Another weekend here and gone...

Meet headband girl...She refuses to wear them on her head like a normal girl, but prefers them as not-so-see-through sunglasses. She also got my mom to model them in the same way for the sole purpose of me taking a picture, but I quickly deleted that one from my camera as I promised mom I would.

Whenever I take a picture of one sister, I have to take a picture of the other. Here Sarah is doing one of her favorite things, reading!

Busy time while Sarah sleeps with some Play-doh in the cookie oven and Nana and Papa Hansen got her. She can sit for an hour at a time with the play-doh (it's the only thing she sits that long for) and still not want to get up!

On Sunday, we had the queen of pretend play acting like she was sick. She and I took turns pretending to be sick while the other person gave medicine and made them better for about an hour Sunday morning. This one has quite the imagination lately!

Hug or Mug?

You decide. My camera (or the photographer) was a bit slow tonight so the pics aren't as cute as they could be. At one point Sarah was on Shelby's lap hugging her (so cute).

Anyway, this was Shelby in a time-out (effective I know). You see whenever Shelby is in time-out which somedays feels like alot, Sarah comes over and joins her! Ha! A voluntary time-out. She just comes over and plops down proud as a peach right next to her big sis.

Here's how it works for those of my friends either having second babies soon or who just had them. As the littlest one gets bigger, he or she will want to do all things the older sister (or brother) does. It doesn't matter if they really can, if it's safe, or a good idea -- they will want to copy every move their older sibling makes. This means you have a little one who can just walk trying to RUN and JUMP because big sis is doing it. You will have a wee one trying to climb up and down the steps just to keep up. The result...a sometimes bruised and battered toddler. We went to see Dr. Geddes a couple of weeks ago, and I felt like he was going to call DCFS as soon as we left. Sarah had a bruise on her cheek and one on her forehead both from trying to keep up with Shelby. Her body hasn't mastered running yet, but her head thinks she has. He said that it's very normal for a younger to try to keep up with an older, but I felt like a candidate for the bad mommy of the year award just the same.

Babies

I have been meaning to post a pic of Shelby's beloved babies, but I haven't yet, so here it is. I want to be able to show it to her when she is older. These rag dolls (emphasis on RAG) were actually mine! They are Holly Hobby dolls that my mom gave to her quite a while back and in the past few months they have become her most prized babies. Their names are Pink Baby and Green Baby. Original I know. There is another baby with a pink dress that she calls Other Pink Baby. It reminds me of that show Newhart from when I was little. The guy named Larry would introduce his brothers by saying "This is my brother Daryl and this is my other brother Daryl."

Here's what you might notice about the pink baby. Her face is falling apart! Really the fabric is so old that I think it is just disintigrating. What you can't see is Green baby's feet which look like she has been in terrible accident. They had holes which had stuffing falling out of them that Sarah was attempting to eat so I had my mom try to fix them, but the fabric was again falling apart so she had to sew the feet up making them different sizes and not so pretty. To be perfectly honest, I think Shelby was so excited to have her back after she spent a few days at Nana's house, she hasn't even noticed the funny looking feet.

I know these poor dolls are going to fall apart in poor Shelby's hands someday soon and I'm not sure what to do about it. I am half hoping that she will become interested in some of her other, newer babies, but I have also considered buying her new pink and green babies on e-bay. I have found them, but am afraid Shelby won't like them as much as the originals because they don't look quite the same (and they aren't falling apart).

While I was trying to take the picture of Shelby with her babies, Sarah was getting in my face yelling "cheese" so I had to snap a pic of her. She is growing and changing so much right now. Still kind of a peanut compared to her big sis, but growing just the same.

I can't decide if this face of Shelby's is completely adorable, or borderline evil.

arts and crafts

Play-doh time! And Sarah didn't even try to eat any this time. Shelby is cutting with the scissors (as she says nipping it with the scissors) and Sarah just had fun tearing it into bits and putting it back in the cup.
Shelby made us all paper bracelets and then Nate and I turned one of her drawings into a necklace that she proudly wore for the evening. Doesn't she look fancy?!?

A lazy Sunday morning

What a mess!

Oh, the joys of learning to self-feed!

This is one of those times when I truly miss Alga (our black lab who passed away last fall). She was around to clean up after all of Shelby's first self-feeding attempts.

Back into the routine....sort of

We are slowly getting back into the school routine. The girls are getting used to being woken up to go to my aunt's house and we are in a great morning routine that is quick and painless (food is involved to make it that way). I am used to getting up early and having to look presentable.

Shelby is STILL having a hard time with the drop off in the morning, however. I get lots of "Mommy I need you!" That's a good one for working mommy guilt. I also have an almost 3 year old clinging to me most mornings. I am learning that a quick exit is best, but that I can't sneak out because that makes it worse.

As for the new job... I like it so far. It couldn't be more different than being in the classroom right now. Last week I was in different schools around town testing first graders with the other reading teachers. It has been nice to get to know them. They are an interesting group, but I have found some really nice, helpful, and knowledgeable new friends in the group. This week, we will wrap that testing up and begin some second grade testing in my school. I am going to be WAY tired of testing by the end of the month but I understand that Sept. and May are just like that since our programs are funded by proving our children make progress. I am hoping to be in my routine by Sept. 17 or 24 and be working with groups by then. It is really nice to have my focus be on reading and writing only (my favorite things to teach) and not to have to work in math, science, etc. Hopefully I will continue to feel that way.

I am way excited for this 3 day weekend. The girls and I need a chance to slow down and enjoy each other. Nate is really far behind with all of the rain so he's working today and Monday, but is taking Sunday off. Shelby is just as sassy as ever and is loving her newest prized possession, a super bouncy ball that Nate bought her for a quarter. Sarah is becoming more and more adept at climbing on things like couches and chairs so I have to watch her like a hawk because she has not learned proper exiting techniques yet.

I'll try to get some new pics of them this weekend to post.

It seems that no matter how I try, never get both girls to smile for a picture. One is serious, no matter what. Oh well!
Welcome to our barber shop...Shelby is way into putting Sarah and I in the "barber chair" (really just a dining room chair) to make us look pretty! Luckily, Sarah is a pretty good sport about it as you can see.