Nutzing Eggs

Getting ready...the contest between A and K...A is the winner! So happy. Kara's so sad. Then the winnings...we were playing with that trophy all day, more pics of it to follow.

Pronounced nootz, with the "oo" pronounced like the "oo" in cook. Otherwise known as egg tapping, apparently, as my googling has found. Basically you knock eggs together and see whose breaks - winning=not breaking. My family does this every year and it's a pretty big deal who wins tops and who wins bottoms, we try to strategize which egg is best, etc. We're maybe a little too competitive. Winners of each side win a whole dollar. My dad just told us this year that when he was a kid winners of each side won a dollar...my dad is not young. $1 in 1960 (ish) is relatively worth how much today? (Mike, do you know, econ whiz?) Regardless, that was a much more awesome prize than we get now. My family is more about bragging rights than the $, though.

Anna had the best egg. She won tops and got 2nd in bottoms! (Which my mom won, way to go). Whoa. I haven't won for years and years and years. Great job Nan! (And why didn't I pick that egg for myself?)

Growing Up

I know things always change really quickly with babies, but in the last 2 weeks I feel like that has been true to a higher degree. They have really exploded size-wise all of a sudden, for one. And most importantly, they have started going to bed right around 8 every night after taking a consistent morning and afternoon nap. They still wake up at night a few times, but they sleep 10-12 hours total, and going to bed so early is awesome! (Except when I work and get home at 6:30 or 7, then I miss them).

I am really proud of them for self-regulating so well and proving me right...that you don't have to let your baby cry it out (which I am really opposed to) for them to get on a decent schedule.

Another note: I just found out yesterday that Andrew doesn't like my nicknames for the girls. I know they are really dumb, but at least 1/2 the time I call Anna either Nan or Nanners, and Kara either Rahs or Miss Rahs. Like it or not, Andrew did admit he calls Anna Nan. :)

Dishes

1. They can kinda drink out of cups now. But only if they feel like it. I try them with cups most mornings while I'm getting their food ready, and sometimes they drink a little, but mostly they just throw them on the floor or trade them back and forth.

2. Anna and Kara (Anna did it first, which is why we only have her pic) love banging our silverware on our dishes after dinner. They both will look down at what they're banging and then look up at me or Andrew (whichever of us is not holding them) and get the most enormous grin. It's hilarious. So...the "tink tink" is something we do every night we are able to sit down to dinner as a family. (sorry my bowl is gross looking, we had chili)

Patty Cake

Aunt Sarah discovered that Anna and Kara love playing patty cake. What fun! Now we just need her to be around all the time so we can play, at least until they get old enough to be able to do it themselves.

Do We Look Like Mom?

Kara and Anna almost 8 months..............Kristan 12 months

I think they're both much cuter than I was! Same lack of hair. Both are in dresses my mom saved. She still has that book at home, too.

Should I Be Worried?

Aggressive Anna cozying up to boys already...and older men at that (Noah's just turning 1).

Easter Baskets

They got exciting things like books, shirts, socks, and most importantly (thanks Sarah and Mom) new little finger puppets - a lamb and a bunny (which Kara is waving in this last picture). The Easter grass was fun too.

Our Favorite Book

They love it - and sit still the whole time we read it, which is an accomplishment for these movers. I was happy Pete (and then Sarah took over) got to read it to them. Plus I think we're sick of reading it. :)

Favorite page: Kristan - We took a look, we saw a Nook. On his head he had a hook. On his hook he had a book. On his book was how to cook. We saw him sit and try to cook. He took a look at the book on the hook. But a Nook can't read so a Nook can't cook. So what good to a Nook is a hook cook book?

Andrew - At our house we open cans. We have to open many cans, and that is why we have a Zans. A Zans for cans is very good. Have you a Zans for cans? You should.

Riding in Back - to Cleveland

We try to time our travels so they go to sleep, but then once they wake up I have to sit in back with them or they get mad. Anna's tooth was coming in (it literally wasn't through when I checked when I was sitting with them, then was once we got there)...so she doesn't look as happy as Kara.

Crawling Around

They like to make a loop around the loveseat that's on the right in the first photo. Since our apartment is an open floor plan (oh, and tiny) they can end up in any room of the house in just moments, and I need to pay close attention or I have to go hunt for them - I usually have to anyway.

My Other Kids

Kids like these (and these kids in particular too) are part of the reason I leave my babies every week - our school program reaches 450. These pics crack me up. Our 5th graders are learning how to read food labels and ingredients lists, with an emphasis on choosing foods low in fat and added sugar and using the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines (VERY ambitious in some schools, perfect for others). Plus we always do physical activity and energy balance and screen time and tobacco prevention.

Cute Hat!

They love this cup and fight over it (we have 2 I'm just too lazy to get the other one out of the cabinet). It's great for banging, pretending to drink out of, dragging around, and of course it makes a cute hat, too. Plus Vito's is the best pizza in St. Louis...mmm...can't wait. New Haven pizza is better, but I don't foresee us moving back there.

Smart Cookies

I was unpacking this morning (lots of bags, huh?) and their container of puffs had come open, so I set the container down for a second to retrieve all the ones that had spilled in the bag. Smart little Nan crawled over and knocked the container over, then she and Kara dug in. They devoured these things. Note Anna's lady-like eating one at a time vs. Kara's fistful, which cracked me up. Puffs are pretty devoid of nutrition, but have sugar up high in the ingredients list, so I give them 5 each for a treat if they do a really good job eating their meals that day. They ate more at this sitting than I'd give them in probably 2 weeks. :) Kara tried to do the knock over and eat trick with my bag of peanut M&Ms later this morning, and got 1 in her mouth, but thankfully I retrieved it pretty fast - in addition to being a choking hazard, candy coating, green dye, chocolate and peanuts are all on the not for babies to eat list. (I do note the irony that I eat M&Ms but won't let them eat puffs...it's too late for me, but I can try to get them to eat healthy, right?)

Happy Easter

They were too sleepy (or sleeping) most of the day to get good pictures in their Easter dresses, but don't they look like big girls? And note the full hair coverage - impressive!

Hmm...I must be really slouching in our family picture. Andrew's only 1/2 an inch taller than me at most, but I look like a shorty.

Sleepy Loves

Is there anything nicer than sleeping babies? (especially when they hold hands in their sleep...they hold hands less these days, so I get really excited when they do it-taking this picture kinda woke them up...oops). These last 2 were Andrew's doing...we usually snuggle if they're this tired, not attempt to jump. These pictures are funny though, in his defense.