Rocks

This morning... at about early o'clock... Zoe woke up very upset. We are sharing a room while we're on vacation... so she just climbed up next to me to tell me a dream woke her up. I asked her if she could tell me what it was about. She told me...


"Daddy gave me a box. Inside the box was a picture of him shoveling rocks."

Um... OK.  I  asked if she was alright and could she go back to sleep. She said yes and climbed back into her bed and went right back to sleep.

Shoveling rocks.  Hmm.
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Our Thoughts on Tommee Tippee

I was sent some new Tommee Tippee bottles and sippy cups to review. 

Come visit Our Thoughts on Things!

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Remember my Christmas posts?

You don't?  Oh.  Maybe that's because I still never posted them.

Ahem.

Well... here is a peek at Christmas Eve.

Here is what we looked like when I tried to figure out how the timer on my camera works and we used a cardboard box to get the camera in place.  That's when Nick realized that maybe I could use a tripod.  Too bad Santa didn't realize ahead of time.  haha.

 

Here is what we look like when Zoe takes our picture.  This makes me laugh every single time I look at it.  I have no idea why.

  

Here is the very best photo I was able to get of all of the cousins together.

 

Ok... well maybe that wasn't the best one.  I think maybe this one was.  (Someone tell me how in the world you get a good shot of 5 children???  A good shot without using PhotoShop???)

 

Ana's face here TOTALLY cracks me up.  It's like you can see her thinking "I can't believe I'm related to these people."

  

And here?  Here I swear I can hear her thinking "It's sweet and all that you love me and give me these great smooches... but you are SO not getting a bite of my cookie.  No way sister."

  

I have to put a decent shot of Ana's dress.  She just looked so cute in her little velvety dress (cookie in hand).

  

Christmas Eve is not complete until we eat birthday cake for Alex.  (He's a Christmas Eve baby!)

  

Ana couldn't control herself when she saw the crayons.  There is no stopping her from coloring.  

  

And of course... there was a little bit of present opening.

  

Shortly after we headed home and got off to bed as quickly as we could.  We definitely didn't want Santa to skip over our house just because we were out a little late.  Thankfully we must have made it on time... because shortly after we were all asleep I woke up and made a quick trip to the bathroom.  I was amazed to see the lights coming up the stairs and had to take a peek.

That Santa... he sure is just full of magic!

 

I had a very hard time getting back to sleep knowing what a fun time we were going to have Christmas morning!

So... it only took me a month and a 1/2 to get Christmas Eve posted.  Anyone wanna take bets on when you'll get to see Christmas day?

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My Mommy took me to be tortured (2 days in a row!!!)

Otherwise know as... Ana had her 1st hair cut (12/30/09) the day after she had her ears pierced (12/29).

Look Mommy.  This hair stuff is poking me in my eyes. 

Wait.  I change my mind.  The hair isn't bothering me that much.  I don't need to see.

What do you mean the back is straggly looking?  It doesn't look straggly to me!

 

Oh, the heartbreak, the sorrow, the tears.

  

Please Mommy, please!  Don't you love me?

  

I see how you are Mommy.  You are in cahoots with the mean scissor lady.

  

Seriously.  I've had enough.  This is getting ridiculous.

  

 You just wait.  You'll be sorry.

  

You don't think this lollipop will get you forgiveness do you?  Do you think I'll forget that quickly?

Um... well.... I suppose I do look cute.  And the 2nd lollipop will taste even better than the 1st one.

 

And, OK, now I guess I can agree that the back was just a wee bit straggly.

  

You do know people are going to really think I'm a boy now right?  They already tell you what a cute little boy I am.  Right?   And now look at this short short hair.  Sure it looks neater and it'll grow in so nicely... and I'm just so cute.  But... um... BOY.

 

I suppose it's a good thing you tortured me the day before my haircut by letting those ladies pierce my ears.

It's a good thing I love you Mommy.  A good thing I love you and that you've got a supply of lollipops. 

Coloring is our favorite and our best...

Zoe and Ana are slightly obsessed with coloring.

 

I can honestly say that at some point every single day both of them color. 

  

Zoe is easy... because she can color by herself.  She can get out her crayons or markers or pencils by herself.  She can pick out paper or a coloring book by herself.  I don't have to worry about what she's doing.  I've really never had to worry about what she was doing.  She used a pencil on the wall ONE time... never again.  She is big on rules.  She reminds everyone "CRAYONS ARE FOR PAPER!"  We were lucky with her.  But... she has trained us to be lazy with the putting away of our art materials.

  

Ana?  Ana is a different story.  I spend the day with slight anxiety constantly in the back of my mind.  She is drawn to writing instruments like a magnet.  If there is a crayon (or a marker or a pen or a pencil or a piece of chalk....) anywhere in her vicinity she will find it.  She will then make art of whatever is closest.  Luckily there hasn't been too much damage done.  (Nothing a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser hasn't fixed.)  We, as adults, are being forced to be retrained though.  (We are slow and lazy and procrastinating learners though.  It seems we must learn by experience now.)  We can't leave ANYTHING ANYWHERE.  Ana can reach the desk, the dining room table, the kitchen counter.  She can open drawers.  She can open markers.  She can click pens.  She is an unwanted mural on my dining room wall just waiting to happen.

  

But oh how they love to color and draw and scribble.  They are both passionate artists.

My girls.  They are night and day.  They have so very many of the same loves... but they approach everything is a very different way.

God help me when they're both in high school.

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Our Thoughts On Jumpstart.com

Finally... a new review up at Our Thoughts on Things!

Come see what we think about Jumpstart.com's 3D Virtual World.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hugs and smooches!  We love you all!

Me and my pals

 

 

Mommy's iPhone

I'm still trying to determine who gets more out of the iPhone.

 

Me or Zoe???

 

And as far as that phone is concerned... Ana may very well like it more than I do.  If she gets a hold of it she can turn it on buy herself, use the touch screen slide lock and open it, and find the Spongebob app.  (Yes... I have the Spongebob app... go ahead... make fun now.)

Bubble Girl

Oh Zoe... I hope bubble baths always bring you so much joy.

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Wordless Wednesday - What is up with that hair?

 

For more photos visit Wordless Wednesday and 5 Minutes for Mom.

Old Snow

It's February... and everyone has had plenty of February snow... but I'm posting old December snow.  It looks about the same as February snow, right?

Snow stomping...

 

Shovel path...

Hello snow...

 

I just love this snow!

  

Exploring the back yard alone...

  

Snow!!!!

  

Cheesy grin...

  

Umm... I think I'm done...

  

Yeah... I'm done.  Get me outta this stuff.

  

We get hot chocolate now right?

 

My current favorite...

This is my current favorite shot of the girls together. 

Even with editing it's not technically a great shot... but it's my favorite just the same.  It's rare lately to get a picture where both girls are happy and looking at the camera.  They're just not very agreeable photo models.  At least... not usually simultaneously.

So... I love this shot.  We'll see how long it takes to get another even close to this.

Sometimes I choose calm.

Oh... how sweet.  Ana taking a little break with a pile of stuffed animals.  So cute.

 

Wait.  Um... what are you doing Zoe?  And why is Ana laying on the floor right next to the garbage?  And WHAT ARE YOU DOING???  EW!

  

Oh wait.  You''re both happy.  And calm.  And Mommy can sit and drink her coffee in a little peace and quiet?  Go ahead with whatever you're doing.  Bad Mommy will ignore the garbage and dirty floor for a minute (or 10).

 

Sometimes you just have to focus on the happy and not the location of the happy.

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