Lots of This and That....

This blog is going to be mostly for the benefit of Carter and Ella Claire. These are just some things that they have been doing that I want to remember and get written down. It will probably seem like rambling to you, but it's things I wanted to write, but don't fit into a "story" per se, but just a lot of their personality coming out.

As you all know they turned 4 last week and it was a big milestone for them. When they woke up that morning, Ella let me sing Happy Birthday to her, but Carter stopped me and said it wasn't his birthday until we got to Monkey Joe's...so I had to wait!

Ella Claire has used the "I'm 4 years old" line a lot lately. She went to get something upstairs and she usually needs one of us to go with her, but she turned to us and said..."I'm brave now...I'm 4 years old." Carter told us he didn't like being 4, he just wanted to be 3...and I told him I felt the same way...I just wish they could stay 3 for a bit longer. Usually when we eat pizza, Ella Claire just likes cheese and Carter takes pepperoni. If Ella can see any red sauce she won't eat it, but we went to Johnny B's recently and she told me..."Mommy...I'm 4 now and I like sauce....4 year olds like sauce you know!"

For the longest time they have used the term "scoop over" when they mean scoot. Each morning they wake up and come get in the bed with us....they will both say...."scoop over so I can get in..." We have not corrected them because it is just too cute to mess with. The same thing with Ella Claire and the doctor's office....she always said..."octor doffice" and we can't bring ourselves to correct her just yet.

Games have become a big hit in our house. For the past few months, we have been playing Uno and they love it. We usually play right before their bedtime. Carter got an Uno Spin machine for Christmas and I can't even count how many times we've had to play Uno Spin. They also love to play Monopoly. We do not follow the exact rules. We just role the dice and they have to move that many spots and whoever gets to the end first wins. It is just so much fun to see their competitive side come out.

It seems like their imagination just grows and grows each day. They got a McDonald's cash register for Christmas and those kids have played over and over that they are taking our orders and getting our money...it is quiet funny to sit and listen. Yesterday on the way to church, Carter decided he wanted to play Monopoly and Lance told him we didn't have a table in the van and he said.."I'll pretend I do." All the way to church we had to take turns like we were throwing an imaginary dice and moving that many spots.

We went to Home Depot yesterday afternoon and I always try to find them some type of book to look at while in the buggy. I picked up a pamphlet on swing sets and they began looking and reading. The next thing I knew, Ella Claire was holding up her book and asking me to repeat after her..."Dear God...with love, and for all the people, togeder, to show Him our love and read his book, and make others special, Amen." She has gotten to where she loves to "pray" all the time or "read" scripture. She was doing this so loud and having me repeat each word, we had quiet an audience going down the isles in Home Depot. This is how she says it....togeder...not together.

I had to take them both to the doctor this morning and now all 4 of us are on an antibiotic. Ella Claire still has a touch of pneumonia and Carter has an ear infection. You would never know their sick, but they are coughing horribly, especially at night. While we were at the doctor, he had them sitting in a chair to listen to their lungs. Carter was first and while he was listening to him, Ella Claire puts her hand up on his head and just rubs him while he is getting examined...she is a mother hen!

The picture below is a family story. For years, my daddy has cupped his hand behind his ears when he is trying to hear something or someone. The other night we were in the van and Carter was asking us a question and when I turned around to answer him, he had his hand cupped over his ear and I thought I would fall out of my seat laughing....he looked just like my daddy. So, it has become a joke when we are showing others when he does it. This picture was at Christmas and we had taught Graham what to do as well!

We all go back to preschool tomorrow...as Carter said..."our vacation is over." I just hope that means our sicknesses will soon be over....we have been sick basically the whole time we've been on vacation. Bring on the Spring!