Daddy Time

Jon called home this past week and asked to speak with Elle.  As soon as she hung up the phone she started running around the house getting her shoes on, getting her golf club out of the cabinet and of course started putting on daddy's glove.  She then sat on the front porch and waited for him to drive up the street to meet her.  She was soo excited to go have special time with her daddy.  The two of them go to the driving range near our home as often as they can. I know they have fun playing together but I think the best part for both of them is having time together.  

All Mine

Miss Gwenners is growing up too fast as far as I am concerned.  I still think of her as a baby even though she is 30 lbs.  With Elle at school, Gwen and I now have time together each day when it is JUST the two of us.  It has actually been a lot of fun for both of us.  I think we both needed this special time with eachother.  There are so many little things about her that I never want to forget.  I love how much she loves books and how she walks over to me with one and just plants herself in my lap.  I love how she dances with just her left foot on its tippy toes and turns around in circles.  I love how she carries around as many bathing suits as she can in her arms for no reason. I love how I can completely understand everything she "says" even though she still doesn't talk much at all.  I love that when she really wants me to see something she says, "mama" and grabs my chin to turn it in the direction she wants me to look.  I love that I can comfort her better than anyone when she is having one of  her out-of-control meltdowns.  I love that she waves at every person we pass while sitting in the cart as we stroll through the grocery store.  I love that her favorite game in the world is to stand at the end of the hallway and for me to yell, "gweeeeennnerrrs" as she runs full force into my arms only to turn around and do it all over again.  I love that even when she's naughty and has to sit on the stairs for time-out she actually stays on the stair until I tell her it's ok to get up.  I love that when she wakes up crying in the middle of the night all that she needs is for me to quietly walk into her bedroom and slip my finger through the slats in her crib for her to hold.  I love how she laughs hysterically in the movie, "Alvin and the Chipmunks" when an acorn falls on Alvin's head.  I love her hugs when she wraps her little chubby arms so tightly around my neck that I can't breathe.  I love, love, love her contagious laugh and huge grin. I love that my kisses make her owies feel better.  I love that no matter how old she gets I will always be her mom.  I love every quirky little thing about her.  Quite simply I just love her and I love that she is all mine.  

So Happy Together...most of the time

Each morning I take the girls downstairs and make them breakfast.  This morning I guess I took a little longer than usual because by the time I got downstairs to start our morning routine, I found that my job had been done for me.  I found Elle and Gwen exactly as you see them in the pictures above.  Elle got Gwen into the booster seat, got a placemat out, a sippy cup from the cupboard which she filled with water and provided an array of food for Gwen... all by herself! Gwenners had blueberries, fruit snacks, applesauce and goldfish crackers for breakfast.  Quite the spread!  Elle sat right next to Gwen and helped feed her the applesauce.  Every so often Gwen would lean into Elle for a kiss.  It was just so, so cute to watch.  I am so happy they have eachother.  I remember finding out that I was having another girl when I was pregnant with Gwen.  My first thought was just complete excitement for Elle.  I remember telling Jon that we were giving Elle the best gift she could ever ask for...a sister.  I have 3 sisters and they are my very best friends in the entire world.  It is so fun to see my girls developing bonds now that they will carry into the future. They do fight...they both have bruises on themselves to prove that they do.  No one gets Elle more riled up than Gwen when she is grouchy and visa versa.  But on the flip side, no one can make Gwen laugh as hard as Elle can.  And Gwen has a way of making Elle feel so important and so deeply loved.   Gwenners gives Elle the sweetest most genuine little hugs and out-of-the-blue kisses...and I think that's just how it should be.  

Pillow Talk

Each night, Jon and I switch off putting Gwen and Elle to bed.  It is our special time with the girls.  I love the talks I have with Elle as she dozes off to sleep.  She sucks her thumb with one hand and wraps her other arm tightly around my neck.  Nose to nose we have some pretty cute conversations.  She loves to talk about when she was a baby and is fascinated by the whole circle- of- life concept.  She often tells me, "I used to be a baby, now I am a big girl, next I will be a teenager, then a mommy, then a grandma and then I will go to heaven".  Her view of life is so sweet and so simplistic.  I love it.  I tell her how lucky I feel that out of the millions of little baby girls in heaven, Daddy and I were sent her...the smartest, funniest, most beautiful one to come to our family. Wow, what are the chances of that?!  Well, that little conversation really stuck with her because last night as I put her to bed, she had been quiet for a while and then in the dark she whispered to me, "Mama, you're really special to me. Out of all of the mommies in heaven, Grammie got the best one to go to her tummy".  All I could do was smile and kiss her on her little forehead.  

Bathing Beauties

I have mentioned several times before how much Gwen loves to shower.  Elle on the other hand, is more of a bath girl.  This morning however, they both opted for the shower.  Gwen would just stand under the water for hours if I let her.  We keep a basket of bath toys in there just for her. Elle is becoming more and more independent.  She loves to lather up and wash not only herself but also Gwen.  Everytime they get out they grab a towel, hand it to me, and then turn around ready for me to drape it over their backs.  The sight of them walking around all wrapped up in white towels always makes me smile because it reminds me of the movie ET (elle's #1 movie) when ET dresses up as a ghost and waddles around the neighborhood.  Jon and I are always talking about how fast time is flying by with these little ones.  He usually reminds me of this important fact during the occasional pep talk he gives me after I've had a particularly long day of toddler tantrums and the like.  This time of their childhood is a lot of work (a lot) but it really is  a magical time.  They are full of wonder and everything is so exciting to them...even bathing.  

Water Baby

After the whole cream cheese fiasco (see below) it was definitely time for miss Gwenners to get sprayed off in the sink.  This little girl LOVES the water.  Her favorite thing to do is play in the shower.  However, after today, I think she will now have a new favorite water activity.

Crazy Girl

Let me tell you, this little one is into everything!  I ran upstairs just to switch the wash and came down to this lovely little situation.  She even pulled the chair over by herself.  Gwen gave herself a cream cheese rub down and used a carrot peeler from the drawer as a spoon...and she's not even two yet.  Good thing I love this little one more than life itself because instead of completely stressing out over this mess, all I could do was get my camera and then put her in the kitchen sink for a quick bath.  I sure love my little crazy girl.

Happy Birthday

Happy 11th birthday to my niece Juliet.  Elle, Gwen and I took her out for her birthday lunch. She could go anywhere and chose Baja Fresh.  She is a ray of sunshine everywhere she goes and we adore her.  Since she's so grown-up now we gave her, her very own sweet smelling lotion and perfume.  We love you, birthday girl!  

A Perfect Day

Good friends. 

Great conversation. 

Sand, Sun and the Sea.  

Perfection.

Summer Mornings

I am loving our lazy summer mornings.  Without preschool or summer camps, we don't have anywhere we need to rush to and it is quite nice.  The girls lounge around in their pajamas, eat breakfast in the backyard and play with Tiger.  Elle is wearing her "new" favorite nightgown.  She found it in a box of my things from when I was a little girl.  My great grandma made these nightgowns as Christmas gifts for all of her great grandaughters when we were young.  It is a little big for Elle but she LOVES it (especially where it is stiched "amy") and begs to wear it every night.  It is flannel and has been washed 100's of times so it is "extra cozy" as Elle says. She calls it "mommy's little girl princess nightgown".  Quite a mouthful.  The stool Gwenners is under is where I sit when I am on the computer.  She loves to climb under it when I am on it and pull on my legs.  The funny face she is making is her newest trick.  I say, "sad" and she makes that face.  I then say, "happy" and she just cracks up.  She is quite the little comedian and makes us laugh all day long.  I love these little girls and feel so lucky to be their mommy.  

Lake Mead

As far as I am concerned, Lake Mead is the happiest place on Earth.  To me it is heaven.  I grew up going there each and every summer with my family for week-long water ski trips.  This year, we were lucky enough to be invited to go with some of our very favorite friends, the Ords, on their boat.  It was the first boating trip for both Elle and Gwen.  Contrary to how Gwen looks in the pictures, she really did have fun.  It just took her a little bit of time to get used to the lifejacket.  Elle loved every minute.  She went tubing and also knee boarding with Jon.  One of the most amazing things she agreed to was rock jumping.  Jon climbed to the top of a rock and while holding her, they both jumped in. I didn't know if she was going to love it or hate it but as soon as she popped her head out of the water, she was all smiles.  A girl after my own heart. We stayed at a hotel at Lake Las Vegas which was so much fun.  One of the highlights for Elle was being able to float in the pool (way after her bed time) and watching the  "dive-in movie", Cars.  We had a fabulous time and feel so fortunate to have such fun and generous friends.