Random Faces

Future Duet Sisters

It is many mothers’ dreams (and possibly even mine) that the girls will someday play some type of musical duets.

Even if this is the closest they ever get, our moments of playing music together now are so cute!  K. has been really interested in her violin the last couple of days.  She’ll pick it up and play the open strings while I play a song on the piano.  We do a pretty thrilling rendition of “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”  N. often joins me on the piano.

“Here, N, try it like this.”

Lady-in-Training

N. loves her big sister and often plays with the same toys as K.  The other day, K. was playing dress up and N. found a pair of shoes to try on.  I should mention that she’s quite into shoes at the moment and is perpetually trying on whatever shoes are nearby—hers, K’s, Mom’s, or Dad’s.  Look how sweet her little baby toes are!

And she can even make a good attempt of walking in them!

(Pardon the dress hem—it’s a work in progress).

Curious Child

(And speaking of curiosity, I made the shirt out of something from N’s past.  Do you know what it used to be?  Satisfy your curiosity.)

It’s What’s For Dinner

As we traditionally do each spring, we had a farm meeting at a great steakhouse.  K. knocked down several rolls and dug through most of her plate of steak and broccoli.  Since N. doesn’t have molars yet (though two are poking through) she got broiled fish.  Maybe next year, kiddo.  K’s making an interesting face for the camera.

K. with her buddy C. (they first met when they were infants).  His parents run K’s great-grandpa’s farm.  They had a fun time coloring and playing while waiting for food.

Everyone who was there (except me, behind the camera).  The kids were really tired at that point so rather than setting a timer and trying, I just snapped a few and will have to photoshop myself in or something.

We had a wonderful time and can’t wait to do it again next year!

Pillow Fight

The girls have started using the pillows from the living room couches to fight with.  Since the pillows are so big compared to the girls, they are mostly used as a shield to run into each other with.

One of the nice things is that, when N. trips and falls down, she lands atop the pillow she was holding.

Hilarity ensues.

Look out!

Wheeeee!

Here is a fun video comparison of the girls. They're roughly the same age, and both learning to climb and use the slide.
K. climbed up quickly, went over to the slide, sat down, turned around, and slid feet-first on her stomach. Ever the first child, I guess, she did things politely and as would make her mom unconcerned.

N. climbs up quickly and heads to the slide, but doesn't slow down for things like, oh I don't know, turning around to go feet-first.

And this is why I'm always a worried Mama at the top of the stairs. Strangely, though, she doesn't have the same fearlessness about steps. She only today tried climbing down steps, and they were the set of two steps attached to our deck--not a long way. When she is at the top of a staircase, she is always careful, and when she climbs and gets to the top of our stairs, she shuts the gate behind her. Her sister did this too, but it surprised me that the more adventurous child would also.

Dancing Queen

K. had her first ballet class today!  She really enjoys dancing around, and I hoped she would do well in a classroom setting.  She did!  I was afraid that it would take the entire six weeks of class to get her out participating (like soccer this past fall), but she jumped in right away.  We had been talking about ballet class for a few weeks now, and she’s watched The Nutcracker so she had an idea of what ballet is.  She started to get really excited when she tried on her leotard, shoes, and tights, so I was optimistic it might go well.  It did.

I only took a couple of pictures at the end of class—I didn’t want to be That Mom Who Brings Her Huge Camera to a Toddler Dance Class.

She’s so much shorter than the barre!

I was so proud of her in class today.  I don’t expect that she’ll become a prima ballerina as a career, but I hope dancing will bring her some enjoyment—and counteract a possible lack of grace inherited from her mother.

It’s all I can do to not get ahead of myself and convert the basement into a dance studio.  I’d love to have a wall of mirrors, a barre, and a nice sprung wooden floor.  Maybe I’ll just stick an extra mirror in her bedroom.

Face Time

Put a Lid on It

We got a new toy for the girls—a set of wooden condiment bottles for their kitchen.

I’m actually pretty excited about them: while older kids can play with them as specific food items, the younger ones can put the lids on and take them off and put them on and take them off and put them…well, you get the idea.  Perhaps you’ve even spent time with a lid-obsessed toddler.  These use a magnet to stay on.  The lids also only fit on the ones that match, and N. figured that out pretty quickly.  I hadn’t seen her do something like that before, and it excited me!

She spent a good 30 minutes just playing with them.  I showed her how to “pour” and she would take the lids off, pour one, and put the lids back on.  And again.  And again.

Hanging with Grandparents

Sorry these pictures are from a few weeks ago—I got distracted and didn’t get this posted in a timely manner.N. with Grandpa.  She loves his fuzzy beard!

And with Grandma.  With all respect to my mom, I think that N. has the grumpier expression of the two of them.

Then and Now

Then…

…and now

(Sorry the picture is of such horrible quality!  I’ll try again next time they’re playing.)