And we're off...to the beach.....

BBK and Jules...I have been super bad about posting photos of the girls, but you will see them in person in three short days...can't wait!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Julie, .....

Here is Quincy having a conversation with air (although she thinks she is having a conversation with her teacher, Miss Misty, about another teacher, Ms. Trameka).

....midway through her one-sided conversation she spotted a bird(y) on the bird-feeder and that was the end of that conversation. Kids are soooo blasted cute!

Ellie's Birthday Cake

Ellie is currently in a bumble bee phase: She was a bumble bee for Halloween this year, she wants to BE a bumble bee when she grows up (???), and she wanted a bumble bee cake for her 4th birthday. Well, here it is......and, yes, I made it.....and it took about three hours. But it was well worth it...she loved, loved, loved it!

Easter

Easter Egg hunt in the morning at home.....

And the Easter Egg hunt in the afternoon at Mimi and Grandpa's.....

I think they had a good time....

Coloring the Easter Eggs

All ready in their matching aprons....

Mommy, as seen through the eyes of Quincy

Do you see all the lines at the bottom of the drawing? Well, those are my knees. All six of them. At least she didn't say they were wrinkles. Or necks.

Monkey Bars

The other day we went to a park that we haven't visited since winter began last November. This park has monkey bars, where as the park that we typically go to doesn't have them. After swinging on the swings for a while, the girls ran down to the section of the park that has the monkey bars. Ellie immediately grabbed hold of the first bar and made it all the way to the other end without falling! I have no idea where she learned this since she was too little to do this the last time we were at this playground. After she completed it and I picked my jaw up off the ground I thought, "Where is my camera?". And then I remembered my new, super-smart phone. And then I remembered the video-thing on my new, super-smart phone. I love that phone.

Quincy is still working on mastering them.... :)

I have a new phone (and it's waayyy smarter than I am)!

I took Ellie and Quincy to school with me the other day just because I could (yes, my principal gave me permission). They spent the first period of the day playing in the AP Physics C teacher's classroom while the students in that classroom reviewed for a test. During that time, I discovered that my new super-smart phone can take amazing videos...this video is, however, not really that amazing, it's just the first one I took so it gets the honor of being placed in the blog.

Ellie and Quincy are taking "real" swim lessons....

You know...the kind you pay for at a swim facility with a professional, certified swim instructor....not the kind that mommy teaches for free.

The first day of the lessons, Ellie did GREAT! She was a little nervous at first since it has been six months since she has been in a pool; but after maybe 10 minutes, she was back to normal and loving the aquatic existance.

Quincy, however, missed out on the first (non-refundable) lesson. She has pneumonia. Again. She's a professional in developing pneumonia; it's her sixth time in two years! The good news is that after two days of antibiotics, she is now eating and drinking fluids again and her temperature is now back down to normal---from 105!

Random Feb/Mar Photos 3

Quincy helping Ellie read a Bob Book.

Last weekend we took the girls to their first Lady Gladiator soccer game (the varsity girl's team at Tim's HS). Ellie likes to kick soccer balls, and she's pretty good at it, so we figured we would let her see soccer in action before she joins her first soccer league next Fall.

Random Feb/Mar Photos 2

Winter is finally going away and we are now getting brief glimpses of Spring. It was close to 70 degrees a few weekends ago, so we hauled out The Big Bouncy Thing and let the girls do their thing.

Random Feb/March Photos 1

Quincy about to break an ankle in a pair of my boots.

Ellie's and Quincy's current favorite game is "Bag Lady". This is a game that they created where they collect all of their "things" and carry them downstairs and then proceed to load everything on the couch and burrow under it. It's really cute...until I have to clean it all up.

Just thought I'd stick this photo in of Cosmo...because I love him.

Ellie

Ellie is hands-down the happiest child I have ever (EVER) met...so this is just another ordinary day of happiness for her! I have no words that are strong enough to describe the joy that she brings our family every single day. It is hard to believe that she has only been a part of this family for nine months....it's hard to remember what life was like before Ellie.

Bringing our sled---okay, a trashcan lid---out of the basement to take a ride. Note: Our new dog-door is in the background...that story is in another post.

Ready?

You betcha!

Total happiness.

Quincy

Radiant in getting to play in the snow again! This is Quincy's fourth big snowfall, but I am not sure if she remembers the others. Like Ellie, Quincy is an absolute joy...her giggles sound like an Elf (other people's words, but it is true)...and when she does laugh, it makes others laugh along with her! Three years ago I never would have imagined that life could ever be this perfect...and I am not just saying that for the purpose of a post...it really is true! Getting ready to sled down the hill in our backyard...

The end of the sled ride, at the bottom of the hill...

Quincy and Ellie doing what they do best....being sisters (yes, those are Ellie's feet sticking out from under Quincy).

Snow!

Otis, being Otis....

Cosmo, being Cosmo...

Our front yard the night it snowed (with our great snowman in the background).

Our backyard...it was soooo pretty!

Otis...one handsome dog.