outsourcing

Blog friends and family,

Tonight Abby did the dishes! Rinsed and loaded! We were psyched about this development and the conversation went like this (Nate was listening carefully as it turns out):

Mommy: "Abby, thanks for doing the dishes tonight!"
Papa: "You're awesome Abby!"
Nate: "Can I be awesome?"

quotables

In Nate's room tonight at bedtime, completely out of the blue:

Nate: "We have two guinea pigs!"
Mommy: "We do??"
Mommy: "What are their names?"
Nate: "Soft and Crunchy"

clay date

We bought a "Clay Date for 4" at last year's preschool auction and put it to good use this weekend with Abby and three of her buddies. Beautiful mugs, bowl, and plate were created and the girls had a blast. Will be fun to pick up the finished products!

loose tooth!

First loose tooth! Major milestone!! Not enough exclamation points for the excitement level!!! Tooth fairy stay tuned!

snow days

Brave winter explorers bundle up and venture outside.

house project #429

Few house projects have made such a speedy and welcome difference as these new bookshelves in our living room! Go our-new-friend-master-carpenter-Greg! They just need a coat of paint and they are ready to go. Then we practiced the little known Olympic sport: speed furniture shopping with kids in tow. We scored these cute new chairs on clearance and a small loveseat couch too (yet to be delivered). Redecorating excitement! If anyone knows someone looking for a large, red, comfy couch ... we have one that will soon be searching for a new home!

silly straws

Abby is a pro, Nate is getting there.

life is hard when you're a big sis

Transcript with corrected spelling: "Papa, I love you but I do not like the 123ing.  You know how it feels to have a little brother.  Love, Abby"  "And I forgot to tell you it is mostly Nate's fault usually.  From Abby again."  It probably won't be long until Abby is writing letters to the author of 1-2-3 Magic and letting him know her views directly. 

busy bees

When G&G were in town last weekend we went out to brunch and Grandma snapped this cute pic of Abby + Nate keeping busy with restaurant projects....

grandad

Reading with grandad.

snowy

2014 is off to a snowy start! Happy New Year!