Fun With Mom

Lately

Sorry for the lack of posting for so long; it was not by design - I have a list of things I've been meaning to post about.

Meanwhile...lots of naked babies in a crib...that's a favorite game. At least the girls didn't strip everyone TOTALLY naked this time. I do have some pictures of that from a couple months ago, but they're censored. :)

These are from when we had the flu about a month ago, but last week everyone was hit with colds (and Alden with reactions to his 4 month vaccines) on top of still lingering coughs. So, sick again.

Before we were felled by illness ("a little bit sick" according to K and A), we spent the weekend in Branson, MO (kind of a Bible-belt Vegas and outlet mall destination) and Harrison, AR and visited with Andrew's family. After some hotel snuggling and swimming the next morning, Alden and I shopped with the girls and Andrew took our girls to play at his grandparents' with the guys.

Pretending to sleep...Anna was laughing too much to be good at it...and a blurry everyone "sleeping" while we waited to meet up with family before bed.

Not as many purposeful near-drowning incidents as the last time in the pool, and fun playing.

The next morning we hung out a little bit then headed home, but not before visiting (a very sad) outdoor safari place in the middle of nowhere MO. We didn't go in, or take the complimentary bus tour, but we did talk to some goats and find a baby turtle.

And Kara took a liking to these turkeys from Nana, which were perfect for car nap-time snuggling. I guess the fun weekend was worth the resulting illness. Though I really wish I were done hearing "Anna has snot" and "Kara has snot."

New Skills

I haven't posted about potty training since May. This is because we quit trying to potty train and were content with partially potty trained girls with no underwear at home and going out in diapers. I wasn't going to push it with Alden and those changes. We've progressed and they can now wear underwear and do when we go out (unless it's long car trips or the playground - they'll never choose the potty over swinging). Still diapers at nap and night. Kara has refused to poop in the potty for, oh, almost 7 months - since the first time she did it. She told me she would when she turned 2 - false. It was a big effort to even get her to "try" on the potty first. She did once; it was amazing. I told her if she pooped on the potty 5 times she could get a fish. We decided on a name for her fish. Anna got a fish in 5 days. Kara was content to look at Anna's fish. Lollipops were also offered - Anna got lollipops. Anyway, she had some tummy issues last week and I pushed for the potty. There were a lot of tears, but after she got over her initial fear and received a lollipop for a job well done (I literally cried I was so happy), she warmed up to the idea a little bit (that was a week ago). She is now the proud owner of Dory-Emo (she wanted to name him "Dory and Emo" (Nemo)). Unfortunately he's dead on the counter right now, along with Anna's aged Buzzah - not sure what went wrong with the transfer to the bowl.

Oh yeah, and she gets to call dad and tell him when she poops on the potty, and there is the "hooray dance." Never underestimate the power of a hooray dance...

Alden, long overdue for his own post, which is coming soon I hope - there are SO many pictures of his last 2 months of life I haven't posted, has developed his own new skills over the last week (in addition to the ones he's been working on I haven't posted about).

The first is spitting. All over. On everything. All the time (except when I try to film it, of course).

The second is a bigger deal - sitting. Alden tries to sit up all the time when we lay him partially reclining, and has started to be able to sit a few minutes by himself, as long as he doesn't go for his toes. This isn't the best representation, but his favorite things to look at - his sisters - were asleep, so he wasn't as motivated. :) The girls started sitting without falling over around 4 1/2 months, and he seems to be on that same track.

I'm proud of my big girls and big boy.

Happy Halloween

After a Halloween party at a friend's yesterday and emergency Pooh washing (Kara fell into a huge mud puddle), we were ready to get back into costumes for trick-or-treating. They actually told me they'd rather stay home (just like mama!), until Andrew told them they got to wear their costumes if we went. They switched from this post, in case you're confused as to who's who.

Awe-struck was the look of the evening. When asked to tell people "trick or treat" or "happy Halloween," the response was usually "not right now" or "maybe later when we get back to our house."

Alden-monkey napped, then graduated to the umbrella stroller, where he fought to keep his hat from covering his eyes.

Snack and loot, post trick-or-treating. Pretty happy about their lollipops, but chips and gummy spiders were their favorites, and that glow stick we found.

After several attempts to get a decent video of them saying "happy Halloween" Kara told me she was going to take a movie of nothing and Anna's mouth...my ever-cooperative sweeties. :)