Fall Fun

We had a cold front come through this weekend which brought the temperature down about 30-40 degrees!!!  We went from 85-90 degrees to highs in the low 50s.  After the Texas summer it was super fun to get bundled up and play outside!!  Plus, we had to take advantage of the Fall weather since it will be back in the 80s again next week.  This was the first time since Danielle can really walk that we've gone out back to play.  It was fun!  She loved running around.  I figured she would have fun and it would give Lily a chance to play.  But Lily wasn't interested in her swingset or trampoline she just wanted to help Danielle walk around the yard.  It was sweet.  She really really is the best big sister ever and I couldn't ask for a more caring or helpful big sister. 

My big girl is so pretty!

The little one is pretty cute too!

We didn't really get dressed to go out -- so Danielle is in her pajamas and an almost too small jacket (size 6 months). :)  We'll get some cool weather clothes out soon!

Finally Lily started to play!

Danielle just LOVED to climb on the bottom of the slide and wait for Lily to come down and knock her over.

Here she comes!  Look at that huge smile!

I had to put a stop to this game before anyone got hurt.

Dani's turn!

Lily wasn't having too much fun here, because I wouldn't let her move the thing when I was taking pictures and not holding on to Dani!  But they looked so cute on there together!

Sweet Potatoes

Chip recently discovered he liked sweet potatoes so requested them for dinner.  I love sweet potatoes so I was more than happy to oblige.  Lily used to like them as a baby, but hasn't had them in years.  Since I make such a big deal when Dani tries new food, I tried to do the same for Lily and took pictures of her as she tried her potato.  I am so glad I did since the whole thing was priceless!!

She hated them before she even tried them since they looked weird and "smelled funny".  I took me about 30 minutes just to get her to try one bite.

 

Finally!  A bite . . . .

 . . . that she nearly barfed back up on the table!  At least she tried.  She is so dramatic.

Cabinet Playplace

I think I've posted pictures before of Dani playing in the cabinet -- it is like her favorite place to hang out.  She'll bring toys, dolls, etc in with her and just hang out.  It is so cute.

Of course, Lily had to get in on this action since it looked so fun . . . although she doesn't fit as well.  She actually asked me if I had a "bigger cabinet" for her to play in.  I told her she could go sit in the closet, but apparently that is not the same.

I eventually had to break this party up as they were fighting over the spot in the entertainment center.  Dani is barely one and they are already fighting like sisters!!

Food Fight

Danielle had WAY too much fun eating dinner the other night.  She essentially got into a food fight with herself!  I hated to stop her since she was having so much fun and was so adorable, so I just took pictures instead.  I mean, once she got the first piece of rice on the floor, what's the difference if I sweep up one piece or 100, I still have to get out the broom!

  

She was having fun squishing the rice and broccoli in her fists.

That's one way to eat a fist full of food.

She is SO cute -- I can hardly stand it!

What?  Do I have rice on my nose or something??

Part of the aftermath.  Good thing it was bath night!

gymboree

Dani is still loving her time at Gymboree.  She isn't climbing things like I thought she would.  She mostly just likes to walk/run around the big room and play with the balls.  But she is having fun and I am enjoying our special time together and that is all the matters!!  I'm sure she will start climbing things in no time, and quite honestly, I really don't want her to master that skill anytime soon!

Lily's 1st Field Trip

Lily was sick with a fever earlier in the week and I was SO afraid that she'd miss out on her field trip Thursday.  Thankfully, it was only a 24 hour (or less) bug and she was able to go to the nature preserve with her class!  She wore her class shirt (they all wear it on field trip day) without complaining and was SO excited to ride the bus for the first time ever!!  I didn't get to go with her, but she said she had a great time.  She is loving school.  I am so happy to see her enjoyment it so much and meeting new friends.  She is such a big girl now, it is so bittersweet.  But of course she is my daughter and a definite mini me so she got sick on the bus.  Not physically sick, but she said her tummy hurt and she had to sit by the teacher.  The best part of all this is that the nature preserve they went to was less than a mile away!!  It is practically in the same neighborhood as the school -- I think if it wasn't for the fact that they had to cross a busy street and there aren't sidewalks, they would have just walked. 

 

All ready to go -- sporting her cool green class t-shirt!

Dani!

Here are some random pictures from this week of my magical little girl.  She is just so fun.  The best thing she started doing this week is giving hugs.  She's been giving kisses for awhile, but now she will wrap her arms around my neck and squeeze.  I LOVE it!!  

I took this picture for Michelle since she is wearing one of Alyson's old dresses that gave to Lily. 

Elmo and Dani off to pick Lily up from school.  She gets so excited to pick up Lily!!  We miss her when she is gone all day!

Checking her email.

Getting ready for bed.

Homework

On Monday Lily brought home her official first homework assignment!  (well, she had them in preschool too, but this is real big girl school!).  She was excited and I tried to make it a super fun positive experience since we'll have homework every night for the rest of her life.  It started out great until she insisted that ball was spelled "boo" and did NOT believe me when I tried to tell her otherwise.  She is SO stubborn and has to be right all the time.  Which is annoying enough, but worse when she is obviously wrong and so adamant that she is right.  We finally worked through it, but she still didn't believe me and just wanted me to know  the "truth".  Oh, it should be fun dealing with this all year!

Fort

Last Saturday was a nice raining morning.  I made the girls cinnamon rolls which is a real treat since I don't think I've ever done that before and we were enjoying the morning just relaxing.  Lily and Dani were playing in the corner in what Lily called her "fort".  I thought it was a pretty sad fort and we could do better -- so we grabbed some sheets and kitchen chairs and made a better fort.  Both girls had fun in the fort and it was the perfect rainy weekend morning.  

Above the original "fort".  Below our new and improved fort!

(yes, she is all ready for Christmas in September thanks to Lily's old pajamas!)

Hair cut

Last Friday I took the girls to the mall so Lily could get her hair cut and her nails painted.  Lily loves getting her hair cut so it is a fun treat for her.

First stop was for soft pretzels.

Ta da!  She even got pretty braids.