Wordless Wednesdays: Flowers, anyone?

Playtime with the Play-Doh and Paint

Kenna and Finn love to do arts and crafts. It's always so cute to hear them describe what they are making and to see what they come up with. Even more fun is watching the two of them interact and play with each other as cute little sibling friends. Kenna puts on her best dress up clothes and then invites Finn to come play all sorts of things.

Our big "little" man enjoys play time with his sister. We are so thankful for the time that they get to spend together each day.

Carols in February.

I've been a terrible mommy record keeper, leaving this little blog almost empty recently. Maybe when my kids look back to read these later, they'll see how supremely busy their little lives kept me just trying to get through the every day stuff! You know it's bad when even Matt the other day asked me if I was ever going to get the blog caught up. I do have tons to catch up on... all the way back to Kenna's birthday in November, our trip to Clearwater for Thanksgiving (which was also Finn's first Thanksgiving), Christmas, and probably more! Finn is about to turn one on March first (oh man!) so I'd better get on the ball quick with catching up hopefully before then. He's growing like a crazy little weed, and I don't want to forget his cute little quirks that change so quickly.
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Until then, here's a little video of what a typical post-nap afternoon looks like for my two at these ages (Kenna, 3 and Finn, 11 months). Kenna is constantly singing something... making up words to songs she already knows or singing whatever she's thinking or doing at the moment. Finn is starting to learn that he can communicate in lots of ways- sweet little squalks get our attention, arching his back when he doesn't approve, and apparently singing along with his big sister.

Untitled from lindsey brogli on Vimeo.

It must be a daunting thing to learn all the Christmas carols at once when you're only three years old, so here are the two that Kenna learned this year. She is still singing them in February, and it always makes us smile. Her favorites are Joy to the World and Angel Song (as she calls it- It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.)

It makes a sweet little soundtrack for our days. "Come let us sing for joy, let us shout aloud to the rock of our savation" -Psalm 95:1

Kenna at 3.

I have a huge ton of blog posts to catch up on, but in the past several weeks I'v been constantly saying that I need to write down the cute and funny things Kenna is saying at this stage.

Lots of her hilarity comes from ever so slightly mispronouncing something new or something that's a fairly big word for her. For example:

chipmunk = justamonk

Cinderella = sinnerbrella

scary witch = scary switch

And then some things are funny just because she is more able to express her little thoughts and they are so funny and sometime very random! Examples:

When showing Papa our monogrammed stockings:

"Look! We got feets with letters on them!"

Matt: "How many pieces of candy do you want, Kenna?"

Kenna: "Too many!"

Me to Finn: "No touch, Finn."

Kenna to Me: "DON'T SAY NO TO MY SISTER!"

And then later, Kenna says to Finn:

"No, ma'am son!"

When she saw someone playing with a hula hoop:

"I want a polka dot to dance in it!"

She must think we're pretty strange at times because we ask her to say some things over and over just because they're so darn cute.

Funny story about Kenna:

Earlier in the summer she had a cute little pink polka dot piggy bank that she loved. She took it all around the house with her and had a ball putting all her coins in it, dumping them out, and then putting them all back in, over and over. One afternoon she was carrying it around like football, and it slid right out the back of her arm and broke into two big pieces. We tried to glue and fix it without much luck, so we had to say goodbye to the piggy. Well, it apparently scarred her for life because she would tell every stranger she met anywhere she went for MONTHS after that about her broken piggy (usually in answer to them asking what her name is). Well, finally we got her a new piggy bank to replace it and so, as we were putting all her coins back in, we started learning the names of the coins. She spent all afternoon putting her "corners, diamonds, necks, and pennies" into her sweet new little piggy- who according to Kenna is a "ballerina princess" because she has a little pink crown on. Stinkin' cute.

I wish these photos had turned out more clearly (from back in January) because they are just so her right now, these little faces and little attitudes- mostly sweet and silly and sometimes very, very sassy, testing those little boundaries and so independent! She is almost always dancing around playing dress-up and is always singing in that sweet little voice. Love this girls so much!
She's developed a super big dramatic pouty lip when she's concerned she might not get what she wants... didn't get a picture of that one, but it's also pretty funny.

Belated!

I guess since it is now January 9th, I have to conced that the Christmas cards are just not going to happen this year! Every time I went to pay for postage for them, there was just one more present that we'd rather buy instead. So, I will post it here in hopes that you can imagine that instead of on a computer screen, you are opening it in your own home, on time, with all the excitement of receiving non-bill mail!

Merry Christmas & (we hope you are already having) a Happy New Year!
(A fun tip to moms of diaper-age kiddos: I usually get our photo Christmas cards for free by altering a favorite photo on Picnik.com and then using our Pampers points from diapers throughout the year- one of the 'rewards' is a Shutterfly.com package of like 200 free 4x6 prints! Then all you have to do is find some envelopes & pay postage!)

Wordless Wednesday: We want to go back to Grannie's!

Christmas Eve 2012 Part 1

This year for Christmas, my family continued a new sort of "tradition" that worked well for us last year- we got together for lunch and all-day fun on Christmas Eve during the day. Jason and Alisa were kind enough to host us despite Alisa being the expectant mommy this year! Also according to Dean tradition, we took turns opening our presents & Aunt Alisa added the great idea of going from youngest to oldest... which meant Baby Girl on the way was the first to open her little pink outfit:

For the big girls, there was lots of dress up and princess paraphernalia to be enjoyed, and much more manly stuff like cars for the boys. I did a completely terrible job of taking any pictures, these are all from Matt's cellphone!

Even though Matt was the last to open presents (as the eldest among us by just two months!) I did save on special present until the end... we gave Jason and Alisa a copy of the shutterfly book we made about Mom. Truth be told, I made it last year for Nana Day, but somehow never got the chance to give it to them. It is written like a storybook to give the kids an overview of her life and who she was.

With three kiddos who nap in the afternoons (and parents who could probably all use one too after chasing them all morning) we didn't quite make time for our cookie decorating tradition... next year!

Flashback!

I have lots of blog catching up to do- Thanksgiving, our family trip to Florida, Finn's monthly updates, a cute video of bathtime, and a couple of early December Christmas traditions we've done so far. We're moving slow after recovering from all four of us having a cold (mostly just a bad cough and no energy) but today Finn did this:
and it made me so happy remembering this:
(Finn at 9 months, Kenna at 14 months)

I love these little kiddo idiosyncrasies that make life fun! Some are so very different and some are exactly the same. I'm especially grateful for happy, healthy babes. Love them so much!

7 and 8 Months.

Oh, Finn you poor sad second-born. Mommy really is trying to document your childhood as well as she did your big sister's! I promise. My only attempt at an excuse is that you turned 7, 8, and 9 months old on the first of each of the busy "holiday" months... October, November, and December.

You are still the stinkin' happiest baby we've ever seen. About 98% of the time you are just giggly, sweet, snuggly, smiley, and sweet spirited. Good natured and quick to chuckle that awesome laugh. You have to get noticeably hungry or cranky to break stride from being so laidback.

In the past few weeks you've started pulling up to standing, which usually means you get stuck standing up in your crib and have to be rescued. Even though it's a bit frustrating (I can't lay you in your crib until you're completely asleep or else you get stuck and angry and won't go back to sleep without being picked up) it is pretty darn cute and there's nothing better than the way I feel when I get to comfort you. I've tried to show you how to let go and plop back down, but it's new and you get this terrified look on your face, so I'm trying to be patient.

Some 7 month photos of you:

You are the lightest sleeper! I haven't quite gotten used to it. With Kenna I could sneak back in the room and grab something if I needed to, but with you I have to be careful even cracking the door slightly open to check on you. You conk out like a light for your morning nap, but fight your afternoon nap with the double dose of stubbornness we've passed down to you. The one sure bet to get you to sleep is to put you in the car seat and go somewhere... as long as the car is moving, you sleep!

You are SO on the move. Bouncing in the exersaucer. Climbing us like a tree when we hold you. Crawling everywhere and investigating everything (you're getting fast, too!). Knocking over buckets of toys, stomping and taking little steps when we hold your hands. You are impossible to keep still while changing your diaper, and you even roll over when you're nursing. You have the most vicious little pincer grip ever, and I'd be impressed except that it hurts so bad when you pinch!

Some 8 month photos:

You have the most fantastic little belly chuckle laugh. I need to make sure I get a video of it. You already love to rough around a little and are so ticklish! You love to make noises... you have a hilarious little growl when you're trying to get our attention, a pterodactyl-like shriek when you're bored, and love to babble with your hand on your mouth. One of your favorite games is talking loudly while I jiggle your jaw. You have the most delicious baby double chin that makes it extra cute and funny.

I think I was in denial of how fast you are growing up until you ate more turkey than I did at Thanksgiving dinner- real, grown-up non-baby pieces of turkey. I feel like you practically turned into a toddler with one meal. And you haven't looked back since... ham, black beans, and graham crackers are some current favorites.

You absolutely love playing with your sister, and it never takes much for her to get you giggling. She loves to say repetitive things to you, bounce something near you (like a balloon), and splash you in the bath, all of which you think is just hilarious. Speaking of splashing, you're big enough to sit up in the "big bath" with her now and you think you are big stuff.

I can't believe what a big grown up little one you are already!

Kenna turns 3! part 2

After a fantastic birthday party in Raleigh, Kenna got the special honor of flying on an airplane ON her actual birthday- to Florida for our Thanksgiving trip to Grannie and Pop Pop's house! Once we arrived, we discovered that Jana and Grannie had organized a surprise princess party for Kenna complete with a strawberry cake, princess dress up clothes, and a cupcake pinata! Thanks Jana and Grannie!

 Kenna's special strawberry princess cake! 

 Kenna opening a special present all the way from Nairobi from Jana!

 Finn decided that the party was for the birds and headed up into the nearest tree...with a little help!

 Dad had a bit of technical difficulties with getting the candles to light- must be all that breeze off the Gulf! 

 Finn decided that a princess party could be tolerable if he got to be a prince- Kenna kept calling it the "king hat."

 Everybody got in on the cupcake pinata action and that thing was tough to crack. Each kiddo took turns, but it was truly not trying to budge! After 20 minutes of whacking and chopping, we ended up having to grab a corner and *get it started* for the kids in a pretty large way and Evan took it out. The big giant cupcake itself, even once emptied, proved fun for the girls to play with for days afterward!

It was a special time down at Grannie's celebrating our little blessing from God who happens to be getting very big! Happy Birthday Kenna!