Audrey and Ava

Audrey wanted to read to Ava today.

Sarah

Spring break art

I saw an idea on Pinterest and just had to try it with my little flowers, Audrey and Allie.

Sarah

when mom is occupied updating the blog....

the girls get into the feminine hygiene products, unwrap all of them and stick them various places around the house and themselves. This time, Allie's sweater. I'm glad I caught it before we went to the store. 

Sarah

Doughnuts!

 On a breakfast run to the grocery store this morning daddy brought home doughnuts for the girls along with the bacon and orange juice, that were actually on his list. Since they weren't gluten free they ate them outside on their picnic table.

Sarah

Glitter Tattoos

Today, our patio served as the glitter tattoo shop. Our neighbors daughter, Sophie, gave Audrey, Allie and Audrey's next door neighbor/bestie, Julia, homemade glitter tattoos.

Allie seriously can't be outside without getting dirty.

Sarah

Audrey and her messy room

me: "How do you move in this room, its so messy?"

Audrey: "I like to zig-zag around my toys."

me: "Well, I don't."

Audrey: "Then don't come in here."

She's four and has already banned me from her room.



Sarah

Little blurbs about Allie

Allie is my handful.

She loves to explore her world. Today at the Gap she explored every last pair of the colorful kid sunglasses within reach, putting them on, taking them off, putting on another pair, almost always upside down.

The other day, she had quite the morning.
 
Allie greeted me on the stairs this morning with chocolate ALL over her face. It became apparent she licked all the organic chocolate from her granola bar and left the oats behind.  Later, she got too anxious about her shaped macaroni and cheese for lunch and it ended up all over the kitchen floor. 

It's time to get everyone in the car for preschool, and instead of getting in her seat like I asked, she takes the 30 seconds it takes me to get Ava in her car seat to run her hands all alongside the dirty van, making them black. I just gave her "the look" and she says, "sorry mommy" and heads to the bathroom to wash them.

The above was all today, just before 9 am.

And then...

Ava, Allie and I ventured to Target. Allie had to walk due to me putting Ava's car seat in the back of the cart. We only needed two things. Just two. Upon entering Target I did have to laugh to myself as out of the corner of my eye I see Allie waving at everyone we passed. Just like a princess in a parade.

When I ran into a fellow preschool mom and stopped to chat, Allie proceeds to push the cart (I'm now holding Ava) toward a full rack of wine bottles. I caught it just in time but a few minutes later, I looked down to see her holding a bottle of wine and saying, "for Daddy." I grabbed it before it could shatter all over. I think I'm the one who's gonna need the bottle of wine!

And then, to round out our morning, when I asked her to go wash up for lunch, she did. But she left the water running like she normally does. But this time she'd plugged up the drain without my knowing and I happen to catch it as the water was level with the sink. 5 seconds later and there would have been water ALL over the floor.  Oh, Allie.

She keeps me on my toes, and it's a good thing she loves to take a bath. Yesterday we went out to look at what was sprouting in our garden--and where Audrey would never dare put her hands in the dirt voluntarily, Allie wasted no time sticking her hands in the fresh black dirt, spreading it around, picking up handfuls and then throwing it back down. (sigh) 


Sarah

Allie and the disappointing ziplock bags

My favorite Allie story of the day:

When I ran into a fellow preschool mom and stopped to chat in Target today, Allie found the ziplock bags and decided we needed more. She was right, we did, so I let her pick some out and put them in the cart. Imagine her disappointment later when she realized that her box of ziplock bags  didn't actually contain cookies like the box pictured. I had to open the box to prove to her that  it just contained empty bags. She was to say the least, disappointed. And I believe, a bit miffed.


Sarah

AVA, 6 weeks

She follows you with her eyes. She's been doing this since week 3, but you can really notice it now. The other day I was taking her picture and she'd follow me where ever I'd go around the room.

size 2 diapers

she's got to be over 10 pounds. her infant carrier makes my back hurt.

she smiles now.

she loves the swing.

she loves her car seat only when she's moving. red lights are brutal.

she is smothered by her sister Allie. Allie loves to hug her and put her head on her belly when she's in the bouncy seat or her car seat. I have to remind Allie every hour that Ava is little and we have to be careful.

Allie is very protective of Ava. If we go somewhere and people are looking at her, Allie will shut her canopy and say, "my baby Ava."




Sarah

Visit with Grandmother and Grandpa

Mom and Dad came up today to see the girls and the girls showed off their new scooters. On Saturday, after the parade, we took the girls shopping to get scooters--something Audrey had wanted for two years. We of course couldn't get Audrey one without getting Allie one, so home with two Barbie scooters we came. Allie's has more bells and whistles as it's for younger riders and she is quite proud of the music and lights. She's having a little trouble figuring out how to scoot, glide and push buttons all at the same time. It's hilarious to watch. She'll get it though, I have no doubt. At least for today though, she preferred to just ride and let Grandpa scoot her along the sidewalk!

Audrey took to hers with no problem. Since she's been riding her friends' scooters for two summers.

Allie preferred to ride her scooter this way.

Sarah

One smart cookie

Our neighbors have a huge trampoline in their back yard. Allie likes to jump (when supervised) but can't get up on it on her own. Until today...

The older girls were up jumping and she wanted up there too, but we had told her no. So, she pushed her pink car over to the trampoline, climbed up it got on the trampoline that way. It was pretty ingenious I thought, even though she got in trouble for it. She's one (sly), smart cookie.

She has tried this several times. I finally got a picture. Note the green foggy boots with the party dress! the third picture is a different day, note that ornery smile on her face as she's thrilled she got up without anyone taking her down mid process, but she knows she's in trouble, as she sees Daddy coming to get her!

Sarah

land owners

Late last year we, together with Jeremy's family, bought 80 acres of farm ground close to his family's farm. His Dad and Uncle will farm it, along with the 610 acres they already own. Today they were tilling up the ground in preparation for planting. It's really important to us (Jeremy) that the girls know and appreciate their heritage, their livelihood and the farming process in general. Jeremy walked the land, drove the tractor and explored our purchase today.

Allie is his little farmer. She loves to ride in the tractor, loves to get dirty and play in the dirt. Audrey and I like to appreciate the farm from further away.

Allie rode in the tractor with Daddy and Grandpa and we all hiked down to see the beaver damn. Audrey again refused the tractor. She was content to ride her new scooter up and down the country roads. (with Grandma's supervision).

Ava and I hung out in the van most of the time, although I was able to capture our trip with a few pictures. When we all hiked down amidst tall scratchy grass and sticks to see the beaver damn I felt like I was in that book, "Going on a Bear Hunt" where the characters travel through grass and mud and a river on their adventure.

can't you just see the pride in Jeremy's eyes that his daughter is playing in the field??

so content to just ride her scooter

part of our land

the girls with Grandma. Walking to see the beaver damn

Allie fell asleep during her tractor ride. 

Sarah

st. patty's day

We traveled Uptown to see the St. Patrick's Day Parade today. It was a typical parade, but this one was raising money for Easter Seals. The girls enjoyed putting money in the coin cans as the children and volunteers walked by. Fire engines, a band, a mascot or two and bag pipes all made up this parade. I took the girls up a little from where we were standing so they could see better and Jeremy said to me, "I don't know if you have what it takes when it comes to getting candy."  I rolled my eyes. But he was right. I won't fight for it, I won't dive for it and half of it I throw out when we get home. So, I let him stand in the front lines during the parade and I hung back with Ava.

We ate lunch at a  local cafe afterward. That was our first eating out experience as a family of five. It went well, despite the bus of a double stroller we had that blocked nearly the entire aisle.

I dressed all three girls in green, although never did get a picture of all three. Ava spent most of the time in the stroller.

Sarah