Infatuated

in·fat·u·a·tion /[in-fach-oo-ey-shuh n]
–noun
1. A foolish, unreasoning, or extravagant passion or attraction.
2. An object of extravagant, short-lived passion.
Synonyms: attachment, craze, crush, fascination, folly, love, madness, obsession, passion

So, it seems that part of being 2 1/2 years old is becoming infatuated with seemingly anything and everything that the girls come into contact with. Just to fill you in on some fads that have lasted longer than others, here is a collection of AK & Roo's most recent infatuations:

Money: We have had piggy banks for the girls ever since they were first born, but it wasn't until lately that they realized the profound joy of having money. They can now correctly (usually) identify pennies & quarters, but we're still working on dimes (which they call "baby monies") and nickels. They don't really care much for "paper monies," but I'll occasionally put a dollar bill or two in their bank just because. Roo has a knack for finding money everywhere we go - whether it's to the store, the bank, the car...whatever our destination is for the day, she usually ends up bringing home some kind of change she discovered along the way.

Horseys: Ever since we visited Fallbrook this past March, the girls have been obsessed with horses. They love watching them, talking about them, playing with them, and seeing pictures about them. Any mention of Paga Hoopes (Grandpa Hoopes), and there is bound to be cries of "I ride horsey in California. I like horseys, mama." These pictures are of the girls playing horsey with their wonderful Uncle Bryce.

Cheese: This is nothing new, nor has Roo's infatuation with cheese

diminished...at all. She loves it - in all varities, shapes, colors, flavors, etc. As long as it is cheese, she'll eat it. Period. And it doesn't even matter what time of day. Cheese is usually the first thing she asks for in the morning, and the last thing she asks for at night.

School: This is probably a reflection of the intense workload from my last class (which I barely passed, but a passing grade is a passing grade, so I won't complain). Anyway, AK's latest thing is to climb up to the computer and proudly declare "I do homework mama. Go away." She will even grab a notebook and pen and act like she is scribbling notes while typing away at the keyboard. It is seriously, the cutest thing to watch. I just hope this diligence in her studies will continue when she's older.

Pumpkins: This one is also all Roo. For whatever reason, she has become attached to her pumpkin shirt from last Halloween. She asks to wear it every day, and every night...she would even wear it in the tub, if we would let her. I guess it's a good thing we bought two, because I usually have to switch her from one to the other just so I can wash the darn thing for the next day. The other night we came home from Walmart, and we had stopped for some french fries on the way home. Roo happened to find a little pumpkin pail from our Halloween decorations while I was unstrapping AK from her carseat. She immediately ditched the french fry box and put them in the pumpkin pail, then came running around the car saying "I found it mama! Look it!! I found the pumpkin pail!" She was so proud of her discovery - I just had to take a picture. I've heard of Christmas in July...is there such a thing as Halloween in June?

Band-aids: Anytime the girls get a bump, bruise, scrape, etc., they get a sad/disheartened look on their face and declare "I need nurse mama," which translates to "I need a band-aid." Usually, a band-aid is totally unnecessary, but they still ask because they love the sticky things. And, if one of the girls gets a band-aid, then of course her sister demands one too...and how can you say yes to one and no to another?

Chipmunks: Since we do not have cable, and since I was getting tired of watching the same 3 movies over and over with the girls, we have started a new weekly ritual of going to Blockbuster and picking out one movie for the girls to watch for the following week (sometimes I pick it out, sometimes they come with me). We only keep the movie one week, but the girls can watch it as much as they want. Well, the last movie we rented was Alvin and the Chipmunks and I think we are going to have buy this one. AK has become completely enamored with the three talking/dancing/singing rodents, and she refuses to watch any movie but Chipmunks. It is actually quite funny to watch, because as soon as a song comes on she hops up and starts dancing around, and she insists everyone else gets up and dance as well "C'mon mama. Hold hands mama, please."

Nail polish: The girls, especially AK, LOVE getting their "toe toes" (toenails) painted. They are so proud of their pink polished nails, they display them any chance they get, to any person who may be passing by. It doesn't matter where we are, or what the person may be in the middle of, the girls will fearlessly approach the unsuspecting person and declare "Look how cute! My toe toes are so pretty." Of course, they are usually rewarded with smiles of adoration which only serve to encourage them more, but it is so funny to see how happy they are with something as simple as toenail polish.