Update on 2015 Resolutions

I skipped my third quarter review, but wanted to do a year-end recap of my 2015 resolutions.  I know we're not quite to the end of the year yet, but to be honest, there's not going to be a lot of progress on these in the next nine days. 

To refresh your memory, my resolutions were:

1.  Get in shape
2.  Read more.  (I set a goal of 10 books)
3.  Implement the monthly virtue lessons in a book titled "In This House, We Will Giggle" to help teach the kids important things we want to pass on but in a purposeful, fun way.

Goal #1:  Eh.  Yes, I did.  And then I didn't.  And then I did.  And now I'm not.  Just like it dawned on me a month or so ago that I will never, ever be fully caught up at my house, I am also slowly realizing that I will always be wavering between a 5-10 lb weight loss or gain (let's hope it's never more.)  I'll lose it, keep it off for a month or two, then slowly gain it back.  It's a vicious cycle.  BUT, it's one that I'm coming to terms with.  Do I feel better when I'm on the low end?  Of course.  But I'm slowly (and I do mean s-l-o-w-l-y) doing better at not letting it consume me.  Two things that really helped that realization were my 12 lb weight loss in the spring that no one noticed (it was a good thing...really.)  The other was being at my (annual-ish) physical and talking to my doctor about it.  In a very non-flirtatious, serious way, he said "Heather, 90% of the women that I see here would kill to have your body."  I knew he meant both the physicality and the healthiness.  God knew I needed to hear that.  It is not in perfect shape, but it's all I have, and it serves me well.  I need to take care of it to make sure it lasts, but also quit obsessing so much about how it looks in jeans.  It's a constant struggle, but it is getting a little easier the older I get.  Which is good, because I'm also realizing that it's much harder to get the weight off the older I get!

Goal #2:  I read 27 books this year!  I am so happy about that.  In no particular order, they were:

Nobody's Cuter than You - Melanie Shankle
Momumental - Jennifer Grant
Ketchup is a Vegetable - Robin O'Bryan
The Happiness Project - Gretchen Ruben
Happier at Home - Gretchen Ruben
Better Than Before - Gretchen Ruben
Rules of Civility - Amor Towels
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Home is Where My People Are - Sophie Hudson
A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet - Sophie Hudson
Sparkly Green Earrings - Melanie Shankle
Best Yes - Lysa Terkeurst
Interrupted - Jen Hatmaker
For the Love - Jen Hatmaker 
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
Why Not Me? - Mindy Kaling
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling
Does This Beach Make My Butt Look Fat - Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Have a Nice Guilt Trip - Lisa Scottoline
The Island - Elin Hildebrand
The Blue Bistro - Elin Hildebrand
Winter Street - Elin Hildebrand
Winter Stroll - Elin Hildebrand
In the Unlikely Event - Judy Blume
Dad is Fat - Jim Gaffigan
Bossypants (reread) - Tina Fey
Bird by Bird - Ann Lamont

I recommend any of the Gretchen Ruben, Jen Hatmaker, Sophie Hudson, Lysa Terkeurst, or Melanie Shankle ones for non-fiction.  All the Light We Cannot See still ranks at the top of my fiction list, but it very long and not an easy "beach read", so be warned.  

Goal #3:  I dropped the ball on this one more than a few times.  BUT, as I said in a previous recap, I feel that doing some of them some of the time was better than never doing any.  I put the virtue/verses cards up and we discussed them every so often.  Joy, perseverance, service, and humility were probably the months we focused on the most.  I plan on making this a reoccurring resolution for my 2016 list, so we'll give it another go.  

So that's it.  I accomplished and regressed on the first goal several times, nailed the second goal, and did so-so on the third.  All in all, I feel good about the list.  I'm already excitedly thinking about my 2016 resolutions.  I hope you have a goal or two in mind that you're going to aim for in the new year.  Until then, enjoy those Christmas cookies! ;)

August 2014 Recap

I'm not sure where to begin.  August already seems like it happened ages ago.  In terms of what all occurred that month - Audrey starting kindergarten, finishing our office makeover, me starting my new job, and David's travels - it felt like three months packed into one, but it was also painfully slow as we tried to get used to new routines. 

We started the month with Audrey's Open House where we met her teacher and got very little info, but somehow left overwhelmed.  Afterward, we tried to push the anxiety away and went to a Food Truck Friday where the kids ate a bunch of fried junk and then danced their hearts out to the live band (at their begging, I joined them for a few minutes.  David would rather die.  Balance.)  The next day we had David's company picnic at Lake Lanier Islands, but we didn't stay very long or do the water park because Luke had some kind of weird rash going on and wasn't feeling the greatest.  

Before we knew it, the weekend (or, more accurately, the last five years) flew by and it was Audrey's first day of kindergarten.  I briefly wrote about how she was doing in a previous post, but a quick update is that she's doing fantastic.  She'll moan a little bit about going some mornings, but she always has positive things to say about the day when she comes home.  Her classmates are very well-behaved and she hasn't had any outrageous stories to share, which is a big relief to me because one of my fears about public school was that the majority of the teacher's time and attention would have to be devoted to discipline.  Her favorite parts to date are her "specials" (i.e. PE, music, art, etc.) and riding the bus home.  

Luckily that first week I stayed distracted with finishing the office and preparing for the big consignment sale I participate in.  A couple of friends came over for a preview sale at my house before I took everything to drop-off.  Suddenly it was Friday evening and we found ourselves curled up and doing one of our most favorite family things - having a Pajama Party Pizza Picnic and watching a movie.  We'd made it through four whole days and survived! ;)

I joke, but we really did try to keep the first couple of weeks very low-key for Audrey's sake.  We spent a lot of quality time together in the evenings.  Usually after dinner, David plays with the kids while I spend about 30-45 minutes cleaning up dishes and running around doing laundry, packing lunch, watering flowers, etc and then we spend the last hour before bed all playing together or doing baths.  For the first two weeks of school, however, I made a very concerted effort to keep our calendar clear and make sure all four of us were as together and "present" as possible to help AJ transition.  There were a lot of games of hide-and-seek, dance parties, puzzles, etc. and it was nice to have the extra time together.  Impractical to maintain every day on an on-going basis, but definitely something I recommend during high-stress changes.

The third weekend we sent the kids to spend the night at David's parents' house and we drove across town for a wedding.  We have been friends with the groom, Jeffrey, for 15 years (actually, our families have known each other since before I was born, but we moved away and didn't get back in touch until we were in our late teens) and met his bride about two years ago.  The wedding was incredible, not because of the decor or the food, which were nice, but because of the company.  In addition to the bride and groom, we met up with two of our closest and oldest couple friends and then had another couple we hadn't seen in years (we'd never met his wife, actually) who were in town from Alabama join us.  The night was just wonderful.  We laughed and reminisced and danced and ate and laughed some more.  We broke the vendor's record for most people stuffed in a photo booth at one time and have the pictures to prove it ("Whose finger is that?!  Whatever - it counts!")  After the newlyweds drove off, we all headed over to Starbucks and talked some more until they kicked us out to close down.  I'm still smiling just thinking about it.  It is so precious to be with people who have known you that long...through dating and marriage and jobs and moves and babies...and love you like family.  It was definitely the night of a lifetime as we relieved a lifetime of memories.  

The morning after the wedding, David and I biked about seven miles together and then I went for a 3 mile run (this was while I was still deciding whether to do a duatholon or not...I've since decided "not" but more on that in another post.)  His parents brought the kids back to our house and David grilled some of his delicious hamburgers for lunch.  After they left, it was family nap time.  In addition to Pajama Party Pizza Picnic, this is one of my other favorite things we do. :)

Unfortunately we had to end such a great weekend by kicking off a string of travel for David.  He left that Sunday for Virginia and returned just in time for Curriculum Night at Audrey's school.  The evening before, her teacher left me a voicemail and told me she had chosen me to be one of the two room moms, which I was elated over.  Communication hadn't improved (and, to date, it still hasn't) so I figured that though it may be a challenge to take on the role, it was about my only chance of  knowing what was going on.  We went into the class that night and got very little information on actual curriculum, but did find out about the day's schedule, some of their activities and procedures, and learned more about the teacher and some of the other parents.  It was so refreshing after three weeks of nil.  Her teacher gushed about how well behaved the class was and how in all of her 23 years of teaching, she couldn't recall a time she didn't have to use tape on the floor for circle time the first few weeks or assign seats at the tables because some kids needed to be separated.  Shew!  So thankful!

David then left that Friday morning for a three-day guys' golf trip.  My brother and niece came up from Savannah for a visit that weekend.  It was great to have the company, especially with David gone.  We let the kids sleep in a little on Saturday morning and then fixed a big breakfast.  They stayed in their pajamas until nearly lunch time, running from one room to the next playing.  We baked cupcakes, had lunch, and then put everyone down for naps/rests.  After they woke up, my brother and niece took off to a friend's house and the kids and I hit the pool for a swim.  The next morning, my brother joined us for church and then he got on the road and I went to meet Kara and the kids for a quick lunch while they were in town before they headed back to South Carolina. 

The next day, I started work, which I detailed in this post.  The first week went well, but was not without its hiccups.  That's always the case with new things, though.  More updates about that in September's recap - which should be posted sometime in December at this rate. ;)

The last Friday of the month we had a Tailgate at Audrey's school.  It was h-o-t and Luke couldn't care less about the bouncy houses, but Audrey loved seeing some classmates and getting her face painted by our neighbor who was working that booth.  After we ate, David took the kids home and I stuck around for the raffle, which was a good choice since I won a gift card to a restaurant.  On the drive home, I got a text from one of our sweet friends who told us to check our mailbox.  Kaelyn, Audrey's little friend that attends our church and her school, had won several things at the raffle and decided to give one of her prizes (a t-shirt and note pad) to Audrey.  MADE HER NIGHT.  Having sweet friends who are raising caring, giving kids made mine.  

The next day we went to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and nephews for a little bit on our way to Alabama to see David's family.  It was a good day full of family, food, and celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday.  That Sunday we went to church and then to our small group co-leaders' pool party with some of their friends.  It was a great way to send out the month and celebrate the unofficial end of summer.

So that was August.  Another month passed!  Lots of new beginnings in this one, for sure.  Insert cliche quote about changing being the way to tell you're growing and all great change coming with chaos, etc. etc. etc.  I don't know about all that, but here's what I do know:  Change IS inevitable.  And it's hard...for me at least.  But it's doable.  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Phil. 4:13 

That being said, I hope we're done with the big shifts for at least a little while!  

Enjoy this month's pics:  August 2014

July 2014 Recap

A big chunk of our July was our vacation to New Smyrna Beach, which I wrote about here.  Before that, though, we celebrated the heck out of 4th of July with our annual family reunion at David's great aunt's on Friday, a cookout at my dad and stepmom's on Saturday, and hosting a cookout at our house for the Taylors who were in town on Sunday.  It was really great to see everyone and enjoy the time with so many of our family and friends.  

The next week we had an eye appointment for AJ.  Update: she's improved a lot and the doc adjusted her prescrip a little based on her improved ability to verbalize what looks better.  We'll follow up in September and as long as she's made at least as much improvement, we won't need to patch her weak eye.  We also had dentist appointments for her and me.  Later in the week she had her final gymnastics class and we got to go in and see her doing all of her fancy moves.  She did really well, especially going backwards on the balance beam!  It was a great summer activity and she enjoyed it, but we decided not to continue it for now. 

That week I also completed a mini-makeover in the kids' playroom.  It was one of those rooms that I just wanted up and running when we moved in and didn't give a lot of thought to.  I basically just recreated what was at our other house.  So, I spent some time hunting down a few different additions (two overstuffed chairs for reading, a solar system mobile, a wall decal map I put on a canvas, and a new pennant banner I made for a window treatment) and rearranged the furniture.  It's something than can grow with them a bit better and is a little more functional now.  Other than that, the week was spent frantically packing while also attempting to price items for an upcoming consignment sale.  

After we returned from the beach, I went into major "school-is-almost-here-and-I'm-also-going-to-start-a new job/volunteering at AJ's school/leading small group-and-OH-my-goodness-soak-up-every-second-slash-get-it-all-done-NOW" mode.  Yeah, if you think reading that sentence was stressful, just imagine how it felt being in my head.  

We started by jumping into an office makeover.  We listed the furniture on Craig's List and LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER someone was picking half of it up.  (They had to wait three days to come back for the other half because the husband was going out of town.)  I was not at all expecting it to go that quickly, so I was literally emptying drawers as they were hauling stuff out to the truck.  I just made massive piles of stuff that spilled out into the foyer and dining room.  This was ONE day after getting back from vacation, so my house pretty much looked like a bomb exploded downstairs for the latter part of the month.  

I immediately set out to do some furniture shopping the next day and, thankfully, by Wednesday, had two new pieces of furniture ordered and most decorations bought.  My budget was mostly limited to what we got for the furniture we sold plus what I figured I would make on this year's consignment sale, so it took some creativity, but I think I'm going to love the finished room.  Pictures and more updates to come, of course.  

That same week Audrey spent one night at her Grandmom and Granddad's by herself and we had Luke alone.  Later that week, she had her 5 year check-up (everything looked great.  The only notable fact is that she's in the 12th percentile for height.  Tiny!) and Luke tagged along so we could get his lungs and ears checked out for his lingering virus.  He was put on oral steroids and an inhaler to use until the nasty cough cleared up.  After our appointment, we met up with David's mom who took Luke so Audrey and I could have our planned Mommy-Daughter date.  We went back-to-school shopping, ate lunch at her choice of a restaurant, shopped at the mall for a first day outfit, threw pennies in the fountain, rode the merry-go-round, and bought a cookie.  It was fantastic.  

On that Friday we went over David's great aunt's (who we call "Granny Joy") house for a swim play date.  Her granddaughter, Gracie (David's second or third cousin?) was also there for the day.  She is ten and Audrey thinks she's the coolest, so AJ had a good time swimming and crafting with her before we all ate lunch. She (or, rather, Granny Joy) had bought a sketchbook and butterfly craft kit for Audrey and matchbox cars for Luke PLUS there were cookies and ice cream for dessert.  They had a blast and did not want to leave!

The weekend came and both kids spent the night at their grandparents' house while David and I worked on getting a few things done.  I painted the office and he put together his new workbench and organized his section of the garage, which was grossly overdue.  Even he admitted he really likes the new neat look.  I'm just happy to be able to find a tape measure or screwdriver when I need it.   That evening we got cleaned up and went out to a very nice dinner at a local restaurant to celebrate our 10th anniversary.  Obviously our trip in May was the big shebang, but we wanted to do a little commemorating close to the actual date.  

The next week my mom came out for a visit on Monday.  It was good to see her, but it was one more reminder of how life will shift once school starts:  No more weekday daytime visits with grandparents for AJ. :( On Tuesday, I put on a "Wacky Water Day" with the kids and set out sprinklers, the kiddie pool, the water table, and a dozen water balloons for each of them.  I let them chase me with water guns and we had such a good time screeching and running around the yard having classic summertime fun.  I was desperate to squeeze as much of that in as possible!

That same afternoon and evening, I got some much-desired one-on-one time with Audrey when Luke spent the night at David's parents'.  It was the longest it had been just the three of us since it had been just the three of us.  I let her dictate the itinerary so we started off the afternoon with a trip to the toy store, then over to the park to ride her bike and meet David for dinner, then home to surprise her with a campout in the family room.  We watched Snow White and ate s'mores before attempting to sleep.  As you can imagine, it was rather uncomfortable and I woke up quite a lot.  (A certain someone who shall remain nameless crept upstairs after Audrey drifted off and got himself a comfy night's rest.)  Still, it was a blast and hopefully something she'll remember for years to come.  The next morning David had to go to work, so she and I hung out.  She chose Waffle House for breakfast and then, after a quick stop at Target for more school supplies, we went to a different park to ride her bike and play on the playground.  We came home and had lunch just before Luke returned.  

The next night we had dinner at a friends' house and did some small group planning with them since they'll be co-leading with us this upcoming semester (Praise God from whom all blessings flow...)  We're excited about starting group back up again, but I'm admittedly nervous about having it on my plate with everything else.  It'll no doubt be easier and more fun to do it alongside another couple, though. 

On the final day of the month, we officially hit our ten year anniversary and I cooked one of David's favorite dinners to celebrate.  The kids made us signs and sang "Happy Anniversary".  Luke asked several times where the cake was and didn't hide his disappointment all that well when he discovered there wasn't any.  We dug out our wedding DVD and all watched it together then looked through our photo album.  It was a great way to culminate all of the celebrating we had done for it and to send out the month.  

So, another fun but busy month.  No major kid updates other than the medical stuff I already wrote about AJ.  I'll try to do a better list of quotes and stories for August's recap.  I'm sure there will be plenty since we're going to have a big kindergartener by then!

Pray for rest - we're all still not fully well from the cold/cough Luke came down with right before vacation.  That plus consignment sale tagging plus the new school schedule is catching up with me.  I would love a few consecutive nights of decent, uninterrupted sleep!   

Have a great weekend!

June 2014 Recap

Here we are again halfway into the next month when I realize I haven't recapped the previous one!  I want to get caught up before our upcoming vacation so that maybe I'll have time to write something other than an update while we're away.  

June was a great start to summer.  We returned from our anniversary trip feeling really refreshed and I had a renewed energy to take on the next 10 weeks.  Of course, it also helped that I got to ease into it a little more while Audrey had a week of Vacation Bible School.  She was very nervous about it the first day, but when we pulled into the parking lot and saw bouncy houses I think the uneasiness disappeared.  She had a blast and learned a lot through the "Secret Agent D3" curriculum.  Luke wasn't old enough to go, but I still made sure he had a fun few days by swapping play dates with his buddy Patrick and giving him some one-on-one time with his Grandmom.  

Audrey began once-a-week gymnastics that first week as well.  I wanted something very low-key for the summer and didn't want to spend a lot of money, so when I stumbled on a Groupon for a gymnastics place that a friend recommended, I jumped on it.  Again, she was very nervous to give it a try, but bounced and jumped around excitedly every second of the class that she wasn't doing something, so I think it was another hit.  

We headed to Alabama the first weekend and celebrated Audrey's birthday early as well as two of her second cousins' birthdays and Father's Day.  The next day after church, David and I snuck in a lunch date before attending a couples' shower for friends of ours that are getting married in August.  

The second week consisted of my swim lessons, hosting a cookout for one of David's new coworkers and his family that will be moving into our neighborhood this summer, and having a neighbor over for a play date.  Party planning and house prep kicked into high gear, especially over the second weekend when the kids spent a night at David's parents' house.  While they were away, David installed a custom wench system (see album for pics) for a new chandelier, which was an awesome feat.  We also replaced the front door knobs, laid about a dozen bails of pine straw, trimmed bushes, and did some serious tree trimming in the back yard.   We did get a chance to relax after all that work, though, when we took a nice boat ride at his parents'.  Luke was apprehensive and had a hard time getting used to it.  I wondered if he has his mother's uneasy stomach.  He finally calmed down and we sat at the dock and ate a picnic on the boat.  That and splashing his feet off the back were his favorite parts.  We ended that weekend celebrating the best Daddy in the world on Father's Day, mostly by showering him with all of his favorite foods.  Afterall, the way to a man's heart and all that...

Week three started off with a couple of play dates:  one at our house with my friend Lauren and her two littles and then one in Greenville where we met Kara and her three at the children's museum there.  Wednesday and Thursday of that week were party/house prep and I wrote about the details of the big birthday on Friday and party on Saturday here.

That Sunday, David left for business trip to DC.  Audrey had swim lessons that week, which kept us busy during the mornings as nearly every day we would go down and splash around in the kiddie pool, have her lesson, eat a picnic lunch, and then play in the big pool.  She did great with lessons and one of the most impressive parts was her overcoming her fear of the big water slide.  Last year she barely managed to do it once with her coach.  This year, she conquered her fear and would walk up the tall tower of steps, slide down, and swim to the ladder (while I was in the splash pool at the bottom just in case) all by herself.  I have a feeling that that slide is going to be one of those things that 20+ years from now she'll look back and wonder who shrank it.  It's not a rinkie-dink size to begin with, but to a five year old I imagine it looks enormous!  

The rest of the week went pretty well.  We had a play date at the mall one evening with friends and then gymnastics on Thursday.  David was able to finish up his work trip a day earlier than expected, so he actually surprised the kids when they woke up Friday morning.  He took the whole day off and went to AJ's swim lesson with us.  That evening, we ate dinner at Chick-fil-A and then headed to a Gwinnett Braves game.  The kids had a blast running around in the general admission lawn area...probably more so than watching the actual game.  No matter, because it was a gorgeous weather night and we had a great time.  The next morning I went out for a run and a bike ride, then came home and we all went for a hike and a picnic near the river.  Sunday was church and a little work around the house.  We made homemade pizzas for dinner and had a pajama pizza picnic (we get in pjs and the kids watch a movie while eating pizza on a big tablecloth I spread out in front of the TV.)  It was such a good, fun family weekend full of a lot of quintessential summer-time things.  

We ended the month with a play date and picnic at the park with friends we hadn't seen in awhile and then began resting and gearing up for the 4th of July festivities that were approaching, but more on those next month.

To update on the kids specifically, they are doing so well.  The older they are, the easier it gets to do fun family things like Braves games and hikes with picnics.  Of course, the sibling rivalry and fights also increase as can the attitude, but it's still a lot easier being out of the "survival stage" of infancy and young toddlerhood.

Audrey is still my little bookworm and Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew are her absolute favorites (it's a mystery series by the same author as the regular Nancy Drew, but written for a younger audience.)  I like to read them with her the first time through and make sure they are appropriate (i.e. not too much name calling or valley girl-speak) and then she rereads ones we've already read at her daily rest time.  She still loves making up songs, has had a blast at gymnastics, and is becoming more and more skilled and detailed with her artwork and coloring.  She is 100% used to her glasses now.  She is often the one to remind me of bringing her case along, when to clean them, etc.  It took me a lot less time to get used to seeing her in them than I thought it would.  Now it seems strange to see her with them off. 

Luke is doing really well, too.  To answer your question:  No, we have not begun potty training and aren't sure when we will.  He doesn't "have" to be until September 2015 when he'll start three year preschool, so we're in no rush.  Especially after the scarring ordeal we went through training Audrey.  You're welcome to come do it for us any time you're ready...I'll pay big money!  In other areas, he's doing great.  His vocabulary is amazing and he cracks me up daily with new words and phrases.  He is definitely into his questioning phase and wants to know "'cuz why?" for everything.  Usually I attempt to explain my reasoning if I can. The other day, however, I was several layers deep into an answer and struggling to find words he could comprehend. He finally looked up at me, tilted his head to one side, and with an understanding nod said, "Cuz you said so, Mommy?" Exactly. 

At the beginning of the month we switched the big boy over to his toddler bed.  He has done amazingly well and not snuck out of it a single time since we made the transition!  He  is also reaching small but noticeable milestones:  eating cereal without dumping all the milk off the spoon into his lap (mostly), handling most restaurant meals without a bib, having so much hair that we have to blow dry it after bath, opening and closing doors with ease, following multi-step directions, reaching most light switches...those kinds of uncelebrated achievements and signs that signal the end of toddlerhood and the start of childhood.  No, that sounds too old and makes my heart hurt.  We'll say the start of preschoolerhood.  Yes, it's a thing.    

Funny quotes from this month:

- Last month, I wrote about Luke doing his encouraging "Go runner, go!" cheer when we pass joggers while we're driving.  Well come to find out on a recent hike, he also enjoys doing it in person. Loudly.  Without shame.  Oh well, it made her (and me) smile! 

- Speaking of exercise, I told Audrey one day that I was going to do a work out video.  Her reply?  "Good."  "Good?!" I asked. "Why 'good'?"  "Because, Mommy," she said, "I like doing them with you...and you haven't exercised in awhile."  Ouch. 

- When talking about body parts, Luke uses slightly off names for them that are still somewhat applicable but just not quite right.  For instance, he'll exclaim, "I can't see it with my FACE!" or "Cuz why you putting sunscreen on my brain?" (i.e. forehead)  or "Do you see that with your eyeballs, Mommy?"  I find it adorably cute. 

-  The boy also has very little sense of privacy. He opened the door to the bathroom the other day while I was...ahem...using it.  I said, "Luke, can you please close the door?  Mommy would like some privacy."  "Sure!" he said.  Then he promptly stepped inside and closed the door behind him.  

 - I have no idea where he got this, but Luke accidentally fell flat on his face the other day, jumped up, and exclaimed, "That was magic trick."  No, son.  That is called "male ego."

- I've started doing time lessons with Audrey, which I've learned can backfire.  She can mainly only do hours and halves on an analog clock, but there have already been a couple of instances where questions arise.  For example, we put the kids to bed a little early one night and she called us back in there and said, "Why is it so light out?  And how come my clock doesn't say 8:30 yet?"  Hmmm....

And with that, it's past time for me to wrap this up.  It's been a great June and we're excited about all that July...and AJ's final pre-kindergarten month...have in store!  Check out pictures in the gallery here.

May 2014 Recap

Since it's almost time to do the June recap, I think I'm going to get over my perfectionism and do a quick, bullet-point recap of May so I can finally move on and quit having it hanging over my head.  So here's May (in a long nutshell):

• We had a cookout to celebrate our final small group of the semester.  I summarized my feelings about it on Facebook:  "When you're house hunting, you imagine the future in every potential place you walk through. Tonight as we celebrated the end of a great semester of leading couples' small group, I looked around our patio full of strangers-turned-friends and our yard full of kids playing and realized I was experiencing a dream fulfilled. Back before the contract was even signed, we committed to using this house to serve God and our church and I am oh-so-grateful we had the opportunity to do so."

• Luke attended his first official friend's birthday party when his buddy Patrick turned two.  He seemed to be a fan, especially of the cake.  

• Mother's Day was great.  I enjoyed some time off the day before, which was much needed and appreciated.  The day of we went to church and then hiked around the Buford Dam down to the Chattahoochee River and back up.  We had a picnic lunch near the lake side, then came home and did some yard work and had some of David's yummy hamburgers on the grill for dinner.  Luke gave me a Willow Tree angel figurine and Audrey gave me hanging baskets for the porch and pink gardening gloves.  So blessed to hold the title of "Mom" to those two. 

• Audrey's Pre-K graduation was awesome.  I nearly burst with pride at how well she did with her brave singing, especially since she was on the first row!  I didn't cry at the event itself (saving all of that for August), but I definitely teared up at seeing how she overcame her struggle of stage fright.  We'd been praying for weeks and then that night I took her aside before walking her to her room and prayed over her.  After we got home when we were praying before bed she said, "Hey!  God DID answer our prayers!"  So cool.

• We picked strawberries at a local patch with friends.  We ate most of them fresh, but turned some into yummy smoothies.  

• One weekend we visited my dad and stepmom's new house and then went to David's parents' home to hang out.  We were supposed to do a boat ride, but it was chilly and wet, so we just hung out at their dock then went out to eat. 

• Audrey got her glasses towards the end of the month.  She handled them like a champ and it didn't take me nearly as long as I thought it would to get used to seeing her in them.  

• Of course, the highlight of our month was our Anniversary Trip that I wrote about here.  

• My sweet husband turned 33 while we were in MX.  We celebrated when we got home, too, with lots of homemade cards and a homemade peach cobbler.  

Notable parenting struggles/stories:

• I jotted down some notes on my phone for this month's recap but it's been so long ago that I can't remember what some of them mean.  For example, "Luke's sleeping troubles."  So apparently, I need to record that the early part of May held some sleeping troubles for our youngest (and therefore, for us) but since I wrote that in a state of sleep-deprivation, I don't really recall what they were.  Oh well.  I'm sure it's for the best that way.  

• Audrey has been struggling with comparing what she has/gets vs. what Luke has/gets since he was about 18 months old.  I've lost count of how many times I've reviewed all of the things that she gets to do because she's older that he can't.  One day I fixed them a snack and ran down to get something from the basement while they ate it.  Suddenly, I hear a very accusatory little voice shout down, "Moooommy!  YOU gave Luke four teddy grahams and you only gave me THREE!" (I'd thrown a couple in their regular snack to be NICE.)  I took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and then walked upstairs.  I took the three Teddy Grahams out of Audrey's bowl, had her follow me to the kitchen, and I promptly dumped them in the trash.  We had a long talk about how comparison steals your joy and I explained that if she'd never noticed how many Luke had, she would've been perfectly content with her number.  I promised I hadn't meant to give Luke more, but that I just hadn't been paying attention and, by the way, stuff like that was going to happen a lot in life because, newsflash: LIFE ISN'T FAIR.  She didn't cry or pitch a fit, she just let that sink in.  We're well past a month since it happened and while she still succumbs to comparing every now and then, it's gotten much better!  Score one for Mommy.

• Just in case the story above didn't prove what a mean mother I am, we also started using spanking as an occasional punishment for Luke.  We began earlier with Audrey, because a) she understood more at a younger age and b) I'm a bigger sucker the second go-round.  I know this is a huge hot topic amongst parents so let me assure you it's not something we entered into lightly nor do at the drop of a hat.  For perspective, Audrey probably had about 15-20 spankings total from the ages of 2-4 and now averages about one every 6-8 weeks.  I expect Luke's number will be slightly higher because, ya know, BOY, but so far the couple he's had have worked wonders.  

• Audrey is doing really well with reading, but I have to be careful that the material is still age appropriate.  A lot of the early reader first chapter books will have some name calling among the characters or words like "stupid" and "dumb" that I really just don't want her exposed to.  Case and point:  One night while we were getting ready for bed, she said, "Luke, you're a jerk" and giggled.  I gasped, she burst into tears and explained she'd read it in one of her books.  We had a talk about what that meant and I assured her she wasn't in trouble because she hadn't known better.  It may be prudish and I know public school is going to rock our world, but for now, I'll be previewing Nancy Drew's Clue Crew thoroughly thankyouverymuch.

Cute Quotes from the Kids:

• When leaving Cracker Barrel one night, Luke said happily, "I like to eat.  But when I get bigger, I [will] eat salad."  ?!  Enjoy the carefree pre-salad days now, Buddy!

• I always cheer runners on when we pass them in the car and I guess it rubbed off.  When cruising by a jogger, Luke's little fists pumped in the air and he yelled, "GO Runner GO!"  :)

• David to Audrey: "Where did you get all of those bug bites?"  AJ:  "Uh, from bugs."

• Luke has started saying, "Mommy?  You so cute!"  I'll take it.  

So that was May.  Sorry if it felt a little disconnected and strung together.  Turns out short bullet points aren't really my strong suite, but at least it saved me from having to come up with transitional sentences and paragraph breaks.  Maybe June's recap will be better.  Maybe. 

Until the next time, check out May's pictures here and be sure to view our Anniversary Trip album too if you haven't already by clicking here.  

April 2014 Recap

April began with David out of town for business, but thankfully it was only for a couple of days.  We headed to Alabama the first Saturday - our first time there since Christmas - and let Grandma celebrate her birthday by cooking us all a giant feast.  We caught up on the latest with each other, the kids hunted and dyed eggs, some of us grown ups shot guns, and we all ate ourselves sick.  In other words, it was a usual perfect visit to Alabama. 

The next week was Audrey's spring break.  As I wrote in an earlier post, we tried to do a few out-of-the-ordinary fun things like a puppet show at the library, a sleepover for her with David's mom, some time with my mom, and a few play dates.  The week went by quickly and I actually found myself enjoying the break from the normal MWF shuffle to and from preschool.  That week we also had our master bathroom and upstairs interior doors painted (they were never done and were still just beige primer.  Weird.)

David headed back to California in the middle of the month.  While of course I miss him terribly (and not just for the help!), I do like getting a few projects tackled while he's gone.  I've always stayed up late and done that from the time we were newlyweds.  Of course, back in those pre-kid days, the projects were a lot more ambitious.  I remember painting the master bedroom at our old house several different colors before giving up and hiring a painter to help me finish. I hung new curtains and artwork there and in the hall and he hardly new what house he was in by the time he got home.  Late-night projects these days are more along the lines of organizing photo albums and cleaning out/reorganizing files, but it's still productive and it still counts.  

Not only did I stay busy at night, but we had some fun during the day too while he was away.  We got to see David's Great Aunt and Uncle who came by for a visit that week as well as the Taylors, who were in town for a family birthday party.  Audrey had her egg hunt at school and I got to hide 289 eggs for her class to find as they were bundled up in the 47 degree weather.  Ah, April with your fickleness.

On the Saturday of Easter weekend, David and I ran our annual Bunny Hop 5K while his parents kept the kids.  We were all supposed to do it together, but it was drizzling and a little chilly so we didn't want to take the kids out in it.  We got cleaned up and drove to my nephew's 6th birthday party.  The kids had so much fun bouncing all around the gymnastics facility they rented out.  It often hits me when all of the cousins are together how quickly time is passing.  We have such a beautiful, blessed family.  We ended the day with a pajama picnic and a movie - one of my favorite ways to chill these days.

Easter Sunday was wonderful.  We went to the 9:00 service at our church, which we hadn't actually done on Easter Sunday in several years.  They offer a Saturday night Easter service that we usually attend, but were too tired to do this year.  After church, we came home and saw the Easter Bunny had come while we were away.  (Funny side story:  David and I weren't going to address the Easter Bunny at all and had planned on just putting out the baskets from us.  However, the night before during bath, Audrey asked about the Easter Bunny visiting and completely put me on the spot.  I knew that given the way her mind works, she would immediately call into question Santa Clause and the Tooth Fairy if I squelched the Easter Bunny and I am NOT ready for that, so I went with it.)  

After the baskets, we ate a nice lunch of ham, rolls, mac and cheese, corn pudding, and potato salad.  It was no Alabama feast, but I was proud of it and everyone enjoyed it.  David and I took turns hiding eggs in the backyard and let the kids hunt them before nap/rest.  After they got up, we played, dyed eggs, and ate leftovers.  It was a wonderful, relaxing family day that we really needed in between a busy few weeks.

The next week started off slowly - a visit to David at work to see his new office, errands, and teacher gift shopping - but built up to a slammed few days at the end.  The last Thursday of the month, we had kindergarten registration for Audrey, a Room Mom Luncheon for me, and dinner with a friend.  That Friday was Audrey's birthday celebration at school, her parent-teacher conference, I was Mystery Reader, and then we had a small group dinner that night.  Saturday the four of us hit the zoo, which was a lot of fun once I had a teeth-gritting aside with Audrey about her incessant whining, and we loved showing them all of the animals on the gorgeous sunny day.  Sunday was church and small group and then Monday I was back at Audrey's school all morning for her Field Day, after organizing a small landscaping project we were having done at the house.  We sent the month out with a bang, that's for sure.  

What else happened this month?  David and I celebrated 15 years since our blind date and 14 years of being a couple (I had to be extra sure he was the right choice in that year in between - turns out he was), I got a physical and a nail in my tire, my running time went way down but my gym time went up, and we had a date night at the movies for the first time in a year(s?).  We had small group two out of four Sundays (we took a break for Spring Break and then Easter) and I tackled a good chunk of party planning for AJ's birthday.

Kids' updates/stories

Luke is getting hilarious with his vocabulary and sayings.  Audrey is always knocking our socks off with her mind and cracking us up with her humor.  I really wish I did a better job of writing down all of the little quotes and tidbits, but here's what I can recall:

 - Luke is getting into knock-knock jokes.  Except he usually starts them with "ding-dong" and ends it with something like "APPLE JUICE" AHHHHAAAAHAAA!"  It's really way funnier than an actual knock-knock joke.

 - One morning Audrey sternly told Luke to "sit right there and do NOT move." He waited until she was downstairs and then I see him start dancing and hear his little voice taunt, "Look at me, Audrey! I moving! I moving! SEE ME?!" Ah, siblings.

 - Watching Audrey at her Field Day made me so proud.  There were no doubt some games she didn't want to do, and certainly not in front of everyone, but she never hesitated to jump in and give them a try.  She was brave and gave it her best.

 - Luke was drawing on the dry erase board in the sunroom and would then step back to let me guess what he drew.  I'd throw something out and he'd laugh, slap the chair, and say, "No!  I give you a hint..." and then tell me what it was.  Every time.  And it never stopped making me laugh.

 - Audrey regularly uses words like eventually, evidently, appropriate, and consequence and it's so funny to hear in her little voice.  I think it's time to start training her on the correct use of "literally", whose misuse is a pet peeve of mine.

 - Luke's please/thank you manners and compliments are really getting good.  He often says "Thanks for cooking dinner, Mommy" while we're eating or says "Good job, Audrey!" when she accomplishes something.  At a little friend's birthday party he said "thank you" when he got cake without being prompted.  Love it!  (And you're welcome, Future Mrs. Luke Sinyard.)

That's all I can remember for now, but be sure to check out their cute faces in this month's picture gallery.  My favorite shots are their adorable seersucker Easter selves (especially knowing I paid $8 for Audrey's already-monogrammed dress at consignment!)

April/Easter 2014

Happy May and please keep praying for Audrey's eyes.  Hopefully I'll have a precious picture of her in her new glasses soon. 

March 2014 Recap

March certainly came in like a lion and out like a lamb this year.  We had a few really beautiful weather days sprinkled in between a lot of cold, icky ones.  We managed to get out and enjoy the warmth when we could, but are definitely ready for spring to come and sit a spell.

The month was fairly easy going overall.  No major events, holidays, or home improvement projects for us. David and I squeezed in two dates PLUS a lovely 24-hour break when the kids went to his parents for a night.  Coincidently, we seemed to get along really well this month.  :)

It was a socially busy month aside from dates, too: I got to see the Taylors for a morning when they were in town, had a parent brunch with Audrey's preschool class parents, ate dinner with friends twice, celebrated a neighbor's 40th birthday at her party, and took Audrey to celebrate her daughter's 5th the next weekend.  The kids had their playmates, too:  We did story time at the library, a few playdates at the park, and I kept a friend's daughter while she worked one day.  We rounded out the month with a family dinner to celebrate David's grandmother's birthday.  

We had family pictures on March 8th in Toccoa.  A friend of ours that we knew in college lives up there and we love her style so much that it was well worth the drive.  Plus, it's Toccoa, so you don't have to go far to find open spaces without crowds.  They turned out absolutely amazing.  The hours upon hours of shopping for coordinating outfits for four people, ultimately buying up everything in sight to try on everyone at home, and then returning the stuff we didn't wear all paid off.  See for yourself in the gallery...when you're finished reading, of course.

The end of the month picked up pace a bit.  The third week, Audrey's school had Teacher Appreciation Week.  I made little dry erase frames for them and the registrar and took the teachers lunch from their favorite deli on Monday, we picked out hand soap/lotion and a Bath and Body Works gift card along with AJ's handprint and a note on Wednesday, and we made homemade cookies for them, the nurse, and the enrichment teacher and put them in cute jars for Friday.  We appreciated the heck out of them, because HELLO, they're preschool teachers and therefore royalty in my book.

We continued our small group on Sunday afternoons and have anywhere between 8-12 adults and 5-10 kids each week.  Our church also put on a great training session one evening this month complete with an amazing worship set and food at their new campus location.  After wrapping up the book Home Run, we'll be starting the book The Blessed Life and finish out the semester with it.    

Other news:  I got to be Mystery Reader for Audrey's class and then we snuck in a Mommy-Daughter Date at a frozen yogurt shop.  St. Patrick's Day was the no-work, easy "holiday" it should be and we all just wore green.  I also trained for and completed my third half marathon.  It was by far my favorite to date, and you can read more details about it in this post if you haven't already.  

The kids are doing well.  Luke had his two year check up and amazed the doctor with his vocabulary and social skills.  He said there are only a handful of two year olds he sees a month that are as easy and cooperative as Luke and only a handful a year that can follow all of the instructions he gave him (i.e. taking big, deep breaths, lying down on the table, etc.)  He was talking to Luke about keeping one of the tongue depressors to use in his vet kit I told him we had.  The doctor asked about looking in a lion's mouth with it.  Luke laughed and said, "NO Way!"

The last weekend of the month, we relegated his "bobble" (paci) to the bed and made a big deal about him only using it at naps and nighttime.  It took a couple of days of distractions and car rides were especially tough, but by day four or five, he was completely fine.  

Audrey is still loving reading and all things crafty.  She is astounding us not only by the level of reading she does, but how she reads with such great expression and inflection.  She doesn't nap anymore except for the occasional snooze once every 7-10 days.  Instead, she lies in her bed and reads for about an hour each afternoon.  Sometimes she'll work on her Lite Bright, a puzzle, or a maze book, but mostly it's books.  She just loves to read.  

I'm certain she's not to become a boorish bookworm, because she is also honing her sense of humor.  Nothing makes me smile bigger than to hear her giggle uncontrollably.  When she and Luke both get going, it's impossible not to join in.  Which is great, because she and I with our similar personalities butt heads at least once a day and often need the laugh.  (Yeah, yeah.  I'm "just waiting" for the teenage years.)

So that was March.  And with that update, I'll leave you with some funny quotes from the kids:

 - When praying one night, Luke kept stopping, squinting open his eyes and saying, "What's his name?"  We offered some suggestions, but couldn't figure out who he was talking about until about five minutes later when we were taking him to bed.  He suddenly blurts out, "UNCLE ERIC!", stops to pray for him, and then proceeds to bed.  

 -  While rocking out to the radio on the way home: Luke: "It's too loud."  Me: "It's not too loud, buddy."  Luke: "It's too loud for ME."  Then, AJ pipes up:  "Mommy.  Remember...empathy."

 - On the first day of Luke's "bobble" weaning, he asked for it a lot.  We kept repeating he only used it in the bed now, then changing the subject and distracting him.  On the way home from the park, he decided he'd had enough.  He didn't throw a fit.  He didn't whine.  He just calmly and plainly said:  "Mommy. [deep sigh]  I want my bobble."  It was too cute. It's like he was saying, "Look, y'all.  Enough's enough.  You've had your fun, now give it back."

 - Audrey is already rehearsing songs for her Pre-K graduation ceremony in May.  We've been talking a little about nervous butterflies and stage fright.  We discussed things she could tell herself, thoughts she could imagine, and a bible verse to memorize.  Knowing that she really hates feeling like all those eyes are on her, I asked "So, what would make you feel more comfortable when all those 'hundreds of eyes' are looking at you?"  Without hesitation, she responded, "Uh...Not to have hundreds of eyes looking at me."

 - While Luke was eating breakfast, I ran upstairs to get something.  I coughed a few times and heard him yell, "Mommy!  You okay?"  I hollered back, "Yes, Luke.  Thank you." and he yelled, "Okay, you welcome!"

 - The kids were riding their tricycle and Big Wheel around the park and David and I split up to cover each one.  I was up ahead with Audrey when I hear Luke yelling something out to me.  He'd gotten off his tricycle to jog after me and David said he kept hollering, "Mommy!  Wait!  I wuv you!"  Oh my heart!

 - Audrey really wanted to buckle Luke into his booster seat before lunch one day.  Before I could even open my mouth, I hear Luke warn, "Audrey! Be careful!  Watch you fingers!"

Don't forget to check out the latest pictures in the gallery:

March

Professional Family Pictures

February 2014 Recap

I already posted about the biggest and most important event of our February, Luke's 2nd Birthday and Party, but there were other happenings going on too of course.

The first week, we had a surprise visit from my niece Annelise who was in town with my SIL for a few days and came over with my Mom.  The girls loved playing together and Luke held his own as best he could.  Audrey also had her rescheduled Toastie Toes (Pajama) Day at school that week since the first one was cancelled due to the snowy weather we had in January.  She loved wearing her pink flannel nightgown and slippers and they got to "roast" marshmallows and watch a movie.  

And, lest we think we were finished with the snow days, week two of the month had a different plan.  The snow starting falling around noon on Tuesday and Audrey's school was cancelled that Wednesday and Friday.  David worked from home on Wednesday and Thursday.  And by "worked from home", I mean actually worked.  For some people that's code for a day off, but not my dedicated hubby.  He did take it a little easier on Thursday and we were able to enjoy some family time outside in the snow in between conference calls.  It's nice that he gets to avoid the commute, but for the most part, him working from home holds no benefit because of the added headache of me trying to keep the kids away from him and quiet.  I tried to be creative this go-round with our snow day activities.  We did science experiments, had a pretend trip to the beach in our living room, made s'mores and snow cream, and watched a movie or two.  I even brought over a neighborhood teenager that keeps the kids during our small group to entertain them for a few hours one morning so we didn't go completely insane.  Still, come Friday, we were out the door and at Chick-fil-A....with the rest of the county.    

The end of that snowy week was Valentine's Day.  It was very low-key this year.  We had a neighbor/friend of Audrey's over that morning for a play date and then took a meal to a friend that afternoon.  That evening, we ate a fancy dinner of hot dogs and gave the kids a small gift plus...drumroll, please...tickets to the circus!  We went the next day to the Big Apple circus, which is small and not as showy as the Ringling Bros, but also not as expensive and are known for their better treatment of animals.  The kids enjoyed watching the acrobats, the juggling, and the horses and their tricks the best.  There were clowns (yuck) and a tightrope walker as well.  It was a fun family night out complete with a stop at Cici's Pizza on the way home.  Life doesn't get much better for a four year old and a two year old than the circus and pizza.  For that matter, it was pretty grand night for us too...minus the clowns.

It was also prime consignment sale month.  I dropped off my load, which was much smaller than usual since I just did the previous year's season for both kids and not every spring/summer thing they've worn since birth.  I shopped the seller's presale and found a ton of cute, cheap outfits for both of them for the warmer weather.  (Please oh please oh please come soon and stay, warm weather!)

The other big news of the month was that we started leading a couples' small group for our church on Sunday afternoons.  We're studying the book Home Run that our pastor Kevin Myers co-authored with John Maxwell.  It's been an interesting experience for us, but a good one.  We've never lead together like this, nor have we opened up our home to 14 complete strangers and their children (who stay in the basement with two teenagers we hire to watch them each week)!  It's been a big commitment for us - the weekends fly by faster than they usually do - but as with most things you do in serving the church, it's been a cool blessing too.  

What else this month?  Let's see....Audrey had Donuts with Dad which she was more excited about than Christmas (no, really.)  There weren't a whole bunch of home improvement projects in February.  I did drive nearly an hour each way to get a bunch of pictures printed from Wolf Camera to update some frames, but other than that, it was low-key DIY-wise.  Of course there was a ton of party planning, prep, cleaning, decorating etc. that ate up most of the month.  I have no doubt we'll make up for our lack of projects as the weather warms up.  

I'm still running a lot and am scheduled to do my third half marathon at the end of March. I think I'm going to cut back after that because the time requirement and toll on my body are both wearing thin, but I guess time will tell.   

The kids are doing very well, other than Luke having an ear infection before his birthday and both of them having a nasty cough earlier in the month.  It all gets a little fuzzy with the lack of sleep.  

Luke's vocabulary, sentence structure, and ability to reason have all sky rocketed in the past couple of months.  My absolute hands-down favorite thing he does/says lately is when he gets on to Audrey.  I know it's terrible of me, but he's had to listen to her nag him for two years.  Now he can give a little back and often does: "NO, Audrey. Dat's RUDE" or "NO, Audrey.  You no do dat.  Go time out."  She gets so stinkin' mad.  I have to turn my face away and snicker before intervening.  

He still loves tools and "fixing/hammering" things.  Of course, as most boys his age, cars and balls are also still at the top of his list.  He loves the show Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (aka "Tiger Hood") as well as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Elmo stuff.  We try to limit viewing time, but if we're out for lunch and then driving home after 12:30 or sitting in carpool line, you'd better believe the DVD player is on to keep him awake.  Anything to avoid a missed nap!

He sings a lot and is getting good at remember lyrics.  His attention span is getting a little longer, too, so he'll actually sit through a book or two.  I'm really trying to do better about reading to him more.  We've started going to story time at the library at least every other week which he really enjoys.  He sticks close to me and doesn't participate in the songs a whole lot, but he'll run right up to get his activity (bean bag, bubbles, etc.) for the short time and his hand stamped at the end.  

Audrey is reading like a champ and devours books.  She is also spelling pretty well (there goes that parenting secret code).  I've noticed her humor taking a real leap lately.  She still makes silly, nonsense jokes and phrases, but she's really understanding and making a lot of puns.  She's also fine-tuning her sarcasm and Mama couldn't be more proud.  

A few times lately she hasn't been thrilled about going to school, which makes me a little sad.  I know it can't always be 100% enjoyable, but I had hoped she wouldn't start feeling that way until at least second grade!  I think one of her little friends whom she adored has started making friends with some other girls in the class and isn't as close and kind to Audrey as she once was.  It was heartbreaking the first time Audrey brought it up and we had a long talk about it.  The other little girl isn't being mean or ugly, I don't think.  She's just expanding her circle of friends.  I am trying to convince Audrey to do the same and encourage her to make new buddies, but that child is more of a creature of habit than even I am.  She would eat yogurt and Honeynut Cheerios for breakfast, a turkey sandwich, pretzels, and strawberries for lunch, cheese and crackers for snack, and one of three things for dinner every day for the rest of her life if I let her!  Hopefully she'll learn to branch out in the area of friendships, but as she put it, it'll have to be with the girls because "most boys in my class are quite rude and talk potty talk...even at lunch.  I am not pleased with them."  Don't let her fool you though.  That girl can hold her own in bathroom jokes and thinks any type of gas is hilarious.  We're raising a real lady.  

The two of them together still alternate between best friends and worst enemies.  The sibling bickering can get fierce around here and it's sometimes a race just to see who can yell louder.  (I usually win.)  Still, they are sweet as sweet can be about 60% of the time, which gets me through the other 40%.  Audrey is such a helper and even when Luke begins exerting his independence, as he does quite frequently these days, most of the time she has learned to step back and try to calmly talk him through something while respecting his space.  They are quite the dynamo duo when they go off on an adventure together and will sometimes play for periods of up to 15 minutes together peacefully.  Small steps of sheer bliss!

So that was our February and our latest happenings.  Things change frequently, though, so check back soon!

In the meantime, here are some photo album links in the gallery for you to catch up on:

January 2014

Luke's 2nd Birthday & Party

February 2014

Happy March and many wishes for an early Spring!