Not Ready for Storytime

I took Kelli to her first "official" storytime today. Figuring this kid LOVES books and sitting down & reading, she'd probably do well at the library (verses book store). At home she grabs books and says "read? read? ok!" then plops down on my lap and we could do that for hours and she'd be happy!

Percent that worked at the library?
0%

She was ALL over the place. On the chair. Off the chair. This chair. That chair. This book. That book. Other kids came and suddenly this is "MINE!" and thats "MINE!" and then there was a fun, colorful pillow thing to roll around on the floor and squeal, books to throw off the shelves, so needless to say our "storytime" was more of a pandamonium and lasted around 15 minutes.

Off to Central Market for a playdate with her little friend Maya (and I met with a couple friends there as well). We got there early so we shopped for a few things in the grocery section.

Per usual, we cannot get through the grocery store without eating everything in sight.

After lunch and playing (and the rucous at the library) I had one zonked out munchkin!!

Just me & Kel

Still having a Mom-Kelli week, hanging out doing Mom & Kelli things. She is loving all the attention! I can tell. But now and then she will whine a little whine "su-ssy?" for her sister.

we ran errands (and I forgot how much easier it is with just one! I usually have to find a time to go without either, or when Kelli is napping etc. Always a strategy!) and she was a champ! We ducked in a kids store to look around (playlegos) but she was more interested in trying on sunglasses and shoes.

The school accidentally gave her real milk today.
Can you tell?
LOOK at that belly!!!
I used the gift cards from Mona to get new throw pillows (ours have holes and stains in them, and we've had them since before we got married). Well the gift card didn't work but our pillows arrived. Oh well. I won't bother Mona with that but we got nice pillows out of the idea.

We had met my parents at the Cracker Barrel for brunch after church on Sunday and Kelli picked out this little baby doll (her size) and would NOT put it down. It was $3 so I got it for her and we took it back to the table and she kept 'feeding' it everything from our plate. They've been inseparable since! She's a good mommy!

Same drill. Before bed we change, read books, play little people, and then she has to get all her blankies and cuddle and roll around on the white rug in her room!

Night night!

Morning!

I tried to get her downstairs for breakfast but she was searching for Sydney and got distracted by the playroom.

We got a COLLLLLLLD FRONT here, it was 37 when we left in the morning.

Our little friend who visited us last night. This kitten was SO loud, it had to have woken up the neighbors. Sheesh, I couldn't believe how loud it was. Sounded like a woman giving birth to quads. It'd dart in the house, grab a piece of turkey then dart right back out. Couldn't tell if it was a stray or belonged to someone. So I just left a bowl out there and opened the garage a little for it to come in. It was FREEEZING outside and the thing was shivering.

Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina - Stereo Love (OFFICIAL HQ VIDEO)

this is the most boring video on earth ever, but I LOVE this song!!
It's so versatile to me. I love having it on when I am running or working out, just driving, or relaxing. I was listening to it in the car with Sydney, though, and she said it hurts her ears.

Kelli Discovers Her Shadow

We had a Kelli & Mommy day! I only dropped her at school for a few hours so I could run a couple errands, then picked her up and we spent a good chunk of our day at Dick Nichols Park in SW Austin. One of my favorite parks.

I've taken both girls here plenty of times, but it was the first time with just Kelli & I so we got to focus on just her favorite things: throwing rocks, climbing UP the slide, and off course collecting acorns!!!

This place has no shortage on acorns.
You can imagine how long we were here.
Everywhere you turned! "a-cooon!"

There are about 121 billion here, but she really is picky about her acorns.

Her hands were getting full and we didn't have a bucket to keep them all in.
Naturally, Mommy's boot is the second best choice.
I mean, obviously. Right?
She thought so.

Um.

What the .... Mom this creepy thing keeps following me and doing what I do.

Hey! YOU! stop it!

Kelli, that's your shadow.
Leave me alone shadow!
(she was getting very angry at her shadow, and a bit freaked out)
I am so sad I didn't video this. But she began hitting it and yelling.
Eventually she just turned the other way as if thinking that as long as she cannot see it, it cannot see her.

we are now lining up the acorns and picking the winners.

These decisions take a while. I actually took like 400 pictures here.

On our way home we stopped at Baby Bugaloo. Sidewalk sale!!
I browsed while Kelli played "mommy". It was cute watching her pick up each baby and pat their backs, then set them down for the next one's turn.

Then we met up with Aunt Jenny at MeMaw & Papa's house for dinner.
as you can see, Kelli picked out a new hat.
(and looooooves it!)
My tiny munchkin has quite the favor towards accessories. She just loves shoes, hats and sunglasses. Hats are her favorite though.

Papa magic. They watched Diego while we looked at old photos of our ancestors and waited for the meatloaf to finish. Kelli stuffed her face with meatloaf and sweet potatoes! Then Jenny & Mom came over to my house to look at more ancestor photos and talk wedding stuff! I felt bad, as I nearly had to kick them out of the house by 10pm... I was falling asleep!

Andy & Sydney Flew the Coop

This morning Andy took Sydney to New Jersey, leaving Kelli & I here for a week.
Originally it was supposed to be a family trip but too many details got in the way of that; one of them being Kelli's ongoing tests with the gastroenterologist (and the fact that it'd be very stressful having that many people under one roof and a new baby plus Kelli who stubbornly refuses to sleep in new environments). It would not have been a smooth trip, and being that Pat & Jen are adjusting to #3 in their house, we're just eliminating some stress there.

I ended up cancelling Kelli's follow-up with the GI. Turns out we seem to have found a solution to all her troubles, and that is milk. It was on a hunch that I decided to take out milk and begin giving her Lactaid, and ever since then her belly has reduced in size tremendously, her rashes are slowly getting better, she is eating better, and her MOOD is overall SO much more cheerful and agreeable. It was a big turn-around.
So I didn't want to put her through all those invasive and frustrating tests for her, knowing she HATES the doctor and we really do have a terrible time each time we go. Even just to the pediatrician. She HATES doctors, and its always a struggle with her.

As a trade, unfortunately, I am making a follow up appointment with her ENT to take a look at her adnoids since we are still hearing all the rattling in there and she has trouble breathing in general. I figured while I still had the time, and before I go back to school, we should get this done now.
Poor Kelli.

I don't wanna go back to school!

Got up this morning, and had a nice and slow morning with the girls. Didn't rush Kelli to school. We just hung out and played. I had my coffee and we watched some toons. I did some chores while the girls played together. Then we all got ready for school and I dropped Kelli off and had about an hour to spare before Sydney's school started so we scampered off to the city to try Sandra Bullocks little place on 6th called Walton's Fancy & Staple. It's a sandwhich/coffee/flower/gift shop. It was really cute. Syd got this little eggnog muffin and I got a latte.
No celebrity sightings. But she is often spotted there with her son Louie.

They had just put some fresh flowers on the table for us and Syd wanted to take a picture with them and send them to Jenny bc she is her "flower girl".

After dropping off Syd, I went over to the gym to change and do my 10 mile run. I noticed something funny.
The owner of Shipley's Donuts was evidently working out (must be a new years resolution).
But they definitely want to keep the marketing up to other gym customers (who are trying to work on their resolutions, I'm sure).

I was just curious.
Now I know.
Fits like a gloooooooove.

Kristina and I went to get pedicures. The 'work' was so/so.
The experience was really fun though. Not that I'd pay that much for this every week or month etc, but the women who worked on us were a lot of fun and we had free pomegranate mimosas and massages and fun conversation for 2 hours.

After putting Kelli to bed Sydney and I painted.
She actually requested (very seriously) that I call a museum and see if they'd like to borrow it so people can look at it, but to make sure we get it back. She mentioned we could make "arsty copies" incase someone wants to buy it. Guess those extra after school art camps are paying off.

Monkeys

The joys of sisterhood. Around the time we begin getting ready for bed, the girls like to throw me a curveball and instead of getting their pajamas on or doing as I ask like laying down to change a diaper or brush their teeth etc, they just giggle at each other like in secret code "it's time". Then begin rolling around the white carpet in Kelli's room laughing and giggling for NO reason and at NOTHING whatsoever, just to spite me.
They think its hilarious.

Awww, we love bonding over our mother's frustration. Isn't this adorable?

I finally separate my little angels but it doesn't appear that they are getting ready for bed, does it?

nope.

ahhh. Finally. bathed and reading a book.
(this looks peaceful, but she screamed the entire time)

The next day we took the girls to church, then afterwards had brunch and walked around a park/shopping center. I gave Kelli a health bar to hold her over but the stinker figured out she could just lick the chocolate off instead of eating it.
She used to actually EAT it.
She was a mess. Andy had thought she dug out a poop from her diaper and freaked out at first.

Sydney found a little pond and off course, had to make a wish.
She is concentrating VERY hard on this wish.

Kelli is always interested in water as well.
(as long as it isnt' a bath)

She made a wish!
(tonevertakeanotherbathagain)

My new years resolution: to do 30 pull ups.
I bought the door bar to help me practice at home. So far, I'm up to 4 pull ups.

Wrapping up 2010

On our last day of 2010 we met my sister Wendy for lunch at Wholefoods in the city. We chatted and let the girls play on the playscape on the roof, then around all the neat landscaping for a while. Afterwards we hit up Anthropologie and REI, nothing to brag about but it was fun!

Kelli's Godmother looks like a very tough, protective lioness here!

I love getting a photo with Sydney when I can! But excuse my face. (and everything). I packed up the girls literally 3 minutes post 4 mile run. Kelli woke up from her nap, and when she is ready to go, she is ready. (which means, I cannot get ready)

Whatever sister does, Kelli does. We've hit the phase now where Kelli watches Sydney carefully and likes to copy almost everything she does. It's very cute.

The Texters came to visit us for NYE and help us ring in '11. This is little Cody's "cheeeeese" for the camera. (he is just a couple weeks older than Kelli... but already talks like a 3yo it's crazy)

Heck yeah Cody!

Our neighbor/friends, the Eckerlings, came over as well for '11 smash-up at the Eye's house. (oh yeah, and by smash up... I mean board games, baby monitors and mixing drinks in to-go coffee mugs! but hey, if you aint rollin' with the rest, come roll with the best! hm?)

Why guys have to constantly sit around and talk about diaper bags and craft blogs, I will never understand.

Kristina hasn't hit the coffee mug yet.

Best picture ever.

This looks like I'm serving underage kids at my party.
Andy looks like he's 12 in this photo.

Asked Keith to take a picture of me & Andy.
This is what we got.

Reason took over and I handed the camera to Brandy.

Sorry, I meant to dress up.

Aaron & Kristina's last couples picture of 2010!!!

Andy is ahead of everyone by 3 drinks at this point.

all babies are down, time for board games.

the last photo of me for 2010

So I'm kinda not sure what happened here but Aaron was saying something funny to make sure he got a photo of us all where Brandy wouldn't close her eyes.

This game is a lot like things. A question is asked and each person writes an answer, but then one person tries to guess who said each answer for a round of points. One answer was "grundle". Let's just say I learn something new everyday. Not always a bad thing. But in this case... it was.

Movie quotes. Aaron's specialty. My blog is not yet rated, so I cannot repeat.

Cooper the party animal! woot!

Cody & Kelli had no problem getting up at 7am. Parents were all happy about that.

Cody is thinking "that is not how you use a shot gun but ooooookaaaaay whateverrrrr"

Like an all American, red blooded Aggie would be raised no other way... this boy can shoot.

Frosty and Simon--- I mean... Kelli.

Sydney spent the night with Aunt Wendy & Uncle Christ for NYE (spoiled!) so the next day in 2011, we took the little ones to Zilker Park to play and ride the train.

Brandy & Keith especially loved the part when 3 guys came jogging past us in thong underwear (animal print, no less!). No doubt to get to the polar bear jump in Barton Springs pool for New Years (and Austin tradition). Also an Austin tradition to be extremely strange and have no inhibitions running around naked with your junk bouncing up and down in front of kids either. Which is why you didn't see ONE parent or trail walker bat an eye (except Keith & Brandy!!! haha!!!!). Keep Austin Weird my friends!

She was real antsy, but once the train began to move she was still as a statue. Pointing at everything (trees, water, boats, people, ducks etc). It was adorable. (as usual. what is *not* adorable about Kelli? Her fits are adorable!)

Aaaaah, taking in a nice day, this great city and a new year!

I've never been down here (even when running the trails) and NOT seen this guy playing music for everyone. He doesn't get paid. In fact I think he is homeless.

Kelli switched seats on the way back so she could see the trees and water.

So silent and still just taking everything in.

Time for lunch!!! Let's go get num nums Kelli! (that got her movin')
I love that she holds my hand. She isn't a cuddly or too affectionate baby, but she has her moments and it makes me light up! Syd always refused to hold my hand until she was a bit older. I always thought about getting those leashes.

Freddie's Place downtown has a playscape for kids where you can eat and let them play right next to you. Mom & Dad get to mingle and eat while the kids go and have their fun!

Wooo!!! Cody will go down that slide by himself at the speed of light if you're not lookin'!

Kelli loved playing with rocks and ash trays. Awesome.
So if you're wondering what to get her for her 2nd birthday....