Thursday, December 27, 2012

Christmas


We had just a wonderful Christmas this year!  The girls are both at SUCH fun ages, and both enjoyed all of it, from the lights to the nativity to the snacks and special family times.
   

Sofie (shocker) LOVED her new baby, her new necklace, and of course, her sparkle shoes!




At bedtime, Lily said, "Mommy, I love my Arielle.  You are the best mommy in the whole world."  
Yes, she said it because of a gift.  BUT, it was a really sweet moment, nonetheless :)
Aunt Maria and Aunt Elisa got the girls new Christmas swimsuits, which of course, made them absolutely giddy!

Sofie's favorite was her sing and dance doggie...who she danced and sang with, then sat on.



Having Grandpa here made all the difference...We can do no snow.  We can do no traditional festivies that we're used to.  I can EVEN do no candy-cane ice cream (barely).  But having family with us...that's a must!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

land of the free

While I have the short and SWEET AWESOME FREE INTERNET OF AMERICA!!!!! (just a little excited!) I will finally upload tons of pictures I have been waiting to painstakingly upload!  I fully recognize that this is WAY too many pictures for the average person....so...these are for family :)







Sofie, every single time she gets sand on her hands.





Lily flipped her cup over as the waitress was bringing coffee, so Lily got a cup of coffee.  She. Was. SO. Excited.


 Sofie and Thaliya love to play together, as long as NO toys and NO pacifiers are involved.  Peek-a-boo, good.  

Nothing like eating some good tree :)






making playdough "cookies"






Friday, December 7, 2012

I think Sofie looks like my cousin's daughter here, Payton!  She's SO ornery, with Lily's school shoes, no pants, jammie top and 3 hair bows.  
Aunt Sharon spent lots of time this week playing with Lil and Sofie, and this was t-shirt day!
We're incredibly blessed...

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

chatter bug

When Uncle Don was here, he mentioned that a "baby whisperer" sister of his ran a day care, and could always get kids to talk by refusing to give them anything they didn't ask for, or attempt to ask for.
I've been a bit frustrated with Sofie's refusal to talk, though she'll point and grunt and charade away, when Lily was talking up a storm at this age.  I know every child is different, but literally 6 months ago, Sofie said "Alligator" clear as day 15 times and then would NEVER say it again.  Same with "cup", same with "i love you" "grandpa, same with LOTS of words.
Now, she was grabbing my hand, leading me around, showing me exactly what she wanted, but refusing to talk.  SO, when he said that, I got thinking.

This past Saturday morning, Matt and I decided it was TIME.  We had a relatively uneventful weekend, and no guests, so we hunkered down for a "it's-gonna-be-a-long-weekend" and did it.

NO cup till she said cup.  She cried, and tantrumed, and cried some more.  And then, finally, hiccuping... "cup."  Same with "up", same with "cheese"...and suddenly, after a relatively miserable and exhausting Saturday, she's gone from 4 consistent words (Momma and Baby, No and Ella) to 20, repeating after everyone, learning English and Creole.
By today, just 4 days later, she's spouting "Up, Cup, Cheese, Moon, Lily, Dou-Dou (Creole for candy or sweets), B'am (Creole for "give it to me"), Meh (Creole for "here, take it"), Gertha, Dodo, Bubba, Thank You, Love You, Nay-Nay (her friend Naomy), book, bug, more, shoe, and of course....MINE.
"Mine", though we never actually worked to teach her this horrible word, has become a quick favorite.

"MINE!" she says adoringly, lovingly, threateningly, bossily, sassily, sweetly, about EVERYTHING.  Oh man, proof that human is in every baby :)
She was already snuggling with Dodo tonight, following her sister's lead that Dodo and Bubba are a GREAT thing, and I LOVE hearing Lily say, "Sofie, say DOLL.  DOLL.  Can you say Butterfly?  Say Butterfly!"  Lily is always mama's assistant!
No, it has not dipped below 70.  Yes, Lily still thinks it's chilly.
Here is a picture of what happens when it rains.
Or when yesterday was a holiday.
Or when the president is unhappy.

AFTER 45 minutes of uniforming and hair braiding, Lily's school cancels class.
And Mommy, with no nanny, takes Lily to Mommy's school.
And Mommy gets nothing done.
And Lily LOVES it.


Thursday, November 1, 2012

rain and badgers


Let's face it...the girls aren't going to get any snow days.  
But rain days?  Those are really good, too.


They LOVE it, and LOVE any excuse to wear hoodies (Thanks, Aunt Bren!)





Their thing yesterday was being ducks, "quack-quack-quacking" all the way.


 Then, our very fantastic visitors (and their wives, I'm sure!) hosted Christmas in October...the kids were all five on cloud 9!
Babies for the "babies", 
 wooden pizza, burger, cupcake and cookie sets for the girls (OH MAN)


Boy stuff for Gideon, who is in desperate need for BOY stuff with all these girls!



And then somehow, upon Matt running the bath, Sofie dove in with all her clothes and her new baby.

And would NOT go to sleep until damp baby was safely in her clutches.  
And the MOMENT Lily woke up this morning, all she would talk about was "Uncle Don" and making "Cookie Badgers", which we later realized, was BATCHES.  

SUPER cute to see them both baking away at 6:15 :)