29 November 2010

Happy 5000 Giveaway!

Someone will be viewer number 5000 of the blog (since I added my counter) and in celebration of that milestone and my favorite time of the year I am having a giveaway! I've been baking and crafting like crazy recently and I want to share some of my fun craft finds with you. One lucky viewer will be winning one of my creations...which one has yet to be decided, but considering the holiday think Christmas :)

How do you win? leave me a note under this post, perhaps a joke, a random fact, a hello, or something else...get creative! Greg will choose the winner (he doesn't know that yet) **thanks Love** Get posting and you could win, lurkers welcome to post as well!! Good Luck!

Winner will be announced December 13th (ish)

A Little Christmas



Alex and Kaylee have brand new stockings that are hung...Thank you Crawfords! The girls love the sound of the jingle bell that is attached to the stocking :)
My other reindeer- I have been eyeing the reindeer placemats at Target, so I decided to pull out some empty canvases and make my own happy reindeer- I made a little boy deer and a girl deer. Did you know that the female reindeer are the only ones who keep their antlers in the winter?! Just a little Monday trivia from me to you.

It's Time For Reindeer To Snack


My little reindeer were taking a break from Christmas decorating to have a little snack. This rare breed of reindeer love cheese and bananas!

First Time Out


The whole family took a walk the other day to test out the new stroller-it was a little windy, but we managed. Greg was able to take some time away from exam studying to enjoy the windy walk as well! The stroller may be heavier than my original Double Snap n' Go, but it is a breeze to push-it glides so easily. I love it! The only minor issue I have with it is that you have to take off the seats to fold up the stroller...sad story, but I am sure I will get used to it as time goes on. I think even though the girls are getting a little big for their Snap n' Go I will keep that around for quick in and out trips and use the big kid stroller for longer trips out and for walks.
Pictured above is what happens when you take a baby for a walk and then try to feed...poor Alex didn't even get through eating from a spoon and that is her favorite part of meal time :( She was so tired that I was able to clean her off, take her out of her seat, bring her upstairs and lay her in her crib and she never batted an eye. All in all I think she enjoyed her new big kid stroller!

Christmas Came Early


The girls got their big kid stroller for Christmas..just a little early! The girls took a stroll around the house on Thanksgiving evening and LOVED their new ride. It may be kinda large but I think the girls and I will like it more than a side by side stroller.
Thank you Aunt Susan and Uncle Bill!

23 November 2010

Growing So Quickly

Here is a little clip of Alex. pulling herself up and then taking a step or two forward. How has this happened so quickly?! She tries to stand up on everything that is slightly higher than ground level, including but not limited to, a file crate, my hands, books, diaper boxes, and Kaylee's head or chest.

Beautiful Day




Saturday was a beautiful and fun day for us. We started by having a photo session with our neighbor (pics to be posted soon), enjoying the weather a little while longer outside on the deck, giving Greg a haircut and the rest of the day was spent being lazy. It felt great having all four of us together enjoying a lazy afternoon before the reality of law school struck again sending Greg back to work.
Greg's idea of hanging out on the deck was a good one--These adorable pictures never would have happened otherwise!

19 November 2010

Armageddon?


Looks like. I went to the grocery store to get cheese and yogurt melts for the girls and I walk out with $50 of produce and no cheese. Pictured above is part of my crazed shopping trip to the store, all of what is pictured was on my list, except for the yellow 'box' of yogurt melts. I'm pretty sure I can feed the girls for the next month or more with all the food I bought. The idea of Thanksgiving being just a week away made me panic. I don't want to go to the store at all next week so some switched must have flipped and I was in Veggie shopping mode. I guess I was scared that I wouldn't have enough veggies to get me through next week, or I was just caught up on the fact that I did not give my girls veggies yesterday..who knows? So what did I buy on this crazed pre-thanksgiving grocery trip?
1. a head of cauliflower (sorry Greg, I know it smells bad, but it is good for the girls)
2. 1.84 lbs. of broccoli
3. 1.52 lbs of zucchini
4. 4 avocados
5. 3+ lbs of sweet potatoes
6. 2 lbs of bananas
7. 2.18 lbs of green beans
8. 24 oz of peas
9. 1 lb of spinach
10. 12 oz of edamame
11. an acorn squash (apparently delicious)
12. a delicata squash (I'm not sure what it is, but the label said it tastes sweet)
13. 12 oz of corn
So, rather than blogging maybe I should be using some of this food?! before I go and in honor of Thanksgiving, I am thankful I do not have to go to the grocery store until next Friday- except for maybe cheese.


**side note** I did have to buy all of the above to go with my 3 lbs of carrots and 7 lbs of apples I already had in my fridge.

16 November 2010

Christmas Cards Are Here!!

Is it too early to send them out? :)

15 November 2010

Red Light, Green Light, GO!


She did it!
The girls have loved playing with a plastic set of 'keys' that my friends mother gave them. And on that set of keys there is a 'stop light' and the yellow light is a button and when you push it the red and green lights light up. Well if you would like to see a baby who is entranced just push that button and bingo! Well today, as you can see in the picture, Kaylee found the yellow button all on her on and boy, was she awestruck! She had the biggest eyes just staring at the bright lights in disbelief. I really don't think she could believe that she turned those lights on...She proceeded to turn the lights on and off staring in awe each time. And in the picture you can also see Alex attacking, she thought the lights were pretty great as well.

Say Cheese...with Cheese!



We had fun at Wegman's today. While cruising along checking my list to make sure I remembered to get all that was needed I remembered the girls had cheese for the first time yesterday and I needed to get them some milder cheese (Swiss was quite the cheese to try the first time out!)
side note: Alex liked the Swiss while Kaylee was not a fan.
Back to the story-we are at Wegman's and I picked up a milder cheese, Colby Jack, and Kaylee tried to reach for it- so I gave her the 8oz block of cheese. She seemed to like the cold feeling and perhaps the crinkle of the wrapping, she was smiling and talking to it-I'm not sure what it said back, but I had the feeling the cheese was funny b/c Alex started laughing. She just thought Kaylee and the cheese were too funny, so I gave her a block of cheese* too, Sharp Cheddar (for mommy). And who would have guessed, the sharp cheddar is a funny cheese as well! I was pushing my stroller around with 2 girls just talking up a storm to 2 blocks of cheese and I started to chime in on their conversation; I felt like I was missing out on all the fun. I am sure the other shoppers thought we were crazy for being so excited and happy about cheese but we had a 'Heluva Good' time :)

*I never intended to buy myself cheese, but I am sure this is the first of many times I will be buying 2 of something so that each child gets her own (insert unneeded/unwanted item here) to hold. All must be even in the world.

10 November 2010

What Are They Doing Now?

The girls have turned 7 months old...now what?

Alex is continuing to build up momentum when crawling; she is so quick these days! I was playing with Kaylee and I turn around to see her fiddling with the vacuum cord across the room...this is why we don't keep things plugged in. Alex has shown an interest in pulling up. Now, call us crazy but Greg and I have been searching the house and rigging up contraptions to help Alex pull herself up. So far a plastic crate from college filled with books has worked best- I've attached some toys to the top of it to entice her :)
Kaylee has really started talking. Currently she really loves the sound "da", repeating it over and over, 'da, da, da, da, daaaa'. I know Greg will be over the moon when she can apply that sound as his name- that will be amazing! The little talker loves to sit! And since she has practiced sitting so much she is now working on clapping...so cute to see her happily sitting and smacking her hands together, perhaps a video will show up in the next few days.
They both are getting pretty good at their finger foods-Puffs are a hit! I just purchased the Target brand of Puffs the other day because they have blueberry flavor- the girls LOVE blueberries! Perhaps pictures to come later, a baby just awoke from her slumber.

09 November 2010

9 Month Shopping


The girls and I went to Carter's and picked up a few things. I can hardly believe I was buying clothes that were for 9 and 12 month old children, what is that all about?! Regardless of the size we were successful- each baby got 2 sleepers, 1 fuzzy coverup with hood, 2 shirt/legging sets, 1 shirt, and 1 pair of leggings...so if I were to pay retail all of that would have cost $234 with an average of $18/outfit. And after shopping the sales and my kind neighbor who gave me her coupon the grand total was $82 with an average price of $6.60/outfit! I like good deals :)

I Spy


with my little eye....wait, I spy TWO little eyes!
Kaylee has awoken and decided to turn herself over (a first for her in her crib) Now when we go by their room in the morning we might just have two little heads peaking up at us. We are so proud of our little girl for using her skills.

No, Thank You.


These were the faces that the girls were giving me when I tried to give them their sippy cup with milk in it. They looked at me I like I was crazy and smiled. Both Alex and Kaylee entertained me by chewing on their sippy cup for a minute and then threw it on the ground. Clearly they still want their milk in a bottle and water in a sippy cup.

I'm Excited!

Christmas cards have been created and I'm pretty sure they are great and will be well received...I mean who wouldn't want such happy babies to greet them from inside an envelope?

03 November 2010

Selling Sand


I sent this picture to my mom and she shared it with a co-worker or two...or four :) and one of the responses I thought was so nice and funny...

They need to be in commercials. They can sell sand in the desert.

We like What We See!



The girls are really starting to enjoy the mobiles that I made during one of the snow storms earlier this year! I'm not sure how far back Alex head can go...it is pretty impressive how much her neck bends

Trees? I like Trees!



Kaylee likes to learn through exploration and touch and Alex, well she like to chew on things to learn...

Peek-a-Boo


Alex may seem like Miss Independent (suppressing my urge to sing that Kelly Clarkson song) but not so deep down she likes to cuddle or bulldoze in most cases.

Post Napping Baby

The Sounds of a Baby

Alex had recently woken up from her afternoon nap and was happy talking to her feet...Their room is dark for their nap, so you can't see anything in the video..just sound this time.

Farmer and Crop





Halloween was a great day at our house; I was so excited to get the girls all dressed up; I mean don't we all have children just to dress them up on Halloween?
The neighborhood continued with its halloween block party tradition and this is the first year we were able to participate with children- the food was good and the friends were even better! Greg and I couldn't be happier living here surrounded by such great families! There were quite a few shutterflies out there so we are hoping to get a really good picture of the four of us dresse as Farmers and their crop of 1 pea pod and 1 carrot :)

Whoo made those?!


After I saw a picture of these cute owls I just HAD to make them myself! So easy and so cute! Am I the only one who still has a thing for their high school mascot?!

Cardboard Take Me Away


If they aren't wearing a diaper they are eating one, playing with one, rolling out of one, and now riding around in the diaper box. Alex loves to play peek-a-bo with the box and Kaylee LOVES to be pushed around the house in the box...she is a master sitter which helps!

Trick-or-Treat?!



Early on in the pumpkin season I got this crazy idea to put my child INTO the pumpkin-I'm not too sure how my mind gets these ideas, but I seem to follow along pretty well. think the girls knew what they were getting themselves into when they were born and somehow they don't mind...too much :) (see below)

The great thing about that pumpkin is that we used all of it! It was a crucial part in a photo session, it became the girls food (lots of food!), and I cooked the seeds...all in all I great use of a free pumpkin!

Insert Thought Bubble Here...