Happy Halloween!

This year we got to dress the girls in costumes and take them trick-or-treating for the first time...it was really fun. Unfortunately, it was not a dead battery issue last weekend when our camera wouldn't work - our camera is broken. I'm really bummed, I had some cute pictures and videos on there that I hadn't downloaded yet, in addition to the fact that we have no pictures of the trick-or-treating or how cute they looked in their black shirts, tights, and bright orange and yellow tutus (thanks Nana!), or to prove how they looked like girls instead of "guys" or "fellas" or something else everyone who mistook them for boys called them (one old man said they looked like football tackles, thanks). I taught them to say "boo" (which sounds like "buh") when we were trick-or-treating and of course they wouldn't say it to anyone but us. Kara did very well at not being shy about grabbing candy from the bowl (does this surprise anyone?), and Anna was very polite, always telling them thank you (signing it) and waving goodbye when we told her to as we left. They were a good team. So, until we get a new camera and dress them in their costumes again to try to recreate at least a little bit, here are some old pictures of them with their favorite little pumpkins.

Our attempt at a photo shoot...Kara thought it was more fun to put her pumpkin in Anna's skirt.

Trying in the wagon instead...Anna with 2 pumpkins and sharing (they have both been especially good at that lately - if sister doesn't have a toy, she will receive one).

My stoic pumpkin cuties.

I have a couple more pictures I still hadn't posted, but until then...I'll leave you with a few more fun facts about the girls lately. Anna has been an excellent listener and helper. Whatever I ask her to do, she does. Today she even brought Andrew a shirt when he had asked me to get one for him. I had forgotten and a couple minutes later in marched Anna with a shirt to hand to dad. It brought tears to my eyes it was so sweet. Speaking of sweet, little sicky Kara has been so sweet to give us hugs and kisses and snuggles all the time. Her other new-found talent is yelling. She loves it. :) We still need to get a potty, but they are both getting better at identifying and telling me when they've gone to the bathroom, and Kara continues to head to the bathroom to do #2 in her diaper...she knows when she needs to go.

That's it for this edition of the Pierce baby chronicles...see you later! We have important playing to do.

Best Babies Hit the Links*

Lately Andrew has been mandating fun activities over the weekend...if I had my way we would stay home and be bored. He decided this Saturday we were going to the zoo (with dead camera batteries and a sick Kara, poor sweetie) and out to dinner...the zoo went well. Last Sunday was a perfect day and he decided we were going to play the local 9-hole golf course. We made it through 5 holes before the girls were too crazy to control/for us to continue...it was a good first introduction for them and we all had fun. Andrew plans to take them many more times in the years to come.

*Andrew's not here to let me know any other strange golf phrases, but believe me, he has a million. He's the king of using strange phrases I've never heard of before - I think he prides himself on it. :)

Kara and Anna both tried to eat the markers on the tee box...Kara loved carrying around golf balls. She also had the funniest moment of the day - she ran down a hill and started going faster and faster, which made me realize she was not in control - so I ran after her and got to her just as she crashed into the woods and fell down...unscathed, thankfully. I wish we had a video!

Andrew helping the girls putt...Kara didn't quite let Anna get a good shot.

Anna loved walking around with clubs and showed some good form. Anna was also VERY into driving the cart, while Kara was more excited by the wind in her hair when Andrew drove us fast. (Andrew thinks Anna's face looks really fat in this picture...coincidentally we overheard a woman the night before at a block party we went to with some friends telling someone the babies were fat. They're pudges, but not that big!)

The Family that Golfs Together...

While we were waiting it seemed like a good idea to try to take some pictures...but with so much open space to run and rapidly tiring girls (who much prefer running when tired), this was not effective, as these results show.

I love the profile shot...the typical K-A staredown, probably plotting their escape. Trying to take a picture with Andrew...

Trying to take a picture with mom...and scatter! Phew, that's much better.

Another attempt with Andrew - K gives A "crazy hair" and A gives K a kiss while she's driving.

Chillin' Before Bed

They've started to actually like wearing their little duck and bunny towels around - I didn't post the naked pictures of them in the same. They'll thank me for that later!

I tried to capture this scene and didn't quite get it - Kara sat with her arm around Anna's shoulders for forever...it was so cute. And Anna didn't push her off like she usually would. In this second one of them in the chair I thought it was cute how Anna was just relaxing with her head back and arm up.

Halloween Costume Preview

Kara is the girl of big belly on the right here. They are both looking pretty large of belly lately, actually. I think these are the first actual smiles we've captured for a while!

They've recently started enjoying wearing their hats - probably because we give them so much positive reinforcement about how cute they look. So I decided they should be lady baseball players for Halloween...lots of their favorite jewels plus hats and their baseball shirts. Andrew loved the idea (are you surprised?) so we're going to go for it - I'm just not really into buying 2 costumes they might cry about wearing just for a photo op - when they can tell me what they want to be I'm more likely to buy costumes. Plus I always prided myself on thinking up creative homemade Halloween costumes when I was in elementary school (okay, only for a few years before I got burnt out/too old, but still). And it's an excuse to buy them baseball bats and balls!

Hey Big Girls, Look at Your Curls

Obviously the girls still don't have very much hair (though I think Kara just about has enough to pass for having a decent boy haircut), but what they do have is looking pretty curly. It's cute, and I can't wait till they have more hair to show off their cute little strawberry blonde curls. :)

Kara and then Anna. Coming along...

They get both their lack of hair and their curls from me...though they have more hair than I did, if you can believe it. These pictures are from when I was a little over 2 and a little over 3. I kinda think that Kara looks like me and Anna looks like Matt.

Typical Kara-Anna Interactions...

And the funniest video in a while, which is saying something. I love how when I ask Anna to hug Kara she offers her toys instead to distract her and get her away.

We Don't Need a Bigger Bed, Do We?

If you know me well, you know I am resistant to change - very ridiculously resistant. Thus the girls are still in the pack and play in our room...even though they are clearly way too big for it and we have 2 nice cribs set up for them next door. Mom, I know this is just more fodder for you to bug me about putting them in their cribs...but aren't they cute all snuggly and bent around and contorted in here? :) PS - They're wearing some really small sweatsuits to bed because they pooped their last clean PJs this morning and I need to do laundry.

More of When Dad's Away

Playing with our Cheerios book - thanks Nana! I know these pictures are similar, but it's funny to me how ridiculous Kara is in both pictures and how serious Anna is about the task at hand.

We love when mom sets up chairs across from our feeding chairs so that we can walk back and forth, sit down as we please, etc. They love sitting and reading books up here - and it's a good spot to keep them corraled for dishes for a minute (they do tend to rock the chairs, which is dangerous) or to feed them the remainder of a meal that they wouldn't finish sitting down.

When dad was at church one night and we wouldn't go to bed mom let us watch her favorite show with her for a minute - Ugly Betty. Kara strongarmed the ottoman over so that we could sit and stand on it. Don't worry - I'm still sticking to no TV until 2...they didn't watch other than the couple minutes during which I got these pictures - and instead went over and turned off the TV. Annoying to an exhausted mom at the end of the day, but good job!

How Do We Look?

I thought this picture was cute enough to merit its own post. Anna almost got hers on (left). :)

Outside

Mom said "outside" - assume the position.

I thought they looked so cute last week before we went to the playground that I had to take a picture. They clearly did not appreciate it, as you can tell by both of them turning around and letting me know that they were ready to go. It was cuter once we got to the playground - they double-teamed and chased around a 17 month old boy - he loved it as much as they did. Who wouldn't love getting chased around by 2 beauties? :)

Is it Time?

Kara for a while has been interested in taking off her diaper (and has quite regularly-Anna first said diaper when we were telling Kara to keep hers on). Anna can't quite get hers off, even though she tries. Kara also has been quite unhappy about getting it put back on once it's off...it's hard for me to restrain her and there's a lot of screaming. Last week it all came to a head with one peeing on the floor incident and then...

In between these pictures is one I'm sparing you of the disgusting turd on the floor next to this diaper.

Is it a coincidence that this came in the mail the same day?

Anna peed on the floor later that day. So we've had a lot of talk about "no no" peeing and pooping on the floor and they seem to be catching on that we pee and poop in the potty - once last week Kara went and stood next to the toilet while she pooped. So I'm thinking about capitalizing on these incidents and their current love of rules and starting potty training. We just need to get potties! I know they're young, but I don't think it'd hurt to try...and if they're not ready we can always just start again when they show more signs of readiness.

Another of our Fun Games

They love stomping, especially with shoes on. That part is cute, but more noteworthy in showing the girls' personalities is the baby rocking part. Notice how they each grunt at me until I say "rockabye" whichever specific person/animal they have (or both that they have). They won't rock unless I'm doing it right (and today they started rocking pieces of food at lunch - gotta love some of the combinations I have to sing with each rocking with 2 things - rockabye cheerio, rockabye pea, rockabye pear, anyone? in addition to pig, giraffe, travel mrs., and birthday mrs., etc.). They are so particular about everything...hmm...wonder where they got that from. Not really! I don't especially enjoy that they're demanding, but do like that they are distinct little personalities, and that they know what they like and don't like - since that makes it all the more sincere when they love on me, Andrew, and each other.

Another game that I revived last week that they now do on their own, together, is ring around the rosie. Super cute. I have yet to get a video of that or any of their many songs they like to do hand motions to. They know when they're being taped, so I have to have Andrew around to make sure they don't try to grab the camera. I have plenty of videos that started out okay and end up with one/both of them eating the lens. :)

Too Tired to...

Eat. This seems to perpetually be the case: breakfast, lunch and dinner (and snacks). These were actually from lunch, which is their best meal. And yes, they have Little People people and animals with them to eat...it encourages them somewhat (a lot of times they feed their people before they eat a bite, and demanding little stinkers get mad at me if I don't make sound effects every time!), and now is the only way I can think of to try to teach them not to throw their food on the floor - I take the person/animal away until they start eating better. Not exactly working yet, but at least it's something.

The first was my favorite Kara pose, which prompted me to get out the camera.

K and A smiles...maybe one day they'll have actual smiles instead of cheesy Dad-taught ones.

Oh Nan, I know you hate eating...I hate trying to make you eat. But otherwise you want to nurse too much and can be generally unpleasant. :) Actually, Anna, who used to be our worst eater (almost forever), is now out-eating Kara. Kara's still bigger though - not sure if she drinks more milk, since that's hard to tell - and one reason is that Anna poops more than Kara does. I guess her body just wants to be smaller and Kara's wants to store everything.