Monday, October 14, 2013

Throw ball


These aren't the best photos, because Riley is moving all over the place.  However, I think they properly convey Riley.  She's always like playing with balls.  However, over the last month or so, she's learned how to play toss with someone.  


So she'll grab this ball, which was actually used in her therapy and say "throw ball".  


And that's what she does.  She will roll the ball back in forth, but she prefers throwing it and having you throw it back to her.  


We play almost everyday.  


Her aim is pretty good, and only going to get better at this rate.  

Saturday, October 12, 2013

My love affair with pumpkin




The only difference in these two photo's is the pumpkin ravioli (which I forgot the in the first photo) and the pumpkin butter (which I forgot in the bottom picture).  So that's why there are two photo's that are almost identical.  



As I type this, I'm enjoying my pumpkin coffee with a splash of pumpkin pie syrup.  
Hannah and I have made exactly 3 batches of pumpkin muffins so far.  The pioneer woman has a great recipe!

Friday, October 11, 2013

A shift in sleeping

We've been talking about bunk beds for a long time.  Even before we found out about our unexpected arrival in December.  I want the girls to share a space.  I think it'll be good for them.  


My dad has offered to make them some bunk beds.  I recently printed out a photo of a nice set of bunks beds, with storage shelves on the side and drawers underneath.  I've told him there's no rush, we don't really need them until next summer or so (when we look at taking Joshua out of the bassinet).  


A couple months ago, a friend of a friend offered to give us her kids' old bunk bed set.  And we said "yes!".  We could take these bunk beds and use them until my dad gives us the other set.  A couple weekends ago, we set out to pick them up from the friends house and set them up for the girls.  I tore Riley's bed down and rearranged everything while David went to get them.  


Well, the beds, purchased overseas at a PX (which created some confusion) were not American sized.  The width of the bunk bed frame was 8 inches more narrow than an American mattresses.  Yep, there was no way we were going to make that work!


So after much contemplation and discussion, David went to Walmart and bought the least expensive bunk bed they had in stock.  The beds are two twin beds that can be separated, so at least we'll still be able to make use of them with Joshua in 3 or 4 years, which made me feel a little better.  That was what I told myself the day we bought them.

Now, I'm so glad we did it!   
We spent very little money, and the girls absolutely LOVE sleeping together.  It's been two weeks and every morning Riley wakes up and says "Mommy, I sleep in bed!" and then she points to the top bunk and says "Hannah sleep in bed!".  Hannah loves it as well.  The girls climb up on Riley's bed and read stories and cuddle together.  

So we put the beds in Riley's room and we took Hannah's room and made it her school room.  This has done wonders for Hannah's attention to school work.  Her desk is in there, along with all her education materials.  She sits in their quietly, and without distractions, and does her school work.  Like I said, I'm so happy we did it. 

Thursday, October 3, 2013