Listening to the girls say the prayer is wonderful. Butterfly rambles and chats about everything in the world, usually including something about her princess dresses and getting to see her friends. Versus Ladybug, who became queen of the six second prayer. (So at dinner, when I'm tired, hungry and impatient, guess who I call on? sad but true.) But lately that has changed. For some reason, Ladybug recently took note of the large dent in daddy's truck. It's been that way since we bought it (which is why we got such a great deal) and the repair would cost more than we feel justified in spending. (sorry old friend) Taking note of the damage she exclaimed, "Daddy's truck fall down! Oh my gosh!" This was about three weeks ago. Ever since, EVERY prayer includes "please bess daddy truck that fall down and he be safe." At first, he was out of town so I thought it was extra sweet that she was remembering to ask him to be safe. But now, she says it all the time, even if he's home and sitting next to her. But it's still sweet, still important and still pretty darn cute.
Therefore: amen. Thanks Ladybug.
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
precious princesses
I came home and was greeting by the awkward clomping sound of a little girl wearing dress up heels that were far too big for her. Ladybug shuffles to me as fast as she can, daintily holding her skirt the way big sister has painstakingly instructed her. She stopped in front of me and tried to curtsey. She crossed one foot behind, and then in front, and then behind again as she teetered and then gave up. Instead she bowed, holding her hands straight out and bending only at the waist. Butterfly quickly followed with a more traditional curtsey and said, "Mother dear, wouldn't you please join us for the grand ball?" in her sweetened "on airs" voice that she uses when she's trying to be fancy.
Well, who can resist that? I paid the babysitter and sent her home and immediately joined my little princesses. They sat on the first step on the stairs and beckoned me, "come driver, you must drive the carriage and take us to the ball!" I sat on the step in front of them and coached the horses down our imagined bumpy road and sharp turns. Ladybug giggled, Butterfly chastised me as that is apparently not the way a princess drives. There's something just so make-me-melt cute about my little girls sitting so properly, their shiny, full skirts smoothed over their knees with their plastic high heel shoes peeking from underneath. Butterfly's tiara sits on top of a riot of unbrushed, fuzzy curls while Ladybug's tiara is shoved on at a precarious angle with wisps of curl sticking out in every direction. A smear of green popsicle is still hiding on her cheek and she laughs and giggles in that perfectly innocent, whole hearted way.
We arrived at the ball and they dashed off, each retrieving a stuffed animal to be their prince. Butterfly twirled gracefully in an almost-waltz while Ladybug pranced around singing "ring around a rosie!" After a few minutes, Butterfly returned to me commanding, "dear driver, I am ready to leave the ball now." I declined, as Ladybug was still dancing. "Fine, I will wait in the carriage!" and she flounced off to sit on the stairs. It only lasted a few minutes until she returned to the ball which eventually became a tea party...and then a birthday party...and then they played with puzzles...and then had to bathe their dollies in the pretend kitchen...and practice karate. Apparently the ball is over.
Well, who can resist that? I paid the babysitter and sent her home and immediately joined my little princesses. They sat on the first step on the stairs and beckoned me, "come driver, you must drive the carriage and take us to the ball!" I sat on the step in front of them and coached the horses down our imagined bumpy road and sharp turns. Ladybug giggled, Butterfly chastised me as that is apparently not the way a princess drives. There's something just so make-me-melt cute about my little girls sitting so properly, their shiny, full skirts smoothed over their knees with their plastic high heel shoes peeking from underneath. Butterfly's tiara sits on top of a riot of unbrushed, fuzzy curls while Ladybug's tiara is shoved on at a precarious angle with wisps of curl sticking out in every direction. A smear of green popsicle is still hiding on her cheek and she laughs and giggles in that perfectly innocent, whole hearted way.
We arrived at the ball and they dashed off, each retrieving a stuffed animal to be their prince. Butterfly twirled gracefully in an almost-waltz while Ladybug pranced around singing "ring around a rosie!" After a few minutes, Butterfly returned to me commanding, "dear driver, I am ready to leave the ball now." I declined, as Ladybug was still dancing. "Fine, I will wait in the carriage!" and she flounced off to sit on the stairs. It only lasted a few minutes until she returned to the ball which eventually became a tea party...and then a birthday party...and then they played with puzzles...and then had to bathe their dollies in the pretend kitchen...and practice karate. Apparently the ball is over.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
zoom zoom
Today Daddy opened and assembled the girls' Christmas present (why not, it's only June), which was razor scooters. What a blast! Butterfly was timid, teetering and toppling like crazy. Ladybug took to it a bit more confidently but doing her fair share of falling as well. But once they got the hang of it, they pattered themselves around the patio crying "zoom zoom! I will save you lucky Penny!" (Did I mention that we love the movie Bolt?) Daddy was declared to be Calico (the bad guy) and they chased after him (and then ran away from the lawn mower) repeatedly. so fun. Merry Christmas.
family playtime
Life is extra wonderful when family comes to town! And this week it was Husband's brother who brought along his amazing wife and their adorably sweet little girl. We had a great time playing with them for the last few days.
On Wednesday, we met all of Husband's family for a family playdate at the zoo. Our big girls bounded around full of energy while AngelBaby watched much more sedately from the stroller. We especially loved the elephants and the showboating sea lion that was eager for their attention, playing and twirling in the water in front of them. AngelBaby eventually fell asleep in her stroller but the big girls continued on, squealing over each new discovery, chattering to the "skunk monkey" and sharing a popcorn snack with daddy. We loved the new polar bear exhibit and got to feel the fur pelt of a snow leopard in the big cats exhibit. The zebras have mysteriously disappeared (Butterfly is especially sad about this) but the rest of our visit was great. We played in the zoo's playground for a few minutes before we left and continued onto a different park where Grandma spread out a picnic banquet. The girls played more than they ate but AngelBaby made a new discovery of veggie straws and delightedly devoured them as fast as she could.
That evening we met up with them again at the infamous Train, which is not actually a train at all but a hamburger joint. A model train circles the restaurant overhead (often causing squeals of joy from my little brood) and there's a huge train toy table tucked into the corner that I use to bribe my girls to finish their dinners. (and if that isn't enough, their shakes are fantastic and come in every flavor imaginable. my favorite is the chocolate dipped strawberry shake. or mint oreo. or hot fudge marshmallow. or fudge brownie. it's a tough call.) After dinner we invited everyone to our house to celebrate my niece's 2nd birthday! I made her a cake (a giant purple daisy) and she got to open presents. I loved watching her sweet excitement. She's so tiny (especially next to my girls, even AngelBaby is almost as big as her already!), and beautiful--a picture perfect porcelain doll with a charming and sweet personality to match. She's as gentle as my girls are wild and yet they played really well together. Butterfly and Ladybug actually fight over her, wanting to play with her. And she gives the best hugs and sweetest delicate kisses.
On Thursday, we sent Daddy off to chaperone our ward's Youth Conference but me and the girls invited family to our house for another playdate. Again, Grandma provided the feast and we made sushi rolls using leftovers from the picnic. They are amazing cooks so I always watch them to see what kind of masterpieces they assemble from simple ingredients, usually a combination I wouldn't have thought of but love to try and imitate. So my rolls weren't as neat but sure tasted good! AngelBaby got especially spoiled because there were so many tasty things that she could snack on. Her favorite of the day was mango slices.
On Friday we got to have lunch with them at my favorite restaurant in town (featuring traditional Mexican food). Typically I avoid going in public without daddy because my three girls can be a handful but with Uncle, Aunt and Grandma there, I figured we were safe. The girls were great, coloring pictures on the paper tablecovering and devouring chips.
Friday evening was a blast. Grandma had a brilliant idea for a potato party and invited us over for a potato bar dinner. As the potatoes baked, we played in the yard to burn off some energy. The girls ran and chased and played duck, duck, goose. We played with toys and pretended to eat all the curious food my little chefs pretended to make (like root beer chicken, watermelon popsicles or pizza with chicken, mushrooms and strawberries). Then the girls assembled the table decorations, which was six or seven different Mr. Potato Head people (Darth Vader, a mermaid, a rockstar, a princess, etc.) The potato bar that mom created was amazing. Not just sour cream, butter and cheese, but pulled pork, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, green onions, olives, pepperonis and more. The girls loved it (Butterfly devoured the mushrooms!) After dinner we went for a short walk and Butterfly rode on grandpa's shoulders which worked out great for him because she spent the whole walk playing with his hair (a great scalp massage). Stubborn little Ladybug pranced around, refusing to be held but happy to lead the group. We finished the night with waffle bowl ice cream sundaes (including fresh strawberry/rhubarb sauce made by grandpa and the girls) that we ate while sitting on the back porch to enjoy the warm evening and gorgeous view of the mountains, and presents that grandma and grandpa surprised us with as a belated mothers day/fathers day/special occasion gift. It was pretty late when we finally arrived at home, happy and worn out from such a fun day.
And today was our last playdate--a brief stop at the park to run and play before my little niece and her family took off to visit more family. They played, we said goodbye, and then played for a few minutes until Daddy joined us! (unfortunately missing the send off by ten minutes!) Home from youth conference, he was definitely ready to see his girls so we played for a few minutes before coming home and the entire family crashed for naptime. ah, blissful naptime...
On Wednesday, we met all of Husband's family for a family playdate at the zoo. Our big girls bounded around full of energy while AngelBaby watched much more sedately from the stroller. We especially loved the elephants and the showboating sea lion that was eager for their attention, playing and twirling in the water in front of them. AngelBaby eventually fell asleep in her stroller but the big girls continued on, squealing over each new discovery, chattering to the "skunk monkey" and sharing a popcorn snack with daddy. We loved the new polar bear exhibit and got to feel the fur pelt of a snow leopard in the big cats exhibit. The zebras have mysteriously disappeared (Butterfly is especially sad about this) but the rest of our visit was great. We played in the zoo's playground for a few minutes before we left and continued onto a different park where Grandma spread out a picnic banquet. The girls played more than they ate but AngelBaby made a new discovery of veggie straws and delightedly devoured them as fast as she could.
That evening we met up with them again at the infamous Train, which is not actually a train at all but a hamburger joint. A model train circles the restaurant overhead (often causing squeals of joy from my little brood) and there's a huge train toy table tucked into the corner that I use to bribe my girls to finish their dinners. (and if that isn't enough, their shakes are fantastic and come in every flavor imaginable. my favorite is the chocolate dipped strawberry shake. or mint oreo. or hot fudge marshmallow. or fudge brownie. it's a tough call.) After dinner we invited everyone to our house to celebrate my niece's 2nd birthday! I made her a cake (a giant purple daisy) and she got to open presents. I loved watching her sweet excitement. She's so tiny (especially next to my girls, even AngelBaby is almost as big as her already!), and beautiful--a picture perfect porcelain doll with a charming and sweet personality to match. She's as gentle as my girls are wild and yet they played really well together. Butterfly and Ladybug actually fight over her, wanting to play with her. And she gives the best hugs and sweetest delicate kisses.
On Thursday, we sent Daddy off to chaperone our ward's Youth Conference but me and the girls invited family to our house for another playdate. Again, Grandma provided the feast and we made sushi rolls using leftovers from the picnic. They are amazing cooks so I always watch them to see what kind of masterpieces they assemble from simple ingredients, usually a combination I wouldn't have thought of but love to try and imitate. So my rolls weren't as neat but sure tasted good! AngelBaby got especially spoiled because there were so many tasty things that she could snack on. Her favorite of the day was mango slices.
On Friday we got to have lunch with them at my favorite restaurant in town (featuring traditional Mexican food). Typically I avoid going in public without daddy because my three girls can be a handful but with Uncle, Aunt and Grandma there, I figured we were safe. The girls were great, coloring pictures on the paper tablecovering and devouring chips.
Friday evening was a blast. Grandma had a brilliant idea for a potato party and invited us over for a potato bar dinner. As the potatoes baked, we played in the yard to burn off some energy. The girls ran and chased and played duck, duck, goose. We played with toys and pretended to eat all the curious food my little chefs pretended to make (like root beer chicken, watermelon popsicles or pizza with chicken, mushrooms and strawberries). Then the girls assembled the table decorations, which was six or seven different Mr. Potato Head people (Darth Vader, a mermaid, a rockstar, a princess, etc.) The potato bar that mom created was amazing. Not just sour cream, butter and cheese, but pulled pork, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, green onions, olives, pepperonis and more. The girls loved it (Butterfly devoured the mushrooms!) After dinner we went for a short walk and Butterfly rode on grandpa's shoulders which worked out great for him because she spent the whole walk playing with his hair (a great scalp massage). Stubborn little Ladybug pranced around, refusing to be held but happy to lead the group. We finished the night with waffle bowl ice cream sundaes (including fresh strawberry/rhubarb sauce made by grandpa and the girls) that we ate while sitting on the back porch to enjoy the warm evening and gorgeous view of the mountains, and presents that grandma and grandpa surprised us with as a belated mothers day/fathers day/special occasion gift. It was pretty late when we finally arrived at home, happy and worn out from such a fun day.
And today was our last playdate--a brief stop at the park to run and play before my little niece and her family took off to visit more family. They played, we said goodbye, and then played for a few minutes until Daddy joined us! (unfortunately missing the send off by ten minutes!) Home from youth conference, he was definitely ready to see his girls so we played for a few minutes before coming home and the entire family crashed for naptime. ah, blissful naptime...
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
she's mobile!
AngelBaby can crawl. It is break my heart, oh so sweet, perfectly adorable and totally awkward. She will go from sitting to putting her hands down and then struggling to free her feet (one usually gets caught on her knee as she tries to push them around and under her). Then she rocks and wobbles through one or two crawls before she topples over into a face plant or pushes herself back into a sitting position. Now she's free to roam and find every tiny little piece of anything which I couldn't even see but inevitably goes into her mouth. I absolutely melt at her happy, beaming, proud-of-myself smile. Especially when it is accompanied by her little squeal and her hands excitedly slapping at the floor next to her. She is sunshine personified and I'm totally in love with her.
Father's Day 2012
In an unusual stroke of brilliance (otherwise known as pintrest), I came up with the BEST ideas for Father's Day gifts. I was so excited about them, I was near giddy. (silly that something so simple makes me so happy. I suppose that's what motherhood does to you.) For the grandfathers, we cut out a brown tree trunk and pasted it to white paper. Then we dipped the girls' hands in green paint and used their handprints to press "leaves" on the trees.
Daddy's was a little more complicated. I dropped small amounts of paint onto a paper plate in various colors and then let the paint settle into each other, which allowed us to make a multi-colored tye-dye style handprint. The girls took turns dipping their feet into the paint and then pressing them onto the paper. We did this backwards (big toes on the outside, little toes on the inside) so that once we added the slender body, head and antennas, we had perfect, brightly colored butterflies.
We celebrated at my parents' house. We drove up the night before and went to dinner with them, plus my grandma, auntie and some favorite cousins that were visiting. Our kids ran around like crazy people, the food was delicious and the evening was a blast. Then in the morning, I made honey wheat waffles, generously laden with fresh strawberries, bananas, whip cream and my homemade strawberry syrup.
It was also my mom's birthday! So we had double the excuse to celebrate. The girls had found a wall hanging with a 1940's style Mickey and Minnie sitting on a park bench. It was cute, sweet and a perfect little something for my mom (especially considering our Disney crazed family).
We attended church (with all of our usual noisy chaos--except that the adults actually outnumbered the children in a very unusual and absolutely wonderful happenstance) and the girls looked adorable in their beautiful new dresses. After church, they twirled and danced and pretended to be flowers with their soft, full skirts spread out around them. A quick lunch was followed by a blissfully quiet afternoon of naps and a movie. Butterfly is becoming increasingly reluctant to take naps, especially if we aren't at home. So she typically has 15-20 minutes of quiet time in her bed and then we cuddle for a movie (her new favorite is the Princess Diaries--a fun new surprise, her first non-animated favorite movie).
My brother and his family joined us for the evening. The girls were thrilled to play with their cousins and my sister and I made a fabulous team in the kitchen preparing our celebratory feast of chicken parmesan, pasta, salad and chocolate cobbler with ice cream. We feasted, we sang, we played, it was a wonderful evening.
powwow+Ragnar party
On Friday evening, the girls and I joined grandma and grandpa for an evening at the pow wow. We started off by wandered the shops and the girls were eager to touch everything in sight. They particularly loved the beads and jewelry as well as the fans and Butterfly was fascinated by the kachina dolls. We muddled our way through some dinner (was tasty but my kids are easily distracted, especially in such a new and fascinating place) and made our way over to the bleachers. The dancing started extremely late so we didn't get to see as much as we hoped but we had a lot of fun. The girls LOVED the costumes. Grandpa took them on a walk to see the drums circles and both girls had fun imitating the dances. They got to join the circle dances but it took several tries before we made it all the way around. Butterfly would dance for a while and then panic as we got further away from our spot on the bleachers and she would shyly run back. AngelBaby watched everything with big observing eyes, sometimes calling out and jabbering along with the songs until she finally grew too tired to do much but cuddle. Eventually we got snowcones (the girls were delighted) and fry bread (another fascinating treat) and Ladybug wore herself out climbing up and down the bleachers while we watched more dancing (my favorite is always the ladies shawl dancing and then men's fancy dance) and finally headed home.
On Saturday morning we hosted an impromptu post Ragnar party. The race runs right through my neighborhood and we had several good friends running so we invited them to our house, offering showers, beds and breakfast for anyone who needed. One of my best friends came over, bringing her kids (thus delighting and entertaining my kids for hours). She didn't run but several of her sisters did so we made them breakfast and got to feel like we were part of that fun energy (since neither of us were able to run it ourselves). Then while the runners were resting, we sat in the backyard watching the kids run through the sprinklers and enjoying the perfect weather.
On Saturday morning we hosted an impromptu post Ragnar party. The race runs right through my neighborhood and we had several good friends running so we invited them to our house, offering showers, beds and breakfast for anyone who needed. One of my best friends came over, bringing her kids (thus delighting and entertaining my kids for hours). She didn't run but several of her sisters did so we made them breakfast and got to feel like we were part of that fun energy (since neither of us were able to run it ourselves). Then while the runners were resting, we sat in the backyard watching the kids run through the sprinklers and enjoying the perfect weather.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
baby food
Little AngelBaby is quickly letting us know that she has a mind of her own. She's my perfect, sweet, cuddly little girl. Who recently decided she doesn't eat baby food anymore.
She was doing great. After her initial struggle to master swallowing, she took to baby food just fine. She had a relatively good appetite and ate anything we offered. (not like Ladybug however, who worked her way up to seven jars a day! that kid was ravenous!) She was eating a 4 oz jar at every meal and it was fun for her to really get to join us for meals. But more recently, she would tire of the feeding and purse her tiny lips together with a small raspberry and refuse to eat any more. It usually seemed rather abrupt but she was making it clear she did not want to eat that any more. So we began giving her little table scraps, simple foods in tiny pieces that she could feed herself.
Last night, I opened the jar and she refused even a single bite. After several raspberry responses, she pushed the spoon away and reached her hand to the table, opening and closing her little fist. We laughed, thinking how cute she is and she impatiently continued. Eventually I stopped laughing and realized she was serious. After a few more tries, I gave up and spooned some of my homemade chicken pot pie onto her tray. With a satisfied grin, she slapped her hands into it and began scooping messy fistfuls into her mouth.
Meanwhile, I still have several dozen jars of baby food in the pantry... anybody need it?
She was doing great. After her initial struggle to master swallowing, she took to baby food just fine. She had a relatively good appetite and ate anything we offered. (not like Ladybug however, who worked her way up to seven jars a day! that kid was ravenous!) She was eating a 4 oz jar at every meal and it was fun for her to really get to join us for meals. But more recently, she would tire of the feeding and purse her tiny lips together with a small raspberry and refuse to eat any more. It usually seemed rather abrupt but she was making it clear she did not want to eat that any more. So we began giving her little table scraps, simple foods in tiny pieces that she could feed herself.
Last night, I opened the jar and she refused even a single bite. After several raspberry responses, she pushed the spoon away and reached her hand to the table, opening and closing her little fist. We laughed, thinking how cute she is and she impatiently continued. Eventually I stopped laughing and realized she was serious. After a few more tries, I gave up and spooned some of my homemade chicken pot pie onto her tray. With a satisfied grin, she slapped her hands into it and began scooping messy fistfuls into her mouth.
Meanwhile, I still have several dozen jars of baby food in the pantry... anybody need it?
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
quote of the day
Ready for a sad, my-little-girl-is-growing-up moment?
I asked my Ladybug (as I frequently do), "are you mommy's ladybug or daddy's monkey?" anticipating her mischievous grin and giggling answer (she switches back and forth).
But today she looked at me with a serious face and said, "no. I'm a girl."
Friday, June 8, 2012
quote of the day
I'm not sure how the argument started but Ladybug was mad at Butterfly and she came sobbing to me, "She say can't be musketteers because we just two!"
me: "Can I be the third musketeer? Then we will be three musketeers?"
The crying stopped and she indignantly looked at me, "No! You are too big! You have to be Pete." (the bad guy)
Me: "What about the baby?"
Ladybug: "yeah, she will get big and we be three musketeers and fight bad guys!"
Butterfly joined us, "yeah but right now we will be princesses and go dancing!" and off they went.
me: "Can I be the third musketeer? Then we will be three musketeers?"
The crying stopped and she indignantly looked at me, "No! You are too big! You have to be Pete." (the bad guy)
Me: "What about the baby?"
Ladybug: "yeah, she will get big and we be three musketeers and fight bad guys!"
Butterfly joined us, "yeah but right now we will be princesses and go dancing!" and off they went.
consa-kenses
(consequence)
I'm certainly not the perfect parent. I am guilty of being impatient, easily frustrated, easily overwhelmed and short tempered with my adorable but mischievous children. But when I have my head together enough to be the kind of parent that I want to be, I think I must be on the right track. Evidence:
Butterfly and Ladybug were taking a shower in my bathroom while I sorted laundry in the closet. The glass was fogged so I couldn't see them clearly but could hear them playing. I hear the slap and then the brief cry and then...
Ladybug: "You get in corner! look at wall!....now come 'ere! what you do was naughty?"
Butterfly giggled and then responded dutifully, "I'm sorry I hit you."
But apparently Ladybug did not want to skip all the steps. "No, that was naughty. you make naughty choice, you get a consa-kense! you go time out. you under-sand? now you say sorry."
Butterfly: "I'm sorry."
Ladybug: "why you sorry?"
Butterfly, "I'm sorry I hit you."
Ladybug: "now say 'no hit.'"
Butterfly, "we don't hit."
Then for some reason, Ladybug hit Butterfly! Butterfly giggled and said, "you don't hit me! we have to hug!" Then hugging dissolved into giggling and more playing.
I'm certainly not the perfect parent. I am guilty of being impatient, easily frustrated, easily overwhelmed and short tempered with my adorable but mischievous children. But when I have my head together enough to be the kind of parent that I want to be, I think I must be on the right track. Evidence:
Butterfly and Ladybug were taking a shower in my bathroom while I sorted laundry in the closet. The glass was fogged so I couldn't see them clearly but could hear them playing. I hear the slap and then the brief cry and then...
Ladybug: "You get in corner! look at wall!....now come 'ere! what you do was naughty?"
Butterfly giggled and then responded dutifully, "I'm sorry I hit you."
But apparently Ladybug did not want to skip all the steps. "No, that was naughty. you make naughty choice, you get a consa-kense! you go time out. you under-sand? now you say sorry."
Butterfly: "I'm sorry."
Ladybug: "why you sorry?"
Butterfly, "I'm sorry I hit you."
Ladybug: "now say 'no hit.'"
Butterfly, "we don't hit."
Then for some reason, Ladybug hit Butterfly! Butterfly giggled and said, "you don't hit me! we have to hug!" Then hugging dissolved into giggling and more playing.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
her entourage
Ladybug's entourage has grown. It now consists of Panda, Yellow and Baby--which is incidentally not a doll, but the apparent offspring of her blankets. Yellow is blanket with a yellow background and colored flowers. Panda is a blanket with a pink background and pandas. Baby is a burpcloth that happens to have a yellow background with pandas on it. Thus, it is Yellow and Panda's baby. (yes, this is the twisted world in which I live) Today, she discovered that there are TWO burpcloths like this, now affectionately known as her babies or her "twins". (There are also burpcloths that exactly match both Panda and Yellow but I have stashed them for fear that someday there may be a traumatic weaning period and we may need a step down level or worse, a replacement.) We agreed that she can have Panda and Yellow when we are at home or
in the car but they can't go anywhere else. However, Baby (or now, her twins) manage to sneak into just about everywhere. But I think it's kind of an adorable habit and I'm not so eager for her to grow out of it anyway.
She's also addicted to her cell phone and insists on carrying it around all the time. It's actually one of my old phone that broke. She loves to flip it open, jab at the buttons and chatter to Daddy or her friends. She keeps it in her pocket, purse or wrapped in her blankets. Lately she's begging that she wants one like mine. (And I would have thought she is way to young for us to be having that argument.)
She's also addicted to her cell phone and insists on carrying it around all the time. It's actually one of my old phone that broke. She loves to flip it open, jab at the buttons and chatter to Daddy or her friends. She keeps it in her pocket, purse or wrapped in her blankets. Lately she's begging that she wants one like mine. (And I would have thought she is way to young for us to be having that argument.)
playdates
We've has some great playdates lately (trying to keep busy while daddy is gone again).
On Monday, the girls and I were joined by Grandma for a trip to Temple Square. The girls were delighted, looking at all the beautiful flowers and running along the huge sidewalks. The dipped their fingers in the reflection pond and were ecstatic to discover the little picture pedestal that immediately became their stage. They loved finding the statues, always declaring it to be Jesus so we took them inside the visitors center. After a quick reminder they walked up the ramp reverently, with their arms folded and their voices whispering. They came up to the large statue of Christ at the top and their reverence became excitement. Especially Butterfly was our little drama queen, falling at his feet with great emotion and then pointing out the scars in his hands and feet. Meanwhile, Ladybug danced around happily. Eventually their enthusiasm was becoming too loud so we went outside again for more wanderings. We met their Auntie for dinner at the Lion House Pantry (soooo good!) and took a walk around City Creek Center, particularly the Disney store. The girls were delighted to discovered the mini castle room with princess mirrors and danced there for as long as I would let them. They loved looking at all the toys; Butterfly declared a new toy to be her favorite every two minutes and Ladybug was particularly concerned with finding toys that had been left in the wrong place and insisted on putting them back into their proper places.
On Tuesday we had playdate with my friend and her two sweet boys, the younger being only three weeks old! Holding him made me realize even more how fast my own AngelBaby is growing. Then I spent the night looking at her baby pictures and reveling in how much I love her and what a happy, perfect baby she has been.
Today we had a brief playdate at lunch with some friends and then got to spend the evening with Grammy. We met her at the park and then went to Cafe Rio. The girls were super wound up and crazy. They devoured their food but were so loud and overstimulated by all the noise and chaos inside the restaurant. We ran a few errands together and enjoyed getting to see Grammy before coming home for a movie cuddle and bed.
On Monday, the girls and I were joined by Grandma for a trip to Temple Square. The girls were delighted, looking at all the beautiful flowers and running along the huge sidewalks. The dipped their fingers in the reflection pond and were ecstatic to discover the little picture pedestal that immediately became their stage. They loved finding the statues, always declaring it to be Jesus so we took them inside the visitors center. After a quick reminder they walked up the ramp reverently, with their arms folded and their voices whispering. They came up to the large statue of Christ at the top and their reverence became excitement. Especially Butterfly was our little drama queen, falling at his feet with great emotion and then pointing out the scars in his hands and feet. Meanwhile, Ladybug danced around happily. Eventually their enthusiasm was becoming too loud so we went outside again for more wanderings. We met their Auntie for dinner at the Lion House Pantry (soooo good!) and took a walk around City Creek Center, particularly the Disney store. The girls were delighted to discovered the mini castle room with princess mirrors and danced there for as long as I would let them. They loved looking at all the toys; Butterfly declared a new toy to be her favorite every two minutes and Ladybug was particularly concerned with finding toys that had been left in the wrong place and insisted on putting them back into their proper places.
On Tuesday we had playdate with my friend and her two sweet boys, the younger being only three weeks old! Holding him made me realize even more how fast my own AngelBaby is growing. Then I spent the night looking at her baby pictures and reveling in how much I love her and what a happy, perfect baby she has been.
Today we had a brief playdate at lunch with some friends and then got to spend the evening with Grammy. We met her at the park and then went to Cafe Rio. The girls were super wound up and crazy. They devoured their food but were so loud and overstimulated by all the noise and chaos inside the restaurant. We ran a few errands together and enjoyed getting to see Grammy before coming home for a movie cuddle and bed.
stop growing!
AngelBaby is almost nine months and is growing and learning so fast. I keep wishing and hoping that if I squeeze her tight enough that I can slow it down but to no avail.
I love her kisses, she's figured out how to make the sound and always follows it with her happy grin. When I try to kiss her, she holds her lips still and then just looks at me with a happy curiosity.
She loves to roll all over the floor and has finally hit that stage where she's difficult to change. She loves to have her legs bare so she waits until they are free from her sleeper or pants and then wriggles and rolls away from me. I have to work quickly, sometimes even pinning her down with my legs so I can actually change her.
She loves to eat, now that we've mastered swallowing. She loves her baby food but loves finger food even more. She will go after a baby puff, grasping it into her palm to pick it up and then manipulate her hand to push the puff up to her thumb and finger and put it into her mouth. She also especially loves bits of pancake or waffle at breakfast.
She definitely requires more entertainment now, playing with toys and getting bored more easily now. Her favorite toy is her flower rattle, her minnie rattle and floppy bunny. But she also loves to play with kitchen utensils and often sits in her high chair to keep me company while I cook. She's also taken to looking at books and studying the pictures. Her big sisters are happy to help her.
She loves her binky and is quickly wearing it out. I tried switching her to a new one but she didn't fall for it.
Today she tried the swings at the park for the first time and she LOVED it. She immediately began cooing and singing and was grinning from ear to ear.
She has mastered the "scooch". She rolls from a sitting position onto her stomach and then pushes herself around. Despite whatever intentions she may have, she always manages to push herself backwards, and then usually gets upset because the item she wanted was in front of her and is now moving further away.
And recently, she has begun "scooching" and pushes herself up onto her knees. She starts to wobble and rock back and forth, looking up at me and grinning. I, of course, scoop her up and beg her to not start that, insisting she can't crawl yet and certainly not before Daddy gets home from his business trip. But she keeps trying and while I still think she's a few weeks away, I'm sure she will be crawling soon.
I love her kisses, she's figured out how to make the sound and always follows it with her happy grin. When I try to kiss her, she holds her lips still and then just looks at me with a happy curiosity.
She loves to roll all over the floor and has finally hit that stage where she's difficult to change. She loves to have her legs bare so she waits until they are free from her sleeper or pants and then wriggles and rolls away from me. I have to work quickly, sometimes even pinning her down with my legs so I can actually change her.
She loves to eat, now that we've mastered swallowing. She loves her baby food but loves finger food even more. She will go after a baby puff, grasping it into her palm to pick it up and then manipulate her hand to push the puff up to her thumb and finger and put it into her mouth. She also especially loves bits of pancake or waffle at breakfast.
She definitely requires more entertainment now, playing with toys and getting bored more easily now. Her favorite toy is her flower rattle, her minnie rattle and floppy bunny. But she also loves to play with kitchen utensils and often sits in her high chair to keep me company while I cook. She's also taken to looking at books and studying the pictures. Her big sisters are happy to help her.
She loves her binky and is quickly wearing it out. I tried switching her to a new one but she didn't fall for it.
Today she tried the swings at the park for the first time and she LOVED it. She immediately began cooing and singing and was grinning from ear to ear.
She has mastered the "scooch". She rolls from a sitting position onto her stomach and then pushes herself around. Despite whatever intentions she may have, she always manages to push herself backwards, and then usually gets upset because the item she wanted was in front of her and is now moving further away.
And recently, she has begun "scooching" and pushes herself up onto her knees. She starts to wobble and rock back and forth, looking up at me and grinning. I, of course, scoop her up and beg her to not start that, insisting she can't crawl yet and certainly not before Daddy gets home from his business trip. But she keeps trying and while I still think she's a few weeks away, I'm sure she will be crawling soon.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
quote of the day
During church, Daddy was whispering with Butterfly trying to explain the sacrament. She responded with her own whispered, "Jesus is my favorite brother!"
fun in the sun
Friday kicked off the weekend with a bang. I got a text from my brother, "whatcha doing?" I've come to learn this means probably he's already on his way. I love his surprise visits and while sometimes it hasn't been great timing, this one was perfect. He and his wonderful family arrived just after my girls woke up from a late nap and they were delighted to see their cousins.
We started at a local grocery store who was hosting a Food Fair. So we got to wander while snacking on the samples and the kids excitedly collected stickers from each booth (sort of a scavenger hunt with a salt rock prize). After that we returned to our house for a backyard BBQ. The kids ran around, climbing and playing and rolling in the grass. Eventually Daddy and Uncle Booga took the boys plus Ladybug (Daddy's sidekick) for a trip to the store and the lab to play with some rocks and fossils. Meanwhile, the rest of the girls stayed with me and Auntie for a princess movie and did mini spa pedicures. (Ladybug came home just in time to insist on her own spa pedi too.)
Daddy had a golf game Saturday morning (he has some clients that like to do business on the course so he's trying to improve his game) so me and the girls muddled through our usual chaos (AngelBaby's new favorite food is pancakes). Then we spent the afternoon with friends for a birthday party at the pool. Our little fish babies were delighted and were chomping at the bit to get into the water. They had such a blast chasing each other, splashing and doing laps--prancing into the water on the gentle slope until they were shoulder deep, climbing out on a platform and running back to start over again. We enjoyed snacking on Cheetos, singing over soccer ball cupcakes and lounging in the sun. I managed to even out the sunburn I earned working in the garden while the girls both got some pink on their shoulders. Butterfly painstakingly arranged her towels so she could lay out in the sun like a princess, always getting upset when Ladybug pulled on a corner and ruined her perfectly square corners. And more than anything it was wonderful to catch up with friends that we don't get to see often enough anymore (especially for Butterfly and her since-birth-best-friend). Eventually AngelBaby feel asleep on Daddy and slept so soundly that he managed to change her out of her swim gear into a diaper and playclothes without her waking up.
The other two napped in the car while we ran a few errands and then arrived at our second adventure for the day. We joined a family party just in time for dinner and cake to celebrate my kid sister's departure for her new career at DisneyWorld. AngelBaby's favorite part was when we stripped her to her diaper and let her chomp on watermelon. The big girls played in the park with cousins and eventually begged their way into the pool (as if they hadn't had enough water for the day). Me and Daddy offered to supervise the kids (ours plus cousins) as they played in the pool but I got away with simply dangling my feet while Daddy had to do all the work. The kids took turned jumping in from the edge and squealing gleefully as he caught and then launched them into the deep end. (I wonder who was more worn out at the end, him or the kids.) They recovered in the hot tub as the evening wore down and we eventually came home.
We started at a local grocery store who was hosting a Food Fair. So we got to wander while snacking on the samples and the kids excitedly collected stickers from each booth (sort of a scavenger hunt with a salt rock prize). After that we returned to our house for a backyard BBQ. The kids ran around, climbing and playing and rolling in the grass. Eventually Daddy and Uncle Booga took the boys plus Ladybug (Daddy's sidekick) for a trip to the store and the lab to play with some rocks and fossils. Meanwhile, the rest of the girls stayed with me and Auntie for a princess movie and did mini spa pedicures. (Ladybug came home just in time to insist on her own spa pedi too.)
Daddy had a golf game Saturday morning (he has some clients that like to do business on the course so he's trying to improve his game) so me and the girls muddled through our usual chaos (AngelBaby's new favorite food is pancakes). Then we spent the afternoon with friends for a birthday party at the pool. Our little fish babies were delighted and were chomping at the bit to get into the water. They had such a blast chasing each other, splashing and doing laps--prancing into the water on the gentle slope until they were shoulder deep, climbing out on a platform and running back to start over again. We enjoyed snacking on Cheetos, singing over soccer ball cupcakes and lounging in the sun. I managed to even out the sunburn I earned working in the garden while the girls both got some pink on their shoulders. Butterfly painstakingly arranged her towels so she could lay out in the sun like a princess, always getting upset when Ladybug pulled on a corner and ruined her perfectly square corners. And more than anything it was wonderful to catch up with friends that we don't get to see often enough anymore (especially for Butterfly and her since-birth-best-friend). Eventually AngelBaby feel asleep on Daddy and slept so soundly that he managed to change her out of her swim gear into a diaper and playclothes without her waking up.
The other two napped in the car while we ran a few errands and then arrived at our second adventure for the day. We joined a family party just in time for dinner and cake to celebrate my kid sister's departure for her new career at DisneyWorld. AngelBaby's favorite part was when we stripped her to her diaper and let her chomp on watermelon. The big girls played in the park with cousins and eventually begged their way into the pool (as if they hadn't had enough water for the day). Me and Daddy offered to supervise the kids (ours plus cousins) as they played in the pool but I got away with simply dangling my feet while Daddy had to do all the work. The kids took turned jumping in from the edge and squealing gleefully as he caught and then launched them into the deep end. (I wonder who was more worn out at the end, him or the kids.) They recovered in the hot tub as the evening wore down and we eventually came home.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)