Okay so I know - Grace is TOTALLY my daughter...

I know I was there when she was born, but it's just shocking when they do something that is TOTALLY you! And especially when its something you're not rushing out there to claim - like all of the brilliant things she does, I mean of course she gets that from me:-)

This afternoon I was taking some pics of her in her new dress... she was sitting on a rock out front, a very small rock... when she turned and fell off! I would have thought that was nearly impossible, she wasn't more than 6" off the ground. But go figure, if she's my daughter she's probably about as coordinated and graceful as I am:-)

As Poppy would say, "she comes by it naturally!" Got to love her!

Here are some pics from right before the fall:

CRAZY day...

Whew! Today was CRAZY to say the least... the morning started off w/ Grace in my room at the crack of DAWN! My one day to sleep in - and Eva was sleeping but it was Grace who was up wanting donuts. Of course I had told Matt lets start cutting back on donuts, I don't want to end up the size of a house! So I was wishing I had a donut to give her in exchange for a few zzzzzz's. But instead I begged her to watch cartoons while I tried to focus enough to get up. She helped me wake up by randomly kicking me - unintentionally but kicking me none-the-less. So off we went for some breakfast.

Mid morning Grace was dancing around in Poppy's sitting area when she comes out crying saying she hurt her foot... I asked her how & she said, "on Poppy's cutter...". Poppy said she was dancing, swinging & kicking, when she kicked her foot out, clipping the coffee table - OUCH! Grace on the other hand is CERTAIN it wasn't the coffee table, but instead one of Poppy's decorative swords that he had out cleaning. I'm sort of thinking if it was the sword she might be missing a foot - but hey perception is huge! So like 50 Band-Aids later & a ton of tears she settled down.

Then apparently Eva took that has her cue to take center stage... Every time I got Eva to sleep & laid her down, littery 5 minutes later she would wake up SCREAMING. I even tried to let her just cry some thinking, she's so tired she HAS to go to sleep soon - but no, she didn't. So in I would go to get her, at that point Grace has crashed & is sleeping through Eva screaming. Eva sees me, stops screaming - hands me her blankie & then raises her arms to say "lets go!" Every time, same routine - hands me the blankie then looks for a lift out of the crib. I think she's got my number - errr! Its hard to b/c she's so da-gon cute!

When she doesn't like something, she either starts screeching, or if she's debating things - she'll scrunch her face up giving you "her look" - very similar to what Uncle Rick calls the "bunny face".

Oh & I guess I should note in the mist of all of this, Eva did take a few steps - VERY small steps, but still steps... she was hoping to get the phone. I'm certain she could start walking if she would just quit being so stubborn. Although when she does start walking we're going to have to look out she's going to be EVERYWHERE!

Donkey Basketball....

The schools were sponsoring a Donkey Basketball game to raise money for Scuffy & although last night didn't run entirely smoothly after dinner the girls & I RUSHED to get ready to make it to the high school to watch Donkey Basketball. When we first got there, I thought, "oh know - what did I get myself into..." I don't do well in large crowds w/ my glasses on & the crowd was HUGE, plus we were supposed to find Jess & Ella there... luckily Jess was down front - whew! We finally made it to our seats w/out the Golden Bear mascot ATTACKING Grace - yes, she's afraid that mascot's attack:-) I tried telling her he's just like a large stuffed animal, but she wasn't convinced... in fact she noticed a "great big scary lion too!"

Once we sat down she seemed to settle down, having fun playing w/ Ella (I guess she wasn't too worried about her biting her again b/c she set right next to her & shared a snack!).

At half time Grace & Ella rode a donkey together - Brianna Couden took a picture, hope to post it later - Grace loved riding the donkey & wanted to do it again:-) Eva even had fun watching, I think she might have ridden to if given the chance:-)

After donkey riding we headed home for a BATH;-)

Ella bit me..

I don't know whether to laugh or panic.... Brenda e-mailed & said... Ella bit Grace! Luckily it didn't leave any teeth marks or anything so it wasn't bad. It really scared Gracie. She started crying saying "Ella bit me, Ella bit me". I asked her where at & she said on my back. Her shirt was wet in that spot I raised up her shirt & there was a red circle but no teeth marks. I asked Ella & she said, "No I didn't bite Grace". Brenda said, "Yes you did look at the red mark". Then Ella started crying. I said that is not nice you tell her you are sorry, and she did.

I guess they were all sitting on the floor playing with some new princesses that Riley had brought & Ella wanted the one that Grace had. She tried to take it from her & Grace told her no & pulled it away and kinda turned to the other side. Ella reached across her & tried grabbing it & bit her. I looked at her back before her nap & she has no marks at all. I think it scared her more than anything. Grace kept saying "Ella looks mean, look at her Brenda, she bit me." She said "I'm telling my mom Ella, you're mean."

Guess I should be glad that my kids not the only one w/ a random mean streak:-)

Still makes me laugh - I can TOTALLY see Grace saying, "Ella looks mean" - she often tells me "I look hungry... or I look tired". She's so cute - I just love her to pieces!!!!

My little cow girl...

Look out... what is that floating in the water...

Eva has started learning how to roll her tongue - it's so cute, she watches you do it & then works really hard at duplicating it. Its so cute! She was taking a bath by herself (Grace was "exercising" in the media room by herself b/c I was just too tired), she started making a concentrated face... I just thought it was b/c she was working on rolling her tongue, but then I saw peas & corn in the bath water! Eva was apparently concentrating b/c she was pooping!

Guess we're lucky this is her first time pooping in the bath -- Grace was ALWAYS pooping in the tube (well maybe not ALWAYS, but several times). Good thing Eva was bathing solo!

Push up my leaves...

It was so cute tonight Eva was asleep early enough that I had a chance to take a bath (rare!) & I'm hoping she doesn't wake up here soon.... but Grace came in & said she was going to "help wash me", then she said she was going to have to "push up her leaves so they didn't get wet" - I thought it was so cute I kept saying, "what did you say? huh?" and she would say, "push up my LEAVES". I loved it! The little things in life:-)

We also went to the park w/ Ella & Jess... I think one of the high points of my day was pushing Grace in her swing, higher & higher - while she just giggled! Giggles are what I live for;-)