Movie and name writing

Bella went to her first movie, Madagascar 2, with her friend Emmy last Saturday.  Overall the girls did well, considering that a full length movie is still a stretch for them.  Especially one that is full of witty, mature 'jokes' that a 3 year old (or even a 5 yr old) would never get.  I think it was the popcorn and Icee that made her sit well for that long!  Its hard to believe that soon movies will be a regular activity for us.  Its been so long...

Bella's first snow angel

In other news, my dad finished up the last bit in the basement for us.  He packed up his tools and took them home.  Now its up to us to organize and decorate how we want.  I have been enjoying having a permanent home for my sewing machine but Carlo says I have too many hobbies now.  That's just code for "you're making me watch the kids too much".  Don't worry, Carlo gets plenty of free time to himself too, I'm just cutting into it a bit more lately!

Lucy is definitely making an effort to talk more but she is such a handful at the moment.  She never sits still and doesn't really listen.  She sticks every crayon and marker in her mouth and thinks its fun to constantly run away from me at the library.  She's a climber.  She'll lay face down on the ground and scream and cry if she doesn't get her way.  I get a workout when I'm home with her all day!      

This just in...Bella wrote her name all by herself.  Way to go!  

   

Birthday and Soy

We found a solution to Lucy's not pooping problem - soy milk.  I always suspected dairy, but lactose intolerance usually causes the opposite of Lucy's problem.  Turns out it isn't lactose, but a certain protein in milk that doesn't agree with her.  It is amazing the difference in her.  No more prune juice, benefiber drinks, and grunting all day!  Hooray!  

She loves putting on shoes, hats, and mittens lately.  She's also making the goofiest faces.  I need to get a picture of one since I haven't been able to capture one yet.  Or Bryn needs to send me some of hers :)

In other news, we celebrated Carlo's birthday last week.  I managed to ruin a cake trying to substitute ingredients.  It was still edible, but pretty much the picture explains it.  Yuck.  We made up for it by going out with Beth & Jeff for dinner and drinks over the weekend.   

Bella started swimming lessons last week too.  She goes all by herself while Lucy and I watch.  She is in a class of 2, so I'm hoping the individual attention will get her more comfortable in the water.  I didn't know how she would be without me but she did great.  Here she is after her first lesson with a sucker from her teacher.   

Bella just learned how to open the fridge door last night.  I haven't decided if that's a good or a bad thing yet! 

New Year's fun...by Bella

Yes! We got to go to a waterpark in the Dells!

My mommy & daddy took me

and my baby sister Lucy.

and all my Williamson cousins, aunts, uncles & grandma and grandpa were there too!

Besides playing in the water, we all stayed together in our 'condo'
and ate together,
watched TV,
and played some pool.

There were times we all got tired and crabby,

but in the end we all had a blast! Here's to the new year and hopefully next time I'll like those water slides a bit more!