Super Stuff and a Happy Ending

Just a few super things from the last few days...

On Sunday, I let the girls take their wallets to Walmart and pick out a Lego set using their birthday money.  How I loved seeing them figuring out how much they each needed to pull from their stash.  (And how much fun we all had playing, too!!!)

The car they built by themselves...before we embarked on a much bigger challenge.

On Sunday, we got caught in heavy rain leaving the grocery store.  (It was just starting to sprinkle when we walked out, but by the time we got to the car, the rain was pouring down.)  The girls were RUNNING and LAUGHING at having gotten caught in the rain…made me smile.  And then it was so cute to hear A telling GG on the phone, “We got in a ginormous rain storm!”  [“Ginormous” is the word of the week, apparently.]  And then B added, “I’m SOAKED!” to which GG cackled.

The last couple of days, B has started wrapping the silverware before supper.  I guess she picked this up from a restaurant, and she thinks it’s the greatest.  It was so cute when she wanted to surprise Daddy the first night.  She begged him to come to the table with his eyes closed.

I woke A up on Monday morning, B having gotten up a few minutes before her.  I asked A where Sissy was, and she said, “She left.  And I don’t know where she went.”  She made it sound so serious!

We had a big rainstorm a couple of nights ago.  It’s not unusual for A to wake up, but I didn’t hear anything from her.  I asked her the next morning if she heard the storm.  “No, I guess I was too busy sleeping,” she rationalized.

I told the girls on Monday night that their new cousin would be born soon.  “Aunt T is in the hospital right now.”  “NOW???” A questioned, incredulously.  “But it’s BEDTIME!!!  When will she sleep???”  If only...

And…in the exciting conclusion of The Case of the Missing Jacket…I’m thankful to report it was located on Monday.  We are all breathing a sigh of relief.

Pictures from Our Christmas Morn

After a marathon trip to Sweet Home Alabama, we were thankful to have such a wonderful, low-key, family-centered Christmas Day at home.

The girls love the toys they got...they've played and played and played.  It's been simply blissful for us all!

Here is the story of our Christmas Day, as told [mostly] in pictures.

The girls got up to find a very complex marble run!

Moments later, it was in a pile...but that just prompted the girls to come up with their own design.

One of the huge highlights was giving Sasha her gifts...

She LOVES her catnip banana!!!

Sweet sissies, watching their furry sister Sasha playing.

The girls were ecstatic to open their stockings!  New art supplies were a big hit!

And then it was time for a big, yummy breakfast.

My Christmas tree tart and bacon-wrapped smokies...yum!

Opening gifts!

Mommy and her little penguins...LOVE.

My favorite picture of the day!

Sasha loves her new bed, put in her favorite dining room chair, in the sun.

And the rest of our day, and the couple of days since, have looked a lot like this...bliss!

So thankful for a wonderful {continued!} holiday with my loves.

What's Old is New

I don't know if it's a function of me being an only child, one who was pretty particular about her things, at that...or that my mom was a bit of a pack rat...or maybe a combination of both...but when I reached adulthood, I still had the majority of the toys I had as a child.

Over the past 10 years, some things I've parted with [farewell scary trap of a crib and rocking horse with rusty springs].  Some things I've kept [about half of the girls' books were mine as a kiddo].  And some things are hanging out in our garage [gulp].

A couple of things taking space in our garage were a wooden table and chairs set, a little rocking chair, and a doll cradle (that I remember most fondly as a bed for my childhood cat).

Over the past year or so, I'd been plotting how to recondition these items for the girls.  They would require some minor woodworking, and -- while I could probably have figured it out -- I was hoping I might run across someone a little more proficient than me.

During our move last month, we had a couple of painters over at the old house.  They seemed pretty handy, so on a whim I asked if they would be interested in a little project.

One of the guys jumped on the opportunity...and my old things now have a prominent place in our new house!

The girls have put these to such good use.  They just love having things just their size!

They did the "heart" sign of their own accord, and that was fine by me!

Getting Abby and Lily ready for their nap. :)

There may be some comparison pictures of me somewhere...I'll have to check with my dad when we're home over the holidays...but it's plenty enough for me to recall my fond memories of playing with these items three decades ago [gulp].

Get Yourself Connected!

We love building stuff at our house, and we have all manner of building implements.

The girls still play -- almost daily -- with the stacking cups I bought them when they were infants.  Of course it hasn't been a challenge to stack or nest them in quite a few years, but they still make great components for tower building.

Our MegaBloks still get a lot of play, as well...another toy that's been a very prominent fixture for over three years now.

More recently, we've added pyramid blocks (Wedgits) and click-together blocks (Trio blocks), and a small subset of Legos.

Over the weekend I decided to break out another building set, something I'd actually purchased before Christmas this past year, Connectagons.  The girls are IN LOVE (as are Mommy and Daddy!).

We've all had so much fun making all kinds of creations.  Here are just a few pictures from our Sunday morning play...

A's square.

B's motorcycle.

A's coral.

B delights in A's multi-pronged cactus.

Daddy worked with A to use every single piece (all 240 of them)!

I love the creativity that building sets inspire.  I love the fine motor skills and spatial reasoning.  And I love that the whole family so easily gets in on the building action.  It's FUN!!!

Super Stuff!!!

1)      As we were waiting to turn left on a busy highway, B remarked, “They need a traffic light here.  I will get Granddaddy to help me design one.”  HA!  I love that she was thinking of solutions…and that she thinks her granddaddy (an architect) can design anything.

2)      Thursday was our last tumbling class for the summer.  When we got out of the car, a couple of little girls called out to A&B, waving.  After class, another couple came up to give them hugs.  It was so sweet to see their new little friends – older girls who have taken them under their wings.

3)      Miss Jennifer was our first baby sitter, playing with the girls once a week from just after their second birthday until they turned three.  We hadn’t seen her in almost a year – save from running into her here and there in town – and she came over to visit this past week.  The girls were SO excited to learn she was coming.  It took them a few minutes to warm back up to her, but they were so sweet showing her the things she’d missed (new toys and new tricks) over the past year.  And I couldn’t help but appreciate how blessed we are to have had some really wonderful people in the girls’ lives.

4)      We met a friend at Lost River Cave, intending to play on the outdoor playground.  It was closed that morning, though, so we took a short hike to the butterfly conservatory.  This was my first time to “hike” with the girls by myself, and they did a great job.  And it was so very sweet to see the girls and Baby V.

5)      On Sunday night, the weather was absolutely perfect.  We made an impromptu trip to the park, where we played and played, and then enjoyed a pizza picnic.  We chose the park that’s within walking distance to the pizza place, and Daddy picked up a pie, which we enjoyed with our bottled water and bananas.  Just a year ago, I probably wouldn’t have been comfortable “winging” a meal like this…but it’s so very nice to be able to do it now!

6)      While we were at The Farm this weekend, and then again at the park, Baby A wanted to race.  I can still beat her, but I really have to put in the effort!  I cannot believe how fast my little speedster is getting!

7)      Over breakfast at The Farm on Saturday morning, B held up a piece of her melon for me to see.  “Look, Mommy!  It’s a rhombus!”  Hee hee!

8)      The girls were cackling at each other one morning over the pronunciation of the word “warmer” [in the context of a bottle warmer, I think].  One of them, B, I think, kept saying “wormer”…and A kept correcting her.  They were cracking each other – and me! – up for a solid ten minutes.

9)      Daddy accidentally dropped A's baby doll one morning, and she came running to me: "Mommy! I don't think Daddy knows how to be respectful of my baby!"

10)   Baby A, in particular, has been using the words “actually” and “in fact” quite proficiently lately.  It’s so funny in her scrappy little baby voice…and she is totally serious about it.

11)   Baby A was telling me this morning, “When I grow up, I will have a newborn baby…not a pretend baby…but a real one.  And I will have two babies at once, just like you did.  And I will have a swing and a bouncy seat.”  B chimed in, “I will just have one baby, but I will have a swing and a bouncy seat, too.”  [I guess baby gear is top of mind for all future mamas, huh?]

12)  I complimented A on a block tower she built, telling her it was perfectly symmetrical.  Do you know what that means, I asked her?  "It means it's the same on both sides!" I consider the girls to have a pretty big vocabulary, but I love when they can actually define a word back to me...pretty cool!!!

Super Stuff!

We had another super-great week of swimming lessons.  How I love to see my baby girls having such a fun time!  And in other super news…

1)      Out of the blue, Baby A exclaimed, “Mommy, your tummy must have been really big when I was in there!”

2)      Daddy was teasing the girls that we would send them into the store to pick up something.  He said we’d give them money, and B interrupted, “But money is dirty!  We’ll need to wash our hands!”

3)      We met Miss Demara with M&C at the bounce house last week, while five-week old A stayed home with her Daddy.  My Baby A was so worried how he would feed the baby while Demara was with us.  “But how will A eat?”  I told her Mr. G would give her a bottle.  “Well what will be in it?  Milk from the gallon?”  And then another discussion ensued about how the milk wouldn’t come from the store.  I had to laugh…and beam…at her detailed questions.

4)      B worried over her art supplies one morning, "This marker doesn't look washable, Mommy."  I love that kid!

5)      And I nearly fell out of my chair during art time another day, when Baby B asked me, "Mommy, what does 'pissed' mean?"  Like what, Sweetie? Can you use it in a sentence? I replied, trying to remain very calm.  "Like the 'sharp-pissed' crayon. You asked who had the 'sharpest' crayon."  Whew!

6)      The girls have been all about their baby dolls and building blocks this week.  I love seeing them playing – in new ways – with the toys that have been such a part of our lives for over three years now!

7)      On Friday night, we decided to go out for dinner, a rare treat.  We sat outside at the Mellow Mushroom, and the girls had such fun.  Afterwards, Baby A asked for ice cream.  We’ve NEVER gone for ice cream so late…but we indulged ourselves with yet another treat.  The girls were in heaven!

8)      We had such a fun time at a birthday party on Saturday afternoon.  I love seeing my girlies, playing with their friends.

9)      My Facebook status on Monday morning: It's not quite 8:30. So far today, we have...unloaded the dishwasher (a group effort)...eaten breakfast...researched Finland, the Great Barrier Reef, and tornadoes (in that order)...set up a store...and had a pretend birthday party. We know how to kick off a Monday at our house!

10)   On Tuesday we went to Mammoth Cave National Park to do a little hiking.  Words cannot express how I love to be out in the woods, just the four of us.  It’s the best family time ever!

We saw a mommy deer and her baby...here, she'd just groomed his face.

At Sunset Point.  The drop-off over the wall was only about 4', I promise!

Sisterly hug...I love it!!!

A tiny bit of "fall" color in the woods.  (This pic is for Marcia!)

 And there you have it...our weekly super highlights!

Super Stuff - FINALLY!

(I've been working on this SUPER post since Monday...but I just haven't managed to finalize it to post.  Today is the day!  Better late than never, I guess, to jot down a few favorite memories from the week.)

Last week Daddy and the girls were on Spring Break.  We enjoyed Easter weekend.  AND the weather has finally started to warm!  Super was not hard to come by.

1)      The first part of the week was still pretty cool, and the girls asked to go for a ride in our jogging stroller.  We hadn’t been out with it in probably six months, and it was such a fun experience to travel our same “stroller route” that I did hundreds of times when they were younger.  My babies are much older now, but their delight at some of the same things – like the fountain in one garden, and the puppy dog statue at another house – has remained blissfully the same.

2)      One day Daddy had some errands to run, and he ate lunch while he was out.  He came home and the girls asked where he ate.  When he told them (a fast food restaurant), they were horrified.  “Daddy, that has chemicals! Why did you eat chemicals? YUCK!!!"  And I loved it.

3)      On Friday we toured the local fire station with our MoMs group.  The girls were beyond excited when I told them we were going, and they had an absolute blast seeing the fire trucks.  It was so much fun for me to watch them in a group setting, too.  Baby B was rather outspoken.  ;)

4)      After we toured the fire station, we walked around downtown for a little bit, and then we went to lunch at one of our favorite restaurants – the girls’ choice.  It gives me so much pleasure to share a nice meal with the girls…especially when they act like such little ladies in a grown-up setting.

5)      Ahead of our tour on Friday, the girls helped me make some goodies to take to the fire station.  We made cinnamon-sugar pretzels, and I let them mix the butter-sugar-cinnamon mixture with the pretzels, using their hands.  I told them afterwards that that mixture was actually a nice exfoliant.  A day or so later, Baby A had some dry skin on her finger.  “Mommy, I need some……….” she started, struggling to find the next word.  “Cream?” I asked.  “No, that cinnamon-sugar mixture to get the dry skin off my finger!”

6)      For the first time since last fall, we’ve really PLAYED outside.  It’s been so much fun to dig out the bubbles, sidewalk chalk, and pinwheels.  It truly does the soul good to get some sunshine and warm air!

7)      On Saturday we took the girls for ice cream…the perfect way to celebrate a nice nap on a warm spring day.  I forgot to ask for their kiddie ‘cream in a cup, and I was quite surprised to see Hubby bringing two CONES to the girls.  I was so impressed with how they handled it, though!  Those were their first real cones (not soft-serve), and they managed with only a couple of drips.  It definitely felt like a big milestone!

8)      I got to enjoy my girls in short-sleeve shirts for the first time this season.  It always stops me in my tracks…to see those silky soft baby arms in action.

9)      One day, the unofficial “word of the day” – as apparently determined by the girls – seemed to be “enormous”.  They used it every chance they got. 

10)   The girls have helped fold laundry a couple of times this week.  They aren’t always so eager, but it’s so nice when they are…and even when they “compete” to see who can fold the most “enormous” pile.  I’ll take it!

11)   One night, shortly after I put the girls to bed, I got called upstairs, "Fix my blanket, Mommy!" I was rewarded for my response time with the tiniest, most precious, sleepy little voice..."Thank you, Mommy.”

12)   I was doing some cleaning this week and came across a handful of Beanie Babies from 15 or so years ago.  I sorted through and found two kittens, and I had them waiting on the girls one day after nap.  They were ELATED!  Baby A ran downstairs with hers and grabbed a Beanie Baby puppy their granddaddy gave them their first Christmas.  She put it facing the dog, and said, “She’s a tiny baby and she’s drinking from Smarty’s teats.”  Um...I think they generally consider Smarty a boy…and he’s a dog…but she was so concerned about taking care of her new baby kitty...it was really very sweet.  The girls have played with Kitten and Callie (the names they chose) every single day since.

13)   I bought the girls some very basic kites (meaning, they each cost $1!) a few months ago.  We hadn’t gotten them out until this past weekend.  Of course as soon as I got one assembled, the wind died down…but it was still so much fun to fly it a little bit.  The girls were in awe, too…even at it flying a whopping 15’ in the air.  “It’s soaring, Mommy!!!”  It's all relative to a four-year old...and that's a really sweet reminder, no matter your age.

I normally wouldn't finish on such a random number, but I'm ready to finally hit the "publish" button!  More next week, for sure!  :)