Quick catch-up

Sorry.

Kids have been unwell with colds AGAIN!!!!!!! This is the 5th cold in four months that we've unwittingly welcomed into our household. I'm not happy that's for sure as tissues and cough medicine are becoming far too common on our shopping lists.

The kids are fine during the day - well mostly anyway but it's early evening where things get a little hairy and go either way very quickly. Yes, they've dropped their midday nap but since they've been unwell again they have been known to nod off every now and then if given the opportunity.

It's nighttime that is causing the most trouble. For several nights both girls have coughed their way through the entire night. They are not getting good rest, their throats must be so sore from the constant attempts at coughing away whatever it is that they're trying to expel and it makes for a very, very long night.

Now I don't sleep very well at the best of times but it's darned near impossible when I have one child in distress let alone two. I cannot sleep knowing that they're in discomfort and am pretty close to the end of my tether. However, I must admit that my thighs have been getting great workouts from getting in and out of our bed throughout the night from tending to the kids etc. It's been quite funny trying to explain that no I didn't work out hard, I just got out of bed!

On a brighter note we're getting closer and closer to being prepped for the move. Each weekend we've been knocking out tasks and crossing stuff off our list and that sure does feel nice. Last weekend I painted the hallway (Storm leaves that stuff to me as I like doing it) and this weekend signals the arduous task of kitchen cabinet painting. It's the prep that's gonna kill me on this one though so not really looking forward to it.

We've got boxes all around the house and need to get our butts to the storage shed to organize it and make some space here for some rearranging and more packing.

We're taking the girls to the Sesame Street show that's going on down here for the next couple of days. They don't know it yet and we're not going to tell them until we're in there tomorrow. Kendall has been looking at the ads on TV when they've come on screaming "Elmo, Elmo!" so I've got a good feeling that they'll enjoy it.

Storm's off to Las Vegas again in five weeks. Don't ask me why we planned another move around the biggest conference that our business attends each year. We're just suckers I guess. We've also got two deadlines between now and then so it's heads down and butts up for us!

We've also got Storm's friend from high school coming to San Antonio from Los Angeles for a wedding that we're planning on catching up with. So we're planning a weekend up there catching the zoo and the drive through safari that they've got up there before catching up for lunch with her and her hangover on Sunday. Should be fun as we haven't seen her since I was pregnant with the girls.

Oh, we started the girls in a dance class that is held by a private company at the daycare facility that they attend. They are so, so, so cute running around dancing and following the ladies. They giggle and scream with delight and have the best time. I've watched them by hiding down behind a lounge chair so they wouldn't see me. I didn't want to spoil the fun. Next time I'll get piccies but I think that they'll somewhat resemble a private eye's photos - fuzzy, out of proportion and focus. Oh well you'll get the gist of it I'm sure.

So, it's all go down here. We're busy packing, fighting coughs and planning the next couple of months.

It's going to be so nice to be settled and (fingers crossed!) in one place for a long, long time. We knew that Las Vegas wasn't our ideal location to live and thought (rather hastily I might add) that Portland would be a better fit for us. In some ways it was but in most it hasn't been.

Third time's a charm isn't it?

Yummmmmmm...

Chocolate ice cream anyone?

They enjoyed it. And will again soon-ish... (once I clean up the mess!)

Kitchen fun!

The girls have been wanting to help more and more around the house. Stuff like cleaning, sweeping, feeding the dogs, vacuuming, washing the windows, cooking etc.

Now you need to know that this is a good thing but it also has its drawbacks!

It's good because they're learning new things and learning about helping etc.

Bad because it takes so long for them to do some of these things and sometimes the outcome is messier than it was before.

It's a toss-up I suppose and it all depends upon time and our patience.

Now for their 2nd birthday Henry and Karen bought the girls a learning tower. This great piece of furniture allows the girls to get at counter height so that they can see what we're cooking as well as help in anyway that they can. It's a lot of fun for them and keeps them safe as they watch.

So, keeping their new found sense of eagerness and independence in mind we gave them plastic knives to "assist" in the veggie prep for dinner and other cooking stuff. Yes, they're helping cut the veggies, cheese, salad stuff, anything that is able to be cut with a plastic knife for dinner. 

The benefits of this has been two-fold. Firstly, it's the independence skill thing and secondly, they're eating the veggies as they cut them which has been fantastic (even raw zucchini!) and other stuff they help prepare

Here are some piccies.

First, making OJ with daddy. Yes, our orange tree kicked in massively and we have an excess of oranges (and as a result - OJ!)

Syd is helping first. Look at that determination! Kendall is learning patience and not too happy about it.

Making sure the job is done right...

Pressing it down hard to get the maximum juice out of an already juicy orange! (oh, sidenote: orange is pronounce "on-ag" by the girls - the "g" is like in giraffe not garage)

 Kendall is also as determined.

 Kendall is so focused but Syd found the bowl that they used previously to make the cupcakes with.

 

Hooking in with the wooden spoons. Mmmmm...cupcake batter! Yep, she's taking after her mummy.

 Here they are helping with the salad and veggies.

 Carrots, lettuce - all is fair in salad prep!

 Please note that Kendall has now got the concept of holding the knife the right way - sharp side down!

 Kendall is still a dribbler. She just concentrates so much and forgets to swallow. I'm not what the neoghbours think when they hear us say to her "Swallow Kendall and wipe your chin!"

 I'm looking forward to the new house where the layout of the kitchen will be better for the kids to help out with us both and keep on going with the food prep!