"The future's so bright, I gotta' wear shades!"

(How many more sunglasses posts do you think I can begin with a song title? I can think of at least two more, especially if any shade-related, blog-worthy incidents happen after the sun goes down...)

You may recall (or have refreshed your memory by following the first link above) that my daughters were not exactly thrilled with the prospect of actually WEARING their first pair of sunglasses. You know, when they were little.

Fast-forward a bit, and my sweet friend Leah got the most adorable glasses for the girls for their birthday. They were a bit more tolerant of them, but still showing little interest.

Fast-forward again, to August. When some friends of ours visited in the middle of the month, their little boy had sunglasses that the girls loved to carry around. I got theirs out, assuming they would quickly lose interest. I was very, very wrong. Two weeks later, if they are anywhere in sight, Elise and/or Avery will still take them to any willing adult and lean forward into them, to get them on as quickly as possible.














Then, they will proceed to walk around the room like absolute divas, knowing that they are THE coolest chicks ever to have donned Sunglasses.














Sometimes, they even try to put them on by themselves!















Who's ready for Florida?!

Lovin' this Faux Fall!

This evening, Kyle and I were outside with the girls. I found myself wishing several times that I would have thrown on a sweatshirt, and thankful that Avery and Elise were wearing long sleeves. Unfortunately, it's going to warm up again before we really see Fall.... but it has raised my hopes (hopefully not falsely, for the third year in a row) that we might actually SEE my favorite season.

PS - Grandma Shelly and Grandpa Mike, the girls absolutely got a kick out of the swingset today, more than ever before. Elise "bounced" on the trampoline after climbing up onto it herself, and both girls repeatedly wanted "up! up! up! up! up!" onto the slide, to go down it over and over again - "Wheeee!"

PPS - After I publish this post - the second for the day, I'd like to point out, I will be writing more (finally! you say). Stay tuned! :)

Leah.

I have this friend. She reads the blog regularly, so I can't dote on her too much ;)

Seriously though, she's great. She and I went to high school together, and at one point had every single class together, all day. Still, the only time we ever really made to hang out was, well, never. Except the few times we stayed up all night working on projects we had procrastinated in completing.

(In case you're wondering, her uncle Philip likes bubble gum. Yeah, I can't really explain any more than that, except that Leah was the kind of friend even then that I could giggle with for hours over nothing. Case in point: senior chapel, when we had prepared a beautiful song to sing together and instead just laughed our way through it.)

I kind of lost touch with Leah when we went to separate colleges, because it was way back in ye olden days before Facebook existed. When it came time to ask friends to stand by me at my wedding, I wasn't sure she'd care to do it. I'm glad she did, because she was with me then and we have kept in touch MUCH better since.

Two husbands (only one each, as it should be!), three dogs, two babies, and way too many moves later, she is still one of my dearest friends. Though we see one another 1-2 times each year if we're lucky, we can always pick up right where we left off. Even the boys we married get along just as well, though I think they struggle to see the humor in the bubble gum conversation. (What? You do too? Well I'm SURE it's just because I didn't share the whole thing, and not because it probably wasn't really funny to begin with).

This summer, during the ATP Masters Tournament that is held in good old Mason, Ohio each year, Leah and her husband Dave were able to come in for over a week, instead of just a few days. This meant I saw Leah TWO days, almost in a row! Unprecedented! One of the days I also got to spend a couple of hours with her mama Karen, who is equally sweet. I'd have to write another post on her I think, which would then just be too much. ;)

Instead, I'll leave you with these pictures from the Ladies Day Brunch & Fashion Show -- aren't they beautiful?!






















(Hi, Leah! Thank you again for visiting!)

These Crocs were made for walkin'...

... around WDW!

Though they're still a bit large, we got out the adorable Crocs for the girls to try on last night, and I'm glad we did! At first, it was hysterical watching the girls walk in them. After a few minutes though, they had adjusted fine. Then, it was just a matter of entertainment. For over an hour last night, they would take the shoes off, inspect them, and bring them to us to put back on. We'd do so, and they would walk around proudly before starting over again.


















Avery was even able to get them on by herself! She has had a lot of practice, you know...



















Aren't they adorable?


















Just over one month until we're off to visit Mickey & friends again!

Round 2

Ok... so some more changes made, to try and find some middle ground. I agreed with some comments on this post that the newer (now previous) version of CK.com looked nice and sharp, clean. But to some, that meant boring... which I completely understood as well. I heard some feedback (again, that I agreed with) that liked the more distinct separation of the posts in the cleaner version, as well as the separation of elements on the sidebar. I am trying to see if that same separation has been achieved with cuter (and more obvious) post titles and small dividers. Thoughts? (On any aspect of that sentence!? :))

I personally wanted to keep buttons along the top in some form or another, despite what anyone said ;) but made them more visible.

So how about this combination of things? I REALLY loved your suggestions, so please keep them coming - even if it means you like a change I made, but not how I did it... if you think I messed it up worse :), etc. Your comments have been invaluable!

As for spacing between pictures and text, that's something I'm going to tackle next - so try and let that have no bearing on your opinion of the current layout.

I'm not sure about the brightness, either. One or two of you caught the site when the background was really faded (including design on the sides)... it accomplished the "less busy" look I was going for, but I didn't really like it. Is the design on the sides still too much? The yellow in the body of the blog too faded? I think this is going to be one of those things with people all over the spectrums, but I'd like your opinion still! :)

Oh - and I promise I have lots of entries lined up that actually feature cute babies, which I'm sure you like reading about better than tech stuff. To be honest, I like writing about them more too, but I am desperate to get a look I'm happy with and only have so much free time! :)

Thanks for your help!

Professional Wedding Photos

There were a few shots we were looking for that weren't there to share, but here are a few cute proofs... And Kelly looked beautiful, of course!

Justin and the boys looked handsome, too!

The not-exactly-as-planned trip down the aisle -

Congratulations, Mr. & Mrs. Kuhbander! :)

We (finally) Made it to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo....

Seriously, some of you are aware of the obstacles I've faced trying to get to the zoo the last several months! I was thrilled to finally make it back last week, and even more thrilled that my mom could join us.

First, we fed some giraffes! They don't allow you to break the cracker (and I don't think my girls would have been keen to the giraffes mouth that close to their hands) so we just held them while we did the dirty work. It was still a great opportunity to see all the giraffes up close and personal!


















We made our way past elephants and monkeys before stopping for a picnic lunch. Avery spent most of lunchtime talking to the polar bear on my cup! ;)


















Next we were off to the Children's Zoo. On our way, we passed a goat which Avery LOVED.


















In fact, Avery really loved all of the animals!


















(And really, who wouldn't love this trio?!)


















(Elise, apparently.)



















She really was interested though, so long as she was in control of the situation (read: the only one doing any moving!). She even told some really great stories about the cow we met!



















We saw lots of other animals, including the three adorable tiger cubs(!), and finally ended up at the carousel.























I think they need a little more practice before riding Cindy's horse in a couple of months though, considering they both dove off into our arms once the animals started galloping. :)



















It was pretty hot so we only stayed about 2 hours... but it was so nice to be back after such a long time away!

Some women change their hair color....

...I change the layout of the blog when I need to liven things up. Seriously, I spent hours on Sunday but I'm not sure I love it. Probably, because I'm not sure I disliked it in the first place! Please, PLEASE leave me your thoughts - even if you don't usually comment. I'm open to critique and suggestions, too!

Here I've uploaded a screenshot of the most recent incarnation (to help any of you whose memory is as fabulous as mine these days)... but let me also point out some differences.

- top menu bar: you can see a few buttons across the top, but in case you don't like change, I've left the important ones on the side as well - just a bit lower. If I keep this layout, I'd add a few more key links alongside the current ones.
- wider post column: I realize that right now, this means all the pictures and text are screwy, but I'll change it eventually. Or at least going forward.
- cleaner look: but does that mean boring?

I'm having a REALLY hard time figuring out what I think, so I'll ask what YOU think instead. Afterall, I look at an editing screen 99.9% of the time anyway, so you should really be happy with it ;)

Please let me know your thoughts, even if it's as simple as which one you prefer. Think of it as a market research study... :-P

Fourteen Months!

Time just keeps on ticking, doesn't it?  Elise and Avery are in the throws of toddlerhood, temper tantrums and all.  I so thought I had a while to mentally prepare for that, but I was very wrong.

But let's focus on the positive stuff :) like --

• knowing/speaking at least 10 words or phrases (counting off the top of my head) - including some lengthy ones like "Cinderella"... more or less.  It's at least recognizable, even to folks outside our family and their regular company!  Some of their favorites include "up", "shoes", and - used in various situations but always appropriately! - "sit".
• learning a handful of new signs at a time, the latest being "hat"
• throwing balls (and anything else they choose to throw)
• falling asleep each night within 15 minutes usually, though I'm terrified to type that out after our - count 'em - eleven + weeks of nightly scream fests lasting upwards of 2 hours {Every. Single. Night.}
• continuing to follow more and more simple commands ("close the door", "throw the ball", "give mommy your shoe", etc)
• identifying a few body parts like toes, head, hands, etc
• trying (very unsuccessfully but oh-so-sweetly!) to put their shoes on their feet
• sorting "like objects" - at first by finding similar or matching things, and starting today (totally on their own), placing like items together.  (ie, finding and putting all the rubber ducks on the ottoman, princess figurines in a line on the table, Brightlings in the chair, etc.  Makes their OCPD Mama proud! ;))
• running(!)
• recognizing and pointing to mama and dada in pictures
• sharing - on occasion.  It's not their preference to do so, but now and then they will melt my heart by going and finding a similar toy to give to one another, very purposefully "trading" items they have, etc
• telling stories with fantastic inflection, all day long!

One thing they absolutely still struggle with?  Sitting still!

Rock N' Serve

No, this post has nothing to do with the tennis going on in Cincinnati (or even the women's events we went to a couple of days ago).  Instead, it's about Tupperware.  And not really about Tupperware, but about my silly girls.  Ahh, there it is.  It's always about those girls...  Why yes, yes it is :)

Anyway, Tupperware has this (awesome) line of products called Rock N' Serve.  I'm not plugging them, so you'll have to read up on them on your own time, but I will show you, so you can see the lid:

My girls LOVE these lids.  Every single day, several times each day, they will each bring one to me.  I have to pop the end up (it is kind of tricky for small hands), and they push it back down.  Then they hand it to me again, I pop, they push.  Lather, rinse, repeat.  And repeat.  And repeat.  When they're really into it, they'll return to the Drawer O' Lids, and bring Every Single One to me, and our fun will be multiplied times, well, a lot.  (It's our favorite product by far, and almost all of our food storage arsenal is one form or another of Rock N' Serve.  I'm just sayin'.  Tupperware, you may contact me at any time about an affiliate/referral program).

I suppose it's good practice at picking out "like objects", no?

Big Girl Activities

Over the last week or two, Avery and Elise have been getting into some real big girl activities!

They have long been very intrigued watching grown-ups write with pens, and even began several weeks ago to mimic 'writing' when given a (closed!) pen of their own. I thought it must be about time to start coloring, no?! Considering crayons and coloring books have been a staple in my house from childhood through college and into adulthood (even prior to children), you know I was ready as soon as the urge came to start with my children.

First, we tried the Crayola Beginnings Crayon Buddies that the girls got for their birthday. They are designed for 18+ months, and I thought they would be perfect for little hands!

Instead, the girls just thought the faces on them were perfect for kissing, and they had no interest in using them as they were designed. We tried for a little while, and ultimately they just played with them as another 'toy', until they were finished being confined to their highchairs.

After their nap, I got out the "real" crayons instead. Of course, we're still talking about toddlers, so we used the triangular ones made for an easier grip.

Now this, I recognize, thought the girls.

They knew just what to do with them.

Budding artists, no? :)


















They are also starting to enjoy playing with puzzles. Avery really "gets it", though she needs some help turning the animal the right direction. Elise enjoys taking the pieces off over and over again, and only occasionally attempts to put them back away. We have a few of these great wooden puzzles with large pieces (and handles), and I imagine it won't be long now before they're working them like pros!




















And just in case you were starting to assume they just sat and played this nicely all the time, let me assure you that is not true.

Avery, when she decided she was NOT tired, and not ready to stop playing with the puzzles --



















Aaaaand, their latest hang out (though this one earns them a big, fat "No" every time. The drawer is bound to break!) --

















There are plenty more coloring and puzzle pictures in the Picasa album. We hope you're enjoying your final days of Summer!

Work is fun!

Last week, the girls and I went to visit Daddy at Work. If all workplaces looked like this, I think it would be a very long time before kids realized that work was not generally, in fact, a joy.

:)