Easter 2012

Neighborhood egg hunt

Neighborhood egg hunt

 

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Easter morning

Easter morning

Mouthful of chocolate bunny

Mouthful of chocolate bunny

New wheels!

New wheels!

2nd Annual Easter Egg Hike!

2nd Annual Easter Egg Hike!

Easter 2013 was a huge success, thanks in large part to all the cards and gifts the girls received from family (thank you!) and incredible weather. We spent almost the entire weekend outside. Saturday we attended the neighborhood egg hunt at the corner church with friends and neighbors. Elsa and Emma did a great job helping the girls fill up their baskets. Afterwards we met with friends at the park and dyed eggs in the afternoon.

Easter morning the girls were very excited about their overflowing baskets. They both got scooters and helmets this year along with presents from family. We spent the morning riding scooters around the park and had our second annual Easter egg HIKE in the afternoon! Needless to say the girls were in bed early. Happy Easter, Happy Spring!

For the complete set of photos, click here.

Lilly’s First Book

Froggy Lost His Mommy, By Lilly

Froggy has a balloon.

Froggy is looking for his mother.

Mommy Frog is looking for her baby.

Baby Frog is looking for her mommy.

Today during quiet time Lilly told me she wanted to write a story. I asked her what the story was about and she wasn’t sure, so I quickly gave her four small sheets of paper and told her sometimes we can make up stories based on a series of pictures and asked her to draw four different pictures (one on each page). She was immediately excited about this idea and drew a balloon, frog (she asked for some help drawing the frog so I told her to draw a circle with two smaller circles on top for eyes and she got it right away and did so all by herself), then a mommy and baby frog.

I had Lilly put the pictures in the order she wanted them in then she told me exactly what to write at the top of each one. We gave the book a cover and she was so excited and proud of herself for writing her first ‘book’. She couldn’t wait to show her Daddy. Go, Lilly! 🙂

Robin at 23 Months

We are one month away from Robin’s 2nd Birthday! This past month she has really taken off with putting words together, counting (1-12), repeating EVERYTHING, and forming short sentences. She still has the forever cute toddler-isms, though. Our favorites are, “Kee kee up!” (pick me up) and “ah-buh-self” (all by myself). She also loves the word, “actually” and says, “actually, mine!” and “actually, my turn!” frequently. Robin wakes up almost every day asking to see the deer, who we’ve seen almost daily this past month, and she makes us laugh by carefully telling us where she thinks the deer are: “Deer in-na-driveway”; “Deer. Up. Hill.”; “Deer. In. Backyard?”; “(a)Cross-Da-Street!”. She also counts the deer, and for some reason there are always four: “One. Two. Three. FOUR Deers!”

Robin has been picking up Spanish more, as well. She repeats words with ease and uses phrases to refer to going places and putting clothes on.

She plays more sweetly with Lilly and has been playing well with friends (and less pushing, thank goodness). As Bill says, I think we’ll keep her. 🙂

Gymnastics

Lilly just finished up her first session of gymnastics classes at the North Boulder Rec Center. I was a bit hesitant to start her in gymnastics (probably because of my negative experience with a very strict teacher at a young age), but she really enjoyed the class and has learned much more than I expected these past 8 weeks. Robin and I take Lilly every week and get to sit outside of class and watch her, but the last day of class parent’s were allowed inside to see how far the kids have come. Lilly enjoyed her teacher, Evalina, and the other kids in the class and will be starting her next session in April.

It’s getting increasingly more difficult to keep Robin from running into class after her sister, so we’re looking forward to when she can begin gymnastics classes as well (2.5). 🙂

congrats to our budding gymnast! XO

Sibling Play

Lately Lilly has been trying to get Robin’s attention to include her in conversation and games and to show her projects she brings home from school or makes during quiet time. Robin has been relishing in her new found inclusion with Lilly’s activities but doesn’t always follow what her big sister is trying to ask of her. Here’s a typical example – this happened earlier this morning:

L draws portrait of R. L wants R to acknowledge the “beautiful drawing” and follows her all around the house trying to get her attention. R, entirely oblivious, thinks L is pestering her and yells, “No, no, no, Lilly, STOP!!” and walks in the other direction, singing ‘3 little monkeys’. L puts drawing in our bedroom, “because obviously Robin doesn’t appreciate this masterpiece.”

Sometimes I try to interfere and help Robin to acknowledge Lilly but it’s also fun (and good for them) to watch them work through it on their own. It’s wonderful to see what amazing, thinking/feeling/independent little people they are becoming! 🙂

Goodbye soccer class, Hello Gymnastics

Soooo…Robin appeared to like her soccer class at first, but by week 3 I was dreading it because it was next to impossible to keep her on the fied (instead of climbing over the side to get water, paci, etc) and focus on the task at hand. No huge surprise for a curious almost-2-year-old but it has worked out great because I’ve started her at this new gymnastics place (and indoor ski training school) that is right up her alley. The teachers don’t mind if she’s hanging from the rings or climbing onto the trampoline when they are doing circle time, and she has a blast – and is actually really talented at what she’s doing! Hooray for Shredder Kids!!

Nana, Boppa, & Aunt Martha’s March Visit

Nana, Boppa, and Aunt Martha were just in town for a visit and it was wonderful to see them. Nana and Boppa were here for a week before Martha joined them. The girls had fun playdates and we really enjoyed Bill’s afternoon off when we all drove up to Nederland to go on the carousel and then had a nice dinner at the condo. Robin refers to Nana and Boppa as one person, just as Lilly used to (‘nannaboppa’). So cute!

Spring Class Lineup

Spring is in the air! Here’s what we have planned with the girls beginning in April:

Monday – Lilly, Preschool until 12:30
Robin, Music Together

Tuesday – Lilly, Gymnastics

Wednesday – Lilly, Preschool until 12:30
Mommy, Spanish Class until 12 (Robin with babysitter)

Thursday – Lilly, Preschool until 12:30 (Music Class and Show & Tell)
and Sports Sampler at 5pm
Robin, soccer class

Friday – Lilly, Preschool until 12:30 (Yoga)
Robin & Mommy, grocery shopping and Gym Jam

Saturday – Lilly & Robin, Swim Lessons

…And don’t forget about Daddy’s Ironman training and Mommy’s half-marathon training!

Grandma’s Visit!

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It was wonderful to have my mom here for a week long visit. The girls had fun being spoiled with shopping trips and getaways to the Children’s Museum and the Aquarium. I enjoyed spending time alone with her when the girls were sleeping and as always she was so much help around the house and Bill and I got away for a special date night and a long run. Can’t wait to see her again in April! xo