Keeping Busy

We are on week 4 of Jared being gone to the Valley...but who's counting? He has been down there remodeling a house for my parents. He leaves on Monday and comes home Friday night. I've tried to keep the girls and myself busy to pass the time but I've had to get pretty creative!

I am wondering if I made a smart choice when I taught them how to have a musical parade. In the house. Using metal bowls and utensils.

Addie realized that wooden spoons were not the only thing that made noise. Everything worked!

Kimber realized it was more than a drum.

The other night I told them that after their baths we could have chocolate and strawberries. One of the funnest nights we've had in a long time. We talked about all kinds of stuff. I loved it! That looks like one heck of a bloody nose!

Why won't blogger let me fix this picture! Grrr!

Addie thought this was hilarious!

Today we made a fort (thanks, Raygon!) and got inside to read books.

And since it was doing this outside:

it was nice to cuddle up on the couch and enjoy the books.

Addie's favorites right now are Little Mermaid, Gregory Groundhog and the Lucille series.

She is actually obsessed with The Little Mermaid right now. She loves to watch it in the truck anytime we drive somewhere and if she gets really lucky I might let her watch it in the house. I try to really control their TV time. I read all the books to her today but in this picture she is showing me Ursala and the Sea Witch. To her they are two different people. The same, but different.

When we are reading a book that she is really familiar with I will read part of sentence and stop so she can finish it. She is almost always spot on!

Kimber loves anything about shapes, numbers or animals. If she would have held still for just a second we would have pictures of that too. But I got plenty of others!

We've also been working on preparing for spring and summer. We juiced the rest of our lemons in order to save the juice as ice cubes. I read somewhere that you can actually save lemon slices for up to 3 months in your fridge just by slicing them, covering them in water and storing them in an airtight container. We are trying that method too. I really don't go through that many lemons but I'll have them just in case.

I think my favorite part of all of that was getting Kimber to taste the lemon. Lick #1

Lick #2 Lick #3 (Yes, that is my finger. Maliciously giving her another lick.)

I took my girls to the dollar store today and let them both pick out a prize. Addie chose markers and Kimber chose this...this thing. Basically it's a dehydrated towel. You just place it in warm water...

and it turns into a dollar store quality washcloth. They thought it was cool so that's all that matters.Hey, how did this get in here? Thanks to my sister I can't get enough lentil salad. She has me eating it and going nusto for lentils. I have to eat it while Jared's away because he hates them! Tonight I made up a recipe for sausage and lentil soup. It turned out pretty darn tasty!

Not only am I trying to keep them busy but they are trying to keep themselves occupied too.

This was before we had to leave for a baptism tonight. Addie loves this little dress and trench and was so happy that she got to wear it because it was cold. I love one this because she is looking at her reflection in the oven and saying "I look so cute!" Oh, to be 4 again and to truly believe that about yourself.I know I say it all the time, but I seriously love these girls!

I think my computer is telling me to go to bed. I have more pictures to add and it is refusing. I guess this will do for now.

And I realize that almost all of the pictures are of Kimber but the ones that I was trying to add were of Addie. I'll apologize to her when she understands.