The first room when you walk in the house was also the messiest, with too many instruments and craft stuff in it to function!  But now, thanks to my sweetie and IKEA, I have a gorgeous new office to fuel my creativity.

Before:

UGH!!  That's pretty much what it looked like all the time.

After:

WOW!!!  I love it!!  Two desks, one for computer, and one for sewing.  Lots of storage, and cute too!!   New curtains to freshen it up, and the piano more accessible to the children.

My grandma's antique secretary desk still holds most of my yarn.

Doesn't this just inspire you to make something?  It sure inspires me!!

Thanks to my whole family who devoted a weekend and plenty of dollars to this project!!

The kids had fun too, because IKEA packaging contains lots of big sheets of paper:

This kept them busy for a while, and prevented us from using the table, so we had picnics upstairs at mealtime.  :)

"Welcome to Boxtown."  I didn't actually get a picture of Boxtown, but we build one every time we do something like this, usually after a trip to Costco.

Audrey likes to experiment with her boxes.

Bu was completely unimpressed by the whole thing.

So now that I have a new gorgeous workspace, I just want to hang out in here all day!!

Hello friends and family!  I just wanted to let you know that I am going to be better about blogging this year.  When the blog broke last summer I got out of the habit, and once it was fixed I never got back in.  Paul also had the blog linked to post on his Facebook page, and while I know that this is by no means a private blog, I wasn't comfortable "advertising" our family adventures to all of our casual aquaintances on Facebook.  But now it is not (thanks honey for accommodating me).  So now I need to get back into the swing of things.

I wasn't just lazy, you know.  Last fall I started up yet another venture, making and selling handmade items.  The Christmas rush of orders took up most of my free time and lots of my sleep time.  Now that things are slightly at a lull, it's a good time to rediscover blogging.  More about my business another time.

For now, here's a peek at the First First of 2010: Audrey's First Haircut!  Miss Bug has been getting shaggier as her superfine curly hair got longer...she had grown two loooooong tails on the back that we called her "swallowtails."  It gave her a crazy Einstein kind of vibe that really fit her personality but made her look like a little ragamuffin. 

So, in Hooper family tradition, Mommy sat her on the edge of the master bathtub with a lollipop and cut her hair.  (It didn't take long, hence the lollipop.  For Katelyn's much more involved haircuts, we use a bowl of chocolate chips to keep her still.)

I'd show you the finished product, but Paul didn't get a great picture because Audrey was ready to get back to playing.  She still looks like a wild thing, though!

These two crack me up!

(In the car, on the way to meet Daddy for dinner)
Mommy:  Kids, after dinner, I'm going to rehearsal and Daddy will take you shopping.
Katelyn, with disdain:  Mommy, Daddy is not exactly a shopping expert.

(At dinner, Audrey says the blessing.)
Audrey:  Dear God, please help us be sweet and Daddy's the boss.  Amen!!

Audrey says the prayer at dinnertime sometimes now.  She does not like to use a song or a "formula" prayer, no...she tries to pray just like the grownups and Kate, from the heart.  It's so endearing!  Here's a sample:

I pray.  Dear God.  Tie together.  (=time together, something Paul often thanks God for in his prayers)  Daddy.  Momma.  Katie.  Audie.  Bayer.  Milk.  Boons.  (=balloons)  T-show.  (=TV shows)  Bocks.  (=blocks)  AMEN!!!!!!!

My mother tells me that someday I will miss this stage.  Will I even remember it?  It's a blur. 

Tickle wars in the "clubhouse."

The constant creative mixing of toys.  Imaginative, but a pain to clean up.  But so fun!  Daddy's shoes are great for dressup, too.

Secret puppy tea parties behind the couch.  Using blocks for food, of course.  Never mind that we have a twelve course meal of play food upstairs that hardly gets used.  The puppies prefer blocks.

The "art area."  This is surprisingly clean.  Usually it spills out all over the floor and someone trips on a crayon and gets hurt.

Piles of pink and pastel laundry.  There is no grownup laundry in this picture.

The Bu, content to sit with her ball right in the middle of all of the action. 

Misty of Chincoteague, our latest obsession.  (just like Mommy as a girl!)

Sight words all over the back of Kate's door.  51 to be exact.  Yes, the green one says "parrot", which was a word she really wanted to learn for some reason, so we added it to the door.  The rest came from a pack of post-its specifically for this purpose.

A growing pile of Babette squares.  Grandma, I am really putting your old secretary desk to good use.  It's stuffed to bursting with yarn, fabric, and sheet music, and all of the supplies that go with those passions.  I bet you never suspected that the little letterboxes inside would be chock-full of knitting needles.

So, future self, hope this helps you remember what you did all day when the kids were little.  You'll probably miss it a lot.  Right now I am just trying to enjoy every little moment and not get so caught up in the challenges that I miss out on the joys.

This sweet smile always helps!

Daddy is about to turn on the sod cutter we rented for the weekend.  Kate is totally fascinated.

Daddy:  Kate, this thing is pretty noisy.  You should probably cover your ears or go in the house.

Katelyn:  It's okay, Daddy.  My ears are very good at not listening to things.

*     *     *     *     *

Mommy is changing Audrey's diaper and talking to her to keep her from wiggling around.

Mommy:  Audrey, how old are you now?

Audrey (holding up three fingers): I two.

Mommy:  You are a big girl now.

Audrey:  Yes, I big girl.  (cocks her head funny)  Mommy, how much fingers you?

Mommy flashes fingers at her -- 10, 10, 10, and 4.

Audrey, eyes wide:  Whoa.

We had Audrey's party on Monday.  It had been postponed a week because of rain, but worth the wait.  It was cool that morning and clear, and just perfect for playing outside.  Jen came and took pictures and they are awesome!  To see them all, click here.  But here are a couple of highlights:

The next few are from my camera, and haven't been photoshopped, so they are definitely more amateur-looking.

Audrey even got a birthday smooch from Luke!  Paul was totally alarmed of course.

They grow up so fast!!

Can you believe she is 2 years old already?  How the time flies!

As you know, Audrey has such a giant, vibrant personailty she almost defies description.  Her zest for life and adventure reminds us so much of the Nash family (Amy's mom's side) and Kari.   The curly blonde hair and the grin look like Paul at this age (yes, he was blonde!) and her eyes look like Amy's mom's.  I won't tell you who she gets the drooling from.

Audrey's favorite things to do are: play the drum or other instruments, play with baby dolls, color, dance to music, play ball, climb, read books, and sing.  She is quite the jokester and will do practically anything for a laugh. 

She is eager to please but sometimes a little slow to obey because she is trying to make us laugh or chase her down (it is so hard to stay serious when she does this!)  She loves her sister and hardly knows what to do without Kate around.  She can say just about anything she wants to say now, although we still struggle to understand her at times.  Her favorite type of music is rock or anything with a hard beat, but her favorite songs to sing by herself are "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "Oh Happy Day" (a song we did at church on Easter). 

She struggles with fear of bugs, Elmo (although less now than in the past), and robots.  Other than that, she is fearless and will try just about anything. 

She does throw 2-year-old-style tantrums now, but they seem related to teething pain, dining preferences, and bedtime more than anything else, so that makes her totally normal in my book.  She is having a really hard time giving up that paci (which is probably not a shock to anyone).

She is a joy and delight, and brings sunshine and smiles to everyone she knows.  We had no idea what we were in store for back when she was born! 

Happy birthday, little munchkin!  We love you beyond words!

Audrey is throwing a fit at the kitchen table because Mommy took her paci away.  Mommy attempts to stop the fit by changing the subject.

Mommy:  Audrey, are you thirsty?  What do you want to drink?

Audrey (stops crying immediately and grins really big): Dr. Pepper!!

I know you have been anxiously awaiting part 2 of our Hawaii blog post.  So here it is at last!  Here we have the major activities we did on the trip, other than laying around the pool and beach at the resort.

1.  Scuba diving. 

Kari is a certified diver, this was Paul's first time.  He took a crash course in the pool and then they went out and dove about 20 feet down.  He saw amazing fish and got inked by an octopus.  I wish we had pictures of the underwater stuff.  This will not be his last scuba experience and his excited descriptions of it have convinced me to try it next time.  Kari went out a second time and dove the wall of Molokini, which is a crescent shaped rock between Maui and Kahoolawe.  You could see it from our villa.

2.  Road to Hana.

Hana is a little town on the northeast corner of Maui.  The road along the northern shore of the island has become a tourist attraction in itself.  It's long, winding, and the scenery is incredible.  Waterfalls, rugged beaches, black sand, wildlife, and some of the most amazing views on the planet.  Paul and I left the kids with the grandparents and made a day of it.  We hiked away from the road a couple of times to see some waterfalls (although there were spectacular ones right up against the roadway as well).

One of my favorite things on that trip was this blowhole in a lava formation at Waianapanapa State Park.  The water would come whistling out the top like a geyser.

3.  Aquarium

On a very windy day we decided to go to the Maui Ocean Center to do a non-swimming activity.  The kids loved it, Kate especially because a sea turtle waved at her.  We also went to a truly memorable "Mexican" restaurant nearby.  The food was not good but there was a guy with a guitar singing very loudly.  Good times.

Kate touched a starfish, that was cool too.  She was scared at first, but after Mommy touched it and described it, she gave it a try.  It was pretty bumpy.

4.  Golf

Paul and Marc played the Wailea Old Blue golf course.  They had a blast.  They did not hit any cars.

5.  Ate at restaurants.

This is us at Mama's Fish House for the big anniversary dinner.  Spectacular food.  They could even tell you who caught the fish that day that you were eating.  Kari even ate some fish!  Katelyn had fish and chips and loved it; she wondered why the fish she had tried before wasn't as good.  Umm, because, darling 4 year old, the other fish you had before was Gorton's Fish Sticks, not mahi-mahi caught that very morning.  Other restaurants we visited during the week were:  Ko at the resort, Nick's Fish Market at the resort, and Sarento's.  We also grilled out on the patio a couple of nights, which was nice.

6.  Helicopter ride.

This is a spot on the northwestern coast of Maui as seen from our helicopter.  We took a tour of the remote northwest shore and the 'Iao Valley and then over to Molokai.  My mouth hung open pretty much the whole time.  It's just so wild and rugged and unspoiled.

I wanted to climb out and go for a swim in this mountaintop oasis.  The pilot said that sometimes when they come by there are actually people up there.  There must be a secret passage or something, because this is on top of a huge mountain with no roads or obvious trails.  No one is really sure how the Hawaiian tribesmen would get up on top of the mountains, they are so rough, but apparently they used to bury their royalty up there.

Elephant Rock, just off the coast of Molokai. 

The steepest sea cliffs in the world, Kalaupapa Historic National Park.

The coral reef was clearly visible, and the old fishing pond walls from long ago.  The colors of the reef were vibrant and the water was sparkling.  These pictures don't even come close to representing that.

7.  Whale watching

Just hours before we left, we went on a whale watching tour.  Audrey slept through the whole thing in someone's arms either on the deck or down below, we took turns.  Kate, however, was totally in her element.  She loves boats.

A whale waved at her.  She's pretty popular with those marine animals.

We saw some sea turtles ("Honu" in Hawaiian) in their natural habitat.

And a happy little dolphin that played chase with us.  It was a really fun trip and a great way to wrap up a spectacular vacation.

Be sure to look at our flickr site to see allof the pictures!  If you can't access them, just remind me and I'll re-invite you.

I am finally posting about our trip to Hawaii!  Sorry it has taken me so long.  As you know I went to OK right before and right after going to Maui, so I've been doing a lot of catching up on basic life maintenance around here.  Now that we finally have clean clothes and some food in the house, I guess you would all like to know some of the details.  This will be a multi-post series!

We stayed at the Fairmont Kea Lani in Wailea, Maui, on the beautiful shores of Polo beach.  It was a wonderful family resort, full of other families just like ours, with great restaurants and amenities.  I'll give you the photo tour:

The beach at the resort.

Our villa - 3 bedrooms and a beautiful ocean view.  See the island of Kahoolawe in the distance.

The view from the back porch.  There was even a little pool so you could get the sand off of yourself after some beach time.

This was the main pool.  There were usually lots of people there; I am not sure when Paul got this nice calm picture.

This is pretty much Katelyn's idea of heaven.  She could not get enough swimming!

Audrey preferred the baby pool.  She focused on pouring and splashing.

The tannest we will ever be.

Sigh.  Can I go back there yet?

(Reality calls:  "Mommy!  Audrey is poopy!")

Part 2 coming soon!

The Artist-in-Residence strikes again.  She also got the new recliner and her polka-dot chair.

Katelyn is very ambitious when it comes to burritos.  (She did not quite finish this one, though.)

Because they will grow up and stop using such cute lingo, and how quickly I forget!  Even as I am writing this I have forgotten many of the things I heard throughout the day that I wanted to list here.  Approximate translation follows in parentheses.

Audrey:

Elmo Wall-E!  (robot monster)

I yuck it!  (I don't like it)

Cah-see (coffee)

Keh-bup (ketchup)

Kicken (chicken)

Babas (bananas)

Geeps (grapes)

Bee-nuh and caa-yee  (Peanut and Catty, her nighttime cuddle friends)

I yah you.  (I love you)

Katelyn:

Mommy, will you separate my bed? (change the sheets)

It hurts berry berry bad.  (very very bad)

It's not gymnastics, it's a forward roll.

Audrey, stop being the boss!

Greenbear is my son.

Let's play puppet show! (that means any play-acting with toys)

You are my very best mommy.

3 weird things that happened today:

1.  Kate apparently tried to go potty during the middle of the night (good for her) but unfortunately in her half-awake state mistook the end of her bed for the potty.

2.  Kate fell on a cactus while playing in the backyard while I was cooking dinner (Audrey was napping).  Of course if I knew there was a cactus in the backyard I would have done something about it.  Didn't know I needed to be looking out for that sort of thing.  There were only a few spines in her leg but you would have thought I was removing the leg itself to hear her shrieking.  Drama!

3.  And then to make matters worse, when I threw her in the tub and put Audrey in there too, Audrey pooped in the tub. 

I'm sure it was no coincidence that today was Realife group night.  These kinds of weird things always happen on Tuesdays.

BTW, if you noticed that hell froze over today, it was because I cleaned the oven for the first time since Audrey was born.  I know it has been that long because the last person to clean it was the housekeeper.

Ok, since I can't remember which family members I told about this or not, here's the story:

Thursday 1/1 -- We eat breakfast tacos at about 11 am, and afterward the kids split a candy cane that Katelyn got from one of her friends.  In about 20 minutes Audrey started to cry unexplainedly, and wanted to be held.  She was clawing at her jaw and ears, so after holding her a while I figured she needed ibuprofen for teething or something.  I set her down on the kitchen counter and was about to give her some when I really looked at her face.  She was swollen, broken out in hives all over, and red.  Immediately I gave her Benadryl instead and the swelling lessened slightly.  I racked my brain to think of what she could have eaten to cause the reaction and the only weird thing was the candy cane.  I talked to Kari about this on the phone and we decided to keep her on Benadryl round the clock for a few days until the reaction went away.  She continued to break out over the course of the day on her legs and tummy.  She was extra sleepy that night because of the Benadryl.  After she went to bed I got out the trash bag and dug through it for the remaining 1 inch of candy cane that the girls didn't finish.  Yes I ate some of it, it was still wrapped.  It was some unidentifiable fruit flavor and packaged in Winnie the Pooh designs, info that would be helpful later (although I threw it away again, doh!)

Saturday 1/3 -- We went to a birthday party.  Audrey was still itching and had residual hives but felt good.  She ate a cupcake with a few sprinkles on it and broke out again within a few minutes.  Fortunately she already had Benadryl in her system or this could have been worse.  Bleeding diaper rash occurred later in the day, which was rough, so she ended up staying home from church the next day.

Monday 1/4 -- The kids ate Lucky Charms for breakfast, a very occasional treat.  I gave Audrey Benadryl again (she was still broken out and itchy) along with a children's vitamin.  We went to playgroup and within an hour she got really tired and crabby and I noticed more hives on her neck.  Later, at home, I noticed that she had now broken out all over her arms and the backs of her hands (these were previously unaffected areas).  At this point I was determined to get her in to the doctor the next day, and I started reading my Food Allergy and Intolerance books for more info.  I started to suspect a reaction to food coloring of some type.

Tuesday 1/5 -- Took Kate to school and a very miserable Audrey to the doctor.  He agreed with me about the likely cause of allergy, and he changed her antihistamine to Zyrtec to be more around-the-clock and pan-spectrum with less medication.  We will stay on that for 10 days then return for a blood test (RAST test) that can tell us more specifically what she is allergic to, hopefully.  He prescribed Epi-Pen (an epinephrine injection) to be used in case of a severe reaction (anaphylactic shock, which is when your airway swells shut and you can't breathe).  Usually in children it is not the first reaction that is the most severe, but a subsequent one.  So we are to avoid food colorings until further notice.  Yes she has probably eaten lots of food with these ingredients in the past, but the thing about allergies is that they can develop suddenly!

Now I took it on myself at this point to do some internet research (I had waited until the doctor offered his opinion, rather than let my mind run wild with frightening thoughts caused by awful pictures on the internet).  Thank goodness that stupid candy cane was printed with little Winnie the Pooh pictures, because it gave me some identifying mark to work with.  I got online and searched around and found what we think is the offending item.  The company that makes the product actually is VERY allergy friendly in terms of labeling and processing style, so I can say for certain that the candy cane did not contain the major allergens peanut, milk, gluten, wheat, soy, almond, or shellfish even in trace amounts.  It does however contain the big four artificial colorants in use in the US: yellow #5 (tartrazine) and yellow #6, blue #1, and red #40.  These are known allergy triggers in many children.  Audrey eats yellow 5 & 6 in large quantities in Kraft Macaroni and Cheese without adverse reaction.  Blue 1 and red 40 are also present in Lucky Charms, children's vitamins, and cake frosting and sprinkles, the other suspicious items that caused her to break out again over the weekend.  Tuesday night she took a bath and began to itch again afterwards.  I read the shampoo label and guess what I found: Blue #1.  So I think that she is definitely allergic to blue 1 and probably red 40 as well.

I am really overwhelmingly grateful.  First of all, she did NOT have a shock reaction, and now we are prepared if she ever does.  Secondly, she is still young enough that we have control over probably 90% that goes into her mouth.  Thirdly, and I can't emphasize this enough, it's not something she needs to eat anyways!  There are thousands of families that are daily trying to figure out how to give their kids a normal healthy life because they are deathly allergic to things like milk and wheat.  We are so blessed!

So anyways, that's what is going on.  It won't be a big deal if we just pay attention to it and read labels (which I am used to doing anyways, being allergic to soy and almonds and Tylenol, which is apparently in everything).  I know personally how PAINFUL an allergic reaction can be and I want to spare her from that.  So if I seem a little more neurotic than usual reading the labels in your pantry, grandparents, or bring my own cupcakes to your kids' birthday parties, friends, then please bear with me.  It's a small price to pay for my Audie-bug!

I'm all set up at the kitchen table, ready to upload some pictures.  Audrey is doing art next to me, and she keeps doing such cute things I have to pause a moment to blog them for memory's sake.  She is 20 months.

-"Mommy.  Mah-kers. Daw." (markers, draw)

-"Mommy.  A. D. R. E. Y.  Mah-kers."  (She wants me to write her name.) "K. A. T. N."  (Katelyn.)  "L. O. T. E."  (I finally figure out this means love.  How on earth can my child spell these words?  Oh yeah, she heard me recite these letter patterns a hundred times to Katelyn, when she was making Christmas cards.  WOW.)

-"Mommy.  Ah-oh.  Woh go doo?" (She has dropped the markers.  "uh-oh, what are we doing to do?" Drama already.)

-"Mommy.  Ah duh.  Peas?"  (All done, please?)

-"I goh Mommy shoes!"

She has taken a HUGE leap forward in her speech in the past week.  I remember this stage with Kate and even though I knew it was coming I was shocked at how suddenly one day Audrey woke up and was able to articulate her thoughts.  That morning her Nana asked her, "Do you want some chocolate milk?" and Audrey replied, "No, I want juice!"  Just like that.  The morning before, when asked the same question, she signed and said "juice."

Now she's singing Happy Birthday.  I love it when she sings.  Oh this is cute.  "Hah Burfday you, hah burfday you, hah burfday dee PAAAA-CEEEEE, hah burfday you!!  Yay!"

I took these pictures about a week ago.  I decided to take pictures of the typical michievous things Audrey does over the course of the day.  So here are a few.  I am sure some went undocumented.

1.  Breakfast.  I went to the bathroom and returned to find this.  Guess that box of cereal was in reach after all.

2.  Lunch.  That's ketchup.

3.  Art time.  Pirate-style pencil chewing.

4.  I went to the bathroom again and returned to find this.  That's crayon on the windowsill, not nearly as much as usual.  All I can say is that Magic Eraser is truly magic and we buy a lot of them.

5.  Audrey's new phobia is Chuck E. Cheese, and she spots him on these birthday balloons.  (I can't believe these balloons have lasted so long, and I don't mean helium loss.  See #6.)

6.  Audrey attempts to stab Chuck E. to death.  Should I be concerned?  Anyone know a good child psychologist?

7.  Work it out with a little boogie.  Mommy threw the balloons away.

8.  Chore time:  Polishing the glass with my slippers.

9.  Helping with the laundry:  checking the spaciousness of our hampers.

10.  Errand time:  she is "right-ready" as we say in my family.  This is why I keep the door locked.

11.  The second we get in the car, EVERY TIME WE GET IN THE CAR, Audrey takes off her socks and shoes.  No exceptions.  She doesn't even care if it is 40 degrees out like it was on this day.  Usually she uses a sock as a puppet for at least part of the trip.

12.  A little Blues Clues time.  Mommy was able to successfully go to the bathroom and return to a peaceful scene.

13.  Must be dinner time, she is climbing into the chair.  Usually the climbing starts around 5:00 and we don't usually eat until 6:00.  So there is always some battling with Mommy.

She sure keeps me busy!

Speaking of busy, I haven't blogged much because I have been extremely busy making stuff, much of which I can't post about, because it is secret in nature.  So just bear with me.  I'll add in some holiday pictures of the kids' Christmas programs and their holiday parties all at the same time.  Their last day of school for the year is Tuesday, and I have a slew of gifts and foody things to make before then.  Crystal and I got smart and decided to do our holiday baking together this year since we make all of the same recipes anyways, so we are doing that tomorrow.

So in mid-October we all went down to Panama City Beach to celebrate "Hooper and Jake's" wedding.  Hooper is Paul's dad (Hooper is one of those last names that makes a great nickname, you know) and Jake is his old-flame-turned-new-bride (Jake is a nickname as well, but it has become permanent, to my understanding).  Some of Paul's aunts and uncles plus his sister Kari were able to make it too so it was kind of a mini-family reunion.  We don't always make it to Lawton, OK during the holidays at the same time that everyone else does, so it was nice to see everyone.  What a gorgeous place!  It was a whirlwind, though.  We flew out Friday morning, got to Pensacola around 3, rented a car and drove to PCB, had dinner, then crashed.  Saturday we took the kids to Gulf World, lunch, Audrey and Mommy nap/Kate and Daddy on the beach, rehearsal dinner, crashed.  Sunday more time on the beach, then the wedding and reception, then we drove to DeFuniak Springs to see Kelly and Joe and got in around midnight (we had two flat tires that severely delayed us but it all worked out in the end.) Then we hung out with them until mid-afternoon Monday, drove back to Pensacola, flew home, got in around 11.  We were TRASHED and I think it took us about two weeks to recover.  Here are a few highlight pics:

Kate got to touch a dolphin at Gulf World.

Playing on the beach!  Kate and Daddy were very serious about this sandcastle/fort.  Audrey mostly ran around pointing at stuff.

Audrey and Aunt Kari.  The kids adore Aunt Kari, and of course she adores them too.  Kari and I had a whole conversation over lunch about Katelyn's greatest quotes, some of which are now permanently in the family slang.  ("Oh, sweet pickles!"  "Yippee!"  "Dear God, thank you for my bottom which looks so cute on me.")

What a good-looking bunch of Hoopers!  Kari, Dad, and Paul.  Dad was so happy, it was great.

The Hooper kids and the Morris kids finally got to play together.  Here they are dancing and singing along with Veggie Tales.  They were so cute together!  We were so glad to get to see them even for a short time.  Kelly is my bestest friend and we are still joined at the brain thousands of miles away.  Joe was Paul's roommate for a while (now there are some funny stories I could share).  We have known them and loved them just about forever and still miss them every day.

Well, I must apologize for this bummer:  I know we got pictures of Jake and the kids together, but I guess they must have been with Kari's camera because somehow I didn't end up with any.  (Kari, if that is so, could you upload them to flickr so I can blog them?)  Like I said, it was a whirlwind.  Much of the time I was doing good just to make sure we were fed, dressed, and where we were supposed to be.  As usual I had to work in a few trips to Walgreens to treat various conditions (Paul had wicked heartburn, Audrey had a bleeding diaper rash).  The kids did fantastic, though.  They never cease to amaze me.  The lack of routine, constant attention, meeting tons of new people that want to hug them, different food, late hours, being schlepped about -- any one of these things can bring on a tantrum, and yet they both endured it all with minimal fuss or distress.  They were wonderful on the plane, they slept or watched a movie or drew pictures, and they were quiet and obedient.  (So why is it that at home, if I don't have any bananas to serve with breakfast, they go absolutely psycho?  Hmm....a question for the ages...)  Anyways, I was proud to be their mommy, as I always am.

"Hug"

"Here go"

"Elmo"

"Pee-boo"

"Ta-da!"

"Cheese"

I just realized when uploading some pix that I never blogged about the first day of school. The kids have really been loving school.  Katelyn is in the "Marvelous Monkeys" class for 3's turning 4.  I can barely get her to say goodbye to me when we get to her classroom.  There is so much ART to do!  That child could do art projects all day long (and often does).  She loves her music class, too.  Audrey is in the "Beautiful Butterflies" class for 16-24 month olds.  She cries for about 30 seconds when I hand her over, but not every day.  Her teacher told me that she is the class clown (does that surprise anyone?)  Audrey has started singing some songs she learned in music class.  She has also picked up a lot of new words and has started expressing herself more with words than signs (probably because her teachers do not know all of the signs that we use). Both girls are really changing!

This picture cracks me up; I don't know what this pose is...

Kate is going to school Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday; Audrey just goes Tuesday and Thursday.  So on Wednesdays Audrey and I get to be together.  Last year we were together all the time, because Kate was in school, but Audrey was very much still an infant then.  She was still nursing and taking morning naps.  Now we really have all day to be together, and she has changed so much, I am having to figure out how to relate to her.  She really misses Kate and doesn't seem to know how to play alone or just with me.  I do play with just Audrey sometimes when Kate is here, but you know how it is...Kate is always coming up to see what we are doing  ("Hey girls!  What are you up to?  Can I play too?")  Audrey and I read books a lot, but only for about 10 minutes at a time, which is normal attention span for a toddler.  She really likes errands, so she can smile at strangers, so we do that a little bit too.  Katelyn and I get plenty of alone time in the afternoons after school when Audrey is napping.  We're adjusting to our new schedule and I really enjoy having time to myself when they are both in school.  I can get some things done, work or errands or cleaning, so when they are here I am a lot less distracted and enjoy them more.  Hooray for preschool!

Hi there.  This is Audrey.  I need to fill you in on an alarming situation going on at my house.  Perhaps I should start at the beginning.

Last Christmas, Santa (not that I know who that is, I never met him) gave me a “TMX Elmo.”   It looked harmless enough in the box, even though it kept staring at me.  My sister seemed really excited about it, and she said Lauren has one, and I think Lauren is cool, so I was willing to give it a shot.    I wasn’t sure what to do with it at first (do you cuddle it?  Does it read stories?)  Mommy said that you were supposed to tickle it, which sounded kind of fun, I like tickling.  So I reached out and tickled it, just a little bit.  And it started laughing, but not just any laugh, a cackle that would haunt my dreams.   And it WOULD NOT STOP.  And the Monster (for by now I knew for sure it was a monster) began to flail and roll about.  Of course I climbed up onto Mommy for her to protect me, but all of a sudden I realized that she was laughing.  And Sister was laughing.  And everybody was laughing at the Monster and watching it roll on the floor like it was entertainment.  This shocked me!  How could they not see?  Did they not understand that it was merely warming up before it went on a rampage to destroy us all?  Did they not see the mortal danger we were all in?

And then my parents put it in the trunk and TOOK IT HOME WITH US.  Had they lost their minds?  I sat still as a statue the entire way home, so not to alert it to my presence.  My rational mind told me that it could not get to me, but I just could not forget THOSE EYES.  Lidless, glaring, they haunted me.  I knew the Monster was simply biding its time.

So when we got home—you won’t believe this—Mommy put it on the shelf in the game room.  I would cautiously play under its relentless gaze, always aware of the impending doom.  I would try to alert Mommy from time to time, but she did not seem to understand me.  Occasionally she would bring the Monster into our midst, and it would dutifully perform its little ruse, but I was onto its scheme.  I would warn Mommy with my most blood-curdling shrieks of fear, but she would simply put the Monster back onto the shelf, where it would continue to plot against us.  A few times I even tried to telephone the authorities, but this only seemed to make Mommy upset with me.  Daddy would tell me, “Yes, honey, it scares me too,” but he would never do anything about it. (Perhaps they are double agents.  I am still researching this theory, as I am very fond of them and reluctant to believe they could betray me.) 

This has gone on for nine agonizing months.  But then, the other day it seemed that I finally got through to Mommy.  I gathered together all of the Monster propaganda in this house, in the form of books and toys, because they are a pack of lies and must be destroyed.  I presented this evidence to her, pointed at the Monster, and in my most emphatic voice declared an ultimatum:  IT'S EITHER THE MONSTER OR ME, MAKE YOUR FINAL CHOICE.  By some miracle she seemed to understand me at last, and she removed the Monster from the shelf.  It glared at me as they passed by (I kept a safe distance though--better her than me) and she took it out of sight.  I never actually heard her take it outside to the trash can, though…

There’s a little door in my room.  I’ve never been through it, and my parents call it “The Attic.”  I never knew what that meant, exactly, but now I suspect it means “Monster Hiding Place.”  So now I guess it is up to me to stand in the gap between my ignorant family and the Apocalypse.  I sleep the fitful sleep of the Protector, with one eye always on that doorknob. 

Audrey is almost 16 months, and I have been meaning to do an update on her for a while.  So here's a big one!

This week Audrey has:

1. Stole my Dr Pepper while I was in the bathroom at playgroup.  By my estimation she probably drank about 16 oz.  Naptime was pitifully short that day.
2. Overturned 4 cereal bowls, two weren't even hers.
3. Climbed onto a kitchen chair and up onto the table, got my coffee mug, and poured it out all over the floor.  Thank goodness it was lukewarm and not steaming hot.
4. Snatched Kate's cough medicine (dosed up into a medicine cup) and poured it all over one of the throw pillows.  Again, thank goodness, because she did not drink it.
5. Brought me my thyroid medicine while I was taking a shower.  (YIKES!!!!!)  Thank goodness unopened.  Seriously, we DO NOT leave the medicine in reach.  Her problem solving ability has taken a huge step forward this week, so she's figured out all kinds of creative ways to get stuff she never got before.  For the first time I might actually install cabinet latches, never used them for Kate.
6. Rubbed many different foods in her hair: ketchup, beans, applesauce, yogurt, ice cream, peanut butter, pineapple, banana, peach, and guacamole.  The guac is the worst - it turns brown and starts to stink almost immediately.
7. Stolen 4 dishtowels, which I haven't found yet.  If she gave them to the dog, I may never find them.
8. Fallen off of a kitchen chair onto the tile.  Stopped crying in 20 seconds.
9. Collided with Kate, giving Kate a big bruise under her chin, and a big knot on Audrey's eyebrow.
10. Climbed on the subwoofer repeatedly. (in spite of spankings)
11. Rubbed her nose on the TV.  Boogervision!
12. Brought me the remote and the phone repeatedly.  (A couple of weeks ago she actually pilfered Paul's cell phone and called me without his knowing, and we had a conversation.  Totally serious.)
13. Changed all of the settings on the CD player.
14. Unrolled 3 rolls of toilet paper completely, and emptied at least one Kleenex box.
15. Hidden some CD's separate from their cases.
16. Wiped down the kitchen table with the peanut butter side of a PBJ.
17. Changed the volume on Daddy's alarm clock repeatedly.  We never know if it will be ear-splitting or non-existent.
18. Removed her poopy diaper, fortunately, she couldn't get her pants off.  I consider myself very lucky here.  Find more unfortunate stories at Kelly's blog.
19. Tried to flush a My Little Pony down the toilet.
20. Drank about 4 cups of bathwater before I realized it.  (Kate: "Mommy, Audrey must be thirsty - she keeps drinking the water.")

And that's just the stuff I remember!

Here's some non-mischief things:

1. Says "I dit!" (meaning "I did it").
2. Grins that million dollar grin.  It's all I can do to not grin back when I'm supposed to be stern.
3. Gives everybody kisses and running-full-on-crash-into-you hugs.
4. Can do all of our (little kid) puzzles now.
5. Loves to play Little People.
6. Makes me kiss all of her stuffed animals before bed.  And she tucks PeanutBear under a blanket in her bed, 'cause he's her baby.
7. Says "A-men" after the blessing.  Or "Ma-men."  Or "Hi-ya!"
8. Says "Tatelyn."  ("Mama!  I gah et.  Tatelyn bup."  translated: Mama, I got it - Katelyn's cup.)
9. Says "Hi Dad" on the phone. 
10. Instead of "boo-boo", she says "boba." ("Mama!  I gah boba.")
11. Started signing Thank You.
12. Signs please, points to the stereo, and then sways side to side - this is her way of asking me to put on the music so she can dance.
13. Loves to bang on the piano while Kate dances.  (My favorite moment of the week: Kate yelling, "Take it, Audrey!" then they just went to town.  Wish you could have seen it.)
14. Plays Mommy and Baby with Kate in her crib.  They take turns putting each other to bed.
15. Started making animal sounds like moo, meow, woof, etc.  She still calls everything "dogga" though, but she makes the right sound when I ask her what that animal says.
16. "Reads" aloud.
17. She's very sharing - she even shares her paci and cup with everyone.  This is not entirely a good thing, and she also expects the same in return.  Without asking.
18. Blows bubbles in her drink with her straw.  (I tell her to stop, because Mommy is supposed to teach good manners, but secretly I think it is adorable, because she is so proud of herself.)
19. Started eating at the table with a placemat and a (plastic) plate like the rest of the family.  This works most of the time, but she does like to put the placemat on her head.
20. She loves rock music and scrunches up her face and headbangs.  She's going to be my bass player.

What a character!

So the kids got their well-checks today, to see if they are healthy enough for preschool.  Official diagnosis:  "they are perfect."  As if we didn't know.  :)

Katelyn: 32.5 lb (50%), 38.5 in (90%). 

Audrey: 20.5 lb (20%), 31.25 in (75 %).

Somehow we missed some of Audrey's shots, but to catch her up today would mean 5 shots, and I just couldn't do that to her.  So we settled for 3 and we'll go back in a couple of weeks for the others.  Katelyn had to have a hepatitis A shot herself, and it was pretty rough.  There was much screaming and drama from both of them, so now we are all worn out.  We skipped Gymboree today because they were not in the mood for fun, just lollipops and TV.  Mommy is in the mood for Advil and knitting.

Ok, it's taken me 3 days, but I finally have all of the 4th of July pictures up on Flickr.  (well, the ones that didn't get corrupted by accident, but that's another story.  Paul is fixing them in photoshop.)  Anyhoo, they are up.  Now I just have to go backwards and get the pix from our trip to Edmond up there (the ones I took in June).

We had a great time.  The kids especially had a blast with Papa D. 

Kate isn't sick; she has blue lips because she was eating a blue sucker.

Fireworks are fun! 

So happy!

Audrey wasn't sure about the horses.

Can't wait til next year!

I (amy) don't know how to upload and edit videos from the really big video camera, but I do have a few from our little still camera.  Here's some random footage from playing outside.  I don't know what all those numbers are next to the video, but I'll have Paul check it out.

I will be getting a new computer sometime this year and have big plans for video editing after that gets all set up.

Up to somethin'.

Whiny.

Deadpan.

Impish.

But always cute!

Audrey turned 1 on April 27th. We had a party for her at Grammy and Grandpa's house and then another tiny party at our place a few days later. How fast this year has gone!

Audrey is walking fast now, and can climb the stairs in approximately 45 seconds.  She is such a sparkly little personality. She just lights up around people and loves to laugh and interact with others.  She loves to open and close things, push buttons, clean up toys, make a mess again, and dance. Her favorite song is "I've Got The Joy...", the kid's Sunday School song. She likes the "and I'm so happy, so very happy" part, and does the hand motions. She is only marginally interested in TV, but loves the remote. She loves to look at books and push little carts and play with musical instruments. She points with two fingers which looks like a crazy gang sign and it cracks us up. She is obsessed with hair and will sit and brush my hair for quite a while, although it really hurts, not from the pulling, but from her whacking me in the head with the brush. She also loves to brush her teeth. She does not like teething or being forced to sit at the table too long. She wants me to hold her a lot, partly because she is clingy but also because it gives her a better view of the world.  She is "early to bed, early to rise" -- she starts getting crabby at 7:30 regardless of when she got up from nap, which can make some nights very interesting.  She's my snuggly little bug and my silly little imp.  I love her coppery blond hair and how it boingy curls in the back. 

Her current "words": Mama, Daddy, Katelyn, Bay-er, Aud-ie, Nana, Papa, Gaga (Grandpa), done, dogga, more, guck (cup), gack (snack), gacker (cracker), uh-oh, ilk (milk), ck (yuck), baba (bottle), per (diaper), out, bush (brush). She also signs more, please, cup, juice, milk, sleep, diaper, bath, pick up, all done, out, play, and probably some others I have forgotten.  She can throw a world class tantrum now, especially when she doesn't want to take a nap and really needs one, or if she is sick of the car seat.  But overall she is a really good sport, and reminds me of Paul in that she is basically very adaptable and good natured, and it takes a lot to really rile her up (but once you do, watch out).  She has been consistent since birth in that her default mood is "happy."  She is vibrant and delightful and keeps us hopping!

Current food likes include: cheese, pears, crackers, ham, strawberries, mac and cheese, blueberries, grapes, bananas, chicken nuggets, pizza, spaghetti, guacamole, beans, and ANYTHING dipped in ketchup.  In fact some days I suspect all she eats is ketchup, licking it off of whatever she dipped in it, and then throwing the main food on the floor to be gobbled up by the dog before I notice.  Right now she is cutting molars and is super picky about her food - some days nothing sounds good but ice chips.  (We survived this stage with Kate so I am less worried about it the second time around.)  At her 1 year checkup she weighed 19 lb 4 oz (25%) and measured 30 1/4 in (80%).

Watch out world, here she comes!  We love you, sweetheart pie!

We did bluebonnet pictures again this year.  It was super windy and kind of overcast and I didn't get any spectacular pictures, but everyone was primarily happy and there were no ants.  So that translates to success in my book.

Kate and Noah share a kiss.  Daddy will probably flip out when he sees this.

It was impossible to get them to all be still and look toward the camera.  I don't know how those school picture people do it.  We tried everything.  Crystal even brought a whistle.

After picture time we went to the park and had a picnic then played.  Three buses of elementary school kids showed up but fortunately they were not allowed on the toddler playground.

You can find the entire set here.

OH MY GOSH.  This is going by too fast.  Is she REALLY that close to being a year old?

I call her my sugar because she is so sweet.  She gives great hugs and well-meant although very drooly and kind of bite-y kisses.  She's very very busy but always takes time out to give a great big smile to everyone.

She's crazy smart in the same way that Paul is.  I am amazed at her problem-solving skills and how she figures out how things work.  Recent examples:

• Refrigerator magnets: she loves to feel the pull as she holds them close to the fridge, and giggles to let them go mid-air and watch them snap into place.
• She can "do" a simple puzzle, that meaning she knows where everything goes but simply lacks the coordination to actually get the piece in the hole.  She sort of lays the pieces on top of the holes.
• She wanted to walk across the kitchen one day so she dragged a kitchen chair along with her for support.
• I gave her a snack trap with treats inside.  Instead of reaching in to get the treat and pulling her hand out, she grabbed it so the rubber lid was completely open, then shook all of the treats out.  So much for that.

Currently, she is refusing to nap, so I'd better cut this short.  She's a handful, but she's a delight!

Edited the next day to add:  Princess Smartypants also ran out of banana at lunch whilst Mother was away from the table, so she grabbed the banana off the table and started eating it like a big kid.  Mother returned to find Her Highness burying her face in the banana, raking her fingernails down the sides of it, trying to peel it.  Not sure how much peel was actually ingested.

In other news, a suspect only known as Little Miss Trouble went on a 10 minute destructive rampage this morning that included emptying an entire box of baby wipes and eating dog food.  She is still at large.  Rumor has it that a massive diaper explosion may occur later in the day.

Audrey took two steps on her own today!  She is 10 1/2 months old.

How the time flies.  I gave up doing the "milestones written on a sign" thing, she kept eating it.

Audrey is a live wire!  She crawls and cruises very fast to keep up with her big sister.  She is testing all the limits and keeps Mommy on her toes!  She stands briefly alone, but could probably stand for a while if she would ever BE STILL.

She LOVES the dog.  In fact, "dog" is one of her newest words, although it sounds like "dogga."  She has 10 signs but she reserves them for when she already has your attention; otherwise, a screech works best.  She is just shy of 18 pounds still but outgrowing her 6-12 mo clothing already.  She has 7 teeth, four on top and three on bottom, with more on the way in.

Favorite foods include bananas ("ba-bas"), macaroni and cheese (she models some in the picture above), minestrone soup (seriously!), and baby yogurt ("yo-ga").  Grammy let her try a cookie during our visit, and Audrey was very excited about it.  She's a little cookie monster, in fact.  ("Coo-kie!  Coo-kie!  Coo-kie!")

We all just adore her, if you can't tell.

So we just got back from a weekend in Dallas celebrating Kari's birthday, which was lots of fun, even though Audrey was sick and was a real handful at times.  I took her to the doctor today (3rd time in a week I have been to the pediatrician, 5th in two weeks) and poor thing has a DOUBLE ear infection and perhaps a little touch of pneumonia.  Antibiotics and more decongestants were prescribed.  In spite of that I think she actually was feeling a bit better today, as she slept in her own bed last night (until 8 this morning!) and actually had a little appetite this afternoon.  Seriously, why have my kids been so sick?  I just finished giving Kate her antibiotics for HER ear infection on Sunday, and then today started more for Audrey.  It is Audrey's second ear infection in two months, so if it happens again soon, I think a trip to the ENT will be in order.

This Friday Kate is having her birthmark removed, so we would appreciate your prayers.  It is outpatient but they do use general anesthesia.  We'll keep you posted.  I'm not really sure what to expect.

If Paul will help me fix the camera numbering thing, I'll post some pictures.  Until then, they are held hostage on the memory card.  Sorry.  He's been kind of busy, you know.  He got home at 8:30 tonight, we put the kids to bed, talked for a little while, and then he started working on REALife group stuff for tomorrow night.  But so it goes.

Ok, the long awaited (9 days) picture of my new haircut.

It's short in the back.  I was told this is called "The Posh" in reference to a particular famous person, but that's not why I asked for this haircut.  I just thought it was cute.  It goes nicely with my personal sense of style which also includes Infrequent Shampoos and Baby Drool Crust on My Shoulder.

Speaking of baby drool, look at this flirty little girl:

That's Audrey making eyes at Luke, Lauren's little brother, on a baby playdate.  I think she thought it was a real date.  She LOOOOVES him.

Audrey also has recently sprouted two top teeth, and two more are on the way in.  This accounts for much of the sleep trouble, I think, and will probably cause more for a while.  She's been pretty clingy.  She is learning how to eat all kinds of things and occasionally gets food in her mouth.

She's a feisty little thing!  And she turns nine months next week, so I'll have to update again soon.  Now, for this week's Kid Quotes:

Daddy: Hi Audrey.
Audrey, waving: Hi Daddy. 

--------

Katelyn (giving Audrey her cup): Here you go, Audrey.
Audrey: Taaaggg-ooooo. 
Katelyn:  You're welcome, Audrey.  (turns to Daddy)  She said thank you!

--------

Katelyn:  Mommy, dadh gooi hhe hoogok hllw.
Mommy:  I'm sorry, can you say that again, honey?
Katelyn, louder:  Djsll fooi whg jhkj aa.
Mommy, a little frustratedly:  Katelyn, I don't understand you.  Can you use your big kid words, please?
Katelyn, downright yelling:  MOMMY, SHOIGG WJ BOOHTW WATRKK FOSSSII PORU!!
Mommy, irked:  Alright, Katelyn.  I'll just wait until you are ready to talk like a big girl.
Katelyn, with dramatic sigh:  MOMMY, I'm speaking Spanish!

--------

(Katelyn has started calling us Mother and Father.)
Katelyn:  Hello, Father.
Paul:  Kate, I'm Daddy.  Why do you call me Father?
Katelyn:  Because I love you, Father!
Paul:  Aww, that's good enough for me!

Picture heavy post!  Prepare yourself!  And I know the formatting is terrible, but I don't really know what I'm doing, so don't be picky...

1. Kate's very first school concert!  She lost her shyness as soon as they started singing "Go Tell It On The Mountain."  She was one of the few kids actually singing, and was very animated.  Made mama so proud!  (sniff)
   
2. Christmas trip!

• People we saw during our trip:  Dad, Mom, Marc, Mom, Dad, Kari, David, Libba, Drew, Mick, Susan, Andrew, Butch, Mema, Guylene, Nona, Doug, Libby, Aiden, Laura, Blake, Scott, and probably about 20 other people I left out or forgot their names (sorry).  It was a blur.  Can you imagine how overwhelming this must have been to the kids?
• Kate was sick the whole week, poor thing.  She still managed to get excited about her presents, though.
• There was snow!
  
• There were Christmas hats!

• This was a good idea.  We needed some recovery time after the Oklahoma trip.  We finished the shelves.
  
• We played some Rock Band.
  
  
• We played with our new toys.
  

4.  Back to normal...

• Playin' in the backyard.
  

LOTS more pix on Flickr.  Sorry it took me so long to get them up there.   We're having fun playing with the new camera, too.

What we're doing this week: Kate is learning about ice at school, and Audrey is cutting several front teeth at once (she has not been her usual jovial self lately).  BUT overall we are sleeping more, yippee!  So Mommy is a nicer person now.  :)

Ok, we're SOOO busy...here's a little update on Audrey:

She's crawling a little, about 3 feet every 5 minutes.  Slow and steady.  She loves jingly things, and books.  Oh, the books.  She is actually saying "ook."  She always wants her "ooks" and everyone elses.  She is eating a lot of table food and slightly chews those baby puff things now.  She loves her cup but will throw it to get Mommy's attention.  She is STILL having trouble sleeping at night, ARGH.  But she gives sweet hugs and very drooly kisses, and she says "Mama" which melts my heart.  And she thinks Kate is hilarious!

We have taken pictures recently, but I haven't uploaded them.  The camera has been through some trauma after having coffee spilled on it (Audrey's fault).

Ok, to recap the Whirlwind:

10/30 Halloween party for 9 toddlers, 5 babies, and their parents.

11/10 Katelyn's birthday party, with out-of-town guests (Marc and Kandi).

11/14 Out of town guests Amanda, Brianna (3), and Beau (7 mos).

11/16 Tradeout of guests.  My parents arrive, Amanda leaves.

11/17 My First Thanksgiving To Cook extravaganza, went better than planned.

11/18 Katelyn turns 3, more out of town guests stop by (Jim and the boys), I eat soy accidentally and am unable to enjoy my Thanksgiving dinner.

11/19 No thanks to illness delays, David and Libba and Drew finally arrive.  Mom and I get some retail therapy.  Worship team rehearsal.

11/20 Mom and Dad leave.  Libba and I need more retail therapy.

11/21 I'm up all night sick again, and it's Kate's special day to go to Sea World.  David and Libba leave early.  I place a pathetic phone call to Crystal who generously gives me some of her nausea meds.  We go to Sea World anyways and have a blast.  It was worth it to see the look on Kate's face.

11/22 Thanksgiving Day!  Paul gets up with the kids and lets me sleep.  Bliss...

11/23 (today) up all night sick AGAIN.  I've had enough at this point so I go to urgent care and get a real prescription of my own. Today's plans include drinking Gatorade, laying on the couch, and knitting.

So now you know what we have been doing.  If I haven't promptly returned your phone call or email, now you know why.  :)  Maybe next week I will get to some Christmas shopping.  Pictures will eventually be up on Flickr.

Now, something I am thankful for:

I took a few of the semi-recent Katelyn and Audrey studio pictures, and compiled them into a desktop background.  As before, I made them in various sizes to match your own computer's desktop.  To find out what yours is set to, right-click on your current desktop, select Properties from the menu, select the Settings tab, and check out what it says for Screen Resolution.

Click on your closest match, and when the image loads, right click on the image and select "Set as Background"

1024 by 768 Pixels

1280 by 960 Pixels

1280 by 1024 Pixels

1400 by 1050 Pixels

1600 by 1200 Pixels

Kate gives her best thumbs-up, the only cheerleading move she knows.

That's Audrey, the crying Dalmatian.

Lots of stuff to share with you!  First up:  Audrey turned 6 months yesterday.  We took some pictures in the front yard and she was uncharacteristically stoic.

Audrey is usually our little ray of sunshine, don't let the pictures fool you.  Her current hobbies include drooling, shrieking, and kicking.  She loves having her clothes changed and when you pretend to eat her leg.  She is finally starting to appreciate being sung to.  She hates having her face wiped and being buckled into anything.

Next up:  we got some video of the two girls playing after dinner, both of them in their usual hyper state.  Paul translated the Kate-speak with subtitles!  Audrey only shrieks once or twice in the video, but prior to us turning on the camera the blood-curdling shrieks had been going on for about 15 minutes.  It puts a smile on your face and a migraine in your head all at the same time.  Anyways, observe the cuteness:

And in Mommy news, I wore my finished handknit tunic to church today.  It's made of bamboo yarn and I am very proud of it.  It was a big knitting challenge for me since I'm still a beginner.  Mom, thanks for all of those sewing skills, they really came in handy.  I wouldn't have been able to figure out the garment construction without them!