Mother's day weekend part 1

Mother's Day weekend this year was JAM packed.  We started off Saturday by picking up Amara, who had spent the night with grandma Jahn. We took the opportunity to give her the cards and gift we had for her, then we set off on an excursion of our own, strawberry picking.

After berries (and nap) we decided to get outside and enjoy the weather--in the form of an at-home carwash.  Everyone got involved and we all got soapy and wet--we put the girls specialties to work and made light work of washing our two cars, too cute.

After our busy day, we decided to take it easy--we picked up a pizza from Wedgewood and headed to one of our favorite parks.  The girls had a blast swinging and they pretty much had the park to themselves.  They weren't nearly as interested in eating as they were playing, which is fine, and becoming pretty much the norm for the hot weather we've been having ;)

A quick trip home for bath and to bed, more planned for tomorrow, but a great lazy weekend with my family and I couldn't ask for more!

Little Sprouts at Demonye's

I was at Deomonye's earlier in the spring picking up pansies and saw an ad for a cute little class called the little Sprouts.  It sounded right up our alley, so we decided to register. 

We essentially got a tour of the greenhouse from Jungle Jerry, a very animated older guy who really enjoys his job.  They took us through the vegetable sections, talked to us about Fuschia's and how they attract hummingbirds, and the same for butterfly attracting plants, natural insect repellants, etc.

They took us through the jungle too, where there were lots of larger plants, some (stuffed) animals, etc. Jungle Jerry led the troop through the maze and it was a welcome and fun distraction for the kids (who were getting very H O T in the greenhouse heat.)

After they'd learned all about the various varieties, how to care for them, etc.  they got to try their hands at planting.  They put the soil in the pots and planted a small begonia for them to take home.  Jerry helped the kids water them and after we'd selected some other plants of our own for the party, we picked up Beanie's plant and headed home.  I'm not sure if any of us have green thumbs, but it was a sweet outing.

Amara's first dentist appointment

I think I've been thinking about Amara's first dentist appointment since she got her first tooth.  All the questions--when to take her, pediatric dentist or not, skill vs. personality, etc.  We changed dentists as a family a few years ago with the express purposes of picking a place close to home where we'd all be happy for a long time.  Eric and I both tried out several of their dentists and hygienists and we settled on the combination of Lauren and Dr. Zimmerman.  

This winter, Amara went to both daddy's and my cleanings, so she could get used to the building, people, etc.  They are SO super kid friendly--the have aquariums, a kid play area with movies and games, the rooms are themed, and then at the end, they get a goodie bag, balloon, and a token to use to select a toy.

She was calm and excited for her appointment, very familiar and not scared at all.  She hoped right up into the chair and Lauren went to work counting her teeth.  Lauren asked Amara "how many teeth do you have," and without missing a beat she said "20," and is right :)  Lauren counted and then cleaned her teeth--she chose Bubble Gum tooth polish.  Next they applied tooth vitamins and Amara chose Strawberry (fluoride).

We were in and out of there in under 30 minutes and what a great experience!   I mentioned that my appointment was next week and she asked if she could come back with me.  What a great sign :)  We love our dentists office and we were so proud of Beanie!  

To celebrate, we tried Cracker Barrel for dinner and the girls did really well--we got there just before a retirement bus load (literally) so we were well received with plenty of visitors.  It was a super fun night for all.

Walks at Sarah's

One of the best things about the girls being with Sarah is she takes them outside a lot, and they love to go on walks.  I always know if the garage door is up when I show up near pickup time, that they are on a walk.  Now that Jonathan and Amara are getting more confident, they will ride their bikes or push strollers on their walks, making quite the parade.  Recently, Cora has added her Derby hat to the mix, perfect for shading her, and it's just the cutest thing ever.

As they all peddle back to the house (usually pretty fast) they are in formation, with Jonathan in the lead.  Cora (like at home) likes to be in the rear, so she can watch the kids ahead of her.  I'm so glad they get to be out in the fresh air and hopefully the rest of spring and summer cooperate and give us some nice weather to enjoy!

My Swedish builder

No matter what the task at hand, if building is involved, Amara is right there in line.  One day during nap time, Amara and I put a piece of Ikea furniture together for the playroom.  Luckily there are lots of small pieces and she was up for the challenge as soon as I told her what we'd be doing.

She took out each tiny dowel from the bag and inserted it in the appropriate hole with precision. I showed her the directions (which, great for kids have no words) and she understood clearly what each task was.  She followed right along and laid out each completed piece before moving on to the next step just like we discussed.

After inserting the dowels, we got to assemble the larger frame and she loved putting in the large screws.  She got to use an Allen wrench and figure out the tightening and loosening, determining each one as if it were new when she picked them up.  She did a great job and we love Ikea--so I'm sure this won't be the last project!  Such a great job on her Trofast shelf :)  I think I even called her Beanie the Builder a few times as we were working and she thought that was pretty dorky--c'mon mom!

Cora's 1 year pro shots

What a ham.  I swear, with each passing week, Cora is just funnier and funnier.  She definitely a crack-up and looks for opportunities to lighten the mood in any situation.  I can also already tell she wears her heart on her sleeve.  If voices are raised for any reason (even happy) she runs to me, eyes wide, turning to make sure everything is ok. So sweet.

She has the most ornery crooked smile too.  As Amara has gotten older, she has a noticeable cross-bite that is structurally there.  Can't tell yet if Cora has one too, or if she's just mocking and trying to make big sister laugh at her (which she most often does.)

Cora is holding up a sucker here she was carrying around most of the shoot, but her character comes through regardless.  Susie did a great job capturing her tiny personality yet again and we are so in love wtih her photoshoot.  Thanks again Susie!

Playing in makeup

These aren't great shots--just my phone camera and sunlight in the background...but the message is clear.  Amara loves to play in makeup :)  She got a lot of glosses, nail polishes, and eye shadows for Christmas, so when there's a rainy day or a time when we need a little quiet, we get out the goods.

I'm pretty sure she created a unibrow with her dark purple shadow on top, but she was so proud of herself, she wore it all day.  OH--the funniest part is that when she puts anything on her lips, she starts talking funny because she doesn't let her lips touch each other, it's the funniest thing!  It looks like she is doing fish face on purpose, but really it's more "don't let me lips touch anything" face.