Start 'Em Early

While there are many things Jim and I are trying to teach the girls, a good work ethic is one of those life skills that will carry them into adulthood. Luckily, we are at the stage where pitching-in is fun. We took advantage of the gorgeous weather last weekend and washed the cars. Our little helpers had a blast with this soggy new adventure. I doubt they'll be as enthusiastic when they're 16.

"I should be sitting in an air-conditioned office with a swivel chair"

"Instead I'm stuck here rubbin' these fenders with a rag"

Rainy day fun

Maggie got her first tutu this week. I realized she didn't have any dress up/pretend clothes and thought for sure this was a glaring oversight in my parenting and that she was certain not to develop properly as a result. It's safe to say she loved it!

Happy Easter!

I'm a little late getting this post up. We had a wonderful Easter weekend with visits from the Farwigs and a trip to Dayton to hang with the Flynns for Easter dinner. Our new back yard is pretty much a mud pit, but it had been dry so we were able to have an Easter egg hunt. Maggie really got into it and excitedly proclaimed the color of each egg she found. Her older cousins Zane and Lia were good sports and let her have a head start. The Easter bunny brought a lot of candy and Claire enjoyed her first chocolate candy. I was thrilled to be back in Cincy to celebrate Easter Mass at our church. Between the flowers, the sunshine, the bells and the music, nobody does Easter quite like Bellarmine. It was a great weekend!

Happy Birthday Claire Bear

I can't believe my baby girl has just turned 1! It seems like only yesterday she gently emerged from me and into my arms. Her infancy is a blur and she has become a toddler. She has accomplished so much in one year - learning to walk, feed herself, sleep (this one was especially hard to learn) and become independent. Claire is very curious, loves to cuddle and play peek-a-boo. She loves to do whatever her big sister is doing and always wants company while she plays. She can say seven words (mama, dada, sista, all-done, elmo and up) We are so proud of her!

We celebrated her birthday on Saturday with a small party of family and a few friends. Most of the Farwigs came in from St. Louis. It was wonderful to have everyone over to our new house. Claire received lots of fun new toys, her favorite being the baby doll we got her. She thoroughly enjoyed the chocolate cake I made and rubbed it in her hair when she was finished. It was a great party!

My Body, My Self

I have been pregnant or nursing every day for the past three and a half years. There was some overlap as I was still nursing Maggie when I got pregnant with Claire. As she neared her first birthday, Claire became less interested in nursing. I was interested in getting my body back, so last week I decided it was time to wean her. In the past few days I've noticed a lift in my spirits. It's hard to describe really. Maybe it's the knowing that I can drink as much coffee and diet coke as I want. Granted, I'll probably still limit my intake because too much caffeine is not a good thing, but it's the fact that I could drink more if I wanted. I'm free to do so. Perhaps it's the presence of a waist that has started to emerge as some more of the baby weight comes off. Certainly, some things are not in the same place they were before my child-bearing days, and they probably never will be. It's amazing how the body changes in order to create another human being. But whatever this new energy is, I like it! God-willing we'll have another kid (or two) eventually, but in the meantime I think I'll enjoy this freedom.

Pictures, pictures, pictures!

I finally had time to transfer a month's worth of pictures off the camera. I didn't do much photo documentation of the move. It's mostly pictues of the kids - a few at the old house, a few from our stay at Grandma and Grandpa's, and a few from the early days in the new house. There were so many cute ones, it was hard to choose which ones to post. Here are the best of the best.

Packing up in PA

St. Patrick's Day in Dayton

Hanging with Niki Cat

Off and running after a messy meal

Showing off impressive new building skills

We're In!

We have moved into our new house and are slowly getting settled. The move went pretty well, but it is such an exhausting process. I'm glad I don't have to do it again any time soon! Naturally, we had a few unexpected things come up like rooms with missing outlet covers (they took the decorative ones and left us with nothing) or a yard full of leaves with no grass underneath. Thankfully we have a generous relocation package with P&G which helps cover such surprises. It seems like everything takes a little longer than you expect, whether it's hanging curtains or unpacking boxes, the presence of two toddlers really slows you down. We still have to hang pictures, get some curtains and do all the things to make this house our home, but we've made a lot of progress in just two weeks.

We are slowly getting settled and into a routine again. The girls are adjusting very well and Maggie keeps saying, "My new house is good!" Our new music class started this week. It's nice to get back into that activity with the girls, especially since Claire has started "dancing". I'm looking forward to finding a story time and exploring the local parks once the weather gets nice. It is certainly great to be back in Cincinnati and close to family and friends!

Maggie meets the new house...