It's About Time!

I am happy to report that after days and days of drooling, snotting, and chewing, and after several false alarms, Abby has finally sprouted her first tooth.  You can feel the sharp edge poking out of her gums so we know that this time, it really is official!

Just Because

 It's been a week since my last post and I feel like it's been too long!  So I guess I don't have anything really special, just a few everyday things.  First, Megan has discovered candy canes.  Notice that the tree is decorated with candy canes.  We'll see how long that lasts . . . 

 I've been trying to get good pictures of the girls for Christmas.  Unfortunately, Abby is starting to take a page out of Megan's book and only smile when you go to great lengths or tickle her.  So I don't know yet what you're getting in our Christmas cards but these may be the only ones we have!

Look at that hair!  Her eyes are turning brown on the insides and her hair is staying a light ashy brown.  That's pretty dark for our family!

 Abby is doing pretty well on her tummy and starting to move a little.  Problem is, it's backwards.  Actually, since we're all decked out for the holidays now, maybe it's not so much of a problem. . . .

 Abby also has the best laugh and is SOOOO ticklish!  But today, it was laughter just to laugh.  I love hearing this!

 Last but not least, this is a little boy we were watching for a friend the other night.  This is why Megan needs friends!  I think they could start a band though -- this kid was so good on the harmonica and drumming on whatever he could drum in my house and Megan?  Well, that's her singing along.  Now we just need a name and a concert venue and we could make some serious money!

Hope everyone's Thanksgiving was delicious!

Amusing Tidbits

Yesterday Megan saw the Dora house that we're saving for . . . something.  We haven't decided if it's going to be Christmas or birthday or when but it's a great playhouse with furniture and Dora the Explorer's complete family that some friends handed down to us.  Chopper left the wrong door open and Megan kept asking for the house.  When I finally figured it out I told her "we can't play with that right now, Mommy can't reach it."  She looked at me and got quiet for a minute and I could literally see the wheels turning in her head.  Then she says, "Can Mommy get a ladder?"  Well how do you argue with that?!?!?!  You tell them the ladder is too heavy that's how.  I hope it gives me enough time for her to forget just a little while longer that it's there . . .

I've been giving Abby Cheerios every now and then.  Yesterday she figured out that she likes them.  I had dumped a few on her tray for her to play with while we finished dinner and she was trying so hard to get those Cheerios in her mouth.  The problem is, she can get them in, but hasn't quite figured out how to release once they 're in there.  Hopefully that milestone isn't too long in coming or she'll be one frustrated girl!

Explorations

The old Children's Aquarium is reopening and are running special prices for November's sneak peak month so we decided to take a trip.  It's a cute little aquarium but the neatest thing was the location -- right in Fair Park with the Cotton Bowl Stadium, the Texas Star Ferris Wheel, and all the museums are housed in beautiful old Art Deco buildings.  I think that exploring the area was better than the museum! 

 Megan can be really cute when she thinks you're not watching . . . 

 But of course the minute you ask her to smile, that's the end of that.  Chopper did though!

 A lagoon / playground area in the middle of the park that Megan was fascinated with.  It was really cool though.  And the fir trees were beautiful in their changing colors.

 Another visitor was gracious enough to take our picture.  Megan was not gracious enough to hold still.

 Then she got made because we wouldn't let her ride ON TOP OF the elephant.  Apparently, sitting on the trunk was just not good enough.

 Chopper had to take a picture of the Cotton Bowl stadium.  If we could get tickets when Boise State plays here Chopper would be in heaven.

 This is one massive ferris wheel -- here it's behind the Aquarium building.  I don't think I would ever want to ride this thing.

On the way home we missed our exit and since we were navigating by map it took me a few minutes to get out bearings.  Then I realized that if we continued on the road we were on, we would end up at Bass Pro Shop in Grapevine.  Well, enough said.  So off we went!  Besides being a really nice Bass Pro Shop, they had Santa Claus at his house and free pictures (which Megan refused over and over so I didn't try to make her) and a holiday carousel with reindeer to ride.  It went nice and slow and Megan actually rode it and then asked for more!

 Here's Santa!  Just to say we actually did see him . . . 

Sometimes I Forget She's a Toddler . . .

Because Megan is not your typical toddler.  Playing with buttons was the motivation to get her to start standing on her own.  She hates being messy most of the time.  And she's very very careful and cautious.  But of course she is still a toddler and sometimes it really comes out.

Like when we made these paint sample turkeys that I saw here.  She enjoyed making turkeys but the fun part was putting the beans in the bottle (to make them bottom heavy) and then evolved into putting beans anywhere that she could throw them . . .

 And then feeding them to the turkeys.  Cause hey, we need fat turkeys for Thanksgiving. 

And then of course we had to make Thanksgiving cookies.  But Abby wakes up right in the middle of it so I leave Megan licking a beater and thinking that will occupy her for a few minutes . . . 

I guess it wasn't enough because we had to dump out the flour and then eat that too.

Yup.  She's still a toddler.

I love you THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS much!

Who was that artist who painted the same thing over and over and over until he got it right? Megan is that artist. Either that or she just loves her Grandpa. Because that's all she draws. Ever since Chopper taught her to draw faces, she draws them constantly. Yesterday we rolled out the paper that had been collecting underneath the easel and this is what we've got:

 A kitchen and dining room full of Grandpa portraits.  Because if you ask her who it is, it's always Grandpa.  So one day for kicks, I asked her to draw Grandma thinking it would be the same and she just "says" that it's Grandpa.  Nope.  There is a clear difference:

I'll give you one guess to tell me who Grandpa is and who Grandma is.  And that is her only portrait on these several feet of paper.  Sorry Grandma. 

Oh and as I type this, Megan is in the other room reading The Berenstain Bears and the Spooky Old Tree.  I know because I'm hearing bits of the story told with the same inflections that I use when I read it -- maybe I can get that on video . . . 

The Spittin' Image (Get it?)

Abby just started talking today.  But it's minimal compared to her favorite thing -- spitting.  Some of you may remember too that Megan at about this age would nod her head yes to every question I asked.  Abby prefers to say no.

Imagination Takes Flight!

I had to hit the after Halloween sales at Target and I couldn't believe how little there was literally the day after!  And their whole Halloween area had already been converted to Christmas!  Megan loves it but I want to have a little Thanksgiving first.

I did score Megan a princess dress for $6.00 and a pair of wings for $1.00.  She won't really wear the dress because it's too long and she doesn't like the feel of always being on the verge of tripping so I need to hem it, but she LOVES LOVES LOVES her wings!  I love watching her play.  I love catching her in her dream world and watching her realize that I'm watching -- the look on her face is great but really it reminds me of when I would play and be "discovered".  Your imagination is just for you I think.

I also finished a quilt for a friend of mine -- I don't think she'll see it here before it arrives in Pocatello (at least I hope not).  I'm sad to see it go because I fell in love with it, but it couldn't go to a better home!

Boo at the Zoo

Ok actually the Dallas Zoo doesn't have "boo at the zoo".  Instead, they do Halloween Nights and the setup for that looked like it would be a lot of fun.  But we had a good time anyway.  The zoo has some great animals and for being a Saturday, there was no one there!  Of course we saw all your typical zoo animals:

 I didn't take a ton of pictures because we found out the camera's battery was dying when we got there.  But they have a lot of areas where you can have an "up close" experience with various animals.  We saw the elephants and the lions that way when they were being fed.  Megan of course is more than willing to sit on any statuary we see (and they have a lot), but refuses to ride the pony around the ring.  They have a fun children's area with barn animals you can pet and a little playground and Megan made a new friend!

We may have to go back periodically to visit him!  

Halloween Celebrations

No trick-or-treating for us this year.  With Halloween on Sunday and Stake Conference the whole weekend, we've resigned ourselves to simpler celebrations.

Last night we had a ward fall festival with a trunk-or-treat.  Megan was beside herself with joy over finally getting to trick-or-treat.  Chopper was a fabulous husband (please read the sarcasm intended there) and explained to her all about it a few weeks ago.  It has been on my shoulders ever since to deal with the issue of when -- still a foreign concept to Megan.  So last night, IT WAS ABOUT TIME!  Megan got through about 6 cars before she wanted to go back to Daddy.  I think the real reason was so she could sit in our car and eat her treats.  She didn't care that if she kept going she would have MORE treats.  What was in her "pumpkin basket" was just fine with her thank you.  Abby on the other hand rode the mommy hip and sucked her thumb for 2 hours straight.  I'm not sure if it's because she was hungry or tired but she was very patient through the whole night waiting to go home again.

In all honesty, with all the projects I have to complete, I didn't want to add too much Halloween to the list.  So Megan wore her flower costume from last year (that's why I don't have any great pictures of it -- well that and Megan wouldn't let me take good pictures of her for the most part) and I made Abby a cute little dress to be a witch.  The headband came from Target -- I love that place!  Actually, now that I think about it, both headbands came from Target!  Megan's was from Easter though . . . I double love that place!  But we had a good time and Mommy and Daddy are enjoying the fruits of Megan's labors (hehehe)!

My Free Time

Other than exploring Dallas, I've been getting my household routine down and doing lots of projects. This is what happens when I don't have friends or a church calling -- I can read, craft, and quilt!

So of everything that needs to be decorated in my first house, what's the most important? Megan's room of course! After all, I've only been dreaming and scheming about this since before I was even pregnant with her. It's still somewhat of a work in process but I had to show what's been done because I love love love where it's going. And I justify doing her room first by telling myself that I only have so much time before she starts deciding how she wants her room decorated so . . .

Still using my old dresser of course -- why not? The ribbon board on the right is a great, EASY, quick craft from FamilyFun magazine (love that thing!).

Remember the tree that Chopper painted? He added a few purple leaves for pop and then I started adding birds. I found one I liked online, used the outline and cut it out of paper. It's has clear contact paper over the top and extending from the edges to stick it to the wall. It's a homemade sticker! And when you peel them off, no residue -- another FamilyFun idea . . .

But you can't have just one bird! You need a flock! They're a little hard to see because their bodies are mainly white with purple wings. And then one of course is taking a rest on top of the picture of the flower. I know though, I really need bigger frames and pictures. These were on a great sale at Michaels and I have no spatial sense so once I hung them I stood back and realized, they're a little small for the space. Well Megan doesn't care so they can stay until I upgrade!

Then of course the bed needed more pillows! It all has to match right? So I made Megan a pillowcase for her sleeping pillow and a few adorable throw pillows! Which she doesn't understand the concept of and keeps sleeping on with her neck at a horrible angle. But I suppose really it isn't logical -- a pillow you CAN'T sleep on. The green is a bird's next fabric I found at a quilt shop at Utah that I fell in love with and the flowers I learned to make at a Relief Society activity in Virginia!

After "staging" the pictures, I promptly had to re-dress the bear in his "I love my cousin" t-shirt (thanks Dan and Denise) and then Megan had to mess it all up. It will never look like this again!

I am very fortunate to have a daughter who understands my need to read. Of course I save the near constant reading for when Chopper is here and able to take over but I did finish The Hunger Games in about 24 hours . . .

And then I go back to being a mom. I love my girls whole-heartedly but I do get sucked into books pretty badly. Thank goodness I have no friends and no calling!

We're practicing

I want to get cute pictures of the girls for the holidays but it really is near to impossible. Abby smiles if you look at her cross-eyed but often has her thumb in her mouth. Megan either doesn't hold still for the camera or says "smile" and doesn't do anything. Hmmm. So to get them together is an even greater feat! So we held an impromptu photo shoot when they were both doing tummy time the other day. These smiles were accomplished at great effort on my part -- effort on making myself so ridiculous that both girls HAD to smile! It worked for a while . . .


. . . But try to add myself into the picture (family ones would be nice too), and it falls apart!

Actually, we are all smiling! We'll see what happens!

New videos

I haven't posted videos for a while and thought the girls were doing some cute things that are at least worthy enough for the grandparents to see!




It continues to amaze me how much Abby is advancing. I hope that I never lose that wonder with any of my babies!

Megan drew a pictures today of a face and announced "It's a face!" When I asked her who's face it was, she told me it was Grandpas. So I said, well, where's his hair? She drew one little line at the top of the head and said "there it is!" If you know my dad, you'll know that it's pretty funny. So here she is with her picture:

Not Quite Barcelona . . .

Happy Columbus Day Ya'll!!!!

Chopper had the day off (government workers ya know) so we went to The Stockyards in Fort Worth to see the sights. We were excited because the Fort Worth Herd is herded down Exchange St. every day at 11:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. I was prepared for a little more action than what we got -- just some longhorn cattle moseying on down. The cowboys didn't even have to direct them on where to go. But I guess I'd get tired of doing the same loop twice a day every day of the year too!


Well, Megan enjoyed seeing the cows and the longhorns are pretty impressive. I learned that the shape of their horns comes from the breed they're descended from and both girls were made Marshalls for Fort Worth for the day.


Most of the original stockyards have been turned into shopping and restaurants so we wandered around for a while and then finished off with a Texas lunch:

Nothing like ribs and fried pickles!

There is also a Texas walk of fame -- real cowboys and cowgirls, celebrities, and people associated with the Western ideal. We only took pictures of these two famous ones:

And no Texas day is complete without a pony ride!

Thanks Columbus for starting us off!