A trip to Grandma's

We decided to break up the dull and cold winter by going up to visit my parents for the weekend.  It was nice to get away, have a nice home cooked dinner, drink old fashioneds, warm up by a fire (I really wish we had a fire place) and have a yummy brunch at the golf course.  We all went bowling too.  The first time for all of us in a while so it was a good thing we had those bumpers!  
It was really dark in the bowling alley so most of my pics didn't turn out well but Bella as well as Lucy liked trying to roll the ball down to the pins.  Keeping them out of the way of our neighbor's lane was another story!  

Part of my efforts of mixing things up for the kids a little.  Before bath time I let them color all over themselves with markers.  They did a great job but I'll only show their backs.  You never know what kind of perverts are looking at this! 

I've been working on my sewing to mix it up a little for myself!  I finally made a bag that I'm happy with.  I wanted one big enough for our library books and I think this will work well.  I've made a tiny bag, a medium bag, and this big one.  Its fun but I wish I had more time to do it.  

 
My parents came to watch Bella swim at her lessons today.  I think she liked having an audience as she looked back at us several times to make sure we were watching.  

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

This is the picture we put on all our valentines this year.  We got picture cards for family, but we made ones for the daycare friends (the picture was printed on the back).  Bella worked very hard on all her valentines, I was surprised she stuck to it so well.  She colored, stamped, and put stickers on each and every one (there were 42!).    

We also made some heart sugar cookie cut-outs to celebrate.  These cookies are sooo gooood.  I've been looking forward to making them since Christmas.  I even took a picture of them :)  If you're lucky enough to grace my presence in the next day or two maybe I'll let you have one!  

Bella and Lucy like them too, so they are vanishing fast!

We had planned to go to the Betty Brinn Ice Cream Social today, but Lucy wasn't feeling up to it.  She has a bad cough and a fever on and off.  Low energy.  So we went to the mall instead where the kids could kick back in the stroller.  Other than that, the past week or so we've been busy with outings.  I found out that Bella &  Lucy seem like big huge kids next to a baby.  Our friend's baby, Tyler, lucky was a very good sport with Lucy trampling over him.  We went to the zoo on a 50-degree day - too bad those days are gone.  And we went to Stonefire Pizza with some friends.  A great way for the kids to burn off some energy.      

Checking out some birds at the zoo:

Lucy with one of her best buds, Natalie, at Stonefire:

Reunited

My 2 forward facing girls :)  See that blankie?  Well, Lucy chucked it out the van door after daycare last week.  Luckily my friend found it in the parking lot and let me know she had it, but Lucy had to spend a night without it.  I didn't think it would be a big deal, but she was seriously MAD that she didn't have it to go to sleep that night.  We had every crocheted blanket in her bed that night, trying to have her accept some sort of substitute.  It didn't work.  I think she cried for an hour straight before she wore herself out.  I thought it was a good thing she didn't like nuks as a baby but the bankie thing is getting a bit out of hand.  A second 'bankie' is on my to do list now.  

Lucy zonked after the 5 minute drive home from Bella's swim lessons this morning.