Cuspids for Bree

Hi All,
Just thought I'd note for the record that Bree now has both lower cuspids. I reported back in December that one might be peeking through. It seemed to take forever, but they are both finally in. That makes fourteen teeth in total for Bree right now - just a couple more cuspids and all the two year molars to go for a full set!

Two Two Twins

Hi All,

Happy birthday Drew and Bree!  My babies are two today!

Poor Bree was not feeling her best today, but we still made the most of the day. Our planned trip to the children's museum will have to wait, but we kept both busy and comfortable around home.

Starting the day with cartoon time

The opening of the gifts...

Looks like fun!

Loving our new Lego table!

All smiles for new balls too!

Sometimes it's the simple things....

No birthday is complete without cake

Lip smackin' good!

And finally getting a little messy!

Bree is such a refined cake eater, now that she is two.

And lastly, here are some birthday festivities in video:

We did perform the unofficial weigh in. Bree was 25 pounds and Drew was thirty.

Another year under our parental belts, and I can only imagine what's to come!

All Ducked Out

Hi All,

We held a baby shower for my cousin Lisa and couldn't resist the duck theme once again. Everything turned out awesome, and we had lots of good food, fun, and guests to make it a success! The only downer was that Bree was supposed to attend, but woke up feeling very ill. Her first baby shower will have to wait!

Congrats to Lisa and Eric. We can't wait to meet your little one!

 Tasty duck cookies!

Hillary's awesome duck cake

And my "ducks on a pond" punch

And the happy parents-to-be!

Yogi Pops

Hi All,
I recently experimented with making my own popsicles. I made them with low fat yogurt and frozen blueberries. They are known as yogi pops around here, as yogi is Bree's word for yogurt. The result = two thumbs up! Drew and Bree devour them. I must make another batch soon.

Mutual Admiration

Hi All,

I see

Lots of 

Mutual admiration

And it makes me smile

Snowballs, Chair Naps, and Haircuts

Hi All,
Today we took some time to get outdoors and enjoy what's left of the snow. (And there's not much - yay!)

I guess the fresh air wore somebody out. Bree couldn't make it through lunch without a nap. Oh wait, she couldn't even make it to lunch. It was lights out once she got in her chair.

And, it was another haircut day for Drew. We've had very mixed results here! Our stylist was so nice. She was very patient and got Drew a balloon. But Drew resisted from the start. Despite all our efforts, he was an unhappy customer! It was way late in the game when we realized a sucker was a bit of magic. Note to me for next cut - bring the suckers early!

Wheelbarrow Wars

Hi All,
I am picking up supplies today for the kids' birthday party. It's a farm theme, and I was excited to find a wheelbarrow that I could put to use. Turns out, everyone thought the wheelbarrow was great fun from the moment I walked through the door with it....

Drew

 Bree

Even Santa!

There were wars

And peace offerings

And happy siblings again

Oh, and Grandma snuggles too!

Now, it's time to hide the wheelbarrow until the party! :)

Treats

Hi All,
My climber wasted no time put his skills to good use this week. You see the step stool to the right of him? He carried that over to the bar stool, which allows him to reach the seat. This, in turn, allows him access to untouchables on top of the counter (in this case, their Valentines candy boxes). At least he was courteous enough to snag Bree's treats too!

"What's wrong with a little morning snack, Mom?"

And Bree has also turned into a courteous little Mamma of sorts. She laid out treats, complete with tableware, for Blanca as she sat on the bar stool.

"Pets need treats too!"

And a visit from Papa is always a treat. Here's the bunch relaxing and prepping for a much needed nap....

The Aspiring Photographer

Hi All,
Lately, Drew has taken a huge interest in our camera. He only gets supervised time with the cameras, so as not to ruin them. But he just loves clicking photos. Of course, he gets lots of pictures of "nothing". But here are a few that surprised me.

Here is Drew's self portrait! Not right on, but he's in the ballpark.

And a shot of Bree at play - I don't think I could have done any better!

And even one of me. I'm mostly laughing because I don't think he's even going to get me in frame.

We'll have to get him a camera of his own. I'm just not sure right now if it should be a children's camera or a cheap adult one. If it's a child's camera, it has to be pretty convincing. He likes to think he has the real deal!

Will You Be My Valentine?

Hi All,
We had lots of Valentines fun.
First, Grandma and Papa came over a day early with Valentines goodies for Drew and Bree, and the big kids too.

Drew got a new monkey. 

And an elephant for Bree.

And Jim and I got the biggest bag of bite size Snickers that I've ever seen! We had a nice dinner at a local sports bar. Drew and Bree were happy to see that balloons were available at the restaurant. We lost several in the rafters, and the wait staff kindly replenished them. About 10 or more balloons later, we were finished with our meal!

Back at home, we devoured a yummy ice cream cake supplied by my parents.

We actually got a nice family shot! Drew's cheek is red from some outdoors time earlier in the day.

And a big hug from one of my little valentines.

Drew and Bree had a blast trying to get their shoes to fit on Papa's feet. They finally got them over his toes, but he decided to wear his own shoes home anyway. :)

A nice shot with Grandma and Papa.

And the big valentines news - Marc and Sarah celebrated with an engagement! It's going to be a busy year! Cheers to the beautiful couple! We are so very happy for them.

And the fun continues! On Valentines Day, we opened gifts from Oma and Opa when Jim got home. 

Diving in to all the goodies!

More food for our kitchen....

 Fun with the talking puzzle board!

Oh, and I can't forget the Valentines cards and stickers that came in the mail from Auntie Sarah - what fun! 

A happy Valentines Day to all!

Let It Snow!

Hi All,
The bad parents that we are, we haven't gotten around to getting sleds for the kids yet. Luckily, Papa and Grandma keep some on hand and didn't mind bringing one over. Drew got a treat today, as Daddy and Papa took him out for some time in the snow. (Bree was too busy napping to partake.)

Can't go wrong with a wagon ride!

Drew's descent down the hill next to the house - notice big grin on face.

"Let's do that again!"