Army

Lucia: "Mom, have you ever been in an army?!?"

M: "No, never."

L: "An army of music is AWESOME!!"

M: "What do you mean, an army of music?" (Here I'm thinking maybe a choir or an orchestra.)

L: "You know, a marching army with instruments."

M: "Oh, a marching band!" :-)

L: "Yeah, a MARCHING BAND.  Not a mariachi band."  (Haha... she remembers this from a non-fiction book she picked at the library about Cinco de Mayo. Kids' brains are so interesting. :) )

Kid Conversation

Overheard: while Lucia was playing in the dish soap bubbles:
 R: "Lucia, wanna pet my cat?"
 L: "No, I'm busy. I have to make snowman cookies for my Aunt Grandma."
 R: "Aunt Grandma?"
 L: "Yes, that's my aunt and my grandma."
 R: "Oh."
 L: "Yes. And she has two heads!"
 R: *repeating incredulously to me* "Mom, Aunt Grandma has TWO HEADS!"

(Where do they come up with this stuff?!?!)

Good Day

Lucia and Rhea are having an exceptionally good day together.  Lucia woke up fairly cheerfully (! haha), and it began at the breakfast table.
R: "I love you, Lucia."
L: *silence*
R: *a little louder* "I love you, Lucia!!!"
L: "I love you, too."
R: *giggle*  "You're the best Lucia EVER."

(Aww.  If that doesn't warm a mother's heart, what will? :-) )

Later today, we had some friends over to play while their mom took their baby sister to a doctor's appointment.  Then, another friend's mom picked up Lucia and the other girl (who is also five) and took them to a show at the library while Rhea was still sleeping.  The little boy (3) stayed with me and played with Rhea once she got up. 
After Lucia got back home, the girls snuggled up on the couch and watched Curious George together.  While waiting for it to start:
R: "I love you, Lucia."
L: "I love you, too!"
*big hug*
R: "Did you have a nice time?" (at the library)
L: "Yup."

Rhea is in a phase where she tells all of us that she loves us about 27 times a day.  This is a common scene at the breakfast/dinner table:
R: "I love you, Dada."
P: "I love you, too, Rhea!"
R: "I love you, Mommy."
M: "I love you, Rhea!"
R: "I love you, Lucia."
L: "Love you too."


And everytime we go potty:
R: "I love you, Mom."
M: "Love you, too, Rhea!"
R: "You're the best mom EVER!"
M: "And you're the best RHEA ever!" :)

Love my girlies!

Recent Fun and Games

Our neighbors are moving, so they had a garage sale recently where we scored quite a few games.  So the girls were in a game playing phase.  But sometimes all you need to play is ... the lid of the game. Here they were "driving" somewhere in their "car" (with the spin wheel as the steering wheel). :)

Lucia and Papa playing the Game of Life.  Lucia was all excited about which profession she got to choose. :)

 And... this was the scene after Rhea had gotten into the game of life.  (Actually, this was the scene after HALF of the clean-up was already complete!! )

One morning after Papa left, the girls noticed flower petals from our tree on the driveway.  So we went and made some flower petal "rain", and after that the girls enjoyed sweeping the petals into piles and playing in them.

And... some photography by Lucia.  I like seeing myself in pictures every once in a while!

And some photography by Rhea. Haha. :)

7 Months!

This post is a week overdue, but nonetheless, we're marking Alexa's 7 month "birthday". :)  (The pictures were taken on the 12th, so they're on time.)  Our baby is getting so big so fast!!  She's beginning to crawl slowly but surely.  Lucia was 7.5 months old, too, when she learned to crawl.  We'll wait and see how similar these two girlies will be! :)

"Wait, I'm really 7 months already?!"

 Happy girl, most of the time!

 And some sister love. :)

Happy 7 months, Alexa Belle!!

Haircuts

Today's fun and unusual event was getting haircuts for Lucia and Rhea.  We went to Cool Cuts 4 Kids ... somewhat overrated, I would say, but they had fun watching videos while getting their hair cut.  And they got a sucker at the end.  (They had better not get used to this royal treatment with all haircuts, but it was a fun experience. :) )

Lucia essentially just got a trim, but we ended up taking a good three inches or more off her hair.  She picked a Barbie Rapunzel movie, but I told her that if it got too scary she could let the lady know and we'd turn it off.  So not too long into it she asked to have it turned off and joined Rhea and Elmo. :)

Sweet Rhea's hair was getting long and she's been looking more and more like a little girl and not a toddler anymore.  But it was also a bit scraggly, so (in the hopes that it will grow in thicker and a little faster) here came the scissors!  She got to watch Elmo during her haircut.  She looks younger... I'll have to post a good "after" picture of her tomorrow. :)

 And then ever-sweet Alexa hanging out with Mama, waiting for her big sisters' new coiffures!

Rain

We've had some nice rain over the past several days.  After breakfast one morning, a nice thundershower was rolling in, so I suggested we open the door and cuddle up to watch the rain.  The girls loved the idea, and the cat enjoyed it too!

There was a beautiful breeze and the girls' hair wisped around in the wind.

 They both had to have something to cover up, though... amazing how quickly they've adapted to Texas heat!  I thought it was a refreshing change, but they said it was "freezing!!!" :)