You Capture: Sweet

Thank you to my sister Terri for encouraging me to participate for the first time in You Capture. This photo challenge, hosted by Beth at ishouldbefoldinglaundry.com, encourages people to pick up their camera and look at a weekly theme from their point of view. This week's theme is "sweet" which is quite perfect for me considering I have the world's largest sweet tooth. Candy or dessert is no match for me! I inherited this trait from my Dad and his Dad; so I am claiming it is hereditary. In honor of my sweet tooth, here is a sweet picture of a Hershey's bar in my office window (doesn't it almost look angelic - ha!):

Of course when I think of sweet, I also think of my 2 1/2-year-old twin daughters Olivia & Violet. Although I can't claim that I took these pictures, to me they are the definition of sweet.

I would also like to share the sweetest thing Violet said this week:

Violet [pushing her shopping cart toward our front door]: "I am going bye-bye."

Mommy: "Where are you going?"

Violet: "Church. I want to learn about Jesus."

Hope your week is as sweet as can be! Thanks for stopping by.

Parenting

I don't typically consider myself to be a nervous parent. I usually tend to let the girls explore and try things on their own to allow them to learn from various situations. Yesterday, we were playing in our driveway when our 8-year-old neighbor Jack came over and asked if the girls could play in his yard with him and his 5-year-old sister. They live right across the street, so I felt pretty safe about it and said sure. Jack held the girls' hands as they crossed the street, and then they ventured into his backyard to play. I found myself glancing into their backyard about every 30 seconds to make sure the girls were okay. This was the first time they were out of our sight while playing at a neighbor's house. They were having a blast (of course), so I don't know why I was so nervous. What is it that is ingrained in a parent to worry?

I look at my girls and am amazed at how much they have grown. Most traces of the baby stages are gone. Their cribs have been exchanged for twin beds. Diapers and sippy cups have almost been replaced with panties and big girl cups. Rattles have been replaced with baby strollers and their own baby dolls. Simple words have been replaced with complete sentences and independent thoughts and opinions. Walking has been replaced with running and climbing up the big equipment at the park.

We feel like we repeat ourselves with the same things about a hundred times a day.
Sit at the table until you're done eating.
Please ask nicely.
Don't bug your sister.
Don't hang on the bathroom sink. (This is their new favorite no-no.)
Leave the light on until everyone leaves the room.
Don't climb on the back of the couch.
Olivia/Violet had it first. Please give it back.

Then they do something that surprises you, and that you didn't give them credit to be able to do.

The girls have still been wearing diapers at night. Last night they took a bath earlier than usual, so we put them in panties and forgot to change them into diapers at bedtime. This morning, I was in the bathroom getting ready for work and Olivia came walking in and made a beeline for the toilet. She usually gives me a hug first, so I was a little taken back by what was going on. When she pulled down her pants and I saw she was wearing panties, it dawned on me that we had made a mistake. I envisioned having to wash sheets and scrub mattresses. Then I realized that Olivia was dry. I gave her a high five, and she said "I'm a superstar!" A few minutes later, Violet got up. She hasn't been doing as well with going on the potty, so I figured she had a wet bed for sure. She came walking into the bathroom, and when I put her on the potty she was dry as well. I gave her a big high five and she beamed.

When you least expect it, you feel so proud to be a parent.

Toddler-isms

We have noticed Olivia & Violet using their imaginations more the past few weeks. They sometimes pretend their food turns into various objects (a car, for example) and then they "drive" it around the supper table. We've heard their vocabulary grow, and they have begun to start saying things that just make us crack up. Here are a few funny things they've said over the past few weeks.


Olivia [walking upstairs to the bathroom]: "I have to go doodie."


Violet [outside on the swing]: "I hear a bird."
Mommy: "Where is the bird?"
Violet: "In the tree."
Mommy: "What do you think birds like to eat?"
Violet: "Pizza."


Olivia [while we were eating supper]: "You're a good boy, Daddy."


Mommy: "What is your favorite food?"
Olivia: "Peas."
Violet: "Corn."


[Olivia wanted to put dollar bills in her piggy bank that she got from the Easter bunny]
Daddy: "How do you get the dollar bill to fit in the slot in your piggy bank?"
Olivia [as she folds it down to a small square]: "You fold it, and you fold it, and you fold it, and you fold it, and you fold it..."

Easter weekend

We had a very fun Easter weekend. We didn't have daycare on Good Friday, so the girls and I headed up to my parents' farm with my sister Terri and her son William. The girls had a blast on the farm. They helped Grandpa feed the cats, rode on a big girl swing for the first time, and played with their cousins. Violet even rode on a trailer behind the tractor. (Olivia was too scared of the noise.) They were also treated with Granny's homemade macaroni and cheese, which they loved. The weather was a little chilly, but we still spent quite a bit of time outside.

On Saturday, we went over to the Suchy farm. Olivia & Violet enjoyed an Easter egg hunt. They also colored Easter eggs and helped Grandpa Suchy feed the chickens. Olivia was so wound up that she didn't even take a nap!!

We spent Easter Sunday with my family at my sister Nikki's house. The girls loved getting dressed up. After I put Easter dresses on the girls, Violet declared "I'm a ballerina." We all went to church, and then my sister made a delicious brunch. She also hid eggs for all of the cousins to find, which was a lot of fun. The weather was so nice out that all of the kids went outside to play. They took turns hitting the ball off the tee, and they also played on the swingset. It was a great day!

Hope you had a fun Easter also!

Olivia & Violet helping Grandpa Thronson feed the cats (and dog):

Violet on the big girl swing at the Thronson farm: Olivia on the big girl swing at the Thronson farm:
Olivia finding eggs at the Suchy farm: Violet and her egg loot at the Suchy farm:
Olivia & Violet after the egg hunt:
Olivia coloring eggs with Grandpa Suchy: Violet coloring eggs: Olivia & Violet on Easter Sunday: Olivia:
Violet:
Violet & Olivia:

Thronson cousins on Easter Sunday: