Happy Halloween!

We have had a great Halloween this year.  It was so fun to be able to share it with C and E.  On Sunday we participated in our church's trunk or treat.  Since the girls were dressing up as ballerinas, we decorated our trunk as their dance studio.  It was a lot of fun to help with this.  I know it is something that we will do next

year too.

Here are the girls in their dance studio, complete with mirror and bar.

The sign announcing our trunk.

Emma is ready to dance!

Here are the ballet slippers my mom made for the girls to wear.  She is so crafty!

They were so pleasant through the whole trunk or treat.  They smiled and "talked" to all of the people that came by.

Daddy helping Charlotte on the tricycle, I think she is a little too small.  

Here is what our trunk looked like.  It was a nice sunny afternoon!

Today we dressed the girls back up in their costumes and took them around to a couple of our neighbors houses.  While we weren't actually trick or treating, it was fun to take the girls out visiting and I think our neighbors enjoyed it as well.  We used our red wagon although by the end of the ride the girls just wanted to be held.  

Riding in the wagon.

My sweet little ballerina.

And my other sweet little ballerina.  

At our neighbor's house.

To finish off the day John and I spent the evening with dinner and a movie.  Happy Halloween!

Good Halloween Morning!

In celebration of Halloween this morning we wore pumpkin bibs for breakfast. This was greeted with many smiles and happy noises. We also tried yogurt for the first time. They liked it pretty well.

Helping Daddy

Today was a busy day. We started the morning painting trim in the bathroom and then spent the rest of the day getting ready for the trunk or treat tomorrow. I think it is going to turn out really well. As part of that, John washed the car. The girls came outside in their wagon and helped. It was nice to be outside on a cool fall day.

We Support Mizzou

Both my husband and I went to the University of Missouri at Columbia.  While we have since moved away, we still support our college team and hope to cheer them to victory every Saturday.  E and C have even gotten into it.  I see some tigers in the making.  Go Mizzou!

Our visitor

Yesterday our friend Leo the dog came to visit for a week while his owners are out of town. Gus is not too happy but the girls are enjoying watching him walk around the kitchen. I like having a dog around as he encourages me to get outside and eats the food that the girls spill, but it also reminds me how much extra work they are. I am glad we can borrow him for a while and then give him back.

A Surprise about Parenting

I knew that parenting would be challenging.  I had thought about all of the care I would have to give my daughters, the discipline I would have to enforce, and the lack of sleep I would get.  What I did not anticipate was the fact that parenting would push me to be a better person, and really examine my actions.  I have had two different instances in the last week where I found myself having to chose between what would be easy and what was right.  Both times I considered what example I want to set for my daughters, how I want them to see me and my actions.  I thought that in being a parent I would be shaping and helping my daughters grow, I never anticipated that I would grown and be shaped by them!

My Little Inspirations

Homemade Baby Legs

I have been wanting to get some baby legs for the girls for a while, but haven't quite been able to justify 24 dollars for two pairs.  Having a budget makes getting cute and fun baby things a little more difficult.  Today, as I was looking around on the internet I found a great tutorial for homemade baby legs.  It seemed so easy that I ran out to wal-mart (ok, you can't run anywhere with twins, but you get the idea) and bought some socks.  I was able to put them together while the girls napped, it was that easy.

Here one of the pair of socks.

Here are the completed baby legs, one pair for each girl.  The way the tutorial had me finish them created a ruffle at the bottom.

Here are my models.  They fit really well and I loved the ruffled bottom.

To find the complete tutorial click here.  I will be making more as soon as I can get to target to find some cute socks.

Interacting

Today I set both girls into one playpen for a moment and it was really fun to watch them interact. They kept passing charlotte's pacifier between them and laughing. Here Charlotte is grabbing for it back. I also gave them crackers for the first time today. Emma promptly crushed them all up on her tray while Charlotte picked up her cracker and carefully ate it. It is neat to see how their personalities come out even while they are eating.

Holding Hands

Today while I was feeding the girls a mix of peas and green beans, they started grabbing and holding hands. It was really sweet. I love these moments that the girls share together.  It is fun to see how their relationship is growing and developing.

In the Parking Lot

Today we took a trip to walmart as a family. The morning had been tough as Emma was pretty cranky, but she really enjoyed the outing.  I blaming the crankiness on teeth.  I think they are looking at a car driving by in the picture.

Flower Tights!

Today for church the girls wore their first pair of tights ever. They looked very cute with little flowers on their legs.

Daddy and His Girls

I think the title says it all. I love these three!

Diaper model

Recently I got some new cloth diapers in a bigger size, since my girls keep growing bigger. They are a fitted type of diaper. Here is Charlotte modeling them. They are none to big. I like how they look so clean and natural. The girls have been taking two naps a day for the last week or so. I am enjoying the new schedule. Tonight we moved their bedtime up half an hour, we will see how it goes.

Family

A couple of weeks ago we were lucky enough to have my husband's parents and grandmother come visit for a week and a half.  It was a truly wonderful visit.  I am so thankful to have their support and love.  They were great with C and E.  There was time on the floor playing, singing of songs, multiple wagon rides, outings to the park, and just general companionship.  Here are a few photos from that week, including some family photos we took after church.

Playing outside in the beautiful weather.

Many, many wagon rides.

Four generations.

A happy family.

John and his parents.

This is one of my favorite pictures.  She is so happy in grandpa's arms.

Little Reminders

Yesterday I was moving through the house picking up various clutter when I really took a moment to think about and notice how our house and lives have changed in the last few months.  There are little reminders all around me.

Two pairs of shoes on the stairs.

Two little tooth brushes in the bathroom.

Bibs ready for meal time.

I am so truly thankful that I am surrounded by these little reminders.  I have been working to appreciate the here and now, and I was able to do that yesterday.  It sunk in a little bit more how incredible the journey to this point has been.  

PJ day

Today was another very cold day. The roofs had frost on them when we woke up. I decided that the girls would stay in their pj's all day to stay warm. They both had rosy cheeks and noses today. I think it must be due to the cold. Charlotte has been saying a lot of vowel combinations, one sounding a lot like "mama". I think she is getting closer to putting sounds together. Emma also has been saying a lot, her noises are much more high pitched and sound like "hey".

Shoes!

We had a big day today. This morning we went to a bunco get together with some moms and kids from the MOPS group I am with. I felt anxious about how it would all go, but it was a really fun time. It was so chilly today (high in low 50's) that I put shoes on the girls. They looked very cute and very grown up.

It got cold!

This afternoon I stepped outside and realized that the temperature had dropped at least 15 degrees. Needless to say the girls got pants, socks, and jackets put on. They looked very cute with the hoods up. I am so used to dressing them in just a onesie that this is going to be an adjustment. Hope you are enjoying the cooler weather.

I am Blogging Again!

As you can tell, I have changed the name and look of my blog.  While I still plan to "look on the bright side," I now have two very fun little girls to write about.  I finally feel like I finally have the time and energy to share some adventures, pictures and ideas.  I have been sending a daily email to my parents and plan to share that on here. I have been working on putting some of the older pictures up.  I am looking forward sharing my experiences with twins and having a record of how things are going as the days fly by.  I am also looking forward to connecting with others.  If you can forgive me for my lack of blogging these last seven months, I will try and make it up to you with cute pictures of my kids.

Joyful Emma

Emma was in a very happy mood this evening. She was making her high pitched talking noises and grabbing at her feet. Her mood was infectious. Also note how big she is getting. She is almost too big for that chair. That will be a sad day.

Playing Together

Today was busy for us. This evening the girls actually had fun playing together. They were pushing blocks around and saying different noises at each other.

Reading Time

-
I have been trying to make sure that we have a book and reading time every day. Here are the girls during that time. Once I read to them, I let them have some time with the books. Right now all they want to do to them is chew, but I am hoping eventually it will become more than that. The girls are now eating three meals a day and the last couple of days we have successfully done two naps! 

Hair Cut

My mother and husband both felt that Charlotte needed a hair cut, seeing as her long locks were in her eyes. 

Here is sweet Charlotte before her hair cut.




And here is sweet Charlotte after her haircut. It was more traumatic for me than I thought it would be  There might have been a tear shed. I don't love it, but it will grow back.

Ready for Bed

Tonight I had to get the girls ready for bed all by myself, which can be a challenge. They both have to do a lot of waiting. Here they are as I was just about to take them upstairs. This is happening more and more these days, one taking a toy from another.

The Wagon Fun Continues

Every day John and Cheryl have been taking the girls for multiple wagon rides. They love it. I know they are really going to miss them when they leave tomorrow. I will miss them too.

Four Generations

After church we took some family photos and I captured the moment here. I think it is a pretty good one. I am thankful for these four generations.

Seven Months Old!

Charlotte and Emma are seven months old today. They are growing and learning every day. Today Charlotte started to clap. Emma has finally started rolling over more. Every morning we are finding her on her belly.