Love

We celebrated Valentine's Day with lots of love and chocolate!  The morning of V-Day we gave Miles and Hadley fuzzy, warm slippers which they love .  Hadley's been a little grumpy in the mornings lately - this could be an indication that she's turning into a non-morning person.  She likes to be left alone with her Oh's, milk and Jake the Pirate cartoon on TV.  Even with all of these things in perfect order she still usually has a frowny face.  It could be that 4 little eye-teeth are popping through right now.  She still is a rock star sleeper though - going to bed at 7 pm and waking up around 6:30 am and we never hear a peep from her at night.  She also is quite the talker - speaking in full sentences is the norm and I think very impressive for a 1 1/2 year old.  She's a growing girl - when she's hungry and I call out "wash hands it's time for dinner" Hads will be the first to stop whatever she is doing and run at full speed to the bathroom to wash her hands and then run full speed to her seat.  Tonight when I lovingly placed stir-fried veggies and brown rice in front of her she burst into tears and demanded pizza instead...

My favorite moments of the weekend were chasing the kids around and around the kitchen table and giggling, doing yoga as a family (the kids are good!), reading new library books with M & H crowded on my lap, and going out for a lovely dinner and movie with Mikey! 

Hooked on Books, Nature and Music

Hadley was sick with a fever and cold on Friday and Saturday so she missed out on a fun community event which promotes children's literacy - Hooked on Books.  Miles and I spent the morning having a tea party with Mother Goose, hearing books like Charlie Parker Plays Be Bop, playing a cello and violin with MN Orchestra volunteers, hugging Elmo, doing crafts, listening to the Chaska Valley Family Theater perform The Music Man and much more!  It was a wonderful morning that gave Miles exposure to so much art.

The picture of Hadley and Daren was taken a week ago.  This winter they've been making trips to the Arboretum for fun in the greenhouse and children's learning center while Miles is at preschool.

Buddies

By the time Sunday night rolls around and we've spent the day playing and working hard I just can't remember all of the fun, funny and cute things Miles and Hadley do everyday.  I do know that they are very happy being at home with the super nannies.  Monday I came home and they were sliding down a pile of snow in the front yard - Miles on his butt and Hads head first.  They were so happy to just run and play outside.  Miles is doing very well in preschool Tuesdays and Thursdays and often when he's there Hadley gets to take a trip to the library or Arboretum.  I also see evidence of lots of fun arts and crafts.

We've noticed Miles making more smart, logical and thoughtful points.  Like the other day I was teasing him that Ruby was a bird.  He patiently and seriously explained to me that Ruby is not a bird because she has four paws and birds have two legs.  Yep - you're right little buddy!  Today he was dancing on a chair while helping me make lasagna and I asked him if he had to go potty.  He said, "no, I'm just dancing like grandpa on the Vaudeville stage."  (He remembers this from a book we have - The Song and Dance Man.)

Where Miles is serious and thoughtful, Hads is often wild and joyful to the point of abandon.  She is our little ham and is always enthusiastic - every time we ask who wants to do a particular activity she's always the first one to yell "I do!"  If she's not hiding in the closet, standing on the little picnic table or doing anything that Miles is doing she's playing with her baby dolls, wearing high-heels and singing.  You go girl!

Big boy and pee-wee

Their new game is to hug, fall down together and wrestle.  Very entertaining!

 

 

Hadley was eating yogurt and I was singing to her "I love you."  Every time I sang it she gave me the biggest smile.

Yo ho!  Watching "Jake" in the morning.  Miles is chilling out, eating his Cheerios.  Hads is cheering and her Ohs are dumped on the blanket.

Yogurt faces!

One high-heel on and racing cars.

Eating pancakes

Drinking hot chocolate

Cracking us up!

And cracking herself up!