Happenings

It's February and softball season has begun. Last weekend the weather was beautiful (50's and sunny) until the sun went down and we quickly froze. Thanks to the sun the girls and I decided to make the 4 hour round trip drive to watch Peter play softball. We got to see the majority of 3 games, 2 from the stands and 1 from the car. Samantha had a great time playing with Tasha.

Penny & Joy watching from the Stroller

Samantha loved the bleachers

In addition to softball, Samantha and Penny are doing great and growing so quickly. Samantha has learned all of her colors and the numbers 2 and 3. She loves playing with her hopscotch in the living room. Her favorite toys right now are her baby dolls and her new doll house from Great Aunt Jane. She also loves to watch Dora, although Daddy prefers Veggie Tales: The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything!

Helping Penny make silly faces for Dora

Penny is hoping her head up really well and loves to play with toys. She has also started rolling over from her back to her tummy, but does not roll from her tummy to her back, but instead chooses to scream for us to come help her. She is finally starting to have a more routine sleeping patter including a couple of naps during the day, although she rarely sleeps more than 2.5 hours at a time. Peter is great at helping with her during the night so that I am not to grumpy after a day of work. We are just starting to introduce rice cereal.

Dressing Joy in Penny's jacket and wearing Momma's hat.

The girls calling Mimi from Samantha's toy phone.

Gifts

This past weekend we got to celebrate Josephine's 2nd Birthday. It was a blast and Samantha had a great time climbing in the Burger King Playland with Josephine's Daddy and the other parents that were there. Thank You for letting us celebrate with you.
Again, Peter and I worked together to complete a fun project. I really hope she likes hopping on her hopscotch mat.

Here are directions to make your own Hopscotch Mat, we used a painters canvas dropcloth for a low cost base. Since we have laminate floors we made Samantha's Hopscotch grid out of scrapbook paper and painters tape applying it directly to our floors. She loves to use it for identifying and naming colors and we are starting to work on some numbers.

Home Projects

Over the last week I have gotten the chance to catch up on some projects around the house. Our house remodel has been 'done' for about 2 years now and we finally decided on how to finish our kitchen back splash. You may have never known it was not done since the white primer was not to far off from the off white colored walls, but I had grand dreams of using metallic ceiling tiles to finish it off. We decided to go for a much more time and cost effective solution and used some coordinating paint that matches our curtains and a stencil done in paint just a shade lighter. Really we just added some white acrylic paint to the back splash color. It was a fairly quick project with us both working together. Here is the final product.

My second kitchen project required a little sewing and no help from Peter except for the final thumbs up.

Hanging towels! The top fabric is the same as our kitchen curtain. I got the pattern from here.

SNOW!

The snow is finally here! The bright part of winter in the great Northwest. Yesterday we went out for the day and came home to over 2 inches of snow. We got more snow overnight and during the day today. They say we are going to be getting more!! I'm really hoping it does not affect the school schedule as we have to make up any snow days in June at the end of the school year.

Today, Samantha and I made our first snowman.  Samantha still does not like walking in the snow, but she enjoyed sitting on the front steps with her blankie and Cuddles the bear.

S3's Command Station

Momma doing the cold work

Before he got dressed

All dressed

Our Masterpiece

Being a Big Sister...

is a tough job!

S3 is adjusting very well to being a big sister to P2. It has been 5 busy weeks so far.

 Mimi left the morning after P2's arrival, but I didn't miss her for long. Five days later we flew to FL where she greeted us at the airport. I got to see Great Great Annie, Great Granny, Buddy and all the people at Mimi's work and eat grilled cheese sandwiches. I hear they are momma's favorite from Mimi's work.

I got to spend the weekend with my Papa and Grammie while daddy played softball. Then 5 of my cousins (Elli, James, Rachel, Matthew & Carolynne) all came to visit with Aunt Heather. Momma and Dada showed up and then Uncle Jeff arrived. It was a crazy full house at Papa's, but it was fun. My favorite toy at Papa and Grammie's house is the Lego Dog.

We took an exciting adventure to Tacoma to visit the Glass Museum, but realized it was closed the day we went there so instead I took a much needed nap in the car and Momma and Dada drove around Point Defiance. I think we will be going back there next Summer when the weather is nicer. Point Defiance is a HUGE park with walking trails and scenic over looks, a long driving path, a zoo and an aquarium.

I got to go on a Daddy date to Baskin Robbins last week. We got confetti birthday cake ice cream. 

Grammie got brave and watched me all by herself for a couple of hours this week. We had lots of fun playing with toys and I took a really good nap while I was there.

I am becoming a good communicator using signs and many words too! Here is what I know:
Words- momma, dada, mimi, up, down, more, all done, thank you, please, no, yeah, milk
Signs- flower, baby, dog, bird, milk, thank you, please, all done, more, eat
Sounds- dog, cat, pig, horse, bear, bird, duck, car, airplane, train

I'm also really good at following directions and I'm learning to get what I want. Daddy is such a sucker.

Here are some pictures to show you what I have been up to!

Sleeping like a sick Queen in the big bed in FL

Teaching Buddy how to wash the car

Teaching Buddy how to water the flowers

Petting the Gator

and the Cat

and the birdy

Throwing the baseball

At the Pumpkin Patch with Micah and all our friends from MOPs

Riding in my shopping cart?

Cousin Elli was super excited to meet my sister

Talking on the phone

Sisterly Love

Yummy! Watermelon

Please don't cry. I'm trying really hard to take good care of my little sister.

Eating my rice

We all love to watch Dora.

Swaddling my baby doll.

Swimming in the Bathtub

Making sure my sister is ok.

Giving her Loves

Taking a walk with Daddy. Aren't we cute with our hoods up and holding hands.

Is she asleep? What I can't touch her?

Telling her stories.

 

Daddy came to MOPs to help in the daycare. Thanks!

Her First 2 Weeks

P2 has had a very exciting and adventurous first 14 days.

 P2 Brand New

 Meeting my BIG sister

 Meeting my Mimi

 Meeting Grandma Tweety

 So Tiny in my HUGE car seat. Heading Home!

 Melissa brought us dinner when we got home. Thank You!

At 2 days old my doctor gave us permission to fly to Florida for Daddy's softball tournament and to visit Mommy's family.

 

Heading to the airport for my 1st big adventure. I'm going to Florida at 4 1/2 days old.

Great Granny, Mimi & Buddy came to visit us at the timeshare in Orlando where we stayed for the first 4 nights of our trip.

 Great Granny

 Great Granny, P2, Mommy, Daddy, S3, Mimi, Buddy in Orlando

 Jett & P2

One of our suite mates during our stay in Orlando for Daddy's softball tournament.

 Bradley & S3 aka Big Sister

Another of our suite mates in Orlando for Daddy's softball tournament.

 I thought I was going to get this big bed to myself.

 Instead I slept in the comfy crib.

For the last 2 nights of our trip we stayed at Mimi & Buddy's house.

 P2 & Buddy at Buddy & Mimi's house

 Mimi helped me wear this giant purple flower on my head on my last day in FL.

I was a great flier and really enjoyed all the sunshine and warm weather. Now we are back at home in Washington. I got to meet a lot more people at the Craven Farms Pumpkin Patch the morning after we returned home, but I was so sleepy I don't really remember any of their names or faces.

Giving and Caring

Friday's Child is Giving and Caring! We now have to beautiful daughters born on Friday's.

We are very happy to announce the arrival of our new big sister Samantha and her little sister Penny Ryanne. 

Penny Ryanne Boyle

Born: 9/16/2011 10:12 pm

Stats: 5 lb 11 oz 18 in

All 5 of us are doing well and glad to be home together tonight.