A pat on the back

One of my favorite things is when our babies start patting us on the back when we carry them around. Something they have learned from us rubbing and patting their back. I think it is a true sign of love when they do it. Something so sweet and simple.
Sweet SAL can also smack her lips. She has been dong it for about a month. She would just look at Paige and start doing it. Now when she nurses she stops and does it a few times and looks at me and waits for me to do it back. You can see how happy she is to know that she has control over something.

Happy Chinese New Year!

In trying to create special traditions in our family I stole this idea from a friend (thanks Angela!). The meal is nothing special, but getting out decorations and eating at the table is special. The kids like it and it is a reason to celebrate something in January.

We have had parties when we invite a bunch of couples in our neighborhood over for Chinese New Year dinner. We just have them bring their favorite dish (take-out or home made) and we eat dinner. But last year we didn't do it because of a sweet new baby and this year we have basement jet lag. Maybe next year.

a trip to the mall

Paige convinced me to take her and some friends to the mall. Our first stop was the popcorn place to get a dr pepper and carmel popcorn to help me through the next few hours.:) The girls were happy to look around for the first few stores. But when I wanted to start looking they got a little bored. So I handed them my camera. This is one of MANY pictures they took. Emily did a good job at being "camera girl".

the pits

It is the pits to be sick the days after your 1st bday. But better than the day of.

Look who's 1

We started off the mornign with pan-"cakes". As you can see she is very happy about that.:)

Then we hung around for a while while I made her cake. When Jake came home we went to get balloons.

When everyone was home we opened presents. Jake and Emily made her a few things with the melty beads. She loved the cars. Though I think one in each hand is not such a good idea when you can only crawl. I only give her one car at a time now.

She seemed to like her doll and stroller. It may be a while before she really knows what to do with it.

We decided to try the new Pizza Factory in Syracuse for dinner. They have the best breadsticks!
Home for cake and ice cream. I tried a new recipe for frosting and put the cake in the fridge. The frosting was very hard when we got it out. Sarah had more fun playing the cake like a drum than eating it. After a few bites she was done eating, but still kept playing the drum. I am not sure if the frosting was soft if she would have liked it as much.

She Sucks!

Of course it is Dr Pepper she is sucking (aren't I a good mom?). We were at Cafe Rio (where else would we be?) for a friends bday and Sarah figured it out. No wonder she won't drink whole milk. Maybe if I added a little Dr Pepper......

Often do the spirits of great events stride on before the events, and in to-day already walks to-morrow. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Sarah's birthday celebration began on her birthday eve. I wanted to take her to Build-a-Bear and let her pick out a bear for her birthday. Knowing that would be torture for Brad and Rian we went with out them and had a great time! We picked out 2 animals and held them up to Sarah. She would pick the one she wanted. We did this a few times. She ALWAYS picked the same bear. She would pull it into her face and kiss and love it.

We added a birthday song to the bear. Sarah loves to dance to the song. And of course, we all added a heart before the bear was stuffed and sewn up.

Jake kept himself busy by taking some pictures....

As you can tell she loves her bear. We named her Silly Sal.

"On Road Redwood"

After looking for what seemed like weeks (really only a Saturday and a Friday) we found the sofa and love! It feels like we went to every place between Roy and Draper. And of course the last place we went to we found a set for us. or maybe we were so tired of looking we just said yes to these to get the torture over with. We walked into Furniture Warehouse at 8:59:59. And this is what we decided on:



Now that we have them home I wish they were a little more "come curl up on me" but I still like them. We also found a bedroom set on our little hunt. The house is starting to come together more and more.

More!

She finally did it! Sarah made her first sign! I haven't been working as diligently as I did with Jake but I knew it would come. She signed "more" when I gave her crispex cereal for the first time (the cereal and the sign were both firsts!) I was showing her the sign when I gave her more cereal and then she did it!
The first time she signed "more" on her own was at Sam's a few days later when I was feeding her a Cinnamon pretzel.

I think she may have been signing "milk", but it is hard to tell. It could have been a wave. But now she knows what the milk sign is because she will sign it and pull at my shirt.:)

scones for breakfast

I checked out a cookbook (Baking Illustrated) from the library and Rian was perusing it to see what he could make for breakfast. He found a orange craisen scone recipe to try. I have always wanted to try to make scones but never took the time to do it. I can't believe he beat me to it. He made these all by himself and they were YUMMY! Rian is the "Breakfast Chef" for sure. I find myself asking him to help me do things in the kitchen even when Brad is around. I will even tell Brad to let Rian do it because Rian know his way around the kitchen better!:)

A Jakism to start of the new year....

It snowed here yesterday and the sun was out today, so everything is white, bright and beautiful. As Jake and I were getting in the suburban, parked in the driveway, he said "I love Christmas!" pause for 7 seconds "the only thing that is brown is poop!".

the "hair do"

Brad was giving Sarah a bath for church and he snuck in a picture. He has taken a picture of every child like this. Back in the stone ages when we didn't have digital cameras he would take a fun picture, like this one, and then I would get the pictures developed I would get a fun surprise. It is still a surprise, I just get to see it on the computer (or camera) instead.

Thanks for the smile!

News Years Day tradition

Sleigh riding isn't a tradition on New Years Day but it could be the start of one. By Grandma and Grandpa Lucas' house there is a great hill. This year before we went to dinner we went there for a while to let the kids (big kid too) have some fun. The snow was very wet. When they were done they were soaked from head to toe, even through snow pants and coats.

The tradition is to go to the Lucas' for dinner in New Years day. We have been doing this for as long as I can remember.