Talking with Handley

I just love some talking with Handley these days and watching her figuring out how the world works.  She is so inquisitive, is constantly asking questions and making observations about things she sees.  It's also funny for me to hear some phrases that I know she's picked up on from me or Robby.  I had to record some of them here so I could remember them for years to come.

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"Oh my gosh. Harper, this is going to be SO much fun!" 

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"Daddy, I have something very important to tell you."

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She was doing some arts and crafts and playing with stamps.
Handley - Can I stamp this on my arm. 
Me- No, those stamps are for paper.  
Handley- Well some people have stamps on their body. 
Me- Really, like who? 
Handley- Like some boys do on their backs.  

I'm pretty sure she was talking about tattoos.  I explained to her that some people have tattoos and that they are like stamps that will never wash off.

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At a gas station filling up she looked over and exclaimed, "Mommy, that man doesn't have a roof on his car."  I then explained the concept of a convertible to her.  Later that week we saw another convertible and she was proud to know exactly what it was.

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Handley- Will I still be Handley when I grow up?
Me- Yes, you will always be Handley.
Handley- Will I be a boy or a girl?
Me- You'll always be a girl.  When you grow up you will be a mommy. 
Handley- Who will be my baby?  Will it be Harper?
Me- Nope, Harper will always be my baby and your sister.
Handley- When will Harper be born again? 
Me- She won't be born again honey. She's growing bigger each day and will keep getting bigger, just like you.  Why do you want her to be born again?
Handley- So I can hold her. 


I reminded her that a lot of our friends are getting ready to have babies and that I'm sure she will be able to hold those babies soon. That made her really happy!

Last day of camp

Today was the last day of camp.  Handley had such a great time during the circus themed camp and enjoyed being with her friends and teachers each day.  She made all sorts of cute crafts and art projects, sang songs and learned about circus animals.  Today she asked me when school would start because she was kind of sad it was the last day of camp.  I'm happy that she enjoyed the week as much as she did!

While Handley was at camp, Harper and I ran to Target to return something.  While we were there we strolled through the shoe department.  She was begging to get out of the cart, so I let her try on a few pairs of shoes.  These boots were her favorite!  She was funny to watch as she walked in boots for the first time.  She kept picking her feet up really high and sort of marching around.  She finally got the hang of it and then did NOT want me to take them off of her.  We came home with a pair for her and Handley to wear this fall. 

Out with the old...In with the NEW

My washing machine, which I'm pretty sure was older than I am, started dying last week.  I tried to limp it though the week, but it just wasn't happening.  It was sounding worse and worse and the pile of laundry was growing and growing.  After reading hours of reviews, ratings, and specifications about new washers we finally decided on one this one and I can't tell you how happy I am.  I've been eyeing the fancy, energy efficient, water saving washers and dryers for some time now.  It just so happened that Lowe's had their energy efficient appliances on sale through yesterday and after a quick stop at the post office for a change of address packet I got a coupon for an additional 10% off (a slick move that would make my brother, the king of coupons, proud).

Out with the old...

In with the NEW!!!

I mean, welcome to the 21st century!  I've done about 4 loads of laundry so far and I swear I can tell a difference.  The girls clothes are the ones I feel are always the dirtiest and stained with everything from watermelon to chocolate milk, but NO MORE!  The few things of theirs I have washed today came out SO clean that I was amazed.  When our old washer would start the "washing" or "spin" cycles Handley would often ask if Daddy was home because it sounded like the garage door opening.  I'm not kidding.  This new one is so quiet and even plays a happy little tune when the load is finished.  

Now, my dryer is still an ancient machine that sends lint covering my entire laundry room, but I'm hoping that maybe it will die out in the next 6 months or so and we can replace it too. :-)  Handley was so pleased to see our fancy new washer in the laundry room when we she got home from camp today.  She helped me push the button to start the first load and together we sat in front of it for a good 10 minutes just watching it do it's thing. 

I never thought doing laundry would make me happy, but today, it did.  And, as they say, when mama's happy, everybody is happy.  

A HOT weekend and CAMP

We spent the HOT weekend at the lake with our friends the Atkinsons. It was nice to be able to get in the water and cool off, but unless the boat was running or you were in the water, it was entirely too hot to be outside.  Thankfully, all the kids had a good time and didn't seem to mind the heat.  

We had picnic lunches, went tubing, had dinner at the Tiki Hut, played in the sand, visited the waterfall, and had lots of swimming time.  

Today Handley started camp at her school.  She is lucky to have two of her best girl friends, Avery and Grace, at camp with her this week.  When we dropped them off this morning all of them walked into class and didn't look back.  When we picked them up 4 hours later, they were all smiles and Handley couldn't stop telling me about all the fun things they did.  

A rainy trip to the store and stickers!

This afternoon we made our way to the grocery store and as we entered Publix it was sunny skies.  Just before we started to check out the bottom fell out of the sky and it was pouring.  There was also a lot of thunder and lightening so I decided to just hang out under cover to let it pass by.  We stood there for several minutes watching people get soaked when this very nice lady came up to me and asked if she could help us get to our car with her umbrella.  I told her we were fine and would just wait it out, but she was very concerned about my frozen food going bad so I gave in and walked out with her.  Her umbrella (which I later learned was purple from Handley on our ride home) didn't do much good because it was raining sideways in every direction.  I quickly got the kids in the car as Handley was whining about getting wet and

 grabbed my umbrella so this poor woman could feel OK about leaving me there and getting herself into the dry store.  My umbrella didn't do much good either.  By the time I got all the groceries in the back, got the girls buckled, passed of my cart to a nice lady who was heading in and got in the car myself I looked like I had just jumped in a swimming pool with my clothes on.  I grabbed a few napkins to dry off and handed one back to Handley.  She thought this was hilarious so we all started cracking up!  We'd dried off quite a bit by the time we got home, but here we are still laughing about it and still a little wet. 

Later when I was getting dinner ready I heard Handley busy with something.  She walked into the kitchen and announced, "look at me" as she was laughing.  

Stickers were EVERYWHERE and she was literally cracking herself up.  She wore the stickers through dinner (except those on her face) and was singing a different tune when it came time to take the stickers off her legs.  Those big princess stickers stuck on like crazy.  She tried pulling them of, but said it hurt to bad, so she wanted me to do it instead.  She cried and cried when I was getting them off and she was left with big red rectangles on her legs where the stickers had been.  I don't think she'll be doing that again. 

Lake fun with the Mills

Our good friends for Florida came to visit us this weekend and we had so much fun!  They were here from Wednesday to Sunday and we spent the majority of the time at the lake.  Kathy and Corey have two little girls, Marlee (3) and Lilah (8 months).  It was great to see all the kids playing together so well.  Handley and Marlee got to have sleep overs together each night and enjoyed playing dress-up, and swimming together.  We spent time at the waterfall, went to a few beaches to play in the sand, swam, rode on the tube, grilled out, and relaxed on the deck. It was a great weekend with GREAT friends!

Harper wanted so badly to play with the big girls.  Usually Handley and Harper play so well together, but when Handley had someone her own age around she wanted nothing to do with Harper.  Harper would run to keep up with them only to have the door closed in her face.  She did get to play pretend at the princess ball a few times when I told Handley that Harper could be their prince.  Harper enjoyed seeing Lilah and having someone smaller than her.  She would constantly bring her toys to share and loved touching her head and trying to put her fingers in Lilah's mouth. 

One evening we took a boat ride to the Tiki Bar restaurant which is on the water.  We sat right by the stage used for bands and performances and since there was no one there the girls played and danced over there after they finished eating. One of the best things about the Tiki Bar is that the manager usually brings out a big basket of toys for the kids to play with while we eat.  Also, there is a blue tractor they get to sit on and we save our left overs to feed the ducks and fish that hang out around the dock.  It was a feeding frenzy that night and there were lots of happy ducks and fish!

Robby's New Toy

Earlier this year Robby got an amazing deal on a golf cart and it was just too good to pass up.  We've been waiting for months and it finally arrived today.  When he got home this evening we all went for a cruise down the street.  Handley and Harper thought it was lots of fun and Handley said, "this is the best ride I've ever done before."  

A movie and Harper's check-up

This morning we decided to try out Regal Cinema's free summer movies with our friends Sheila and Addyson.  Every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10 AM they offer free G and PG movies.  Today was a Veggie Tales movie.  I would really suggest this activity!  Since everyone in the theater has little kids with them, no one gets annoyed if the kids are talking, playing or, in our case, dancing in the aisles during the movie.  Handley is a pro at the movie theater, but this was Harper's first time and I had no idea what to expect.  Since it was free we decided to give it a try and I was pleasantly surprised by how well she did. We sat in the handicap aisle so that Harper could have room to walk around in front of our seats.  She did that for part of the time and sat with me quietly the rest of the time.  We were able to stay for the first 45 mins. of the show before we had to leave for Harper's 15 month check-up.  

Harper's apt. went well.  She was very cooperative and didn't seem to mind getting checked out in the least.  Her stats are: 

weight - 24 lbs. 1 oz (70th percentile) 

height- 30 1/4 inches (50th percentile)

head - 18 1/2 inches (80th percentile)

She also got 3 shots that she wasn't too happy about, but nothing a little comforting from her mommy and big sis couldn't cure.  Plus, a trip to Chick-fil-a for lunch and a little ice cream treat helped too!  

Harper 15 months

My baby girl is seeming so much more like a toddler these days and so much less like a baby.  Harper is such a mess.  That girl is full of personality and is not one to be forgotten in the crowd.  She makes it known when she wants something and if no one is listening, she will just continue to get louder and louder until we acknowledge what it is she wants.  She says "Mama" at least 300 times a day (followed by "that" and "no" which are her other favorite words).  Sometimes she doesn't even want or need anything. It's just her way of saying "hi" to me and making sure I'm close by.  

At 15 months she: 

• sucks her thumb and rubs her belly button simultaneously to sooth herself
  
• has learned the word "no" and likes to put it too good use
• loves to make a mess (dumps out baskets of toys out the second I put them away)
• is attached to her water and snack cup
• likes to put on beaded necklaces and bracelets
• pretends to feed her baby dolls and takes them on walks
• uses utensils (a fork and spoon) impressively well
• enjoys putting things in bags and carrying them around.  She'll often tell me "bye-bye" as she walks off with her bag.
• loves to cuddle
• imitates things Handley does and wants to play with the big kids
• wants to brush her teeth every chance she gets
• is starting to fit into 18 month clothes a little better than her 12 month clothes
• likes to pick out her books before bedtime and if given the chance, will pick no less than 5 or 6
• would be happy to play with my phone all day long
• likes to wave and say "hi" to people when we are out and about running errands
• gets just beside herself with excitement when her Daddy gets home from work
• wakes up happy in the morning, but wakes up very grumpy from her nap

She recently reached the vocabulary explosion.  I feel like everyday she is saying new words.  Some of the ones I can think of off the top of my head right now that she says are: 

up

ball

bow

buc (bucket)

nack (snack)

caka (cracker)

cook-coo (cookie)

bath

uh-oh

boo (book)

NO

Mama

Dada

Papa

walk

that

pop-pop (popcicle)

more

wa-wa (water)

ra-ra (Raffie/Graffie, her lovey)

juice

scoop (in reference to swimming)

ma-more (one more, in reference to reading books one more time or giving one more kiss)

eh-oo (hello)

wama (watermelon)

bye-bye

hi

A day with Daddy

Yesterday while I was at a baby shower Robby took the girls to the mall to try to get his watch fixed.  They had Chick-fil-a at the food court for lunch and on the way out Robby stopped at a make-up counter and asked if they would do a little make-over on Handley.  He sent me this picture and the caption said, "My little Diva."  

I was surprised that he'd taken them both to the mall and I was REALLY surprised that he'd thought to do something so special and girly for Handley.  When I got home she looked up to me with really big eyes and in kind of a whispery-wonderful voice said, "Mommy, I got make-up!" She told me she got lipsticks and that she picked out pink with the brush (I'm guessing maybe a little blush??).  

After a low key afternoon including washing the cars, Robby took on double duty because that evening I went out with some girlfriends to see the new Twilight movie, Eclipse. While I was gone for the night they took a long wagon ride, threw rocks in the stream, ate a pizza dinner and had a "watermelon party" on the back porch.  I always miss the girls when I'm gone for a few hours like that, but I'm so thankful that they have such a great Daddy who does fun, creative stuff with them.  I am lucky that I get to be around them all day, every day so I think it's great for them to get some two-on-one time with Daddy too, without me around.  

Build-a-Bear

Today we made a trip up to Build-a-Bear.  Handley and Harper had both gotten gift cards for this store for their birthdays (Thank you Davis and Mason!) and we had promised to take Avery with us for her birthday present.  All the kids had fun choosing their bear, helping stuff it, and giving it a heart with a big wish.  It's no surprise that the big girls choose matching pink bears with matching pink dresses and matching pink names (Pink-a-Bear and Pink-a-Bell).  Harper liked her bear too until I put it in her spot in the stroller.  She pulled it out as fast as she could and threw it on the ground.  I guess she didn't want it taking over her seat.

After Build-a-Bear we made our way to the food court for a Chick-fil-a lunch and then a quick stop by the candy store before heading home.  It was a great outing and a fun way to spend our day.  

Holiday Weekend

***NOTE - I just added 4 posts, so be sure to read below and see them all so you don't miss anything!***

We spent the holiday weekend in Wilmington visiting with my family.  It was a wonderful weekend with great weather and lots of fun family memories.  

Before you go thinking our girls were dressed cute as can be and posing perfectly, check out these pictures...Handley copying Robby after he put a ball in his shirt (she was cracking herself up saying she had a baby in her belly), and Harper's dress tied up because I didn't realize it was going to be so long she could hardly walk in it! 

We were trying our hardest to get a good picture of my parents with the girls and they were both so busy playing that they could have cared less about taking pictures.  Then, Harper discovered the beach chairs in the yard still drying off from our earlier trip to the beach.  Handley plopped down in one too so my dad quickly moved the cooler in the middle and that's how we got this picture.  We were all cracking up because there is nothing like beach chairs and coolers in the yard.  Ha!  I love it because it's so real and so us. :-) 

Beach Babes

We spent both days of our holiday weekend at the beach and I'm happy to report that I've got a couple of beach babes!  I knew Handley loved the beach, but this was Harper's first real experience with it since last year she was only about 2 1/2 months old.  After packing for what felt like hours, we finally left my parents' house and made the 15 minute drive to the sand and sea.  They loved digging in the sand, jumping the waves, swimming, digging pools, more rolling in the sand, and soaking up every second of fun.  

Those of us without kids got to enjoy a nice adult beverage, long strolls, a little relaxing and a few games of ladder golf and corn hole...

while those of us with kiddos enjoyed getting sand in our suits. :-)

Robby does not like the sand, but he was such a good sport when Handley asked to bury him in the sand and both girls had fun covering him in it. 

Then, it was Handley's turn. 
And she also got to fly a kite for the first time!  

We had a fabulous time and can't wait for our week beach trip next month!!!