Reading Together

"Come on, Peter! I'll read you a book. I'm a really good reader."

My Doppelganger

Grandma passed along this jumper that used to be mine from when I was a little girl. We tried it on yesterday and it was a perfect fit! Lizzy wasn't too sure about the turtle neck (she kept calling it a "puffy shirt"), but she really liked the jumper. What do you think? Is she channeling her mommy circa '79?

Blocks

Oh, blocks.......everyone has their own favorite way of playing with them. And it's telling too, exactly how children like to use them, a little peak into their personalities. Peter loves (and by "love" I mean that it's practically an obsession) to put all the square blocks in a stroller and stroll them around the house. He gets very upset if any fall out or if anyone else tries to touch the blocks or the stroller. Sometimes after taking the blocks for a stroll he will stop and line them up......on the window sill, on the couch armrest, or really anywhere that can use a long line of blocks. He's pretty particular too, and really takes his time to line them up neatly. Yesterday Lizzy created "jewel mountain" out of blocks, and then took all the "treasures" (jewels, rocks, shiny stuff, coins, etc.) from her treasure box to decorate it. I wonder what we'll create today.....

Sit on my Lap

Today Peter threw up while he was eating his breakfast (yuk). He's a little under the weather, quiet, and crabby. I was holding him on my lap after he threw up and snuggling with him while the kids watched a show. After a few minutes I told him I had to go clean up the dishes, and he could sit by himself on the couch. He did not like that one bit, and started to fuss. Right away, Lizzy said, "Come here, Peter. You can sit on my lap." He walked right over the the couch and climbed up on her lap. That made him feel better and he snuggled with her for a while. Thank goodness for hugs of comfort where ever they come from!

The Great Snail Walk

After everyone wakes up from their naps and has a snack, Peter is usually itching to go outside. In fact, this afternoon he kept running to the front door saying "door, door" and even brought me his shoes. I got the hint, and truth be told, I usually love to get outside in the afternoon as well to get some fresh air and enjoy the afternoon before dinner time. We were able to pry Lizzy away from her coloring and as soon as she stepped onto the porch, she found lots of snails in the garden. We decided to see how many snails we could find on our walk. Boy do snails like the rain, because we found dozens! We also found rolly-pollies, ants, snail shells, and a grasshopper. Lizzy is uncanny in her ability to spot bugs. Seriously, she can see the tiniest ant under a bush while walking by. We had a great time finding all sorts of creepy-crawlies, and Lizzy said, "this is the best experiment ever!"

Monkeys

We got to meet Teresa and her darling girls, Gianna and Emily, at the park the other day. Even though Elizabeth and Gianna don't get to see each other very often, they really had a great time playing together. They took turns proving that they are turning into little monkeys. I couldn't believe the things that they could climb! Even this giant climbing structure was no match for their monkey ways. Lizzy took a stab at it several times and got scared, but with her usual persistence, she kept at it until she figured it out, then did it over and over until she became a master at it. The girls had a great time climbing and playing, and playing lots of make-believe games together. What a wonderful way to spend a sunny day!

Papa's Garden

Grandma told us that Papa had a gorgeous rose in his garden, and boy was she right. We loved getting to admire this beauty close up. It even had dew drops on it! Elizabeth, always a flower lover and an admirer of all of Papa's roses, was really impressed with this one. Peter, on the other hand, wasn't too taken with the flowers. He's turning into a real "boy" these days, and was way to busy jumping in a dirt pile, finding an enormous stick, and climbing into the tree house to waste time on flowers. I guess everyone admires nature in their own way.