Little House on the Prairie Comes Alive!

We had such a fun Easter day yesterday.  It was relaxing and fun, just hanging out and enjoying each other...and eating too much.

In their Easter baskets, the girls got a couple of new books, a pencil pouch (emblazoned with "QUACK" and "CHEEP" in honor of their "spirit animals"...HA!), and they each got a DVD.

We've never watched much TV in our house, so the idea of getting a DVD was a bit of a new concept.  One DVD was "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" -- the Gene Wilder version.  The other was the first season of "Little House on the Prairie".

We've been reading the Little House on the Prairie books for the past couple of years.  To my knowledge, the girls had no idea it was a TV series, too.  They were super excited to see the characters come to life on the big screen yesterday afternoon!

B remarked that Laura had her "big girl teeth", and she mused what the real names of the animals were in the show.  "Maybe they actually named the dog 'Jack' so he wouldn't get confused."  HA!

My A was the funniest, though.  There were a few tense scenes, including the one where they cross the river in the wagon and they fear Jack has drowned; and the one where the fire threatens the homestead.

My A was getting tense, I could tell.  "I don't want to watch," she said a couple of times.  I reminded her we knew how it would turn out.  She watched at times with one eye shut...and I could hear her remark, "Oh, boy...." and "Oh, my..." to herself.  It was too cute to see -- and hear! -- her process!

Such a fun Easter day, punctuated by carrot cake.  It was a big hit all around, and my carrot-obsessed Baby A was in heaven!

Busy Bunnies and Bribes

“Bribe” is probably a strong word.  But it’s no exaggeration that my little bunnies were some kind of busy on Saturday.

Saturday we had not one, but TWO Easter egg hunts!  The girls didn’t attend any official hunts until they were in preschool…but they’ve made up for that with frequency over the past couple of years.

Saturday morning we went to the egg hunt my company hosts.  It’s incredibly sweet for me…so many years before I had kiddos, I remember seeing the advertisements for the company egg hunts, thinking how sweet it would one day be to bring my kiddos there.  It took a few years…but here we are!!!

I knew there would be an Easter bunny at the party.  And to date, I have zero pictures of my girlies with The Bunny.  I’ve asked them a few times if they would be up for a picture with the mall bunny, and they’ve vehemently declined.

On Saturday morning I told them, “Mommy doesn’t have any pictures of you with the Easter bunny, and I would really like one.  Would you be willing to have your picture made?”  I reinforced that it was their decision.  At first they said no (although not quite as vehemently as in years past).  I told them I would stand beside them, and they didn’t have to touch the bunny.  I reiterated that it was their decision.  They looked at each other, and finally acquiesced.  (Cue internal squeal from Mommy!  And I didn’t even resort to a bribe!)

The girls held true to their word and took a picture with the bunny as soon as we got to the party.  They even smiled!!! 

The girls made two rounds through the obstacle course, played a couple of games, and then it was time for the magic show.  This year they again asked me to sit with them.  (They don’t seem to be big fans of clowns, either!)  I sat for a few minutes, and then told them I’d like to stand behind them.  They were OK with that (although they kept turning around to make sure I was still in sight).

Finally it was time to HUNT!  The girls were in the Big Kid group this year (ages 7-12).  Baby A scored 11 eggs, and B found 7.  They were satisfied with their treasures, and we went home soon thereafter.  (It was COLD!!!)

After a light lunch and a short rest time, we loaded up for our Mothers of Multiples Easter party.  There were two adorable crafts (although there was a little disappointment because B didn’t like how she placed her bunny ears, and A didn’t like how her handprint turned out…both were easily remedied the next day in Mommy’s craft room).  

Due to the COLD weather and threat of rain, we held our “hunt” indoors.  The girls scored far more treasures, and it was so cute to listen to them ooh and ahh over each egg they opened.

It was a full day for my little bunnies, for sure!  But fun memories – and a few heirloom pictures – were made!  I call it a great day!!!

Bunny Cake Memories

I remember my mom making a bunny cake one Easter.  I’d guess I was seven or eight.  I remember it being covered in coconut, and there were jelly beans for the eyes, nose, and whiskers.

I don’t remember all the details, but it was a surprise at my nan's house for Easter dinner, and I clearly remember being in awe.  In my mind, I must have asked my mom 10 times, “Did you really make this??!!!” 

That, of course, was long before the days of Pinterest and themed play dates.  My mom was a great cook…skilled particularly in all things sweet…but I guess that’s the first time I saw an edible “craft”, so to speak.

This year, I decided to create some bunny cake memories with my girls.  I baked the cake, and they watched as I assembled it into a bunny shape…grinning and giggling all the while.

Baby A, spreading the jelly...in Christmas pajamas, of course.

I had intended to let the girls ice the cake, but my icing turned out a little on the stiff side.  They watched patiently while I covered the cake in white, and then they were very eager to choose the exact jelly beans they wanted to use for decoration.

Expertly adding the jelly beans, while Daddy and Alex watch.

They of course had to sample along the way…the cake scraps, the icing, and the jelly beans.  I don’t know that they were in awe to the same degree I was as a child, but they were delighted, nonetheless.

Two proud baby girls!!!

With the chocolate in the girls’ (and hubby’s) baskets, we didn’t exactly need more sweets in the house.  But seeing my girlies smile…and thinking back on my own fond memories…makes for a great Easter treat all the way around.

Easter Bunnies!!!

It's Spring Break in these parts...so we've been enjoying Daddy AND the girls being home!  I'm a bit behind on posting Easter pictures, but...better late than never.  We had such a fun day!

The girls found their bunnies waiting on them on the couch.  They grabbed their own ears and indulged Mommy in an early-morning picture.

The girls had been talking about cinnamon rolls shaped like bunnies for weeks, so that's what they got.  They also added eggs shaped like chicks to their menu plan, and I was thankful to be able to make that work, too.

All dressed up and digging into baskets!

It made me laugh that Baby A automatically grabbed both baskets when it was time to migrate into the den...HA!

Exploring baskets a second time, now in the den.

After they each downed one Cadbury mini egg, they changed clothes and commenced playing.  Their shared toy was this pastry set for their kitchen...they love it!!!

Focus on B's eyelashes as she checked out one of her new books.

Snuggling with Daddy and the bunnies to read our books...one on "Volcanoes" and one on "Planet Earth".

We were so thankful to share Easter dinner with our friends, M&C.  The kiddos played together so well, as usual, and we enjoyed a huge meal together. 

As we ate, I couldn't help but listen to part of the kiddos' conversation...B said something about "Green Eggs and Ham"...and it was so stinkin' adorable to hear the CONVERSATION about it.  It's hard to believe our babies are old enough to have DINNER CONVERSATION!!!

Eating Jello eggs and cheesecake for dessert...they were a happy bunch!

 

Getting ready to hunt eggs!!!

It had rained the night before, so we had to have an indoor hunt...the kiddos didn't mind a bit, though!

Checking out all the LOOT!!!

Thanks to Miss Demara, all the little bunnies got matching ears...picture perfect!!!

So thankful for such a fun day...made even better by sharing it with friends.  :)  :)

Super Stuff on a Monday / Tuesday

We have had a busy-but-fun week…thankfully full of super!

1)      Over supper one day, B asked me what “stressful” meant.  As I was forming my response, Baby A piped up, “It means when you have a tough day.”  It was so cool to see how she rephrased something so well!

2)      After sustaining a bump on the face on Tuesday evening, I was worried that B had hit her front tooth.  I got her in to see the dentist on Wednesday morning.  The girls have been SO excited to see the dentist on our last couple of trips, but sweet little B was pretty emotional.  She was so brave, though!  She sat in my lap for her x-ray, but following that she was all smiles.  (And I was all smiles, too, after hearing everything was OK.)

3)      After our trip to the dentist Wednesday morning, and a haircut a couple of hours later, the girls and I rewarded ourselves with lunch out.  They chose our favorite Mexican place, and we had a great meal.  I still sometimes marvel…a year ago, I was still nervous about taking the girls out to eat by myself…but now – dare I say? – it’s almost relaxing for all of us!

4)      If the girls get their toys cleaned up after supper in a timely fashion, their reward is that we have time to play a game before bed.  They were super fast one day, while Daddy and I were still worked to get the kitchen clean.  They decided to move forward with a game of dominoes by themselves…a first.  They were doing so well, working together.  We got a big laugh when Hubby went over to check on them, though.  They had all the dominoes turned over, even in the “boneyard”.  They’d just pick which one they needed!  After Hubby called them on it, they would pretend to cover their eyes as they drew the exact domino they wanted.  HA!

5)      The girls and I dyed Easter eggs for the first time ever this year.  They were so very excited when I told them of our plans.  Baby A went running upstairs to get an Easter book, saying it would be a good “reference”…HA!  The girls were so intent to watch and help, ever-so-carefully, in getting the eggs in and out of the cups.  After we did blue, yellow, and pink eggs (the only dye tablets we had), we experimented with a couple of mixes.  They were absolutely delighted when I put the blue egg in the yellow dye…and it turned GREEN!!!

6)      I saw a notice on Facebook on Saturday morning for the Kids’ Club at the local craft store.  On a whim, I decided to take the girls there to make an Easter egg / chick craft.  They were SO excited!!!  Among other things, Baby A exclaimed, “I haven’t worn my new shoes to Michael’s yet!” which just made me laugh.  The girls followed directions so well, and they waited patiently on our turn, too.  After our craft, I had a little shopping to do there, and the girls always love pulling the little rolling carts.  It was such a fun morning, all the way around!

7)      For Christmas I got the girls some magnetic foam blocks.  They haven’t played with them very much…until this week.  I happened upon the little insert that came with the blocks that shows how to build different figures.  The girls were so intent on building each and every figure…and I was amazed at how well they could translate from paper to blocks.  So cool!

8)      The girls got a surprise package in the mail from Uncle Tommy and Aunt Janet.  They squealed, almost in unison, “WATCH!!!!!!!!”

9)      For supper on Sunday night, I asked the girls if they wanted to peel the eggs that we dyed on Friday.  They were super excited, and they worked so hard.  It had been a while since they last peeled eggs, but they still had the touch!  The funny thing was that they only wanted to eat the white, not the yolk.  They loved stuffed eggs, but apparently they need their onion and mayo to like the middle.

10)   Baby A saw me making a grocery list.  She came up and said, “Crayons!”  And then she started sounding out the word for me to write it down…”Cr...cr...cr...”  She was serious about that addition to the list!

11)   And my Baby A quote of the week?  Upon seeing everything her sister had strewn out on the floor, she stated, “This is a big mess...bigger than ever...I think it's time to pick up, Sissy."

12)   And B had a few quotable quotes…

"Mommy, can you help situate my animals?"

Pretending:  "Mommy, I see a camel on the ceiling. He is purple, and he speaks Serbian, English, Spanish, and Russian. His favorite foods are beets, tomatoes, and cucumbers."

"I'm going to draw a bumblebee sipping nectar."  And then, she did!

So thankful for another week of super highlights from my baby girls!

Easter...(WAY BACK) Then and (Closer to) Now

While it's nothing in comparison to the +1,100 pictures I've taken SO FAR this month (!!!), by the standards of the day, there are oodles of pictures of me from when I was a little girl.

I only have a handful in my possession, though.

As I was thinking about the Easters of my youth, I remembered Aunt GG had sent me a picture of the two of us -- I'm guessing I was about 14 months old -- at Easter.

This was taken at my grandparents' house, where we always spent Easter Sunday.

I'm guessing that was a hand-sewn, hand-smocked dress...and my mom liked them short so you could see my ruffled bloomers.  :)

Here are the girls at about the same age. 

Old or new...there's nothing like looking back at pictures to remind you of fun times.

Looking forward to recording another Easter in the books this weekend!

The Cutest Little Bunnies - {CRAFT}

The girls made the cutest bunnies last year.  They were so tickled when I pulled them out a couple of weeks ago and put them on the mantle.  I was amazed what they remembered from making them!

We still have a few days before Easter, so I hope to squeeze in another craft or two, but so far we've logged one more bunny pair.

I used my 1.5" circle punch to cut out the girls' faces from some extra pictures we had.

They used my 2" scallop punch to make the bunny's head from white card stock.  For the bunny's ears, the girls used my 1.5" circle punch, which I then cut in half.  They made the inside of the bunny's ears pink with their thumbprints in washable ink.

To cut down on the mess, I ran all the pieces through my Xyron (or "sticker-maker", as I call it), and they put everything together on pastel card stock.

Lastly, the girls drew whiskers on their bunnies.

We made a couple of sets, which I think we'll turn into Easter cards.

(Of course I really should get moving on that!  But...seeing as I haven't mailed the St. Patty's Day cards we made yet [!!!], maybe I shouldn't be too hard on myself.  Ack!!!)

My little Peter Cottontails are hopping all around with excitement over the upcoming holiday.  :)

Despite the Challenges, Easter FUN!

Despite it being a challenging day in some ways, we still had a really fun Easter celebration!

The girls had been fixated on a particular Easter bunny book. They asked to read it almost every night for the past two weeks. I really think they were more excited about Easter baskets than they were about Christmas morning!

Here are the highlights of our day!

The girls got up to find bunny ears waiting on them...they grabbed the stuffed bunnies Grandma Linda sent, and snuggled with Daddy...


For breakfast, I made bunny-shaped cinnamon rolls, and I used an egg-shaped cookie cutter for their scrambled eggs. I decorated the egg with triangles from a slice of cheese...


Baby A lost a raisin from her bunny right away. She kept saying, "Where did his eye go?" Fortunately, she wasn't too disturbed, as she and her sister both cleaned their plates.

Posing in Easter dresses...

Exploring Easter baskets...


The girls enjoyed their new books -- the "Frog and Toad" series, and they had fun playing with a gorgeous set of felt "birthday party" food that I found on Etsy.

For lunch, the girls had chick-shaped sandwiches, similar to these from earlier in the week...

After a too-short nap, the girls had their snack outside...despite the WIND...


The highlight of the girls' day was, no doubt, hunting eggs. This was their first time to do so, and they LOVED it!

The rush was on (Baby A)...


The joy of finding an egg (Baby B)...

Sisterly scrambles...


Comparing, and at one point, even some sharing...


After a while, Baby B tired of the hunt, and stopped to smell the flowers...and blow some dandelions...


...and then she decided to mow the grass (since Daddy hadn't gotten to it before the holiday)...


Baby A would have hunted until sundown, I think!


All in all, it was a very fun day. Already the "challenges" are fading from my memory, the smiles of my girlies so clear.

Rogue Bunnies...Or, Why My Kids Don't Often Get Sugar

That’s not entirely true…our girls get sugar from time to time, and I’ve often felt like they must be “immune” to its effects. I can’t remember ever thinking they must have had too many sweets, judging by the way they were acting…

…at least until yesterday.

While I downplayed the build-up to Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day, for some reason the girls were really excited about Easter approaching. I went right along with it. And I had so much fun asking them if they thought they’d get Easter baskets, and what would be in them.

So perhaps it wasn’t just the sugar…I know the anticipation of the day – and the break in our regularly-scheduled programming – also contributed to the day’s “challenges”.

The girls got up on time, and breakfast went pretty smoothly. I told them they’d get their baskets after breakfast, and they were fine with that. I forewent my usual coffee time and let them open baskets pretty soon after breakfast. They enjoyed looking through their goodies, but it wasn’t long before they were asking for CHOCOLATE.

I let them have their morning snack early – including two mini Cadbury eggs from their baskets. After they ate, they were content to play for a few minutes, but it wasn’t long before they were asking, “More chocolate, please!”

I tried to engage them with their new books, but they did not want to sit still. I tried to get them involved in setting up a birthday party with their new play food, but they were too fidgety.

I finally decided we needed to get outside, so we dressed for a walk. The girls did well outside, and played in the yard when we got home.

But…the first thing they did when we came inside for me to start making lunch? “Can we have more chocolate?”

NO!!!

We all ate lunch, relatively uneventfully, but they were a bundle of energy afterwards. I knew they were tired, but I was so afraid they wouldn’t nap.

Thankfully, after Mommy having to go into their room a couple of times, they went to sleep. They didn’t nap long, though, waking up to ask for MORE CHOCOLATE.

I did allow the girls a tiny bit more chocolate as part of their afternoon snack, and we spent an hour or so outside hunting eggs.

We came in for a bath, and my, oh, my, were they rambunctious.

By late afternoon, I just didn’t think I could will myself to bake a ham and roast the asparagus. I instructed Daddy to go pick up a pizza.

When the girls asked why we were having pizza – a rare treat – I said something vague, like, “I just thought it would be nice.” I didn’t tell them that they’d worn their mama completely out today!

And after pizza, what did they say??? “Can we have some chocolate?”

No, I think we’ve had our fill of chocolate to last us until next Easter.

***

As I type this sequence of events, it doesn’t sound quite as bad as it felt at the time. Frankly, the girls were fussy and whiny and just not very content, and it was nothing short of exhausting.

In hindsight, I know I can’t really blame the chocolate. The chocolate was probably a contributing factor, coupled with their expectations of the day, AND the break in routine. I can usually play around with one of those elements, but manipulating multiple variables is something I’ll try not to do again for quite a while.

A Wet Anniversary, and a Sticky One, Too

As Easter approaches, I can’t help but think about what we were doing a year ago.

***

In the couple of weeks leading up to Easter last year, Baby A started taking off her diaper, asking to sit on the potty. After taking a few days to mentally prepare myself for the adventure ahead, we officially bid farewell to diapers on the Saturday before Easter.

I remember taking pictures in the living room, the girls in their beautiful smocked dresses…as nervous as a cat. I wanted to savor the unveiling of the Easter baskets…but I was anxious to get my babe back into knit pants as quickly as possible!

All in all, potty training went very well. Baby A only had two real accidents, both of which fell on Easter day.

A year later, I can still say those couple of weeks after Easter were some of the most stressful in my parenting career to date. The responsibility for reading Baby A’s cues was so incredibly constant. And allowing the newness of the potty experience to run its course was nothing short of exhausting.

This year, Hubby’s spring break falls the week after Easter. I’m so incredibly thankful to be looking forward to a week of zoo trips, a visit to the orchard, and a treat at the dairy barn…what should be a relatively relaxing, relatively stress-free time.

I’ll have my travel potty in my bag, and an extra pair of undies, just in case…but there is no tightness in my chest as I think about those precautions.

***

There is one additional anniversary that occurred to me last week…that of the girls’ first jelly bean.

I generally limit the girls’ sugar intake. I don’t mind them having a cookie here or there – particularly if it’s homemade – but my babies seem much too young for the evils of sugar candy.

Still, I’m quite the jelly bean aficionado. Last year, I decided I’d let the girls try one. Yes, one. Actually, they each had ¼ of a jelly bean. I was so scared of the choking hazard, that was all I could muster!

This year, I decided I’d give the girls a couple of jelly beans as a special treat one day. I carefully chose four yummy flavors, and cut them in half. I served them along with a few pretzels for an afternoon snack.

I told the girls they needed to chew the jelly beans very, very carefully, one at a time. They really seemed to enjoy their first taste, and they really took their time to chew it. I decided it was OK to turn my back to them while I fixed them cups of water.

And what did I find not 10 seconds later??? A lump of goo in Baby A’s hair, closely resembling pine sap (with which I became acquainted last Memorial Day weekend…anniversary post to come in a few weeks, I’m sure).

It was surely the Food Pyramid God, reigning down on my poor decision to allow my girls candy.

We’ll see if this lesson is still fresh in my mind next Easter…or if, at four years old, the girls will have worked up to eating a whole jelly bean.

Peter Cottontail {CRAFT}

Well...you can't exactly see a cotton-white tail, but I'm quite sure he has one...and the girls will tell you, this bunny is coming soon!

Over the past couple of days, the girls and I have been working on bunnies. Onto small paper plates, I drew on a mouth. And then we used as many different-textured bits and pieces as we could find...

- Buttons for eyes
- Felt for the nose
- Yarn for whiskers
- Cotton balls for cheeks (I guess you call them???)
- Tissue paper for the inside of the ears
- Ribbon around his neck


This was largely an exercise in gluing for the girls, but they had fun sorting through my big jar of buttons to find a matching set, and they threaded the ribbon through two holes for me to tie the bow.

I love how these turned out...and the girls love seeing their handiwork decorating the mantle!


The girls are so excited about all things spring and Easter...we're definitely having a fun time celebrating!

I'm linking up with Adventures-in-Mommy-Land for Hey, Mom! Look What I Did! Thanks for so much great kiddie craft inspiration, Miss Charlene!

Fall Break Bucket List: Report

Daddy's Fall Break was last week. We didn't have any "big" plans...but we planned to do lots of "little" fun family things.

We delivered on all my hopes and expectations...and then some. It was a busy week, but not too busy. We had some nice downtime in there, too.

Friday. Kicked off the vacation by ordering pizza...yum!

Saturday. Bagels at Panera, followed by giving the girls their tricycles. They were a hit! That afternoon we turned our focus indoors, and the girls got to decorate cupcakes for the first time. [Saturday night Mommy met a few friends for a small baby shower / late dinner (hence the cupcakes). Girl time is always great!]

Sunday. Family breakfast and lots of downtime. [Mommy slipped away mid-afternoon for a pedicure!]

Monday. Semi-annual trip to The Big City for new shoes and shopping. It was an all-day affair, and the girls did great!

Tuesday. We hung out at home in the morning, and Miss Jennifer came to play with the girls in the afternoon. [Meanwhile, Mommy and Daddy had an afternoon "date". We enjoyed the most wonderful homemade pizza (Sashimi Tuna with Spicy Aioli Sauce...ahhh-mazing!). Oh, and then we might have had a little ice cream before heading back home.]

Wednesday. We ran a couple of errands as a family, and then went out for lunch.

Thursday. Took the girls to the zoo! They were such troopers...they walked the entire time and ooh'ed and ahh'ed at all the animals, right on cue! We enjoyed a late lunch at P.F. Chang's (another big treat), and the girls napped in the car on the way home.

Friday. Family grocery shopping in the morning. [Mommy slipped out for some solo errands in the afternoon.]

Saturday. Bagels at Panera, dancing to live music on the square downtown (as part of the monthly street festival), and lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. Frozen yogurt as an afternoon treat. [Mommy and Daddy enjoyed "date night in" after the girls were in bed, piled on the couch to watch the Bama game on the DVR.]

Sunday. Family breakfast and a great walk. A picnic snack with "Aunt" Karen on Sunday afternoon, and time spent walking around downtown.

Tricycles were a part of every day...and I'm proud to report that every day but one also included a nap (for the girls and Daddy, and a couple of times for Mommy, too!)!

This picture, taken at the zoo, sums up the week for me...lots of awesome family time, lots of time outdoors, and lots of great experiences.


So...looking back at my bucket list for the week, we did pretty well! The only exceptions...

• We didn't go to the orchard (but it was so warm this week...I decided I didn't want pumpkin patch pictures in halter tops!).
• I didn't clean out my junk drawers or my closet (but I rationalized that it was "vacation"...and I opted to do some scrapbooking and some reading at night instead).
• I didn't get a massage...but I have one booked for later this week. SO looking forward to that little gem!!!
  

***

We're back to regularly-scheduled programming today.

We've spent the morning building block towers, having tea parties, doing artwork, and reading. With all our going and doing over the past week, I realized the girls haven't used crayons in over a week! We can't let that trend continue!

Looking forward to another great (albeit quieter) week!

Fab 5 Friday

The hubs has been on Spring Break this week, so we’ve had a pretty fabulous few days!

1) We celebrated the girls’ second Easter on Sunday. We got some precious pictures of them exploring their Easter baskets, and we all enjoyed some homemade carrot cake. The girls aren’t quite old enough for Easter candy…which just meant more for me!

2) We took a family trip to Nashville on Tuesday with the “sole” purpose of buying the girls their first pair of shoes. They were so cute – and hilarious! – in their new kicks!

3) While we were in Nashville, we experienced another big first…we ALL ate out for lunch! It was so neat to be able to order the girls’ lunch off the menu. And, having spent years waiting tables, I was very thankful that they kept their mess to a manageable minimum.

4) We ate out for lunch again on Thursday. The girls were quite the attraction at the restaurant as they waved and told all the patrons “Bye-bye!” as they left!

5) With Daddy being home, Mommy has had a little more flexibility. I finally cashed in my birthday gift certificate for a wonderful massage…ahhhhh! I’m refreshed and relaxed and ready to wrangle the girls until Daddy gets out for the summer.

Easter Then and Now

Thanks to my trusty notes, I can verify that quite a few things have changed in the Emedi house from last Easter to this...

Exhibit A, April 12, 2009. The girls were 14 weeks old.

The girls dined on milk, milk, milk, and more milk. (Specifically, Baby A had 26 ounces, and Baby B had 32 ounces.)

The girls more or less had been sleeping through the night for about a week, but Saturday night into Sunday morning fell into the "or less" category...Baby A was up from 2:30 - 3:00, and Baby B was up from 3:30 - 5:30. They finally had their first bottles at 6:30. They had three naps and went to bed at 8:15.

We gave the girls a bath mid-day. Baby A weighed 10 pounds, 6.5 ounces; Baby B weighed 11 pounds, 7.5 ounces.

In their Easter baskets, the girls each got a book about Easter, along with a fluffy chick rattle.

As you can see in the picture, they weren't very interested in the festivities. They were, though, the sweetest, cuddliest snuggle bunnies in the world.

Exhibit B, April 4, 2010. The girls are one day shy of being 15 months old.

For breakfast, the girls dined on scrambled eggs, oatmeal, and a banana. For lunch, they enjoyed brussel sprouts, butter beans, and peaches. After lunch, they had a very special treat...a few bites of Mommy's homemade carrot cake! (I think we've landed on a new tradition!) For supper, the girls had steamed zucchini, fresh avocado, fresh strawberries, and some peach yogurt.

The girls are champion sleepers [knock on wood!]. They were up at 6:45 this morning, enjoyed two naps totalling about 2 hours and 45 minutes, and went to bed at 7:30.

We gave the girls a bath last night. Baby A weighed 19 pounds, 4 ounces; Baby B weighed 21 pounds, 9.5 ounces.

In their Easter baskets, the girls got some animal figurines from the Little People Noah's Ark collection, some stacking cars, and their first Crayons!

As you can see in the picture, the girls were thrilled with their new toys. And they are still the sweetest, cuddliest snuggle bunnies in the world (when they're not running at full speed, that is!).

What a difference a year makes! Next year this time we're sure to have pictures of the girls decorating eggs and going on an Easter egg hunt. The one thing that likely will not have changed, though, is my trusty note-taking. :)