Wednesday Quick Takes

I feel like everything I want to talk about lately can be summed up in a few short sentences.  (That is most definitely an indication of how my mind is working these days!)  So, how about some middle-of-the week bullet points?

• My spring semester is finally finished and officially closed out.  Now I'm starting the hard part of getting ready for summer...with an entirely new textbook.  The next several weeks could get a little stressful, but I'm trying to keep in mind that the stress now will only make fall that much easier.

• We are really beginning to feel the late spring/summer attitudes taking over.  Trips are being planned, activities scheduled, and we are all dreaming of the beach.  Unfortunately, our beach vacation isn't until September again (although it's worth the wait because that is the absolute best time to go, in our humble opinions!).  For a few minutes earlier this week, I thought we might be able to sneak away for a last-minute trip next week, but we couldn't swing it this time.  So we will wait until September and plan lots of other fun in the meantime.  I, for one, can't WAIT to return to my most favorite amusement park ever one weekend soon!

•  Jeremy has a work trip in Nashville next month and I am tagging along for a few days.  I am thinking of bringing the girls up for last part of the week (after I've had a couple of glorious days and nights of doing nothing at all).  Suggestions for fun kid things in Nashville?  

• My sister and I saw The Great Gatsby Sunday night.  That was my Mother's Day request, and it was an excellent one.  I may repeat that idea next year.  : )  LJ and I thought the movie was pretty fantastic.  I am not usually a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but he was perfect as Gatsby.  And I think maybe he's looking better with age?  Why do so many men have that luxury?  I am a big fan of Carey Mulligan, and I enjoyed her portrayal of Daisy.  I have read the book twice, but it's been years, so I had forgotten a lot of the plot.  I did catch one of my favorite quotes at the end:  "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--They smashed up things and people and then retreated back into their money...."  I recommend the movie...and reading the book first, of course!

• On a long day at home a few weeks ago, I started showing the girls how to cross their eyes.  Addison picked it up pretty quickly and has been freaking Jeremy out with her "trick" ever since (he can't stand to watch anyone do it!).  Mackenzie couldn't quite do it, but she'd try and try, opening her eyes as wide as they'd go, and making me crack up every time.  This past week, she finally got the hang of it, and spent most of dinner the other night making J groan.  Isn't she classy?

Happy Wednesday!
How is your week going so far?

Funnies

Me to Mackenzie, on a long afternoon without a nap:  You're exhausted, aren't you?

M:  What does 'exhausted' mean?

Me:  It means very, very tired.

M:  Yeah, I'm exhausted!

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At the zoo...

Can you guess what an ANTeater eats?

A & M:  Ummmm, GRASS!

So logic isn't a strong point yet...

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Me:  Girls, do you remember how to say 'goodnight' in Spanish?

Mackenzie, proudly:  Goodnight in Spanish!

Is she getting a jump on the smarty-pants stage?!

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Addison, randomly to Jeremy one day:

Hey, you ole fat boy!

I laughed for days at that one.  Jeremy, not so much!

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When Mackenzie is questioning something, she often says "Why because?".  I LOVE it.

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Addison often sits with me while I do my makeup, and she has taken to asking for the small brush to smooth her "eye barrels".  (Eyebrows)  

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The girls discussing between themselves why they have to take a bath:

M: If we don't take a bath, we will be stinky!

A:  Yeah, and Jesus won't like it if we are stinky...it will make him throw up!

Good opportunity for a conversation about how Jesus loves us no matter what--not just when we are shiny and clean.

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Addison, trying to put on a shoe that is nearly too small...

Me:  Your foot sure is growing!

A:  Yeah, let's see how much it weighs. (Pretends to measure) It's twenty dollars!

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Jeremy had been teasing Mackenzie quite a bit in the car the other day, and she had her fill.

J:  I'm sorry for picking on you, Mackenzie, are you still mad at me?

M:  Okay...but I'm gonna keep my eye on you, daddy!

I love my silly girls that know exactly how to make us laugh and brighten any day.

iPhone Photography (by Addison & Mackenzie)

Ever since we got our iPhones last year, Jeremy and I occasionally let the girls use them to play games.  We each have a couple of apps that are targeted to small children, and the girls know how to find and play their favorite games.

In the last few months, Addison & Mackenzie have also figured out a bit about how to work the camera feature.  Thus, I often pick up my phone to find my photostream full of picture after blurry picture of the floor, a face, an eye, or the ceiling.

A few recent examples...

Addison's photo montage:

Someone got a little artsy with the chip basket, maybe?

The many faces of Mackenzie:

Her first sun flare photograph:

There are probably at least a hundred pictures from my dad's house on Sunday afternoon.  Most are some combination of feet, the blurry floor, and the front door.  Here is one fairly decent shot of my dad and Jeremy:

And a partial family photograph:

These silly little photographers are always leaving new surprises for me to find!

THREE

Dear Addison & Mackenzie,

Yesterday, you turned THREE years old.  I can hardly believe it, but then again, it seems like you have been with us forever.  You are absolutely THE best part of our lives, and your daddy and I love our little family so very much.  Every year gets better and better.

 

Mackenzie, at three you are sensitive and kind.  You worry about things sometimes, so we have to be careful what we say around you.  You take care of your sister and get upset if she is upset.  When Addison goes to time out, you usually ask if you can take her a blanket or even end up sitting beside her while she serves her punishment.  You think of other people more than any barely-three year old I know.  Just the other day, you remembered I had been to a movie the day before.  You asked, "Did you like your movie, Mama?"  When I answered that I did, very much, you said, "I'm so glad!"  And then my heart melted.

If you notice I have on a new outfit, or just one you particularly like, you will say, "I like your dress, Mama.  It's very pretty."  Right now, you practically refuse to wear anything except a skirt or dress ("ballerinas", you call them), and I am happy to oblige and let you wear one nearly every day.  The little twirl you do when you first put on a favorite dress is so much better than any cute outfit I could coerce you to wear.  You are very attached to your Jen Jen and Ne Ne.  You love to snuggle and watch movies on the couch, and you are awesome at games of pretend.  You call any dog "Toto", from The Wizard of Oz, and you often tell people very sincerely that your name is Dorothy Ross H----.  I may cry the day you stop asking us to call you Dorothy.

My little Addison, you are the life of the party around here most days.  You are funny and silly and fiercely independent.  Sometimes I shudder to imagine how sassy you might be during your teen years, but we will cross that bridge when we get there, and I will love you even on the days you make me want to scream.  While you are less likely than you sister to cuddle up with me voluntarily, I also catch you more and more often sitting still "reading" a book all by yourself.  You have definitely inherited my love of books, and seeing that love grow makes your mama's heart very, very happy.

I often call you my wild child, but you have a sensitive side too.  Sometimes when you realize you are about to get into trouble, your little face just crumbles and you burst into unexpected tears.  (Yes, that makes it very hard to stay mad at you at that moment in time, a fact I hope you don't figure out anytime soon!)  Just the other day, you were bouncing around while I combed your hair and you caught sight of an ASPCA commercial on tv.  You asked me if the doggie was sad and I, without thinking, answered that he was.  Your eyes immediately welled up with tears and you became inconsolable, wailing, "I don't waaaaannnttt him to be sad!"

You are very much a mama's girl right now, but you often get caught up in things your daddy is doing too.  You love to help him work on the lawn mower and you request to visit the John Deere store almost weekly.  You love to run and play "chase" right now and you can far outlast any of us adults.  You scrunch up your nose when you smile, just like I do, and you have this funny little abrupt way of talking sometimes that absolutely cracks us up.  I can't describe it, but I'm pretty sure I will never forget it.

The two of you together are an unstoppable combination.  You are our yin and yang, our sweet and spunky, the perfect complement to one another.  You are our wild and crazy monkeys, and our lives before you seem dreadfully boring in comparison to the excitement you bring to our days.

As I have said before, being a mama to you girls is by far the greatest and coolest thing I will ever do.  I will make mistakes, and lots of them--like, um, taking your pacis away the night before your 3rd birthday so that you were sad ON your birthday instead of waiting until the day after (sorry about that!!)--but I promise you I will always do the very best I can do for you girls and for our family. 

You are so very loved, girls, don't ever forget that.  Happy third birthday!

(Since you are such big girls now, can you go ahead and forgive me for this paci business soon?  Pretty please?)

Love,
Mama

Friday Five--Toddler Talk

• Sometimes I forget how very closely the girls listen to everything we say in their presence.  A few weeks ago, I was digging through the out-of-control sippy-cup drawer to find a matching lid.  I didn't think too much about my frustration until, a day or two later, Mackenzie was playing in the same drawer, shouting, "Where's the freakin' lid??"  Oops!  At least it wasn't anything worse, I guess?

• When the girls say something they aren't sure they should be saying (like 'freaking'), they will turn to one of us and ask, "Is [random word] nice to say?"  It cracks me up, and I love that they care enough to ask...I am sure the day will come when they seek out those not-nice words.

• We have been teaching the girls when it is appropriate to say 'God' (i.e. when we are talking about God, church, etc.).  They had heard the phrase "Oh my God" somewhere, and started asking questions about it.  We tried to explain that we are not supposed to use that phrase, and to say "goodness" or "gosh" instead.  A & M have done very well not repeating that saying, but they are VERY quick to point out when they hear it elsewhere.  (It is on Shrek, which is the ONLY DVD that plays in my car--random, I know--and they never fail to point it out.  They also never miss the phrase 'shut up', but we haven't had many problems with that one...yet.)

• Speaking of phrases the girls never miss, Jeremy and I totally failed that lesson that says if you hear something you don't want your kids to notice, don't draw attention to it.  One day last weekend, the four of us were in our bedroom hanging out.  I think I had just had a shower, so Pandora radio was still playing on my iPhone in the bathroom.  We were alternatively dancing around to the music and playing around in the floor, when this song came blaring out of the speakers.  (That link is just the lyrics--no music!)  Jeremy and both stopped in mid-sentence and looked at each other with wide eyes.  He jumped up and ran into the bathroom to skip that song, while I burst out laughing.  (Mom of the year, right here!)  Luckily, the girls somehow overlooked the whole situation, and to my knowledge, that word has not entered their vocabulary.  It was a close one, though!  

• A & M are really into playing 'babies' these days.  They take turns pretending to put one another down for naps, feeding pretend bottles, and reading to each other.  It's all very cute and funny to watch, but they are starting to put some 'baby talk' with this game...which is NOT so cute.  We are supposed to be long past the stage of unintelligible words and whines.  When they get in the mood of whining and pointing, I have to remind them to use their words and tell them they are big girls now.  I can handle the pretend baby stuff, but there will be no more deciphering noises and whines when I know good and well they can say whatever they want.

 I called this post Toddler Talk because I can't resist alliteration, but my girls really don't feel like toddlers anymore.  They are quickly moving into the little girl stage, and I really love it.  Sure, I miss things about the baby stages on occasion, but there are so many more things to look forward to!  What do we call these kids after 'toddlers'?  Preschoolers?

All I know is that my almost-three-year-olds are pretty freakin' awesome!  

Monday on a Tuesday

We had a great weekend, complete with an extra day off yesterday.  Friday night, the girls went to spend the night with Jeremy's parents.  We decided to go ahead and eat dinner with his family instead of going somewhere else, since every restaurant seemed to be packed.  Late Valentine's celebrations, I guess...it was ours too!

After dinner, the girls went off with their grandparents and Jeremy and I went to see The Vow.  It was...alright...some things about the characters really irritated me.  Still, it was nice to sit in a theater next to my husband and do nothing but take in the movie for about two hours.

I made a quick Target run right before the movie and ran into a local blog friend (It was great to catch up for a few minutes, Iana!  We should really get our kids together sometime!).  I also snagged this necklace on clearance for $2.40 that I am a little bit in love with:

The Gemini symbol (my astrological sign)...also the symbol for TWINS!  : )

Jeremy and I spent our child-free Saturday morning piddling around the house.  I finally started a project I have been intending to work on for months.  After a morning spent in Jeremy's workshop and one trip to Home Depot, this desk

became this:

It is still far from perfect, and I have already put a couple of spots on the top (because I didn't wait long enough before setting the heavy sewing machine on it), but it is a great improvement.  I used spray paint and it was pretty easy, so there's no telling what piece of furniture I will attack next!  I do want to make a little skirt for the desk, to hide the cords and stool, and I need some baskets for the open shelves on the end.  I don't really know if the desk is going to stay where it is (in the kitchen) or move somewhere else, but at least it is now in the house and functional.  Progress!

The rest of our weekend was pretty quiet.  We hung out at home, had a fantastic Sunday lunch with just the four of us (a rarity!), and did lots of reading (rainboots optional).

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Random Addison quote from lunch on Sunday:  "Lucy, you got some 'splainin' to do!"  

I love that my baby quotes one of my favorite shows (I Love Lucy) without having any idea what she's talking about.  (She picked it up from her silly father a couple of weeks ago.)  : )

{Almost} Wordless Wednesday

My baby knows the Pledge of Allegiance!  She said it all the way through the first time; this time she got a little distracted by the tv, but still...the pledge!



File this under:  things I would never have dreamed they could learn at this age.

Wordless Wednesday: Football & Baby Faces

A few photos from Jeremy's Christmas gift...a trip to see his football team play in the Chick-Fil-A bowl in Atlanta:

Also, someone has been learning to use the camera on my iPhone...

There are about twenty pictures in my camera roll with some variety of facial snippets, the floor, the wall, a hand, or my back.  I can't bear to delete them!

Imagination Station

One of the many things I didn't realize about being a parent was just how much I would enjoy watching them learn new skills and concepts.  Watching Mackenzie grasp the concept of potty training and overcome that huge step has just been amazing.  I can see the excitement in her face each time she has success, and it's easy to see how proud of herself she feels.  (And for the record, after more than two weeks with no accidents, I am counting her as POTTY TRAINED!  One down, one to go!)

Another thing that is fun to watch is the development of the girls' imaginations, which are in full swing right now.

Not long after school started back in August, the girls started talking about someone named either "Caleb" or "Kayla"...it's hard to tell exactly how they're saying it.  (Most of the time it comes out sounding like "K-love"-- a playground rapper, perhaps?)  Upon checking with their teachers, we ascertained that there was no Caleb or Kayla in their class or any of the classes they come into contact with.  After many instances of overhearing the girls boss "K-love" around, tell him (her?) to take a nap, buckle his car seat, and eat his lunch, we decided that Addison & Mackenzie may just have their first imaginary friend.

Having had two imaginary friends of my own as a child, I think it's pretty darn cute.  (No, I won't reveal my childhood friends' names or exactly how long I carried on conversations with them!) 

The pretend games have only increased since then, in both animation and complexity.  The latest game involves the girls pretending to be one of their teachers, with Mrs. Pam, their Sunday school teacher being the primary character of the moment.  Addison is particularly serious in her role, often completely ignoring me saying her name until she finally gives me an exasperated look and says, "I'm Mrs. Pam!".  Some days it's hard to keep track of just who I am supposed to be talking to!  Addison will open any one of her books and say, "This is my Bible and I'm going to read you a story.  You sit down and listen." 

Who can refuse such a cute demand?  : )

Things to Remember: Comedy Edition

Addison and Mackenzie are absolutely hilarious lately.  They say or do something amusing every single day, and try as I might, it's hard to keep up with all the stories I want to remember.

I have started a running list on my phone where I try to make note of funny sayings, etc. as they happen, but so many things still slip by before I record them.  If I stopped to dwell on this thought too long (I'm forgetting things they will only do ONCE...they are only little for such a short time!), I could easily get a bit sad.

Instead, I will record a sampling of some of my favorite funnies...guaranteed to make me smile every single time.

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Awhile back, Addison was eating a bit more than normal for her.  Jeremy made a comment along the lines of  "You must have a hollow leg to store all that food. "  So, a few days later...

Addison, pushing back her plate at the dinner table:  "My leg hurts"

Me:  "What's wrong with your leg?  Did you fall?"

A:  "I ate too much."

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 I have no idea where it comes from, but when someone knocks or rings our doorbell, the girls hit the floor, hiding their faces, and pretending to be asleep.  They are "hiding" from our visitor, waiting to be found.

The girls come through the kitchen at my mom's, holding hands and squinching their eyes shut and calling out, "Where are Addison and Mackenzie?  Anybody seen them?"...which is exactly what we say when they are "hiding."

My cousin Lindsey was coming to babysit one night and the girls were in serious "hiding" mode, laying face-down in the corner of the living room.  They were doing well, not making a peep, until Lindsey said she would have to find someone to go get ice cream with her since A & M weren't home.  Mackenzie scrambles up as quickly as she can, saying, "Where's my ice cream at?"

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As I think I've mentioned, Addison has trouble pronouncing the letter "f" at the beginning of a word.  She makes a "p" sound instead, resulting in some of my favorite Addison sayings, such as "poot snacks" and "pip pops" (meaning "fruit snacks" and "flip flops", of course).  Well, apparently, she also makes the "p" sound for any letter that just won't come out right.

We went out for breakfast Saturday morning, to a place that has a breakfast buffet, complete with a soft-serve ice cream machine (they have a lunch buffet later on, so the ice cream isn't just for breakfast).  I grabbed a few bites of candy corn from the selection of ice cream toppings and was sharing with the girls.  After we had eaten it all, Addison announced that she wanted some more candy corn....except she had trouble with that second word, so she substituted a "P"...meaning my child was loudly requesting candy p*rn in the middle of the restaurant!

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Two of my favorite misunderstandings/mispronunciations lately:

Addison spent all afternoon last Wednesday asking her NiNi for a "lollipop from the refrigerator".  NiNi looked and looked, but couldn't find any kind of lollipop in there, so she gave them a regular sucker...but that didn't do the trick.  When I got home and they told me about it, I was confused, especially because we don't even use the term "lollipop".  After a few minutes of thought, it hit me.  I asked Addison, "Do you want a popsicle from the refrigerator?"  Yep, that was it!

Lindsey drinks Gatorade all the time, and occasionally she shares with the girls.  One day at our house, the girls surrounded her, saying, "I want some of your alligator."  We were quite confused, thinking they were playing some kind of new game, until it finally dawned...  Alligator=Gatorade.

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The other day, I came out of the bathroom to find the girls waiting at the door. 
"Did you pee pee in the potty, Mommy?" Mackenzie asks.
When I affirm that I did, she cheers, "Yay!  You get a treat!"

 
I love these silly girls!

Cry Baby

Ironically, there is almost nothing that can make me smile faster than a crying baby picture.  Is that awful?  I think it's just the sweetness, the vulnerability of that moment that just gets me every time.

It's an inescapable part of the baby/toddler experience...we've all heard those whining face-melting screams that can make you want to climb into bed and smash a pillow over your head... but they're so often followed by the sweetest cuddles you've ever experienced, and that just makes it all worthwhile.

Marcia is showcasing some favorite crying baby pictures today, and I'm linking up to share some of my own.  Most are from the 6-12 month stage...that seemed to be the high point of the crying in our house, then it turned into toddler-whining, which is a different category entirely (and not nearly as endearing!).

Just over a month old--I decided to do a photo shoot one morning, and Mackenzie was NOT having it.

Evolution of a crying baby photo:  Awww, look at my sweet six-month-old girls!

Addison decides to eat her sister's hand, causing a few tears from Mackenzie...

Remove the unhappy baby, the remaining baby slowly slides over, leading to a perfect crying baby shot!

One of my favorites of Mackenzie.

Addison, after M likely pushed her out of the way.

Mackenzie, on the morning of her first birthday.  I remember that she was in a bad mood that morning, for some undetermined reason.  

Mackenzie again, in the classic whiny toddler "pick me up, please" position.

Addison, in a much more recent picture from the fair this spring.  Wyatt blew the horn and terrified her.  Needless to say, she didn't stay on to ride...she did love the slide and the carousel by the end of the night, though.

We used to call Addison our little drama queen, but looking through these pictures, you'd have to think Mackenzie might be the one to earn that role!

Thanks for the idea, Marcia...   It was fun to look through old pictures.  I vote we do sleeping babies next; I have a ton of those pictures!

My Loves

Two going on Thirteen

My girls are super-excited about singing and dancing these days.  They loved "dancing" with the big kids at Vacation Bible School and even got up in front of the crowd at church last Sunday to perform with the other children.  We have also been watching The Wizard of Oz and other shows/movies with lots of music. 

Of course, like any good music-lovin' mama, I encourage my babies to sing and dance their little hearts out.  I sing their favorite songs so they can show off their dance moves, and I encourage them to wail out Somewhere Over the Rainbow, even though it currently only consists of "soooommmmeeerrrr overrrr booowww " over and over.  It's accompanied by the cutest little dramatic arm movements, which is just adorable.

But last week, the inevitable happened.  We were riding in the car, singing along to one of the kids' song CDs, when Mackenzie suddenly stopped and commanded me, "Stop singing, Mama!" 

Excuse me, what?! 

At first I laughed, sure that she was just being silly.  A few bars later, she said it again, more loudly this time:  "Stop singing, Mama!"

I pretended to be hurt, but I immediately called Jeremy to laugh with him about it.  I am by no means a good singer, but surely that can't matter to my two-year-old.  At least I get the words right, which is more than I can say for her (or her father, for that matter).

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A few nights later, the girls and I were watching The Wizard of Oz before bedtime.  I, of course, was joining them in singing along to our favorite songs.  We had reached a point in the munchkin song when A & M felt the urge to jump up off the couch and perform along with the characters on tv.  I was laughing and singing along with them, when Mackenzie stopped, turned to look at me, and sternly said, "Don't sing it, Mama".  I tried again and was quickly admonished by both my children. 

Point taken, girls.  I will now ask politely if I can join in your singing and dancing fun.  I would hate to offend you, after all.

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As many parents do, I'm sure, I spend a good deal of time trying to imagine what Addison and Mackenzie might be like in the future.  I wonder if they will like to play dress-up and princess or if they will prefer to be outside riding bicycles and playing in the dirt.  I wonder if they will love reading and school like I did, or if they will tolerate classes just to get to see their friends and participate in sports like their daddy did.  I wonder if they will be each other's best friend or if they will begin to prefer the company of others more often.

(For the record, any of those options will be fine with me.  I want my girls to know that they are free to be whoever they want to be, and that I will love them the same, no matter what!)

I also sometimes imagine, and yes, expect, that there will probably come a point in time when my girls don't think their mama is the greatest thing in the world.  They will not always want to hug and kiss me in public; they won't want me to run and pick them up when they fall, smothering their faces with kisses; and they won't always want to copy my every move.  I am prepared for the notion that one day, my girls will find me extremely uncool and maybe even embarrassing and annoying.

However, I am NOT ready for that time to come at age TWO.

Funnies and Father's Day

As I mentioned, Addison and Mackenzie are pretty hilarious lately.  Their vocabulary is expanding  daily, and I think I am going to have to start carrying a notebook to record all the cuteness that comes out of their mouths.

Last week, Jeremy and I were discussing whether or not we were going to Vacation Bible School on Friday night.  I was calling it "VBS" so the girls wouldn't know what we were talking about.  Mackenzie picked up on some of the conversation and started saying, " I want to go to VBS!"...only it was coming out, "I want to go to baby's @ss!"  Jeremy and I lost it, and had her repeat it about 40 times.  Yep, we are totally mature parents.

Addison is on a "don't like it" kick.  Anything she doesn't want, she "doesn't like".  And now, this week, it's us she doesn't like.  A few nights ago, she didn't want Jeremy snuggling on her, so she said, "Don't touch me, daddy."  Is she a teenager already?!  Yesterday, when I called from work, J. asked the girls if they wanted to talk to me and Addison said no.  He asked why, and she responded, "I don't like her."  It's hard to have hurt feelings when she sounds so adorable saying it.

Yesterday afternoon I asked the girls if they were ready to go back to school and see Ms. Hope, their teacher.  Addison, of course, responded, "No, I don't like her."  Two minutes later, I asked who they liked to play with most at school.  Addison says, "Ms. Hope!"  Sure, kid, I enjoy hanging out with people I don't like too.

Sunday, while riding in the car, J. and I were having talking about Mother's Day/Father's Day/birthday gifts, which we chose to skip this year.  I might have been complaining a little though, saying that a nice little thoughtful surprise would have been nice.  (Am I right, ladies?  Even if we don't want a gift per say, a small token of affection is not necessarily off the table?)  Mackenzie pipes up from the backseat, demanding something.  After a couple of repeats, I finally understood what she was saying...Mackenzie wanted a thoughtful surprise.  How cute is that?!

More and more often, when I am on the phone or telling a story, I am catching both girls repeating entire conversations very softly just a beat or two behind me.  Not missing a word.  I don't have much of a dirty mouth, but I am definitely making an effort to double-check a few phrases here and there!

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What kind of blogger/mother/wife would I be if I let Father's Day pass without a shout-out to my husband and babies' daddy?   We are pretty low-key on the gifts/holidays around here, but we know how very lucky we are to have this guy in our lives:

Thank you, Jeremy, for all you do for our girls.  They love your silly games, tickles, snuggles, hugs, and kisses.  I love that you willingly and gladly share the parenting load with me.  There is no one I'd rather be sharing this adventure with!

We love you very, very much!

Just some things...

I love having two-year olds.  No, really, I do.  Even in the midst of a face-melting tantrum, I sometimes have to fight back a laugh, because to be honest, it can be pretty hilarious.

Addison has this face she puts on when she is being told not to do something (for example, not to dump water out of the bathtub), and it absolutely cracks me up.  She widens her eyes and holds her mouth open, like for some reason she thinks it makes her look more innocent.  Here's a pretty good approximation of the innocent face:

The oven is currently Mackenzie's favorite hiding place. 

All the while she is making this precious little "I don't understand what's wrong" face, she is continuing to do what I have asked her not to do.  That, or she is frozen in mid-action, waiting to see if I will really make her stop.

There are just so many fun things to love about this stage.  The girls' language is absolutely exploding, along with the beginnings of a sense of reasoning.  Mackenzie is particularly good at picking up phrases I say to her and turning them around on me.  It is so funny to hear her caution, "Be careful, Mama!" as I recline my lounge chair too close to the deck railing.  Also funny, but a little infuriating, is "Give you a spanking, Mama".

Yes, we have had to turn to spanking occasionally around here.  I try not to do it, but my girls love time-out, so what else can I do?  We have even tried time-out in their room with the door closed (they stay seated in the exact spot Jeremy places them in the middle of the room!), but to almost no avail.  They will do something wrong and put themselves in time out.  So when they are doing something blatantly wrong, such as hitting or hair-pulling--which is rare, thank goodness--they are now likely to get a light swat on the leg or hand.  It works for now, particularly in the bathtub, where much of our behavior issues occur and I can't really enforce time-out well.

As I said, thankfully the bad behavior is still minimal.  My girls are mostly sweet and playful, and they are full of love for their parents and each other.  The girly-drama is on the rise, of course, as I'm sure it will be for a very long time to come.  We have had the first of many, many fights over clothing, and phrases such as "It's my turn!" and "Me had it first!" are becoming more frequent.  Also?  "Me had it first"?  How cute is that?!

We are a singing and dancing group these days.  The girls' new favorite movie is The Wizard of Oz, which we watch parts of almost nightly.  They loooove to sing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", and Addison often jumps up from the couch to dance along with the munchkins.  We have been going to Vacation Bible School at church this week, and the girls can't wait to get there to sing and dance with the "boys and girls".  Of course, they stick close to me and do more watching than dancing while the entire group is together.  Once the other kids split off into their class, we have been hanging out with some of the teenagers in the main room, and the girls really come out of their shell for the smaller group.  They have had a blast dancing and showing off for their new friends.

Speaking of church, Addison and Mackenzie have gotten very good at saying their prayers before bed.  I have said the same prayer with them ("Now I lay me down to sleep....") since they were tiny, and they are finally beginning to say it with me!  I love to hear them quietly repeating my words, developing the beginning of their love for the Lord.  I have been so proud at Bible School this week, watching them fold their little hands and squeeze their eyes shut during the prayers.  They are very good at staying still and quiet, and last night, when we got to the end, Mackenzie shouted "AAAAmen!" right along with the leader.  Oh, my heart...

My sweet girls are growing and changing every single day, and I absolutely love to share all these new experiences with them.  I can't deny that some days are challenging, but as a whole, they are also more fulfilling than any other time so far.  It's like some of the things we have waited so long to share with our children are finally happening, and the feelings are just indescribable.  Addison and Mackenzie are becoming such amazing, fun little people, and I am just grateful that I get to be their mama.

And the pigtails?  Couldn't you just DIE from the CUTENESS??