Petite Picasso

The girls let themselves outside today while I was cleaning up lunch. I could hear them playing, so let them stay out there while I finished. I even gave them some chalk to keep them occupied and on the cement patio. When I went out to find them in their favorite new hiding place. I also found another one of Eiley's scribbles that looks like an actual drawing. I think this looks like a stenciled portrait of a woman with long hair.

Sikozu has been spending more time with all of us lately. This started before Ingogh died, but has definitely picked up more since then. He comes around during the day for attention, not just when the girls are eating, but at other times too. He's letting the girls pet him and rubs against them. Tonight, he visited Arya during dinner and she was more than happy to let him.

Wipers

We spent a great day in Madison today. The girls and I played in the van for a little while as Cork was in a sale. It was raining out and I did not feel like playing in the cold rain. I had the heat and radio on in the car, so pretty much anything that could get played with did. Eiley turned on the wind shield wipers and the girls' reactions were great! Since they are still rear facing, they aren't used to seeing the wipers. I loved watching them and let them play with the wipers a little more than I probably should have because I was enjoying it.

Chocolate Evidence

Arya put this hat on herself and walked around all morning like this. She took it off just in time to meet with some friends at the zoo. After the zoo, we baked muffins for a neighbor. I went upstairs to pack for this weekend away. The girls helped themselves to muffins while I was upstairs. I wish I'd taken a picture. The muffins were banana chocolate chip and both kids had chocolate evidence all over their faces. While it was cute and I should have taken a picture, I was more concerned about getting them cleaned up so I could finish packing the van and get out of the house.

Cheese Smile

The girls know this, but I have to tell them pretty much every morning that they don't get to watch any tv until they are dressed and ready. Most days we still don't turn the tv on, but this morning they were persistent. I told them before breakfast that we weren't turning the tv on, this was their solution.

I took these photos with Arya tonight. I tried to get a good one, then I tried to get one of us both doing her "cheese" smile and then she was done, so I took the last one.

Diaper Obsession

I don't think I should have to tell my 2 year olds, repeatedly throughout the day, that they can't sit in my lap unless they put their under.wear back on. Eventually they gave up on trying to sit in my lap and decided to diaper each other.

Mr. Ingogh

We said goodbye to our cat Ingogh today. We knew for years that he potentially had kidney issues. He was at the animal hospital from Thursday until Monday and came home yesterday afternoon. The vet was optimistic that he would bounce back with some meds to help with nausea & his kidneys and a special diet. I think his little body just had enough and he waited until he came home. Thankfully it was a nice day and my parents were in town. They were able to watch the kids while Cork and I spent a bunch of time outside with Ingogh. We were supposed to leave before 6:00 to get to a birthing class, but neither of us could pull ourselves away from him. His breathing changed and we both knew it wouldn't be much longer. We had a vet friend coming over later tonight to euthanize Ingogh, but thankfully we didn't have to follow through with that. Ingogh passed peacefully with Cork and I petting him. While the girls are too young to fully understand death, they definitely knew something was going on. I usually type the blog the day something happens, but I'm getting to this one the following day. This morning, the first thing Eiley said was "where Ingogh". Both kids knew Ingogh was sick and that he'd been at the "doctor's" this past weekend. I explained how Ingogh went to heaven and he isn't sick anymore. We talked about that a bunch, but I don't think they grasp it. They knew that Cork and I are sad. Arya has a yellow stuffed cat, that looks nothing like Ingogh. Both kids are really into asking the name of things and people right now. Tonight, she asked me what the name of her little cat was. I told her I didn't know and asked what she wanted to call him and she said Ingogh.

Cork and I got Ingogh shortly after we got married. We moved and went on a delayed honeymoon in Europe. My mom asked if we were excited to go and I told her I was excited to come back and get a cat. I saw Ingogh on our Humane Society web page and knew he was the cat for us. After work that day, I dragged Cork to the Humane Society with me. We looked at all the cats and decided Ingogh was it for us. Someone else was trying to adopt Ingogh by the time we were done looking. The Humane Society has a pretty extensive process to adopt an animal. We were hoping something would go wrong and the woman who was trying to get Ingogh wouldn't. I think we sat around for at least an hour waiting to find out if he was going home with her or not. One of the rules the Humane Society has it that every adult in the household has to be present to adopt an animal so they know that everyone agrees on getting a pet. The woman trying to adopt Ingogh could not get a hold of her boyfriend, so eventually she gave up and left. We jumped right in and adopted Ingogh that night. He had an upper respiratory infection, like so many kittens at the Humane Society do. We were headed to Michigan that weekend to visit my brother and couldn't leave Ingogh alone, so he went with us. He was pretty sick when we left home, but was feeling much better by the time we left my brother's house. Cork and I got out of the car at a stop and when we came back we found that Ingogh had somehow Houdini'd his way out of his cat carrier and was proudly sitting between the two front seats of our car.

Ingogh was always a super loving cat. He was very vocal and always greeted us when we came home from work. He would also scold us if we'd been away from home for too long. He was a total goof ball from the beginning and was the typical curious cat. We found him in our microwave once. When we initially got him we had ferrets and he loved to spend time in the ferret cage. He would do things, like scramble off a bed and run into a wall and then would be super embarrassed. When he was younger, all we had to do was raise our hands above our heads and he'd arch his back, puff out his fur and playfully walk sideways. When Arya and Eiley came home from the hospital, he was very interested in them. We have some great video of the girls "talking" when they are probably 4 or 5 months old and Ingogh howling along with them. The girls could do just about anything to him and he would tolerate it. He hated his tail to be pulled and  his stomach to be put, but Arya and Eiley could do either and he tolerated it. He would get up and walk away if they were too bothersome. He scratched Arya once, after he repeatedly walked away and I repeatedly told her he did not like what she was doing. He scratched the first layer of skin and barely touched her, but it was enough to teach her not to bother him like she was. Even today, when he was so sick, he still let the girls run around by him and pet him as they liked.

Ingogh was very protective of his area. He really wanted a companion and was so happy when we brought Sikozu home. He wasn't as accepting of all animals. We took care of a friends cat for a few months. Ingogh did not like that cat and barely tolerated him in his space. The other cat could go most places in the house, but our bedroom was off limits. If Hogan ever tried to come in there, Ingogh was poised on the bed and quickly chased him out. He loved other animals though. My parents' cat spent a bunch of time here before she passed away a few years ago. Ingogh loved her. He followed her around the house and would try to snuggle up with her. When he was at my parents house, he would try to find her and would sleep in places she usually slept.

We'll miss Ingogh and all his antics, like never eating or drinking directly from his bowls. He always had to scoop the food on the floor and would drink by dipping his paw into the water bowl and licking that. We're both happy that he passed peacefully on his own and that we were both able to be there with him.

Ice Ice Baby Video

Eiley wanted to go outside tonight while Cork was grilling. She was told she had to get pants and shoes on before she could go outside. One out of the two isn't bad.

I took this video a few days ago. We got a new fridge recently. Our old fridge had an ice maker, but it leaked, so we turned it off. The one fridge has an ice and water dispenser that's conveniently at toddler level. Since they love the ice, I taught them to since "ice ice baby, too cold, too cold". They were doing it at dinner and I took video of it. If you listen, you'll hear Arya rip a loud fart around 20 seconds in and then she says "sheshe" as in excuse me. I should have explained we don't do that at the table or done some other parental type thing. I completely failed at my parental role and broke out in laughter.

Cute and Cranky

There's a whole lot of cute here. A whole lot of cranky trouble too, so it's a good thing they are so cute.

Goggles

The girls have been asking for goggles for awhile now. I want to get them some that clasp at the nose to make it easier to get them on and off. I found some today that are super cheap, so I bought them even though they just go over the head like normal goggles. The kids love them, but they really don't fit.

Arya said a 10 word sentence at dinner tonight. I can't remember what it was, but she was trying to boss Eiley around. Since they are repeating everything, I decided it's time to teach them some new sayings. After dinner, they were both singing "ice ice baby, too cold, too cold".

Bathroom Tour

I took a tour of bathrooms in downtown Chicago today. There are some really nice bathrooms up and down Michigan Ave. Besides my tour of the bathrooms, Cork and I also had a day to ourselves. We had lunch at Frontera Fresca and dinner at Lou Malnati's. Both places were really good. We both loved going out to eat and not juggling kids the whole time. For dessert, we bought a quart of ice cream at Oberweis. While my dad can polish off a pint of ice cream himself, Cork and I just couldn't finish our quart. I think it was 30 cents more to get a quart than to buy 2 single dip cones, so we came out ahead despite not finishing it.

The girls had a great day with my parents. They got to go to a children's museum and out to a local burger joint for dinner.

Mini Vacation

Cork took today and tomorrow off. We decided to go to Chicago for our 10 year anniversary. I didn't feel like going and walking all around Chicago when I'm 36 weeks pregnant, so we decided to go now instead of in late May. Our day did not start out as planned. We went to bed last night with a really sick kitty and called the vet this morning to see if they could fit him in. Thankfully, the vet was able to see him. Ingogh's kidneys are shutting down. He'll be spending the next few days at the vet, probably until Monday. We are hoping that we can flush a bunch of toxins out of his kidneys, put him on a special diet and prolong his life. While this isn't a cure, we're hoping we can keep our little guy with us a little bit longer. So, while Cork and I spend the next couple days in Chicago and the girls spend it with my parents, Ingogh will be at the kitty hotel getting pumped full of fluids. I think the rest of us are going to enjoy our time away much more than he will.

Once we finally got going, our day turned out to be lots of fun. We even got upgraded at our hotel. Of course we were supposed to based on Cork's status with that chain. Even so, Cork had to remind the desk staff that we should be upgraded if any suites were available. I'm guessing by the staff's reaction that they aren't supposed to upgrade unless specifically asked.

Nut Cases

I asked Eiley to write her name this morning. I didn't expect her to actually write it, but wanted to see if she'd try. She doodled this and then said "a airplane". I love that it has landing gear and everything.

Both girls new favorite hiding spot is in the kitchen closet, with the garbage. My little nut cases.

I saw these questions online today, so I asked the girls for answers. They didn't answer all of them, and Arya supplied most of the answers, but they're fun to read.

1.       What is something Mommy always says to you? Not touch buttons (meaning the laptop keys)

2.       What Makes mommy happy? Singing “night night baby”

3.       What makes mommy sad? My really not know

4.       How does mommy make you laugh? Stick tongue out

5.       What was mommy like as a child? Beer

6.       How old is mommy? 2

7.       How tall is mommy? Big

8.       What is mommy’s favorite thing to do? Play downstairs

9.       What does mommy do when you’re not around? Peepee on poppy

10.   If mommy becomes famous, what will it be for? Blue

11.   What is mommy really good at? In my sleeping bag

12.   What is mommy not really good at? No answer

13.   What does mommy do for her job? Make my happy

14.   What is mommy’s favorite food? Cheetos

15.   What makes your proud of mommy? My not know

16.   If mommy was a cartoon character, who would she be? Dada

17.   What do you and mommy do together? Go nana papa house

18.   How are you and mommy the same?  My really not know

19.   How are you and mommy different?

20.   How do you know mommy loves you? Um, yeah!

Where is mommy’s favorite place to go? Go byebye

Soggy Egg

Cork mowed the lawn last night. While mowing, he found a plastic Easter egg and put it on the patio. Tonight, Arya and Eiley found it. I don't know who saw it first, but both were enthusiastically pointing it out, so we let them outside to get it. It was filled with four soggy orange jelly beans.

Lego Land Mines

The girls love legos all of the sudden. Last week they were still filling bags with them, scattering them around the house and leaving Cork and me lego land mines to step on. This week, they've become lego builders. It's a nice change. That doesn't mean we don't have lego land mines around, but it does mean the legos are being used for more than just that.

Bite Marks

I thought this was so cute. The girls were rough housing in the living room today. They were all over the place and giggling. I ran outside to get something from the van, came back in and Eiley was upset. When I gave them a bath tonight, I found a really big bite mark on her back.
V: Arya, did you bite Eiley?
A: Yeah (very proud of herself)
V: Where did you bite her?
A: In living room

Not exactly the answer I was looking for, but at least she was honest.

Musical Prodigy

Eiley's so cute. She was playing the piano today and singing "tinkle tinkle lilly sahr".

Tea and Car Seats

The girls and I went to tea today with my mom, sisters and niece. The girls had a great time eating little sandwiches and lots of desserts. I think their favorite parts of the tea were playing in the church nursery and riding in their cousin's infant seat. Obviously she's too long for the seat, but she just barely outweighs the weight limit.

Bathing Cousins

My sister was giving her kids a bath tonight. Arya and Eiley quickly got themselves ready and jumped on it. It was very cute to see four of the youngest cousins taking a bath together. No pics though. I couldn't get any where all 4 kids were angled well enough to post on a blog. Even though the kids haven't seen each other in almost 4 months, they acted like they'd seen each other just yesterday. I love how kids can do that.

My Just Bounce

Trouble! That's what these girls are. At least they are funny trouble. I was making a grocery list today and could hear them laughing hysterically in the kitchen. I knew they were playing with their water cups, but was too tired to care. They both soaked themselves and ran upstairs to change. Seeing that they have no clothes in their room, I followed. I found their pants on the floor and them hiding in Eiley's bed. I was just glad they'd taken their wet clothes off before playing in the bed.

Later tonight, Arya started jumping on a bed while I was right next to her. I told her not to jump on the bed. Her response, "my just bounce". How do you not laugh at that? She's definitely thinking for herself now. I didn't even know she knew the word "bounce."

Easter Chocolate

Besides the fact that they are gnawing on a chocolate bunny while I'm trying to do laundry, this is so cute. They got out a cutting board to try to cut the chocolate bunny. Without a knife, they just gave up and tried to take bites.

Eiley threw a colossal fit tonight. She was happily playing legos with Cork until I called them into the kitchen for dinner. She came into the kitchen and threw her fit. I'm not sure what set her off. She didn't even make it into her chair. I think she was yelling that she wanted her food "too hot", but I'm not sure. Forty five minutes later, she finally calmed down enough to eat. She then requested dessert like nothing had happened. I nicely explained that there was no way in hell I was giving her dessert after her performance and she accepted that with no problems. Dessert was black bean brownies, so I could have let her have it. It's not like it's junk, but I didn't want her thinking she can do this again on another night when we have a real dessert.

I'm up to my bi weekly appointments for this pregnancy. The girls have been going to my appointments with me. We talk ahead of time about how I'll be weighed, my blood pressure will be taken, we'll listen to the baby's heart etc. I was getting Arya out of the van at the office today and she very seriously said to me "sometimes you go to doctor and peepee en cup". I think this is going to be fun the first time she tells people in public that I pee in a cup.

Toothbrushes

The girls each grabbed the toothbrush and toothpaste they wanted to use tonight. I brushed their teeth and then asked Eiley to bring the stuff back to the bathroom and put it away. This is how she carried it.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter! We started our day with church. Arya and Eiley happily went to the front for the junior sermon and out voiced every other kid up there. There weren't a lot since we were at an early service, but the others were older. When the pastor held up an Easter egg and asked what could be found in it, both girls yelled out "die die" loud enough for everyone in the church to hear. While Cork and I both knew they were talking about candy, obviously no one else did. Thankfully, Cork interpreted for them.

We also made a trip to the zoo where the girls got to ride the Carousel. That's something they ask about every time we're there, but we had yet to let them ride. Eiley wanted to ride on a bunny and Arya wanted the cat. After the zoo, we did an Easter egg hunt at home and then Uncle Greg came over to spend the rest of the day with us and share a very festive Easter taco dinner.

Easter Doughnuts

We got up this morning and for the first time ever, decided to go buy doughnuts at the grocery store for the girls. They've had doughnuts, but we've never made a special trip just to go buy some. We got packed up and were at the store by around 7:00. The grocery store we went to was having an Easter Egg hunt for all the kids at 7:30, so we stuck around and they got to do that.

Later, we went to another egg hunt out in Brookfield. The girls were pros by this point and were very into the hunt.

TV Teeth

Someone put tooth paste on the tv yesterday. I'm not sure who, but I'm guessing it was Eiley as she pointed it out to me today and I found her with a tube of toothpaste and a toothbrush yesterday. I assumed she was just trying to brush her own teeth. I didn't realize she was trying to clean the tv and the tv stand.

I think baby #3 is going to be as active as her sisters. We've been able to see her moving for awhile now. I just finally took a short video of it tonight.