How is this weekend here already?

All week I have been meaning to update about last weekend. Last weekend was fun - James had plans with friends so I was with the girls two afternoons in a row, which isn't too bad now that they nap from 1-4! So it was kind of relaxing. 

 

I turned around and they had both decided to sit at their table and read books! Adorable! 

Alex waving hi at the park, too busy to turn around!

To avoid feeling too cooped up, on Sunday morning we went to the outdoor mall to run an errand, and the girls enjoyed watching the fountains there. Getting there right when it opened was fantastic, as there weren't too many people around, so we could let them run around on their own for a bit. Truly they have NO self preservation instinct whatsoever as they run in complete opposite directions as far away from us as possible. 

I always trust "J14" - my mom group that I joined when I first learned I was pregnant. Every item they have recommended has been amazing, excessively played with and loved by the girls. The focus lately has been on fine motor skills. I can tell the girls are getting more coordinated in that regard as they are much better at using their utensils than they used to be. A recent J14 recommended activity was to get some pipe cleaners and a colander and have the girls poke the pipe cleaners through the colander holes. This was a great distraction that kept the girls busy for almost an hour! They were so good at it too - Josie stuck the pipe cleaners in perfectly right away. (I should say, when I got home she was busy putting shaped blocks through their corresponding holes - so she's got this!). 

It was my sister's birthday this week. Alex and Josie wore flamingos to celebrate! We had a fun girls night out outing to a wine bar and enjoyed some Pinot Noir and good company (it was HOT though, as it always seems to be around her birthday). We have plans for a BBQ birthday celebration tomorrow, when Tom is off work, and I am making cupcakes for that. She's 35, which makes me thing "well shit, aren't I 35? no?" It has me thinking about age and how people say time goes so fast. I think before the girls were here, nothing was really changing on a week to week basis - James and I kind of always looked the same, our jobs were the same, our home, our cars. Time didn't feel like it was flying. Now that we have little sundials in the house, if not changing daily, then weekly, the time marching by is measurable. Stephanie turns 30 next year and I am not even sure I can handle that! And seriously I can't believe the girls will be 2 in 4 months. FOUR MONTHS!! 

Well, I am off for a fun day of swimming in 100 degree weather (ideal) and cupcake baking (excited to try out a new design!)! 

Having a snack at the park.

And then Spaghetti

Its just a messy food day, I guess. After ice cream last night, I made spaghetti for James and I. The girls got it for lunch today. Josie LOVES noodles, and is trying to make sure she gets every single one in her mouth. And I had to share this one of Alex. She looks SO MUCH like her grandmother Barbara in this photo!!!

Alex "smizing" for the camera! And eating very neatly!

The sauce really makes her eyes pop! ha ha

Wild Tuesday Night!

Last night, Tuesday, James and I had to run an errand near downtown Burbank. Rather than wait for the girls to go to bed and one of us run out to do it, we decided to go as a family and walk around our old neighborhood. We checked up on the condo - looks good. We went for a beer and pretzels at our old hang out, the Story Tavern - the girls liked pulling books off the shelf and we (may have) sat at the same table as Wil Weaton. (He lives in Burbank and we have regularly seen him around there). 

Then we thought lets treat the girls to their first ice cream! #*%&#&EPIC FAIL!!!!#*& They hated it all. They kept eating it though, but were so mad at us, at the situation, perhaps at how cold it was? No idea. Sad babies!! Anyway, fun night out, clothes destroyed, unsatisfied customers, funny pictures. 

Scorching Weekend!

Last weekend was HOT!!! We went to an outdoor birthday party, (happy birthday Desi!!!) thankfully it was shaded. The girls had a good time and were only upset about the heat when we got in the car to come home, the seats and belt clips were just brutally hot. The temperature guage showed 107. Not the hottest we have had in Burbank but close! 

Failed attempts at taking photos of the girls sitting together. 

Hot rosy cheeks and wearing dad's sun hat. 

Singing happy birthday and blowing the noisemakers

Getting the royal treatment: daddy cools the girls with a cloth filled with ice 

while they dig into some birthday cake!

The rest of the weekend we took it easy. Josie and I had a bit of a summer cold (the worst!) so we watched a movie (attention span is up to about 40 minutes now, so that's an improvement!) and then went to the pool to cool off. The girls tried out their new puddle jumpers (today's version of water wings) and were really giggling in delight when we would let go of them to tread water on their own. 

The girls are really coming into a ton of new skills all of a sudden. Josie is saying phrases, like "I got ball!" or whatever else she has in her hand. She is repeating things that I say, so on our way anywhere I point things out and have her repeat after me: Tree, diaper, cereal, spoon, grey, red, flower, etc. So while Alex definitely started talking more first (i.e. pointing at things and saying the right words), Josie is now stringing concepts together before her. 

We have also been practicing colors and shapes, and most of the time the girls get the colors right. Alex is also counting to 2. If she has two things, she asks "two? two?" until we confirm that she has two. The girls are also trying to put on their own clothes, and can do it sometimes. Thankfully they aren't insisting on it yet, because it does take forever. 

They are getting good at using a spoon and fork, getting cleaner when eating (sort of), and brushing their teeth pretty well. They are insisting on reading books all the time, they are building towers and lego creations on their own, and playing dress up. I don't know why I get so blown away by these things, because obviously they will grow up eventually, but I guess like they say, they will always be babies to their parents. 

We had swimming this morning and the girls are killing it in their lessons - so improved compared to even 3 weeks ago, let alone 3 months ago. I had Alex today and she was blowing bubbles and kicking her legs. Its really fun!! We are going on a mini family vacation an hour and a half south to a hotel with a pool and I can't wait to spend 2 whole days in the water with the girls. They will be professionals by the end of it! And I can't wait to not have to wash towels or clean or make food or clean up food! It will totally be worth all of the packing and planning that needs to happen before we go ;) (right?). 

In other news, our friends just had another baby, Nora Marie (their son is 3 days younger than Alex and Josie). I got to hold her when she was 5 hours old. :) It was very sweet, and she reminded me so much of Josie! 

And here is my project for today - finally put up some more photos on the walls! The only ones we have had up our our wedding photos! It was time to decorate another wall and bring things current!