Abby was so ready to get up this morning that she promised me I could sleep on the couch if I would come downstairs with her. What a sweet little girl I have. So, we headed downstairs and got her some breakfast and she was good to go. Scott and Mckenzie got up a little while later and came down to play. Scott found some nasty spy ware on our computer that wouldn't let us access the internet without purchasing lots and lots of software from this specific website. Whatever. He managed to fix the problem and we are good to go. During Mckenzie's nap, I actually played piano (it really needs a good tuning). I have started to play a little every now and then and I realize how much I miss it. Abby played along to. I tried to teach her a song, but her little fingers had some trouble. I wouldn't mind getting her into piano lessons and I saw a sign in front our one of our neighbors advertising piano lessons. She seems interested so maybe once we get settled into the school year I will look into it. When Mckenzie woke up from her nap, she was upset that I was the one to come and get her and started crying for Daddy. Since Scott was out for a run, she opted to wait in her bed with me on the floor next to her until Scott came home. Abby came into M's room before that could happen and Mckenzie was ready to get up then so she could play. They are getting so much better at playing together. Although some of it I could do without, such as Abby 'walking her dog'. The dog was Mckenzie biting the dog leash and Abby leading her around. Where they come up with these ideas I will never know. Scott wanted to take the girls to Chick fil A today so we went for supper. The girls had a blast playing and Abby even found a little playmate to play hide and seek with. Mckenzie is getting better at the stairs leading to the slide. She can make it up a few steps without Abby's help, although she is very unsafe and fell a couple of times. Luckily just on her bottom, but it was enough for me to tell the girls that if Abby didn't help Mckenzie we were leaving. After that, Mckenzie let Abby help her up the stairs. It was a great day spent with the family.

This is from a few days ago. Abby was singing away!

playing dog

Not a clear pic, but they give Scott the biggest smiles!

Checking out the bushes in the front yard

'big' jumps

The girls and I went to Wegman's this morning and they both behaved great! I went for a few things and came out with way more than that! While we were there, Abby needed to use the restroom, so I let her go in by herself while Mckenzie and I waited by the cart. She was so excited to get to go in alone and she seemed to manage well, even flushing using her foot like I always do for her! She couldn't reach the sink, so she had to come and get hand sanitizer from me. She is growing up so fast! I had to tell her that she isn't allowed to go by herself all the time, just every once in awhile. We came home and while I unpacked all the groceries, Abby took Mckenzie to the bathroom. I didn't ask either one of them to go, but Abby decided that Mckenzie needed to go. Well, she didn't go, but she also didn't want to wear a diaper after that either so of course, I ended up cleaning up after the little stinker because she got to involved in playing and I forgot she wasn't wearing a diaper! After nap, the girls and I went to the park. We didn't stay long because Mckenzie got very cranky. I think she is getting a couple of teeth in on the top. I am hoping that is all because she can't get sick. Next week is her surgery and I don't want to postpone it. When we got home, I let the girls play in the front yard, riding bike, driving cars. Mckenzie came by me in the grass and took one of her shoes off. She started to put her foot in the grass, but didn't like the way it felt and jumped onto my lap as quick as she could. I tried to make her stand in the grass, but she lifted both of her little feet as high as they would go so she didn't have to touch it.  Eventually, Mckenzie was running around the grass without shoes. Guess she just had to get used to the idea. Abby had fun riding her Barbie jeep all over. Mckenzie tried riding with her once, but didn't like the way Abby was driving and opted out! I let Dakota out in the front yard with us for a little while and I don't think her tailed stopped wagging until long after we were in the house!

Why drive when you can push?

Waiting for a car to drive past

So cool in her car!

Abby ended up in my bed last night and Mckenzie and I ended up in the guest bedroom. Good thing though, both girls slept until 9! So, we had a very late start to the day. I had a board meeting for Abby's preschool today so the girls and I headed over to one of the other board member's house this afternoon. The girls had a blast playing with all the kids that were there and Mckenzie even wore herself out enough to take a nap over there. When it was time to go, Abby wanted to stay and play. I am so glad they had fun. I was a little worried they would be a little too rowdy and make it difficult to pay attention to the meeting, but I was wrong. They both behaved very well!  We came home and played for a little while before getting supper going. It was an uneventful day around here. Saw on the news earlier today about a C-17 crash in Alaska killing the four crew members. Such a sad story and we are praying for the victims families. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for them right now as the crew was only practicing for an airshow. They were at home. They weren't out on a mission where the thought of something happening is always playing in the back of your mind.

Mckenzie woke up at 6 am, but she fell back asleep when I brought her to bed with me. She didn't wake up until after 9! Guess she was tired from yesterday. Scott took Abby to gymnastics this morning and Mckenzie and I picked up the house so the housekeepers could clean it today! Yah! I love clean house days! The house only stays clean for 10 minutes, but it is so wonderful while it lasts! Scott and Abby stopped at a Farmer's market on the way home and picked up some cucumbers and peppers and corn. When Abby got home, I asked her to change out of her gymnastics outfit and into something else. Little did I know that it would cause a big tantrum. She was crying and whining and didn't want to change. When she finally put something else on, I told her thanks and that she looked cute. Two seconds later, she was out of outfit number one and into a Wiggles t-shirt and no pants. I didn't bother to say anything. Scott headed to work and the girls and I played for awhile and then sat down for lunch. After nap, (I am surprised Mckenzie took one since she slept so late, but I put her down because she came to me with her bear and pacifier and pointed to her bed. When I asked her if she wanted to go nigh-nights, she nodded yes.) we headed to Target and Bed, Bath, & Beyond. We came home, had some dinner, and a nice long bath (much needed after yesterday).

First Trip to NYC!!!

We took our first family trip to NYC today and had a wonderful time. We drove to a nearby train station and almost didn't make the train because Mckenzie needed a diaper change at the last minute, but we all got on and away we went! It was only about an hour ride to the city and the girls did great. Abby couldn't get enough of all the things she was seeing outside and spent a good portion of her time looking out the window. Mckenzie joined her off and on. It was cute to see both of their heads pressed against the window. We made it into the city and it was so amazing. It is one thing to know how busy a city is and how large the buildings are, but it is another to be standing on the streets watching all the people go by and to look up and see nothing but buildings. It is unreal! We walked around near Penn station for awhile and then stopped to eat a slice of pizza before taking a bus tour. We thought for our first trip we would just get a feel for the city and what better way to get a quick trip than on a bus. The guy who sold us tickets was nice and didn't make us pay for Abby even though 3 and up were supposed to have a paid ticket. Thanks! The bus took us all over. We saw Greenwich village, the garment district, the empire state building (next time we want to go inside), Times Square, Chinatown, Little Italy, we drove along the river and saw all the bridges, Rockefeller Center, & part of Central Park. We got off the bus at St. Paul's Chapel (with the wrong stroller! oops! There was another stroller that looked just like ours and I picked the wrong one. It was a bad choice as the one we have now looks very used and very dirty and doesn't roll very well :-( There is no way we are using that nasty thing again!)  and walked through to see the memorials to the victims of 9/11. The girls were getting a little feisty when we first got into the church because we had been sitting on the upper level of the bus and it got to be very warm. So, instead of disrupting all the other visitors, we took the girls outside and walked around to where the twin towers used to sit. The work they are doing is amazing and actually being there makes me wonder how more buildings weren't damaged as a result. Everything is so close. We hung out in a little park for awhile to let the girls run around and enjoyed a smoothie while they played. Then we headed back to the church to finish looking at the memorials there. It was a truly somber time.  Even now, almost a decade later, it is a moment I will never forget. Being there at the place something so horrific and tragic happened was unreal. While we were standing on the street, a fire engine rolled by with its light on and it made me wonder how the firemen feel every time they have to drive past the site of the Twin Towers on a call. Anyway... we hopped back on the bus and continued the tour seeing so much more. Both girls passed out during the second half of the trip which I think was for the best. They both liked looking at the buildings for a little while, but with the heat and boredom, they wanted to be off the bus. I don't blame them and I am glad we only did the downtown loop of the tour instead of the whole thing! We decided to get supper before leaving the city and ended up at Five Napkin Burger. It was really good, but the girls were tired and ready to be done. So, lets just say we have had much more relaxing dinners than this one! We headed back toward Penn Station, stopping along the way to buy a couple of I love NYC shirts for the girls and a pretzel that Abby was in desperate need of. Which, by the way, she only ate one bite of and decided she was done. Mckenzie licked the salt off of hers and was done as well. We got on our train only to discover it wasn't going to stop today at the station we needed. So, we grabbed the girls and our stuff and hopped off. There was a NJ transit employee next to the train so we asked which train would take us to Hamilton. Turns out we were on the right train, but because of a fatality near the Hamilton stop the train wouldn't be stopping there and we had to continue on to the next stop and take a train back. What a tragic accident, but curiosity has me wondering why a lady was walking along the train tracks. So, we got back on the train and a very nice young man moved so the four of us could sit together. Well, I was almost wishing that we had taken a taxi cab home from New York, because the little over an hour ride took almost three and a half hours because the track was so backed up! The girls did great at first, reading books, coloring, eating suckers (thank God we had those), playing with my phone, but the last hour or so, they started getting so restless. It was past their bedtime and they had a long day out in the sun only to be trapped on a train going nowhere! I took them for a walk around the train to stretch their little legs, but all that did was make them want to explore even more. Mckenzie needed a couple of diaper changes and both times, she pushed the emergency call bell! I didn't realize she did it so I was a little shocked when there was a knock at the door asking if everything is OK. Scott said she did the same thing when he took her in! Luckily we sat on the tracks long enough that by the time we approached the station we parked at, it had opened back up. Thank God! We got to the car and Scott and I both figured the girls would be out within minutes of driving, but they both stayed awake the entire drive and even had tons of energy when we got home. Both girls were hungry so after a little snack, they were off to bed. It was a great day and I can't wait to go back. Next time, I don't think we will take a bus tour, rather, pick a couple of places we want to go and spend all day there. Oh, Scott asked Abby how many people she thought she saw today. Her answer "fourteen"! She loved the city and told us she didn't want to go back to New Jersey.

Checking out the view on the ride to NYC

We only needed to use the bathroom in the store and ended up with a bag of M &M's for each of the girls!

On the bus!

Say Cheese!

A little protest going on. I threw my hamburger at them! LOL no, seriously, I wouldn't waste good meat like that!

Trying to keep cool! They were right next to the speaker so when the tour guide would talk, they would scream and cover their ears because it was so loud!

Our blurry pic! Apparently the camera has a little moisture in it and I always forget to clean the lens before taking pics.

Resting in the park, playing with strollers. Both girls had 'babies' in the stroller and they were pushing them around and making them take naps.

At St. Paul's Chapel, one of the memorials made from World Trade Center materials

The UN. It was kind of ironic when we saw this, because Scott was just wondering where the UN was located when the tour guide informed us that one of the next sites to see would be the UN.

And she's out!

And so is she!

Scott was so nice and got up with Mckenzie again this morning. And when I thanked him for doing so, he said I didn't need to because I am the one usually doing it. He is so sweet! After Mckenzie had at least 3 breakfasts and everyone showered, we headed out to the mall. We only stopped in Sears to get some stuff for the lawn and then we had lunch. Scott and I had Chipotle which was tasty as always and the girls had rice and ice cream. Mckenzie made one heck of a mess with her ice cream, but she enjoyed every last drop (that didn't find its way to her chin or clothes)! We came home for nap time. Abby and I took Dakota to Petsmart to get a bath and then stopped at Lowes on the way home to get some wasp killer. I hope it works. Our backyard is so full of them! We had some tasty grilled chicken and corn on the cob for dinner. Both girls love corn on the cob. They just gobbled it up as fast as they could. Abby played a little Wii before bed time. She loves the new Super Mario Brothers game. She says it is hers. I'm not so sure about that. Scott and I played for quite awhile last night!

We didn't do a whole lot today. Scott mowed the yard and discovered a lot of wasps nests in the backyard so the girls can't play out there until we get that fixed. I made turkey wraps for lunch, but the girls apparently didn't like them as neither of the girls touched the wrap. Mckenzie picked out the cheese and Abby picked out the meat and cheese, but not really eating any of it. So, I guess I can cross wraps off my list of meals for awhile. Mckenzie went down for a nap and the rest of us just hung out. It rained here this afternoon so we didn't get to play outside this afternoon either. We headed to Target to pick up a few things and I promised Abby an Icee. Well, it just so happens that the Icee machine wasn't working again today. Both girls were so sad since we already had our cups and it wasn't until we got to the machines that we saw they weren't working. I got a decaf frappucinno from Starbucks which made the girls happy. We decided to pick up a pizza on the way home and we wanted to try out a place close to the house. I went in and ordered it and they said it would be 20 minutes. Since it was so late, we drove the kids home to get them in the bath and I drove back to pick up the pizza. When I got there (it had been nearly 20 minutes) the pizza guy told me it was going to be awhile.  I thought he meant like 5 maybe 10 minutes. I was wrong. Apparently the guy wasn't feeling good or was too hot (the building was very warm) and he didn't want to be at work. He ended up getting fired by his boss over the phone while I was sitting there waiting for my pizza. It was crazy how dramatic some people can be although I don't know the whole story. It didn't sound like that was the first phone call to his boss (the pizza guy wouldn't even talk to his boss, he made another employee do all the talking) so I am not sure why the boss hadn't come into the store to help out. It took an hour, but the pizza was finally ready. I felt so bad for the girl left to handle the store. She didn't know how to make pizzas and she was left with orders not fulfilled. Poor thing had to call the other customers to let them know they wouldn't be getting pizza tonight. Then, she was so busy that by the time she remembered to get our pizzas out of the oven, they were very well done (the crust was so tough the dog had a hard time chewing it!). I told her it was fine and it wasn't her fault; she looked like she was due for a good cry any minute. The pizza would have been good if it was cooked right so maybe someday we are feeling adventurous we will try them again. We bought Super Mario Brothers for the Wii and Abby had fun playing it. I think Scott and I will probably enjoy it too!

Scott made it home last night! I am so glad. It seems like he has been away so much lately and it is comforting to know he is home for a little while. The girls were up pretty early this morning. Mckenzie got up around 6:30 and it was too early for me so I took her back to bed with me. It took a couple of seconds before she realized Scott was there too. Then she got a big smile on her face. Abby got up a little bit later after the rest of had already gone downstairs. She came around the corner and realized Scott was on the couch. She got so excited and ran to him. Since we were all up, we went to Perkins for breakfast. Pretty tasty this morning. We came home and veged out for while before ya know it, it was lunch time for the girls and nap time. We all got a nap in today. It was great! We went to a local fair, called the Farm Fair this afternoon. It was carnival rides, vendors, 4-H exhibits, and tractors all in one. The girls had so much fun on the rides and checking out the chickens (a favorite of both girls), goats (Mckenzie's fav), and cows. Bunnies and baby chicks were a hit too. There was one chick the girls got to pet that had been born today. That was pretty cool. Abby got to do a pony ride which she liked to do. Mckenzie was content to just look at the ponies. It was really hot out today, I think the actual temp got near 100 if not over and the humidity was high too. I checked the weather when we got home around 8 and the temp was still 90 with a heat index of 100. Crazy hot weather we are having. We went out for dinner since neither Scott nor I felt like cooking after spending the afternoon out in the heat. We came home and got the girls in bed after a quick bath. Abby said something funny today. As we were driving, we past a bunch of flowers. She said "I would like to give those to you. Oh look, purple flowers. I would like to give those to myself!" It was so funny to us the way she said that. I will post pictures later.

I stayed up until 3 last night which got to be a little late considering the girls wanted to be up before 7am! We ran to the grocery store this morning and ran into friends from preschool. What a treat! The girls were excited to see one another and ran around the produce aisles for a couple of minutes together. I thought for sure it would be major meltdown time when we went our separate ways, but luckily the girls behaved! They were actually really good in the store. Abby wanted Chick fil A and I caved because Mckenzie had already fallen asleep by the time I got the groceries loaded into the car. I just wanted to keep her awake so she would take a nap this afternoon. I think Abby's new favorite saying is "I get it. I understand." Guess she does listen to me after all! I put Mckenzie down for a nap and Abby and I played with legos again. I was very disappointed to find out the old legos from when I was a kid are not compatible with the new ones. Mckenzie took a short nap and then we played around the house for awhile. It looked like a tornado had struck every room in the house! The girls wanted to go to the park so off to the purple park we went. Poor Mckenzie doesn't handle the heat very well and today was pretty warm out. After maybe 20 minutes her checks were red and she was looking tired. We only played for an hour before heading home for a bath and dinner. I was so surprised both girls sat in there chairs the entire meal! Not sure how that happened! I let the girls stay up a little longer tonight so I could get some cleaning done before Scott gets home tonight or I should say early morning. They weren't much help, as they seemed to find the toys I had just picked up and start playing with them again! Abby is getting better though and she will help if I ask. I just fall into the rut that it goes much more quickly if I just do it myself. I really need to start breaking up the house cleaning so when I do ask the girls for help, I have the time to let them do it without worrying I won't get everything done. But the whole house is dusted, laundered, mopped, and vacuumed. I even did the bathrooms. Which I really don't like and I used to clean when Scott was home so he would do the bathrooms for me. Doesn't work to well when he isn't around when I am cleaning. Abby had a small crisis tonight. When it was time for bed, she couldn't find lambie. We searched for at least 20 minutes looking in every nook and crannie. I even checked the garbages. Yuck! Turns out that Abby didn't bring lambie into the house after we had gone to the park. She was laying in Abby's car seat. I was so relieved and I can't imagine how relieved Abby was. She was crying and trying to look, but she didn't know where to start looking. I didn't even think about the car because I could have sworn I saw her playing with lambie after her bath. But I was wrong and it all ended up well. I guess that will teach me to start locating lambie before it is time for Abby to crawl into bed. She didn't get there until 9:15! Maybe she will sleep in for me tomorrow! Oh, Mckenzie said one of her first longer sentences today. She was looking for Dakota and she said "Koko, where are you?" She is getting to be so big!

Had a little visitor again last night. I told Abby that she needs to sleep in her own bed tonight. I doubt that she was listening or if she was, that she really cares. We had a very lazy morning around here. No one got dressed until after 11 AM! We tried those uncrustables for lunch (they are frozen pb&j's for anyone who doesn't know). Abby scarfed hers down, jelly and all even though she never likes jelly on her sandwiches. Mckenzie is the one I thought that would really like them, but I was 0 for 2 in my predictions because she only picked out the jelly and gagged on the bread, leaving almost the entire thing. Mckenzie took a long nap today, almost three hours. I am not sure if she is feeling 100% because even after that long nap she was on the cranky side to say the least. Abby and I played with legos for her quiet time today. I built a house, a stable with a horse, a car, furniture for the house, and a person while Abby watched. She was way more interested in playing with the finished product than actually making anything. We headed to the park after nap. Mckenzie was still cranky so it didn't make for a fun trip. Abby wanted to try new things on the playground, but as soon as she got a little nervous about it, she starting whining like crazy. Mckenzie wanted to do all the big girl stuff and threw huge fits when I wouldn't let her. So, we didn't spend much over an hour there. I didn't have the patience anymore and I am sure the kids had lost theirs too. We got home and everyone settled down a little bit, but then Abby threw a fit over what I made for dinner. It was just one of those days. We did get to talk to Scott today and he was going to do a little sightseeing. I am glad that he gets that opportunity on this trip. I put the girls to bed a few minutes ago, but I still hear Abby's pitter patter in her room.

Abby ended up in my room again last night. I don't even know what time she came over, but I don't even argue any more. It is just easier to let her climb in. Abby had gymnastics this morning and luckily we didn't leave bear there this week! Abby seems to be enjoying her lessons, but I am a little worried about the place myself. The kids always take a quick minute or two break to use the restroom or get a drink about half way through the class. Well today, one of the little girls didn't go back into the gym with the rest of her class and she just stood by the window waiting. I guess she didn't hear the teacher call the kids back in. Anyway, the girls mom wasn't there so I tried to tell her to go back into the gym, but she just stared at me and didn't say anything. What worried me was the teacher never came out to look for her missing student. After 10 or 15 minutes, I went to the front desk to let them know about the girl and the gal up there took her back into the gym. Maybe I am paranoid, but that really worries me that she could be missing from class that long and no one noticed. I am glad I stay around the gym while Abby is doing her lesson. Abby wanted to make a kite today so we got out the crayons and decorated away. Mckenzie wasn't really into it as she wanted to paint instead of color. Abby just wanted to fly her kite right away. I told the girls we would fly them this afternoon after the glue had dried. Nap time came with a little break for me. Abby wanted to play by herself so I had a little break. It was a short one since Mckenzie didn't nap very long. I tried to get her to go back to sleep, but she just banged her feet against her crib and kept looking at me. I asked her if she wanted to get up and she got a big grin on her face and jumped up so I could lift her out of her crib. We went to fly kites in the front yard, but it wasn't very much fun. Abby was disappointed that her kite didn't fly (I stand by the fact it didn't fly because there was very little wind and not because of the design!) She ran around a little bit but became bored pretty quickly. Mckenzie could have cared less. She went back into the house and pouted on the stairs because she didn't want to even hold her kite, much less run with it. So, we planted some flowers I have been meaning to get around to instead. We headed out back to play in the water and the girls had fun with that. It got to be dinner time and Abby was very disappointed with me that I didn't take them to the park today. My bad. I should have taken them, but it was pretty humid here today and I just didn't feel like going to the park. They both had a blast playing in the water and getting me wet. It wasn't until I told them to get upstairs for a bath that anyone complained. I guess I know what we are doing tomorrow! Dakota had a bunch of dirt on her so I took the hose after her to clean her up a little. Big mistake. I think she is dirtier now after rinsing her off than she was before. As soon as I let her go, she ran into the yard and starting rolling around and shaking herself off like a crazy person. She just wouldn't stop running and rolling. It was a hoot! I guess I need to make an appt to get her bathed one of these days. She smells really bad after her mini bath!

The girls and I ran to Target first thing this morning. Well, by first thing, I mean we were out the door before 10. Not sure that qualifies, but it is hard to get those two moving in the morning. The girls wanted Icees, but unfortunately, the machine was down for the day and they had to settle for smoothies. Neither one was really impressed. They both behaved with no major tantrums so I was thankful for that. We were loading our goodies in the car and I realized we forgot to pay for a doggie toy for Dakota. So, we headed back in to pay for it and headed on home. We got home in time to Skype with Scott again. The girls loved it. No one had much to say since the girls and I don't do anything and Scott didn't do a whole lot either. So, it was a quick call, but great to hear his voice. Lunch and then nap for Mckenzie and game time for Abby and I. We played the Five Little Monkeys Game and I ended up winning (not by choice, but it was the first time we had ever played it and I wasn't sure how to cheat so I could lose.) That did not make Abby happy and we had to move on to Candyland. The girls wanted to sit in Mckenzie's booster seat in the living room, but one chair doesn't make two girls happy, so I had to dig around and find the other booster seat. So, both girls were hanging out in the living room sitting in their boosters. We went to the park this afternoon and I am so proud of Abby. She made it across the monkey bars all by herself! She is getting so strong. What made me the proudest though, was her attitude when she was struggling to get across the first few times. She didn't get mad or start whining. She just laughed it off when she fell and started over again. Mckenzie wanted to do the monkey bars as well and she has a pretty strong grip. Oh, Abby had another accomplishment today at the park as well. She climbed to the top of the dome and jumped down by herself.That has been another one of those playground pieces she gets mad over, but she must have had a whole lot of determination running through her veins today. We came home for dinner and both girls had to sit in a booster seat at the table. At first I was a little annoyed Abby wanted to sit in one as well, but then I realized, both girls were strapped into a seat. Neither one could get up and run around during dinner. It was great!! We Skyped with Scott again after supper. Abby said a quick hello, told Scott about the monkey bars and was off to watch Dora. Mckenzie on the other hand wanted to dominate the conversation, not really saying anything, but just talking. A quick shower for the girls and off to bed.

The girls and I drove to the base today and as soon as we got close, both of them started saying Daddy. I felt so bad because they were both thinking we were going to see Scott. Unfortunately, we weren't that lucky. We went to the referral office at the clinic and the lady there was so helpful, unfortunately, she wasn't the one that could actually do anything for us. She sent us back to the same place I have been dealing with before and instead of speaking to someone in person which was the whole point of driving 30 minutes to get there, I had to leave a note for the nurse saying what I needed. She called me back in the afternoon to not so kindly tell me that there was absolutely no reason I needed another referral because the first one was just fine. Guess she didn't see the part in the note that said the first office visit claim was denied and charged to me because I didn't have a referral. Then at the end of the conversation with much ice in her voice she said "I put in another referral even though you don't need it!" Whatever. I wish there was a way we didn't have to use referrals that didn't cost us any extra money. We ran to the commissary to pick up some lunch meat and then we headed back home for lunch. The girls played a little while before I put Mckenzie down for her nap. Mckenzie is learning so much these days and today, she was lining things up and counting them. She would say "in" whiling placing the objects to one side and then start counting them. She doesn't use the right numbers or words even, but she starts with one and then each time her finger points to something different, she says another "number". I love this age. It is so fun to see her learn and grow. Her personality is emerging everyday and she is such a sweet little girl with a slight streak of defiance in her. She has those moments where you tell her no and she looks at ya and does it anyway. Abby and I played games during nap time. I am starting to wonder how old she has to be before I quit trying to lose every game we play, especially Memory.I let her win every game of that because it takes so long to play. When we play Candyland, we always play three games and she wins two out of three guaranteed. We got to Skype with Scott today. It was great to see him and the girls' faces when they got to see his. They both shout Daddy over and over and over again. It gets so loud around here! We went for a bike ride/run after dinner. I know I have said it before, but I really need to wear tennis shoes instead of flip flops. This whole riding fast thing is pretty new for Abby and I forget that in order to keep up with her, I can't just walk. Good exercise, but hard to keep on the flip flops! Mckenzie loves it when I run. She sits in the stroller shouting "fast fast" with a big grin on her face. Dakota was so naughty again today. She found a bag of goldfish I had brought into the house and ate the remnants and chewed the bag up. Its not like I don't feed her. There is food in her dish every day. I think she just likes to be naughty! Sorry no pics today. Feeling kind of lazy!

Abby ended up sleeping in my bed last night, but I really didn't mind since once she showed up, I finally fell asleep myself. Abby slept until 8:30 and Mckenzie until 10 after 9! It was unreal! I think the key is been putting them to bed 20-30 minutes later than I had been. Now that I say that, they both will be up before 6 tomorrow. That would be ok. We have to run to the base to try to get a new referral for Mckenzie's surgery. I got a notice from the insurance company last week that said her appointment with the opthamologist wasn't covered because we didn't have a referral. I called them and got it straightened out, but the insurance gal said I would most likely have trouble getting the surgery paid for if I didn't get a new referral. So, instead of just calling the base clinic like I have been, I am going to bring in my paperwork and explain to them in person what I have been told. Hopefully that will get things straightened out. I don't mind the idea of paying for an office visit out of pocket, but I am not thrilled about the possibility of having to pay for the surgery itself if the referral is messed up. I am sure we would eventually get it paid for, I just don't want to have to deal with it. Today, we played with some play doh and Abby was excited when I made her a dog and a dog house. She even had to have grass with it. Mckenzie is just content to cut the play doh and make snakes. Scott called this morning and he is doing good. After nap, the girls went swimming. Abby tried to tell me the water was cold (it was actually pretty warm), but she only wanted me to bring out buckets of hot water. Of course 10 minutes after she was complaining the pool water wasn't warm enough for her, those two little stinkers were playing with the garden hose again! As if that water is any warmer! We ate our dinner outside and Dakota was naughty like always, trying to steal food from the table while we were still sitting there! When will she ever learn?!

Abby wanted a pic of both of them, but neither one was really into it!

Another quiet morning/afternoon around here. The girls put together a Cars puzzle and it was so cute to listen to them. Abby told me I couldn't see what they were doing until they were done, so I just had to listen. Abby coached Mckenzie along, telling her where to put the pieces and when one would fit, they both cheered loudly. I finally got to see what the finished puzzle and they were both so proud of what they had accomplished. Not an ounce of help from me. I am so proud of the way they worked together. Moments like that make up for all those silly little arguments they have throughout the day. I took the girls out for Chick fil A for dinner. I thought we had better leave the house at least once this weekend. No other plans scheduled so I am guessing tomorrow will be super exciting! They had fun playing on the slide again and Mckenzie actually climbed one of the stairs without Abby's help. It scared the living daylights out of me because she almost fell, but she held on. When we got home, I let the girls play outside in the backyard while I picked up the family room (playing inside all day=tornado). I heard giggles and squeals for awhile as they played with bubbles. Then I heard the water come on, but Abby has been watering the flowers out back for me, so I thought nothing of it. Well, I guess I should have checked on those little stinkers sooner because they were a soaking wet mess by the time I got out there. Mckenzie was spraying water at Abby and on herself. They thought they were hilarious! Good thing Abby was dressed so warm in her winter tights today! Abby tired to get me wet, but luckily I am still faster than she is! So, it got pretty late getting the girls to bed after having to give them a bath to warm up. That water was super cold. I don't know how they could play in it!

Both girls slept in this morning until after 8:30. I am so lucky! It was a pretty quiet day around here. I painted the girls toenails/fingernails again but I actually got the nail polish remover out this time to get rid of the 3 or 4 layers of paint already there. It took forever to clean their little fingers off, but for now, they are freshly polished! We didn't even make it outside until after dinner. Scott called today and he said he is doing fine and will call again when he can.

I know it is blurry, but I just love her smile!

Abby woke up in the middle of the night complaining her finger hurt. There didn't appear to be a problem with the finger, but she ended up sleeping in our room anyway. She started on the floor, then a few minutes later she was in the bed and shortly after that, I was on the floor. She is a little bed hog! Both girls were up very early this morning. We didn't do to much all day. We had to run to the grocery store since Scott left again today on another trip and he needed some food for the road. He has been gone so much lately, it is starting to feel like Charleston, except this time we have kids and I am home all the time. It is getting kind of lonely here and I feel bad that Scott is missing so much time with his sweet baby girls. Mckenzie took a nice long nap today; I had to wake her up because she had slept for 2.5 hours. Any longer than that, and she would have not gone to bed tonight. Scott finally got a hold of our property manager for our house in Florida. Apparently she had talked to our renters and they said they wanted to stay in our house, but they don't want to buy it. Then they said, if it goes on the market they want a discounted rent until it sells or they are moving out? I still don't understand why they should get a discounted rate. Whatever. Thanks for renting and good luck finding a new place! I hope the house is still in good shape. It is so nervewrecking not knowing what it looks like. I don't know if I even want to see the place until I know it is in the same condition we left it. It was hard enough to leave the house back in September, knowing it was the home where we became a family; the home we brought both our beautiful girls home to.  I can't imagine how I will feel if they have done something to damage it. (I'm sure they haven't. I just don't have anything else to occupy my time so I might as well worry about that!)  Anyway, it will be easier to show without a tenet and to get any work done that needs to be completed before we sell it. No photos again today. Sorry

Abby had gymnastics this morning and she had fun just like last time. Mckenzie did better this time when Abby went into the gym. Instead of crying, she just wanted to watch Abby. We came home and played awhile before lunch. When I was getting ready to put Mckenzie down for her nap, I couldn't find her bear anywhere. I searched the entire house, even upstairs although we hadn't been up there after we came home. No bear. I checked the car, outside. Nothing. I started getting pretty worried because she has never been without it and I don't have a replacement. I called the gymnastics studio and luckily I had left it there. So, I could either pack up the kids in the rain and drive to pick it up, which would have resulted in Mckenzie falling asleep in the car and then not taking a nap. Or, I could try nap without bear. I chose to put her down without bear and she surprised me by not throwing a tantrum. She asked a couple of times for bear, each time her voice was a little more sad and desperate, but I told her we didn't have it and gave her a blanket that was pink and felt like her lamb. It seemed to do the trick because she fell asleep and napped for two hours. I was so happy. I can't believe I left the bear at the gym. I felt terrible for being such a terrible mom. Four and a half years I have been remembering to keep lambie and/or bear safe and today was the first time I actually left it somewhere. We did have a crisis with Abby's when she was 2.5 yrs old. Her lambie somehow ended up in a box of garbage, but we luckily found it before it got thrown away. I would say we have been pretty lucky in the lovie department. Scott called on his way home so I asked him to swing by the gym and pick it up for us. When Scott walked in, I am sure it was a pretty close tie for Mckenzie who she was happier to see. Those little girls get so excited to see their daddy. Too bad he is leaving again tomorrow :-( We had a quiet evening in with me cooking AGAIN and an ice cream cone for snack. Abby wanted both chocolate ice cream and vanilla, so I assumed Mckenzie would want the same. Boy was I wrong. She threw a huge fit with real tears until we replaced the chocolate ice cream with vanilla. Then she was all smiles.