deep thoughts with Audrey

Here is a conversation that Audrey and I had this morning:

A: "how do deer get into their houses?"

Me: "well, I suppose they just walk into them"

A: "but how do they open their doors?"

Me: "umm... Deer don't have doors on their houses"

A: "yes they do! I saw a deer house with a door at papa's friends house the other day!"

So Audrey thought that the deer stand was actually a house for deer to live in. 

Justin will have some explaining to do if he has a successful hunting season...

preschool hairstyles

I've been busy practicing new hair styles on the girls. With them starting preschool soon, I want to make sure they can have fun and play without their hair getting in the way.

Audrey tends to prefer "just a clip", but at times lets me do braids. Claire is pretty willing to let me practice on her.

When I do side braids or double braids, I tend to do a Dutch braid.

Sometimes I will extend the life of the braid by putting it in a pony on day 2.

If I want Claire to wear a headband, I will do a French braid. This style tends to have a few more flyaways, but only takes 30 seconds.

Post-nap braid.

One day when I was feeling adventurous, I did a fishtail. This style isn't as secure as a Dutch or French braid.

Audrey's usual look- "just a clip, please"

On days when Claire isn't in the mood for getting styled, I'll do the 10 second low side pony.

Side pony with a twist.

I watched YouTube videos for hints, but a few tips:

Damp hair is easier to handle. When I first started braiding, I would wet Claire's hair. Now that I have gotten more practice, I only wet her hair it I'm trying to get a very secure braid.

Speaking of which, start the braids fairly tight. After I'm finished, I pull the sides apart for a more relaxed look.

she wants to wander

Audrey saw an airplane this morning and then asked how old she was:

Me: You are three

Audrey: Now am I old enough to ride on an airplane?

Me: Not yet- you'll have to wait until you are at least six.

Audrey: But I am six!!!

So apparently we will be planning a vacation soon.

summer treats

If Claire would have her way, she would have Popsicles (or as she calls them, papasicles) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And probably for snack too.

Last year I noticed "monkey tails" on Dairy Queen's menu. If you ask me, that sounds like a waste of a trip to DQ, but seemed like a good solution to our papasicle problem.

I sliced a banana in half, added some peanut butter, drizzled a little chocolate on top, stuck it in the freezer, and voila!

The girls were very impressed with their treats.

reasons claire won't get dressed today

1. "No, I don't want to look like a queen."

2. "That doesn't look comfortable."

3. "That dress is only for church."

4. "No, that's too big for me."

the struggle when your three year old has an excellent vocabulary

"Mommy you have a humongous tummy. An a humongous butt!"

Thanks, Claire. You know just how to brighten my day.

our favorite park

The girls and I have a new favorite park. It is about 1.5 miles from our house, so jogging there is a nice way for me to sneak in some exercise.

The best part of it is that even the "big" equipment isn't too challenging for the girls. And there are no busy roads nearby, so I can even relax a little bit.

Doing a bit of climbing.

It wasn't too crowded either- we were the only ones there for the first 20 minutes or so- which is a bonus when you are trying to keep track of two toddlers (preschoolers?!?) with a propensity to run in opposite directions.