This Weekend

Neely helped Jess fix one of our chairs. She said "Help?" and took her job very seriously.
She also made her tallest tower yet.
8 blocks, and almost had 9. She was really impressive, I didn't help at all. And when she was trying the 9th block, she'd slowly start to release it, and when it started to lean she held on again, carefully adjusted it a bit, and then tried to let go again. She did that like 3 times, but finally it fell before she could close her fingers on the block to adjust again.

I spent a lot of my weekend working on a few little projects for a certain baby on the way, and had to make a quick trip to Walmart for some little things I needed. I was going to go alone since it was going to be quick, but at the last minute I realized I could turn it into a date. I forget that dates with the kids don't have to be a movie or a meal at a restaurant. As long as we have a little time alone together it counts. So I grabbed my littlest fella and took him with me. Since there's a McDonalds in Walmart we got an ice cream first.

He's so funny when I get to really talk with him. He was just enjoying his ice cream and saying things like "What if someone thought this was THEIR ice cream so they kept trying to take it?" I told him we'd tell them they can buy their own at McDonalds. He goes "What if they keep trying?" So then since I could tell he was just being funny I shook my fist and said "I'd never let them! I'd say 'GET OUTTA HERE!" That was what he wanted to hear, he just smiled and kept eating his ice cream. Ha.
Right before bedtime on Saturday I realized we'd forgotten to do our outdoor time. At least not 15 minutes anyway. I wasn't about to mess it up now, so we got some blankets and went out front to look at the stars.
It was fun and we're still good on our goal.

Obstacle Course

Last weekend we were bored, so we decided to set up an obstacle course for Paige and Cason. It was a success.

Nessie

Sorry I haven't blogged much the last few days, again. Veronica loaned me her kindle, because she wanted me to read the Hunger Games. So I went ahead and started on Saturday night, and finished the 3rd book last night. Ha. I get a bit obsessive when I read. It didn't leave much time for blogging.

We're getting rid of our old mattress, but have put it in our living room to let the kids play on it for a few days first. It takes up the entire room, which is fun for them. Although it's encouraged super lazy days too. This morning our girls spent some time turning this bunny into a princess, taking turns putting the crown on her.
Neely thought it should go on her back as often as on her head though.

Lately, when I have a glass of water, Neely always wants a drink of it. She signs "more" and then desperately says "More. More. OKAY. Peese, peese, peese." I think she throws in the "OKAY" in an attempt to plant a seed in my mind that it truly IS "okay", like she's convincing me of what my answer should be. Ha. So funny and clear.

She also said "Cason" about 2 weeks ago, finally. Cason tries to get her to all the time, because she's been saying "Paige" for MANY months. I think she could have said his name a long time ago, but she could tell how badly he wanted her to, so she wouldn't. Because when she finally did a couple of weeks ago, it was so clear and perfectly enunciated. I changed her diaper and then she stood up on the changing table, pointing and looking at the pictures on the wall above her. She pointed to the one of Cason holding her and said "CASON". I was so excited and ran to tell Caso, and he just goes "Oh", all casual, like he hasn't been waiting for it to happen.

It's SO nice again today. We spent a good part of our morning outside. Neely got to run around in her newest cloth diaper-my new favorite because it fits her so well and also the color is called "Nessie".
Haha. I'll buy anything with a name like that. Jess says I'm a marketer's dream. It turned out to be a fantastic purchase, though, so there. The next color I have my eye on is "Timberwolf". Don't mind Cason playing dead in the bush in that picture up there. Little weirdo. That's about the only time I get him in a picture lately, because he will hardly ever hold still if he sees the camera.

Neely likes showing off her bellybutton lately. She pulls up her shirt a little, waits for me to try and poke her bellybutton, and pulls her shirt back down, cracking up.

Best Quote Today...

...so far.

Paige and Cason are playing in the playroom, Paige has her dollhouse dolls and Cason has some robots. I heard Cason in a robotic voice saying: "We are sorry we put your kids in the lava. WE are sorry, we put your kids in the lava." Then Paige in a casual voice, goes "Could you get them out?" Haha.

Superbowl with Grama

We watched the Super Bowl with Grama. She didn't know she was hosting a party until we told her. Ha. Neely liked her salsa.
She's also continuing to love robots. Jess made this lego one for Cason, who scoffed at it.
But Neely loved him. She took him and said "Bobot!" Then she made him fly around, even making sound effects.

I painted Paige a Robots in Love picture, and have finally accepted that I am a terrible painter. I REALLY wanted to get better with practice, but nope. That's okay though, Paige loves it and even recognized that the boy robot had "robot flowers" behind his back. I figured they would wonder what the heck they were supposed to be. Cason got it too, after Paige said it. He goes "They look like gears."
Paige is counting down the days until Valentines Day, which she says is her "favorite time of year". She and Cason helped me make little hearts to stick on our window,
and she marks each day off on her Hello Kitty calendar, and then tells me how many are left until Valentines Day.

Brave

Watch THIS

Go watch that trailer if you haven't already.

We have already been dying to see this for months, and we still have a few more months to wait. Paige and I have a girl date to go see it the second it's out. We've already decided it's probably going to be "the best movie in the whole universe."

Also, we'll probably not be able to survive unless Jess buys us a clydesdale and moves us to Scotland after we go see it.

Every time it comes up in conversation the kids want to hear about how I had my own bow and arrow when I was little. It blows their minds every time.

She Wears Short Shorts

Yesterday was so nice and warm. We went outside for our usual outdoor time, and Neely even wore shorts.
I tried to get a picture of them together, and Neely didn't want to sit on laps.
But once they let her down, she was more than happy to give me her super cheesy smile. Actually, they all did their cheesiest poses, now that I think about it.
Speaking of poses, check out this chocolatey faced model.
Now that January's officially over, we have made it successfully through 1/12th of our year of spending at least 15 minutes a day playing outside. Even on the cold windy days we made it happen. And even a couple of times when one or two of the kids were sick, I at least brought them out to sit in the rocking chair with me and get some fresh air.

Neely has a few new words. One is "please" and she uses it on her own, mostly when she wants a drink of my water. She also still loves her Little People, they go everywhere with her.