It's about time....

It's been a long time since I cracked open the ol' sewing machine.  I've been wanting to make curtains for the girl's room for quite some time now.  I found the fabric about 2 months ago and with the aid of my MIL, I was able to crank out a "pinterest project" in a couple of hours.  I also found a couple of other beginner sewing projects and made the girls each skirts and I made a cute little Christmas pillow cover for the couch.

I picked out this fabric because this is one of Abby's favorite Christmas movies.  It's a super simple envelope pillow case.  I'll definitely be making more of these for sure!

Lilly and her kicks.

Abby the Accessorizing Queen.  :)

And lastly, my curtains with grommets.  I was lucky to find the cute rod with pink jeweled finials too.  Right up Abby's aisle.  :)

Abby's wore her daddy's shirt for a night gown one night. These two are Double Trouble!

Mei Mei after just waking up from a nap.  :)  Love her curly hair!

Abby was SO happy Lao Yie came back from Australia!

A rare moment: Lilly is actually sitting still for more than 3 seconds.

Sucking her thumb, of course.

This is what I get when I ask them to smile.  ♥

The weather was so nice on Sunday that we spent the afternoon playing outside.  Everything started out great...

...until they started fighting over the lone ball.  Both need to practice sharing.

Both ended up in tears and had death grips on the ball.

Usually a ride on Daddy's shoulder fixes everything but not that day.

Abby's face got cut off a bit but it was Lilly's turn and this is one unhappy Abby and one happy Lilly.

Lilly's eyes are saying "Mine!  All mine!"  Bad baby.

What is the best way to quiet two fussy girls?

SNACK TIME!!!

Then we played and played and played until Abby skinned her knee.  She's not the most coordinated little girl but she for sure is a little drama queen when it comes to boo-boos.  Bryce had to carry her since her entire body was incapacitated.  :)

Goofy Bakers

The thing I love most about my family is how we make each other laugh all day long.  Between Bryce's child-like, witty, sarcastic comments, my "dad" jokes and the typical day-to-day child/toddler antics, the laughter never stops (unless someone is throwing a temper tantrum, of course).  :)  I just love it.

Just to update, Lilly is really starting to talk more and grasp what's going on around her.  Or more like, we are just now seeing how much she knows since she verbalizes it more.  I know she's known what's going on for a while now.  This stage is so much fun because she's surprising us daily with something new.  Her personality is so funny....she's a deceptively wicked little thing with a sweet outer shell.  A wolf in sheep's clothing, if you will.  :)  I don't know why I expected her to be somewhat like Abby - each child is so different.  Abby is such a sweet, quietly intellectual type but she's getting thicker skin from being around her sister.  Oh but I love how they love each other.

The highlight of Lilly's day is dropping off and picking Abby up from school.  She just loves putting her shoes on and walking like a big kid to school.  If I weren't holding her, she'd run right into to class with Abby.  But I've got one more year with my baby at home with me.  I've been thoroughly enjoying our alone time while Abby's at school 4 days a week.  I'd never really spent this much alone time with her so we're both spoiling each other rotten!

On to our pictures.  I haven't been taking as many lately - the every day grind of school and our daily routine has kept me busier than I thought.  But here they are - enjoy!

For fun, Bryce brushed his beard against the grain and this was the result.  I, instead, choose to focus on his pretty blue eyes.  This is now his "Fire Mack Brown" beard.

This was in the morning before school earlier this week.  Abby loves to "read" books to her sister.  Or in this case, "recite" the book from memory.  :)

I don't remember what Abby was "crining" (cry/whining) about but I took a picture of her face to show her.  Then she started laughing at how ridiculous she looks.  :)

This past Sunday I got the urge to take the couch apart and vacuum underneath it so we took the opportunity to rearrange the furniture.  It's "book time" before bed time in this house.  Abby kept saying "It looks like we have a new house!"

I just think there is something so darn cute about a kid eating corn.  Bryce and I are so impressed with her eating skills.  And look how cute!

She was really chowing down!  ♥

Playing Catch Up

I didn't even realize it had been this long since my last post.  So much has happened - school started for Abby, football season started, the weather is cooling off and everyone is growing up so fast.  Including Bryce's beard.  It was neat at first but I gotta say, I wish he would shave it down again.

Abby is so excited about school and it makes me so happy.  She's been taking afternoon naps more regularly too so I know she's getting worn out.  :)  Her schedule each week is pretty busy and she told me yesterday "Mommy, this week is sooo loooong!"  And it was only Tuesday!  Silly girl - I love her.  :)

And Lilly is just growing so fast.  She's so tall and eats so well.  She started to begin skipping her morning naps here and there.  She's almost 18 months old too.  I am fully aware of how blessed I've been with her napping so far.  She already gone 7 more months than Abby did.  She's still non-stop and I love it.  Keeps me on my toes too!

Ok, here comes the random photos.  Enjoy!

Abby asked me to take a picture of her.  She's so photogenic - gets it from her dad.  :)

Bryce and his little mini-me.  She loves to sit on him in this little nook.

Game Day, baby!!

Lilly only stands still to eat so this is the best game day picture we could get.  Abby used to wear this same outfit!  This is my little thumb sucking tip toe baby.  ♥

Sisters!!

Little does Abby know Bryce is honed in on his FF draft.  She just wanted to play!

Lilly giving herself a backward shot while sitting in her favorite spot.  :)

Abby's first day of Pre-K!!  She picked out her own outfit and everything - my big girl!

♥ Playing together ♥

My movie star!

Just a regular Tuesday evening - Abby in her bathing suit with Bryce's boots on....and clucking like a chicken.  :)  Free entertainment - gotta love it!

The saddest part of the girl's day...

...is when Daddy leaves for work.  This is what I see from the inside of the house.

Is the summer almost over already?

I've got a ton of pictures to post so I'm just going to dive in.  But I will say that school starts for us next Wednesday and I'm so glad Abby is anxious to get back!  We're continuing swim lessons in September so it's going to be a fun month for us.  We can't wait!  These are just a bunch of random pictures that I've taken lately.

All the grand kid's favorite spot to lay.

Who looks like her Lao Nian?  This one!

I wonder where Abby learned to smother her sister from??  Guilty!

Both pooped out from our jam packed weekend.  ♥

We have so many pictures of Abby hugging her daddy before he goes to work.  If I had the time, I'd reference back to an old picture.  She's so tall!

Playing well together never gets old.  Some day poor Lilly will get to be the doctor and not the patient.  Or the teacher and not the student.

Abby even warned Lilly the blood pressure cuff may get tight (it really doesn't).  :)

Lilly getting her temperature taken.  She was being such a cooperative patient - I was impressed!

Then they moved onto a tea party.  I remember when I was still pregnant with Lilly and I was already looking forward to the day they would have a tea party together.  ♥

The umpteenth picture of Abby being a rabbit while eating carrots.

I asked her to smile but she told me bunnies don't smile when they are eating.

Lilly was so anxious to eat the raspberries today that we didn't even make it to the table!

Lilly looking for her du chi (belly button) today.  ♥♥♥

I love when her lips look like this!  I just want to kiss them!

She was saying "Mei Mei!"

I went out of order but we visited Willow last Wednesday and got some great cousin pictures!

Group shot!

Aawwww.....  ♥

Willow (8 mo.), Abby (4.5 yr), Lilly (17 mo.)

Kiddo Update

Well, we really haven't been up to much lately.  Abby is on week 2 of swim lessons which are going really well!  I'm just glad that she looks forward to swim class each day.  It's only 30 minutes long a day but boy does it wear out our little lazy, I mean, intellectual daughter.  ;P  Abby's still going to Gymboree Summer Skills classes twice a week and I'm so glad that she still loves it. Most of her teachers are the same ones from when she started at 16 months so it's like a little family there.  She is also VERY anxious to start school in 3 weeks.  She's a bit apprehensive about being in a new class and having new teachers but it's a good apprehension and not a scared one.

Lilly is really talking up a storm now!  It's easier just to make a list of her vocabulary in no particular order.

• Wassah? (What's that? - she says this about 50 times a day.)
• Wa Wa (water)
• Du chi (belly button in Chinese)
• Panda
• Bubbles
• Dui bu dui (Right? in Chinese)
• Bao Bao (bread in Chinese)
• Cheese
• I knoo (I know)
• Minnie Moo (Minnie Mouse)
• Good Night Moo(n)
• Night Night!
• Off (working on saying "ON")
• Gou gou (dog in Chinese)
• Nai Nai (milk in Chinese)
• She says "woof woof" at almost any animal.  But she knows a cow moos and birds cheep cheep.
• If you ask her where her yien jing, bi zhe, zuei ba, tou fa, er duo, mei mao are, she knows to point at her eye, nose, mouth, hair, ear and eye brows.
• We say 'bu che sou' all day (don't suck your thumb) and she's VERY aware of what that means.
• And most impressively, she say "pee pee" after she pees in her diaper and "poo poo" after she poops in her diaper!!  How cool is that?  

Lilly continues to have a temper.  When she's mad at Abby, she pulls her hair and bites her.  Anywhere.  We're still "training" Abby that Lilly's just a baby and doesn't understand taking turns, sharing, etc.  We've come a long way and I'm proud of both of them.  And I'm also fully aware that we've got many obstacles ahead of us!  These pictures are random so here we go:

Sweet sleepy angel.

Bryce made pizza one night and they were both anxiously awaiting for it in front of the oven.  

Abby called watching the "pizza TV!"

Lilly looks mischievous while Lao Yie reads her favorite book to her - Good Night Moon.

Bryce is the man of the hour when he has an ice cream sandwich for dessert!

Quality father-daughter time!

Abby's new game is photo bombing Lilly's pictures.  Not nice.  See poor Lilly behind her?

I'm bummed this picture turned out blurry but I like it so I'm posting it.  ♥

And lastly, the GOOFY BAKERS!!