SnOwDaY!

We have been waiting for a SNOWDAY pretty much all winter, and we FINALLY got one!  Last Wednesday and Thursday we had record highs in the 60's.  On Friday we had rain and on Saturday we had snow.  If that isn't true Nebraska weather then I don't know what is!  This is only the 2nd day this winter that it has snowed...we have been pretty bummed about that!  We LOVE the snow!  Lily wasn't supposed to get to play in the snow on Saturday because she was in trouble for hitting Avery in the face with a Barbie doll the day before (that is a whole other story), but I broke down and let her play.  After all, we may not get anymore snow.  We all got bundled up and headed out to help Daddy shovel the driveway...who am I kidding the girls and I had no intentions of helping Dad...we were going out to PLAY!  Jason was lucky because our very nice neighbor had just finished snowblowing his driveway and offered up his snowblower to Jason...SCORE!  I drug the girls around on their sled through the open lot next to our house.  The sled tipped over and Avery fell off face first into the snow.  She was pretty much done after this.  We didn't stay out for very long because for some reason the girls didn't want to play for long...maybe it was too cold? 

 When Jason got home from work on Monday he bundled them up and they all built a snowman (pictured above).  I worked Sunday and Monday night and I snapped a few pics of the trees on my way home from work Monday morning.  They were so pretty...I took them on my phone so I don't have any pics to post.  Of course by now everything is wet and melting and yucky dirty.  I hope we get some more snow, but I'm not very hopeful!

The 14 Days of Valentine's

Thanks to the wonderful website of Pinterest, I have found some really neat ideas and fun things to do with the girls.  I made them each a Valentine mailbox and each day from now until Valentine's Day the mailman comes and delivers a special treat to them in their mailbox.  They both get excited and know to look in their mailbox each day to see what they got...except for on Sundays because we all know there is no mail on Sundays! :)  Avery is so cute because she knows where her mailbox is and she gets it down, but then she gets so mad because she can't get it open!

Avery eating one of her treats.  So far they have gotten little candies, ring pops, necklaces, fruit snacks, fingernail polish (Lily) and toothpaste (Avery...she is obsessed with it!)

Just Like Mommy

Last weekend we made a trip up to Sioux City for Jason's brother's (Lonnie) 40th birthday party.  Lily wanted her haired curled "like Mommy's."  Her hair is naturally wavy and I don't curl it very often, but I must say she did look beautiful!

Two of my sister in laws and I at a martini bar in Sioux City.  I had a pineapple upside down cake martini and it was YUMMY!  Trina on the left and Terri on the right.

Basketball Update

Lily continues to play basketball on Saturday mornings at the YMCA.  I think we are down to 4 weeks left.  The first week was a disaster, the second week was MUCH better, the third week was almost unbearable to watch as a parent, and last week we weren't there because we were out of town.  I thought for sure after the second week that she was actually going to like it and want to play, but now I'm not so sure.  I even took her into the hallway at one point during the third game and told her if she didn't get out there she wasn't going to her birthday party later that day.  She didn't care.  She sat down on a chair next to me, was almost shaking and had big huge alligator tears coming down her face.  Those big brown eyes will melt my heart even when she is 40 years old!  It breaks my heart.  She really doesn't like it.  I don't know why...she loves to play at home.  I have to constantly remind myself that she is just 3 years old and that maybe it was too early to start her, or maybe she will be a dancer and not a ball player :(...I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she is just too young!  If she doesn't like it then she doesn't like it.  We are going to hold off on soccer and tee ball this year.  We will wait another year.  She does keep asking to take dance lessons though...we will see.

LoVe!

All that I can say about this picture is that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it!  It is a great picture of Lily and Jason and it shows that she really is a Daddy's little girl.  I just wish she as this happy during and after her basketball games!

Avery's 15 Month Stats

Happy 15 Months Avery Grace!

 In just a days time she is now walking all over!

Avery went to see Dr. Russell today for her 15 month well check.  All is well...including her hemoglobin!  She had her levels rechecked today and on the same machine that she was 9.2 on 2 months ago she was all the way up to 11.7 today!  I have a hard time fully relying on the accuracy of this because last time she was 9.2 but on venipuncture she was 11.2...so is she really around 13.7...who knows.  I don't care, either way she is in the normal range and healthy!  We can drop a dose of iron a day so now she will only have to take it once a day and then we be rechecked again at 18 months.

15 Month Stats:

Weight: 22 pounds 1 ounce (38th percentile~still a peanut but she eats ALL DAY LONG!)

Height: 32 1/4 inches (93rd percentile)

Head Circumference: 18 1/2 inches (80th percentile)

Some January Cuteness

 My kids don't sit way to close to the TV or anything...I love her feet in this one!

 We wanted it to snow so badly...we made our own snowflakes with snow paint!

 Her newest thing...she sees her sissy brush her teeth here so she has to do it too!

 Lily actually "showed up" for her last game...YAY LILY!

You can't see in the picture...but the lights were off and they were playing with glow sticks in the tub...Avery wasn't so sure at first!

Avery's First Steps!

Yes folks, she has finally done it!  Avery took THREE steps yesterday!  WOOHOO!  She has been taking a step here and there for a little while, walking along furniture for a LONG time, walking with her walker toy for a LONG time, but this is the FIRST time she has actually taken more than one step in a row on her own.  She will be 15 months old tomorrow and who knows when she will really be up and running?  If we even say to her "Walk to mommy Avery" or "walk to daddy" or whatever she whines and gets mad and just plops right back down to her butt.  She stands up all the time, but she wouldn't ever go anywhere.  So...we will see what the next few days bring us!  For the records...I do count these as her very first steps!

Lily's First Basketball Game

Lily started basketball today with The Mighty Hoopster's program at the YMCA.  She has been so excited for over a month to play.  She talked about it all the time.  I had no doubt in my mind that she would get out on the court and run and play and have a blast...I was wrong.  She played around for a little while when we first got there.  She and the coach and his daughter were the first ones there.  The rest of her team didn't show up until much later.  I don't know if it was because they got started late or what, but she DID NOT want to play.  She pouted, she cried, she picked her nose, she put her hands down her pants, she said she was tired, she wanted a donut, she wanted to go home, she said she couldn't make any hoops and that she wanted to go swimming.  She wanted to do anything, but play basketball.  She did not participate with the other kids and at one point the coach had to pick her up because she was crying.  Jason was on the court trying to help her, but she wasn't having it.  Finally,we put her sweatshirt on her and she just sat on Jason's lap.  We stayed until it was over and then when we got home she ate like a hog for breakfast and then she napped for HOURS.  I am telling myself her behavior was due to a long day the day before.  She was at daycare all day and she doesn't nap long there and then we went to Sesame Street Live last night.  She didn't get to bed until 10:30pm and had to be up by 7:30 this morning.  This may sound like an okay amount of sleep, but not for her.  She sleeps over 12 hours every night plus a 2-3 hour nap everyday.  She woke up from her nap today and told me that she would try again next week.  Bless her little heart...we will see! 

It is hard to say that you are disappointed in a three year old, but I kind of was.  I really thought she would get out there and do it and have a blast.  I didn't want it to be my kid who whined and cried, but if she really doesn't like it I can't make her do it.  I need to understand that my kids will probably like different things than I liked as a kid.  I just want her to try.  She will probably like dancing and cheerleading...oh no!