Day Nine and Counting...

So,Olivia was really feeling the pain today... she has three upper front teeth breaking through all at once!  The poor child is just a mess... nothing but pooping, sleeping, nursing and repeat.  Her poor bum is bright red!  She could pass as a baboon!  The one photo I have of her today, was during one of the five minute intervals that she was willing to detach herself from me!

 

Yay!  She is smiling!

Meanwhile, Jeremy and Grace went out to tackle the snow!  For Jeremy, it was the mess the snowplow left at the end of his carefully cleared driveway -- brownie points to him for clearing it before I got home from work with the girls yesterday!  And for Grace, it was her interpretation of climbing Everest!  And cliff diving, I think.  She was thrilled to be outside - shoveling show, throwing snow, and eating snow... a veritable smorgasbord of icicles and snowballs!

 

The work begins...
 

She scales the mountain...

Victory! And then...

She takes a flying leap - and is caught on camera in midair!

By now, she is worn right out.  But unwilling to come inside!  You can't see it here, but her cheeks are bright red, and her nose is running like a tap -- but she, too, is smiling!

Day Eight and Counting...

Hooray!!!  I successfully completed a whole week of my blog!  51 weeks to go!
And, I also have to celebrate making it through my first week back to work... we all made it, a little worse for wear, but in one piece!
I have a few photos to share, but this is the best of the bunch... a picture Grace drew of her mommy and daddy:

I am not really sure who is who, but she assures me that we are holding hands.  She was very proud of her drawing, and I am too!

 

Grace and Olivia both needed to try out daddy's new work boots, too!

Day Seven and Counting...

What a crazy day!  It was so nice to get home a few minutes early and give the girls a chance to play before dinner.  When they were done chasing each other around, the occupied themselves quite happily!

Grace got her new issue of Chirp, and was intent on drawing trees and grass for her dinosaur to eat!

Livie 'cooked' for a bit...

 

then...

climbed into the cupboard!

I have photos of Grace doing the same thing in our first place!  She had her own cupboard full of unbreakables that she emptied out so she could climb in and hide.  She loved sitting on the edge of the cupboard with the door closed over and her feet sticking out... and calling for me to come and find her!  I can't wait to find out if Olivia will do the same!

Day Six and Counting...

This morning was the first time the girls had seen Jeremy since the weekend. He has had to put in a lot of long hours this week, thanks to the nasty weather and snowfall accumulation in the counties he services.  Daddy's girls were thrilled to see him, and couldn't wait to cuddle with him. It was worth getting them up a few minutes early and running a little late, just for those few minutes of extra special love!

  

 

After daycare, everyone is hungry, and waiting for dinner to be ready can be an interesting challenge!  Grace has always loved pickles, and Livie has just developed a taste for them.  She can polish off a baby dill in no time! Perfect ad for Vlasic pickles if I have ever seen one!

 

 

It's a rushed hour or so, between prep, cooking and eating... but it sure can be entertaining, too!

Day Five and Counting...

I am trying to make the most of my few hours with my girls in the mornings and evenings... so few hours!  But I am blessed with children who sleep eleven hours a night on average (so blessed!) and I will not deprive them of their much needed sleep just so *I* can spend more time with them.  I want to be that selfish, but I much rather them rested and happy!

Here, the girls are just finishing up breakfast, and Grace is trying to hurry Livie along so they can play before its time for Livie to nurse, then get dressed in their outdoor stuff.

  

 

 One of Grace's new sweaters... she is fond of the hood!

 

 

In these two shots, the girls are playing chase - their favourite game since Livie learned to crawl, and understood that she could follow Grace around!  It is always full of giggles and happy screams at each other!

Here, Livie is sharing how happy she is to being playing with Grace!

Grace told me today that she loves my boobs.  Yep.  She thinks that they are, and I quote, "... beautiful decorations."  And she wants to ask daddy about why we didn't hang them on the Christmas tree...?!  :)

Day Four and Counting...

Well, I survived my return to the working world.
It felt like I never left.  I walked in, and just moved into 'teacher mode'.  And that was that.
My throat is killing me.  I talked more today than I have in the last three months at home.  Seriously.  And I walked about ten miles, just 'patrolling' the room.
Olivia went to baby room like she had been going there the whole time.  Grace was a little off with the idea.  She wanted to be with me, but not at the same time.  I think she just wanted to make sure I was still there.  And she was with me all afternoon.
And to top it off, she can't wait to do it all again tomorrow!
I would happily stay home... sigh.  But, yes.  We will do it all again tomorrow... and every work day after that til I win my mighty millions, I guess!!!

So, my photo op today:  my girls in their new dresses, all ready for daycare!

Day Three and Counting...

Today has been a tough day...  all day long, a sad thought has been fluttering around the back of my mind:  I go back to work tomorrow.  My mat leave is over.  I have to hand my littlest one over to someone else full time now.  My eldest will be with me part of every day, so that makes it a little easier... but, still. 
Yep, so tomorrow I am back at it.  Nose to the grindstone and all that.  And honestly, with cliches like that, why would anyone want to go back to work?

I have no idea how my daily photos will come to pass with so much of my day spent at work, but I guess that just means I will have to be more creative!

Here are our shots from our outdoor fun -- in the midst of blowing snow, and freezing temperatures!

 

Here, Grace is helping to spread out the snow we just shoveled... gee, thanks, honey!

Here, Olivia is doing her very best to crawl through the soft snow, and keep her face out of it!