playing princess

In the course of further unpacking our life this weekend, we came across the rubbermaid tub in which I have very carefully preserved my wedding dress (ha!).  Charlotte very enthusiastically pulled out the "pretty dress" and climbed right into it!!  

Cheesing it up in white satin...

a born model... sigh

such a pretty girl!  

I guess I've already got the wedding slideshow half done :)

my (not-so) big 2 1/2 year old!

This (apparently very little) lady turned 2 1/2 last week and we headed off for her 30 month check up yesterday.  Our tiny dancer weighed in at 23 lbs (1st% - yes you read that correctly ... the first percentile) and 33 inches tall (a whopping 4th%).  I don’t know how the two of us have managed to have such freakishly tiny children, but the doctor assured me that she is proportional and perfectly healthy.  She aced her developmental assessment, even scoring advanced in the gross motor section (we were right and her jumping abilities are far beyond her age – I guess she has less weight to get airborne?)

At 2.5 this girl is just hilarious.  She’s talking nonstop and playing pretend constantly.  She’s about 95% potty trained (100% at school, but we get lazy at home) and is (usually) such a happy, loving little girl.  She’s still got a serious temper and is very stubborn.. the word “willful” came out of the doctor’s mouth a few times.. but she is just our one of a kind little redhead who is somehow already halfway to turning 3!  

a jungle gym for my monkeys

as if the kids couldn't love "new house, new house" (as Charlotte chants every time we drive down our new street) any more, this week we surprised them with a new play set in the back yard. 

I would say it was a hit. 

When they spotted it out the back door they both immediately flipped and went running for it full speed.  They've spent most of their free time out there ever since.

swinging!  in our own back yard!!  finally!!!

here's to many more hours of entertaining themselves  :)

First Cards Game!!

Sunday we took a break from endless boxes and unpacking and headed to STL for the kids' first Cardinals game.  It was a great success! 

Both kids had a blast, but Charlotte in particular really seemed to enjoy being at the stadium.  Dancing to the music, clapping along with everyone, pointing out all the Cardinals around the stadium - girl was just having so much fun!

Despite it being a Cards game, even my little cubs fan had a good time.  He was ecstatic to find that our seats were "almost at the very top."

Of course when we stopped by the desk to pick up a "my first cardinals game" certificate/sticker, Colin announced to the nice lady "next time I hope I get a cubs sticker."  Sigh....  I tried?

Part of their glee at the ballpark was probably all the food they got to eat.  These two downed a pack of licorice like they were starving animals....

Afterwards we walked over to Daddy's office so the kids could go "way up high in the elevator."

my little St. Louisans :)

Pepper person

We've been going over to the new house every night to move stuff in, paint, etc.  Colin was ecstatic to discover that in the garden the former owners left us, there were peppers.  ORANGE peppers, to be exact.  So this kid who hates vegetables, who would throw a fit if I put a pepper on his plate at dinner, has been going out and plucking the orange peppers and eating them whole like an apple every night. 

His love of orange runs DEEP. 

our new house!!

After first seeing our new house in January, making an offer in March, closing in June ... we FINALLY got the keys yesterday and were able to head over and check things out and celebrate!!

We were all very excited to have the run of the place... literally.  Every time I turned around there would be the blur of a kid racing past me.  They were having SO much fun!  They were excited to stake their claims on their rooms.  Charlotte told everyone it was "Charlotte's new house!"  and Colin described Charlotte's room as "so pink it kind of glows."  (he's right)

We had a pizza picnic dinner on the floor of the living room.  Colin gives it a thumbs up. 

All this open space was just an invitation for wrestling.  The kids took Mike out in our bedroom. 

Grandma and G stopped by to check the place out, and we also were greeted by these visitors.  Can't beat that view!

the next few weeks will be full of work and paining and moving but it will all be worth it soon! 

grant's farm, the sequel

We took advantage of the day off last Friday and the beautiful weather to head over to Grant's Farm.  Unfortunately every other family in the city had the same idea.  We waited in line FOREVER but once we got there... it was worth it.  The kids had a blast again.

All charlotte cared about was getting to ride the "choo choo train."  Here she is, still happy because the tram ride hasn't ended yet and I haven't had to physically remove her from the tram. 

Last year Colin only wanted to feed the goats from behind the fence, and we didn't trust our little piglet Charlotte with bottles of milk.  This year, they headed on in and fed those goats.

Chach was a little wary of the goats and preferred to offer them milk from 4 feet away, or to set it down in front of them.  

bottoms up, guys!

it was not at all hot enough for this, but Colin took a few runs through the sprinklers...

and colin got to feed a camel, which got a few delighted squeals...

this happened almost immediately on the way home - the mark of a good day!