Milestones

My dad turned 60!  This is mostly how I remember him from my childhood - really hairy with baseball coach shorts on. ;)  He was an active and present dad...always out in the backyard playing catch with Brandon or coaching a team or even playing on a team himself.  He certainly wasn't lazy.  He kept our house and yard in immaculate shape, and he did not like it one bit if someone rode their bike in our yard.  He loved to camp and hunt.  He was an animal lover, and I've always loved that about him.  He let us have all the pets we wanted and he gave them love too.  He's easy to love because he so easily loves.  I realize I'm talking about him in the past tense, but only because I'm reminiscing...

Between the girls being silly and the sun shining in our eyes, it was hard to get a good pic.  This is more real life anyway, I suppose.  

We sure do love you, Papa!  More than we love cake...

A fun day celebrating my dad.  I love seeing him and Grandma Tricia with our girls.

Then we had a sleepover at Mimi & Pa's house so we could help celebrate Blake's 30th the next day.  Pa loves puzzles, and the girls love trying to help.  Papa is so funny when the girls are there.  He laughs all the time and gets a kick out of their energy and cartoons.  I enjoy the time with mom and Mimi (& the wine); we are all so comfortable there.  It's fun staying at Mimi & Pa's!

Early morning co-pilot trip to Target

A special treat while we shop...

...two minutes later, of course.  *sigh*

Oh my goodness, I love being around Blake.  Millie really loves being around Blake.  He's always smiling.  And he's a really good bowler.  It was so awesome to celebrate him, for once!

Syd was upset her face wasn't in the picture more ;)

Silly string shenanigans...can you see Millie hiding the can behind her back?  I think Blake had a really good day celebrating with family and friends!  We love you, Blaker!

Millie made this tiny teacup at school.  Cool, huh?

Syd is still hanging on to her naps, most days.  She can skip a nap every once in awhile, but it's hard on her.  Thankfully, she's great at napping with other things going on.  I'll go to pick her up from school and she'll still be snoozing with the lights on and kids playing all around her.  More often than not, she'll nap on our family bike rides too.  World class napper!

A local art studio has Friday fun nights for kids.  Millie loves seeing her friends she doesn't get to go to school with, and their giggling is out of control.  This pic cracks me up because these girls are 7 and 10 months older than Millie, respectively.  Our girl is going to be so tall!

Guess what?  Syd can skip!!  I remember this being a big deal when Millie could do it, and it's no less special with Syd.  She's so proud of herself and has been skipping every place we've gone this week.  It makes for slow-going but also makes me smile to watch her.

Love is in the Air

I love Valentine's week.  So much heart-shaped goodness.  It's a feel-good holiday that celebrates love...which I love!  Syd decided she needed some colors in her hair to make it all the more festive.

We've had very little winter weather this year.  Global warming, perhaps?  It's great for me, as a mom...we get some random park days in the middle of winter.  It makes Millie so sad though.  She's dying to go sledding and make a snowman.

These four play so hard <3

I got to attend both girls parties this year.  Millie was very proud of her Valentines box.

She loves Pop Rocks, so these Valentines were perfect for her!

 Syd gets to attend most of Millie's parties too.

Syd loves getting to be a part of it, and Millie loves showing her off.  win-win

Christie came back to OK for the week, and we were able to meet her at the zoo.  It was 80 degrees that day!  In February!  A couple of little girls were sweaty, cranky, and tired by the end of the day.  The thing with kids is you never know what you're going to get....this day just happened to be a really high maintenance day.  But at least I got to spend time with my friend.

This is the same turtle I used to stare at as a kid.  Looks more like a dinosaur than a turtle.

This makes me so happy.  I love Christie.  My girls love Christie.  Wish we were able to see her more often.

Is there anything cuter than this face?!

Kind of love this

Lots of geese to feed lately!

Poor Syd.  I realize this pic is hard to make out, but Syd's crib has been turned into a toddler bed.  One side is missing, which makes it too easy for her to fall out.  Or in this case, to turn perpendicular where only half of her body is on the bed.  She complains almost daily that she wants the side put back on.  I've got to get her a bigger bed pronto!

Millie has conquered the monkey bars!  She's worked so hard on this.

Syd's party was actually on Valentine's Day this year.  Her valentine is Mrs. Kim ;)

 Sassypants picked out Shimmer and Shine valentines for her friends

Piddy and the boys.  She loves her friends at school, especially the little blonde boy on her left.  His name is Christian and they are such good little friends.  It's so sweet to watch them.

My forever valentine <3

Muff Lodge

The first weekend in February, we took the girls to the Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City.  (The girls call it the Muff Lodge, which makes me think of Dazed and Confused.)  And look who happened to be there at the same time: Cayden & Beckham!

They pretty much had the time of their lives... See Clipper Video Here

Every evening there was a dance party by the clock tower, and every morning there was yoga!

It was pretty darn cute to watch.  Beckham has a yoga class at school, so he was the expert of the group.

Ready to swim!

Millie is such a fish now.  She and Cayden swam everywhere and went down the big slides together and pretty much dominated that place.

Syd preferred a much more relaxed vibe.

Throw me daddy!

A trip to the T-Rex Cafe was fun

And a few trips to the arcade...everyone was happy!  We were all exhausted by the time we left on Sunday...

Syd Speak: How Do You Know??

Syd: I have some bad news.
me: what?
Syd: there is rain inside the car.
me: yeah, it's okay...it rained a little on the inside of your door when i was putting you in your car seat.
Syd: how do you know?
me: uh....

This is her go-to question these days...not "why?"...but "how do you know?".  It's a hard one.

 We talk often about what the girls want to be for Halloween.  This week, it's probably something to do with Moana or Elena of Avalor.  Princess stuff, ya know.  But today, Syd surprised me by saying she had a good idea!  She wants to be a rainbow snowman that won't melt.  Then she thought for a moment and added: with pretty shoes. ;)  Typical Syd.  She cracks me up.

Today she played a bit of doctor while Millie was at school.  She's so imaginative!

Currently

Things have been pretty fun around here lately.  The girls are absolutely LOVING going to gymnastics and dance.  I love watching them have such a good time in their classes.  Thankfully, they are able to go at the same time, so I can keep the amount of driving all over NWA to a minimum.  Although it doesn't feel that way.  In a few more years, I can't even imagine the chaos of scheduling!  But for now...it's a sweet time, and I'm happy to do it.

Dance sisters <3

Millie has really been impressing us with her abilities.  She's such a good listener and tries so hard.  Syd does a great job too!  Sometimes she gets tired though. ;)  She is only three...

Millie kind of had a rough day on Tuesday.  The girls talked us into a sister sleepover the night before, so Millie started off the day sleep-deprived.  Then she fell off the monkey bars and hurt her wrist.  When I picked her up from school that day, she immediately started bawling when she saw me.  It was just so sad.  Then we had to go to the ENT and it has been decided that she needs her tonsils out.  Millie cried when I told her, probably mostly from everything else that had happened that day, but she's also scared it will hurt.  She seems to take comfort knowing Uncle Brandon had it done when he was a kid.  Plus, the promise of unlimited popsicles and ice cream. ;)  Wednesday morning, she woke up with a very sore wrist, so I let her stay home from school and take a mental health day.  Syd stayed home too and it was a great day.  Millie loved decorating her Valentines box with me that afternoon!

Every morning, like clockwork, Syd comes downstairs at 6am.  She's sooooo good at waiting for the green clock.  And every morning, I am so happy to see her...and for some reason, it cracks me up that she actually waits for the green clock and can come downstairs all on her own.  This morning, she completely MADE my week when she said "momma, you're always so happy to see me when I come down in the mornings".  *heart exploding*  Oh how I love these girls. <3

Other random pics: 

Syd said "mom look, I made a 4!" (with her legs)

Babysitter Brittany brings her new puppy, Winnie, sometimes.  The girls absolutely died laughing when Winnie pooped on the floor.  They're still talking about it.

Syd had the best time at a Chuck E Cheese birthday party recently.  She loves her school friends.  I'm thinking I might have to give her a party of her own this year.

Sometimes in January we get a few warm weather days!  Weekend bike rides with the family are the best!

Syd is counting down the days until Spring when she can wear sundresses and ballet flats daily.  I try to make her wear boots in the winter, but some days I just can't fight about it.  So Peppa Pig socks and kitty cat shoes will have to do.  She's actually smiling here because she was the "leader" in class that day (see how her pic is first in line on the board behind her?).

She loves to take random stuff to school.  This week, it was her baby and it's carrier.  Her teacher said she wore it even at nap time.

Sunroof action!  She likes to hang out of it on the nice days when waiting for Mills to come out of her school.