Memorial Day Weekend Part 1- The Scary Tree

For Memorial Day we loaded up the girls and headed out to Huntsville, AL to see Wes's side of the family. It was a long 13 hour car ride with 2 clothing changes. We finally got in around midnight. We almost thought our trip was going to be cancelled. Gracie had this strange rash pop up. We took her to the doctor and found out it was hives. So, she was "polka dotted" most of the trip. The girls kept asking when we were getting to Nana's house. I forgot the camera for the first couple of days but finally remembered later.

On Monday, we went to a place called Early Works. Its a kids museum. Everyone was telling us how the girls would love it and that it had a talking tree.

Turns out for almost 3 year olds it can be the most terrifying thing you ever saw. It started talking and they ran for the front door. They wanted no part of that tree.

Not only was there a talking tree, but also a talking clock. Again terrified. That's all they talked about afterward,they told every one there was a "scary tree and clock".

We finally talked them in to coming back in the building and there was a little village room with a garden, a water table, a grocery store and post office. This is Lizzie picking carrots.

Gracie loved the cash register and wanted to play store clerk.

Don't they look sweet riding in the wagon. The reigns were not attached to a horse and they were quite disappointed. They both kept saying "giddy up horsey".

They are not as sweet as they appear. Gracie told her cousin Sean to get in. When he went to sit in the wagon, she told him to lay down and wouldn't let him get up. Here he is being a sweet and doing what he was told by an almost 3 year old. Interesting fact, the girls and Sean are exactly 9 years and 364 days apart. They were born on June 11 and his birthday is June 12.

Half Way Done

This past weekend marks the half way point of my classes for my in-depth yoga training. There are 13 weekend sessions and we are in about weekend 7. I have been practicing yoga for about 10 years, I started by taking a class at a local college. Then that teacher moved on and so did I. I then floated around from class to class looking for the "right" one. Finally, I found a teacher, Shanon, that I connected with and enjoyed the class.

My practice went along fine, I had a bit of an ego (I know I know, no ego in yoga). I had a 2 day a week practice for many years and then I became pregnant. I did prenatal yoga for a while until I was put on restriction for complications because of the twins. I was so sad. I loved prenatal and it taught me to throw my ego out the window because we a huge belly you aren't able to do everything.

Two and a half years later, I finally start a regular yoga practice without feeling mommy guilt. Yoga has actually helped me as a mom. It's given me balance, helped me find the "me" that was lost in mommyhood and helped me have a different perspective.

I'm looking forward to the remainder of my weekends of yoga and what I will learn about yoga and what I will learn about me.

Sayings

The girls are almost 3 (one month away!) and have more things that they are saying and doing. I just wanted to get some of them down. Of course, I think they are the smartest, cutest things ever. You may or may not agree. :)

• I ask Lizzie to put on her shoes and she says, "No mama, just foots" meaning barefoot.
• Gracie talks on her "phone" (which could be a doll, a block, or any other random toy). She presses on it and then says "Helwo, Grama". When I ask her who she is talking to she holds up one finger and says "just one minute mama".
• When we are in the car, Lizzie says "turn on the noogget" meaning music. At first Wes and I thought she wanted candy.
• When I leave for yoga, Lizzie says "yogit mama?"
• In the mornings, I like to tease the girls and crawl in one of the beds and say night night. They always say "no mama time to wake up"
• I asked them yesterday if Olivia the Pig was a pig and they told me no.
• Gracie had her baby doll in the car and told me it was crying. I told her to burp it, so she turned to the baby and said "burp baby". I then demonstrated how to burp a baby.
• Gracie now says in the car - "are we there yet" and then once we get "there", she says "we're here, we're here".
• They both ask every morning, "what we doin' today, mama?".

Mother's Day 2011

My Mother's Day was great! We went to Oklahoma and saw lots of family and my grandma was visiting too. We ate so much great food. My mom cooked some and we went out to dinner with my cousins. We followed up dinner out with a trip to the ER because my grandma fell but x-rays showed nothing was broken and she was just sore.

Some more fun things that happened:

With daddy's help, Lizzie and Gracie made "cards" for the moms. This is the first year they have really understood what they were doing

Another first, I cut Lizzie's bangs. She usually gets them cut when we all get our hair cut. She did really well and sat still for me. After she was done, she said it was Gracie's turn. She went and got her and showed her how to sit in the chair. I only snipped a little off Gracie.

Lizzie playing with Papa's magnifying glass, one of his many toys that are usually off limits. She is sitting on Wes's lap.

Reading with Great-Grandma Susie as we call her (my grandma). The girls have 3 sets of great-grandparents. So lucky!

Hanging out watching "big kid" cartoons (Sydney and Sam were in control of the TV).

We had so much fun. They only thing I'm sad about is I didn't get pictures of everyone. We are exhausted and happy.

Check out my shop

So, I have had an Etsy shop, Monkeybee Designs, for a while but for whatever reason I haven't marketed it well (or at all). Any way, I decided today is the day! I'm am going to start pushing my shop. Some of the items in the shop are necklaces, pins are hair clips so click on over.

Glass Tile Necklaces

Beaded Necklaces

Flower Pins

Push Me Please

The other day we met Amy, Reese and Riley at the park. The girls are now big enough for the big girl swings. They were so funny because they wanted to push each other.

They are getting so big. They say the funniest things and know so much.

Easter 2011

For Easter, we went to Oklahoma to visit my family. We had a great time.

Looking for eggs (it rained so it was an indoor hunt)

Gracie on Easter morning hugging her huge duck that Grandma got them

Lizzie and her duck

My pretty girls in their dresses

Our family (you can't see it, but the girls and I have taken off our shoes) They wore their rain boots to church and everyone made comments. So funny.