first swing ride

The past couple of days we have been working on our swing set so that both girls can swing at the same time. It was a job that seemed simple at first but as with most things, it ended up taking just a little longer than we thought. But this afternoon Mikayla got to take her first ride in the baby swing! She thought it was great!

Of course Jennifer thought that she needed to push Mikayla too. We had to remind her often that Mikayla needed to be pushed gently, not big high, as Jennifer calls it.

The only real smile we were able to catch!

Jennifer going big high on her swing.

Finally both girls can swing at the same time! Jennifer thinks it is great!

About to fall asleep in the swing. Mikayla is getting another tooth in and today was rough day for the sweet little girl.

flying a kite

While at the store on Saturday we got Jennifer a Toy Story kite. Let me tell you the excitement was more than Jennifer could take! She could not wait to fly her kite. Although it was windy on Saturday we did not get to fly the kite. So we took it with us to mama and papa's house the next day. It was a perfect day for flying a kite! It seems we were just able to let go of the kite and it was flying. Jennifer thought it was so great! Here is the kite flying high in the air! Hard to tell but Woody and Buzz are on there.Ben and Connor are looking on really wanting a turn. Jennifer was not happy about sharing but she did. The kite was let go of once but we were able to catch it before it flew away. And there is one small tree in mama and papa's yard and the kite only went in there once.
The next day Jennifer really wanted to fly her kite again, she was determined to get her kite to fly. It was very sweet watching her. It was hard to explain to Jen that there was no wind to make the kite go, she wasn't really having it.
The sweet girl ran back and forth in the yard trying to get the kite up.
Talking to Bill in the window, after not having any luck with the kite. I know she will be trying another day.

dying eggs

Our plan was to dye eggs over the weekend and well to be honest things just got a little crazy and it didn't happen. We were however determined to get eggs dyed because we bought a kit last year for fifty cents, yes that is right we went all out and spent fifty cents for this kit, so it was going to get used. This afternoon while it was raining outside seemed like the perfect time.

Jennifer and Mikayla are all set to go. Ok Mikayla could really care less, let's be honest.

Putting the first egg in, how exciting!

Hard to tell in the picture but there is dye all over the table, Bill let Jennifer do that egg all by herself, it sort of plopped right in.

Waiting to get just the right color before the egg comes out.

A beautiful pink egg.

Mikayla hanging out on the table, checking everything out.

Jen showing off the finished products. Now if we could just get her to eat the eggs that could be great!

Mikayla trying to get in on the fun!

"I think I'll pick this one."

Jennifer thinking maybe Mikayla should back off just a little bit after touching the eggs.

Who said dying eggs was just for at Easter time? We only used half the dyes so who knows maybe we will dye eggs again in a few months, we really wanted to get our fifty cents worth out of the kit!

nothing new

I will admit I have been bad about updating the blog. Life has been well... just fairly normal around here, nothing too exciting. The weather is finally getting warmer so we can be outside, a little, Mikayla is getting two teeth in so life is hard for her right now and Jennifer is just being her crazy, silly self.

Mikayla is enjoying a ride on the swing with dad. She may not look like in the picture but she really did like it.

Must admit I love this picture! This girl loves to be outside! She is very happy that it is swinging weather once again.

Let's be honest this doesn't look to safe. Jennifer has slightly outgrown her rocking horse but insisted that we bring it up from the basement last week. Here she is reading a few stories to the pony, while on the couch. I think some of her interest in the pony comes from her resent obsession with Toy Story 2. Of course she loves the fact that there is a horse in it.

Jennifer loves to help "make" anything in the kitchen. She helped me make some special k bars for a friend the other day and of course she taste tested the chocolate topping.

Our first outing to the feed the ducks this year! It was not a very successful first time out. All the ducks were in the water and not really interested in our stale bread. I'm sure we will be back soon to give it another try.

Mikayla gets a try on the scooter.

Blowing bubbles in the driveway. It always ends in a mess.

Mikayla and daddy watching Jennifer do bubbles.

Driving home after a few days with mama and papa. It is hard to tell but it was pretty much dark outside when Jen decided to throw the sunglasses on.

weekend painting

These are some pictures from last weekend. We did a little painting one afternoon to waste a little time. Jennifer loves to paint and it usually is a pretty messy ordeal and needs a bath afterward.

Cheese!!! With paint everywhere!

I think Mikayla would rather eat the paintbrush than actually paint.

Hey, do I get to paint?!

This is when we just got started, notice no paint on her body yet. If you look at the pictures above they are further into the project and there is paint everywhere!

This is Jennifer with a swimming suit on blowing up a whoopee cushion! She thinks it is funny to sit on this, which just cracks me up.

This is Jen sitting in the middle of the hallway, after taking lots of stuff out of the closet. She is sitting under sheets and towels and she is trying to blow bubbles. She keeps us on our toes that is for sure!

great comments

Jennifer has been amazing us lately with all that she has been saying. All the new words, the sentences she has been putting together, we are loving it! Here are a few great conversations from the past few days:

Jennifer and I were looking in the toy closet for something to play. Jennifer told me to pick something so I suggested a game. Jennifer's response: "No mom, that is not a choice." I started laughing at that! Bill and I will tell her sometimes that things are not a choice. She knew exactly what she wanted to play!

Bill was playing with the girls while I was in the kitchen and Jennifer was starting to get a little rough with Mikayla. Bill said to Jennifer, "Do you think that is enough for Mikayla?" Jennifer's response, "Not yet!" I just had to laugh to myself, the love of siblings!

Today Jennifer though it was great to do somersaults. I would clap and tell her good one or good try. After several somersaults she stood up put her hands on her stomach, bowed and said "Thank-you, thank-you!" I have no idea where she learned this but it certainly cracked me up!

outside

Even though the snow is not completely gone we were able to get outside for a little bit to enjoy the sunny weather. As we looked at all the snow Bill asked when I thought it would be all gone, he doesn't think until the end of April, I really think he will be wrong.

We took Jennifer's scooter outside for the first time! She was very excited to ride it outside. Bill told Jennifer she had to wear her boots but not her snow pants, she was however very instant that she wear her snow pants too.
Mikayla even went outside for the first time since last fall! I don't think she really cared all that much. Jennifer on the other hand was very excited she came outside.

She is sort of wondering what all the excitement about being outside is about.

Anyone home? I believe this happened about five times while she was outside.

Daddy and his girls!

So maybe it was a good idea that she wore the snow pants after all.

Each year, from the first winter that we lived in our house, Bill and I have taken a self-portrait in the snow. The first two years it was just Bill and I, then we added Jen. This is the firs time all four of us have been outside together this winter so this was the first change we had to get a family portrait of all of us in the snow. Because we (really me) didn't want to get in the middle of the yard we are just posed in front of the snow this year, usually we put the camera on the step and get in a pile of snow. Next when Mikayla is a little bigger we will get in the snow.

First of a picture of just the girls in the snow.

I am sort of hoping these are the last snow pictures for the a while!! I can hope right?