Bedtime battles!

As usual, both girls are growing by leaps and bounds everyday. Ava is so darn smart! She is really testing me though! She calls me on things all the time. Lucy has stopped teething for the time being, so she is much more pleasant, but as stubborn as ever! She simply loves to be outside! She takes my hand and pulls me to the back door. She just can't get enough if the fresh air. She loves the park and wagon rides. Ava prefers to be inside and playing talk them or coloring. Such different girls!
Bedtime has revealed a new battle with Ava. She refuses to let me leave the room after stories, prayers, and lullabies. She has a screaming fit! I have tried many things: toys, books, a tent on her bed...nothing seems to work. She wants endless snuggies. I know in my heart that I need to enjoy them while I can because the day will come when she won't want mommy snuggies anymore. But it can be frustrating when I'm hungry and tired and should probably spend more than 10 minutes with Jeremy without the kids. Lucy on the other hand, has been doing fabulously in her big girl bed! She goes right down. Sweet girl! She I'd even reclaiming her naps, praise God! However, I did feel bad for her tonight when I poked in to check on her and witnessed her fall out of bed, fuss for a minute, then resolutely climb back in in her "stink bug" posture. What a cutie! Ahhh, I love my girls so much!!

Thanksgiving week at home (published late!)

It seems that Ava and Lucy grow by leaps and bounds almost daily. Ava is really into playing a game where I am the sun and she is a puppy on Christmas morning. So funny! I have to hold up a yellow hula hoop to represent the sun. She also has decided what I want for christmas. She said I want a "Christmas lotion". She knows I like bath and body works, so she put two and two together and thought that would be the perfect gift for me! So thoughtful! By the way, she said all se wants is "the pet shop guys airplane." thats all she says she wants. We even wrote a short letter to santa askng for it. Btw, shr definitely writes her name now. Over and over. She makes the "v" in the middle first then carefully writes an "a" on either side. Lucky her nsme only has two different letters and is a palindrome!
Yesterday we were in the Disney store and she saw this tiny Cinderella set with a doll and backdrop and she said, "I just want it so badly!!" then when I still said no and that she could ask Santa for it, she reluctantly bent down and put it back on the shelf and looked so terribly sad! But I was so proud of her. I gave her some water and she was shaking when she drank it, she was so upset snd overcome with longing for this Cinderella set. I tried to hug her but she wouldn't have it. She takes things so to heart, but I love her for that and was proud she put it back without throwing a fit. She is a big girl!
Lucy is so crazy! She now says "hi" and I have the best time getting her to say it over and over again. She is obsessed with the sid the science kid books and we read them over and over and over and over....always singing the "rug time" song. She just loves it!! She even ripped her book to shreds just like Ava ripped her "happy and you know it" book to shreds at that age because she loved it so much!
Ava and Lucy are actually playing better together lately. Ava still gets really mad at Lucy when she destroys things Ava is doing (which is fairly regularly) but at the same time, Ava has been hugging her and playing tag with her and telling me what Lucy "says". They are too cute in the bath and both love splashing me. I hope they continue to grow closer. Ava does her "Ava dance" and whenever she does it, Lucy dances too. I love that!
We are going a tad stir crazy this week since it is nearly impossible to take Lucy anywhere without her throwing a fit. She is one strong willed girl! She wants to walk, but in her own direction, not where we need her to go. I am happy she wants to walk and is energetic and independent, but good god is she a challenge!
More later, thanksgiving tomorrow!

Under the weather

Jeepers! Both girls are under the weather lately. Ava has an ear infection and Lucy is an absolute snot factory! Both of them went down at 5:30 tonight! That's unheard of for Ava, although since Lucy is giving up her naps already (mama mia! ) she falls asleep really early.Poor cranky kids. Not much else to do but wait it out. All of Ava's little friends are sick too, probably all got the same bug. Here's to a better tomorrow!!

What a day!

Phew! Today we overall had a fun day, we went on a picnic, went to the park, played...but then, Lucy discovered she could climb out of the playpen...so I tried her in her crib. Sure enough, she climbed right out. So, that was that. I disassembled the crib and now Lucy has a mattress on the floor until we get her a toddler bed. At 18 months old, she is finished with her crib. I disassembled it so fast, I didn't have time to be nostalgic or take a picture. But this is a milestone to be sure. We are a crib-less family. Wow.
Something fun that happened today was when I was giving Lucy and Ava a bath together. Ava started splashing and kicking in the water and then Lucy started laughing hysterically and doing it too. They were laughing and playing together. For the first time. They were almost mischevious together and Lucy was in heaven to be playing with her sister instead of fighting with her. So cute!!! I hope it is the first of lots of fun times for them playing together.
Also, Lucy now says "up".

Hopefully tonight will be smooth with Lucy on the floor, but we'll see...
Phew!!!