Butterly Bambaid

On Tuesday while I was teaching piano lessons, Caitlyn was being a regular monkey- business as usual at our house. She loves to climb up onto my lap, play a few notes, attempt to climb up the piano (of course I don't let her), and then slide off my lap to find a new toy until she's ready to come back for another round. Well, on Tuesday she slipped as she was slidding/climbing off my lap & bonked her head on the corner of the piano bench. The skin broke open immediately & she let out a good cry. I was able to calm her down pretty quickly & luckily the bleeding didn't last long either. We decided that it didn't need stitches, just a good butterfly bandaid. I learned that I'm pretty unprepared for this kind of thing b/c I had to borrow a couple of bandaids from a friend. Of course that evening when I was putting Madisen to bed she showed me the owie on her foot where she needed a 'butterfly bambaid' like Caitlyn's.


P.S. This morning while Caitlyn was toddling around, she lost her balance & fell into the curio cabinet in my room. Now she has a long red mark running parallel to the butterfly bandaid. Who said that girls were more 'mellow' than boys?

Girls Night Out

Tonight while Bill was at the temple, I took the girls to redeem our Cold Stone coupon for a free kids creation. The three of us shared the creation of Madisen's choice- cake batter ice cream with sprinkles and it was tasty!

President Hinckley

I love this picture of our beloved prophet, the smile on his face is contagious! It is such a blessing for him to be able to join his wife on the other side of the veil tonight. And I feel that each of us has been blessed by his wise counsel, love, encouragement, example, and dedication to our church. I remember when he was put in as the prophet almost 13 years ago so he feels like the only prophet that I've ever 'known'.

Clever Caitlyn

Last night Bill & I were 'taste testing' some caramel popcorn that we made for our date night. Caitlyn walked into the kitchen & saw us eating the popcorn and in a persistant tone started saying "nummy, nummy, nummy" while holding her hand out- meaning I NEED some of that RIGHT now. So I bit off a piece & shared it with her. Silly me, I thought this had satisfied her desire for a treat as she walked back into the family room to play. Seconds later she returned with a small pink plate from the play kitchen, held it out to me & repeated her urget "nummy, nummy, nummy". She is WAY to young to be learning such behaviors from her sister! I really had to laugh at her clever attempt to get a plate full of popcorn, but I wasn't to be fooled so I simply gave her another kernel or two & put her back in with the toys hoping to distract her. Ah, she's a smart one! I've got to be on my toes 100% of the time to stay ahead of these 2 girls! But it's all worth it & I just love these precious pictures of our sweet Caitlyn.

On that note, I want to record Caitlyn's 'words' at the ripe old age of 14 months, in no particular order.
*Nummy, nummy, nummy= food, or 'I want something to eat'
*Deee= drink
*Mo= more
*mom
*dad
*Mommmeee- voice goes up at the end
*Daddddee- voice also goes up at the end
*Beee, or bebe= binky
*Be= toothbrush
*Mine, mine, mine= spoken all too clearly!
*Go= She says this anytime we get out our coats or when she sees my keys.
*Due= shoe
*Dank do= thank you
*Hi
*Uwoe= hello
*Bow= book

Reading & Valentines

Last night I went in Madisen's room & this is what I found so I couldn't resist snapping a picture! Lately she's become extra interested in books, which is exciting. She wants to read them to me & she's started asking how I know what the words say. So I've tried to talk more about letters & sounds to capitalize on her interest.

Yesterday we made this fun Valentine craft & Madisen wanted me to put it on the computer to show her grandmas. I got the idea from Family Fun, they have a lot of other fun Valentine ideas!

Fun with Floam

Last night we did a little creating with Floam. It's such an interesting consistency, almost slimey with tiny beads in it. I appreciated the fact that it wasn't messy & Madisen liked the fact that it didn't make her hands dirty. Caitlyn was pretty pleased to be in on the action, too. Here is the monster that we created... Madisen woke up asking to make another 'monster'. (The picture on the lower left got cropped automatically when I created the collage- I'm really not THAT bad with the camera.)

The Girls

I wanted to share these fun pictures that I've taken of the girls in the last few days!

Wicked

This afternoon I've been on a 'Wicked' kick. My friend, Laura, put a post on her blog called 'For Good' & it got me thinking about the broadway musical & I can't stop thinking about it! If you haven't seen the play yet, put it on your 2008 To Do List! It's the most BEAUTIFUL story of love, inner beauty, and friendship that I've ever heard! The music is ALL fabulous, catchy & upbeat! I'm a little cheesy & sentimental so I get teary when I listen to some of the songs, especially the one called 'For Good'. It's a dialogue between the 2 girls sharing how grateful they are to have known each other. In my own life I feel so grateful that I've always been blessed with good friends! Just the other night I was thinking of the friends I have here and I was thinking that there's a reason for EacH friendship! I found myself thinking that 'I need _______ in my life for _______', & I need ______ right now in my life because ________'. Of course the friends I'm most grateful for are my family & wonderful husband! But I just couldn't let this day go by without thanking each of you, my incredible friends! My life truly has been changed for good by each of you!!!

If you haven't heard the song 'For Good' you should download it & listen to it. Here are the words if you prefer to read them.

Here is a link to YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=05jdB1tGE_g

GLINDA
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you:

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

ELPHABA
It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend:
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you:

GLINDA
Because I knew you:

BOTH
I have been changed for good

ELPHABA
And just to clear the air
I ask forgiveness
For the things I've done you blame me for

GLINDA
But then, I guess we know
There's blame to share

BOTH
And none of it seems to matter anymore

GLINDA ELPHABA
Like a comet pulled Like a ship blown
From orbit as it Off it's mooring
Passes a sun, like By a wind off the
A stream that meets Sea, like a seed
A boulder, half-way Dropped by a
Through the wood Bird in the wood

BOTH
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
I do believe I have been changed for the better?

GLINDA
And because I knew you:

ELPHABA
Because I knew you:

BOTH
Because I knew you:
I have been changed for good.

Memory Lane

Last night we had a great FHE. I got the idea from LDS Living- they email weekly FHE ideas & usually they're a little old for my kiddos, but this week it was PERFECT! We started singing "Happy Family" from the Children's song book, had a prayer & then watched our wedding DVD. The lesson asked you to show a picture of each family member as a baby & the only pic's that I have for Bill & I as babies are on the DVD. Surprisingly, Madisen seemed to really enjoy the 'movie'. But I think that I enjoyed it the most! I love watching it b/c I love to look at pictures of us from when we were dating! I also love our engagement pictures (which I have now spent 1 hour looking for & can't find)! And there's something about watching the wedding day footage that takes me back to the snowy day in November 2003 that we were married. It makes me fall in love with my sweet Bill all over again.

{This is the only dating picture that I have on the computer- water skiing at Lake Powell!}

{We were married in these pictures, but I love remembering our 'younger' days!}

I LOVE little girls!

Wednesday's are always such a fun break in the week for us. I do a swap with my friend Jen, so I watch her daughter Makayla for a few hours & then she watches Madisen on Thursday's. I do this with other friends throughout the week for various other reasons, but Wednesday's are a constant. I love having multiple little girls over! (Plus it distracts Madisen from teasing Caitlyn.) They feed off of each other when they are playing & I think it fosters their creativity. They love dress-ups, clip-clopping around in their high heels, to comb & curl their hair (& mine), put babies to sleep & dress them, grocery shop, pretend to be mommy's & daddy's etc. Today we also had Reagan over & it was such a fun threesome! We played "Pretty, Pretty Princess", a Disney game that is adorable, and a Dora Memory game.

{I tried to get the girls to show off their jewelry, but I couldn't zoom on the jewelry AND get their precious smiles so you can't see the earrings, necklaces, rings, & bracelets too well. (And they would only 'pose' for 1 picture.)}

After the games, lunch & a little more playing they asked to get the tunnels out. I failed miserably at putting up the tent & didn't even attempt the house, so they just had the tunnels & the center piece. They all 3 (Reagan was gone by now) got so silly! This little video is just a glimpse of their silliness & giggles- it increased after I was done with the camera.

She's Walking!

As I said before, she's walking slowly but surely! And it never hurts to dangle a little incentive in front of them- that way she was willing to do it for the camera. (My voice is a little crazy sounding on the camera!)

Dancin' Girl

Caitlyn is getting more sturdy on her feet every day. She stands up in the middle of the room all by herself & then S-L-O-W-L-Y takes a few steps. She'll even walk across the room if she's feeling brave. So the exciting news of the day is that SHE CAN WALK!! I haven't been successful in getting the walking on camera, but the other night I captured her dance moves. (Notice what she does when Madisen gets near.)

P.S. We have no idea why it rotated sideways when we uploaded it to the computer. We'll work on that for the next movie.

Happy Birthday Bill! (Yesterday)

We celebrated the big 2-8 for Bill yesterday! Man, we're getting old!! The day wasn't exactly as I'd planned... I woke up with some sort of mild migrane & it took me until about noon to fully shake it so I was in slower motion & Madisen wasn't 100% either. We actually ended up at the doctor with her for a UTI. Needless to say, the book that she & I were going to make didn't materialize & we had to send daddy to the grocery store when he got home so we could finish decorating the house & cake.

We still had a fun celebration with one his favorite dinners- Mexican Lasagne- followed by presents, singing & cake. Then we went to Target to get a few more birthday deals & ended the night by watching "Bourne Ultimatum".

{The pink bag was Madisen's idea- it had a yellow lai in there. Daddy wore it like a good sport for a few minutes. }

{We branched out from the traditional carrot cake this year. It's supposed to look like a tennis ball- his sport of choice these days. Well, running is too, but I wasn't about to try a running shoe!} {Check out the new shirt! Caitlyn can't wait!!}

A dog?

This morning while Madisen & I were cooking our oatmeal, she looked at me & said, "Mom, we need to get a doggy to put in our back yard. Should we do that today?" This took me COMPLETELY by surprise, so I was trying to think of some reasons that we SHOULDN'T do that today and said, "Well, do you know what doggies need?". (Hoping she'd see that we don't have what they need.) Her response was, "Yeah, they need doggy food, real doggy food. Should we get some of that today? Should we mom?" And I said, "What color of dog would you like?" "Um, a white one." "Oh," I said and then she noticed the water boiling & that it was time to add the oatmeal, so I was off the hook- for today anyway!

Her new favorite thing to make is hot apple cider for every meal. And she has to put in the mix AND the water all by herself. Ah, independence is a mixed blessing!

So sweet!

Here are the girls yesterday morning before church. They have matching rocking chairs (thanks to grandma & grandpa Dodds) now & they spend hours climbing in & out of them. (I lvoe the matching dresses & tights from Uncle Bob & Aunt Christy!) They giggle as they rock next to each other & it's so sweet!

Num, Num

This is the sound I heard from Caitlyn while I was doing dishes the other day. Madisen had asked for some applesauce & she was standing in the kitchen eating it while watching TV. When I looked around the corner, I found Caitlyn sitting on the floor enjoying the applesauce all by herself & Madisen was back in her TV chair. I guess she had put it down in her kitchen where Caitlyn discovered it.

A few days later Madisen asked for some applesauce again & Caitlyn realized that she NEEDED some, too. She insisted on feeding it to herself, so we sat on the floor & had an applesauce picnic.

She took the spoon from me & would NOT let me help her eat it.

New Year's Day

How on earth did I forget to post these pictures last week? I'm not sure! New Year's Day was BEAUTIFUL!! After Bill played football with some guys in our ward, we headed to the park for a family outing. It was wonderful to get some fresh air & play with the girls.

{Madisen kept wanting everyone to go down the slide together, and so we did!}

Happy New Year

We celebrated the New Year by having a little party with some friends. We ate lots of yummy food, chatted, played some games, watched Bryan Regan & even drank some sparkling cider at midnight. (I stole this picture from Janet.)

We're excited to welcome a new year with some new resolutions! Can't wait to make '08 great!

Top 10 for 2007

10. We finished our back yard.
9. Between the 2 of us, we had 6 cavities filled this year.
8. Madisen loved taking her first dance lessons.
7. Bill started with Hilti.
6. Caitlyn had a year of firsts- smiles, coos, teeth, sitting, crawling, standing alone, steps, & words.
5. Emilee started teaching 8 piano students & held her first piano recital in our home.
4. Bill completed his first triathlon.
3. We gladly hosted at least 20 overnight house guests- many of them visiting multiple times. And we got to see MANY other family members & friends who were just passing through.
2. We attended Emilee's 10 year high school reunion.
1. We both sold our first cars.

Christmas round 2

We were so lucky to have Grandma & Grandpa Dodds & Aunt Kellie come for a quick visit this weekend. They brought a whole load of gifts & we felt like we were having another full Christmas! Bill & I got some new chairs for our kitchen table- HOORAY! Caitlyn got her own rocking chair & purse, and Madisen got a doctor kit & a superstar karaoke machine- the kind that you plug into the TV & you watch yourself as you sing. While they were here we saw "Alvin & the Chipmunks", a cute kid flick and then Bill & my dad started a project ... they cut a whole in the wall under our stairs & hung a door. I am elated to have room for the toys!

{This is just before they framed the outside of the door.}

{We plugged in the karaoke machine & we were rocking out. Madisen was a little shy about the microphone at first so she danced while daddy sang, but she warmed up & she can sing a mean version of "Twinkle, Twinkle."}

Christmas Dresses

The girls have worn these dresses for 3 weeks in a row now, & this is the only picture that we've managed to take. They really did look cute all dressed up- maybe we'll have better luck next week.

Christmas in Houston- part 2

Our vacation was off to a great start- the museum was a blast & Sunday was relaxing. That is, until Caitlyn woke up at 11:00 p.m. throwing up. It was a LONG night for Bill & I who took turns sleeping with her on the couch so she wouldn't choke. The health status of the Carruth clan went downhill from there. My mother-in-law spent the entire day of Christmas Eve in bed. In total 6 of the 12 of us plus the dog got sick. I was the lucky one who had all 3 of my family members plagued with the flu consequently I did A LOT of laundry.

On Christmas Eve we made caramels, had a traditional turkey & stuffing dinner, and were surprised with a visit from Santa. Madisen was definitely the most excited! She jumped up & down and couldn't wipe the smile off her face! Sadly, Bill missed it all but I was able to get some pictures from Santa's helper.

{Santa brought the girls each a teddy bear.}

{Caitlyn was a little unsure of what to think of the big guy in red.}

Thankfully the flu let up for Christmas day & we were able to enjoy checking out our stockings & opening presents. The day was complete with omelets for breakfast, a nap, a few hours with the missionaries & a peaceful dinner together.

{Christmas morning, right before we opened stockings.}

{Who needs presents when you can have a candy cane?!}

{Madisen's favorite gift of the day was a purple barbie- thanks grandma!}