THE GROWING GENTRYS: January 2012

*great sunny walk, shadow pic courtesy of Tia Rachel

Almost February already?! Holy smokes?! Its 2012?!

Our new year started out great, as last year, with Grandma Cindy and Chip having a sleep over New Years Eve party with Will and Ada while mom and dad stay out late and sleep in New Years day. Will was so excited to have them over, he had Grandma up half the night watching neighbors fireworks from the backyard!

Otherwise, we have pretty much been detoxing all month from our nice, long Wisconsin getaway. Getting back to the grind and routine around here. It took me about three weeks to unpack and restock the cupboards!

But we also still have stuff to talk about. We're doing the "usual" January activities. Hitting the sun! Parks, zoos, walks, backyards.... you know, the usual. :)

These guys continually crack me up and amaze me at how they interact with their world more each day. They can pretty consistently get their point across, what's on their mind, something they need. Like without thinking, handing me something "Here you go". But some things still take a while to translate. Like Will's word for elephant: "Happy". ? dunno. Can also get confusing when two words sound the same--applesauce and octopus. Also, add their own twist--"train" = "choo choo ah-bee". And their memories are getting pretttttty sharp. Goodnight Moon is still a bedtime favorite around here, and they make a game to see who can point to the "young mouse" first on each page--MOUSEY! Speaking of mouse, they have been utterly obsessed with Mickey Mouse around here, thanks to their overdose of him while in Wisconsin. They love him so much, sometimes while whining about something entirely unrelated they'll be all "Mickeeeeeyyy Mouuuuuse". They love to talk about all his friends too--Minnie, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, etcetc. Oh, and Nemo, a very close second. During Finding Nemo, Ada consistently cries when the fish say "goodbye" to the group of sea turtles. Their imaginations and independence are soaring, playing and laughing with each other over a good game of rock toss (technically totally not allowed), dino, kitchen, and of course ending it with a wrestle, scream match! :) Ah, twins.

Kids love Sofia's bike, but haven't figured out how to make it GO!. Pretty much looks like this--kid sitting, feet on pedals, hands on handle bars, looking at ground. "Go bike, GO".

Dad teaching Will and Ada how to roll down a hill.

They gave up and just started running down. Here with pal Leah. "Running!"

No kidding. This is how Will fell asleep.

Tia and AJ time at the zoo on a rare overcast January day.

Since Rachel has been a zoo volunteer, she is full of random zoo/animal factoids. Like this lion who is nearly two years old. Just like my lions.

Will showing AJ the giraffes.

Buncha monkeys in monkey village. The spider monkeys loved Adas mouse. Reward was super close encounters!

Twin burritos post bath.

Snail searching at Grandma Cindy and Chips.

Wills favorite book at Grandma Cindy's about baby animals from friend Elaine. Here point to baby crocodile. Ada, background crib hops.

Coming to see the action. Reading together.

Reading with Chip. Again, Baby Animals.

Doesn't get old! OK, maybe it does for all of you :). Moving on...

Checking out the cool new train set Ada and Will got from Grandma Cindy and Chip for Christmas. Side note: we can now tell Ada to "get her hair out of her face", and she does. Big plus. Also, here wearing her new favorite outfit she got from Aunt Carolyn. She opened it and insisted on putting it right on. Great find Aunt Carolyn!

See! Still loves the outfit. Here in flower pants, saying cheese, post hair out of face!

Will "helping" me put the groceries away. Leaning tower of macncheese.

The kids also love the kaleidoscopes they got from Uncle Ed and Aunt Erin, even though I don't think they understand their depth of their coolness. But they mimic how we use them. They'll twist it and hold it somewhere on their face and say "wow", "cool". Here Ada giving bear a turn.

Playing doctor. After every "procedure" I'd ask Ada if baby, giraffe, dog was "better" or "sick" and she would decide what needed to be done next. Giving them beans was a treatment preference.