Here and Gone

So, Chris was able to be home . . . for a weekend - before having to attend some meetings in North Carolina and train some reserve guys for their "one weekend a month" in Florida for another week. But hooray for a weekend together! There was wrestling, daddy as a horse, family movie/pizza night and an all out pajama day (on Saturday) where I purposely did not get dressed all day. I haven't had one of those days in forever and it was awesome! (I have had days where I somehow never got around to getting dressed because I was too busy doing laundry or whatever, but that's not the same as a PJ lounge day.) I played UNO with the kids, baked cookies, made yummy chicken salad, and Chris and I got some good time to catch up and talk about Monterey plans and what-not.

In other news, HOORAY KATE HAS HAIR! Holding true to tradition, Kate was mostly bald until about 18 months. I am glad to finally be able to do her hair so that she will no longer be called "the cutest little boy" dressed in pink at the grocery store. We've been trying out different things for Kate's hair (the headband look was just because Aly and Lise were wearing headbands that day and so Kate needed one too.) I am also going to try to let Kate's hair grow out without giving her bangs (Chris doesn't like bangs on little girls - I don't know why.) I tried to do this with Lise and her bangs were down to her eyes when Lise decided to take scissors to her own hair, so we'll see what happens with Kate. Lise is currently growing out her bangs to have a "schwoop like mommy" so maybe she can give Kate emotional support through the hard days.

My favorite words of Kate's lately are "okay", "yeah", "thank you", and "no". It's not the words themselves, it's the fact that she's holding conversations with us. When I tell her to go get her shoes and she says "okay" and runs off I just love it!! And the other day Chris was asking Kate, "Are you Kate?" - "No." "Are you Kater?" - "No." "Are you hungry?" - "yeah!" She's a cutie for sure, but she's also extremely curious, which causes me a lot of grief. This past week Kate took it upon herself to give herself a bubble bath by pouring the remainder of the girl's shampoo into the tub while I wasn't looking. She also pulled out 1/2 a box of kleenex and decorated her play kitchen, her rocking chair, the closet doors, a book, and her body with a marker that was left out. The thing is, when I discover these messes, Kate is just so excited to show them to me and what a good job she did. What can I say to that?

As far as the other two girls . . . I'm really feelin' the lovin' from Aly this week. She had to give a church talk on Fathers and wanted to take the picture of Chris and me and cut me out for her visual. Thanks, Aly. One day I heard Lise giggling her head off. When I went to see what was so funny I found her tickling her own armpit. Also, Lise's favorite thing to do at the grocery store - every week - is to look at herself in the mirrors above the produce and sing her made up songs to herself at the top of her lungs.

And finally, a conversation I overheard by the girls:

Aly - Do you want to know how to spell cookies? C-I-C-something-something

Lise - Aly, "something-something" is not a letter!

I'm so glad they keep each other in check!