Sunday, June 17, 2012
happy father's day!
The girls have special bond with their dad and I love watching it grow. He is definitely the more fun and exciting parent and is also more willing to be a human jungle gym. And for that we are all grateful.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
katie is 3!
Our sweet Katie turned 3 on Saturday, and on Friday Katie, Meg and I made her birthday cake. We have been talking about this event for months. The last birthday in our immediate family was in September, so we were really looking forward to this cake-making.
 Did I mention this was reeeeaally exciting?? (And did I mention Katie got glasses last week? She is wearing them like a champ, which doesn't surprise us.)  All of the girls wanted to watch it bake. For about a minute.  The next day she waited all day for her birthday cake and the song....here it comes!   When she opened her present she said, "It looks like Katie!" I love that she still refers to herself in the third person. She is also wearing another amazing present - a handmade superhero outfit just for her, complete with a pink tulle cape (so sort of a ballerina-bride-princess superhero - perfect!). 
Tuesday, April 24, 201219 months
Claire is over a year and a half old already! She is a full-fledged toddler now, complete with funny new faces and words, temper tantrums, new physical feats (climbing), and general mischief-making.
Claire loves this rocking chair. I watched her as she tried over and over again to climb up into it as it was rocking, and I love that she was frustrated and crying but didn't give up. She finally got it and now her favorite thing is to stand up on it and rock really hard. I used to make her sit down every time but after seeing that she doesn't fall off, I've given up. She's also a camera-loving ham like her big sister Meg. Any time she sees me holding my phone in a way that looks like I'm about to take a picture (even if that's not what I'm doing) she'll make a big grin and say "chiz" (cheese)! 
Thursday, April 12, 2012happy easter!
Last Saturday was a great day! Our church's Easter egg hunt was that morning and then the girls got to see their Grandma and Pop Pop later that day.
I didn't make their Easter dresses this year but made some play skirts instead. They were really easy so I might churn out a few more whenever I find some cute fabric!  Before the egg hunt Meg and Katie dyed some eggs. Meg is trying to make stripes and Katie said she was making...soup. There isn't even an egg in that green dye.  Claire's first egg hunt! Putting things in baskets and taking them out again is one of her favorite activities so she was right at home doing this. 
Tuesday, March 13, 2012brown thumb
I planted a tomato plant this weekend! It is supposed to bear fruit in 73 days (so says the tag), so we'll see. I'm very excited about it. I love the idea of growing something you can eat. I also must be an optimist, since I have a checkered past with plants.
 I've you've ever been in our guest bathroom, you've been welcomed by this:  That's what happens to most of my plants. But this one refuses to die so I just keep it around. I can't bring myself to get rid of it. But I'm encouraged by one of my very few success stories - we planted 2 daffodil bulbs in November and one is about to bloom! 
Monday, March 12, 2012why do kids love tupperware so much?
The girls all have been a little sick so we've been stuck in the house for quite a few days. By their bedtime Saturday we all had cabin fever. But then Sunday morning they got into the tupperware cabinet and were engrossed and peaceful for about an hour. (Then they remembered they were sick and resumed being cranky.)
 
Sunday, March 11, 2012cleaning out the car...guess what I find?
Stuffed into crevices, in the car door pockets, cupholders and on and under the seats. Everywhere.
 I know why this happens, too. Pulling out one's hair thing seems to be the best way to relieve frustration about being trapped in the car. After that, you go after your sister's hair thing. Grab a bunch of her hair, yank it and pull out the bow/ponytail holder/barrette and make her as mad as you are. So satisfying. Saturday, March 10, 2012more is more.
Meg and Katie were quietly busy and happy in their room and then Katie came out looking like this. Meg "did" her hair.
 "Less is more" is apparently not the beauty mantra of a 4-year-old. 
Friday, March 9, 2012this is what stops them in their tracks.
A cement mixer was pouring a new slab of concrete on the sidewalk in front of the house. The girls stood perfectly still for five or ten minutes. Meg actually pulled up a chair and got settled in.
Thursday, March 8, 2012sock hop
The girls could not wait for the Daddy-Daughter Sock Hop this year! This was Katie's first time going, but she heard all about it from Meg and got caught up in the excitement, too. Every morning they would ask, "is it Friday?" And then when Friday came every hour seemed to tick slowly by. Finally it was time and they were waiting for Daddy to get ready and come out of his room. They just. Couldn't. Wait. Another. Minute!!!
 I love that they get so excited to have a date night with their Daddy! 
Monday, February 20, 2012this is normal for most kids, but not mine.
Historically, any child of mine would never dream of attempting to push a big tupperware container to the counter and then climb up on it in order to reach forbidden things.
 My first two girls, as toddlers, were not as gutsy or into mischief-making so I am still surprised whenever I turn around to find Claire doing something like this. She is making me step up my baby-proofing game. Our big girl turns 17 months old tomorrow! She is so funny - this is the face she makes when I tell her to "smile". 
Wednesday, February 15, 2012happy valentine's day!
Meg and Katie had their much-anticipated Valentine's Day parties at preschool yesterday - as far as I could tell, the highlight was they were going to decorate and eat a cookie - and the car actually smelled sweet when they got in it! Hmm... someone must have still had frosting on their face...
 They were so excited with their treasures - Meg got a helium heart-shaped balloon (couldn't get it in the picture but it is tied to her backpack) and Katie got a pencil. She carried that pencil around all day and would have slept with it if I had let her. Sunday, February 12, 2012what meg does
Meg apparently has an irresistable urge to adorn almost everything in her path, with whatever she can find. Every time I think I've seen it all, I will turn the corner and find a new funny surprise. And then I have to take a picture of it.
Meg took Katie's clothes and dressed the rocking horse. The pants are on the head with the "ponytail" being held together by Claire's old teething ring. A doll's baby blanket is the "cape" on the back.  I asked Meg what was going on with this goose. She said it did a crime and it needed to go to jail. I think this is her version of handcuffs...with ponytail holders. Poor goose. 
Wednesday, February 1, 2012when a 2-year-old & 4-year-old tell each other knock-knock jokes
...this is what it sounds like:
Katie: Knock knock. Meg: Who's there? Katie: Banana. Meg: Banana who? Katie: Banana Katie! (followed by fits of laughter) Meg: Knock knock. Katie: Who's there? Meg: Radish. Katie: Radish who? Meg: Radish...radish carrot head!! (followed by hysterical laughing. Note: They don't even know what a radish is.) K: Knock knock. M: Who's there? K: Orange. M: Orange who? K: Cheese! (followed by big belly laughs. I think they think this is the funniest one ever.) Monday, January 23, 2012january in our house
I thought I'd give a little update on the girls for the relatives who requested it. :) There's not a lot of exciting news to report, but that's probably a good thing.
Meg is almost 4 1/2 and is growing like a weed. (The picture below is her attempt to show how big she is.) She officially looks like a little girl to me instead of a toddler. Her arms and legs and feet and hands seem like they grew long overnight. I think Meg's favorite thing to do is talk. From the minute she wakes up to the time she goes to bed, she talks. Allllll day she is telling jokes (knock-knock jokes, which she hasn't gotten the hang of yet), singing songs, asking questions, telling stories, and sometimes just talking just to hear herself talk. Most of the time it's fun and entertaining, but sometimes I have to tell her, "I'm turning off my ears now." For the most part she's pretty happy and funny and loves to be silly.  Katie is 2 1/2 and is a sweetheart. Her favorite thing to do is ask us to read her a book. She has a lot to say but has trouble getting it out, which is a constant source of entertainment for us. She comes out with stuff all the time that makes us smile. She asked Mark the other day, "is your heart full?" Katie follows her own grammar rules (example: if it's past tense, just stick the word "did" in front of the verb. "I did eat my lunch." "I did push Claire down on the ground.") Thankfully, the tantrum phase seem to be waning and we are left with just simple bouts of frustrated screaming here and there. I am fine with that. I see improvement.  Claire is finally walking more than crawling and seems like she is in constant motion all day. She entertains herself by wandering around from room to room, finding one thing to look at and then getting distracted by the next thing. I have to be constantly aware of where she is, though, because she often gets herself in tricky situations.  Claire loves to climb, get into things (literally), and put things that are not food into her mouth, which keeps me on my toes.  I bet you just looked at what's in my refrigerator! :) Sunday, January 8, 2012fancy nancies
With our girls, dress-up is by far their favorite pasttime. They will use almost anything to adorn themselves, each other, dolls, and inanimate objects.
I let Meg play with a sticker book during her quiet time and I found her asleep with stickers on her earlobes like they were her earrings. Next to her was a pillow elaborately swaddled with a blanket that looked like a dress. After she got up she found another target for her sticker earrings...  ...and did you notice her stuffed dolphin "Dolphie" is wearing a dress?? Someone else (who finally REALLY started walking this week!!) likes to dress up, too. With Meg and Katie as her stylists, I never know what Claire is going to toddle into the room looking like. 
Wednesday, January 4, 2012christmas recap
We had a great Christmas! My standards were low, since last year we were very sick with the stomach bug, so when Claire had a cold this year it felt like no big deal.
We got two Christmases this year - one in Atlanta and then my parents came the next week and we had a mini-2nd Christmas with them. The more the merrier! It was fun watching the girls examine and shake and squeeze the presents.  Katie sort of "got it" this year.  Meg really "got it" this year and asked about Christmas almost every day this month. She was so happy to get the scooter she wanted! (with marker on her chin...)  Claire was happy playing with the wrapping paper and watching other people open their presents! 
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