Getting Our Nails Done

The girls have been asking to have their nails painted ever since they saw their cousin, Sydney, paint hers. Finally, I got the courage to paint theirs for them. I make them put their feet on wax paper and splay their fingers out while they let their nails dry. They love it!

When they have their nails painted, they hold everything so dainty. Its so funny!

Waiting for their nails to dry

Watching TV and looking around me while I take their picture.

September 2010 vs September 2011

 I was looking through my cell phone pictures and was completely surprised by how much these little cuties have grow and change! Wow!

The girls on their "stage", a couple of step stools

Gracie with her pout

Lizzie's pout face

Cheesy faces. I love how Gracie is looking at Lizzie. Sister love!

Gracie September 2010

Lizzie in September 2010

The girls in September 2010, 2 years 3 months

Whew, I'm Tired!

It has been a busy week and a half! We started out a week ago preparing for Grandma and Papa to come for a visit. Monday they arrived and that night Wes caught a flight to Las Vegas to stay for 8 days. On Tuesday, I caught a flight to Las Vegas to have a mini vacation and stayed until Thursday. It was nice to get away but I missed the girls a lot. I spent the days by myself and the evenings with Wes. I shopped, play $1 in the slots and lost, walked A TON and shopped some more! It was nice to have the time to myself and do whatever I wanted. 
While I was away, the girls were having a blast with Grandma and Papa. I think they hardly missed us. Not only were my parents taking care of the girls, but also converting my dining room into a play room. My mom decided our toys had gotten out of hand and she and my dad worked really hard to organize them!
I arrived back home on Thursday. Then Friday started my final weekend for my yoga training. Friday was the written test, Saturday was my practice teaching and Sunday was the graduation party. I passed everything and have just a couple of things to finish up and then I'll be certified to teach! Yay for me!

My wonderful parents with Lizzie and Gracie

So for about a week, I was running non-stop! I'm ready for a break!

Fun Lunch and a New Experience

Today was a great day for the Potters. The girls woke us up this morning around 7:00. Unfortunately, they have learned how to open doors which means they get to get us up instead of the other way around. Wes made breakfast while I worked a couple of hours.

After I was done working and we got cleaned up, we met one of my best friends, Candace, for lunch. She moved about 2 years ago to Waco. So, I don't get to see her very often. We have been friends since 2001 when both of us moved here. We had so much fun at lunch catching up. The girls at first were shy and then the both crawled into her lap and ate her crackers.

Candace and the girls

After lunch, we split up. I had my yoga training and Wes took the girls to a birthday party. This is the next to last weekend for my yoga training. Anyway, after my yoga training we had dinner with my yoga friends as the girls called them. And then attended our first Kirtan. A Kirtan is a sort of a "yoga concert". Its chanting with instruments.  We went to Om on The Mat in Grapevine. It was a lovely place and the people were so friendly. We were greeted by the sweetest little boy. He told us all about where to put our shoes and where to sit. As we were waiting for the Kirtan to start, an elderly man and young women walked in. He needed help walking in and everyone was trying to offer a chair, but before we knew it he was sitting cross legged on the floor. Turns out he was 96 and probably been practicing yoga for much of his life!

The girls were so great through the entire thing and they loved it! We stayed for about an hour and a half. Everyone was so sweet about the girls, one man let them play his drum. The girls danced and played! At one point Gracie was sitting in a friends lap and the lady leading the Kirtan made a comment because she had a note book and sun glasses on at night. Gracie being the diva started blowing kisses to her "audience".  We left before it was over and were putting on our shoes, a women came up to us and told us how good the girls were. First time for everything!

As we were driving home, Lizzie said "momma I had fun with your yoga friends, we sang and danced!". Yes Lizzie, we all had fun!

First Day of Preschool

Today the girls started Preschool. Last night, Wes and I were frantically getting their stuff all together to take this morning. Wes went into work late so he could help get them ready and to school. They were both really excited but nervous too. When I told them that mommy and daddy were not staying Gracie said her tummy hurt and she couldn't go. After that, she was a little obstinate about getting ready and out the door. They both decided to ride in daddy's car, so they helped him put their backpacks in the car.

 Gracie not wanting to get her picture taken

 Lizzie helping daddy put her backpack in the car

 Wes with the girls.

Gracie wanted daddy so the girls were not as cooperative for the picture with mommy.

 Love this shot of them with daddy walking in to school.

 Lizzie walked right over and started playing with play doh.

Gracie required a little more coaxing so Ms Ashley their teacher sat with her. Wes and I were trying to sneak out and the little stinker ran after us. Wes walked her back and she stayed.

When I went to pick them up, they were so happy. They had a blast. Lizzie was happy because she got to paint AND play on the playground. "School Gracie" has decided to play shy.Which I find funny, because this kid has never been shy. We got home and I put them in bed and they were asleep in no time! They are ready to go back Thursday!

So Much Family, So Little Time

 We had a very busy Labor Day weekend. Half of the weekend we spent celebrating birthdays and the other we spent with family. On Friday night, we celebrated with our friends, Greg and Sarah, for their daughter Caroline's 5th birthday. Then we got up Saturday and celebrated Reese and Riley's 3rd birthday. I can't believe how old on these kids are getting. Time really flies.

After the party on Saturday, we loaded up the car and headed to Oklahoma City to see family. Instead of staying with my mom like we normally do, we stayed the first night with Wes's grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Potter, and the second night with my sister. Both we very happy to have us and we were happy to stay.

We did have a little drama, we woke up at the Potters in the middle of the night to hear Gracie crying. Wes leaped out of bed to see what was wrong. He found her with a bloody nose. So we were up for about an hour dealing with that. Then later that next day, she had another bloody nose. It was so weird.

Sunday morning after breakfast, we headed to my mom and dad's house to get ready to have lunch with my sister's family and cousins' family. We had a great time. We ate, the kids all played, the men slept/watched TV and the women talked. 

Sweet Kassidy and Sydney. I am so thankful for the cousins that the girls have. They are all so sweet and patient with the girls even though they are all big kids.

Gracie playing with the Barbie that Kassidy gave them. She brought two of her Barbies to give to the girls. So sweet.

Lizzie busy sticking whatever she can find in her purse. Grandma has so many toys (even ones from when my sister and I were little).

For dinner that night, we all went over to my sister's where Paul, my brother-in-law, made Philly cheese steaks. They were really good.

Because we were staying with my sister, she asked if Kassidy could spend the night too. So, we had 5 little monkeys in jumping on the bed, literally. I think around 10:00 pm they all went to sleep. They girls had a blast and thought they were so cool because they got to stay with the big kids.

For lunch on Monday, It was back to my mom and dad's. Again, we ate, the kids played, the men slept/watched TV and the women talked.

Then, it was time for everyone to go home and get ready for Tuesday. We headed home. On the way home, we stopped for a bathroom break and at the gas station was an big cat rescue mission set up. They had two Bengal tigers out for people to see. We got out because the girls love the episode of the Wonder Pets where they save the Bengal Tiger.  We loaded back up and watched the episode the rest of the way home on the DVD player.

At the Library

The girls and I were suppose to meet up with Reese and Riley and Anna,
Isaac and EJ for story time. Through various missteps (and one sick
boy) we missed the earlier story time and had to go to a later one
with only Reese and Riley. All the girls loved it and they got to pet
a fake stuffed animal tiger.