Mama

She says mama but I don't know if she knows what it means...
It's cute anyway.

Folding Clothes

I was busy getting some stuff cleaned up before friends came over today and I realized Ava and Amanda have been getting along really well. This usually means trouble. I walked back to their room dreading the mess I might find and sure enough there were a mess of clothes piled all around the floor. But the I noticed these were very nice and tidy piles of clothes. So I asked Ava what they were doing and she said they were folding her clothes then going to put them back in her dresser. I love it when they do things like this. For one I get time to tidy up (or blog) in peace and quiet and I get the joy of listening to them cooperate and get along. What a GREAT way to start a day!

Spaghetti!

Brie hates baby food. She fights it to no end and it's been a battle since day one. So at Ava's 4 year check up I asked the doctor, who just happens to be Brie's doctor as well, what I could do. He knows about the eating issue. He said to go ahead and give her table food. I happily obliged. Brie has had chicken stroganoff, chili, french toast (and she loved them all) and tonight the ever popular spaghetti. I am pretty sure she liked it.

What to do on a Thursday

After cleaning up about 15 tons of dog doo to make it safe, Brie got to be in a real swing for the first time today. Amanda is a swinging maniac so she was eating this up. Last spring I would push Amanda on the swing forever before she would get off. Same thing pretty much holds true today.

I had been avoiding moving the couch out of the way to make a proper tunnel for the girls because I knew what was under there. I gave in, moved the couch and put the crap away that was under it. As annoying as that task was, this tunnel was totally worth it. A marvel of engineering for sure.
10 points to whoever can spot the kid!

Fun with Tunnels

Ava brought out the tunnels today. They were used as tunnels for only a short period of time until they decided they would make great hula hoops.
Then they made really fun bouncy bendy cylinders to stand in.
Amandas fell over so she crawled out.
After the standing came stacking. How many tunnels can we stack and block the hallway with. Gina found a way into the hallway though. Border Collies are the smartest dog breed you know.
I even got Brie to join the fun :)

Buried Treasure

As I was vacuuming this afternoon, Ava ran up to me and told me, in a rather panic-y voice, that there are bumps in the back of the chair. Wondering what the heck she was talking about, I went over to the chair. Sure enough I saw bumps. I was a little afraid to stick my hand down in the depths of the chair but I figured I can always wash my hands right? It turns out there were quite a few things hidden/buried back there.

This is what we found:
- Polar Express jingle bell
- golf ball (Ava is convinced it belongs to Grandpa Lukie and she wants to return it)
- bouncy ball
- link-a-doo link
- two braclets
- toy car encrusted with fruit snacks and some other snack
- the two arm rest covers for the chair (I had been wondering what happened to those for a while now)

and the weirdest thing I found...
- an old drivers license of mine. I wasn't even aware I was missing one. Maybe I remember losing one like years and years ago but could this really be where it was hiding this WHOLE time. Right under my rear end?!?!

I guess so...

Sleepy?

As I finished up dishes this morning (well 11:30 anyway) I came out into the living room to find this little one (Amanda) totally passed out on the floor. Too cute, but I woke her up because I don't want real nap time to get ruined. How selfish I know.

Play time!

Brie has been getting into alot recently and that is due to the fact that she can pull herself up on just about everything. It's really fun to watch her because she really WANTS stuff and you can see it in her face. The determination is hilarious! I have also cleaned up a bunch of spilled water that was left on that picnic tale because of it.

The cup she is holding was actually under the picnic table. She was trying SO hard to get it. i eventually helped her get it.
Here she is really wanting that cup.
Ava and Amanda decided to make a boat. They used the plastic under the bed storage box to do so. Very creative indeed!
They then decided to add on to the boat...
While Ava was busy with the boat Amanda put her babies to bed. She is always sure to tell us to be quiet when her babies are sleeping. She needs to heed her own advice because after she tells us this she goes off and starts talking at the top of her lungs.
We brought this toy out for Brie since she is pulling herself up now. She was having SUCH a good time playing. It was so cute I just had to show you.

Could you just eat her up?!?!?!?

Ava's 4 year check up

I can't believe this girl had a four year check up today. I remember when she was a baby and I would see kids her age doing the eye tests and getting weighed on a big scale and measured while standing against a wall. I never thought my kid would be that big. Well she is and it's crazy!

She did really well. She cooperated with most of the tests they gave her. She even talked with the doctor before he started checking her out. I think the shyness/nerves got the best of her toward the end of her check up because she got a little teary.

Then came the fun part. The doctor told me that she needed three shots before she goes to kindergarten. I could give her a shot now and the rest later or do all three of them at once. I decided it would be a better idea to get at least one out of the way. The doc also said that two of the shots are usually combined but the ran out and probably by the time she needed it they would have the combined one again. Thats what I am hoping for. I for one would HATE having more than one shot.

When the doctor finished he left and I told Ava to put her dress back on but not her shirt. She asked why and I said that we weren't quite finished. She kept asking me why we weren't leaving and what was going on. I finally said that she was going to get an immunization. I just could not bear to tell her she was getting a shot. The nurse came in shortly after and Ava quickly figured out what was about to happen and started crying and saying she didn't want a shot. But it was over in a flash, she cried, I felt bad. But then she got a cool heart band aid (pictured above) and a lollipop and all was well with the world. Oh and she got to keep the paper gown she wore during her check up. I called it a dress up so she thought it was pretty neat.

The vital stats if you are interested; she weighs 40 lbs and is 41" tall. 75th percentile for both height and weight.

Bad table manners

I bet you'll never guess where my kids get their bad table manners from.

Paper Cups

Long ago I learned, from my Aunt Phyllis, how to make paper cups. The girls were into playing with paper today so I thought I would give it a shot to see if I could remember how to do it. I got really close but it wasn't quite right. But I went on the internet and was able to find directions. As soon as I saw what to do, a load of fun memories came flooding back. I remember somehow making baskets out of these cups and putting flowers in them from my Grandma's backyard. It's pretty cool to remember something like that from your childhood and then be able to do it for you kids.

Oh and Aunt Phyllis if you're reading this, how do you make the cup into a basket??

Making Money

We were at lunch today and Justin said he needed to get back to work so he can make some money. Ava blurts out, "I know how to make some money". Justin asked her how...

Cracker Recipe

Here is the cracker recipe for those who are interested:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (I use about 1/4 tsp because it was too salty for me)
2/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I also read you can use olive oil as well. I suspect any oil would do.)

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
Mix ingredients together.
Separate into two balls.
Grease cookie sheets (I use the spray stuff)
Roll each ball out on a cookie sheet as flat as you want. You can also press the ball flat with your fingers. I do that at the edges.
Cut with a pizza cutter before you bake. (You can use cookie cutters as well but their might be waste. I guess the grown up can eat the misshapen waste bits. Or you can get the unused dough and roll it out again. I haven't used cookie cutters yet)
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Easy peasy.

This and That

A few random things to talk about today...

I downloaded the pictures I took today and noticed this one. Ava had the camera and got a this picture of Brie. Is it me or does Brie look a little worried??
The other day I let Amanda paint her toenails. She insisted she do it by herself. This is what we ended up with. The floor was quite pretty too...Thank God for nail polish remover.
Ava has been really into drawing the last couple of days. I was walking by and noticed she actually drew a picture and not just scribbles. This is her happy face complete with eyebrows and a skirt. She made an entire book with different version of this character. It is a really cool thing to see your kid actually draw a real picture. I can't quite explain what it felt like to see this the first time.
One of the things I have been experimenting with is making my own crackers. They are REALLY yummy!!!! Dipped in hummus is even better. When Justin found out that I cut the crackers with a pizza cutter, before I cooked them, he wanted to try. It now his personal mission to find the best dipping shape for a cracker. Now if I make crackers I make sure to wait until he is home so he can cut them. You wouldn't believe the pleasure he derives from this. He actually plans on paper how he is going to cut. Whatever makes him happy. I love him.

Here are his latest shapes. These are skinny diamonds. It's a terrible dipping shape but they were really good just eaten alone.
These are small triangles. Too small for dipping properly but they still worked. He wants to try the triangles again but bigger.
I wanted to show you all how Amanda reads a story. She basically looks at a book and makes something up. Whats funny is that she has to "read" it at the top of her lungs. Her stories always seem to be about God and Jesus and someone being mean. I think God is the mean one in these stories. I guess she needs to pay better attention in Sunday School.

Whats your hobby?

I am looking for a hobby that doesn't cost much,if anything at all. I have been so consumed by children for the past 5 years, that I don't even know what I like to do anymore. I need something that doesn't involve kids. I feel like I need an identity other than mommy.

So, I am curious, what do you do?

Make yourself at home

We went to my friend, Justice's, house the other day and Amanda decided to make herself right at home on their couch. Doesn't she look SO comfy?! I kinda wish I was that size and could fit on a couch cushion that way...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Last night Justin and I went out to dinner and to see The Liberated Wailing Wall (Jews for Jesus) to celebrate Valentines Day. We generally don't go out for Valentines Day because of the crowds but the Liberated Wailing Wall was in town and we didn't want to miss it. A good friend of our was in the show and we wanted to support her. The show actually brought back tons of memories. I actually knew a few songs. During one song Justin looked at me and asked, "why do you know Jewish songs?" Well while the rest of the world was busy listening to the music on the radio I was subjected (I say that in a loving why) to my parents, let's just say, interesting taste in music. Really though, it was great music. I love that I knew the music and could connect. In any case it was a great time and I hope they come through here again so we can see them again.

Yesterday, we also made a whole bunch of Valentine's Day cookies. I had Uncle Steve in mind while making these. The girls always love bringing him stuff. Steve seems to really like when we show up at the shop with cookies. This time I actually bought some Valentine's themed sprinkles. All I had was Christmas sprinkles. That just wouldn't do. The girls did a great job decorating the cookies I must say. I do believe there are only about 6 of them left. YUM!
What's better on Valentine's Day than some sisterly love (actually, truth be told, this picture was taken yesterday. Minor details...)
...and roller skating :) Tonight the girls strapped on the roller skates and went for a cruise around the living room.

Brie wasn't roller skating but she was crawling all over the place looking really cute.

Look what I learned!

Yes folks, I learned how to fold fitted sheets into a neat little square/rectangle (my neighbor, Eunice, taught me). Basically just not a crumpled ball. So here are a fitted sheet and a regular sheet. I bet you can't tell which is which :) Yeah I know the shapes don't match, I will work on that next.*The one on the left is the fitted sheet.

Ava's Valentine's Day Show

Ava's preschool did their Valentine's Day show today. She sang very loud and really well for the first two songs but for some reason she wasn't feeling the foreign language thing today. I tried to upload the other videos of the songs but for whatever reason it was taking FOR-E-VER to upload so I just gave up. These two videos are the two songs she was singing really loud to.

Enjoy!!

Coincidence?

Two of my friends were pregnant and due in February. One was due Feb. 2nd, the other due Feb.17th. Both were having girls and picked the name Elliana/Elleanah. That's crazy enough right? Well it turns out they both had their girls Feb. 6th within 5 hours of each other!!! The first Elleanah was born at 5:26pm and the next Elliana was born at 10:36pm.

Isn't that crazy!?

Tupperware cabinet and a new trick

Brie was a little on the cranky side today as I was trying to make dinner so I showed her the Tupperware cabinet. She loved it!! Honestly though, what kid doesn't love making a mess with plastic containers :)

Here is Brie doing her new trick...

Post #500 and another beautiful day

Yes folks this is post #500. Who knew I would be able to stick with this for so long?!?

So another beautiful day today. I believe it was about 73 degrees. I'll take it. We had all the windows and doors open most of the day. The fresh air is SO nice. Of course we spent the majority of the day outside.

Here's Amanda cheesin' it up in the stroller.
Ava refused to put her hands down so I could take her picture. This is the best I could do and I think she looked pretty cute
Here's a post #500 special...me! I am usually taking the pictures. Of course I am dressed like a nerd because it's laundry day and I don't have anymore nice clothes left. Besides that I didn't leave the house so why bother getting really nice looking. Well this is why I should have bothered...I got my picture taken and I look like a hobo with bad hair and glaringly white legs, sorry about that.
Back to the cute kids...Brie seems to really enjoy being outside.
Lola was relaxing too :) It was a nice day all around.
Aunt Heather, this picture is for you. Here's Brie's cloth diaper booty. It is not as huge as other kinds of cloth diapers but her pants are definitely tighter than normal.

Differences

Justin too Ava to church today and I am stayed home with Brie and Amanda. They both still have colorful runny noses. First of all having two kids at home rather than three is SO easy. I am loving it :) Now that Ava and Amanda are separated I am noticing some major differences. It did not occur to me until I went to the bathroom.

Let me explain, usually when I go to the bathroom I have an audience of no less than two people at all times. Ava is usually the ring leader. Today I did not have an audience and Ava is gone...hmm... Also as I am typing this it is VERY quiet. Amanda is in her room playing quietly and Brie is sleeping. Here is the major difference. If Ava was home with me she would be constantly asking me to play or watch a movie or just talking A LOT. I am not sure she knows how to play by herself for any length of time. Amanda on the other hand has been playing for about 10 minutes or so and is perfectly happy.

The other thing is that there is no fighting. When Ava and Amanda are home together it seems like they have to be up in each others business constantly. I am breaking up a fight every 30 minutes or so (ok maybe it's not that bad but it sure feels like it). Whats even more funny is that when the girls are away from eachother they are always asking about each other. They really truely miss their sister. It's really awesome until they get around eachother again and the fighting and crying ensues.

Siblings have some of the most interesting relationships. They love eachother one minute but loathe eachother the the next. Either way I am going to enjoy this moment of peace because I know it won't last long.

It was SO nice today!

It was so nice and warm today that we spent the afternoon outside. I decided to let Brie crawl around on the deck and eventually on the brick patio. She LOVED it. Ava and Amanda enjoyed the time outside as well. We were all feeling a bit cooped up being stuck inside with colds and such.

Amanda decided to climb the crepe myrtle in the backyard and Ava soon followed. Amanda got pretty high up too. I was pretty impressed.
Brie was trying to figure out how to mow the grass.
Brie was feeling really talkative this afternoon. It was REALLY cute!

Brie is picking up speed!

Brie is certainly getting the hang of crawling. She has gotten quite quick. I actually lost her for a minute the other day. I was in my room wrapping a gift when I looked up and realized she was gone! Thankfully I am pretty smart and knew just where to look. She was in the bathroom playing with the scale.

So here she is going for the dog toy basket. She is obsessed with that thing. I have caught her more than once with a dog bone in her mouth. Oh well, I'd like to think I am building her immune system up.


I just like the look on her face here. She can pull the funniest expressions :)

I like big butts...

Well cloth diaper booties anyway (they're huge!) :) Yes, I started up with cloth diapering again. I was waiting for Brie to get well on solids before I started. And I just spent $45 on diapers! Yikes! That kind of money is quite the motivator to change something. What would be really nice is if Ava would learn not to wet the bed. Can't really teach that though, I know I looked it up.

I really don't mind doing cloth diapers though. I don't use them while we go out because I had one too many poopy diapers I had to bring home in my backpack. Gross, stinky and totally not worth it. At home, it's totally not a big deal.

Oh and if you're curious I am still using the g diapers that I used with Amanda. I am not using their flushable inserts, I am using cloth prefolds instead.

If a tree fall in the forest...

Yes, it does make a sound! As we were coming home from the grocery store today we got stopped in the middle of the road. Both sides were stopped by the workmen and we couldn't figure out why. After a couple minutes, no activity and a bunch of questions running through my head, I noticed a single tree that was wobbling with a tractor right next to it. Sure enough about 10 seconds later it fell! It made a loud crash with a bunch of snapping sounds. I am pretty sure this tree was about 50 feet tall at least. I had never seen a giant tree fall before. It was pretty darn cool. Amanda saw it too :)

On another note, I just found out Brie digs grapes and graham crackers. I am really happy to find out about the graham crackers because those things keep her occupied for quite some time.

Oh the horror!

I am pretty sure Ava is staring to give up naps altogether. The past two days she has come out of her room at exactly an hour, when the big hand gets to the 12. We are pretty sure she watches the clock. Right now it is 6:30pm and she is SO tired. She just now was laying on the couch with a blanket over her head. I bet if I didn't disturb her she would pass right now. You can see the red in her eyes and she keeps telling me how tired she is.

So I am totally bummed because I still need a longer break than that. She will be staying in her room for quite time. You can count on that.

And another thing, totally off topic. I am reminded how much I love Jiff peanut butter. I started thinking that maybe I am paying too much for it and maybe I should try a cheaper version. Well I got a couple of free jars of peanut butter. One was an off brand and the other was Skippy. I used the off brand jar up and it was less than stellar for sure. I have moved on to the Skippy jar and it is ok just not as tasty as Jiff.

I should knowtoo, because in college I had to do this whole advertising project about Safeway Select Peanut butter (it's a store brand). We did focus groups and surveys and all sorts of crazy stuff. I did find that Jiff did in fact taste the best. More people chose it over any other brand. We tested The Safeway Select, Peter Pan, Jif and Skippy.

The point I suppose is that now I don't feel guilty at all paying a little more. I LOVE peanut butter so I am going to indulge :)

Fun with Brie

I am not sure I need to say much about this picture. This was Justin's idea by the way...

Makin' Pizza

I thought the girls would have some fun making pizzas for lunch. I pretty much let them do everything by themselves.

First, the kneaded the dough.
Next, they rolled the dough out to make the pizza crust. I did, surprisingly, little to help Ava with this part.
Amanda did a great job too but needed a little more help.
Then, came the pizza sauce. The only thing I really did was spread the pizza sauce around evenly on the crust from them. Otherwise they would have had a giant clump of sauce and then dry crust.

Finally the fun part, the toppings! Here's the cheese.
And pepperoni.

And about 12 minutes later we had pizza!!!

I thought it tastes pretty good. The girls weren't too keen on it though. I am really not sure why...