Hold on, this one is a long one! We are very busy here with working full time plus keeping the kids entertained. They are doing well, and sometimes have very cute moments:
Spring is amazing here in Sonoma County, and so green. This picture is from a month or more ago, and we have probably gotten the last of the rain until October or November. So we're enjoying the last of the green for a while. The river (small creek) near our house is still running but will soon be dry. (the picture below is NOT the creek near our house, but a trail in one of my favorite nearby parks for trail running)
Anja got to ride a real horse (was supposed to be a 'pony ride', but apparently they just have smallish horses for the little kids). Strangely I'm not sure if she enjoyed this more or less than riding the pink horse at the pizza place. We had built up this idea of a pony ride for weeks before we went and she talked nonstop about it all the way there. Once she was on the horse (safely led by an instructor around a small pond - about a 30 min experience) she didn't say a single word. I don't think I've seen her silent for so long.
Both kids seem so much older to me every day.
Maija loves her bumbo chair, although she never really sat in it properly.
We were at Armstrong Redwoods again recently. This is a great, easy place to visit with little kids. Lots to do, everything from driving tours to strenuous hikes. Maija likes this kind of activity:
For several weeks she had this amazing peacock hair that would not stay down. Now it's a little tamer as it grows out, someone recently called it baby bird hair.
I'm including this picture to show that not all our family photos quite work out.
Imagine growing up thinking that trees like this are the norm.
We took the kids camping at Salt Point State Park, up the coast a bit. I worried it might be chilly at night, but it was actually pretty nice. Maija is still not a great night sleeper so I didn't get much sleep, but other than that it was a good trip. We are still using two tents for camping, which seems to work out best. That way, one kid doesn't wake up the whole family.
Sometimes I think we should be advertisers for the Ergo, this baby carrier we use. I don't know what we'd do without it:
Anja loves camping. She has a ladybug sleeping bag, and her own water bottle, and is always excited to make s'mores and eat hotdogs. She didn't actually eat her s'more this time, but she sure had fun making it. She ate three hotdogs.
Maija loves flowers.
Anja had her 3rd birthday! She had a great one. She was so excited. All she wanted was "a dinosaur cake, and some presents, and for people to sing Happy Birthday to me." Done.
Lately Anja likes wearing dresses. Or actually nightgowns, as in this case, but we thought this nightgown from Auntie Beth and family was far too nice to waste on sleeping. And it has hot air balloons on it, just like her grandpa's.
Maija likes riding in the backpack carrier.
Just cute. Taking a break from hiking in Corte Madera.
Maija loves playing with her older sister. Anja is generally very good with her. Sometimes she gets frustrated when Maija doesn't understand or tries to grab her toys, but she is much better than I had hoped for at her age. I hope they continue to have fun together. Here they are playing a very gentle tackle game. Look at Maija running around so well now!
Anja now likes sitting on the big kids swings. She has finally stopped jumping off them unexpectedly.
Chasing clouds of gnats in the evening sun at the neighborhood park near our house.
Maija seems to understand quite a few words. And she is very good with the sign for bird. We haven't been very good at teaching her other sign language words, but she does use the sign for milk when she wants something.
Out of order, but here are the girls on Easter morning:
And Anja's contributions:
Anja: We should buy a mammoth. And I can ride on it.
Me: Where should we buy a mammoth?
Anja: At the mammoth store.
Me: And what kind of mammoth should we get?
Anja: A brown one! He matches my dog.
Me: Your brown dog?
Anja: Yeah, my brown dog. I named him Toby. And the mammoth has hair. And a trunk! And a long nose. A long looooong nose. And he has hair. And I can pet him! And he says, “Hee Haw!” Let’s get a real one.
Me: Okay. Good Idea.
Jay: (while getting ready to go “exploring” in the front yard with flashlights with Anja) I wonder if Maija would like to go exploring?
Anja: No! She doesn’t like exploring! She just likes lying down!
(Anja crawls into the kitchen, pulling a wooden duck on a string with her teeth)
Me: Hi Brio (the duck), who is pulling you?
Anja: I’m a horsie!
Me: And what is your name?
Anja: Uh, Singie ming.. gaga! Because I like to sing! On Mondays and Thursdays.
Me: Oh, hi Singieming-gaga. Can you sing me a song?
Anja: Yeah! Hmmm mmm mmmmm ummmm mmmm (goes on for about 30 seconds).
Me: That’s a great song.
Anja: Yeah.
Anja: I like cheese today. I like cheese on Thursdays.
Anja: (in the bathtub - while making one plastic duck pour water onto another one) "Here you go, YOU can drink some water from my BUM! Then you won't be so THIRSTY!!!"
Anja: (looking at the clock) But it’s not pointing at naptime, it’s pointing to four!
Anja: My tummy hurts.
Me: How much does it hurt?
Anja: Four seconds.
Anja: (after whining for a granola bar) My tummy hurts…
Me: Oh, then maybe you shouldn’t eat a granola bar.
Anja: My foot hurts.
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