Snow. Lots of snow.

We will always remember this winter. The first winter in our house. And we got BURIED.

Had to capture the snow piles before the meltdown today. The sun was out on Tuesday, and it was temperatures that were actually in the 30's, and you would have thought it was a beautiful, warm spring day with the way the girls were running up and down the driveway.

Apparently something caught their eye

Front walk

"Up high!"

Run, run, run!

Can't wait until spring finally comes - or at least consistent temperatures above 30!

Four

I remember when I was writing Taylor's "3" birthday blog post, it felt hard to capture exactly what she was like in a few words. Now she is 4, and I feel the same way!

It is 4:30am, the day after her birthday, and I woke up thinking about Taylor and thinking about what it feels like to have a 4 year old now. Within the past 6 months, Taylor now has 2 new cousins, and I look at those little ones and their first-time parents, and can still so vividly remember those early months with Taylor. And there is a part of me that always feels a little sad on birthdays, because I wonder where that time went! I told this to my students yesterday, and one little boy raised his hand and said, "Is it a happy sad?" :) That made me smile, and I told him that it was!!

We had a fun weekend at the cottage celebrating Taylor's last days as a three year old, and a low-key evening yesterday celebrating her actual birthday. But before I post pictures about our weekend, I need to write about our now FOUR year old.

Taylor's favorites~
Painting with watercolors, making pretend lists on her notepad, creating big smiley faces on her easel, balloons, cheese sandwiches, running in her undies around the house (still likes to take off her shirt and pants as soon as we get in the door from daycare!), stuffed animals, her white blankie, cozy pajamas, playing games/reading books/practicing her writing/watching videos on the ipad, bananas, playing with Thomas and her trains, the movie Frozen and her new little characters, finally having more of a playmate with Camryn as she gets a little older, stickers, putting stickers all over Camryn, reading books in bed, the cottage, Deanna's playhouse, her 'best friend' Ty, her teacher - Miss Angie - at daycare (we often get called Miss Angie), going to her preschool classroom, proudly hanging up her schoolwork in the kitchen, craisins, imaginative play with little figurines, telling me or Ryan "you're my best friend!" (when she is in a good mood :)), being independent and making her own choices, dark chocolate, picking out her own shirt and socks, having Camryn repeat words after her while we are driving in the car, listening to the Frozen soundtrack or songs from Peter and the Wolf, snuggling with mama at bedtime, popcorn, carrying all the stuffed animals she can find and putting them in Camryn's crib (and then climbing in herself :)), decorating Christmas trees and celebrating the holiday


Taylor's dislikes ~
Not having a choice, going to the dentist, jam on her toast, not getting to pick the music in the car, having to get ready in the morning, {sometimes} sharing with Camryn - however there are times she is really good about this, hearing the word 'no'. :)


FOUR things we LOVE about Taylor right now...

1. What she KNOWS! Letters, numbers, shapes, colors, describing words, what she can draw, the letters in her name she can write... Her learning from year-to-year will probably always be my number one favorite thing to see as she grows.

2. The fact that she can be so helpful with Camryn, "Camryn do you want to play with me?" "What's wrong Camryn?" "Camryn do you want to read books?" "Camryn do you want the crust from my bread?" ;)

3. Watching her engage in imaginative play with her toys. When she doesn't think we are watching, she will have the most elaborate little stories going on with various characters or animals.

4. And this just has to be mentioned (because the OPPOSITE was true when I wrote her "3 year" post) - that she has not had anything to do with diapers/pull-ups since last summer. :) Nighttime, naptime, playtime...our girl is independent, and it is SO so wonderful. :)

FOUR things we wish for her in the coming year...

1.  Another healthy year - these past four years in daycare have helped boost her immune system for sure...other than a cold here and there, she doesn't get sick very often at all!

2. I would LOVE to start some pre-reading skills with Taylor, and hopefully by next year I will be able to say that our little lady is starting to do some reading!

3. Start sleeping consistently in her own bed at night.

4. Lots of fun and laughter!

Checking in (where did January...and half of February...go?!)

Snapshots of the past few weeks (aka the longest, coldest, snowiest winter we can remember!)

** Snow days
My view out my kitchen sink window has looked like this for almost as long as I can remember. Since we have lived in this house, we have had almost equal days of snow covered ground and days of green grass! I can hardly remember what our new yard looks like without snow!

Snapshots during our latest snow day :) 

 

** Urgent care
What happened to cause this visit to urgent care, we will never know. Taylor and Camryn were running around together, and somehow Camryn ended up with an injured foot/toe. After some tears, lots of "owie, mama!", and having her refuse to walk, I decided to take her into urgent care to make sure nothing was seriously wrong. After clear xrays, and a sprain diagnosis, we made our way back home.
 Waiting for the doctor :(

It was quite a long wait for each step of the process...thank goodness for the ipad and Winnie the Pooh videos. :) 

** Silly girls
"Ring around the rosie......."

 

 

** Winnie the Pooh and Frozen
We recently got the girls books about Pooh and Frozen, and it came with a playmat and little figurines. The girls have loved these!

** Valentine's Day treats
Treats are all ready for the girls and for my class!

I love Camryn's treats for her friends at daycare (CUTE little labels my friend helped me find at dimpleprints!) "Valentine, I think you're Awesomesauce!" :)

** Someone's birthday is coming up - how old is my first baby girl going to be?!!

So Happy Together

Sisters.

One of the first things I said to Ryan when we found out that baby #2 was going to be a girl was that I was so excited for Taylor. She was going to have a sister. I obviously never experienced the relationship of having a 'sister', and I immediately starting imagining what the future could be like for these two girls growing up together.

Slowly but surely, Taylor and Camryn are definitely connecting more on a "sister" level. :o) AND, because we have experienced quite a few days this winter like this...

...piles of snow that result in a snow day for me, I get to spend more time with Tay and Cam, and watch them interact. :)

 When Camryn wakes up, she asks, "Where'd Tay Tay go?"

When Taylor is playing, often she will ask Camryn to come along with her. "Camryn, do you want to go play babies? Yes or no?"
{It cracks me up when Taylor adds her "yes or no" question to her conversation - not sure where she picked that up from. :)}

Two little ladies reading together on the couch. They love bringing every 'lovey', stuffed animal and blanket with them wherever they play.

'Pretend' sleeping together on Taylor's bed (Taylor said, "Mama, will you come take a picture of us being cozy?")

And THIS has become a FAVORITE way for the two ladies to play. It started while Camryn was napping on one snow day, I went out to clear the driveway, and when I came back in, Cam had woken up, and Taylor took the liberty to go in her room, grab a stool and climb in the crib. They stayed in there playing for almost 45 minutes - didn't want me to take them out. :)

While not every moment is all smiles with these two, they are pretty happy when they get to be together. :)

Cookies, Visiting Santa, GRCM, and Frozen!

An assortment of final December memories!

**** Decorating Christmas cookies - always fun!

**** Santa visit this year = FAIL
1. Taylor would not go anywhere near Santa (can you see the little girl who is on the opposite end of the store from Santa in this picture? ;))

 Nope - not even a glance his way...

2. This was Camryn's reaction

Maybe next year :)

**** Grand Rapids Children's Museum (GRCM)
This was a really fun morning - a fun experience for the girls!!

They loved this tunnel of mirrors

The firetruck slide

A very cool ramp with bells

And there was a "Kids Construction Zone" area set up
(Can you spy Camryn and Taylor in this picture?)

***And finally, Mem and I took Taylor to see her first movie at a theater - Frozen! It was a very cute movie, with really great music. She did really well for her first time (and enjoyed the popcorn that we snuck into the theater ;))