Been a long time

Jeannie has been growing and changing like a weed. She now has 6 teeth, 4 on top and 2 on bottom. She doesn't just walk she runs everywhere. I have a hard time catching her if I am not stealthy enough and she is extremely sure on her feet. She loves to climb up on everything and I find her on the table quite frequently. She also tends to fall sometimes when she climbs up but she hasn't gotten any bruises from it surprisingly. The girls have been playing in the pool lately. I have tons of gardens and they know where to find food out in the back yard. Our cherry harvest is already over, it was nice when it lasted. Jeannie enjoyed it very much. Currently we are waiting for our enormous raspberry crop to ripen. We already have radishes and snap peas in and of course lettuce but our peppers and tomatoes are currently in stasis. Liesl is done with her swim lessons for the summer but we have been swimming wherever we can find a pool and she is doing great. Gymnastics is also coming along great. Liesl has been making friends left and right there and she is making progress with her tumbling. We have been taking zoo trips and farm trips and trips to Stoney to play on the awesome play structure. We visited the carnival when it was in Washington and Liesl gladly went on everything she was big enough for including the ride where you stick to the walls and the egg beater. She really enjoyed the giant slide and the ferris wheel and she even managed to get into the local paper with her sister while feeding the farm animals they had there. She also rode a camel! How many kids get to ride a camel? I never did. Thank you Kimmee for a great day. Looking forward to some cottage action and tons of fun with the neighbor kids. It is so cool having a kid next door she can go ask to come out and play.

Climbing climbing

Jeannie has really been into climbing up and over and through everything. There is no stopping her.  Once you take her back down she climbs right back up. She has fallen a few times from her shenanigans. Speaking of falling,  Liesl fell yesterday on the cement and her headband cut her forehead open.  I almost took her in for stitches. She has been sporting a Winnie the pooh band aid since. We met the neighbor's grandchild as s result and the kids had a good time in the playhouse together.  We are almost ready to put all the rest of our vegetables in now.  I have almost all our beds prepared.

Long day

Today we picked up Aunt Barb and Kaethe from the airport. Luckily Jeannie got in 16 hours of sleep (8-noon) then chilled out with some me time in her bedroom for 2 plus hours. She closed mommy and daddy out. We watched her on the baby monitor. It was super cute. Then she took over an hour nap. Good thing too because she didn't get to bed on time. She has been learning some new words like ball and happy. She was happy because she got hold of the iPad. The kids have been having such a good time in the hot weather they love playing in the play house. Jeannie always makes sure she rings the doorbell before she goes in. She also loves the slide and especially the swings back there. Oh.... And don't forget the dirt. She loves to get hold of dirt.....and tries to eat it. She likes to climb into my raised garden beds and sink in. Jeannie has also been doing a lot of climbing. I can't keep her off the table, chairs, or the entertainment center.

liesl has been trying to run outside at every free second. She is very helpful in the garden helping me weed the beds and water. She is very excited about our crops. Our peaches and cherries are coming along quite nicely and so are our veggies and our raspberries.

Climbing climbing

Jeannie has really been into climbing up and over and through everything. There is no stopping her.  Once you take her back down she climbs right back up. She has fallen a few times from her shenanigans. Speaking of falling,  Liesl fell yesterday on the cement and her headband cut her forehead open.  I almost took her in for stitches. She has been sporting a Winnie the pooh band aid since. We met the neighbour's grandchild as s result and the kids had a good time in the playhouse together.  We are almost ready to put all the rest of our vegetables in now.  I have almost all our beds prepared.

Dress up

Jeannie really has been into dressing up lately.  She loves to try on everyone's shoes and try on her clothes.  When I was putting in our new raised garden beds the other day Jeannie was trying to crawl into them. She was in up to her hips and shoulders in dirt.  She took 3 baths that day.
Liesl has been spending hours outside with her chalk and her fairie garden and playyhouse. She has been sneaking out any chance she got.  We should put on some door chains. 
Heading up to the cottage with Oma, Barb, and Colton.  We are going to have some fun.

New stats

Jeannie is now 19 lbs 15 oz, 18 inch crown and 29 inches long.  The girls are both just under the 50th percentile.

Jeannie is doing very well with getting around.  She is a super fast walker.  When we were at the farm center she was practicing her animal noises and calling back to the sheep and goats.  She also started a new word, Duck. Her favorite game is peek a boo. She likes to reply with Boo. When the Elmo song comes on she sings "Lalala". She likes to bring books over and plop herself in a lap when you are sitting criss cross applesauce. We have been playing a bit outside and it has been hard keeping her from eating the dirt and rocks.

Liesl now has several imaginary friends. She Iris being the ringleader.  Some are babies and she makes  up elaborate stories about them. I gave her my old iPod shuffle and it is filled with kids songs. I love watching her dance around with that little pink iPod clipped to her skirt belting out "the cat came back"

Great Wolf Lodge

We went to the Great Wolf Lodge this past week with the Omas, Grandad, Opa, Barb and Colton. Liesl and Colton were allowed an inch apiece since they were just short of the mark to go on the big kid slides. They both needed a bit of talking into going on them but after Liesl went Colton soon followed. They had a blast and I could not imagine how many times they both went down. Jeannie also enjoyed the water park, playing in the wading pool and splash zone and with her sister. Liesl did very well with jumping on the lily pad obstacles and swimming around in the pool too. Everyone except Opa went on the slides. We talked them all into having a blast. Our room this time was a wolf den where there was bunk beds and a mural on the wall of some wolf pups and both the kids had a sleep over there. Both kids also got a wolf pass which is certainly the way to go and they got to do all kinds of activities in the Cub Club and MagicQuest and even make their own stuffed animal. They both woke up early to go to the Nature Walk in the morning. Liesl actually managed making her own origami and followed directions very well. They all enjoyed all of the characters whom seemed to be very drawn to Liesl and Jeannie. Since it was Earth day this week as well as Arbor day they all got Oak seedlings to plant. On the way home we went to Leland and went shopping at the Pirates and Princesses shop and got some ideas at a garden decorating store. Ran off with some big rocks from the beach and then got a bite to eat at the Blue Tractor. Our trip home took a little longer than expected and it was really good to finally be home.

I have been building Jeannie and Liesl's playhouse lately. It has taken up a lot of my time but the results and rewards from putting it together are great. I didn't think I could do what I did by myself. I know I couldnt have gotten as far as I could have with the starting of the playhouse without mom's help. I also have been building some raised beds for the garden. It is going to be huge. We have "the three sisters" planned for one part of the garden (corn, squash, and beans together) and pumpkins, peas, all sorts of peppers and tomatoes, onions, carrots, broccoli, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes, raspberries, and I dont even remember the rest. We also are going to make stepping stones to surround the gardens so that we can make our way between them and not have to mow as much. The fairy garden will also be expanded. I have a lot of plans for that for rainy days...making furniture, ladders, pedestals, arbors, pools, baths. I just need to get hold of some mosses.

The weather is getting nicer and it was high time that I got us our zoo pass last week. We have been spending alot of time with Colton and Barb there and the kids have been loving getting out in the weather. Liesl has definitely been much more agreeable getting out and getting exercise. Jeannie has not been getting all the sleep that she deserves though. Tomorrow we will be having an Oma Gabi day so I will put Jeannie down for her full nap tomorrow. Pictures to come soon.