February Memories

It's only been a week, but I feel like I have lots I want to jot down and remember. I'm sure later tonight I'll remember something I didn't add.
Last Saturday we packed up the girls in the minivan and drove to the capital city. After two weeks of not getting out, this mama needed a day away. I am thankful for a husband who was in favor. The girls did really well and seemed to enjoy themselves, but it wasn't a super fun time for them. We went to Kohl's, and I actually got the older two some Easter dresses. I hadn't planned on getting them, but they were cute and on sale. (I don't think I should ever pay full price for anything at Kohl's!) We then went to the mall. We weren't there real long, but it was long enough for the girls. I was looking for a pair of shoes and finally had luck. The highlight was the carousel ride. They loved it! We then went to Michael's, so Analise and I could get some more birthday party items. After that was supper at Chipolte and we headed home.
Analise is counting down the days until her birthday. It's fun to see her excited. I think she decided on a teddy bear cake. My mom gave me some fun molds/cups to arrange in different designs. Her letter for preschool was R. Though she can say both R and W, it was harder for her to find things that began with the letter R. She would think of W words. One of her favorite things since Christmas is gumballs. We have a little gumball dispenser on the counter, and she loves to use a penny and get one. The other day I chewed a yellow one and told Analise is tasted like banana. She later informed me that her green gum tasted like green beans. Sounds yummy. :)
We enjoyed a few nice days this week. One day it was upper 60s, so the girls played outside, and then we went for a little walk. Analise loves to ride her bike, but the sidewalks have all the driveway dips, so we go up to a church parking lot close by, and she rides to her heart's content. The other two don't mind the double stroller. We decided to pretend we were driving around town. I asked Analise where she wanted to go. I'm sure she gave a typical girl answer: Menard's! I proceeded to ask what she want from there, and she informed me: a shotgun! It's a good thing I see my daughter play with dolls every now and then. :) You can probably guess where she goes with her dad. Analise was looking at photo albums (I am one of the few women who doesn't scrapbook, but the girls love the albums!) and she saw a summer picture with her in her suit. So she decided to put her suit on again. When I got home from Kindermusik with Maisie, she looked like what the picture above shows. Funny!
Maisie has changed the most the last week. If you've followed this blog at all, you know she has been "slow" in learning words. This week her vocab exploded! I don't think I can remember all the words she added. She learned some on her own, she's repeating more after me, and she even used a couple of words that she's been signing. Here are a few: banana (nana), bus, boat, happy, home, juice, water, honey, bike. I know there are more. She is also putting more 2 word sentences together. In addition to that, she still loves to sing a song or hum along with her own sounds. I LOVE IT! Her favorites are BIBLE, Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus and This Little Light of Mine. Not only are we excited, but you can see the little pride in herself, too. I also learned this week that Maisie can chew those gumballs. You know she is the second child, because we didn't let Analise have gum until she was four.
I don't want to leave out Sadie...she is now clapping! I think this is something she's actually "on time" for her real age! She continues to roll all over the living room, and sometimes we find her stuck under a table or chair. She's getting to the age that when I feed her a bottle before bed, she doesn't fall asleep. I miss the snuggling time with her, but I focus on enjoying some 1-1 play time with her. I took her outside with the girls, and she loved being out there. She sat on my lap while I was on the swing, and she was so happy. I am hoping she'll be walking this summer so she can adventure on her own.
It felt good to be back in a routine again this week. I have started a new book series that I am really enjoying. Most of the time I don't allow good books in the house, because I just want to read. I do enjoy reading while riding the exercise bike.
Last night was family movie night, and we enjoyed the snuggle time with the girls. We watched "Horton Hears a Who." Very cute!
I think I've emptied the brain, so until next time....