Curiosity and Mischief

Her sister, after rummaging through my blue bag of recycling, wound up cutting her finger on an open can, and I didn't notice until she'd crawled around on the floor some, spreading her red life-giving goodness in various places on it; I dashed to the bathroom to grab band aids for her, but left the door open, knowing full well that curiosity and mischief is going to get the better of her.

Well...it did.

This is how I found her after her sister was all bandaged up:

{Insert an emphatic "teeth, teeth"! here}

I hope it makes your day like it made mine!



...and how happy it makes my heart...

~ 221 ~ watching as her bravery and courage grows with every cautious step she's learning to take on her own- and how happy it makes my heart!

~ 222 ~ discovering that days with no naps means she'll be falling asleep on the couch beside you at 6:50 pm

~ 223 ~ finally hearing his voice, after 7 long hours- and then two more torturous hours beyond that

~ 224 ~ the sweet Great Dane named Pumpkin (and she lives up to the name, too!)

~ 225 ~ adoptions

~ 226 ~ beautiful, once again unseasonal weather, for late November

~ 227 ~ my crock pot

~ 228 ~ comfy pink comforters and beautiful home made quilts hanging over sides of cribs

~ 229 ~ flannel sheets surrounding cold bodies as they lie down to sleep for the night

~ 230 ~ basil pesto

~ 231 ~ the moment of solitude after the kids finally settle to sleep after crying and fighting it

Winter Boots

~ 211 ~ birthdays

~ 213 ~ willow tree figurines

~ 214 ~ growth

~ 215 ~ unexpected (and always welcome) dinner guests

~ 216 ~ cozy, warm winter boots for sweet, kissable not-so-baby-anymore-feet

~ 217 ~ the chance to scrapbook yesterday, even though it felt like it was only for two minutes

~ 218 ~ raiding her little closet and bringing home new-to-her clothes for Miss Addison that no longer fit her

~ 219 ~ an evening out with husband this coming weekend

~ 220 ~ her new, phony laugh

Checking Out The Sights

 I was cleaning up the kitchen after baking a quick batch of cookies for our play date later this afternoon and feeding the twinlets their lunch, when I turned around to see her carrying her pink adirondak chair from their bedroom right up to my feet at the kitchen counter. Well, I should mention that we took a quick break when we reached the lino and accidentally set the chair down on our sensitive toes, so we had a quick cry, then cheered up when the calendar hanging on the wall caught our attention and amusement. After setting her back down on the floor after hugging her, she carried her chair right up to the counter and sat down to watch the amusement show.

That is, her mommy wiping down the counter. I asked her a few times if she was ready for nappy time, and she told me no, but went off in search of kiki (her blankie). When she returned, this is what I found her doing:

She was taking kiki for a walk!

I guess its time to find a dolly carriage for their babies (and kiki's!!)

An Era Has Ended

Amidst the chaos of personal and relational disharmony, I've taken on the task of teaching the kids to sleep without pacifiers. We are down to one; I told husband that when we've lost all the sucky's, not one more is being bought. The girls are going to have to learn to live without them.

I tore the house apart at naptime, trying to find the second last sucky I gave one of the twinlets to suck on, and its vanished. All that is left is a lonely pink one.

Implementing the sleep routine again (gradually tapering off the frequency I go into the girls' room to comfort them), it took half an hour to get them to sleep. Bedtime is going to be a chore again, but I think its about time. Losing, and searching for missing sucky's has become quite the stressful event. Neither of us enjoys looking for them. So, out of exasperation over that last sucky, I am hiding (or throwing out) the last sucky, and we are not dealing with them anymore.



Bye, sucky's. It was good while it lasted!

Red Candy Canes Vs. M.A.R.E.N.

All those little bits of red stuff littered on the floor beneath the patio door?


What *was* the window cling art the girls were playing with in the previous picture.

The Christmas trees that came in the pack are still in tact, but the red candy canes- they're scattered all over the floor.

Poor candy canes.

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~ 197 ~ a great day hanging out with Oma and grandpa

~ 198 ~ the baby boats the pool has and how much she *loves* boogeying around in them

~ 199 ~ Two little heads sporting four little pony tails

~ 200 ~ a quick shopping trip- just mom and I

~ 201 ~ and a profitable one at that, too!

~ 202 ~ the snow

~ 203 ~ hearing her saying 'shhh' from their bedroom, and when peeking around the corner to check on her, hearing a wicked little giggle then 'uh oh'. Yes, baby. You were caught!!

~ 204 ~ oven made stew (who knew?!)

~ 205 ~ those delicious muffin top dinner buns IGA sells

~ 206 ~ family

~ 207 ~ laughter

~ 208 ~ squealing and clapping of little hands

~ 209 ~ deep sobs that come straight from precious little toes

~ 210 ~ sweet pudgy, 31.5 lb hands rubbing sleepy, blurry, blue-like-their-daddy's-eyes

Her Name Was Sarah

He took her because her family didn't want her. She was a nuisance. She was still fairly young and full of energy, and when she came into his home, she never left his side. She went with him everywhere, and if she couldn't go with him, she'd loyally and patiently stay put and wait for him.

He loved her dearly. The decision to bring her to grandma and grandpa's to enjoy retirement was a tough one for him, but it was important. She was old, didn't have the patience for little hands and knees getting in her way, and he knew it wouldn't be long before he'd have to say goodbye to her forever.

She will be truly missed. She whined all day long if she stayed home with me, she was terribly frightened of thunderstorms (just as much as me!) I remember her jumping into bed one night with us- the thunder scared her. *Her* spot in the truck was the bunk behind the front seats; in the pick up, it was the back seat. Her breath stank, and she was getting bumps all over her body from old age. She was black and white. She wore a hot pink coller around her neck. She was a border collie. Her name was Sarah.

He found out tonight that she had breathed her last. I don't know if it was today or yesterday, but when I discovered he was crying on the phone with someone, I began listening a little more closely to the converation. I heard him say he got her in 1998. I heard him say her family hadn't wanted her anymore because she was making a mess of the yard. I heard him say he found an ad for her in the paper, but she hadn't been with him when he lived in Provost. The rest is history.

Sarah, we loved you and your daddy misses you terribly. I know it kills him that he couldn't say bye before you had to go, but its probably better this way. I hope you're happy up in doggy heaven, and I know you're no longer in pain. Thank you for loving your daddy and for happily trotting alongside him for so many years. You were his first true love and his best friend.

So long, girl.

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~ 189 ~ the fun filled afternoon shopping with a dear friend, her daughter and mother in law (and my girls)

~ 190 ~ an unexpected visit from the first person we met in town

~ 191 ~ the sweet house warming gift she gave- even for the girls, too!

~ 192 ~ green works household cleaners

~ 193 ~ pet spray- it works wonders even if your pets aren't the ones making messes!!!

~ 194 ~ warm vanilla sugar hand lotion

~ 195 ~ Bath and Body Works

~ 196 ~ ADDISON IS WALKING!!!!

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I just can't not sign off on such a low blogger key, so I'm sharing our other big news, too!

Yes, I know I just blogged yesterday about how I'm concerned she isn't walking on her own, and she just proved me wrong. That girl has a tendency to make a liar out of her mother- on a regular basis!! Its always good, though. It just makes me chuckle and shake my head.

All four of us were hanging out in the basement after supper, watching whatever was on Treehouse tv, and without even realizing it (at first), Addison began standing between husband and I, *without holding onto anything, OR leaning onto something*. Suddenly, he asks me if I see what she's doing; and yes, I do. Not long after that, her sister gets a bite on the face from kitty (it was bound to happen...and, now it has- and, of course, the world ended when he gave her that warning. She cried and cried and cried.) The only thing that pulled her out of her over-tired reverie was *bath time*- the most magical hour of the day for my girls.

Daddy came upstairs a few minutes later with Miss Addison, and he told me she was going to walk. 'Yeah right', I thought, but once again was proven wrong. From the doorway to the bathroom, she walked to me, at the edge of the bath tub (the half bath isn't very big, either, though it is bigger than our ensuite). HOKEY DINAH!!! No fingers, no crawling involved. I gave her a huge hug and kiss and told her how proud I was of her, then turned her around and watched her walk back to daddy at the bathroom door. He spun her around, and she walked back to me at the bath tub.

My girl. SO AMAZING!

Her reward was getting to play in the bath. LOL

She even walked a little more for us after she was all clean and dressed for bed.

I can't wait for tomorrow! She has an entire day to astonish us- AND her grandparents, AND her friends at the pool when we go swimming in the morning. She's going to WOW the world!!!