Tasty Toes and Taming Froes

Alegria LOVES going to the library for story time.  When I tell her we're going to the library, she signs and asks "aunt?"  And I tell her that yes, her Aunt Abilehi works there.  And as soon as we get into the parking lot of the library, she keeps saying "library" over and over again very excitedly!  It's cute! 

One of the reasons she loves story time is because there is always a craft for the kids to do...and she LOVES crafts!  She especially loves crafts that involve glue.  She's getting better at using glue all by herself, but she still gets a lot of it all over her hands...like in this picture where she's trying to get some of the dried glue off:

Because we were late to story time again today, we sat on the outside of the circle.  When that happens, Alegria is less inclined to sit on a carpet square inside the circle if I'm not sitting nearby.  So...since we were outside of the circle, when it came time for the goodbye song, Alegria was not one of the first ones to choose a musical instrument.  She usually always gets the purple maracas, but today another little girl beat her to them.  Alegria tried wrestling them away from the little girl, but I let her know that she couldn't do that and directed her towards the bin to choose something else.  She wasn't very satisfied with her choice of instrument, though...

After everyone was gone, we stayed to visit with Abilehi while she cleaned up.  Alegria found the name tags and put them on herself like they were some special and fun kind of sticker!

Today the theme was Teddy Bears and they had a few on display, so as Abilehi cleaned up, Alegria played with the bears:

Alegria also tried grabbing the box of pom-poms, but since she was holding all of the teddy bears, she dropped the pom-poms on the floor.  Thankfully, she's good at clean-up and picked them all up, too:

While I kept chatting with Abilehi, Alegria played underneath the craft tables:

Finally we came home.

Cameron had great timing and called just as we were getting home!  He and I talked for a little while and then he talked to Alegria.

Then it was naptime for both girls.

While the girls napped, I researched switching our cable providers.  We have Time Warner Cable right now, but Cameron really wants to get NFL Sunday Ticket this upcoming season, so we'll be switching to DirecTV.  I was just trying to figure out which package to get.

I was online longer than I'd hoped and by the time I was about ready to get off the computer, Alegria woke up...and then because I didn't want Odette sleeping too late, Alegria and I went to go get Odette up from her nap, too.

So...because both girls were up and I hadn't worked out yet, but since they both had slept well and were in a good mood, I brought out my elliptical and did my run.  The girls were really good while I worked out:

After about 30 minutes, though, Odette was tired of sitting in her rocker, so I did something I hadn't done before...I strapped on her Bjorn carrier, put her in it, and continued my run!  Odette loved the movement...and I got an even better work out!  Not only was I wearing my Shape-Ups, which have helped my thighs to get slimmer, but I was also wearing my ankle weights...and now with Odette as an added weight while I did my run, I could definitely feel my muscles working that much harder!  I may have to continue doing this!!!  :)

Finally done with my hour run, I sat and chilled with Odette while Alegria did HER "run."  :)

Odette was having fun exploring her toes:

And getting a taste!

Yeah...Alegria's workout involves climbing, too!

After dinner, it was bath time:

What can I say?  She loves lotion!

Um...Alegria...?  When it says "all-over body lotion," they don't really mean ALL over...!

Well...at least that tamed your fro!  Haha!

Once Odette was in bed, Alegria had her bath and then it was clean-up time.  When I told her to clean up her jungle animals, too, she was very proud of herself and the new spot she found for them:

Now it's off to bed I go, too!

Have a wonderful night, everyone!!!  :)

Sunday

This Sunday morning, I finally had the energy to wake up at 6:30, before the girls were up, to shower and get ready.  I kind of mis-planned, though, because I didn't have everything I needed in the master bath, so at 7, I ended up having to go into the bedroom...and as soon as I walked in, I heard Alegria's little voice say, "Hey!"  :)  So I quieted her down, grabbed my pantyhose, and took her with me out to the living room so that I could finish getting ready out there. 

Had I been too loud?  Had she heard the shower and woken up?  Might she have not woken up until 7:30 like she usually does if I hadn't come into the bedroom?  I guess I won't know until next week and I try it again, with better planning so that I don't have to go into the bedroom... 

Unfortunately, even with having gotten up at 6:30, I still ended up getting us to church late...though this time, only by three minutes, so it was an improvement on last week!  I attribute it to the fact that I stopped my getting-ready to take pictures of the dessert I had made last night for today's linger-longer after church.

I got the secret on how to make these delicious brownie bites from Kerri...thanks, Kerri!  Everyone loved them...they were gone in a flash!!!

Alegria had seen me putting the brownie bites on the serving tray this morning and had wanted to have some, but I told her she'd have to wait until after church.  

At the linger-longer, I served us a tiny taste of everything...but when I asked Alegria, pointing to each item on the plate if she wanted some, she said "no" to everything...everything except the brownie bite!  She went to TOWN on that little taste of heaven!!!  But when she asked for more, alas, they were all gone!  

As soon as we got home from church, at about 1, I changed Alegria's diaper and put her to bed.  She was so tired she went down without a fight...and fast!

Odette, on the other hand, had slept from 11-12 at church in my arms and was wide awake.  I had a Facebook chat date with Cameron at 1:30, so I just had her sitting in her rocker while he and I chatted.  Finally, at about 2, she was sleepy, so I nursed her...and she slept until 3, about when Cameron and I ended our chat.

At that time, Odette and I went to go get Alegria...but I was now tired, so I brought both girls to our bedroom and turned the TV on.  I sat Odette up in her boppy in the middle of the bed next to me and I dozed while Alegria watched cartoons and played with toys.

Every now and then, Alegria would come up to me and say in a very loud, but very cute voice, "Wake up, Mommy!"  I kept telling her to give me just a few more minutes...

Finally, at 4, I got up, a little more rested than before, and we had a quiet rest of the night.  

We played and took pictures of Odette in her 22nd week:

(By the way, this was Odette's second outfit for the day.  She had had a blow-out while I was chatting with Cameron and I had to completely change her out of the clothes she'd worn to church...lovely!)

Then we had dinner and I took a picture with Odette:

Then I put Odette to bed and when I came out, I got a picture of Alegria:

And then a picture with her and me, though I had to bribe her to get her to take it with me!

Then I had my regular duties to attend to and finally came here to blog.

Let's see...what else that isn't just daily journaling?  What deep thoughts can Lehilina actually have...? 

Today I was thinking how great it is to have Alegria getting older every day...not that I didn't enjoy her earlier stages in life, because I did!  But now that she's older, she and I can actually have conversations and I can understand her and she understands me and when I speak to her, I don't feel like an idiot speaking to a brick wall (well, sometimes it still feels like that!  Haha!). 

What I mean is, I see the difference in both of the girls...Odette responds to me, sure, just like Alegria did when she was that age...just all smiles and giggles...such a little love!  But now I can have more meaningful (well, not more meaningful because every interaction with Odette is extremely meaningful and molds her little personality, but you get what I mean!) interactions with Alegria!  It's so fun to start seeing how she thinks as she expresses to me her wants, dislikes, her needs...!  I just think it's awesome!!!  And thinking that I have something to do in her progress...well, that's just better than chocolate cake!!!  NO LIE!!!!!!!!!  :)

And there you have it.  My deep thought for the day.  :oP  Not so deep, really, but I just had to share how amazed I am at Alegria.  :)  I love her  and Odette and Cameron SO MUCH!!!  I love our little family!!!!!!!!!!!  :)

Have a great night, everyone!!!  :)

A Pretty Quiet Day

We all woke up at about 7:30 this morning...some of us with worse bed-head than others...!!!

Some in the household needed bandaids today...

And the rest of us just had a grand ol' time laughing the day away!

And even though crayon tastes great (see the yellow on her teeth), I did actually give her some real food!  I thought by now Alegria would be out of the "put everything in your mouth" stage, but I guess I was wrong...I still have to tell her to "spit it out!" a lot!!!

Plugging her ears during the part in "Dumbo" where the elephants all fall down from their pyramid:

Odette: "Happy to be me!"

Odette singing: "I've been working on the railroad, all the live-long day...!"

Odette: "This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home..."

Odette singing: "I'm bringing home a baby bumblebee...won't my mommy be so proud of me...!"

Strutting her stuff like she's on the catwalk...

Alegria and Odette really love each other!  I know Alegria knows Odette is her sister and that she loves her, but I never realized that Odette could feel the same way at such a young age...but every time Alegria comes near Odette, Odette gets a HUGE grin on her face and laughs the cutest little laugh!  She knows Alegria is her big sister and she loves her so much!  Cameron and I are so blessed to have two beautiful, loving daughters!

Odette was kind of gagging on her bananas and rice cereal today.  I thought maybe it was because I hadn't given her any yesterday or the day before and so she was getting used to them again.  I ended up throwing out the rest of the banana because she really didn't like it.  That's the bad thing about giving her real bananas to eat...they don't always taste the same, depending on how ripe they are!  :(  Maybe I should just switch to jarred bananas so that the taste is consistent until she's older...  Eventually she seemed ok with the rice, though.  I don't know if it was because she stuffed her fist in her mouth, too...?

Well...the day would have been quite relaxing and without incident, but as soon as I put Odette in her tub to bathe her, she threw up what I thought was ALL of her dinner!  Not only the rice cereal, but I had nursed her after she had the rice cereal and all of that came up, too!  I had to empty the tub, clean it out, and start all over again.

Then, after I got Odette dressed for bed, I picked her up off of our bed and was about to take her into the bathroom to brush her gums...when she threw up again!  She soaked her burp cloth and the front of her pajamas!  I changed her pajamas and I figured brushing her teeth might help take the taste out of her mouth, so I did that...and then she threw up again...only this time it was all clear.  Apparently, she'd emptied her stomach.  Poor baby!

At this point, she was looking very tired and lethargic.  After the first time that she threw up, I took her temperature and it was only 98.8, so pretty normal.  Then after the last time she threw up, I checked her temperature again and it was 97.  I don't think she's sick...I wonder if the bananas and rice cereal just upset her stomach. 

Needless to say, I was on the verge of tears.  My poor baby had never thrown up like that and I was so sad that not only had she thrown up, but she just didn't want to do anything other than cuddle with me!  She just molded herself into my chest and was looking so fragile!  :(

Then Alegria came and Odette started smiling and laughing at her and I knew she was ok.  :)

So we had family prayer and then I read two books to Odette, then turned the lights out, and then just rocked her and stroked her back as I sang to her.  I didn't even attempt to nurse her...I didn't want to upset her stomach anymore.  I was and wasn't surprised that she went to sleep really quickly without nursing at all.  We'll see how the night goes. 

Once Odette was in her crib, I came out to the living room and Alegria and I cleaned up her toys and then it was Alegria's turn for a bath. 

After her bath, once she was dressed, we came to the bathroom to brush her teeth and hair.  I brushed her hair, but according to her, it wasn't good enough because she had to do it all over again!

Alegria finally in bed, I then had the dog to play with and feed, the fish to feed, and the kitchen to clean up. I know...it gets monotonous, doesn't it? You reading about my boring everyday tasks...me doing them! Haha!

Anyway. Yesterday I had a little break from the routine by making the flower clips, today I had a little break from the routine by making some peanut buttery-chocolate-covered brownie bites drizzled in white chocolate-dyed-blue. Tomorrow after church there's a linger longer (I've never attended one since we've been here in Cove...two years!), so I'm planning on staying and seeing what it's like and how the girls do after three hours in church already, staying a little longer...

I also broke out of my routine and did a little sewing to mend a pillow slipcover.  I did a pretty good job, if I do say so myself!  :)

Now I'm done here at the computer and will go join our little girls in dreamland.

Good night y'all!!!