Perfect Weekend....

Our perfect weekend was last weekend...the weekend of the air & water show in Chicago. Perfect weather, perfect children, perfect family gathering, perfect everything! We were so lucky to have Kermit's brother and kids from Massachusetts stay a night and a day with us as they were passing through on their way west to BYU. We decided to be brave and hit the crowds of Lincoln Park on the weekend of the air and water show. We got lucky and got awesome parking! We did the zoo and got a free air show straight above! The girls had so much fun running from one animal stop to the next! They got to ride in the kiddy train and loved it. When it started to rain we headed to the Lincoln Park conservatory. I LOVE this place year round! So peaceful and beautiful! Someday I want one! =) We topped the perfect day off with our favorite Thai food takeout Noodles in the Pot! Perfectly delicious!

Air show above.

"Pola Bear"

Monkeys watching Monkeys.

Annaliese and Kermit

On the train.

Adeline and cousin Emma.

Avrie and cousin Elliot.

Brothers - Kermit and Kimmel.

Emma, Avrie, Adeline & Annaliese at the conservatory.

How much is that doggy....

Last Saturday we came across a family selling their little shihtzu puppies in Lincoln Park! So cute! Annaliese was just in heaven holding the little puppies and patting them. My heart melted watching her and I just had to snap some pictures. She LOVES dogs. Some of her cousins have dogs that she loves to play with when we visit and talks about often (Kiko, Weezer in CA and Sniffs in MA). She's also been telling me for some time now, "Next week I'm going to get a real dog." Next week... huh...these dogs in the park nearly had me sold I'll admit but it won't be for a few years yet. So so sorry dear. I truly am.

Lately with Annaliese.....

New Tricks from Annaliese
2007/08/16 - "I love peeling crayons."
2007/08/10 - Likes to pretend she's got a stethoscope and listens to your "heart bleeding". Kind of true! Also I love that she says "you welcome" and "stunk" for skunk and "betend" for pretend. Cute, cute, cute!
2007/08/10 - Her preschool teacher came by the house to meet her this week! I think she will love preschool and her new teacher!
2007/07/29 - The last few months Annaliese has been obsessed with getting married...specifically when daddy and mommy got married. She likes to look at our rings and look at pictures. She says, "remember I threw down the little bits when you got married?" I think she thinks she was a flower girl. Maybe she was.
2007/07/22 -Is quite the artist! Grandma taught her how to hold a pencil like the big girls do. She likes to be like the big girls.
2007/07/22 - Starting to show a little more independence....digging in her heals and testing her limits. Funny. She was screaming just to scream in the car and after asking her several times nicely to stop she kept on doing it. I asked her if we needed to have a time out. She said, "we can't have a time out in the car" . Good point, but it worked- she stopped screaming.
2007/07/22 - Had such a great time with all of her cousins (both sides). LOVED playing with them. Three days after the Texas Links left she asked..."Where are my cousins?"
2007/07/22 - Everyday lately I hear her say, "Okay mom, you pretend to be the dad, and I'll pretend to be the mom...this is Addie and this is Avrie (dolls)." We pretend. Very sweet.
2007/07/22 - "Don't worry daddy, I'll get you back to planet earth."
2007/06/26 - Told me today that Earth is the best planet in the solar system. Neptune is great too.
2007/06/26 - At her 3 year checkup (a little late) she weighed 34 lbs (50-75%) and was 40 inches (95%)! WOW!
2007/06/21 - Tonight she was pretending to be a blue muffle butterfly. Huh...anybody know what kind of butterfly that is. I know it's a cute one- probably blue.
2007/06/19 - Loves markers! Loves coloring all over her body....uh oh...(whew, washable markers really wash!) She was entertained for a couple hours mixing colors on the paper to make black. What an amazing discovery! Also learning to use scissors....not an easy task.
2007/06/18 - Starting to "get" humor. Will say something silly and laugh at herself!
2007/06/18 - Loves animals! We have a bunny in the backyard that she likes to leave carrots for! Always alerts us if one of the babies is getting too close to the bunny! Thanks sweetie!

Annaliese LOVES her doodle pad! Some recent works of art:

A dog.

A bat (or two).

Lately with Adeline...

New Tricks by Adeline
2007/08/10 - Yippee! The past three days she has been calling me Mommy! Kermit continues to be Daddy- this is good!
2007/07/29 - Love her little personality coming through even more! She is turning into a 2 year old right in front of my eyes. Is still very sweet but has been working on her two year old "NO!" She should have it down perfectly in no time- probably before she's two!
2007/07/29 - I'm so proud of Addie! She did perfectly at her developmental evaluation. She is right where she ought to be for her adjusted age! Yeah Addie! 24 lbs. 33.75 inches!
2007/07/29 - I think we've figured out why she's callling me dada instead of mama. (She calls kermit daddy). She loves the letter D and is substituting it for other sounds. If you listen to her talk you can here her use D a lot. Very interesting. I think the speech therapist at her developmental evaluation is on to something. Wierd though because she used to call us both Mama. I loved the way she would say it too.
2007/07/22 - This girl loves shoes! Will try on every pair in the house and walk around for awhile. Grabs a purse and says "bye bye". Cracks me up!
2007/07/22 - This girl is a funny little thief! Watch out for her- she likes to be persued - I think that's why she likes to swipe things - so she can be chased!
2007/07/22 - Her words are coming along. She says "alleiese" for Annaliese. "flyfly" for butterfly. Animal sounds for animals. "shoes, ball, beebies (blueberries- her favorite), hotgog" ...all the important words. =) (I think I counted over 25 the other day 7/29)
2007/07/22 - "Dada, dada" - now both Kermit and I are dada. Funny!
2007/06/19 - Such a good cuddler! Will lay her head on your shoulder and pat your back. She might even say "huuug..." Too sweet!
2007/06/18 - Very adventurous eater. She'll try anything and loves fruit and vegetable! Avrie on the other hand...loves meat and bread only. Funny girls and so different from each other!
2007/06/18 - Took a tumble down the back porch stairs last week. Ouch! Bruises and scrapes all over. She is much more careful to turn around and go down backwards crawling.
2007/06/18 - Sweet as ever! Her words increasing as well. Still uses a lot of jabbering but occasionally I'll hear what sounds like possibly a sentence. She loves kisses! "Ummah" she says!
2007/06/18 - Really loves to color! I'll save a picture she "drew", nearly entire page is full of marks of all colors! An artist in the making!
2007//08/10 - Hurray! The last three days she has called me Mommy! Kermit is still daddy- that's good!

Lately with Avrie

New Tricks for Avrie
2007/08/10 - All I can figure is that this girl must love the sound of her own screeching because she does it all the time for no reason that I can tell. Attention? Sounds like a terodactyl screech. It's especially great when the other two join in the screeching. HELP ME!!!
2007/07/29 - She is so dang cute! Lately when she falls, rather than immediately bursting into tears, she will pause a moment and look at me to find out how she should react...her face is priceless! She has a sad but determined expression as she pants heavily mustering up the courage to fight back tears and move on! Priceless! She's up and at 'em in no time!
2007/07/29 - This girl loves a challenge...she loves to carry and move things that look impossible for someone her size! She cracks me up as she moves a giant stuffed animal, stools, a big plastic rocking horse twice her size...she likes to pick them up and move them accross the room! Quite the sight...like an ant carrying off lunch!
2007/07/29 - At 23 lbs. and 32.75 inches, Little Miss Smartie Pants did great at her developmental evaluation last week. She blew them away with her vocabulary and problem solving skills. Go Avrie! She gets it from me I'm sure.
2007/07/29 - Has had an entire week of great days in a row! WOW! She's very calm and happy, sweet! We'll keep her! Sleeping through the night too! What a gal!
2007/07/22 - I'm learning that Avrie doesn't do well in confinement (what 20 month old does?). Needs space to wiggle even if just to pace - even a small space. Sitting still on a lap for more than a few stories- too much energy!
2007/07/22 - Was the first to be sick when our family took turns with a nasty bug. We were down and out for 3 WEEKS! Avrie hung in there- had it the longest of anyone!
2007/07/22 - Getting a wee bit easier each month. She is either in a great mood and so happy or just the opposite and miserable and lets everybody know it. Tummy problems contribute? Definately a sleep connection! But she is quite the charmer!
2007/07/22 - Wow- More and more words. She can say almost anything it seems! Amazing. At the zoo, she goes nuts naming all the animals. She nearly jumps out of her skin in excitement!
2007/06/19 - Loves to cuddle mom! Loves moms undivided attention on her lap. When it's Avrie's turn on mom's lap just move over or be moved over.
2007/06/18 - Got 4 more teeth...her smile is no longer missing her 4 k-9 fangs. She has great teeth and a beautiful smile!
2007/06/18 - Can say Annaliese and Adeline! So cute..."Anniese and Alline"
2007/06/18 - I can't believe her vocabulary! It is taking off! WOW! She can say about anything! Starting to say complete sentences too! Unbelievable!

To bee or not to bee?

So, I've been thinking...lately at about 2am....about what to do for halloween costumes this year. I have a cute idea...the little girls dressed like bumble bees, me the queen be =) and kermit the bee keeper! Fun huh!
The thing that keeps me from going hog wild with this idea is....gotta go...girls crying.