By the end of February, we were all in need of a break from this long and bitter cold winter, so Daddy booked an overnight at the indoor water park. It doesn't matter that the warm air is manufactured and the sun doesn't exactly feel real because any hint of hopeful weather and fun was just what our winter needed. To say the girls were excited about being in their bathing suits is an understatement.
We didn't tell the girls where we were going until we picked Abby up from school that morning. (insert excited little girl squeals here)
The girls got right in and started splashing away despite the colder than usual temperatures of the water. Ella's favorite was this little orange slide. Abby's favorite was the big raft slide in the dark tunnel!
Where did our girls get these curls? I love the way their hair naturally curls especially when it is humid or wet. I can't make my hair curl without some serious curlers and hairspray!
The greatest proof of a fun filled day in the water:
The girls had a great idea to try to nap together one afternoon. They rarely nap at all these days, so I knew the likelihood of this actually happening was slim, but it was cute to watch them try. Abby kept yelling from the room in what sounded like a teenager voice, "Mommmmmmm! I'm trying to sleep and Ella won't stop talking on her cellphone."
Abby has been working hard on her first needlepoint.
Like the rest of us, Ella and Olaf are pretty done with winter and dreaming of summer.
We babysat Oliver's sister, Lily, for a couple nights and Ella was thrilled to have someone to take care of. She can't really pick up Ollie, but Lily is only three pounds and that much smaller. Ollie sleeps with Abby every night, so Lily slept with Ella. It was the sweetest thing. Ella felt so responsible. In the morning, we would hear Ella talking to Lily and getting her out of bed.
I've never witnessed the strong sibling bond these two pups have between any other animals in real life. There is no question they know they shared a womb. Look at how they curl up to nap.
Oliver's sister just climbs right on top of him while he is sleeping and goes to sleep. It's seriously the cutest thing.
We celebrated Oliver's first birthday in February. The girls also helped to pick out his birthday present. Go SU!
Life is hard when you are two and the winter is LONG!! We need sunshine!
Oliver is the best lazy morning buddy.
Abby asked for Pippi Longstocking hair!
They asked to do their puzzle next to the window, so they could watch the pretty snow.
Sometimes you just need your big sister to rub your back, so you can fall asleep.
I woke up one morning to find this little one had made her way into our bed in the night and lost a sock along the way!
This little one loves her FaceTime!
In February, Abby was the Star of the Week at school. She had to decorate a poster and share all about herself. She attached pictures of herself, her family, friends and her puppy. She answered questions about her "favorites" and brought in three special things for show and tell. She brought her bear Glitter, a set of special rings Grandma got her for her birthday and two pictures of favorite places she likes to go (Lake Bluff and Nagymama's house in Florida). Then, she presented it all to her class. At the end of the week, she came home with a Star of the Week book made by all of her classmates. Each student finished the sentence, "I think you are special because...". It was so sweet to read through their comments about Abby and see the impact she has in her friends' lives. And of course we couldn't help but smile when we saw sweet little Anthony's page.
I went to visit Grandma for the day and came home with new markers and doodle books for the girls. Even though I got home pretty late, these committed artists just had to crack into the bag and make a few pictures before bedtime.
In case there was any question about just how many children we have, it's three. Oliver makes it nearly impossible to work after the kids are in bed. His favorite place to be is as close to me as possible, which usually means he lays his whole body across my keyboard making productivity nearly impossible.
One morning after Ella's dance class, the girls and I made a quick trip to Walmart. Minutes into our time in the store, Abby turned ghost white. She started complaining about being so tired and that she was going to throw up. The way her mood changed in minutes was pretty strange and unnerving. Nothing about it was made up or exaggerated by her. I was sure we were going to have a memorable moment in Walmart involving throw-up and the stomach bug. That was when I remembered that as Abby was running around the dance studio just an hour before, she slipped and fell back and hit her head. At the time, I didn't think much of it, because it didn't look like she hit hard and she recovered really quickly. Then, this. I got us out of the store as quickly as possible and drove her straight to the doctor because she was getting worse and worse. We weren't sure if it was from the fall or a virus that came on really quickly, but she couldn't keep her eyes open on the car ride to the doctor. Our time in the waiting room looked like this...
I had to carry her into the exam room because she was too weak to walk. As we were waiting for our doctor to come in, it was like a flip switched. This sad and lethargic girl suddenly got up off of my lap and started tap dancing. Dr. K told us Abby had a mild concussion and just like that we left the office and she was all better. I was thankful and amazed at how our bodies work!
Ella and Will watching some "boy shows".
Just one of the many moments when I smile as I'm reminded of the gift I've been given in having two daughters. Imagine what it is like when I take them both shoe shopping! :) I love it.
We had a lot of snow days this winter, but there is always something about the first big snowfall that is the most exciting and the most beautiful. Once we rounded up all of our snow gear, the girls and I headed out to play. The snow was too powdery and fluffy for a snowman, but just right for sledding and snow angels. We warmed up with a hot chocolate date afterwards. The girls were excited to use the new mini mugs they got for Christmas.
Valentine's Day! Our house doesn't need a holiday to love all things pink or chocolate or LOVE-ly (at least not the girls), but we love to embrace the sweetness of the day and make it special.
This was Abby's first year to add a school Valentine's Day party to her celebrations. When I showed her the new pink shirt I had picked out for her to wear, she was conflicted. "But Mommy, I can't JUST wear pink. I have to wear pink AND red!" After a long search through her closet, she was thrilled with the final product.
The girls woke up on Valentine's morning to find a special surprise for each of them at the breakfast table. They spent a couple of hours enjoying their Legos and princess chocolate.
Daddy came home with one more surprise for all of his ladies. I got a bouquet of my favorite flowers. The girls each got a pretty white rose. They were so excited that they immediately ran to find a special spot in their own rooms to put their flower.
It's always fun when Valentine's Day falls on a Saturday, but even more fun when your friends put out an open invitation for free babysitting and say they are hosting a bunch of kids while parents go on V-day dates. So, we spent a relaxed morning together as a family before date night. Then, Joe and I went to dinner, while the girls had dinner and played with friends.
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