I can’t believe how quickly they’ve grown!  Make them stop!

LALA:

Favorite color: purple and red
Favorite “character”: Ariel…and princesses…and mermaids of all types.
Favorite music: She and her daddy have a “song” they share — the lazy song.  (I’m not sure how I feel about this, lol)
Favorite food: chicken nuggets and “dip” (honey mustard)… and candy, of course.  Lala likes simpler foods… she prefers her chicken as chicken and not mixed up with lots of other things.  She’s also big on blueberry waffles, scrambled eggs, and hard-boiled eggs.  And, fruit.  Always fruit.
Favorite sayings: Occasionally, she breaks out a British accent (no clue where she got it) and she loves to make up entire languages as she prances around the living room.  Apparently, it’s a princess thing and only princesses would understand.
Favorite Pastime: “Playing” harmonica with her uncle (who is making a goofy face in the photo), coloring, school (K4), crafts, blowing bubbles, playing outside, pretend play, watching princess movies, playing on Mimi’s computer, jumping/playing in the rain
Latest Accomplishment: Learning to draw mermaids, and the kid just gets smarter every day!  Plus, she has the hearing and memory of… I don’t know what… but the kid hears and remembers almost everything (that she wants to).
I’m worried about… her grinding her teeth.  OY.  It’s awful.  (But, I used to do it, too)

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RORA:

Favorite color: “blue” – mostly because she calls everything “blue”
Favorite “character”: Elmo and Dora and Spongebob.  (I do NOT like spongebob, by the way…well, I think the show is inappropriate.)  She has a “daddy elmo” and “baby elmo” who sit at the corner of her bed and before she sleeps, the baby elmo MUST be sitting in the daddy elmo’s lap.
Favorite music: A mixed set of Christian tunes I put on my ipod for her.  The girls miss their daddy so much and have had a hard time sleeping… this helps them get to sleep.
Favorite food: Food.  She’s a more experimental eater than her sister, though.  She likes “picey” (spicy) food and will eat anything we’re eating as long as it’s off our plate.  A sure fire favorite?  Pizza, also known as “pizpa”
Favorite sayings: “Alright…”  “Momma!  Me your bed!”  “I Rora!  Dis baby bed.  I no baby!”  (She thinks she needs a big bed, now.  I disagree.  She’s a night owl.)
Favorite Pastime: Doing anything her big sister does, watching dora/spongebob (grrr)/elmo, crafts, playing outside, tickle wars, snuggling, talking to herself, and BABIES!  She LOVES babies and is SO excited about her baby brother on the way (so is her big sister!)
Latest Accomplishment: No more pacifier!  And, she’s learning to go potty in the potty!  —  I guess her sister was this way too…I just forgot… but, those potty training books?  TRASH.  The girls decided when they wanted to potty train and it’s definitely not been a one day thing.  But, Rora now knows WHEN she needs to pee.  Now, it’s just convincing Ms. Stubborn to do it.  Some days are much easier than others, and when she’s wearing panties, she is more likely to go.  But, pull-ups?  What’s the point?  (although she sometimes surprises me).  Number 2 is a different deal altogether, though.
I’m worried about… her bowel movements.  Right before, she gets really panicky.  Goosebumps come up, her tiny fists clench, and she’s frantic.  Her little face distorts as she grimaces and whines.  Sometimes it’s just gas, and sometimes it’s not.  But, it’s a big deal.  She can’t be consoled, but it’s like she wants to but yet doesn’t want to be touched or seen.  (She’s not hiding, she just doesn’t want attention…I don’t blame her!)  This didn’t happen with Lala.  We’ve talked to the doctor and he thinks she’s having issues due to the stress of the deployment.  Both girls have actually had lots of tummy aches that the doctor believes is them handling the stress, and he could feel a little bit of a “buildup” in both of their tummies.

Welcome back!

Last weekend, my mom and I packed the girls up into the SUV for a little trip to the mall.  I emptied the girls’ piggy banks and promised them that they could buy something with their money.  Lala has begun learning the value of money (in a very introductory sense) and I thought this would be a great exercise for her.  Before we left, I told her I wanted her to think of some ideas of things she’d like to buy with her money (4 dollars: Lala; 3 dollars: Rora).  And then, I told her about the value of saving her money, gave her the option to save, and told her examples of different things she could buy and the price ranges they fell in.  By the time we left, her little brain was definitely working hard trying to analyze all of the information I’d given her.

We went to Deals first, thinking they’d be able to get more “bang for their buck” aka find something in their price range.  We meandered the halls and Lala became pretty insistent that she was just going to save her money to buy something bigger later (while trying to convince her little sister or mimi to buy the things she thought were great).  Rora, on the other hand, followed behind the cart with a knockoff pillow pet (we already have 2) and 3 identical plush animals (which I later hid to keep them from coming home with us).

Before long, Lala’s resolution to save was busted when we came upon the Halloween aisle with princess dress up things.  In less than 4 minutes, she had spent all 4 dollars – a pink wig, wings, tutu skirt, and a crown.

Rora, on the other hand, got distracted…

She thought it was awesome, but not awesome enough to use all three of her dollars.  Instead, she chose a package of baby wipes (she’s a baby wipe fanatic) and some candy.

I have to say, their purchases were very fitting for their individual personalities.

That, and Rora was one of the cleanest toddlers EVER by the end of that day… and Mimi’s car looked like a baby wipes container had exploded.

I have so many things I want to update…so  many things that *I* don’t want to forget!

First, pregnancy updates. 22 Weeks.

Lots of Round Ligament Pains…you know, the sometimes breathtaking shooty-knife-like pains that are all over the place (basically, where my belly has grown, that’s where they are.

Also, lots of back cramps.  Back aches.  Actually, everything is starting to ache!  (That $395 8 hour spa package is looking mighty fine!)  I think spa packages should be allowed in our insurance when our husbands get deployed.  I mean, seriously.  And, those of us with young kids should get an upgrade …then, those of us PREGNANT with young kids could get frequent spa packages.  Ha.  Maybe when we get a pregnant military wife for president.  Maybe, then!

Then, there’s the nasty bladder infection.  Or something.  The initial lab tests in office showed something “suspicious” (bladder infection), but they are sending it off to make sure.  All I know is I have some weird and random symptoms and feel worse and worse daily.  Yesterday, I wasn’t nauseous.  Today, I am incredibly nauseous and just feel a little icky (not enough to make me want to do NOTHING, but enough to make me not want to eat breakfast).

Baby is doing well.  After an “emergency”/impromptu visit a few days ago, we saw him literally kicking at my cervix.  –Which would explain something that I’ve been feeling.  He’s growing.  I’m growing.  Happy, happy.

In Other News

Sleep has been a little elusive.  I want to sleep and oh, how I’m tired…but, my brain?  It disagrees.

I’m set up to begin classes in late-August.  Yay!

I’ve begun writing at  The Curriculum Choice.

Started up a group for Military Wives in my area.

Stepped up as an officer for our FRG.

Things Heard Around Our House

The girls have adopted a new nightly routine that reminds me of the Waltons’.  (Anybody remember that old show?)

Me:  Night, Lala!  I love you!
Lala:  Night mommy!  Love you, too!
Me:  Night, Rora!
Rora:  Night, Mommy!  Me uv oo!
Me:  I love you, too!
Rora:  Night mama!
Me:  Night Rora!

…and so it goes back and forth between me and Rora for a few minutes, occasionally with Lala piping in additional goodnights so as to not feel left out.  By the time they quiet down, it’s like there were 15 people saying their goodnights!  Makes me giggle every time.

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The other night after a quick skyping session with their daddy, Rora stood on the bed.  With the most serious look on her face, she said, “Daddy!  Me…miss…you…”  And then, very dramatically, she fell face first onto my pillow.  She’s two.  She kept up her pretend faint for about 30 seconds and then slid off the bed and ran to her room to destroy play with her toys.

……………………………….

Me:  Hey Lala, would you rub mommy’s back?  I don’t feel so good.
Lala:  I can’t.  My arm hurts and I think my leg is swollen.

(Her arm didn’t hurt and her leg wasn’t swollen, she’d just picked it up from something her daddy has said alot … the arm part, anyhow.  Guess she threw in the swollen leg for good measure.)

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(After seeing me pick and then tear up fresh cilantro and add it to a summer salsa, Lala says…)

“Mommy, why did you put weed in our food?”

We were having lunch with Grams and Aunt P.  Aunt P came around the table as we were eating our hamburgers, asking if anyone would like any more tatertots.

Aurora reached out, toward the pan with tots.

“Aurora, why don’t you eat what’s on your plate first?  See all of those tater tots on your plate?”  Aunt P said sweetly.

Aurora pointed and grunted once more at the pan.

“Oh, all right,” Aunt P said, “you can have one more, but that’s all because you have a lot more already on your plate.  Okay?”

Aurora took her new tatertot, popped it in her mouth, then proceeded to empty her plate right onto the table and hold it out for more tots.

Perhaps Aunt P should’ve been more specific. 

Aurora with daddy’s Valentine’s gift – a one gallon jug of Tabasco.

Every day, I’m amazed at how big my “little babies” are getting and Lala reminds me on a daily basis that she is not. a. baby!!

We’ve been experiencing some interesting changes around here, though.  Like, the constant 3 year old whining mixed with questions.  And, the melt-downs from both.

We’ve discovered that meal-time can be quite interesting…

If Rora likes her food, she can’t eat it fast enough…so she uses her fork AND her hands and shovels it in.  (Pictured: Lasagna)

If she doesn’t like it?  It gets crumbled and thrown on the floor or spit out and handed to you.  If you don’t take it, she throws it on the floor.

Sandwiches and sandwich-like foods (oreos, stacked crackers with cheese or peanut butter filling) get taken apart and the insides only eaten.

It’s insane, actually.

They both adore “school-time” and nap time has become a loosely interpreted idea for Lala.

I love them so much…

I love watching the way they interact with each other, how they love on each other.

Now, I just need to teach them that they don’t have to hit each other first in order to hug!

Food Face Plate (comes with one plate in gift box) $9.98 from HearthSong

Indoor Intex Jump O Lene $47.99 at Toys R Us

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Say Please Tea Set for 16.54 at Walmart (18.99 at Toys R Us)

Dress Up Clothes!  (The above was found here for $57.00, but a little tote with some thrift dress up finds (hats, crowns, “poofy” dresses, necklaces, bangles, and random “dress up” clothes would work great as well!)

Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker for $39.95

This picture of the girls makes me giggle.