He is Risen Indeed

Every year, Amber's extended family gets together to celebrate Easter at her Grandparents ranch in LaGrange.  They've invited us for the past several years to join them, and it's a total treat for us.

The first year we were there, was the day before we found out I was pregnant with twins.  

Fast forward two years and we have two little girls doing an Easter Egg hunt for the first time.  

Each girl had their own basket and they were able to put anything they wanted in and out of their basket for as long as they wanted.  

Caroline and Ellie were in heaven.

They were completely captivated the entire time.

The front yard of this ranch house is massive and they could walk wherever they wanted.

They kept venturing off walking one direction, but then realizing that their sister was somewhere else, they went to go find the other one.

Then, Amber's Granny comes over and shows the girls that the eggs actually open and there are things inside of them....

...and with that, the plastic eggs got a whole lot cooler, and the girls were trying to open and close the eggs for the rest of the time.

Well...and eating them.

Just like the last 2 years, I wanted to get a nice family picture.

Take 1:  Caroline crying and Ellie totally in the zone

Take 2:

Take 3:  Well, at least Blake and I are smiling....I guess this is the keeper for 2014.

Bobbie, Amber's mom, gave us bunny ears for the girls yesterday, so of course, we had to bring them and let the girls wear them for the day.

At home, they love to TRY ON bows but they love even more to immediately take them off, i.e. just give mommy a tease and not actually wear anything on their head.

Caroline having a brief technology distraction.  This girl and cell phones...

So, of course, we were cracking up when they wanted to keep wearing their bunny ears for the afternoon.  I never know with them.  

It was a great day.  They had fun and we probably had even more fun watching our babies discover new things.

...and as always when we're outside....hearing new things.

Cozy Coupes

Caroline and Ellie each got a Cozy Coupe for their birthday from my parents.

I thought 2 was just way too many wheels in one household, but my mom, knowing what its like to be a twin, thought they should each have their own.

2 was definitely the right call.  We did have to rearrange our garage to fit it all in, which took us two weekends worth of naptimes to get it all done, but hey, we got it!

Caroline doing some peek-a-boo while drinking her milk

These girls LOVE to drive their car, meaning vigorously turning the steering wheel while their face starts to turn red.  Sometimes they liked to be pushed, and sometimes, they only want to sit inside and they throw a fit if I even touch their car.

Caroline 

Ellie

Most often, both girls do not like it when their sister tries to get close to their car.  But sometimes, on days like this, we'll see some collaboration and their minds working.

They discovered their gas tank, and somehow, without any prompting or suggesting from me, they took the straw of their sippy cups and stuck it in the gas tank.

We go to the gas station less than once a week, and somehow they still can remember what I'm doing and copy.

I'm amazed.

Ellie

These girls could just walk around outside, going in and out of their cars all day.

Of course, so could I, with beautiful weather such as this.  These are rare days in Houston....70's, no humidity and no bugs....what we call California weather.

And apparently, never underestimate the need for hydration.  These girls take their whole milk very seriously.

Ellie always seems to have milk splatters on her face

 Right now, Blake and I are really seeing Caroline blossoming in determination.  When she is focused on something, she gets in the zone and wants to do it all herself.  No help from anyone.  Period.

Caroline pushing her stuck car further into the flower bed and does NOT want any help

With Ellie, we are seeing her relational side really blossom.  She is so into her sister and wants to be wherever Caroline is.  She loves to come over in the middle of playing and give a hug or kiss...

...and if she hears the sound of a bird (or really anything, but mostly birds), she immediately stops what she's doing, puts her hands to her ear and looks for the noise.

Ellie pointing out a bird

If I ever ask the girls if they want to go outside and drive their cars, they immediately stop what they're doing, drop any toy they are holding and run to the back door.

Ellie

Who knew sitting in a cozy coupe could be so exciting?  Of course, when Houston gets to experience a little California weather, anything outside is exciting!

So Long Pacifiers

Up until recently, there was one thing that Caroline and Ellie have loved more than anything...and it has been books.  If we let them, they would read books all day long and do absolutely nothing else.

It's the same routine...go pick out a book, back up with their cute little diapered bottom sticking out holding their chosen book until they land in my lap.  We read the book, usually skipping every other page, since they turn them faster than I can read them.  And then we repeat.

The focused book reading became so focused that I had to put the books behind the baby gate so that they would actually play with a toy or two.  

Now, we read books before bed/naptime or if I offer them a special treat.

Up until a week ago, books were their "thing".  

Now.....they have 2 "things".  Books AND Pacifiers.

For starters, they are thumb suckers.  Caroline sucks her right thumb and Ellie sucks her left.  They suck their thumbs when they sleep and when they are in the car.  I've always kept several pacifiers in the toy baskets that they like to play with here and there, until last week, when it became a total obsession of Caroline's and I finally just had to take them away.  Her favorite thing was to dig around looking for 2...one for herself and one for Ellie.  She would always put one in her mouth.  Then she'd walk over to Ellie, shove one in her mouth, which Ellie always accepted, almost as if to say, "thanks sissy".  I've always loved watching this interaction.  

But, when Caroline started to ask for a pacifier while we' were digging in the dirt in the backyard, its was time to bye-bye to the silicon woobies.

Here is a sequence of a typical pacifier exchange.

Ellie laying down on the floor playing with her baby by herself.

Caroline (standing up) giving Ellie a pacifier

Not only trying to give it to Ellie, but really trying to get it in her mouth

Girls resume playing with pacifiers in mouth.  Thanks Sissy!

Groesbeck

We went to Groesbeck to visit the Byrds again a couple weekends ago.  Caroline and Ellie were just begging us for a weekend to simply "get away from it all."

This is our third time up there and 2/3 times that we've been there, it's been dreary and wet...but still gorgeous.

Caroline

 The girls did so great with the dogs and even wanted to get close to them several times, which is a HUGE step for them!

Ellie watching the dogs from afar

Caroline getting up close and personal.  

We found out while we were there that Debbie is going to have a little girl in August, and we are all thrilled.  Sarah Byrd.

Blake and I can already see it coming....Caroline and Ellie fighting over Sarah!

Blake with Ellie

 We're already looking forward to the fun all 3 girls are going to have playing together in the woods with the dogs and cows...

and who knows, maybe even learning how to hunt with their Daddies!

All that to say, we're all looking forward to the bonds that Sarah and the twins are going to have...or at least we HOPE they will have!

Can't wait to meet Sarah in August!

Everywhere Together

Caroline and Ellie are everywhere.  Not everywhere destructive, but everywhere together.  

Together, they have discovered that when they bang their puzzle pieces against the washing machine, it makes a hilarious and very loud noise.

Together, they can make an entire roll of toilet paper spin off the holder in about 20 seconds.

Like all babies, they love to hold our cell phones and remote controls.

They still don't really play much together but they are always extremely aware of what the other is doing.  They give each other kisses and high fives...

They like to sing the same songs...

And they do their hand motions exactly the same way for their favorite songs.

...and of course, wherever one goes, the other follows.

Neither girls likes to share, but if there's two of something, they both are really into picking up 2 of something and giving the second one to her sister.

Sounds similar to sharing, but it's DEFINITELY not, so Blake and I have learned.

For instance, the phone in these pictures....since there's only one, Caroline made sure that Ellie didn't get her hands on it.

 This leads to a whole lot of meltdowns throughout the day....well, and a whole lot of clutter for those things that we have 2 of!