Spoonfeeding and Bathtime!

The girls are trying to get more and more independent. They've been busy eating pick-up foods for a long time now and occasionally I'll spoonfeed yogurt or applesauce. Now, they'd much rather do it themselves. My kitchen is gross and I've had to clean food off the ceiling, but they have a blast. The mealtimes also lead to more frequent bathtimes, which they also love--new favorite trick...finding ways to get the water out of the tub and onto the bathroom floor.

So you think you can dance?

Here are our contestants...

Happy Thursday Everyone!

Happy Inauguration Week!

The week is finally here and history is being made. Aunt Cat is surely in the trenches, relishing in every moment of the week, reminding her why she lives in DC. Lilly says "Cat" now, when we talk about her aunt, so that's fun. This morning, was Addy's first purposeful "Lilly". Both girls have mastered "sissy", so the words are coming! Last night, we perfected our touchdown dance as we cheered on the Steelers to victory! Yes, with the Colts out and IU embarrassing its graduates right now, we've moved on to Steelers and Butler Bulldog fans! (Didn't I admit in a previous post I was a fair-weathered fan?)

We were in hibernation for 3 days last week as temperatures in the state stayed in single digits most of the week. Here's a game we played to burn off some energy. Don't judge, I never had a dog growing up...

Hope everyone else is staying warm! Think thoughts of SPRING!

Snow Days, Play Dates the Museum (again) and More!

Keeping 2 very busy toddlers entertained has become the hardest job I've ever had to do! We are officially down to just 1 nap a day. Somedays those naps range from none (Lilly yesterday) to 3 hours, so we are working on consistency. We are doing our best to avoid cabin fever, because the days we stay couped up in the house, usually end in dramatics for the last hour before bedtime. With a couple inches of snow expected in Indiana today, I thought I'd bundle and take a walk with them in the snow. They were funny and true to every story you've ever heard about snow and kids, after bundled in fleece/footed pajamas , under fleece lined, waterproof pants with fleece sweatshirts, coats, hats gloves, socks and shoes, Lilly dirtied her diaper! We got outside nonetheless and had some fun. I even got a neighbor to take a picture of the three of us.

Here are some pictures of our busy week...

Saturday was a fun day with Grandma and Grandpa Ash at the Children's Museum

Monday, we tried a playgroup with the local twins group. Here's Lilly riding with her friend Olivia.

Tuesday, Mallory hosted a big playgroup, so we got to see lots of friends! Seriously, how many kids can take over 1 toy?

Today, we've played in the snow, torn the house apart, had a dance party, unfolded laundry mom just folded, stuck toys in the kitchen trashcan and more--is it naptime yet?

Keep in mind, during the craziness of trying to exhaust them every morning, I'm also trying to keep up with my "real part-time job". Somedays it is easier than others, but whoever said working from home with little ones was easy--lied to you! I typically end up doing quite a bit of work after they go down at the end of the day. Not that I'd change it--we love everyday! A little more sleep out of them might be nice.

PS. My roommate from grad school and good friend Jenny also visited over the weekend, but apparently I was off my photo-shooting game. Despite having no good pics--Thanks for the visit Jenny--WE LOVE YOU!

Tagged/Honest Scrap

My dear friend tagged me in the blogosphere, now goes my truthtelling and tagging others...

So, what does this award mean? It means – “leftovers, fragments, discarded material, and many times truth and honesty is discarded material, considered fragments and left over.” We tell it like it is and let the scraps fall where they may.

The rules of this lovely award/game of tag is as follows…

A) You must write 10 honest things about yourself that are interesting (of course, right?)

B) Pass the award along to 7 other bloggers that you feel embodies the spirit of Honest Scrap.

1. I'm have a terrible memory--if I have to remember it, I have to write it down. I haven't always been like this--but it is bad. I forget passwords, phone numbers, birthdays, etc.

2. I watch TV shows made for teenagers. It's a guilty pleasure I guess, but I love shows like "Parental Control" on MTV or "The Girls Next Door" on E!. I think this happened working on a college campus and trying to stay up with what students were talking about and pop culture, but what's my excuse now?

3. I'm a fair-weather fan. I never really got into sports, but I like going to live sporting events and I'll throw a great party if a team I'm affiliated with goes on to a big game. With that said, Go Ball State in the GMAC Bowl tonight!

4. I'm a sucker for a new baby. I love the way they smell, their tiny hands and feet. The way they curve against your body like you are the most secure person in their universe. Don't get me wrong, I'm not having any more, but seriously sometimes I just have a need to find one to cuddle!

5. I consider myself a strong democrat and can hold my own when justifying my stance to those who have opposing views. I love these conversations--I think we should have more of them in this country. I want my girls to grow up with their own beliefs and I'll embrace them even if they are different than mine, I look forward to our dinner conversations during the teen years :-) (atleast during the times they are speaking to me)

6. I grew up a daddy's girl and now my mom is one of my best friends. Funny how that works, eh?

7. Somedays I'd rather live anywhere than Indiana, but somehow I planted my feet here and most days that's alright.

8. If I could get on a game show, I think I'd pick "Wheel of Fortune"...and I think I'd win.

9. I love to travel and want to instill that in my girls, but the thought of traveling with them makes my skin crawl. I know I'll have to get over this phobia at some point and I'm sure if given the opportunity an exotic locale would win over my fear.

10. I didn't date much in college...my hubby and I met on a blind date within a year of graduation, we dated 1 year, engaged a year and now married almost 4 with the most beautiful girls in the world for daughters. No turning back now :-)

Now my tags: Jessica, Brooke, Katie, Kristina, Ashley, Jennifer, Lauren *I tagged a few of these as their blogs are due for a little update :-)

Happy New Year!

Feeling as though I've just run a holiday marathon, we are moving from 2008 into 2009--full steam ahead! The girls are developing new skills everyday. Addy has become the more verbal of the two, often repeating a word you say to her and then never saying it again. We've heard very close calls to flamingo, elephant, giraffe--all off animal flash cards they got from our friends Jillian & Teague. Consistently, she says "more" (usually relating to food), "whatsthis?", "up", "down", "sis", "book", "bear" "duck" and more. It's a unique dialect, but she knows exactly what she's saying. She still plays pretty independently. Physically, her hair is growing quickly, now going into ponytails for me. She always seems to have a bruise or scratch, predominantly from her ability to have no fear doing anything. She is a ball of energy and has recently been waking up in the night, either bad dreams or something else, but scares the crap out of us when we are into a deep sleep!

Lilly still shows her temper on a daily basis, sometimes coupling a scream with throwing her body onto the floor. Although she isn't as verbal as her sister, she knows how to get her wishes heard. She often starts a word, but doesn't finish it...I am "Mmmmm", Daddy is "dddd"...you get the idea. Her appetite has tapered off and I often see a "hunger strike" where she'll eat fruit and crackers all day long, although you wouldn't know this from lifting her. She continues to be very social, waving out the window in her carseat and now riding her new toys while waving like she's in some kind of a parade. She is more timid than Addy and wants to play with you--yelling when I leave the room even for a moment. She is a dancing machine, "twirling" and shaking her booty every chance she hears music. They continue to make me crazy and joyful each and everyday!

As for New Years, I resolved about a month ago to finally finish BOTH their baby books (Addy's has been done since September) and I'm proud to say they are both done and in hand. Hopefully a keepsake they'll treasure down the road! I used this website (www.blurb.com) to make a digital scrapbook of their first year, highlighting each month. I've also resolved to find calm in the chaos, probably something I'll resolve each year, but something I personally struggle with. It is harder and harder to see everyone I want to see, to be involved in the things I want to be involved in, to work hard and be the friend, wife and mother I want to be. Hopefully 09 will allow me to find peace with my balance in life...

2009 will bring 30th birthdays for both Jeremy and I and a second birthday for our girls--With that I say "Bring it on!"

I'll edit with some pictures from New Years later :-)