Pretend Play

In the past few days the twins and I have come up with some fun games for them to play that use their imaginations and have them sharing and taking turns.  (Hoorah!)

The first game I came up with on the spot because Gabe was carrying his fishing pole around, obviously wanting to use it, banging it on the floors and walls.  Not wanting him to break his precious pole I decided to make him a fishing game.  I cut about 15 different sized fish out of colored construction paper and drew eyes, smiles, and scales on them, then put on a small piece of double stick tape.  I grabbed his pole and wound more double stick tape around the end and he was ready to go!  I turned over an activity mat and we used that for the water, spreading out all the fish on it.  Then he went to town, picking out his fish, lowering his rod, tapping the fish gently, reeling a little and then lifting up his prize.  He was so excited.  I think we played for a solid hour the first day.  When Addie came home she was excited, too so we set up her pole the same way.  We've played this game every day since.  Not only do they have to take turns in this game, but we name the colors of the fish as they're caught, count them when we're done, and fish for them by size ("Catch the smallest fish!")

In the second game they get to pretend to be garbage truck drivers!  First, we used bristle blocks to build the garbage trucks.  Then we rounded up six small containers to use as garbage cans and filled them up with crumpled up bits of construction paper.  We set the cans out, 3 per street, and got each kid a truck to start their route! Driving down the street, one house at a time, they carefully lift each can and dump its contents in to the back of the truck. After they've emptied all the cans they drive to the dumps and unload their trash.  Then we fill the cans back up, set them out on the streets again and switch routes!  They're having a great time, making sound effects and taking turns.

Being Artsy

And some random pictures around the house...
Thanks to the aunts for the awesome easel and art supplies!!!
(watch at the picasa site to see a few videos, too)

The Lord is my strength

My Doctor confirmed this afternoon that we lost our baby.  I am scheduled to have a D&E tomorrow morning.  I ask for your prayers for our family during this difficult time.

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.   -  Jeremiah 1:5

"The child lives.  Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before Gods throne.  Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty, he sees Gods face.  He was created and lived a short time so that the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before The Lord as their personal intercessor.  He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth.  He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess.  Gods ways are not the ways of man.  He creates for His Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another.  He was created for Gods joy and his parents merits.  He has never seen pain or sin.  He has never felt hunger or pain.  The Lord breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow, and called it forth." - Mother M. Angelica

Small Successes

1. I have been able to get a handle on my nausea.  Hooray!  I've been eating small meals and snacks every 1.5-2 hours and, at the recommendation of a pharmacist, am taking a daily dose of the B6 vitamin.  It's not an instant cure, but taken daily has really helped to quell the queasies.

2. The kids went back to gymnastics today after a 2 week absence.  I was worried that the time away would make them forget how the class progressed and things like paying attention and sitting when asked to.  (Not so simple for a 3 year old.)  But their teachers (one of whom is a close friend from early childhood) said that they were fantastic, 98% improvement from their last classes!  They each have 2 make-up classes to take and I have signed them up for separate classes.  Addie will have 2 weeks of ballet/tap (squee!  leotards and slippers, hooray!) and Gabe will have 2 weeks of sports introduction (golf, baseball, soccer, football, and hockey, oh my!)

3. Ana has taken her first (assisted) steps!  For quite a while now she has pulled herself to a standing position and just stood there or bopped up and down gently.  But today, she grabbed hold of my fingers and proceeded to walk a good 4 feet across the kitchen!  She still has a ways to go to get the coordination figured out, currently it's more of

Raise left leg up and SLAP it down 5 inches in front of herself.
Tiny step with right leg.
Bop up and down.
Tiny shuffle of right leg to even up with left.
Repeat.