A Day at the Beach

It was another (cool, but) gorgeous day here, and the weather report said clear skies at the coast, so this afternoon we headed for the dunes at Honeyman.

Libby listens to Annie on the way.  The headphones are so she can listen, and we don't have to. Shane looked back at her and said, "She looks so sad."  She's actually just concentrating on holding the headphones on her ears.  She always looks like this when she wears them.

Shane and Peyton share french fries from the golden arches before we unload.
"Grunny, wait for me!"  I don't know who was more excited.  But, I do know Grunden's got a speed avantage.
Shane and Peytie throw the ball for Grunny.  If you look closely, you can see Grunny swimming after his ball.
Look at that blue sky!  The sand was new to Peyton.  She tasted a little.
Libby climbs the hill.....
........and runs back down.
Peyton hangs on tight.  The wind was whipping, and I think she was a little nervous.  She wanted to be held most of the time.
Our littlest mover stood on her own tonight for about ten seconds.  I'm sure those seconds felt like an eternity to her.  She stood after her big sister (who shall remain nameless) took away the stool she was using to steady herself.  Oh, the look of surprise when she realized she was holding onto nothing!  I missed the moment with my camera, but I know there will be others.

Lessons From a Big Sister

Libby's got a lot to teach her little sister.  The latest lessons involve walking.....

Going too fast proves troublesome for Peyton...
Peyton gets help at mealtime when mom isn't looking.  Thankfully, it's a soft spoon.
Taking a moment of solitude....
Peyton fell asleep on our bike ride just before we got home.
Helping to empty the dishwasher is a new favorite.  Unfortunately, her skill isn't limited to the dishwasher.  She likes to empty the towel drawer and the rubbermaid cupboard too.

Easter Weekend

Happy Easter from our family to yours....  As I'm sitting here writing the girls are napping and I'm in the sun on the back deck.  Oh sun, I've missed you.

Peyton finds a new toy to play with.  She might have a little tomboy in her.

Libby works diligently at Grammy Pearl's roll top desk.  Julane and I played at this desk when we were little.  I wrote our names in the back of it.   I was busted because I turned my Js backwards.  A dead giveaway.
Libby decorates an egg on Saturday.  She wanted to taste the dye so we let her.  She liked it and wanted more.
Getting crazy with the boys.  Libby and Jayden ran wild all over the front yard while my mom and Jamison played (I think) a game of horse.
On Sunday morning we went to church with the Dovers and my dad and Grandma Margie. Then, Shane met up with us in time for brunch at the golf club.  This picture was taken after we ate but before the egg hunt.  Libby was ready, but when the Easter Bunny came out she wanted no part of that.  
Give me the go!
Peyton joins in the hunt.
Daddy is proud of his girls.
A family photo op.  These are harder to come by than you'd imagine.
Bubbles have become a before dinner tradition at Grammy Jane's house.  Check out those bubbles!
Peytie was all smiles balancing between the ball and the barstool behind her.  The first time she let go we all gasped.  We couldn't believe she could stand without holding on.  Then, we realized she was leaning against the stool behind her.  A little trickster.
On Tuesday as I was loading the car to go home my mom and the girls all piled into a box for some last minute fun.  How many grandmas do you know who'd pile into a cardboard box with two kids?  The blanket was the final touch on the fort.
Peyton stands for everything.  Two days after she started crawling she stood.  She's starting to let go with one hand.  It won't be long.....
Let me at 'em!

Happy Tax Day...

Wishing you well on this April 15th.  Look closely at Peytie's shirt.  May the day bring you a big fat refund.

Stay tuned for Easter pictures.  I've got lots!

Riding the Lift

I title this post Riding the Lift because though we had a successful first day on the mountain, riding the chair lift was clearly Libby's favorite part.  The whole way down each run she'd say, "chair lift, chair lift" pointing back up at the lift.  Shane and I were both concerned that she'd be afraid of the lift.  This was not at all the case.  She was a trooper!  Julane and the boys were so great and helped make sure Libby had fun on her first day out.

Here's Libby with Aunt JuJu just before getting on the lift for the first time.

Stopping to wait for Jayden and Jamison......  She loved skiing right behind them.
Heading into the lodge for lunch....
Goofy cousins......
Refueling with some greens.  It may look like she eats healthy, but in truth she had french fries dipped in mayonaise and Pepsi for lunch.  We usually eat a little better than that so I let her just go for it.  
Still smiling as we left.  This is the mark of a great first day!
Libby was so tired that she stumbled all the way back to the car as we sang, "What shall we do with the drunken sailor?"  She insisted on walking by herself in her ski boots.  I offered to change her into her regular boots, but we were all wearing our ski boots so she wanted to too. I was worried about walking in ski boots, because she could barely walk in her boots in our living room.  But, at the end of the day she was running through the parking lot!  Notice she can barely see out from under her hat.....

Gearin' Up

We're gearin' up this week.  We've got Easter, skiing and Peytie is into EVERYTHING so it's time to get the house baby proofed once again.  Yesterday she closed herself in her room, removed the rubber choking hazard from the door stop and was chewing on it when I found her.  I quickly did the finger swipe which she HATES.  Disaster averted......phew!  Then I put up a baby gate and did a quick scan of the floor for any other small pieces.  Here we go again.  How quickly this will pass....

Hey mom, look what I've got.  Catch me if you can!

Peytie was cracking up at Libby's ski attire which Libby did NOT appreciate.  It all fits though, and we're ready to hit the slopes.
Happy birthday daddy!  We baked a cake for the big day.  Libby loves to help in the kitchen. Stirring was her favorite until she discovered licking the bowl.
Our creation before Libby took her turn at decorating.
The other day we ran errands and Libby must have been starving because the minute we got home she dove into a jar of Peyton's baby food.  Normally, she just laughs when I offer a bite of Peytie's food, but on this day she took one bite, liked it, and quickly polished off the whole jar.
"Happy birthday daddy!  Eat cake?"
Peytie's up on her feet!  She's trying to walk like a bear.  She's also pulling herself up and standing.  Next week she'll probably be taking my car for a spin.....
Libby spends a lot of time "shopping" in her little corner.  The box is where we keep all of her groceries.
Libby's posed for me, but clearly didn't want to.  I made her dress out of  a pillow case!  I found the instructions online and thought I'd give it a try and it worked!  I made it while the girls were napping.  When she woke up I asked Libby to try it on.  She looked at it and said, "I like it." while shaking her head "no".  Which actually means "I don't like it."  This is a new not-so-favorite phrase of mine.  
We got the Easter box out of the attic yesterday, and it kept Peyton entertained all afternoon.

Green beans?  Shouldn't we be having carrots?

On the Move

Peytie's on the move.  I've got to put the gates back up, plug the outlets and sweep the dog hair everyday.  She gets clumps of it in her little fists, and it goes straight in her mouth.  Eck. Hairballs.

Happy April Fools Day!

It's April Fools Day and I'm going to enjoy the fact that the girls are too little to understand pranks.  This will probably be my last peaceful April Fools.  

Peyton rarely falls asleep anymore when I'm holding her.  I had to relish in this moment.

A sleepy pancake morning....
Here's our three ring circus on a bike.  One in the front and one in the back.  It works pretty well.
Peyton gets herself all tangled up in the barstools just like her sister used to. There is something so attractive about those stools.
Libby is self-sufficient with the refrigerator.  Well, in getting her sippy cup anyway.  I often sit down to feed Peytie when Libby says, "Milk please!"  Now I can say, "Get up and go get it!"



Keeping up with big sister's cool factor....
Tying hooks with daddy...
Posing in pajamas...