Thanks for the Memories, August!

August has been a whirlwind!  I CANNOT believe that the girls have been in school THREE WEEKS today.  (I guess that explains where the time has gone!)

So...before the month ends, here is {one} first-day-of-school picture.  The girls posed like this on their own...look at those long legs!!!

Despite the back-to-school busyness, we've packed in a lot of fun, too...

...several trips to the library to keep these girls entertained...

...a mommy-and-me trip to the trampoline park, where these girls gave me a run (er, jump) for my money...whew!

...a family trip to the yogurt shop (during which Daddy agreed to a selfie!)...

...and the kickoff of the soccer season...

I'm supremely thankful, among all this BUSY, that the girls still made time for play at home.  Here they are, having "built a TV", putting on a show for Mommy and Daddy before bedtime.

~ Thanks for the memories, August 2016! ~

The Great Outdoors, and Other Wonderful Things

We had such a great weekend, and so much of it was spent outdoors.

Friday night the girls had a soccer game at 5:30.  Sure, that made for a hectic afternoon in some respects…but truly, what better way to leave the school/work week behind and do something FUN??!!!  And to top it off, Baby A’s teacher came to see the first half of her game.  She was ECSTATIC.  She definitely played with some extra pep in her step, and she scored two beautiful hard-fought goals!

Saturday morning, Daddy treated us to bagels from Panera.  We spent that morning mostly hanging out in the living room…we read and did puzzles before we had an early lunch.  (We hadn’t done a puzzle in quite a while.  What fun it was to join my girlies for some corner searching!)

Saturday afternoon we headed back to the soccer field.  It was such a gorgeous, sunny day…not too hot…PERFECT.

Loving my new zoom lens for my camera!!!  I won't share pictures that show other people's children, though...so here's a crop of my A in action.

After the game we went to get ice cream.  (And this mama might have enjoyed the smiles of strangers at seeing her babies in their uniforms.) 

Sunday morning we decided to make our first trip of the season to Lost River Cave.  For the first time, we took the cave tour (on a boat!).  The girls were super excited for that treat, and then we did our usual hike around the park.  We were delighted to discover a few new trails, and to visit our favorite trails, of course.

After a quick and yummy lunch at our favorite hangout, Home Café, we enjoyed a Sunday afternoon nap.  (At least Mommy and Daddy napped…I understand from the girls they played “camping and hunting for dinosaur bones.”  Like ya do!)

Late Sunday afternoon, we headed outside again.  The girls wanted to blow dandelions in the backyard.  Much to what I imagine was the neighbors' chagrin, we did just that.  

I love how you can see the dandelion seeds in this picture!

Quintessential B and her sensitive blue eyes.  :)

Then we played some front-yard soccer (scoring between Frisbees set up as goalposts)…we enjoyed some catch…and the girls asked if we could have a picnic supper.

While I’d intended to do some cooking for the week, I’m so thankful I let it go.  We had leftover pizza on paper plates on a blanket in the front yard.  And then the neighbor gifted the girls some new sidewalk chalk, and we all enjoyed that unexpected treat.

We finished the day with a bubble bath.  “This was the Best Day Ever!” Baby A proclaimed.  I think I might agree.

And then, for the grand finale, I gave the girls a new night-night story I picked up at Kohl’s, entitled “Swimmy”.  “What did you buy this for?” my B asked.  “Can’t Mommy sometimes buy you something, just because?” I responded.  That was met with the hugest smile.

 What a wonderful weekend I had with my precious baby girls…full of the great outdoors, peppered with some impromptu fun.  I couldn’t ask for more!

Super Stuff on a Saturday!

My sweet Baby A was sick last Friday, and she was nothing short of devastated that she couldn’t go to school.  Her spirits perked up, though, when we went downstairs to spend some time with the furry babies.  She covered up on the couch, and Miki and Alex immediately jumped to her rescue.  I snapped some pictures of them “taking care of her”.  That made her smile for the first time all day…and she was so excited to share the picture with her sissy when she got home from school.

The girls won ribbons in the display board contest!!!  Baby B got 2^nd place (for kindergarten and 1^st grade), and Baby A got 3^rd place.  They were so excited!!!  And I thought it was so sweet that, from Day 1, they talked about how they would share their gift certificates ($10 and $5, respectively) at the book fair.

By Sunday, Baby A was feeling better, and Mother Nature was giving us a beautiful taste of spring.  We had discussed going to the park, but we decided to play at home instead.  The girls rode their bikes and scooters, and Mommy and Daddy broke out the Frisbee.  It was such great fun to all be doing our thing!!!

Spring soccer season kicked off this week!  I surprised the girls with that on Monday morning, and they were stoked.  How great it was to see them running around on the field!

Baby A cracked us up with an extraordinary display of manners one night.  At the table: “I’m sorry to ask this, but could I please have some more guacamole?”  And when she played a wild card in UNO, she said, “I would like some green, if possible.”  HA!!!

The girls went out to supper with Daddy on Thursday night.  It’s sometimes hard to pull details from them, but Baby B came home and proclaimed, “We had the black and blue pizza.  It was so delicious!”  Her enthusiasm cracked me up!

And some previously-shared-on-FB-quotes that I couldn’t resist including here:

One of the kitties was eyeing the table tonight at supper. B said, "He thinks he wants to be human." And then she added, "He must not understand the things an average human has to go through." Ack! I didn't realize her seven years here as a human had been so tough so as to shape her views as such. Hahaha!

Baby B came up to me as I was getting this morning. She was holding two pictures, and she said, "Mommy, can you compare and contrast these?" I did not even know what to make of that, but it sure cracked me up out of the blue. HA!

Sharing a little bit of "awwwww" that my baby girl (A) randomly gave me as I tucked her in. "I'm always proud of you, because you're the best mommy in the world." I needed that today!

So thankful for this Super Stuff!

Football = Soccer ???

...well, not in this country…but I can see my sweet kiddos trying to figure it all out.

This mama is a huge football fan (of the American sort), Alabama Crimson Tide football, to be more exact.  While it was only over the last year that we actually let the girls watch any football (the TV is rarely on while the girls are awake), they’ve been decked in Crimson and White since they were tiny.

Soccer also runs deep at our house.  I didn’t grow up with the sport, buy my hubby lives and breathes it.  It’s his true passion.

The girls have logged much more English Premier League soccer time in front of the telly than they have football, for sure.  And we play a lot of it, too…in our basement, in the front yard, and every chance we get to go to the park.

I see the sports as being so completely different, but I recognize now they can cause a little confusion to the wee ones.

We were at the park a few weeks ago, kicking the soccer ball around.  Baby A did something really nice, and I congratulated her, “That was AWESOME!”  She threw her little hands in the air and yelled, “TOUCHDOWN!”

Daddy just shook his head.

I got my turn at head shaking during the Alabama game this past weekend.  During the first quarter, the opposing team scored first on a field goal.  After a few minutes (still during the first quarter), B said somberly, “Mommy, I don’t think Alabama is going to win.”  WHY would you say that, Sweetie???  “Well, they have three goals, and we don’t have any.”

I had to laugh (perhaps to keep from crying)!

...hmmm...maybe they can play soccer at The University of Alabama...yes, that's it!!!

Super Stuff on a Monday

So thankful for a full list of super stuff to share!

1)      After more than four years as “sisters”, our kitty Sasha has finally warmed up to the girls enough to let them brush her…at least a tiny bit.  It has been the highlight of their week, to have her come up to their extended hands and rub against the brush.  On occasion, she’s even sniffed their fingers.  Hooray for progress!!!

2)      For a couple of months now, the girls have been toying with the idea of using the jets in my bathtub.  Baby B has been really interested, but A has remained apprehensive, I think because I told her they would be loud.  They finally agreed to give it a test run this week, and they were in heaven!  B got in right away, and A worked up the courage after a minute or so.  They enjoyed the depth of the water (up to their chests!) as much as anything.  And I couldn’t quit giggling to see them be scooted along by the strength of the moving water.  Hee hee!!!

3)      There are few things that compare to hearing a four-year old’s correct usage of “may” and “can”.  It makes me a little bit giddy!

4)      I took the girls to the park on Monday afternoon.  I can’t help but marvel (although I still KNOCK ON WOOD as I type this) at how much fun it is to take the two of them these days.  It wasn’t long ago that a trip to the park with them by myself took quite a bit of courage on my part…and was rarely ever “relaxing”. 

5)      Over the monitor one morning, I heard the girls exchanging the sweetest nothings.  “I love you, Sissy…” and “…I love you, too.”  My heart melts!

6)      Baby A was successful in blowing bubbles, consistently, for the first time this week.  It’s such a fun milestone!

7)      It made me so happy to see Baby A RUN to get the soccer ball when she saw Daddy’s car rounding the bend towards home one afternoon.  I know it made his heart smile so big, too.  And then B got in on the soccer action, as she wanted to divide the four of us into “teams”…one would be Chelsea, and one would be either Manchester United or Manchester City.  Daddy never fails to beam at the girls’ English Premier League soccer references.

8)      On Friday we met our friends M&C for the season’s first trip to Jackson’s Orchard.  It began as a cloudy day, but turned out to be just beautiful!  We had SO MUCH FUN running and playing, and the girls went down the “bumpy slide” by themselves – and then together – for the first time.  They actually went down more times than I could count…at least 20!  By the end, they were definitely tired, though.  Baby A asked if I could carry her up the 25 or so steps to the top of the slide.  HA!

9)      We typically eat at our favorite Mexican restaurant about once a week, and we happened to time our weekly trip with Cinco de Mayo this weekend.  The restaurant was very crowded, so we sat someplace other than our usual table.  The girls enjoyed sitting under their beloved “donkey” picture, and I loved hearing B wish one of the waiters, “Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”  That kid will attempt to say anything, and she usually does a pretty fair job!

10)   Puzzle mania has continued at our house this week.  After lunch on Sunday, we stopped by the dollar store to get a couple new puzzles, each 63 pieces.  The girls have done them twice already.  I love seeing them so deep in concentration!

11)   Baby B was sitting in my lap, facing me.  She looked intently at me, and then almost gasped, “Mommy!  There’s something broken in your eye!  How did you break your eye?”  Poor kiddo was a bit traumatized at Mommy’s lack of sleep, apparently.

12)   As I was working in the kitchen one day, I heard B explaining some kind of made-up game to A: “OK, here's what we're going to do. It's going to be pretty challenging, OK?"  Way to set expectations!

13)   One morning at breakfast, Baby A was explaining the ways of the world to me.  I can’t remember the exact conversation, but she was really serious.  All the while, she had the cutest milk mustache that I couldn’t make myself wipe off…there was something absolutely irresistible about her little baby voice, her very serious eyes, and that smear of milk on her lip.

Here's to another SUPER week!

These are the Days!!!

I've been taking the girls outside since they were about two-and-a-half months old.  For the most part, I've tried to incorporate some kind of fresh air as much as possible, weather permitting, of course.

For the first year and a half, the girls' outside time was mostly spent in their stroller.  We'd take little family toddles around the circle in front of our house, but we didn't log any significant walking distance -- everybody on foot -- until the girls were a little more than two.

We've been stretching our legs out more and more since that time.  The girls can now walk a couple of miles with me...as long as we keep their pace (not mine!).

The summer the girls were two-and-a-half, we began actually **playing** outside.  The girls loved running around in the backyard, and they were in heaven when we got their bubble mowers.

Still, that time outside was so far from relaxing.  I was constantly in fear that the girls would eat some mulch, or run into a tree, or run in the opposite direction from each other.  I had to keep my eyes fully peeled every single moment.  And it seemed like we didn't get far into our play before someone would have to come inside to use the potty, which was a major production.

Last summer, the girls were definitely easier to manage outside.  I was less afraid of them doing something harmful or disgusting, and I was more trusting of their ability to follow my directions.  Still, our outside playing ventures usually didn't last all that long.

This year, though (in the handful of truly nice days we've had), things are SO MUCH FUN!  The girls are much more easily entertained outside...they still love their bubble mowers...they can play catch...and tag...and follow the leader...they enjoy their beanbag toss...and they even like to hide Easter eggs on occasion.  They like to kick the soccer ball (MUCH to Daddy's delight!).  And they've FINALLY learned to blow bubbles!  Woo hoo!!!

It's going to be a great summer, I know!  I can even foresee needing a lawn chair at some point (probably still in the distant future), as I might even be able to sit down one day!

Here are some of my picture spoils from yesterday's romp in the side yard.  :)

Baby A...I LOVE the face she makes when she blows bubbles!

Baby B, balancing a bubble...

...until Sissy popped it!

And Daddy got home just in time to kick the ball around!

There's hardly anything sweeter than these sweet baby girls in the warm sunshine!

Fabulous Stuff from the Last Few Weeks...

I am kicking myself for having gotten behind on my “fabulous” week-in-review posts!!!  They say to spend New Year’s Day the way you want to spend the year, though…so there’s no time like yesterday / today to get back on track, I guess.

Thankfully, I’ve jotted down some notes.  Between that and Facebook, I can reconstruct at least part of what I should have recorded over the past three weeks…

1)      I was SO proud of the girls for going through their toys before Christmas, looking for things to be donated.  We do that every few months, and they really seem to grasp – at a three-year old level, anyway – that not all people have the things they need, as we are blessed to have.

2)      Baby B’s pronunciation has been pretty exemplary (I think) for a long time, and Baby A has improved so much, just within the last month.  Still, there are a couple of words that they still have such a baby way of saying…orange is “ah-yange”, and interesting is, well, interesting.  I can’t quite figure that one out, but maybe something along the lines of “inchresting”???  It always makes me smile.

3)      Baby A has started enunciating consonant combinations much more clearly.  For squirrel, for example, she used to say “soorl”.  I really had to listen for context to understand what she was saying.  Just within the past couple of weeks, she’s articulating “skoorl”, which is a big improvement!

4)      Baby A got to be the line leader during the last week of preschool.  I don’t know what all that entails, exactly, but I know they get to call their classmates to line up when they go to the bathroom or outside.  I asked A who she called first, and she answered, “B!”  The tone in her voice was a bit incredulous…as if there’d be another answer.  So sweet!

5)      On the last day of preschool before the holiday break, nothing could have been cuter than seeing the girls and all their classmates pile out of their classroom wearing construction paper antlers, their noses painted Rudolph-red.  They were all bursting with excitement…the epitome of that magical preschool age.

6)      After their preschool Christmas party, I asked them what they had to eat and drink.  "We asked for water, but there wasn't any.  There was only juice."  Really?  "Maybe Jesus really liked juice," they reasoned.  HA!

7)      At some random time, I grabbed my camera to make pictures of the girls playing with their daddy.  Baby A took us all by surprise when she reached up, turned Daddy’s face to the camera, and told him to smile!  She’s not exactly golden in that department herself…but this shows me she gets the idea, at least!

8)      When B was asked several times what she’d like for Christmas, she consistently replied, “I would like a toy for Sasha.”  It warms my heart to see her sweet, tender heart on display.

9)      We had originally planned to go to JD’s for a special snack one day, but we didn’t realize they are closed on Mondays.  We went instead to the tea shop downtown, and opted for an order of beignets.  Little did we know we were their very first beignet customers…kinda cool!  And the girls passed that “trial run” for a trip to NOLA with flying colors.

 
10)  At the tea shop, the girls had milk, while I had hot tea.  They both asked to try my tea, and I told them they could have a sip.  I poured a tiny amount in each of their cups when they finished their milk.  Baby B took a tiny sip, and made the worst face ever.  Baby A couldn’t get past the smell.  I appreciate their adventurousness…but I’m really glad they didn’t like it!

11)   When we decorated cookies with M&C before Christmas, the kiddos tired of the decorating after 30 minutes or so.  After we got them cleaned up (which was no small task!), they were running around with spatulas, having a blast.  Baby A kept chasing everyone, trying to take their picture with the kiddie camera…wonder where she gets that notion from?!

12)   Wisdom from Baby A:  “I have holes in my head so my hair can grow.”

13)   Playing with Silly Bandz they got from preschool, the girls ran up to me.  “Look at our hand rubbers!” they squealed.

14)   B, from the potty one morning:  "Mommy! I got just the right amount of toilet paper! I'm so organized!"

15)   B was drawing one morning, and I asked her why her snowman was wearing glasses. "Because he hasn't put his contacts in yet, Mommy."  Yup, ask a silly question....

16)   When we were at GG’s before Christmas, Mr. Randy told the girls their eyes were so shiny.  “We just had a bath!” B exclaimed.  (That was a reference to Mommy’s “shiny clean” characterization, I guess…HA!)

17)   I was upstairs folding laundry, and I wish I had counted what was going on downstairs from the beginning.  The girls rooked Daddy into singing “Happy Birthday”…at least 20 times.  When I came downstairs, I heard “Happy Birthday Dear Pillows…” “Happy Birthday Dear Carpet…” and “Happy Birthday Old Blocks and New Blocks…” just as a reference point.

18)   The girls have been ALL ABOUT playing hide and seek this week.  They’re so bad, though!  Baby A called out one time, “Where are you sissy?”  And B answered, “I’m hiding!”  Later, B explained that she didn’t want sissy to get tired looking for her.

19)   And I think I fell in love with my husband a little more over one particular game of hide and seek.  In response to the girls’ uncontrollable laughter, I went in the living room to see what was going on…Daddy was sitting in the middle of the floor, completely covered with a blanket.  Hahaha!

20)   It’s not unusual for Baby B to “read” books aloud, but it was so sweet to see Baby A this week.  She was “reading” the entire “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” and “Polar Bear, Polar Bear” series to B…and B was listening so intently.

21)    Daddy was so proud this week...the girls were bopping around, pretending to be "Chelsea" and "Liverpool", two English Premier League soccer teams.

22)   While we were in Alabama for the holidays, the girls got asked several times what they wanted to be when they grow up.  My A surprised me by answering, “I want to be a cook, like Mommy.”  Now if one only got paid for being “a cook like Mommy!”  HA!

23)   B is so proud of learning to spit her toothpaste.  She comes out of the bathroom every night to report to her daddy, “I spat excellently!”

24)   We celebrated New Year’s Eve with M&C and their mom and dad.  The kiddos were playing with the train set (along with every other toy we own).  I asked B about one of the loops on the track, and she said so seriously, “M and I made this.”  I just got a kick out of how grown-up she sounded…AND her proper use of the “someone and I” construction.  Squee!

So thankful for these...and all the other moments in time!

Happy New Year!!!  Here's to the start of a fantastic 2013!!!

Super 8 on a Saturday

Despite a little snot here and there, it's been a pretty super week overall!

1)      Baby A has been really inventive during “quiet time” most days this week.  One day she made the most amazing repeating pattern with her magnetic shapes…I was truly impressed!  And one day she managed to build a block tower using every single block we have…it was taller than her head!

2)      One morning I dressed the girls for school in “skinny” jeans.  They’re just a bit long on the girls, and Baby A took it upon herself to roll her pants up a couple of times while I was dressing B.  I couldn’t help but laugh at her throw-back to 1991 tight-rolled jeans.  [And no, I did not let her go to school like that!  HA!]

3)      Baby B wasn’t feeling well one day, and I gave her some ibuprofen.  I asked her later if she felt better, and she first tried to tell me, “My medicine soaked in.”  I told her she probably meant that her medicine “kicked” in.  “The medicine circulated through my body, right, Mommy?”  I felt schooled.

4)      And B was up a few times one night with a runny nose.  I felt so bad for her, knowing she was uncomfortable, but I couldn’t help but smile at her manners.  Every time she called for me, it was, “Mommy, please wipe my nose!”  And then one time, maybe I was taking longer to get there than she thought I should, and she added in the most pitiful voice, “Mommy, please wipe my little nose!”  HA!

5)      The girls had a BLAST hosting Flat Stanley this week.  They loved having him join them at the table for every meal…they made elaborate high chairs and beds for him using blocks…and they enjoyed showing him around town. 

6)      At the girls’ school, there is a miniature collie named Jack who “works” in the office.  The girls L-O-V-E him.  They love most all animals they see, but always from a distance.  I was SO impressed this week when they agreed to pet Jack.  That’s a huge milestone in our little world!

7)      Over breakfast this morning, B said, “I wish every day could be Saturday and Sunday.”  Why, Sweetie? I prompted.  “So we could be home with Daddy.”  Awwww.

8)      Also over breakfast, B brought up English Premier League soccer.  “Daddy, does Chelsea have a big game today?”  After some discussion of Chelsea’s schedule and their opponents, A added, “Is Chelsea’s goal keeper Peter Czech?”  Their daddy was so proud!

So thankful for the little things!