So...Whatcha Been Up To?

It seems like my blogging activity has been a little off since the start of the new year. Nothing much has been going on with us, which may be the reason for my inactivity - I guess I figure the regular, every day happenings of our life wouldn't be all that interesting to read about. But, since that is the whole purpose why I started this blog - to keep everyone up to date on the happenings of our lives (however dull they may appear) - I need to get out of my little funk and start blogging! So, here is a glimpse of what we have been up to the past week...

I remember my younger sister going through a phase when she would change her outfit 10-12 times a day; her clothes weren't dirty, she just got tired of what she was wearing and decided she wanted something new. The girls are going through a similar phase, as is evidenced by the piles of clothes that keep appearing on the floor in the girls' room and the ever-growing pile in the hallway laundry basket. It's great that they are trying to figure out their own fashion style, but I have to tell ya....I'm not digging the extra laundry that is occuring because of it. The pics above show Roo in her pink tutu/fancy black shirt ensemble, and AK proudly displaying her blue flag shirt. Roo was uncharacteristically cooperative for the photo while AK was surprisingly uncooperative...I guess we are all entitled to an off day every now and then.

AK's uncharacteristic actions mentioned above could be the result of her not feeling quite up to par. As you can see in the pics above, she has been dealing with a scabby red rash around her right eye. The rash presented as a mild patch of eczema over a week and half ago...since it's around her eye, we used a new non-steroidal cream the girls' pediatrician prescribed. After only one application, AK's eye went from bad to worse...needless to say, I didn't use the cream again. We have been able to control the redness and irritation by simply using Aquaphor (thanks Bobbi for the suggestion), but seeing as how it's been well over a week and the skin is still pretty red and tender, I think I am going to have to take AK back in to the doctor next week to get it looked at...again.

The girls have recently shown their mama's love for reading - they come to me with stacks of books in their arms and ask me to read them some stories. If I'm not able to at that particular moment, they seem content to settle down on the floor or couch and read their books to themselves or each other. It's really cute to see them reading to each other, and I love hearing the stories they create as they look at the pictures. The pics above show some of AK and Roo's current favorite titles.

I'm not sure what it is with these girls and tables (think back to last year when I posted the pic of the girls snoozing in the compartments of the train table), but the above pics show their recent table adventure. I left the family room for a couple of minutes, and when I came back in the girls were sitting in the store part of the table pretending to drive their car; AK was headed to the pool and Roo was destined for the zoo to look at the animals. The girls got "stuck" in some mud, so Roo hopped out to push the car while AK manned the steering wheel - the whole thing was totally cute to watch. I hope these girls never lose their creativity. PS: The table has also been used as a dance stage, a jumping pad, a drawing canvas, baby cribs, and a fishing boat. I bought the table a few months ago thinking it would be great for storage - who would have thought it would turn out to be the object of so many playtime activities!

The favorite snack for the week has been popcorn. The girls love to help me cook it (translation: one girl opens the package, one girl puts it in the microwave, then we listen as it POPs). One mini bag is perfect for the two of them - they each get their own bowl, but AK always tries to sneak some from Roo's bowl before she starts eating from her own. Silly, silly girl...luckily, Roo doesn't seem to mind sharing her snacks.