Playing, Playing - Ouch!

I came close to conquering the laundry but I still have a couple of loads to go, plus a basket full of the girls' clothes that need to be put away and another load in the dryer needing folding and putting away. It will just have to wait until the weekend though because tomorrow we will be heading back out into the cold for some appointments and grocery shopping.

It was so nice to not leave the house today though. We were all dressed in our comfy sweats and took it easy for most of the day. The girls played and played and played. Gabrielle was playing so nicely with Samantha all day. She wasn't being rough (for the most part) and wasn't taking toys from her (an unfortunate but usual habit of hers currently). Instead Gabrielle was showing Samantha how different toys worked. She was "chasing" her and laughing with her and they were both being silly together. Samantha just adores her sister so much!

Here they are playing with their Build-a-Bears.



And coming after me down the hall.

Gabrielle was "rocking" Samantha. When I told her to let Samantha go she told me she couldn't until she was done rocking her. I wish I had my video camera on hand to catch the real action. Poor Samantha!

This I found hilarious. While I was starting dinner the girls were playing near the kitchen set where I couldn't see them without peeking around the corner. So I would peek around to check on them every couple of minutes. At one point when I sneaked a peek I only saw Samantha. She was sitting up, staring at the kitchen set, reaching out her hand. Then I realized Gabrielle had scrunched herself inside the "oven" part of the kitchen. She was laughing and talking to Samantha through the window. I'm not sure if Samantha was concerned or confused or amazed - probably a little bit of everything. It was really cute.

I told Gabrielle to crawl out of the kitchen and to stay out while I was cooking dinner. I didn't want anyone getting hurt. Well unfortunately shortly after this we had our first sibling-induced injury. The girls were still playing near the kitchen set and when Gabrielle slammed the oven door closed the corner of it got Samantha in the head. Samantha cried out in pain and shock and Gabrielle went running! The boo-boo is nothing serious and I'm sure it is the first of many with having the two interacting with each other a lot more now.

Brrr...It's Cold!!

The weather we are having right now is absurd! This is not a normal North Carolina winter and I am not liking it! I don't mind cooler temperatures. I am certainly not a fan of North Carolina summers, but I definitely don't like 30 degree weather with wind.

We've had a busy week so far. My mom was visiting and we spent a couple of days out and about shopping. She left this afternoon. We had a great time with Meemaw and I was certainly sad to see her go (Mama is always an enormous help around here with the girls and everything else!) But tomorrow I am looking forward to a day of not leaving the house. I am looking forward to wearing sweats, not putting on make up or doing my hair, staying around the house, doing some laundry, sipping on some coffee and hot chocolate and hopefully some lounging with my girls.

Gabrielle and Samantha have been their typical busy bodies. Samantha is all over the place. She likes to "chase" Gabrielle down the hall. And Gabrielle loves being chased even if it is by an 8 month old on her hands and knees. When Samantha woke up crying from her afternoon nap Gabrielle informed me Samantha did not like "living in her crib" and wanted to come out to play. Let's hope Gabrielle continues to enjoy her playmate even once Samantha is even more in all her stuff.

I guess there really isn't too much else to say but I start to feel guilty after going three or more days without blogging! Here are a few pictures from the past few days.

On Sunday Gabrielle dressed in her new Snow White costume so she could watch the movie.

Samantha on her new roll-along pony. Yeehaw!

This afternoon we played Mickey Mouse Uno and My Little Pony board game while Samantha napped.

Christmas is Really Over

The decorations are down and packed away in the attic. Yesterday was our last Christmas 2009 celebration. I guess that means Christmas is really over for us - at least for the next 10 months - and it is time for us to figure out what normal is again.



Yesterday, while a long day due to little girls waking up way too early and staying up way too late, was a long day but it was filled with lots of fun! We went to Tarboro to GrandDad's house. Aunt T, Uncle Nick and Dominic were there too. We ate, we played, we opened gifts, played some more, ate again and then left for home.

All the kids were super excited about everything they received and boy did they get a lot. I had just figured out where all the new toys from my family's celebration and Santa were going to go and now I have to reorganize and find a few more good places. I better not hear anything about being bored or wanting something to do for a very, very long time!!



It is always exciting to see the kids reactions to opening gifts. Sometimes they were excited because ripping the paper revealed something they have really, really been wanting and other times they were thrilled because opening a gift revealed a great surprise - not something they specifically asked for but something so great they knew they were going to love. Watching my girls open gifts over the past couple of weeks from family and friends helped me realize just how loved we are. I don't feel loved because so many people went and spent money on more things for the girls but because people thought about my girls and took the time to pick out something especially for them and because people took the time to send warm thoughts and well wishes through cards and other notes.

I'm happy in so many ways to have the hustle and bustle of Christmas over, to have my house back in some relative order but I hope to carry with me all the love and generosity my family has been the recipient of this Christmas throughout this new year.

It's 2010!!

I love the feelings a new year brings - feelings of hope, a fresh new start, a new beginning, and the can-do feeling of being able to accomplish anything!

We had a quiet and unexciting New Year's eve. I am perfectly content with this because excitement is not always a good thing! I made a special dinner of lobster tails, steak, steak fries and salad and for dessert homemade cream puffs. Yum! The girls woke up from late naps just as I was getting started with dinner. Fortunately Ed got home from work very close to then as well so he entertained and danced with the girls while I finished cooking. The girls were a little later than usual getting to bed because of their late naps but by 10:00 I was the only one in the house still awake!! So I spent the last couple of hours of 2009 on the computer blogging and emailing and updating my 2010 planner.

Here is the very last photo taken in 2009:

I predict refereeing wrestling matches in my future!

And here is the very first photo taken in 2010:

Gabrielle is working on a giraffe puppet while Samantha nibbles on some Cheerios and her frog rattle.

And just a cute photo of my messy yogurt girl!