Nursery and Snow

Well, the baby really is coming soon, and one of the indicators is that I was released from nursery last Sunday! Our group has shrunk in a big way, so things should be fairly smooth for the new leader. Of course, Mac was not in the group picture, because she can't sit still long enough to take one!









It snowed like crazy here yesterday and the day before. We finally convinced Mac to wear some gloves outside while Brad shoveled, and it's astounding how that changes how she feels about the snow! She was outside for something like 20-25 minutes, which for her is an eternity!









Leiden worked hard on making a snow cave.




The drifts at the end of the driveway are easily 6 feet tall.


Happy Snow Days!

Mac Dressing

Mac is less than 2 weeks away from being 2, so we're hearing a lot of "I do it!" from her. Great when you're not in a rush, awful when you're trying to get out the door for an appointment or preschool. This morning we were in no rush, so I set her up in the living room where there's good light, and let her go to it. (It would have been easier to video it, but I didn't think of that until later.)

My personal favorite, and also the picture of the day...

Whew!

Where on earth does my arm go?

After that, things went south, so she started whining. After I helped her, she then insisted on doing the pants herself.

Success.

Mac and Another Page

The other night I went in to check on the girls before I went to bed, and this is what I found in Mac's crib. Yes, I used the flash, and no, it didn't seem to disturb her at all!



Here's Week 3, page 2 for Project 365. I am proud to say that although I am a week or so behind scrapping the pages, I have a picture for every single day of January, and I already have my picture for today, Feb. 1. Hopefully I can keep up after baby comes!




Last but not least, Mac in the last month or so has started singing. It is a crack up because she appears to be, at least this early on, tone deaf. But, she has been listening all these months and years to the songs I've been singing her! Here's a sweet example--sorry for the poor lighting. She was backlit, and you'll need to turn your speakers up if you want to hear her.

Scrapbooking

Mac's baby book is done! The printer I'm going to use is having a sale next weekend, so I'll order the prints then and have my book done before baby comes--hopefully! I've already purchased the binder and page protectors, so we're ready!

I'm a little behind on Project 365, but here is the page I finished today.

By the way, all my meals are officially frozen, so that's good. My list is slowly but surely getting smaller. Now if we could only all get well. I'm still just as sick as I was a week ago, and Mac has come down with something new, with a raging sore throat and fairly high temperature. Please please please let us all get well before baby!

Leiden's Dinner Contribution

Brad put a little of the flat black cherry soda in his cup and topped it off with some still-super-fizzy lemon lime. This was the ensuing conversation:

Leiden says, "Daddy, why did you do that?"
Brad says, "Because I'm a scientist."
Mercedes says, "Or an Indian." (You know, because he was concocting a wild indian...if I have to explain it...)

Brad graciously smiles at my poor joke, and Leiden says,
"Daddy's an idiot!"

Mac's Prayer

Mac has just recently deigned to repeat words for prayers. Usually she'll wait for prompting, but tonight before dinner, I prompted her, "Heavenly Father," and she said, "Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." This was completed with her arms spread open wide.

Last Little While--the Fast Version

This will be a smattering kind of post--I try to space out posts, but then I just get behind. On the plus side, I have been diligent in getting a picture a day for my 365 project--some of these are the picture from that day, and some are not. Anyway, here's the last little bit in a nutshell!

I found a gorgeous remnant of silk fabric for $4/yard (originally four times that), so the girls' dresses this year for Easter will be made of real silk. Not what I usually do, but the color was gorgeous, and you can't get even faux silk for that price! More pictures to come later as the project gets more underway.



I bought some playdoh to take to Nursery, but I failed to put it in the cupboard where the girls couldn't see it. So for about 2 days they begged to play with it, as our home playdoh has gone the way of the earth. I kept saying no, and then caved. It was astounding how long they both played with the stuff--and for days! This is Leiden's airplane. The white blobs are supposed to be the windows. This actually marked a 'maturing' moment for Leiden: she asked me to show her how to make an airplane--I think she wanted instructions like they have for other things. I told her I wasn't going to show her, but that I wanted her to think about what an airplane looks like, and just do her best to make it. Usually she'll balk and eventually just stop what she's doing, but this time, she didn't. She reasoned that they have long bodies, wings at the side, a tail, and windows.



She also made a bird, this time by following the instructions on the package.



My mother is astounded every day when I tell her Mac's latest. She really is just into everything. There is nothing sacred, nothing that she thinks she is not supposed to play with. This, I don't need anyone to tell me, is a dangerous view of life. The other day's escapades had to do with my mascara. (This was a day before she was diagnosed with pinkeye, so needless to say, that mascara went in the garbage.) Again, this was one of those, "Wait right here, don't move until I take a picture", and then after the picture is taken, "No, no! We don't get into Mommy's makeup!" Our priorities must be in order. Pictures first, scolding second.

I have to say, she has amazing eyelashes. And amazing dexterity to not get any IN her eyes. I had a really hard time cleaning it off, and for the rest of the day she looked vaguely like Alice Cooper.



This is a great picture of Leiden. The girls were doing ring around the rosies.



Mac was also having a great time.




Brad was encouraging the girls to jump off the ottoman and utilizing the fast action pictures the camera is capable of. Then of course, the obligatory lecture when the girls wouldn't stop jumping.

I have resolved to do more crafts with the girls, and this was a fun one I found to make a paper mache snowman with balloons. They are not done, yet, so I'll put more up later. I haven't done paper mache in years. And I was exceptionally naive to think that Mac might be capable of handling said craft.

Leiden thought it was great.

Last Monday, when I came in to Leiden's preschool, her teacher grabbed me and told me she had fallen outside on the ice and banged her cheek. As soon as Leiden saw me, she burst into tears and came running for a great big hug. The redness has mostly gone away, now, but she also scraped it, so it's scabbed over now.

I am frantically trying to get ready for this little baby coming. Have you seen my ticker?! 3 weeks, my friends. But this frantic feeling really only exists in my head, as I can't seem to get off my duff for very long to DO any of the things on my really long 'before baby comes' list. However, I did get some meals frozen--about half of what I've planned and already bought the food for. Maybe I'll finish tomorrow.

As soon as Mac wakes up from her nap, we're heading to Target to get childproof door knob covers. This morning, she got into my foundation (the 12 hour wear kind) and slathered it all over her face--and the carpet! It's hard to take a picture of, but it's the mottled bit of her right cheek that's slightly darker than the rest of her skin and a little more orangeish. The carpet looks much worse.

Whew! I'm sure I'll have more pictures soon, but here is the catch up!

Ice Skating

Last weekend, Leiden got to go ice skating at the community center. She did a great job--she hasn't been skating for over a year, but this place rented helmets and the little 'walker' in addition to the skates. The walker really helped her feel more independent on the ice.



Brad and Leiden had intended to meet her friend Ella there with her dad, but they ended up running into several other families from the ward there! A party!



Here's some live action!