Miscellaneous Funny Kid Things

A few times the girls have made us laugh lately.   (I wrote most of this awhile ago and never posted.)

Alasdair recorded this conversation back in October, which turned out to be the start of Adara's obsession with a certain word....

Adara: [long unintelligible ramble ending with] poop.

Emily: Don't say poop to me.

without pause for thought

Adara: Poop to Daddy...poop to unc ALDEN!!

No response from Emily

Adara: Poop to Granny!

No response from Emily

Adara: Poop to Brian!

Emily: Don't say that!!

Adara: Brian! Brian! Brian! Brian!

At this point my attempts to intervene with my girls were compromised by needing to turn away as I was laughing...

A few weeks later, Adara was being too rambunctious during singing at church, so I carried her out of the auditorium. As I walked up the stairs, she thrashed about in my arms, yelling, "No, no, NO...POOP.  POOP!"  Lovely.

Alasdair was recently trying to explain the holy trinity to Emily (he's much more ambitious than I am).  After listening carefully, Emily responded, "Dad!  I think I know how it works. I think one God ate up the other two Gods."

On that note, she also asked me while trying to figure out the new baby on the way, "Mommy, did you eat that baby?"

Adara is constantly saying something cute or funny.  Off the top of my head..."I mam." instead of "I am."  I didn't is "I didinent."  His is "hims"   She is working on cause and effect, but often backwards, "I'm scared because I want uppy."  "I'm cold because I want my cozy on." or a favorite, "I need chocolate to feel me better."  If I ask her something to which the answer is yes, I usually get, "Um sure."  Or lately, "Yes!  Les do dat!"   She's often talking or singing to herself.  Today was "Twinkle star, how I wonder what ... you're doing."

This is the age I wish I could just bottle up her little voice and words forever.  Two is challenging, but I love this stage of language development.

Christmas Christmas Christmas

Once again, we had a rolling Christmas celebration this year.  

My parents came up to celebrate with us a little early.  Mom watched the girls during the day so that Alasdair & I could go to a meeting, and then Dad joined us for dinner (Indian of course) and time for the girls to open some gifts.  Their big gift was rental skis for the season, which so far we've only tried out in the living room, but they can't wait to get out!  

The day before our drive to Philly, we did a little family Christmas at home.  A few highlights -- Emily's best reaction was for her new toothbrush (that I'd run out for the night before as a last minute thing, since she'd been asking for a toothbrush "with a picture on it").  Adara loved her chocolate filled candy-cane so much that she snuck off behind the tree to eat it, even though we'd already given her permission.  Their main gift from us was some gymnastics equipment - a small trampoline and balance beam.  The goal was to keep them active indoors, and I think it's working so far since all the photos I have are blurry. :)

We spent 5 days around the "real Christmas" with the whole Groves family at Heather Lane.  It's so good and such a rare treat to be with everyone, even though both girls were sick and not very much sleep was had.   (It seems that despite the hours and hours of time the girls spent with Granny, doing puzzles, reading books, playing games... Granny doesn't appear in a single one of my pictures.  Whoops!)

Emily managed to get herself invited on a lunch date with Uncle Brian & Aunt Becky to Rocky's.

 Christmas morning, footie jammies. :)

 Tired snuggles.  

(I can't remember, but this may have been one of the times that Adara got hurt, and while crying squirmed out of my arms to be comforted by Uncle Alden instead.)

 More tired snuggles

 Captivated by the neighbors nativity set.

 Christmas Eve dinner with the Greens.  

(Emily and I also had a little date to the kids Christmas Eve service at New Life.)

 Lots and lots of coloring with new supplies from Granny.  Note the cardboard "mommy doll" that was part of the wrapping of my gift from Ben, and was one of Emily's favorite things.

 Watching Swan Princess, with Fruit Loops snacks.

Quiet morning after Christmas.

There are a bunch of short video clips from all three Christmases on our youtube page.

Christmas decorations

The girls have been really enjoying our Christmas decorations this year.  We don't do a lot, but the window candles, tree with lots of random family ornaments and the creche scene are just right for us. :)

 

(next year there will be a baby boy in this picture!)

Family Church

When church was snowed out on Sunday, we had a little family church time.  Here's a video of Adara "helping" play the guitar and sing, and here's one of the Alasdair helping the girls do a "skit."  

Snow!

We are loving all the snow this week!  

A little snow last week - while I was unloading the groceries the girls started shoveling the driveway.  Well trained. :)

And then a foot or so on Sunday morning cancelled church, and we had a lovely snow day.

As I write this this afternoon the girls are playing happily with their new sparkly legos by the light of the Christmas tree and window candles and giant snowflakes are drifting down outside the window.  Perfection.

Reading Time

Adara has finally developed a love of reading (not that she really has a choice in this household:).  Here's Emily reading all of "Olivia" to her sister.  So sweet!  I have it on video; it's too long to post here but you can see it on our youtube channel here.  (you might have to turn up your volume)

Celebrate the Season

Hanover hosts a fun evening on the night of the Christmas Tree lighting on the Green.  A friend tipped us off to this on Friday morning, and on our last day before Alasdair came home from his week away, we needed an adventure.  So we bundled up and headed over.  Various stores were open to host kids crafts or snacks -- the girls had a blast with their friends, painting ornaments, decorating gingerbread men at Lou's, riding a mechanical reindeer & eating "snow" (popcorn and powdered munchkins), tasting free chocolate, and making necklaces, roasting marshmellows outside Ramuntos, and of course watching the lights come on on the big Christmas tree.  For the first hour or so until her husband joined us, it was just my friend Kristin & I and our combined 5 kids (aged 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)... which equaled a lot of chaos, dropped mittens, and carrying each other kids. :)   When it was time to go home, I decided at the girls' request that we'd prolong the adventure and wait in line to ride the horse drawn wagon around down.  A fun night that we'll try to remember for next year.  (This all happened on day 3 of potty training Adara, so I was very proud of her -and myself! -  for making it through 3.5 hours of running around without any accidents!)

(flash was too bright for Emily:)

(riding the "horsies")

Friends

A couple of weeks ago we had some fun with our good friends making crayons.

Also, community group buddies enjoying snack. :)

And, reading time at Romp & Stomp

First Snow!

We had a lovely family walk and some time in the first snow last weekend, and shoveled the driveway while we waited for the Leanders to arrive for a short visit. :)  Of course followed by hot cocoa and some early Christmas music.