Newest form of exercise (for Derek and I, not the kids)

I've been looking for a good way to get some exericise so we asked for a bike trailer for Christmas. That makes it possible for me to do something active AND have the kids with me. My Mom and Dad gave us Christmas money to go toward the trailer and requested that we blog pictures of the kids in it. So, here you go mom.

One complaint... the safety straps aren't very impressive. As you can see, it doesn't hold Katie in very securely and the straps connect WELL above her head. It was made for kids more like Ryan's size apparently. Though, you can see that his legs are getting long enough that he won't have more than a year's left of growth before he'll be too big for the thing. Still, they love it.

One small note: we found this one used on Craigslist for super-cheap (which is why it is less than perfect) and the Christmas money from my parents will INSTEAD go toward a different present. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Katie's just a month away from her 1st birthday.

I'm starting to see her as a toddler rather than a baby even though she isn't walking. She took 2 steps yesterday. I still think it will be 2 or 3 months before she's actually walking, but it was fun to see.

She has a little ride on/push car like Emma and will walk around the house with it. (Okay, I realize that she's only playing with her bracelet in this picture, but you get the point).


Here's another tongue picture for Jamie.


She climbs up onto the toilet seat.



She also claps her hands, waves goodbye, and occassionally signs, "milk" and "all done." My favorite is still when she says, "ba-bee" and means it.

A new haircut

A funny side note about these pictures - For the first picture I said, "Say 'cheese and crackers.'" The second one was, "Say 'cheese and pickles.'" SO, when I showed the pictures to Ryan on the computer he said, "Is this one "cheese and crackers?""

Balloons, balloons, who'll buy my balloons...?

On the top of my "wish list"

I don't expect anyone who isn't one of my sisters to understand why I am itching for this new book so terribly. It was just barely published in June and I've been emailing the folks at IAHP.org for the past year trying to get more info on how to teach my baby to swim. I can't bear the thought of buying a full priced book. Especially one I've never read before. It looks like I will have to go browse at a bookstore. Barnes and Noble, here I come!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

My first resolution was "Early to bed, early to rise." I want to become a morning person and finally get up and ready before everyone else wakes up. To be dressed and showered before my kids wake up, priceless. That being said, I resolved that there is no day like today and I went to bed after the new year rolled around in Australia. I was up before 6:00am. I resolve to make this a habit so that I can be sure to have some time to think, pray, read my scriptures, and shower before everyone gets up. Happy New Year!

Midlife Mom Crisis?

I've grown restless with my blog design and in an effort to personalize it, I've stumbled across a sort of crisis. I wanted to put some pictures of things that sort of define me or at least illustrate my interests and hobbies. Why do I draw such a blank?

I feel very happy right now in my life. I enjoy my kids so much - they are so often doing things that make me look at them and think, "I have such a nice family" and "Wow, I am really so lucky." I look at the things that I do in a typical day. A large amount of my time is spent feeding people and getting them to sleep. I am constantly behind in my housework. I have discovered that I am much poorer at keeping a clean house than I have previously given myself credit for. It is SO easy for me to put off cleaning when Ryan asks me to read him a book or it's a perfectly clear blue sky outside. I rarely get a break from being "Mom" but I'm also SO invested in the lives of my children that I cannot justify regular time away from them. This is why I cannot come up with a single hobby or interest. Well, that's not entirely true. I cannot come up with an un-pathetic interest. I am often thinking about what to feed my family. Is food an interest of mine? I am always looking for a good deal. Am I a shop-a-holic? I like to read. Who doesn't? Am I doing anything to broaden my horizons? Strengthen my character? Take opportunities for some "Me" time? Not often. Do I have any market-able skills? Do I scrapbook, sew, paint, knit, garden? Not really. I sound very pathetic to myself.

Maybe it comes from moving to a new place and becoming acclimated. I hope to discover something new about myself in the near future. Something positive, something interesting. I'd like to discover what might be a strength for me or some kind of talent that I can actually invest some energy in. Though frankly, I have sure learned a thing or two about myself since becoming a parent. I am not exactly main-stream which has actually surprised even me at times. Still, parenting seems to make us own up to our inconsistencies. I think differently than I did before. Maybe what I really want to be is this unselfish person who is more concerned about my children and their needs and their identities than my own. The rest will work itself out. Maybe in losing myself, I will find myself.

In the meantime... how do I pick some pictures for my blog header that seem to illustrate who I am? (rhetorical question)

Twinners

Grandma got the girls matching PJ's. I had to take about 45 pictures to get this one. Katie kept crawling away and would shriek when I'd pick her up and put her next to Evie. Evie doesn't like loud noises (Katie) and would cry whenever Katie screamed. But you must admit, this one is pretty cute.

They are pretty much the same size. Katie is slightly taller, Evie is slightly heavier, but they look pretty similar to me. Evie has 6 teeth, Katie just popped out her 4th. We are excited for NEXT Christmas with these girls together. Should be so much fun!

Amarylis

Due to my past performance as a houseplant owner, Derek seriously questioned my ability to keep this beauty alive. I must say that he underestimated the power of a window box. This pretty thing began as a bulb on Halloween. Now, 2 months later she has become a full blown Amarylis. I enjoyed growing her so much that I decided that this was the right gift for Derek's assistant at work. (Don't worry Mom, I DIDN'T get her coasters). Hers are Hyacinth bulbs though and should turn out equally beautiful.

Are you taller than a Zebra?

I found this fun growth chart at a teacher supply store. I thought it was a fun way to brighten up our house and also keep track of how the kids are growing. It also has those cards on the side which let you compare how tall you are to five other animals. You might be able to find the line which indicates how tall Ryan is. He is taller than a cheetah, but shorter than a python (from tail to head). Is anyone else surprised that a flamingo is taller than a Zebra or Wildebeest? I sure was. Katie doesn't have a line yet, but she's about where the lines start on the giraffe. Shorty!

For Gina:

I was seriously contemplating getting some for you, but I had no idea you wanted the giraffe. I thought you were going for more like this.

If you need these then I'll bring them to Phx for Christmas for you. Just say the word and I can go back and get more for myself later.