Kites in January!

Say what?! Yes, as most of the midwest is experiencing above average temps, so is Colorado.  Even if we get a little dusting of snow coming down from the  mountains, it has not been sticking due to the sun and temps in the 50's.  Over this last weekend, the high was 60, and it was VERY windy.  Perfect for kites.

 It was amazing to see how excited these two girls were over watching something float in the air above them.

 Fly kite!  Fly!!!!  We can help you!!!

 This nice, and genuinely happy man was there with his family.  He called the girls over to help him fly his, bigger, fancier, cooler kite.  They took turns holding and steering the kite.  He seriously laughed as the girls held on with all their might to this large kite that was flying higher than ours ever did.  The girls were in awe.

We can never leave this park with out a little playground play.

 She is spinning.  She loves it; giggles the entire time.  When she gets down, she can't walk straight, stumbles, and maybe appears to have had a spiked drink of some sort.

Stella is becoming quite the climber and her balance is only improving with gymnastics.  But, does anyone else get extremely nervous when their child climbs to the top of the jungle, octagon, tower thingy?

p.s. Since the girls enjoyed the kites so much, we did buy a better one!

Fun in the Sun/Snow

In the Sun or in the snow?  Best of both worlds here in the backyard.

 Let's stomp in the snow!

 Or, let's dig in the Sun!

 Callie is just happy to have someone in her domain.  "Sure, climb on, I will show you around."

So Many Leaves

If I could take anything from this rental with us to the house we buy, it would be the yard...ok, besides the mud/laundry room.  HOWEVER, there are a few trees on one side that have dropped a lot of leaves.  A LOT.  We've done leaves before.  Our first house was crazy.  But, yard work gets harder with kids.  Since the girls have started playing together more, I thought I would get some bagging done.  They thought it looked like fun and ended up taking over.

We don't have one of those leaf clamper/grabber things, so I used both the girls' little rakes to scoop up large amounts.  Stella took them, and attempted the same method.

Then there is Callie, who decided the pile of leaves I raked was actually a bed.

 Gather...scoop...

...and deposit into the bag.

Do you think she is proud of herself?

Then little bit decided she needed to take part in this activity.  Of course she did.  

She can't let Stella do anything without doing it herself.

 

I think she lost most of the leaves before actually making it to the trash bag.  

My progress definitely slowed, but the girls had fun.  Esme was easily distracted by a stick, I mean wand, 

she raked up.

THE BARBIE PLAYHOUSE

Earlier this summer, gosh...it really isn't summer anymore is it?  (Thank goodness!) Anyhoo, earlier during the summer, Stella told Papa and Yaya that she wanted a Barbie house.  She wanted PAPA to BUILD her a Barbie house.  Guess what we have?  You guessed!  We have a pink playhouse in our backyard.  It is AWESOME.  It is an early birthday present for Stella.

Yes, it does have a deck, your eyes aren't mistaken. Pretty cool, right?  Stella's favorite thing to do...eat popsicles or ice cream in her play house.  She is even sharing with Esme. We are going this weekend to get some Mums for her flower boxes.  The grass she "planted" in them didn't grow.

Full Saturday/Lots of Pictures

Today, I took the girls grocery shopping - I normally do not venture that on my own; Target is one thing, groceries are another!  My Dad and Ben worked on the deck. I found a garage sale down the street.  We took the girls on a bike ride, and now my friend Sam Adams and I are having a little catch up.

Being cute, while picking up her cracker crumbs.

Some deck building going on here.

Thanks for the visual Dad, those are going to be some good steps.

Esme has officially declared her first word:  DAAADAAAA!!!  Every time she saw him outside: DAAAADAAA! DAADAAA!

After taking her bib off three times, we found one that had super velcro. "GET THIS OFF OF ME!"

"Seriously, people!"

Here we go! 

First, I saw one.  So, I grab the camera (Stella was very excited), and by the time I take the picture, there were two.

Then, there were three, ok, cute.

Eventually came five goslings, but Mama was revving back up to go and put the camera away as all the goslings started charging towards us and the Mama and Papa geese started talking all kinds of crazy at us.