Chicks With Chicks

It doesn't feel like it, but it must be spring! Several of our friends and relatives have just gotten baby chicks, and of course, we had to visit.

Megan and Lila are in kindergarten together - can you tell?!

She just got new chicks!

This is one of Megan's friendly, one year old, chickens.

Aunt Patty got some too!

Impressive Non-Listener

I know that I haven't updated my blog in forever, and I couldn't begin to catch up all that I didn't write about, so I'll just start fresh with a funny story from this weekend.

I was away for the weekend on our church's annual Women's Retreat - which was wonderful, by the way. The older they get, the easier it is to leave the girls home with Ryan for extended periods of time. They do their own hair (for better or worse), memorize the schedules, and help with mealtimes. In fact, I'm pretty sure that 11 year old Emma could run the show without help if she could drive. :)

In getting things ready for my absence, I picked up a roll of Pillsbury Cinnamon Buns for Emma to make a fun, simple breakfast Saturday morning. Thursday night, I called her out to the kitchen, reminded her how to work the oven, showed her where the round cake pan and cooking spray were, took the can out of the refrigerator and read the directions with her.

Yesterday, I noticed that there was a can of Pillsbury Cinnamon Buns in the fridge. Hmmm, she told me that she made them. Were they SO good that Ryan picked up another can for Sunday? I even looked at the picture she took of her tasty creation. I wasn't sure they looked like the canned variety. Hmmmm....

The suspense was killing me! I called Ryan - he had no idea how she made them, just that they were good. So, when she got home from school, I asked.

"Did you make the cinnamon rolls Saturday?"

"Yes."

"How did you make them?"

"What do you mean? Like you showed me."

"Really?"

"Yeah - I took the dough out of the freezer and followed the directions for Cinnamon Rolls on the bag."

Apparently, she wasn't paying any attention to me when I walked her through the completely simple instructions to make cinnamon rolls. She, instead, used frozen bread dough, thawed it using the microwave instructions, rolled it out, made a cinnamon mixture, rolled it up, sliced it, and baked it. IMPRESSIVE! I have quite a few friends who would never attempt such a complicated recipe.

I told her I was torn between being so proud of her culinary skills, and so mad that she didn't listen to A WORD I said when instructing her!

Crazy Hair Day!

You've gotta love purple Pippi Longstocking braids!

(especially on that face!)

What Is She Up To?

.....I never know, but this is what I saw out my kitchen window this afternoon...

Icy Cold Fun

It's been a very cold winter so far! We've made the most of the snow and ice, but I'm dreaming of seeing that first daffodil poke it's leaves up by my mailbox.

...a little wobbly...

(my two in red; bff, Maddy, in green)

"Quick, pose while you're all standing up!"

Snow Day!!

...sledding...

Snow Day #2!

Mommy and Trudy hard at work...

Christmas Visit

Well, Christmas came and went, along with January, and I've yet to update my blog. So, here it all is in a very abbreviated format.

Gramma and Papa came to visit for Christmas! It was so wonderful to have them here to share in our holiday fun. Since the primary readers of my blog were here experiencing our daily lives, I didn't feel the need to update.

Here is a photo synopsis of the 2.5 weeks surrounding Jesus's birthday at our house:

...just a small part of the food prep fun with Gramma...

...the kids singing in church on 12/24...

Lila's in the middle with a red bow in her hair, and Emma's on the far right in black with a red scarf.

Emma singing her solo :)

Lila singing her heart out :)

Santa was here!!

I'm not sure what the big guy was thinking bringing marshmallow guns to our girls!

12/26 snow storm!

...helping her sister...

Lila, bff - Maddy, and Emma sledding on Ryan's homemade hill.

"WHEEE!!"

Day trip to Peddler's Village to see the Gingerbread Exhibit

Watching the Hokies play in the Orange Bowl

Gramma's spa treatments

Lila is Six!

Well, my little baby girl turned six last week, and I haven't even had a spare second to blog about it! Why is it that that I have two children - one with a birthday a week before Thanksgiving, and one with a birthday a week before Christmas?! It's a crazy holiday season here.

Lila's birthday was last Thursday. We tried to hang birthday decorations to cover up the Christmas ones. She was thrilled to receive "Felicity" her new American Girl doll. She told me she was "the prettiest doll she had ever seen in her whole entire life". :) I love having daughters!

Lila continues to entertain us with her funny and whimsical ways. She's witty and smart. She loves going to school every day, and is having a terrific year. Her teacher reports that she is a leader - we knew this, but were happy to hear that other kids are actually starting to follow. Lila is helpful both at home and at school. Her big sister is her hero, and she can't wait for weekends when she is allowed to sleep with Emma. She loves to play with Barbies and organize her enormous make up collection. Our dog, Trudy, is her best friend and the two of them play for hours. Lila love animals of all kinds, butterflies and insects, nonfiction books from the library, snacks, and messy crafts. She finished playing soccer this fall and is loving being in a Daisy Girl Scout Troop. She loves making new friends and is quite the Kindergarten social butterfly. There's a funny/adorable story about Lila every day of her life, and we just love her and are so proud to be "the famous Lila" 's parents! What joy she brings to our lives!

Birthday morning

Birthday cupcakes at school

Birthday evening

Family party

Lila with her family

Pink cake with raspberries

Lila's Butterfly Birthday Party

My beautiful Butterfly Princess

The Kindergarten Krew :)

The picture she drew in her journal of her family celebrating her birthday.

Just look at all the love in the air!! :)