Fun with Books

My kids have always loved going to the library, so we try to go every week to check out new books. The last couple of times we've gone Grace has been fascinated by non-fiction. She thinks it is the coolest thing to sit at the library computer and think of any subject she wants a book about, type it in, and then go find it on the shelves according to the number! Her favorite topic is animals, and we have checked out books about beetles, butterflies, lady bugs, dogs, and cats (to name a few.) Today when we were at the library, she insisted that the books she wanted to check out had to be about animals that make her laugh. So she flipped through a few before deciding which animals were funny enough for her. Guinea pigs were first on her list today!

Winning Streak

Just after the new year Aaron and I decided to play Stratego (the game I gave him for Christmas.) It's a strategy game and he's very good at strategy. In fact so good that I hardly ever beat him when we play anything. Since this was both of our first time playing Stratego I knew that if I was ever going to beat him at it, I had to do it now...before he had a chance to master it. It was really fun...and I did beat him! I was so excited when I captured his flag. He's says I get giddy when I'm winning...and it's true. I have a hard time hiding my excitement! I even insisted on taking a picture of the game board because I didn't know if it would ever happen again. As you can see above I was red, and pretty much wiped him out!

My good fortune continued last night when we played "Rook" with Aaron's brother Brad and wife Callen. Callen and I were both new to the game and were teamed up against the guys. The girls ended up stomping (is that nice to say?!) the guys! I guess you can say I'm on a roll (pun definitely intended, although neither game uses dice!)

100th Blog Entry

In case it's not clear, the girls are forming the number 100! Pretty cheesy, but I'm just so excited that I've kept my blog going this long! I really enjoy writing now and then, and I even consider "blogging" one of my hobbies!

Little Visitor

My best friend Julyssa and her husband Adam went on a long awaited trip (they've been wanting to go ever since they got married) to Guatemala. While they are gone we get to watch their darling little baby, Dylan for two weeks. He is such a good baby! He hardly ever cries and is such a delight to have around. We've had him for a week so far and the girls just love him. Eve had a really hard time sharing her mommy the first few days (and still does on occasion) but now she seems to enjoy having Dylan around. She asks where he is when he's asleep and then insists that it's time to wake him up. She also makes him laugh harder than any of the rest of us can! From day one Grace has taken on the job of little mommy. Whenever we go somewhere she tells people that we have a new baby. I have to then explain to my puzzled friends or acquaintances that we are just babysitting. Both girls love coming with me to get Dylan out of his crib after a nap, feeding him his bottle, and taking turns holding him.

Even with him being such an angel baby, it is still quite a challenge to take care of three kids! I have such an appreciation for people who have three...or even more..wow! How do they do it?! I do know we're given the capacity to do things when we need it. Even in just a week's time it has gotten easier (having said that I'm afraid that I've just jinxed myself and tomorrow I'll pay for it! j/k) I'm actually really grateful that I have this opportunity to do this for my dear friend. I hope she's having a good time!

Christmas Morning

We had such a great time Christmas morning with our little family! The girls acted amazed by everything and reacted with gasps, giggles, and "wow"s. Not only did they have a ball seeing their gift from Santa, going through their stockings, and opening presents from family and friends...but they also delighted in the giving part. Grace was so proud of the present she made for me and Aaron at preschool and was thrilled to have us open it. We were just as thrilled to unwrap a beautifully painted pinecone in a just as exquisitly painted pot...all done by the hand of our darling four-year-old!

We also had a wonderful Christmas Eve with Aaron's family at his parents' home. The girls had a lot of fun playing with their cousins that were visiting from out of town.

Eve on her new "car," in her new outfit from Grandpa and Grandma Parkin

Grace digging through her stocking