January 22 - Inversion

Before we moved up here, I totally thought people were being super dramatic nonsense talkers when they would speak of the "inversion."  Now I know it's real.  And yucky.  And looks like a slightly yellow fog that just sits still all day long.  And hides all the mountains and blue skies.  Go away, inversion.

January 21 - Ba-Bye

See ya in a few days, Daddy!  We'll miss you!

January 20 - Sugar is Still Fun

Andlie loves drawing and playing in this sugar.  She plays in it at least twice a day & gets really intense about it sometimes.  Her favorite thing to draw right now is a bow and arrow (just like Merida's).  She's also started to draw letters!  She's getting so big.  Love her.

January 19 - Gymnastics Meet

Went to support our T-Birds tonight at a four-team gymnastics meet.  Go T-Birds!

January 18 - Carousel

Ask her any day what she wants to do and she'll have 1 of 3 responses: 1. Go to the dinosaur museum (dinosaur play play at the mall).  2. Go to the bumpy slides (play area at the other mall).  3. Go ride the up and down horses at the other mall (carousel).

Tonight we gave in to the horses and go up and down and had a fun time as a family!  We also enjoyed the 3-4 times we went up and down the escalators.  (I totally remember requesting this as a kid too.)

January 17 - Balls

All boy.  Loves balls.  Any kind.  Can say and recognize: beeseball (baseball), football, socca-ball (soccer ball), bee-skeet-ball (basketball).  Has learned to say, "teeny socca-ball" when holding a small bouncy basketball.  (Even makes the squinched eyes & "teeny" face.)  Can find any of the said balls in any store/restaurant/building known to man.  Loves to hit the baseball off the tee.  Makes boy noises when he does so.  Must have a ball in his possession at all times.  Or else.  Love him. 

January 16 - Chores

We started a small chore chart with Andlie.  Some of her tasks include: brush teeth (morning and night), get dressed, make bed, try a new food, wash a window.  So far, we've had success and she's been loving the star sticker reward that goes in each square.  (Note the sopping wet paper towel in the bottom of the picture.  The windows got a super duper dose of Windex.)

January 15 - Hands

Haze adores Andlie.  And she is his biggest protector.  Haze has recently started requesting Andlie's hand when we go down stairs or in to the store, etc.  If he is holding my or Bryan's hand, he'll let go & request hers.  I love to hear it.  "Annie...Hand!"  So then she proudly holds his hand and helps him do whatever we're doing. 

The other day we were at the mall.  Both kids were not too far behind us and we kept a good eye on them.  When we turned our heads to check on them, this is how we found them.  They love each other.  And I love that. 

January 14 - Sickies

This poor bowl has made too many appearances since Saturday night when Andlie puked.  Now she's better, but me & Bryan spent the entire night last night .... catching what Andlie had.  We woke up this morning and set the kids in front of the TV.  Sweet Andlie started making noise in the kitchen and moving chairs around.  Sweet little thing was moving her chair up to the counter so she could bring me the puke bowl in case I needed it.  I love her so much.  She has the most tender, sweetest heart in the whole world.  I'm a lucky Mommy.

January 13 - Broke

Haze broke his bink in half with his toy hammer.  He didn't seem to mind and wondered what the big deal was.  Other Haze news from today: He LOVES ketchup.  Like he wouldn't eat any potatoe chips or granola bars unless they were dipped in ketchup.

January 12 - Toilet Paper

Toilet Paper Tricker struck again today - while we were doing Saturday chores.  Apparantely it's super duper fun to pull the entire roll off, rip it all to un-usable shreds, put said shreds in to the toilet, and throw the remaining pieces around the house.  And how can I even care when this face looks up at me & says, "This is so fun, Mom.  I love toilet paper."

January 11 - Indoor Party

It snowed last night.  A lot.  And it was still snowing when we woke up.  Haze had a fun time with the toilet paper while I showered and Andlie was really antsy, so we bundled up and played outside, but only for 15 minutes because we didn't want to freeze our butts off.

We came inside & I asked Andlie if she wanted to get her leotard (aka her gymnastics shirt) on and play gymnastics.  Of course her answer was yes!  (Note her darling leggings made an appearance as well.) 

This picture shows so much!  Andlie was instructing Haze how to do "bermastics."  Haze was holding his "ink ink ink."  The CD player was playing Primary songs.  The Twister mat is acting as the gymnastics mat.  Andlie kept having me announce her grand entrance.  She likes me to say, "And now, announcing the amaaaazing Annnnndlie Allen!"  Her dog purse is sitting by her on the couch.  She was using him as her partner for some sweet moves.  Haze learned how to say, "Yay, Annie!" and clap when she did a cool trick.  He also looked at my with a huge grin, started bouncing up and down & said, "ance," when a new song would come on.

It was a good morning.  Perfect, in fact.

January 10 - Well Checks

We went to the doc today for well checks (Andlie's 4 year and Haze's 18 month).

Andlie

Weighs 34 lbs (42%).

Is 40.5 inches tall (67%).

Sat on the table nicely and waited for the doc to come in.

Was really, really brave during her exam, but got kinda nervous when the doc brought out the ear checker.

Got a flu shot.  She had been preparing herself for the shot for days and was "gonna be so brave."  But when it came time for the poke, she flinched and had to be poked twice and cried.  Poor thing.

Told me & Bryan that we "could have a sucker because we were brave for our shots."

Is growing well & got a great report.

Haze

Weighs 25 lb, 3 oz (35%).

Is 33.25 inches tall (69%).

Ran around the room like a banshee while waiting for the doc.  Threw balls, got stuck under the table, etc.

Started crying the instant the nurse weighed him.  Hated the exam and cried the entire time.

Got three shots, but no flu.  (He already got that one at 15 months.)

Was screaming and crying when we left the room, but immediately stopped when he got a sucker.

January 9 - Waving to Daddy

Andlie & Haze love their Daddy so much.  They hate it when he leaves for work in the morning, but they love waving to him as he pulls out of the driveway.  He shuts the door on his way out and then Andlie dashes over to open it back up.  Haze quickly follows.  Haze says, "Bu-bye.  Seeeee ya.  Bye.  Muuuu-ah!" as he waves his hand all around and brings it to his mouth to blow kisses.  Andlie waves prim & properly and blows the occasional organized kiss as she says, "Bye, Daddy!  Love ya.  Muuuu-ah!" 

January 8 - Fat Lip

Haze & Andlie were playing chase today when Haze fell and landed on his face.  His top two front teeth gave his bottom lip a couple pretty good bleeders.  He's got a fat lip, two cuts, and rug burn on his chin.  This is the best holding still picture I could get.  It's fat on his bottom left lip.

January 7 - Hats

Leftover Party Hats + Bryan = See above.

January 6 - Buddies

Andlie taught Haze how to give hugs on demand.  He loves her so much.  And she loves him.  She is his protector.  He'll walk up to her and get right in her face and say, "Hiiii."  He'll keep saying it until she acknowledges him.  (Which is usually by her saying in her sweetest voice, "Hey, Buddy!")  I caught him putting his little arm around her in church today.  It's so fun to see them turn from brother & sister to buddies.  Melts my heart.

January 5 - Real Birthday

Birthday Activities

Get sung “Happy Birthday” by Grandma & Grandpa Goodwin and Mandy, Tim, and Daisey on Google+ web chat on 01/04/13.

Wake up to house decorated with banners & balloons.

Open presents!

Eat number 4 shaped pancake w/flower sprinkles on top.  This is what she requested for breakfast.

 Andlie said, “Hey, where’s all my number 4s?”  So I ran out and bought some more decorations including some 4s and put them up while Andlie & Daddy watched her new movie, “Madagascar 3.”

Help Mom stuff party treat bags for later.  Loved this.  Was pretty excited about what was in them – whistle, magnifying glass, slinky, Skittles.

Have lunch.  Her choice – pizza!  Go with Mom to pick it up.

Have a “party!”  Mikelle, Ty, and Jonah Duff and Kate Sorenson came over & played downstairs and had cake & ice cream.  Andlie was so proud when everyone was singing to her.  (Her cake had a layer of green cake, a layer of purple, and blue frosting with pink dots – at her request.)

Hand out treat bags to all guests when they left.  She loved this.  She squealed with delight coming up the stairs to give them away.

Watch “Brave” while snuggling with Daddy.

Get more presents in the mail – a mini tool set from Grandma & Grandpa and a robot & gum from Mandy, Tim, & Daisey.  Thrilled.  “Fixed” Mommy & Daddy’s shoes with her new tools.

Go to Kangaroo Zoo (bounce house)!  Meet Todd/Heidi Brown & kids there.  She also squealed with delight when we got here.  Had a wonderful time!  Loved the bounce houses & even went on big slides!

Open present from Browns – Disney bedtime story book. 

Give them treat bags – thrilled again!

Dinner of her choice.  She chose chicken nuggets & fries from Wendy’s.

Sneak some frosting from her cake.  Lots of it.

Bathtime.

Watch "Madagascar 3" again while winding down.

Bed.

What a sweet, tender, smart, sassy, perfect daughter we have.  We love her so much more than she'll ever ever know.  Happy birthday, Bug!  We love yo so much!

January 4 - Bickey!

We saw this giant stuffed Mickey at the store tonight and pulled it out to show Hazey.  He immediately ran up to it, hugged in, and exclaimed, "Bickey!!!"

January 3 - Tummy

Haze is obsessed with tummys.  Any time he sees someone in a magazine in workout gear or as an underwear model, he immediately points at their tummy and says, "Nummy!  Nummy!  Nummy!"  (He even pointed out Mohamad Ali's at my parent's house on the poster in Bryce's room.)  He occasionally walks over to Andlie, pulls her shirt up, grabs her skin, and says, "Nummy!  Ickle!"  (Tummy!  Tickle!)  He gets such a kick out of showing his own tummy off.  Recently, we have found him leaning against walls/windows/metal folding chairs while holding his shirt up so that his tummy touches the cold object.  Do you know where he gets this idea?  Neither do it.  But I think it's funny and I think he's adorable.

January 2 - Beanbags

Though we had so much fun during the holidays with our families, it felt so nice to be in our own space again.  Ahhhhhhhh.

January 1 - Happy New Year!

Rung the new year in with the most hard-working, funny, hot, determined guy in the world!  And I'm lucky enough to call him my husband - and best friend.  Happy New Year!!