ABC’s, Gymnastics, Water, Baby Dolls & Football, and Fun at the Zoo

The girls have been working on their ABC’s.  I love in this video that Emma picks up right where Madi pauses and them it goes back to Madi to finish it off.  They are also showing off their big girl panties, Madi’s have Elmo and ABC on it.  She is now only in diapers at nap and bedtime, so proud. 

Gymnastics

The girls have been taking a gymnastics class since December. The other day Chad decided to come with us before heading off to a meeting.  The girls loved showing daddy what gymnastics was all about.  Madi even went on the big trampoline for the first time.  She is my cautious one.

Emma is a little more adventurous at gymnastics.

Daddy helping Madi on the bars.

Emma loves to hang on the bars and try to touch her toes to her hands.

Water Anyone?

The girls use their stools and chairs to reach almost everything these days.  Saturday night daddy and I were relaxing on the couch when I turned around and noticed the girls helping themselves to some water.  The best part is that Madi can’t open the fridge or freezer by herself, so when she wants it open she calls for Emma and says, “Emma muscles”. 

Baby doll and football

I love this picture of Emma, she is snuggling with her baby doll and football wearing her basketball pajammies.  Just a few of her favorite things.  The jammies are my favorite because when I took the girls to Costco to pick out new jammies neither of them wanted the pink girlie ones with butterflies and flowers.  Instead Emma insisted on the orange and brown monkey basketball ones and Madi ended up with green monkey ones.  Emma asks us to turn on basketball instead of cartoons.  She will actually sit and watch the games.  I don’t think she will ever be tall enough to actually play as the height predictor predicts she will only be 5’1” based on her two year stats.

Fun at the zoo

Daddy has been sick all weekend, so Saturday morning I took the girls to the zoo to get out of the house and give him some peace and quiet.  It wasn’t that nice but the zoo was packed.  I am used to going on the week days when it is empty.  We still had fun though.  The hippos are either sleeping or in the water when we visit them, today one was actually walking around enjoying a snack. 

The girls pulling their own stuff around, as I followed empty handed.  I could get used to this.

The bear was in great view also enjoying a snack. 

As we went by the sloth bear exhibit we noticed quite a crowd, so we stopped to take a look as well.  It turns out they were introducing their male and female.  Turns out sloth bears make a really interesting sound.

 

The girls also had fun playing on the gorilla statues.  They were trying to use their muscles to move the little one and giving high fives to the big one.  Daddy taught them how to grunt when they use their muscles. 

Santa needs a bath

The girls say some of the funniest things and I need to be better about writing them down so I remember them.  This morning we were in the car and Madi spotted a homeless man with a long white beard. 

Madi: “Santa, Santa walking” See the man walking down the sidewalk

Mommy: “No that isn’t Santa, that is a dirty old man”

Emma: “ Mamma wash it”

Mommy: “ you want mommy to wash the old man cause he’s dirty?”

Emma: “yeah”.

Suncadia

We took off on Tuesday morning for a Mommies and Kids’ retreat to Suncadia.  Sommer found a great house to rent so 5 mommies and 10 kids all went over the mountains and through the woods for a little getaway.  The house was big and beautiful with enough beds for all 15 of us.  The kids had a great time playing outside despite the lack of snow. 

On our way up we stopped at the summit to let Emma ski a little with Matt and Brady.  After five runs on the bunny hill and magic carpet she was done and I managed to get the boots and skis on Madi for about 30 seconds.  So if you asked her, she tried skiing. I am sure I was quite the sight, I had one 2.5 year old in the backpack carrier and the other on skis.  It actually worked out very well. And Emma is very proud of herself for skiing again.   Proof Madi was on skis.

On the phone with Nana, telling her that she tried skiing. She was much happier in the backpack.

I wish we had tried this earlier in the season.  The snow is awful now and the season is coming to an end very quickly.  It makes me excited for next winter. 

After playing in the snow we headed to the house,

unloaded the cars and got settled in. 

Wednesday we checked out the little park near the house, took long naps and managed to successfully enjoy dinner with 10 kids at a pizza joint in Roslyn. 

 

I am sad we didn’t get a picture of all the kids together. 

Ski Bunnies

Chad and I have been talking for months about getting the girls up to the mountains to try skiing.  We finally decided this weekend would be that time.  Over the last few days I have been hyping it up as much as possible.  We have been looking at pictures of their friends skiing and talking about what it means.  With the Olympics on now, we have been pointing out the skiing when ever it is on TV.  We decided to only rent one set of boots and skis and see how it went.  To my surprise they had gear small enough, we got the smallest boots and smallest skis they offered and they were perfect.  We decided Emma would be the first to try, she is the more brave of the two (or fearless).  She took to the boots quite well, as ski boots can be hard to walk in.  Chad put on his skis and away they went.  Madi was an excellent cheerleader, but didn’t want to try.  How cute is the small gear?   Madi watching and cheerleading. Daddy makes a great chair lift.Emma on the magic carpet.

Skiing down the bunny hill.

This is how Madi skis.Hanging out on the big bear. 

In other news… NAPKINS

If you have ever had a meal with my children you know that they have to have a napkin.  They will DEMAND a napkin before they eat most times.  It is pretty funny, they are a little OCD when it comes to napkins at mealtime.  Just about two weeks ago, Emma got a stomach bug.  I heard her screaming around 12:45am and went to go check on her.  The fist words out of her mouth were “I spilled, need napkin”.  I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about.  The girls have water cups in their bed, but what did she me she spilled? Upon further investigation I discovered she had thrown up.  She must have covered her mouth because it was all over her hand, hence the request for a napkin. 

The girls are transitioning more and more into little people.  They have opinions and conversations that blow me away.  Madi has potty trained herself; wearing big girl panties to school, gymnastics and out to run errands. And in Emma’s opinion, diapers are still best even after she uses the big girl potty.  They have discovered that if they want something we can go to a store and buy it.  When Madi can’t find something or decides she wants something she tells me to go to the store and buy it.  I wish it were that simple. 

We took the girls to another basketball game.  We took them to the WSU-UW game here at UW.  It was a sad second half for the cougs; they totally coug’d it, but the girls had fun.  I think it is safe to say that Emma’s favorite sport to watch is basketball.  She has even asked me to turn it on the TV instead of cartoons.  She picked out orange and brown basketball pajamas at Costco instead of any of the girly ones. 

They both now have chosen a favorite color.  I am not pleased with the choices, but not sure I can do anything about it.  Madi has decided she likes yellow.  She wants everything yellow, a yellow bike, a yellow cup for juice, yellow play-doh; if yellow is a choice she will choose it.  Emma then of course has to go and pick purple.  She wants a purple bike, a purple cup, purple stickers, purple, purple, purple…Are you kidding me, my two kids pick purple and yellow!!!!  I like yellow as a color on it’s own, I am even okay with purple as a color on it’s own.  I do not like the two colors together.  I will get them to change their minds to crimson and grey someday.