4.6.11: Tucson

This week we adventured for our longest car trip to date...to Tucson. It was a crazy busy trip. The girls did pretty well, but definitely made it clear that they prefer being at home over a hotel. We managed to adventure to the zoo, which of course the girls loved. (Notice the GIANT turtle in the background)


(left to right: daphne, stella, fiona)

We also adventured to the Desert Museum, but (as expected) the girls weren't super entertained by the cactus. They did grow a strong passion for flowers though as I emphasized every possible bright colored flower I could find. Grandy also taught them 'one-finger touching' which helped to leave some flowers for people after us to enjoy.


(left to right: fiona, daphne, stella)

Oh and the best thing about the hotel....the luggage trolley.


(left to right: daphne, fiona, stella)

4.1.11: Freedom

(left to right: stella, daphne, fiona)

Today we let the girls run free on the grass near campus. Lately they have been doing much better with following directions and boundaries. We found a patch of grass with cement on all sides and let them free. We told them that they could go wherever they wanted as long as they stayed on the grass. They had a great time and followed their directions, with just a few challenges here and there. I am beginning to feel like within the next year, they might really begin to listen to us....fingers crossed.

3.26.11: Workout

Who needs the gym when you have volunteers that LOVE to be bench pressed?


(left to right: fiona, daphne)

3.23.11: Visitors from Chi-town

(left to right: ella, fiona, stella, daphne)

Today we had a wonderful visit with Keren, Ben and Ella. The last time we were all together was quite a while ago. The girls all played together really well and definitely took a quick liking to Ben and Keren. So much so, I was able to sit across the room by myself and take this picture without anyone caring. Definitely potential babysitters, if only they lived closer :)


(left to right: daphne, fiona, keren, ella, ben, stella)

3.22.11: Letters from Nana

Nana came to visit and the girls made sure to show her their new trick, toasting Cheers! At least once every meal, if you have a drink anywhere near them, they want to toast with you. Often they toast individually, but this time it was a group cheers.


(left to right: fiona, daphne, stella)


(left to right: nana, stella, daphne, fiona)

One of my favorite things about people visiting is seeing the new ways that they play with the girls' toys. It sort of refreshes me and teaches me to utilize the toys in new ways. Well sometime during Nana's visit she started 'reading' the girls some postcards....and it stuck. Oh boy, did it stick. The girls love getting their mail read to them especially because the content of the mail changes every time. Who knew?!?!

3.15.11: Spork

(left to right: fiona, daphne, stella)

So officially it is a kid fork, but realistically it is a spork. In an attempt to catch up with some of our 'avoided' milestones, we started the girls eating their morning eggs with a fork. Of course some egg ends up on the floor, but the girls are really excited to attempt a new utensil.

3.13.11: Santa Barbara

This weekend we went on a mini-family vacation to visit some of our Chicago friends conveniently located (temporarily) in Santa Barbara.

We started off our adventures with a trip to the Santa Barbara Zoo with the Marrones. Did I mention the girls LOVE zoos? Well this one is even better than our zoo at home, so imagine their delight. The girls were able to feed and even touch (accidentally of course) the fish . After the amount of fish food we personally supplied, I would estimate those fish won't go hungry anytime soon.


(left to right: stella, fiona, daphne)

Next the girls got a chance to feed a giraffe. I was worried they would be scared, but oddly they weren't. Betty Lou sure enjoyed all of her lettuce and the girls sure enjoyed her gigantic black tongue.


During our weekend extravaganza, we ate brunch on the beach with the some of the old Chicago crew. Somehow even though Andrey and Alyona have a two month old baby, they were both showered and seemingly well rested. I'm not sure how they do it. I remember a good day when the girls were that age as one where I brushed my teeth. Life seems pretty nice living in beautiful Santa Barbara.




(top: andrey, daphne, nicole, stella bottom: brant, fiona, alyona, sasha)

In lieu of proper sand toys, the girls and I played 'where is mama's shoe?' I buried my shoe over and over again in the sand and then they would try to find it...don't judge, it kept them happy for over ten minutes.


(left to right: daphne, fiona, stella)

3.11.11: Twenty-one months old

(left to right: fiona, daphne, stella)

The girls are already 1.75 years old, wow! I know I always say that, but it seems like these days especially - time is really flying by.

The girls are learning new words everyday and finding creative ways to communicate. For example, when I was offering the girls a snack they were verbally requesting bread, but I wanted them to eat a banana. Sure enough within seconds of getting a banana and opening it, I was handed a piece of pretend bread from their play food. I understood them verbally but didn't oblige so they wanted to make sure I knew what they really wanted.

We have also started the repeating stage. The stage where the last word in a sentence is often repeated. Already they immediately repeated (and continue to repeat) boobs and booger. Mama needs to make better word choices going forward. Oops.

3.6.11: Reunited

Yay, the Marrones came to visit us for the weekend. While we have seen each other in various family formations several times since we moved, we have not been all together (kids AND adults) since our days in Chicago...way too long. It was like the good old days.


(left to right: fiona, nicole, daphne, stella, peter)

Nicole and I took the kids to my favorite park with a river water feature. The girls and Peter had fun chasing their toys down the stream. They were so entertained that Nicole and I actually had a chance to talk a little bit and get a sunburn.


(above daphne, nicole, peter, fiona, stella - below dan)


While Nicole was entertaining a majority of the kids reading a new book, Dan took it upon himself to entertain Fiona - notice in the picture that she is waving to him. Fiona has been in a big 'I need mama' mode lately so imagine my elation when she found a new obsession albeit temporary.

3.4.11: Zoooooooooooo

(left to right: stella, daphne, fiona)

Today we met up with my friend Heather and her twin boys at the zoo (aka Zooooooooo by the girls). Of course, this is no normal zoo. This zoo is full of hills and rather spread out, but we did it. I carried Stella in the backpack for the first time while pushing Daphne and Fiona, usually Brant wears the backpack but I was solo this time. It actually went pretty well. Don't get me wrong, I was exhausted after two hours but we made it and the girls had a lot of fun seeing all the animals. We only had one person ask if our kids were quintuplets. Immediately, we both turned to each other and said, "Now THAT would be a lot of work".

Did I mention this zoo has hills? It does! I just kept reminding myself that when I was pregnant I weighed more than Fiona, Daphne, Stella and I do together now - so there were no excuses for me to wimp out. Of course when I was pregnant, I wasn't walking around a zoo but just rolling from bed to the couch and back again.


I had to add this picture because it looks like the ape is going to attack us with a gigantic stick, thankfully there was safety glass.