that she likes Glee or Journey! Either way: impeccable taste.