Showing Off for the Grandparents!

I knew this day would come! Addie has figured out that she fits through the doggie door and is no longer afraid of it...She would have happily ventured outside if it wasn't for some firm, "Addie, no." from her mother. She, of course, was egged on by her grandparents who had come over for dinner. In the last picture, if you look close you can see my dad who thinks the girls' discovery of the doggie door is hilarious! I predict this will be a source of boundary testing in the near future...just another thing to keep it lively at the Greens!

On another note, we had a great weekend! We vowed to do nothing, but of course didn't follow through.

Friday, we went for dinner with the Metskers (friends who have a nearly one year old boy as well) and played some Speed Scrabble and Texas Hold'em.

Saturday, we checked out our local Habitat for Humanity Restore (got a cool old wire bin for organizing), then I went to another friends house to look through her cast off clothing and went home with some great deals, and then we ended Saturday by hanging out with the Zieglers - time that is always cherished!

Sunday, we painted our master bathroom while the girls napped. Then, we tried out a new church which we LOVED and decided to give it a 2-3 month trial run before deciding to commit or stay put where we have been. Next, we saw the Zieglers a bit more, grocery shopped, and then had pizza with my parents. Whew! Now we're going to watch "The Big Give" and relax.

Morning Routine

The girls decided to wake up early this morning and get in some yoga.

One always has time to make a cute pose
even when perfecting a yoga move.

After all their hard work,
they enjoyed a wild ride into the kitchen on the laundry cart!

My Husband the Star

My hubby was on TV!!!! He thinks he looks like a dork, but he looks just the same to me : ). He was interviewed by the weather channel and HGTV at the International Home Builder's Show in Orlando, FL. If you want to see his bit on rainwater systems click here. His bit starts at 7 minutes and 48 seconds into the clip which will play automatically. He thinks he bounces up and down too much...kinda funny! We are always more critical of ourselves than others are of us...but if you think he is a bit bouncy feel free to leave him a comment! We'll let you know when his other clip airs for HGTV in May...maybe less bouncing....

Easter Was Croupy

We had a good, but chilly Easter! The girls are wearing their Easter outfits (notice not dresses). Grandma Baker helped me pick these out for the girls - I voted against dresses since the girls are crawling and would be super frustrated if they couldn't move! It was hard for my mom not to get something fluffy, frilly, and all together girly, but I promised that once they are walking she can go all out!

I couldn't get any pictures of them both smiling, so I just Photoshoped one together! See if you can see where one picture ends and the other begins (top photo)!

On Easter night, Jasmine woke up with a horrible cough about 5 times! She'd get coughing so hard she'd start hyperventilating and would need us to calm her down. We went to the doctor in the morning and were told that she has croup and an ear infection! According to the doc, croup will pass on its own and only needs treatment (steroid shot) if she was having trouble breathing during the day. However, it is highly contagious which means Addie, Alex, and I should get it! In adults, croup manifests as larengitous - which I think I might have! All in all, it hasn't been too bad. The worst part has been keeping up on my and Jasmine's runny noses.

Since we so contagious, its going to be a week of isolation/hibernation! I've already reorganized my linen closet, and have ideas for several other projects! As for right now, I'm going to load up the girls and take advantage of this nice weather while we have it.

He Returneth!

Alex was in North Carolina this week for some training for his job. His outgoing flight was delayed on Sunday (oh darn! : )) and then his first flight home out of N.C. was delayed which meant he missed his connecting flight which meant he spent the night in Cincinnati, Ohio! He finally made it home at 11:00 this morning. We were very glad to have him back with us! Although, Jasmine decided that a fair punishment for his absence would be a nibble on his nose!



This week we discovered the love of chewing on toothbrushes. I can't really explain to you why this is such a big hit, but there are tears shed each time the toothbrushes are taken so they can be fed, diapered, bathed, etc. Ah, phases... : )


This is the second time my two friends and I braved eating at a sit-down restaurant with four children the same age! They do amazingly well!! They love to look around, look at each other, eat off the table, and of course throw everything on the floor. This time we ate at Red Robin and they couldn't have been more accommodating! Our server was so pleasant and flexible with our moderate chaos.


A close second in favorite activities is hunting down the remotes and fighting over them. I've taken to quickly stashing them in the couch cushions whenever I see a child near...this inevitably leaves us baffled when we need the remotes in the evening!


Belle deserves a medal - a large medal made out of juicy steak - to reward her for her endless patience with the girls. They kiss her, pet her, pat her, pull her fur, explore her paws, poke her eyes, and the list goes on. She just lays there - doesn't flinch - but occasionally licks them only to encourage another round of mauling!



And two cute pictures of Jasmine just for fun!

Windows

On Friday, I rearranged our living room furniture so the girls could look out our large living room windows. (Anything to keep them entertained!) They love the new set-up! They regularly crawl up to the windowsills, pull-up, and bang on the windows. They love watching the dogs chase after squirrels.

They have already figured out how to push the screens out of the windows. Thankfully I can open the windows from the top and leave them closed at their level - thus not having to worry about babies losing their balance and plunking onto the ground two feet below!

Their favorite window related activity is playing peek-a-boo with each other in the curtains. It was so cute I took some pictures!

Happy Monday! My hope for today is no tornadoes!!! The weather has the potential for some "severe activity" which is no fun in a house without a basement.

Tag (Alex)

Miriam has tagged me! These are the rules!

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Six non-important things about me:

1.) I have icthus vulgaris - a fancy way for saying I have rough hands and feet because my skin doesn't produce enough protein. Its genetic - my dad and brother have it - and the girls have a 50% chance of having it...not so feminine!

2.) This condition means I have to apply lotion 2X daily - the night time application drives Miriam nuts - she thinks it takes FOREVER and wants me to turn the light off!

3.) I'm very nervous that if we have more children, we will have a boy...which means at some point I'll have to figure out American sports!

4.) I dream of retiring and owning a microbrewery/restaurant.

5.) I love to spice up food. Recipes are merely a suggestion. This too can drive my wife nuts. Occasionally I "over-spice" - especially with garlic...

6.) Before I met my wife I was a neat freak...funny how things change...

I'm tagging:
No one! : )

Tag

Nancy has tagged me! These are the rules!

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Six non-important things about me:

1. I have an old food phobia. It's not that I don't like leftovers, but there is this internal alarm that goes off if Alex suggest eating something out of the fridge that is 4-5+ days old. It instantly makes me want to gag, I fear whatever it is while make me very ill, etc. I'm not sure where this came from - perhaps my bachelorette days when I would regularly think my cereal tasted funny only to figure out that my milk had spoiled again - blahk!

2. Many of you know that I studied in India for six months in college, but not everyone knows about the time I sold my body to go to England. Okay, so that sounds worse than what it was...I participated in some medical testing in college for a whopping $1,020 which I promptly spent on a plane ticket and week long trip to London!

3. When I first met my husband, he'd call and leave messages on the answering machine to check-in, invite me and my roommate out, etc. Leah and I would save the messages (regardless of content) just to listen to his accent over and over and over again! : )

4. My brother and I are the original unoriginals! Let me explain - we both strove to be different from our parents - wanting to be unique. I became a graphic designer and he pursued acting. That lasted about 3 years! He's now a principal and I'm a therapist. What do our parents do you ask - well my mom's a therapist and my dad is a principal!

5. Doing laundry has dramatically improved thanks to this little gadget - I have contemplated at one point buying one for everyone I know for Christmas...oh if only you were so lucky!

6. Alex gives me a piggyback ride or fireman carries me to bed every night! We usually end laughing hysterically and it is one strategy to keep us young! : )

I tag:
1.) Lisa
2.) Alex
3.) Angie
4.) Lauren
5.) Sabrina
6.) Amy (anything to get more posts!)

Ah, Friday!

It's been a pretty good week (with one particularly challenging client encounter last night...but we won't get into that!) The girls and I just got back from a beautiful walk in 60 degree weather. We even stopped at our neighborhood playground on the way home for some swinging. I can't wait until they can take full advantage of the slide & other climb on equipment.

So...I was going to pay someone to make a new header for me...because although I was a graphic designer - I'm a first class wimp when it comes to html code. Thankfully Blogger made it easier than I realized! I sort of cheated (so don't think I'm too clever) and didn't design the header myself - I reworked some free wallpaper to work as a header. I wanted to see if it would work before I put too much time into designing something 100% original! I didn't realize there is a whole world of digital scrapbooking out there - and all of those pretty pieces come together to make great headers for very little $$$. Perhaps designing blog headers will become my seventh part-time job! : )

Addie's new accomplishment this week has been perfecting the art of the tantrum. Seriously - this is not just your regular burst into tears protest anymore. This is the look at your parent, throw yourself on the ground, kick, scream, and if this does not produce the desired affect, repeat as necessary! Alex and I just stared at Addie in amazement as she began throwing herself on the floor, screaming, looking at us, back to the floor, more screaming - it was pretty funny...actually it still kind of is... : ). I know - it won't be fun in the aisle in Target, or at the check-out at the grocery store...The most amazing part is she hasn't seen any other children do this...so does that mean tantrums are part of our natural tendencies?

Often I watch my girls when they get frustrated, mad, even scared, and I can identify with what it feels like to be shaking in frustration/anger...ah but now I'm old enough to know how to control it...so I guess no tantrums allowed (unless alone in the closet with the door shut!) from this 28 year old adult!

Big Busy Girls

We've been experimenting with new ways to keep busy since the more mobile the girls get - the busier they want to be! They discovered these scarves my mom knitted me in the hall dresser. We used up a good half hour playing with them!


The girls have discovered softness! When they encounter anything soft/cushy they will automatically lay their faces down on it and laugh - they especially love to do this in tandem. They'll lay down together, look at each other, laugh, get up, and then flop themselves down again and repeat the whole process! They especially love the huge stuffed animals that their godparents, Dan and Mary, gave them! Here they are cuddling with their snowsuits!


We've been working on some new skills since we are approaching the one year mark (can't believe it!). Here are pictures of the girls' reactions the first time Alex brushed their teeth! He reports now that they love it...could it be because their "toothpaste" is banana strawberry flavored?!


The girls now beg for bites from whatever we are eating. It is hilarious because they will refuse to eat a food if it is served specifically to them, but if I take them out of their high chairs and start eating it myself...all of a sudden I have a little beggar or two tugging on my leg. This picture shows the typical scenario - two babies and a dog (or sometimes two) begging!


We are slowly mastering the art of the sippy cup. They won't take formula from this type of cup yet, but yesterday they did take some diluted apple juice. Although I don't plan to incorporate juice as a regular part of their diets - I do think I'm going to continue to use it to get them to learn their sippy cups!

I did try adding a bit of whole milk to their formula on Monday...yowzer...that did not go well! Addie must have some allergic reaction or lactose intolerance because it was coming out both ends...enough said. I'll have to ask the pediatrician at their one year visit what to do about switching off formula and onto what!? Any tips? : )

Photo Diary

This morning I work up and did this. Okay...my body won't quite cooperate and achieve this in the early a.m., but I did do all other kinds of weird contortions! Alex LOVES yoga and has been begging me to join him in his early morning workout...and my excuses finally ran out. It doesn't seem right that my husband is more graceful and rhythmic than me, but he promises I will get better. I know if I want to have a good laugh, all I have to do is get out an aerobics tape and watch him try to keep up : ) guess it is all about practice!

Yesterday I read the March issue of National Geographic - it is fascinating...if you love animals and wonder just how much they can think/reason, etc. You can read the "Inside Animals Minds" article online by clicking here. One part of the story talks about parrot who when asked what the similarity between to different green objects was - verbally responded, "Color!" I also love the part about a dog who is shown a new toy for the first time in a photograph. Then he's asked to go find it. He leaves the room, sorts through a bunch of new toys on the floor and brings back the one from the picture! There are many other cool stories with dolphins, birds, etc.

Tonight I'm going on a hot date to this restaurant, Bruno's, with some good friends. A fellow cheapskate friend showed me this website, where you can buy gift certificates for local restaurants at a discount. We purchased a $25 gift certificate for $10 (minimum purchase of $50). So we are going to have a $50 meal for $35! Check out the restaurants who participate in your area.

Before dinner, we are going to Remington's to walk through the free exhibit on AIDS in Africa. To reserve your tickets (or to find out if it is coming to your city) click here.

Who is That?!

Yowzer! I vowed I won't cut my hair until I saw the 150's on the scale (so what if it was 159.8)! : ) I had my hair dresser save my hair in a ponytail so I could sent it in for Locks of Love. It measures 11 inches! I'd show you a picture, but Alex and I both think it looks too creepy...like something from a witch doctor (amazing how quickly hair becomes yucky once it is no longer attached to your body)!

Anyways - I digress! So the hair is gone and it is crazy how much it changes the way my face looks. I'm sure I'll be globbing way too much shampoo & conditioner on for days to come. I've also realized that my neck is suddenly cold and will be wearing a scarf until the warm spring weather returns!

Debt Finale

We cannot believe it has only taken us two months to pay off $10,000 in credit card debt. Don't think we're the Rockafellers with all kinds of expendable cash - we just cut expenses and put all available extra cash straight towards the credit card before we had a chance to fritter it away one latte at a time! We both also feel very blessed that no major health, car, home, etc. expenses cropped up during this time...we've prayed for months to be wise stewards of our finances...now we are finally living that rather than just hoping for it!

He Has Returned!

Alex returned from a week long trip to Germany last night. We are so excited to have him home! We tried to distract ourselves with several outings to see friends and family during the week, but it was just no fun without him here. The girls must have known that Dad needed his sleep, because they didn't make a peep all night. (While he was gone, they woke 2-3 times a night!)

An added bonus is the weather he returned to! Today the high is 77 degrees! We have been very productive. First we cleaned up our garage - it is amazing how cleaning up a cluttered area gives you mental clarity as well! Then we went for a long walk with the girls down to Springfield lake. The girls had a swing at the playground - we can't wait until they can climb on the playground equipment! Then during the girls' afternoon nap - we cleaned up the remainder of our ice storm debris (or should I say - moved it to the curb).

In the top picture the girls are exploring the open windows in the kitchen. Below, they are masterminding a plan to escape the highchairs next time they are buckled in! And they look so innocent...