I feel horrible. I've been knowingly ignoring this blog. I feel bad posting when I can't include pictures ... and I've just had no time to work on any pictures of the kids. So I've been putting off posting ... but today I figured I'd just do an update post. And who knows, maybe it'll kick my butt into gear and MAKE me work on pictures tonight. :)
Recent Travels
We've been trying to make sure the kids don't get stuck in the house too much lately so we've been trying different activities. A couple of weekends ago we traveled to the Mall of America to meet up with Steve, Charina, Grace and "the fetus still to be named" (a quote from Steve's Christmas letter ... Charina is due at the end of March with their second ). We went to Underwater Adventures first. Riley got a kick out of it ... and Paige enjoyed it but was more concerned with making sure she had some crackers to snack on. After the aquarium, we got something to eat and snuck in a few rides. Riley insisted that he wanted to go on the water ride where you go around in a hollowed out log and then drop down at the end ... I wasn't so sure how he'd do ... but he LOVED it. The first time he went on with Ryan and the second time with me. Both times he was laughing his head off. He also wanted to go on the roller coaster but he wasn't quite tall enough. I think we have a dare devil on our hands.
Last weekend we headed up to Two Harbors to celebrate Ryan's parents 40th wedding anniversary with them and Ryan's sisters family. We stayed at the Larsmont Cottages and had our very own little cabin with a view of Lake Superior from the front windows. We spent the weekend snowshoeing, cross country skiing, swimming and just hanging out. Oh, and Clint, Riley and Grandpa all went and dunked their feet in Lake Superior so that Riley would have something to tell all of his friends.
Riley
Riley is doing well. I've been pretty impressed with his behavior lately. I think he's finally grown out of the terrible three's (terrible two's were nothing!) and he's actually enjoyable to be around now. That makes it sound like he was horrible ... he wasn't ... but it's just amazing how he's growing and maturing.
He's been very interested in time lately. He likes to ask what time it is, wants you to point out on the clock where the hands will be when it's his bedtime and picks up on times that are announced on the news/radio. It's kind of funny because he'll just randomly ask what time it is when we're out shopping and after you tell him he just says, "oh" like he understands exactly what 1:30 means. Ha ha.
Paige
Paige is showing signs of a little bit of an attitude. I'm scared for what is ahead of us. :) She's also been doing something that's kind of embarassing to her mom and dad. If we tell her no or she doesn't get her way on something, she'll drop to the ground and bang her forhead on the floor. It's the strangest thing and we have no idea where she picked it up from. She's done it for a while now. It's just embarassing when other people see it and look at us like "where the heck did she learn that?" If any of you have children who have done the same and have any tips for us, comments would be appreciated! :)
She's really shown an interest in books lately. I love reading (when I have time) and grew up reading new books all the time ... I love that she's showing an interest in books all on her own. As of right now we don't necessarly read from front to back, but I let her open the book to whatever page she wants and read what's there. I'm sure it also helps that we have a bookcase overflowing with books from her brother. Though, I should maybe work on getting some girlie books in there ... not that there's anything wrong with John Deere, Spiderman or truck books. :)
And on a total girlie note ... Paige got her first haircut last Thursday. I didn't have them take too much off but they evened it up all around and cut her bangs just a touch so they were swept off to the side and didn't hang in her eyes so much. I've managed to get pigtails (or devil horns as Ryan says) in her hair a few times now. It's so cute I can't help but laugh when I look at her.
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That's basically the update from our house. Paige got sick yesterday at daycare and has the beginnings of a cold I believe. We had such horrible winds yesterday though I didn't mind being home. There were blizzard conditions yesterday ... and now today we're left with freezing cold temps. Schools let out early yesterday and canceled for today. The house was creeking and popping quite a bit last night between the wind and cold. I love living in MN so that we can experience all four seasons ... but this is a bit extreme!
Hopefully, I'll get a chance to sit at my desk tonight and work on a few pictures to back up the above stories. Stay warm everyone!
