Two little monkeys.

August and Camryn always have fun causing trouble.  Yesterday we caught them cracking each other up.  Too cute!  On another note, Rynnie's school report card this week said, "Camryn is such a great dancer!  She loves to dance!".  Silly girl.

Video 1: Let us out of here!

Video 2: Turn the volume up to hear some serious giggling.

Pic 1: Today we had a fantastic time walking the mall with Crystal and Kayleigh.  The girls had fun together at lunch, sharing a quesadilla (literally passing it back and forth), holding hands while munching, and flirting with all the other patrons.

 Pics 2 and 3: Shop 'til you drop!

Pic 4: We have discovered markers.  Crayola "washable" markers are genius.  Especially when your child thinks markers are used like the makeup mommy puts on every morning.

Pic 5: Yet another nakie dancing pic.  I just can't get enough of her smushy cuteness.

Grandpa and the Easter Bunny

What a fun weekend! Grandpa came for a visit and we celebrated with the Easter Bunny.  Check it out.

Pic 1: So fun hanging out with my Grandpa!

Pic 2: He even let me borrow his shoes.

Pic 3: Dinner outside on a nice Spring evening.  We were fooled by the sun though; we froze outside on the water.

Pic 4: Saturday temps were up in the 70s!  We had to soak up the Vitamin D while given the opportunity.

Pic 5: Hanging with Mommy.  And a very obvious little brother.

Pic 6: Cooling off in my new "swimming pool".

Pic 7: Easter!

Pic 8: Brunch at Daddy's hotel.  Here she is meeting the Easter Bunny.  Same creepy costume again this year.

Pic 9: Get this creepy bunny away from me!

Pic 10: Mmmm brunch.

Pic 11: Stealing Daddy away from his duties for a second.

Video 1: Showing Grandpa her moves.  The purse is essential.

Video 2: We gave her a huge bucket of water to splash in on the porch.

Video 3: "Uh oh!"



Video 4: It's way more fun this way.

Spider fail, nose picking, night time and kisses.

Kevin will probably get angry at me for posting this, but I think it is cute.  We were singing "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and of course, the second we pulled out the camera, she got too sleepy to continue.  But not too sleepy to pick her nose.  And kiss mama. 

Entering toddlerhood.

This toddler business is no joke.  Every day is a new word, a new skill that totally blows our minds, and a new tantrum (or several).  We are working really hard to teach her words to express her needs and anger.  She is getting it down, little by little.  "Snack please" is a common phrase heard around here, even if it is prefaced by a few screeches and finger pointing while grunting.  She even says "thank you" once you get her the desired item.  This weekend she added "banana" (in the form of "nana") and "baby" to her vocabulary.  I went to make her breakfast Saturday morning and while I pulled a banana off of the bunch, she yelled "nana!!".  It is just so much fun watching her learn and grow.

Pic 1: Our new pet squirrels.  They do yoga.

Pic 2: Watching our squirrels out the window.

Pic 3: Saturday night we had a super fun dinner party with the Moen's, Buchheit's and Neuschwander's.  We made this sign for Buck and Kevin is going to email it to him in Africa tomorrow.  We ALL miss you Uncle Buck!

Pic 4: My pal Hannah and I at the party.

Pic 5: Sunday morning Kevin, Rynnie and I went to the rec center and played at the Play Gym for awhile and then we all went swimming.  Fun family day.

Pic 6: After swimming.

 Pic 7: My Daddy is so snuggly!

Pic 8: Swim hard, sleep hard.  Even in your high chair.

Video 1: Play gym.

Video 2: Gotta do what Daddy does!

Hints of Spring.

We kicked off a weekend of decent weather by hitting the Zoo on Friday afternoon with our friends Deb and Hannah.  It seemed as though everyone in Portland had the same idea, and I swear, some parents even took their children out of school to get outside and enjoy the sunshine.  Only in the Northwest.  Luckily, the animals were all out enjoying the change in weather as well, making for a fun day.  Saturday morning we woke up and enjoyed a fun family breakfast at our favorite local cafe, Biscuits.  It was such a surprise to run into Doug, Jodi and Lainnie there!  Small neighborhood.  Saturday afternoon, Dad introduced Rynnie to the fun world of bubbles and then Saturday night I took my best girl with me to a fabulous baby shower thrown by my friends at work.  What a sweet group of gals I work with!  I truly was humbled, and they all loved meeting the famous Rynster. 

On a final note, Camryn has really started talking up a storm these past few weeks.  I only count toddler words if they actually use them appropriately and here is Petunia's growing vocabulary list: Dadda (still no Momma), Up (favorite word of the moment, typically accompanied by a book), Snack Please, All Done, Yes, No, and NO NO NO NO NO!, Socks, Shoes, Book, Duck, Doggy, and Night Night.  It is incredible that she can actually answer questions yes or no and truly mean the answers.  All of the sudden we have a little person on our hands!

Pic 1: Sun!  We must squint our eyes as if we have never experienced its aura.  Oh wait, we haven't.

Pic 2: Here we go!  P.S. we renewed our Zoo membership so we can get a friend (or a Grandma/Nana, Grandpa, Auntie, Uncle) in for free, anytime.

Pic 3: Fishies.  Ooooh.

Pic 4: Mommy Rynnie time.

Pic 5: My pal Hannah and I enjoying a joke.  Probably involved something to do with the non-modest bats, if you get my drift.

Pic 6: Mom, hurry up and take the picture so I can get back to my biscuit.  With a side of crayons.

Pic 7: Oh wow!

Pic 8: Mom, did you see what Dad made???

Pic 9: Unfortunately, the only pic I have of the baby shower.  Can you see where my head/stomach is?  The girls really outdid themselves though, such a lovely spread.

Pic 10: Party girl.

Visitors.

Last weekend was full of family.  On Friday, my sister Holly and her boyfriend Kary happened to be in town for a wedding (Kary actually grew up in Oregon) and they had just enough time to come over for a fun dinner.  We were so happy to see them even if it was just for a few hours.  Later that evening, Grandma and Grandpa Schjei came back to hang out with Rynnie so we could retake a birthing class all day Saturday.  Grandma loved sharing her new iPad with Rynnie.  Seriously, the children's stories on that gadget are super interactive and immensely fun.  Angry Birds on the huge iPad screen is equally thrilling. 

Pic 1: Kary, Holly and Rynnie enjoying our first day few minutes of sun not raining.

Pic 2: The girls!

Pic 3: Grandma loves the new iPad!  Can you tell?

Video: That Grandpa just cracks me up!



Pic 4: Angela used her new phone to take this enhanced pic at the Conestoga Rec Center play gym this morning.  The center is just a mile from our house; we plan on checking out their pool on Friday.

Pic 5: The three of us at the play gym.

Baking brownies, or, "huge mess".