Whadaya Got Back There

Wondering what Addie has behind her back? So did we - until we realized that she had just figured out that she could touch her hands together behind her back! She wondered around like that for quite awhile!


This is also another new trick of Addie's. We say, "Addie, where is your belly?" and then she pulls up her shirt and points with a big grin - so cute! And as you can see we forgot to teach her to pull her shirt back down!


We are spending hours on our front porch - it is situated perfectly to avoid sun almost all of the day which makes a nice cool hangout for play.


Cuddles and deep conversations with dad.


And then there is Jasmine. I'd show you pictures of her new tricks...but she doesn't have any. She is SO laid back that when we try to teach her the stuff we do with Addie, it almost like she says...yeah...no thanks....I'm not doing that....I've got my own thing going on over here and I'm not pulling up my shirt just so you can have a good laugh! She very sweet, as always, regardless if she chooses not to indulge us...although her yoga move persists!


Ah - here is me playing the princess & the pea in our dining room! We had our carpets cleaned on Friday so we moved everything off the carpet and into the pergo & tiled sections of the house. We ended up sleeping in the living room for two nights in a row - it was actually kinda fun!

Avent Bottles Recalled Kinda

Here's a post from my friend Angie's blog with a great tip if you bought those Avent bottle like she and I both did! I took mine back to Toys R' Us yesterday and got nearly $100 store credit for my 30+ bottles. The bottles are not "recalled" but they called it "parent's choice" - basically if you are uncomfortable with possible BPA in Avent's bottles you can get your money back. They don't even ask you if your bottles are from T 'R Us - most of mine were gifts so I didn't know.

Click here for the link to my post when I first heard about BPA.

"After a post made by one of my friends about this "mysterious" chemical, one might say I have become a bit obsessive about the swirling BPA information. I have read http://safemama.com/ & other websites, watched news stories on youtube and made my own conclusions that I would rather not risk whatever side affects BPA Avent might have and simply switch the types of bottles that I use for Reese. I also pretty much wanted to puke that I had 4 unopened boxes of Bottles, along with the 5 bottles I was already using.

I was resourceful enough to pull up my registry at Babies R Us and return the 2 boxes that were "purchased" on my registry to their store. But I sadly took all of the other bottles out of the cupboard and just put them in a bag in the pantry (why I don't know I just couldn't bring myself to throwing those away). I made the switch to Playtex Drop-ins and begged my big sis to send me her "supply" of bottles so I wouldn't have to buy another $20 worth of bottles.

Today my pack-rat tendencies have paid off! Browsing websites that I visit on a nearly daily basis I checked out http://babycheapskate.blogspot.com/ and saw the post about "rumors that Babies R Us is taking back opened & unopened BPA bottles" I nearly jumped out of my seat and read several comments about the fact that some stores are taking them back and some stores aren't. First I called the St. Louis Babies R Us to see if they were indeed taking them back - YES. Then I decided to be brave and call my pathetic excuse for a "babies r us corner" at our Toys R Us here in Springfield. YES YES YES They are taking them back!!"

Fun Weekend

Favorite play spot this weekend, Tinsley's dog kennel! The girls love to crawl into it together and practice opening and shutting the door! Usually ends with some sort of tussle.


My parents took us out for pizza at Arris Pizza. We had a great time. We had a vast assortment of toys all over our table to keep little hands busy!


Ah, and then there is Addie. She crawled off while Jasmine was getting her diaper changed. Alex went looking for her and discovered her in our bathroom. She gave him the biggest smile and offered him a Q-tip. If she could talk, it was almost like she was saying, "Check these things out! They are SO COOL!" Notice all the "fun" she was having behind her! : )

Munchkins

Here's a picture of the girls from one particularly happy morning this week! They were both in excellent moods. Since the weather has been so nice, we've been moving outdoors. We have discovered a new love of our front porch. Although it is small, it is in the shade for a majority of the day. The girls LOVE to crawl/walk around on it, pick up tree debris (leaves, etc.), try and eat said debris, hear mom say "yucky", try to mimic the yucky face, and then we throw it over the edge together. They also love practicing their climbing on the steps - they go up and down, back and forth 40+ times each time we are out there!


After I got the girls up from their nap on Friday, we had a good look out the window. I couldn't convince them that it was time to get down! Their nap was some much needed sleep - because they were cranky!!! I met a friend for lunch at Red Robin (girls in tow) and normally the girls excel in dining out experiences because there is so much to watch. This time, Addie did not excel, she SCREAMED, threw herself on the floor, threw everything else on the floor, etc.

Ah, the art of public humiliation - sometimes it is not so fun to be a parent! Not five minutes before Addie started her antics, an older gentleman came over and said that he and his wife noticed my children and wanted to tell me that they were some of the most beautiful and well-behaved children they had ever seen. I was very glad he said this on his way out - so he didn't have to see "their dark sides"! : )


This is Jasmine's new trick! We did not teach her this, all we can gather is that she sees her dad do yoga most mornings and thought she'd try and pose or two! She also loves to be held upside down, so this is the closest she can get on her own. It is very funny to look over and see her little rump up in the air!


You can thank me for not putting this picture first! Otherwise you'd have to look at it everytime you checked to see if I've posted anything else new. : ) I was asking Alex questions the other night and taking a picture of his facial expression. I'll let you guess which one is, "What do you think of your mother-in-law?"

High Low

From time to time, Alex and I play a game called "High/Low." You think through your day and tell what your "high" favorite part was, and "low" least favorite part. So here are a few highs and lows from this weekend!

Lows:
1.) Digging & burying invisible fence wire for our new dog fence!
2.) The girls waking up before 6 a.m. each morning.
3.) Jasmine waking up under the weather on Saturday - deep cough, runny nose, watery eyes : (
4.) Allowing Addie to carry around one of our favorite ceramic mugs...because of course she dropped it and broke it~!

Highs:
1.) Watching the girls nervously figure out how to push off on the slide and scream with glee...and terror on their new hand-me-down playset!
2.) The beautiful weather. All weekend we were either on the front porch, back deck, around town, or on a walk!
3.) Eating at Red Robin with well-behaved children who have figured out how to flirt.
4.) Walking to a local grocer for donuts & OJ on Saturday morning with hubby, girls, & the dogs!
5.) Dinner with my parents on Saturday night (we were bummed because we had to cancel our original plans with friends due to Jasmine's sickness...they have a new baby).

A State of Undress

Wondering what Addie thinks is so funny - it could be the fact that she ran and hid while I went to get her some clean (non-poopy) clothes or it could be because she and her sister raided Dad's bathroom supplies again. We'll often find our toiletries strewn about the house!

Jasmine is apparently working on a new skill. While I was getting Addie's clothes she managed to remove a slipper and work one of her arms out of her shirt! She was incredibly proud of her new look and didn't want me to put the arm back in. I guess I should just be grateful that they haven't figured out how to remove their diapers yet!

Best Friend Belle

Jasmine has LOVED the dogs from very early on. She'd stare at them before she was mobile - and relishes any attention from them. This has been taken to a whole new level now that she is a bit older and more mobile! I heard hysteric laughing from around the couch and this is what I discovered. Jasmine was grabbing at Belle through the slot in the furniture. Belle (who also LOVES to play) egged Jasmine on by gently nibbling on her fingers.


Addie stopped by to see what she was missing out on and decided her sister has come up with a rather amusing game. By this point, both girls are giggling and poking.


Belle is such a sweet dog - she didn't care what was being poke/prodded as long the girls kept playing with her! Tinsley, on the otherhand, sat across the room looking grumpy! : )


Gosh, my girls are getting big!!! Here they are emptying the contents from my kitchen cabinets. They think they are so clever when they find two things to bang together that make a loud noise. Perhaps they think they are clever because I light up and clap for them any time they do something new. My current favorite is encouraging them to dance - nothing brings a smile to my face more than to watch them hear some music and start shaking their little bodies!

The Battle of the Sippy Cup

Ever since I realized our baby bottles are potentially hazardous I've been working on getting the girls to take a sippy cup. Previous to this, I'd give them one to play with "practice with" but never expected them to drink out of it. Now I want them to DRINK so I can throw away the toxic bottles! Yeah - did I mention they aren't so interested!

What didn't work:

1.) Cold turkey - they didn't drink an ounce until we finally gave up at the end of the day and gave them milk in a bottle (they each then took 20+ ounces)!

2.) Sippy cups with something other than milk at snack time - worked somewhat but apparently anything but milk and water gives the girls diarrhea - YUCK!

3.) Drinking out of the sippy cup myself, exclaiming, "Oh, so yummy...bet you wish you could have some...???" Got lots of laughs, but not much drinking.

What is working:
1.) Now I put milk in the sippy cups, and "accidentally" leave them within reach (on a bench, low table, etc.) but I don't hand them to the girls. They think they are getting away with something by grabbing them off the table. What I'm not so excited about is the dripping of milk everywhere in my house. I tried the, "you will only drink this in your highchair approach" for weeks - and all I got was full sippy cups thrown from high up in revolt! Perhaps once they have given up the bottles for good, I can try the drinking in highchairs only approach.

Note the look on Addie's face in the last picture - she thinks she has been SO SNEAKY for having the sippy cup...especially since she has her sister's cup as well!

Mother's Day Weekend

So here's my little helper in action! She loves handing me the silverware SO MUCH that I find myself feeling guilty if I unload the dishwasher while she's eating or napping and unable to assist!


The girls have just discovered the great outdoors. Since the weather has been much nicer lately (omitting the deluges of rain and occasional tornadoes), we've been spending lots of time outside. We alternate between the front porch and the back deck. The girls now go to the doors and whine to be let outside! And yes, it has happened...a child (Addie) has finally figured out how to escape out the doggie door this morning....darn it!


Here's Super Dad hard at work on Saturday morning! Alex is so amazing about giving me a break whenever he is home - he takes over meals, entertainment, the really nasty diapers, and even lets me sleep in a bit. This past Saturday, I spent the morning with my mom shopping at the farmer's market, flea markets, and having lunch together. Super Dad mowed the lawn while watching the girls and dodging the rain!


Here we all are celebrating Mother's Day together with a BBQ in the evening. It is so nice to have my parents so close by - we love seeing them - and the girls love it too! Although, their reactions to grandma and grandpa are quite different these days. Addison automatically freaks out when someone comes over (she automatically assumes - usually correctly) that we are leaving and this person is her babysitter. Jasmine, on the other hand, pulls out her best tricks and begins showing off. She has figured out that grandpa is all kinds of fun and really enjoys her time with him. We definitely did miss celebrating with the newest mom in our family, my sister-in-law Sarah!

And lastly, my Mother's Day present - a funky chair from a flea market! I LOVE button backed furniture! I know that this chair won't be beloved by all, but I love it. Someday when money flows freely around here, I'll have it recovered and paint the wood either white or gold - but for now I'm just going to replace the foam in the cushion.

Oh, and one last thought - for all of you bloggers out there - if you want a way to make your blog into a book check out www.blurb.com This website provides you with free software that will automatically download all the text and pictures from your blog and even put them into layouts. All you have to do is go through and adjust your layouts to your liking and pay to have it printed. I've nearly finished my 2006-2007 Green Blog Book and it looks like it will be about $30 to have my 100 page book printed! I think I'm going to do this every year instead of a scrapbook - it will be our family's yearbook! The only downside to blurb is the software is a bit slow (at least on my computer) - can feel like the speed of dial up at times!

Mommy's Little Helpers

Here's a shot of one of the girls new favorite activities - raiding the fridge. As soon as I open the door, it is a mad dash by both of them to get to the fridge before I close it! If they are too late, they both sit by the fridge and throw a tantrum. I've discovered that tantrums are better than little hands grabbing whatnot out of the fridge and throwing it on the floor!

Addie was awake first from the afternoon nap (of course!) and caught me in the middle of sweeping. She usually chases the broom around and tries to grab the dog hair out of my dust pile...yuck I know! So, I gave her the mini broom from the dustpan and she had a BALL! It was funny how quickly she started to mimic me - she was sweeping - she was "using" the dustpan - and mostly she wanted to sit in the middle of my pile of dirt and push it around with her broom...maybe not helpful...but at least distracting!

Other things my little helpers can do:

1.) Unfold newly folded laundry
2.) Unravel the toilet paper roll
3.) Remove vent covers and throw them down vent hole
4.) Wash any and all objects in dogs' water bowl
5.) Pick small items (dog hair, leaves, etc.) off of floor and hand them to mom
6.) Empty silverware out of dishwasher (doesn't matter if it is clean or dirty) perhaps that's why they suck on each piece first...in case it is dirty? : )
7.) Pull wipes out of wipes container
8.) Rearrange furniture (usually in an attempt to make steps to climb)
9.) Clean out my purse (usually when I'm not looking!)
10.) Give great big kisses! : )

We Can Feed Ourselves!!!

The girls have become very insistent at feeding themselves and fairly picky about what they'll allow into their mouths full stop! Here's a good visual for those of you who haven't been around little ones eating recently.


Notice Addie's special hairdo - the stiff wings to the side - she uses food goo to achieve this special look!


More than feeding themselves, the girls love to feed the dogs - especially food they don't want. Usually the dogs are sequestered to the outdoors during mealtimes and only welcomed after meals are over for clean-up!