Favorite Pasttimes with Grampy and Grammy

Grampy and Grammy (Rich and Carol) came to visit this past weekend and were kept quite busy by Kate and Lauren. Grammy had the pleasure of creating funny sticker faces with Kate, while Grampy spent his time reading numerous books, especially with Lauren. Sometimes Grampy would actually finish a book before Lauren replaced it with a new story. We all had a very nice visit and look forward to their return in a month! Thanks, Grampy and Grammy!

Happy Valentine's Day

One of my gifts to Mark this year was updated pictures of the girls. I thought I would share with all of you are two "beauties" in red. We discovered during the photo shoot that it was much easier last summer...Lauren wasn't mobile. Although she was on the go, we were still able to get some great shots. We hope all of you had a very Happy Valentine's Day!

At the ballet

Kate started her first dance class yesterday at the local community center. The class consists of both ballet and tap (her mom's favorite!). She was so excited to go and loved every minute of it! It's too early to tell if she'll follow in her mom's footsteps, but either way, it was a joy to see her have so much fun!

In a taste test...

Diet Pepsi would win out if Lauren was involved! On several occasions over the past couple of weeks, when Lauren has invaded the pantry in search of a treat, she returns with a 2-liter bottle of Diet Pepsi. One morning, at 8am, she not only produced the Diet Pepsi but also a bag of pretzels! Don't worry, I may give in on occasion, but when it comes to soda at the age of 1, I stand my ground.

"Cooks" in the Kitchen

Mark was off from work in celebration of Martin Luther King's birthday, so we had an extra day to spend with him after the weekend. Kate decided it was the perfect opportunity to bake cookies with Daddy. So, she put on her apron and insisted that Mark wear "Mommy's apron" to prevent his clothes from getting messy. After putting on the proper attire, the two poured, mixed, stirred and baked some delicious oatmeal raisin cookies!! Yummy!!! Maybe Daddy should stay home from work more often!

Snowflakes

With minimal amounts of snow remaining on the ground, a day after our snowfall, I decided Kate and I could create our own snowflakes. So, I folded her paper and explained how to cut slits and shapes to create a snowflake. Not wanting to miss out on the "fun," Mark asked me to explain the steps to him. I must admit, it became quite a stressful task...he was very concerned about missing a step and insisted that he complete every aspect of the project. I was to do nothing for him! With sweat dripping from his brow, he cut away at the paper and created his "snowflake." See if you can figure out which snowflake belongs to me, Kate, and Mark.

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

This past weekend was our first snowfall in years here in North Carolina. Mark and I remember when it snowed in 2004, while still living in our apartment! Now, we have had an occasional flurry over the years, but nothing substantial. So, this was officially the first snowfall the girls had a chance to experience. Kate thought the snow was great, while Lauren tolerated sitting in the wagon while the snowflakes fell on her face. Mark and Kate took advantage of the minimal snowfall and threw snowballs, while I attempted to make a snowman with Kate. It was fun while it lasted! Kate's hoping for more snow in the near future.