tahoe

we just arrived home from a week with my parents. they let us "intrude" (my words, not theirs) on their vacation to the north shore of tahoe. the girls and i went tuesday, then tim flew up to meet us there on thursday. it was a fun few days filled with naps, laughs, games and lots of sun at the pool and beach (not to mention smoke from all the california fires). kate loved the pool and beach and it was fun to see her interact with her grammie and boppa with LOTS of conversation. amelia was fun just to have around, as always. my parents let us slip away for a nice dinner on the lake in celebration of our 5th wedding anniversary. all in all a great trip. thanks again mom and dad!

busy weekend

it has been a vusy weekend. as you know ( everyone who reads this,at least) knows that we started potty training kate on thursday. by nap time that day, i was exhausted and ready to throw in the towel. we pressed on though, and i am so glad we did. by friday she only had a few accidents and was loving the m&m prize for going in the potty. saturday we threw a bridal shower at tim's parents house, so it was hectic, but she only had one accident, was dry during her nap, and pooped in her panties for the first time. last night she was dry all through the night and did lots of pee-pees on the potty. SO, we are still far from being totally panty proof, but i am greatly encouarged to keep on and know that she is ready. thanks for all your advice and prayers. here are some pics from our busy weekend. oh, and tim was home working endlesly on the kitchen cabinets while the floor was being installed. we are so close!!!!

potty training

so, today we are embarking on a new journey-potty training. i would love any advice of things that work with your kids, and am trying to be patient and kind to my little one. she loves the idea of princess panties, and even more the idea of getting m&ms when she tinkles, but hasn't actually gone in the potty. i know it's only been a few hours, but i sure hope that this is not an indication of how it's going to go. please feel free to post any ideas that might work.

something i love...

PEACE & QUIET! it seems like our house is always bustling, but as i write it is totally quiet and has been for 3 hours. yes, 3 LONG HOURS. this never happens. it's amazing the quiet that can seem deafening. and as i write, wouldn't you know it, i hear not one, but both of my girls. oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

ballet recital

today was kate's first ballet recital. we really weren't sure whether or not she would actually perform, but when the curtain lifted, she was all business. it was histerical to watch the kids-one of the girls cried the whole time, some did every move, and some, like kate watched the others around them and did as they did. i think it helped having her cousin, penelope, standing next to her and doing ALL the moves. we think we have a little princess on our hands!

our smiley one

many people who spend any time at all with our family ask us the same question; "does amelia ever cry?" and the answer is no! she is the sweetest, happiest baby! she is becoming her own little person and brings so many smiles to all of us. she has two little teeth (yep, she got them at 3 1/2 months), is rolling over, sucks her thumb like her big sis, and is starting to giggle outloud, it's so fun to see that she is developing into her own little person.

sisters

i'm sure that anyone who has ever tried to get pictures of children can understand this:i NEVER get a cute shot of both the girls. one is smiling while the other is sad, one is looking away while the other is looking at the camera, or one looks weird while the other has a cute expression. here is my attempt at getting a cute picture of the girls in their matching green dresses. also, i want you to see the smile on amelia's face at kate-she LOVES her and many times smiles just like that at her big sis:>)

picnic

today we decided to picnic in the backyard for lunch. i so enjoy just being able to open the back door and find a beautiful garden and lawn. kate loves being out there, and amelia seems to like it too.