The Birthday Slide

Reagan's grandparents went in together and got her this slide for her birthday. It is a little big for her age, but being the climber that she is, I knew she would be fine.

We had it waiting for her when she woke up Saturday morning, She watched Sissy do it a few times and then took off on her own. She climbs all the way up and slides down by herself with no problem.

You can see from the last picture, by later in the day, she had really gotten the hang of it. She was going up and down like a champ. She did it over and over again. Reagan likes it best when Addison is waiting to catch her at the bottom. They were so cute playing together.

Birthday Kick-Off

Friday night, we took the girls to Red Robin to start Reagan's birthday festivities. Addison, Reagan and I love to eat there, so we were happy to use the birthday as an excuse to go. Addison loves to play their video games and they both love the balloons. The first time we ever went, we saw the "Big, Red Chicken" character, as Addison calls it, singing happy birthday to someone and she decided then and there that Red Robin was the place to be for birthdays.

We weren't sure how Reagan would take having a large group of people singing to her, but she was fine. She just watched them, all serious, and then dove into the ice-cream. She didn't really care to eat it, big sister took care of that, but she sure liked playing in it.

I think these pictures really demonstrate who looks like who. I think Reagan looks just like Daddy and Addison is my little twin.

Letter to Pappy

Friday, Addison was sending a card to her Pappy and Miss Debra, because I had finally printed this picture, and wanted to send him a copy. I wrote the greeting and closing of the letter and

left Addison to fill in the middle. She was so sweet "writing" her letter. I grabbed the computer and started typing, trying to get her thoughts down. Here is what she wrote....

"Dear Pappy and Dear Debra,

I miss you and I hope I can come visit your barn soon. I can ride your horse and do your barn working with you. Thank you for inviting me and I hope I can come visit soon. And Squigally I will play with you and I hope you can come to Reagan's birthday. And Mommy and Reagan and Maggie and me we miss you. I will come to your barn soon as I can and I can win a prize at the horse show.

Love,

Addison

Birthday Cake and Carseats

This morning, Addison and I were making plans for Reagan's birthday cake. She mentioned making a cake, so I asked her if we should make one at home or buy one at the store. Her response,

"We should just make one here, because you always say, too hard taking kids in and out, in and out, of the car!"

Good grief, the child hears everything. And, while it is a pain taking them in and out of the car (especially if it is cold), I felt a little guilty that she has heard me say it often enough to repeat it! Too funny!

Baby Bunnies

Yesterday, Tommy was down in the basement and heard a scratching noise. He checked the window and found that a litter of baby bunnies had fallen down one of our window wells. If you haven't had a basement, the ground is cut out several feet around your windows and then surrounded by metal grating, to let light in. The wells are covered with metal grating, so that the kids can't fall in them. The holes were big enough for the bunnies, though I can't figure out how in the world all four of them hopped down there.

There were four in all, but one poor thing must have died in the fall. One was cowered down scared in the corner, and the two you see were jumping like crazy all over the place. The girls were at the window and the bunnies were right on the glass jumping at them and running around. The girls loved it! Tommy went outside with a towel, caught them one at a time and turned them loose in the grass. Then, Addison took carrots out to them. Reagan took a carrot out too, but she ate hers.

Addison was so cute, she really wanted to keep one. We kept telling her that we had to give them back to their Mommy. She even went and found her Easter egg that had money in it, and asked if she could buy one with her own money. She wanted to pay the Mommy bunny to keep one.

The sweet little bunny that died, brought up all kinds of questions. How did it get to heaven? Will God give it back to its Mommy? Won't the Mommy be sad? When can we see it? She had us on our toes, trying to give her age-appropriate explanations. Hopefully it was a good lesson in the glory of heaven!

Feeding her Baby

My little baby is taking care of her baby! She just learned to feed her doll the bottle and it is just precious! Her motor skills are still developing so the bottle lands all over the baby's face, but she definitely knows what to do with it! Although, I don't know how, because she has certainly never taken a bottle!

The Grocery Store

Why is it that if I go to the grocery store with my husband and children, the children are little angels? The will sit in the race car cart and happily drive the car for the duration of the shopping trip. Even the baby, who has never sat in anything more than 5 minutes in her entire life, without trying to climb out, will ride contentedly. They won't ask for anything and they won't cry. They will let you shop peacefully until you have everything on your list and then they will even remain patient while we pay.

Now I don't often attempt to grocery shop with both my kids. While I realize that it is not impossible, it is much more conducive to my productivity and sanity, to just go in the evening, after Tommy gets home. But today, with the memory of our weekend family shopping trip fresh on my mind, I decided to venture to the grocery store. Even without the vivid good memory, I really had no choice, as we had ONE diaper left in the entire house.

So, we arrive at the King's Soopers grocery store, just after 1:00. Mistake #1, too close to nap time. Addison remembers the race car cart and I do too. It worked so well this weekend, we give it a try. Well, they weren't in there for five minutes before Addison has climbed out and taken off to the floral section for a free balloon. Reagan also didn't last, and now I am carrying her, while trying to maneuver the over-size, hard to steer, race car cart. Addison insists we get balloons for her and her sister, though I don't know why. It seems we go all over town collecting the free balloons people hand out, but never actually play with them. She held the balloons for about 10 seconds and then handed them to me. Now I am pushing large, oversize cart, carrying Reagan and holding 2 balloons. We return to the front of the store and trade race car in for normal size cart. At this point we have been in the store for 10 minutes and have NO GROCERIES. Addison notices and asks why we don't have any "tings". Hmmm, I wonder?

The rest of the trip is fairly uneventful, I continue to carry Reagan and the balloons while Addison puts the things we need in the cart, while asking for one of everything that we don't need. 20 minutes later, we have what we need, my arms are dying and we head to check out. Addison finds something in the aisle to play with, Reagan wants down and is doing back-bends from my arms and I look up to see what is taking so long! The lady in front of me has apparently not yet joined the 21 century and is writing a check!!! Who in the world writes a check at the grocery store anymore?

Finally we pay and all that is left is the task of getting all of us loaded into the car and loading up the groceries, all while making sure the balloons don't fly away.

And, did I mention it is 26 degrees outside?

Happy Easter

Well, despite waking up to 22 degree temperatures and 2 inches of snow that had fallen over night, we had a beautiful Easter. I must admit I was pretty grumpy this morning, when I had to shovel the snow from the driveway before I could run out to pick up breakfast. Thankfully it has been warm enough the last few days that nothing froze on the roads and the sun came out and dried the snow on the grass really quickly.

We went to church this morning and had a great time. It was our second Sunday at this church and the girls and I have been there a few extra times for bible study and MOPS. It is nice that we are starting to see familiar faces and the girls are settling into a routine there. Knowing the girls are okay, we were able to relax and enjoy the worship and message.

After church, we headed to an Easter lunch at the home of a sweet lady I met at Women's Bible Study. She had invited the whole group over. We were able to meet lots of new people and Addison loved playing with the other kids. We had a great lunch, and then headed outside for an Easter egg hunt. You can see in one picture, Reagan found an egg that was in some snow left-over in a shady spot. She liked the egg, but even more, she wanted to eat the snow!

I am still amazed at how warm 50 degrees is here. I guess the relation to the sun and dryness really makes a huge difference. It was such a beautiful day! After the Easter party we came home and grabbed Maggie, so we could head to the park.

I am so thankful for my sweet family, for new friends that we are starting to meet, and for a day set aside to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.

Just Playing

America's Next Top Model

This afternoon I had the brilliant idea to take some Easter pictures of Reagan. She passionately rejected my idea to stage her as a bunny!!! She was thoughtful for a moment, then curious as to what was on her head, then just down-right MAD about it all!

In other news, she is officially walking! It still surprises me when I look down and see her toddling around by my feet. Her other recent tricks include playing patty-cake and blowing kisses.

Her Sister, However

Her sister, however, has very recently decided that it is not so bad to have your picture taken, and will occasionally even smile for the camera. I think this came about as a result of jealousy, but whatever it takes is okay with me. Anyway, she stripped off her clothes and wanted to take Easter Bunny pictures too. I had quite a time convincing her that it was no longer age-appropriate for her to be wearing bunny ears only. Thankfully I finally persuaded her into the pink dress.

Wildlife Experience

Last week the girls and I discovered a place called Wildlife Experience, that is similar to a children's museum, just right down the street from us. They have several scenes with very real looking, movable animals to walk through. The girls were mesmerized. Addison loved everything but the bat-cave. When we peaked in there, she said, "You wanna go out?". They also have two large play areas with lots of games, activities and animal dress-up clothes. They had so much fun, we bought a membership....come see us and we will take you!!!

Update - The Long Version

In case you are wondering what is going on in life here in Colorado, read on...if not, skip this post and move on to shorter posts, with pictures.

First off, we LOVE our house. It is so nice to have a little more room. We also finally finished the basement and got it all set up. It is a great space for us. We have a little family room, a big play-area for the girls and the other side is a workout room for Tommy and I (he has used it, I have not). Addison would love to play down there all day. She especially loves the huge closet under the stairs, that she calls her house. We have already had company several times, and the guest room, downstairs in its own area works great. Finally, the backyard was our biggest concern about this house, because it is on the small side, and it only has a half fence between us and the greenbelt. But, it has turned out great! The girls (and the dog) love to sit on the patio and watch people on the trails. Reagan pounds on the sliding glass door at all the dogs going by. We were worried that Maggie would jump the fence, but so far she has stayed put.

The girls are adjusting really well. They didn't have any trouble with the new house or new rooms. Addison has had a few lonely moments, but she is meeting new people. The Lord definitely blessed us with a good neighborhood, as there are 5 or 6 little girls on the street. We also have super nice neighbors, who know each other well and get together often. Reagan has been sick for the entire time we have been here, although she seems to finally be getting better. We have been to 6 doctors appointments in 3 weeks, are working on our 4th round of antibiotics and have an appointment with an ENT April 1st. I think tubes are in our future.

I also think we have landed in a good church home. We are still visiting two different places, but I have been to 2 different bible studies at one of them, and I think that is where we will land. I was so blessed today, as I was welcomed so warmly to the bible study I attended. The girls have done great in their new classes. I have to say that both churches have had pretty amazing children's programs. I was impressed when I saw them, and then even more impressed today when Addison handed me the cross she made and told me that, "Jesus died on the cross.". She has also run around the house all day shouting, "Jesus is Alive!" Something they are doing in there is definitely working.

Tommy is doing a great job balancing work and daddy and often being the only adult I talk to in a day. His job is going well, and his boss has been super understanding of all we have going on right now. The girls and I are swimming, going to the library and just exploring. Our weekends have been filled with painting and projects on the house.

It is starting to feel a little more like home everyday. I can definitely get really lonely and down, but most days I have great perspective and patience. All in all, we are doing really well.

Trail Dust

Tonight we went out to dinner at Trail Dust Steak House. There only two locations are Dallas and Denver, so it was a familiar place and I knew the girls would love it. They have a two-story slide that is super fast, a band and a small dance floor that the kids can play on.

We had a great time. Addison must have gone down the slide 20 times, sometimes in my lap and sometimes by herself. There were lots of older, rowdy boys in the line and they often ran over her (and me), but she held her own. Reagan also went for a ride in my lap, and she loved it too!

During dinner the band asked if there were any kids who wanted to come up and sing with them. As if I didn't already know, Addison confirmed that she most definitely has my personality. She took off! They gave her the microphone and she told everyone her name and age. She was a little stoic and serious as she talked, but she did it. There were a few other kids up there and she and two other little girls all held hands. They were precious. After the introduction, she sang "Old McDonald Had a Farm" with the band! It was too cute!

It brought me back to the first time I met Tommy's family, at a similar type restaurant, where I ended up on stage leading the "Chicken Dance"! I don't think Tommy quite knew what to think back then....and now he has two of us on his hands!

Coming Home

Here we are coming home from the Trail Dust. You can see by the forward-facing carseat (3 weeks before her 1st birthday) and the lollipop, that we are indeed much more laid back the 2nd time around.

The lollipop was a bit of a crisis. They actually gave Addison her sucker after her gig on stage. She was eating it as we left the restaurant. Then, she had to go to the restroom, so she gave the sucker to her Daddy to hold. Well, he also happened to be holding Reagan and they apparently had some big battle in the parking lot over the sucker. He said Reagan latched on with both hands and WAS NOT letting go. Poor girl, by the time we got out there, he had wrestled it from her hands, but she was SO SAD.

While Tommy loaded the girls I ran back in to beg for an extra lollipop. She was thrilled to have her own, but still a little teary-eyed and red-faced in the pictures.

She Wins

I have long since said that Reagan is going to be my strong-willed child. She is pretty determined and sure of what she wants, even at only 11 months old. In addition, the child is a monkey! She climbs everything. Just the other day, we were playing in Addison's room and Reagan discovered that she can climb into the chairs on Addison's little table and then use the chair to boost herself all the way up to the table. I turned for a few minutes to get something and I here Addison say, "Reagan!!! Mom, get that child down!". I turned back to discover that Reagan was STANDING in the middle of Addison's table!

Well, Reagan continues to be pretty terrible in the sleep department. She wakes generally 3 times a night, every 2-3 hours. She wants to be rocked and or feed each time. Yesterday, after I had taken her to the dr. and found out for sure that her ears were clear, we decided that it was time to let her cry-it-out last night. We have tried this before, and she has proven to have great stamina. Unfortunately something, such as sickness or travel always leads us to give in.

The first time she woke last night, was at 10:30, so since I was still awake, I went ahead and feed her. Then I went to sleep DETERMINED not to get her out of bed for at least 8 hours. No feedings, no rocking!!! At 2:00am she woke and the crying began. I went in a few times to make sure she had her paci and to tell her to go night-night. The crying continued hard and loud for an hour and ten minutes. Somewhere around 3:15am it finally stopped.

I was so relieved, for a moment, then I heard it. What I was certain was the sound of pacis banging on the bedroom door. My heart stopped. I told Tommy she was out and ran down the hall. Sure enough. There she sat, just on the other side of her door, pounding on it to come out. THE CHILD CLIMBED OUT OF HER CRIB, at 11 months old. And, only then did she stop the crying. She appeared no worse for the wear, and needless to say, I rocked and fed her.

Will she ever sleep? Sometimes I wonder, and if I let myself think about it I can get really fearful about where this kind of will-power might take us in the future.

Mimi to the Rescue

My mom flew in Friday morning for a long weekend. She spent the weekend watching the girls, doing laundry, painting, moving furniture, unpacking, helping me decorate and cooking. It was so great to have an extra pair of hands around, and we were able to get so much done! Despite the gloomy look in the picture (she refuses to have her picture taken right now), Addison was so excited to see her Mimi at the airport. We kept her busy and I know she is probably going home tired.

Thanks Mom, you saved my sanity!!!

More Snow Day

Tommy and the girls braved the cold to play in the snow this afternoon. Reagan hated putting all those snow cloths on, but she loved being outside and having sissy throw snowballs at her. Addison worked her way through the snow. It was all the way up to her knees in some places. I think a snowsuit is definitely in order!

Snow Day

So, I have been in denial, the weather has been beautiful since we have been here. Warm and sunny every afternoon. Then, this morning I woke up to a winter wonderland. The weather was predicting 4 to 7 inches of snow today, and I definitely think there is already at least 5 inches in the driveway.

My mom is here, so Tommy and I ventured out to try a church and left the girls at home. Tommy made me have snow driving lessons while the girls were safe at home. It actually wasn't too bad (in Tommy's car not mine....still scared of mine). However, just like I feared I couldn't get in the driveway. Tommy actually had to get out and shovel snow before we could pull in. We learned quickly why a few neighbors had shoveled snow before going out. If you don't, you can't get back in!!! The neighbors across the street, who we met a few times, stuck there heads out and asked if we missed Texas yet?

Addison went out to play while Tommy was shoveling. I think a snow-suit is definitely in order! We almost lost her in the front yard. Who knows what it will look like by the end of the day. It is still coming down like crazy!

Rocks are the new Acorn

Since she learned to walk, Addison spent most sunny afternoons gathering acorns up and down Gaslight Place. We often had full buckets of acorns in the garage. I would find acorns in my car, in my pockets and in my washing machine.

So far, we haven't found any acorns in Colorado, but there are landscaping rocks all throughout the neighborhood. She loves collecting them! I am trying to teach her that she can't take them from people's yards. Thankfully we have a backyard full of them. They love to sit on our new patio, play with the rocks and watch all the people and dogs go by on the greenbelt.