New Activities and Funny Sayings

September 3rd was Olivia's first ever day of dance. It was more exciting for me than for her I'm sure, but this girl thrives in any social environment, so I wasn't worried at all. My Stay cousins have implanted dreams of little girls with fancy curls and adorable costumes into my life. The night before we practiced the bun, and I was pleased with the result. Of course the next morning we had a photo shoot, and the no-smile face actually worked well! 

 

Carter was totally thrilled to wait the 45 minutes during class...also happens to be right during the middle of his naptime. Guess he is going down to one nap whether he likes it or not :).

 

I'm also amazed at the quick influence that other little girls have had in Olivia's life. She is the youngest by 4 or 5 months in her class, and is constantly coming home with new things that we have to do because Maggie or Lydia do them. Case-in-point, we have been playing dress up almost every day! Olivia likes to dress Mommy up more than herself, and will soon move to Carter as well, once he learns how to sit still :).

 

A few days later we had our first rain in Idaho! It was about a half-hour downpour, so when O asked to go out with her boots, I raced around the house finding necessary gear because I was as excited as she was :). Jumping into the puddles is her favorite activity, especially when she can get mom wet!

That afternoon, we were getting Carter up from nap, and I almost had to leave to stop from laughing when Olivia said 'Carter, I have a dia-no-sees. You have a 'vere case of 'tinky diaper-o-sees.'

Thanks Doc McStuffins!

Carter also successfully used a spoon for the first time that day! Yogurt is a great first food since it sticks to the spoon, and he easily got twice as much on his bib as in his mouth, but he loved it, and was very serious about scooping it.

On the 7th of September I caught Carter showing us a skill that he had previously hid. He was playing in the crab sandbox (or pool, since it had about an inch of water in the bottom), and when I came out he was standing up by himself! Easy peasy. Granted he was 13 months old, so it wasn't a huge surprise, but it was totally controlled, and way easier than it should have been for the first time :). Just shows the difference between my two kids. O is so eager for independence and new skills, but Carter is totally content to sit by and watch. They will grow up to be great friends and major troublemakers I'm sure.

We officially cut Olivia off from her plug on the 8th of September. It was a rough few days of no nap and VERY long bedtimes, but it was time. It does provide us with one more great avenue into her thoughts. As she goes to sleep, she talks to everything around her, whether it is the wall, her stuffed animal, or the invisible princesses that live in her room :). One night I came up to check on her and was lucky enough to hear this:

'Five little monkeys jumpin on the bed. One fell of and went to market. Three little monkeys stayed home. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said weeeee weeee weeee all the way home'.

That is an expert compilation of two nursery rhymes, if I do say so myself :)

We were thrilled by a quick visit from Jenaye on her way to Utah, she is such a fun aunt! I wish I had taken more pictures, Olivia was so anxious to show Jenaye everything, and she is so patient to listen through all her ramblings! Love you Jenaye!

 

I forgot about this picture until recently. It is a symbol of my weekly freedom time :). Amber and I have started a piano lesson trade where she takes my kids for a few hours each week, and I teach her kids piano lessons. This is a total win-win for me. I love to teach piano, and enjoy this opportunity to get back into it, and I get to run errands, clean the house, or just read for a couple hours by myself! Mom time with no guilt, and my kids love playing with their cousins. What a great arrangement! The first week I went to five different stores and still had time for ice cream! I can't even imagine doing that with my kids in tow!

*I have to add that I love my kids. So much. I also love these few hours where I'm not on duty as a mom, and I know my kids are safe, happy, and having a great time with one of the best moms I know :)