29...New or Old?

On Tuesday night, Ava and I painted our toes, getting them ready for sandal weather (Yay! Finally!) Ava chose a beautiful buttery-yellow, fabulous on her stubby little toes. I chose my color (a mauve-like shade) and commented that mine was an old-lady color. "Are you an old lady, Mom?" she asked. "Do you think I'm an old lady?" I questioned. Her response: "No, I think you are still new." :)

The next morning as we were getting ready for the day, she talked about the sparkles on her hair clip. I said that my shirt was kind of sparkly too (the pattern had a little shimmer). "Yeah, you can wear that because you're still new."

A little background...We were recently in a shoe store and Ava thought I should try on some tennis shoes that had sequins and glitter on them. Not really my style and I'm a little past the glitter stage of my life, I said, "I think I'm a little too old for something that sparkly." Apparently she stored that little bit of info away in her memory file! LOL!

Can you say "candy"?

Last Saturday, we went to Grama Carla's for brunch and to dye eggs. Ava and Zoe had fun with their "practice" egg hunt. On Sunday morning, the girls were excited to see that our basket of eggs had been filled and hidden around the living room. Zoe caught on quickly! She has added a new word to her vocabulary..."Candy!"(Another cute one, totally unrelated, but cute: "kiwi"...she says it when burps and toots!)

Skittles...the breakfast of champions!

Ava is learning to trace her name.

After we played with the new goodies and ate candy for breakfast, we went over to Grama Jan and Grampa Joe's for brunch. Then we went over to Sue and Gary's for Easter with the Thells. Ava of course, did not nap. She never has been able to nap well at other people's houses, especially with a lot of commotion. With her getting older, I was so hopeful, just wanting to believe that she could make it one day without a nap so we wouldn't have to leave after just an hour. She was fine over there, but let me tell you, I paid for it when we got home. We had the tantrum of all tantrums roaring full-blast at our house. This used to be a very common occurrance (remember her hoarse voice?). I have not seen this child in over a year! It was so extreme that I even called my mom and dad to see if they were still in town to help out. They weren't. An hour later, we finally calmed somewhat. Jamie called me right after I finally got her to sleep. I felt much better talking to someone who knows what it is like to deal with. I also told him and I am stating here for the record that I will NOT be attending any gatherings (family, friends, or otherwise) that take place between the hours of 1-4pm. Jamie agrees. I'm sorry. Please don't take offense if I don't come or if I leave after an hour. Ava just is not a child who can go without a nap and I decided that I am going to be mom first and and take care of my girl. She NEEDS it. (And so do I!)

I can do a trick...

Zoe learned a new trick. She discovered that her finger is just the right size to fit inside her nostril. She likes to put her finger in and just leave it there. She doesn't pick her nose, her pointer just likes to "hang out" there.

Ava has had this trick for quite a while. I think she discovered she could make this funny laugh sound sometime last fall. She was going to show Grama Donna and Grampa Jeff when we visited a couple weeks ago, but wanted to "wait until later." Then, we forgot. She was sad when we got home and she realized she didn't get to show them, so we made a video. No one else can do it...just Ava.

Ava added "camera" to her birthday list. Yes, I realize her birthday is not until August, but "adding it to the list" is the only way to get her to stop the "I wants" (Sorry Jer, the Barbie camera only lasted for that one roll of film...the door got bent backward and now light shines in to the film area...it now serves the roll of "pretend camera"...but the pictures she took did surprisingly turn out well! And she enjoys "pretending" to take pictures)

Here is a nice picture she took of Zoe and me (with my camera). :)

Here is a "not-so-nice" picture she took of Zoe and me.

Yes this really did hurt that bad! :(

She really captures the "true emotion" doesn't she?

I have 2 blankets?!?!

When we got home from Sioux Falls, I was changing Zoe's diaper on Ava's bed and she was holding her blanket (sucking her thumb, of course) and as she glanced over, she discovered saw that her blanket was also in her crib. I could see the little wheels turning. She took her thumb out of her mouth and looked at the blanket that she was holding. She looked again at the blanket in her crib. Blanket in her hand. Blanket in her crib. Hmmm. I handed her the blanket that was in her crib and she kicked her legs as fast as she could and gleamed with excitement! For those of you who don't know...Zoe LOVES her blanket. Ava was never quite attached to her blanket as Zoe is. Zoe NEEDS her blanket just like Ava NEEDED her Nuk. With both girls, I bought 2 identical blankets from the get go, so when one was in the wash, the other was ready to be snuggled. I didn't realize how smart this plan was until Zoe got sick all over her blanket and it was out of order, and let me tell you, when she's sick she really NEEDS her "Beh-dee" (she recently started saying blanket, and that's how she says it).

Aaahhh...the world is good.

Look Ma...I got 2!

I am lovin' this!

In Ava's dance class, they recently started using their tap shoes. She usually wears them around the house daily and since she's started tapping in dance class, they've stayed in her backpack, so it's been a little quieter around the house. She has her recital on May 31, so they are practicing their dance routine. Below is a video of the routine. They normally do not hold hands, but this was at the very end of the 45-minute class, so for 2-3 year-olds, any participation at this point is welcomed. They are usually great for about the first 30-35 minutes and then they get a little silly or slack. :)

So you think you can hide, Eh?

Mr. Rundall, you think you're so wise...skipping state on April Fool's Day! Hah! There's no hiding from me...I'll be waiting for you when you return and I'll get you when you least expect it!

A little background on the kitchen sprayer...for the last four years, I've gotten Jamie every April Fool's Day with a little scotch tape around the kitchen sprayer. Yes, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. So now he wised up and figured he can't even be in the same state as the wife on the day of all days. Well, the kitchen sprayer, my scotch tape, and I will still be here when he comes home! The funniest time was in 2006; Ava was a baby and I asked Jamie to make her a bottle before I left to get my haircut. He said, "sure" and a minute later I heard a few choice words coming out of the kitchen...score! I laughed, he changed shirts. After reaming me out for getting him two years in a row and complaining about not being able to get the tape off of the sprayer, he made some comment about getting the bottle made before Ava got crabby. I told him to just go fill it in the bathroom. "Why?" he asked as he turned the kitchen faucet on again. {insert more choice words} Yes, he sprayed himself again, only five minutes after the first time. I thought it was hilarious! (Maybe he has burnt pizza syndrome too?) Ava got Daddy this evening. When we called, she told him "It's 70 degrees here...April Fools!!!" Daddy didn't understand when she said "April Fools," so when I got on the phone with him, he said, "What? It's 70 degrees there?!" She got him good! (we all wish it was 70 degress...ENOUGH with the snow already!!!)

We all had big grins when we picked up Daddy at the airport. A snowstorm in Denver (where his flights connected) ended in a flight cancellation and we had to wait one more day before we got to see him, but we tried not to let it get us down. Ava was excited that she got to see Grampa Jeff and Grama Donna this weekend and told me, "Why don't you and Daddy go so I can be with Grama and Grampa?"

Zoe loves to give Daddy (and everyone else!) big kisses!

Ava and Daddy played legos...not sure

who had more fun...Daddy or Ava?

Daddy was quick to assume the responsibility of nap-inducer.

Both he and Zoe were snoring.

Ava and Zoe loved taking a bath with cousin Gavin. Grama Donna

thought it was funny when she told Zoe to get naked and she

immediately tried pulling her diaper off. Yes, she LOVES baths!

Before heading back to Montana, Daddy and Grampa Jeff

brought the girls for a ride on the Ranger.

Burnt Pizza

Okay originally, I thought only Jessica would truly appreciate this story, but maybe it's proof of how fried one's brain can get when trying to do it all, so I thought I'd share it with everyone. The girls went to my mom and dad's last weekend so I could write my research paper for a class I'm taking. I was trying to work on my paper when a I saw a salesman go up to the neighbors house, then a couple minutes later there was a knock on my door. I didn't answer it because I didn't want to waste my time and no one we know ever goes to the front door. I thought a pizza sounded good for lunch so I made one. It needed just a one more minute so I set the timer (Jessica knows that I will forget after one minute and burn my pizza). I checked it. Nope. One more minute. Uuurrgghh! I didn't set the timer the second time and burned the pizza. So I made another one. Same thing! Who burns two pizzas in a row?!?! Not just a little burnt, totally inedible. I gave up. I ordered Gary's.

I started working on my paper again when someone knocked on the front door again. I'm like..."Give it up buddy I don't want whatever you're selling!" So I ignore the knock. He knocks again, so I decided fine, I will tell you face to face to go away so you'll leave me alone. Do you know who it was? The pizza man. Yes, I think I need to see my husband. We are headed to Sioux Falls shortly. The girls and I are driving and Jamie will be flying in there so we will see him before the day is over! Ava is very excited; it has been on her calendar all month and yesterday she told everyone "One more day...then I get to see my Daddy!" Every time Zoe sees a picture of Daddy, she says "dada, dada, dada, dada!"

Last night we called Uncle Justin to wish him a happy birthday and then we went to Space Aliens to have dinner and celebrate Chris and Heather's birthdays. There was a load of tickets and I was cringing at the thought of bringing home the junky toys that would ensue from the tickets. Heather brought some over to her house, but the princess dress-up set did make its way to our house. I keep trying to get the cheap plastic toys out and they keep making there way back in! One thing in the kit was broken upon opening it and I explained to Ava that that's what happens with cheap toys. Ten minutes later, four more pieces had fallen off or broken and I told Ava that we have to be very careful so Zoe doesn't get any of those parts because she still puts things in her mouth. Ava, still thrilled with her princess dress-up set said, "I so thankful for that I got all this cheap stuff!" What could I do...I laughed :)

Yay Zoe!

Yes, I know Zoe is only 14 months. But recently, we pulled out the potty chair again. Since Ava was so interested in the potty from right around her first birthday, we thought we might as well bring it out again and let Zoe explore it. Zoe hasn't been quite as interested as Ava was. She likes her potty and has enjoyed it for many activities…sitting on it, standing up, sitting on it, standing up, sitting on it, standing up…you get the point (I wish I had the energy to do squats like that!). Oh, every once in a while she likes to stand in her potty chair too. Believe me, there is no pressure here. We don't force her on the potty, but if she wants to sit on it, we'd be happy to save a diaper! Anyway like I said, so far there hasn't been much interest in using the potty for its intended purpose until yesterday morning. When Zoe woke up in the morning, her diaper was almost completely dry (a rarity), so I figured she must have a full bladder. I sat her on the potty chair and gave her some milk to drink and…psssss. Zoe went pee on the potty! She was very excited to see something in the potty when she stood up (jaw dropping shock!) and even more excited to flush it down the toilet and wave "bye-bye!" Yay Zoe! After she got dressed, she wanted to wash dishes just like her sister!


Ava has been interested in a St. Patrick's Day book that we recently got. It's about 2 kids who build leprechaun traps in hopes to catch a leprechaun and find his hidden treasure. She decided that we too, should try to catch a leprechaun. On Monday, she and Heather decorated a tissue box, then they placed a tissue over the top of it with some shiny pennies to lure him into the trap and a ladder from her Dora Lego set for him to climb up the box. Well, when we woke up in the morning on Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day, the ladder was knocked down, the box was tipped over and the tissue was inside the box. Ava wondered if there was a leprechaun in there but was a little nervous to check. She wanted Mommy to pull the tissue out so she could see. We pulled it out, and there was nothing in there! Not even our pennies. Ava figured that a leprechaun must have come during the night, took the pennies, and got out of the trap. Then we saw some little bags filled with green soaps and spa gloves sitting on the table next to the trap. Ava suggested that maybe the leprechaun left presents for her and Zoe since he took the pennies. That sounds pretty probable to me! Maybe next year we'll find a pot of hidden gold! We'll have to be even sneakier so he doesn't get away!