A New Tradition

Thanksgiving was full of family, food, and relaxation, but this year, we added a new tradition to the mix. On Wednesday afternoon, we took advantage of a coupon and decided to bring the girls to their first ever bowling outing! Paul and I had meant to use the coupon for a bowling date, but we ran out of time to use it, so we just figured we'd have fun with the girls and go as a family. Sure enough, our little bowlers had a great time! Caroline wanted to help get the balls for us, but they were a little too heavy this time!
Daddy going for his next strike!

Almost! Good job, Daddy!

Claire was our scorekeeper.

And our cheerleader!

Overall, we had a great time, and the girls had a lot of fun climbing on the chairs and holding their hands over the fans and just watching all the activity around. Maybe it's part of our new Thanksgiving tradition!

One Year Passed, How Many More to Go?

It all started about 13.5 months ago. Yes, my friends, that is over a YEAR ago now that I have been hearing the bloodcurdling screams from little Claire's mouth. She first began it just to see how she sounded, but now it's evolved into screams of frustration, irritation, or annoyance, which for an almost two-year-old, can be quite often.
Thankfully, she doesn't scream when we are out running errands, eating at restaurants, going to church, or at friend's houses (most of the time). However, she does it mostly when we are at home, or even better, in the car. Nothing like a bloodcurdling scream held for five seconds inside a small space. Caroline has started telling her, "No," when she does that, but that only makes her scream more. I find that pretty amusing, and we have tried everything from ignoring her to disciplining her to blaring the radio to rolling down the window to taking away toys - nothing seems to work.

I have tried hard not to show her that it bothers me, but apparently, whenever I am present, she finds that screaming is her best friend. Somehow my attempts to ignore it have fueled her more. We've even tried setting up a screaming room for her, and she likes to go in there, but it doesn't stop her the next time. The other day she was staying at my mom's for a few hours, and about 30 seconds after I walked in the door, she resumed screaming (albeit at a lower volume, but still, it's the principle at this point). In her mind, Mom = screaming.

I googled "screaming in the car," and I saw many posts from moms who said their 3.5 year old screams in the car. I panicked at the thought that I could be in for 2 more YEARS of this? Good times, is all I can say.

Playing train

The girls love their personal space - I guess that comes from having someone in their space all the time, but there are a few moments here and there where they will hug each other or play in each other's space or share without fussing. Today, the girls were playing train on Daddy, and Claire leaned back for a great picture with Caroline - these moments are very rare, but when they come, it's worth it!

Love you, sis!

This lasted about 2 minutes before someone started getting irritated! Oh well, we'll take what we can get!

Little Cowgirls

Today, we had a super time at a friend's 3rd birthday party at a great outdoor restaurant near our home. The grounds include a feeding/petting zoo, giant sandbox, and pony rides for the kids. After we arrived at the party, we quickly headed over to the pony ring for the rides. I wasn't sure if the girls could even hold on to the saddle very well or if they would start crying, but they surprised me by latching on like they were pros! I was a little hesitant to let them go around the ring on their own, so I walked one lap with Claire, but she looked stable and calm, so I let her go the last few laps on her own. Claire couldn't stop smiling the whole time - she loved riding the pony! I couldn't believe my little girl was on such a big horse all by herself!

One more lap please?

Walking the first lap with Caroline - she didn't even look at me and sat up there like such a natural!

My little cowgirl!

What's next? We can't top the pony ride!

Claire peered up at the llama...

Here's another pony! How about the stick horse?

"Digging for gold" - a great game included at the party!

This pony is just my size!

I'm lovin' all this ridin'!

Caroline tries her hand at horseshoes!

Claire's a pro already.

A horseshoe necklace? Why not?

Waiting for cake!

So proud of my little cowgirls!

Trick or Treat!

This year, the girls dressed up as little ladybugs, and we had a really fun time going to the houses on our street. We took a few pictures before heading out, and the girls are finally getting to the point where they will stand together and pose (sort of) for the camera.

I love your outfit!

Yours isn't too bad, either!

You might want to adjust your hat a bit!

I'm ready to go!

I'm sure this face will get lots of candy!

Our cousin Emma came over and completed the friendly bug ensemble! What a cute little bumblebee!

Ready to head out!

I wasn't sure if the girls would be scared to go up to the doors, but after a couple of houses, they quickly learned what to do and would walk right up. Caroline wasn't afraid to help herself to the candy - when offered one, she would reach into the bowl and grab a few more.

Sorting through all the loot! They sat on the floor and just sorted and resorted the candy. I don't think they knew it was food, but they had fun playing with the shiny packages and it kept them amused! Later, Mommy and Daddy divided up the candy for themselves!