Low-key weekend

We spent the weekend in town, with no major plans or visitors and it turned out to be a wonderful weekend.

We hit up the Home and Garden Show at the Fargodome. Home Depot sponsored a Kid's Workshop that was pretty neat. Nora only lasted for about 5 minutes, then she was out of there to chase her dad through the halls of the dome. Gus finished her project for her.



Wow, I was brave to hold the helicopter while Gus hammered away. I still have my fingers!



Later in the day, I passed the time by experimenting with new hair do's for Nora's growing locks. I'm happy to report that she hit another milestone (surpassing pig tails), and is on to the single ponytail! I was so excited that I ran to get my camera, and she was so excited that she ran into her room and hurried to grab a pacifier out of her crib before I got back upstairs. So smart, that kid! When I arrived back to take a pic of her hair, she turned around and this is the shot I got.

So, ignore the 18-month old with a pacifier, and concentrate on the hair. She looks so old!


We rounded out our Saturday with movie night. The new Yogi Bear was playing.

Not a bad movie but really just an excuse to eat a few bags of popcorn and throw a ton of blankets and pillows on the floor.

While the parents are away

...the elephant will play. Or something like that.

Gma Vickie and Gpa Dave were in town this weekend and watched the kiddos on Saturday evening while we attended a co-worker of mine's wedding. It was a great time. A friend snapped this pic of us with her iPhone. I need one. Or at least I need instagram for my Android because that's what made this cell phone photo so nifty.

And now to the elephant portion of this post. Vickie brought this adorable and hilarious elephant costume down for the kids which they are already fighting over. Isn't it fabulous?

Nora's 18-month checkup

Our little Nora hit the 18-month mark on February 11th. Despite 3 shots to the thigh, she had a great checkup. Her stats:

Height: 33.75 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 25 lbs 8 oz (65th percentile)

She's funny because she doesn't cry or get fussy like Gus did when he was scared or not into something. Instead, she gives people 'the look', as if to say she's not impressed at all, but will tolerate it. Just like she's doing in these pics.


She loved drawing lines on the chalkboard while waiting for the doctor to arrive. This is another funny thing to me because last year, I jumped on the whole chalkboard paint bandwagon and turned an entire wall in their playroom into a chalkboard. Which, she has never cared about, ever. But this one, this one was awesome! Of course.
Ha!

I checked back on Gus' stats at 18 months, for fun, and the 2 kids are very similar.
Gus was 33.5 inches (Nora, 33.75), and he weighed 26 lbs (Nora, 25).

So, basically, they are both tall. But mostly, we are grateful for healthy kids.

Valentine's Day

Gus had his first official Valentine's Day party at preschool this year. He liked it but it's a good thing he is still too young to be embarrassed of his Valentine's box. Put it this way, next year I'm dropping the kids off at their Aunt Christy and Uncle Josh's house so they can help them make cool Valentine's Day boxes. All the creative genetics in our family went to Josh when it comes to Valentine's boxes (sorry Steph). As you can see, the box I helped Gus make consisted of a pre-made foam mailbox and racecar stickers. But he's sweet and didn't complain.

And here's Nora with her pink and red outfit on plus the cheesiest Valentine's clip art I could find! xoxoxo everyone!

A strong finish

Gus ended this year's skating lessons on a high note - he was able to skate the length of the rink and back without wiping out! A major accomplishment for him.

Him and his buddy Caleb did great.

Their little sisters, Peyton and Nora, watched but were not really that impressed. They had more fun running around the arena.

Until next year!

Parking Lot

When I walked upstairs to check in on Gus last week, I found his monster trucks lined up in a perfect row outside his door. When I had kissed him goodnight and left his room about 30 minutes earlier, he had all of his trucks in his bed but apparently they did something to get themselves kicked out of his room.



I'd like to add that Gus is not one of those kids who prefers to have his things neat and tidy. He has never asked for his toys or his clothing to be just right. In fact, he's so far on the other side of that spectrum (he would wear the same clothes for a week, or happily play cars in the middle of a heap of random toys and half-empty juice boxes. Gross, uh, I mean, that never happens in our house but it if did, I'm sure he would still play contently.) Anywho, I was so impressed, that I felt the need to take a picture of his shining "neat and tidy" moment while he slept peacefully in the background. I hope he was dreaming of cleaner times to come!