Jigsaw Puzzle

Ella has mastered the jigsaw puzzle she received from Uncle Marzi and Auntie Jaynie for Christmas. It is a 12-piece puzzle and she can do the whole thing by herself. It is cute to hear her talk herself through the steps (this is Ella's mouth, it attaches to the other part of Ella's mouth...). Ella often asks to have her puzzle downstairs with her for quiet time and when she completes it she calls up from the bottom of the stairs "I did it all by myself!"

Is it possible to smile any bigger than this?

Bedtime Prayers

After bedtime prayers the girls love to snuggle and tickle each other on the floor. They are often the best of friends and it is so great seeing them play and laugh together. Sometimes, however, they get into arguments and Juliette's new favorite phrase is "don't do that".

Big Chair

Juliette can climb onto the red chairs and loves to sit at the table and have a glass of water or snack with Ella. She still eats her meals in her highchair, but she is quite proud of herself when she is sitting in a big chair.

Crackers on the Ledge

For their afternoon snack, the girls often like to eat "crackers on the ledge". Here they are eating their crackers, wearing turtlenecks and jeans.

Get Well Day

Last Monday both girls woke up not feeling very well. Juliette was on the mend from her cold, but still wasn't feeling great, and Ella was just coming down with something. We spent the day at home trying to get well. This included having a tea party using real herbal tea.

Hudson's Party

We went to Hudson's birthday party on Saturday. The kids had a great time, playing with the toys in the gym and eating all of Hudson's favorite foods (Hudson especially loved the chips and salsa).

Here is an attempted photo of all the little party guests.

Hudson got a blue Strider bike for his birthday!

Hudson's grandpa brought a parachute for the kids to play on.

Happy Birthday Hudson!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We celebrated Valentine's Day with Hudson last Tuesday. We had heart-shaped waffles for lunch and Hudson brought over some heart-shaped cookies for dessert. While they were eating their cookies, Hudson said "hand, hand", wanting to hold Ella's hand. Ella grabbed his hand and said "we are best friends". It was so cute!

The things they say...

Before bedtime we ask Ella and Juju what their favourite part of the day was. Ella's answers used to be the same everyday, but now she is coming up with some great comments. Yesterday, Ella said her favourite part of the day was reading the Bible with her friends (she was in Sunday school earlier that morning). When we ask Juju she always answers "playing Ella", to which Ella usually responds by saying "that makes me happy."

We also ask them one thing that made them sad. The other day Ella answered "when Adam and Eve ate from that tree". Another one of her answers was "I missed Dadda when he was at work". When we ask Juliette what made her sad she always says "Ella". This is very upsetting for Ella and Ella tells her to "pick something else, Juju".

Yesterday when I was putting Juliette down for her nap she said "love you Mama" (for the first time). I love you too, Juju!

Grandpa Rob

Last Friday we had Grandpa Rob over for dinner and an early birthday celebration. The girls are always excited to see their Grandpa.

Quiet Time

Last night the girls got to bed a little later than usual and decided to get up a little earlier than usual. Personally, I like to sleep in a little when I get to bed late... but Spencer and I have learned that this is not what toddlers do. They either get up at the same time or earlier. Ella seemed quite tired today and so she asked if she could wear her jammies and sleep for quiet time. Here she is, sleeping on the pull out bed. This is a much better solution to fatigue than throwing yourself on the floor and crying. Way to go Ella!

Usually Ella spends her quiet time making elaborate soups, playing with her dolls (who usually end up getting a time out), and reading books.

Chapters

Last week we went to Chapters to pick up a few books. I didn't realize what a great play area they have for kids. Since it was a rainy day, we stayed there for about an hour. The girls played with the doll house, the red car, the train tracks, and the lady even read them a story while they sat in the giant teacup.

"Out you"

Here is some more footage of Juliette dancing and singing to "With or Without You".

Anticipating Hudson's Arrival

The girls get very excited on Tuesday mornings because they know our friend Hudson will be spending the day with us. Ella has invented a song that she sings to Juju at night that goes like this "Hudson's coming on Tuesday, Hudson's coming on Tuedsay...".

Here's a video of Ella waiting for Hudson to come over on a Tuesday morning.

Twinkle, Twinkle

Here's a video of Ella singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". I like how she says "leave a diamond in the sky", and how she emphasizes certain words while she's singing.

The Muppets

Last Sunday we took the girls to the movie theatre for the first time. This was a fundraiser for the upcoming Guatemala trip. Grandpa Rob met us at the theatre, and we had lots of fun. The girls loved eating the popcorn (especially Ella, who was eating it with both hands). Ella was quite captivated by the big screen and sat well during the movie. Juliette was more interested in how the seats folded back and forth when she shifted around in them.