Clean sheets

I always have helpers....

Botanical Gardens

The botanical gardens proved to be a great place to get out of the apartment on the weekend and work off some energy. We each took turns with the camera.

24 weeks

Our baby girl is looking and sounding good! The ultrasound tech switched over to 3D so that we could get a better look at her face, but apparently the placenta is on my outer uterine wall, which makes it more difficult, but also Baby was being a wiggle worm and kept turning away each time we'd get a view. We were able to get a lot of leg and foot shots, including this one of her crossing her feet...she clearly has her Dad and Mimi's double-jointed big toe! After switching back to 2D, we could see Baby sucking her hand. It was really neat to watch her fingers going into her mouth and seeing her jaw moving. I can't wait to hold her!

Gymnastics

Madeline started a weekly gymnastics class for 3 year-olds, and has never been more happy about anything in her life. She chose her leotard (she calls it her "gymnastics suit" with her sweet lisp) and has asked me every hour since her class ended yesterday if it's time for gymnastics again.

Charlotte's 1st haircut

Charlotte only had some long stray ends cut off...barely enough to save for her baby book, but she sat like a statue looking at her reflection after she saw Madeline got a lollipop as a reward for her stillness in the chair.

FYIs from Madeline

Madeline is always telling me little random tidbits of information as we're driving or walking somewhere. Most of time it's something about animals or nature...and it gives me a glimpse of what is going through her mind when I see her quietly staring out the window. I've written down a few from the past couple weeks:

Most of the time she begins with, "Hey Mama, ya know....."

"A moose is in the deer family."
"If you see a net up high and a basketball, you need to jump and throw it in."
"This isn't ketchup...it's blood." (as she's pulling down her bottom eyelids)
"Beavers like to swim in water and make dams."
"Have you ever seen a volcano? It has fire rocks."
"If you don't put on your panties, someone might see your gina."
"If you see a rattle...it's a rattlesnake."
"Winnie the Pooh exercises like this...up, down, touch the ground."
"I don't really like hyenas...they're mean and naughty."
"When seals bark, they clap their hands."
"Elephant's noses are their trunks."
"When cats are happy, they purr. They don't have waggy tails like dogs."
"If you don't wash your plum, then it might taste like dirt."
"Snail's eyes are their up-things."
"When it's dark outside, owls stay awake while you are sleeping."
"Geckos have 3 nails to help them climb trees, and frogs have suckers."

I put Madeline in her bed each afternoon for her nap, but when she comes out of her room sometimes 2 hours later, her clean closet turns into this:

Just the 3 of us

Our new library began their fall story times this week and it was the first organized activity I've taken Madeline and Charlotte to since Grace started school. They both had a lot of fun, and we're excited about the 2 and 3 year-old classes they have each week. It's a big adjustment for me not to have Grace with us through the day, but it's been interesting to see how differently the younger girls act without her here.