Sweet Petite

Wow - the time is just flying - another week in a winter wonderland. We got 11 inches of snow on Thursday and another couple today. This has equated into more time with the kids which is great. Nola has earned a couple new nicknames. The first is "Sweet Petite" - Papa's special name for his little girl. Matt really gets Nola to smile, coo, and drool....okay she drools for everyone but it seems cuter accompanied by the smiles and cooing! I like calling her "The Hawk" because she becomes mesmerized watching Brenner play (and will likely pounce on him later in life)! Nola follows BHP as he runs around and gives big smiles. Brenner has also been asking to play with Nola and hold her more. A couple of Brennerisms this week....BHP asked "Does Emi have batteries in her?" I chuckled and said no. Brenner was helping me make some salad dressing that had ground pepper. I told him to keep his face back from the food processor but he kept sniffing. Guess it was enough to inhale some of the pepper because he started screaming. I tried not to laugh but it was a bit funny :) A little bit of milk and some nose blowing and all was fine.
Look who found her feet. Now we need to have a discussion of where feet do and do not go :)

Still no back to tummy roll, but Nola will raise her fanny in the air when on her tummy. Brenner also likes to "help" her roll. Luckily he usually asks before taking action!

Check out this mugshot! Grandma Val took it so not sure what was going on at the time! Notice the Spiderman Band-Aid. This was applied after a good bonk in the bathtub. After the tears had subsided, we convinced BHP that Spiderman would help heal the wound. So for the superheros....I admittedly don't tell good stories. My only attempt was titled "Superman's Little Sister" in hopes of squeezing in some sort of sibling lesson. Well, when Brenner asked Matt to finish this story, I never heard the end of it! So no more superhero stories from Mom!

Brenner watching the football game. Once he sat down, he realized how tired he was and went out like a light!

Snow days

Some snowy weather has kept us indoors but that means extra time with the kids! We had Brenner's school evaluation and the teacher thinks he is doing great! BHP did have a couple of cute sayings this week.....He asked Daddy (yes - he is daddy now instead of Papa) if they could go outside and look at the stars. Daddy responded "no stars out tonight - just the clouds". Brenner paused and then asked "Can we go out and look at the clouds, Daddy?" Now this next one came from who knows where. Brenner said "Mom, did I hatch from an egg? Grandma said I did." I doubt Grandma said that but there wasn't any use in arguing. My favorite of the week was when Brenner was trying to tell me a character's name in Toy Story 2. I couldn't get it, he kept repeating it for several minutes until he became really frustrated. I asked him repeatedly to use the word in a sentence....Brenner finally blew up and shouted "What is a sentence?!" Ahh - yes - he is only three and doesn't know every word we throw at him! Nola's milestone of the week has been becoming a mama's girl much to Matt's dismay...but then he plays it off as "well you are the food source". What ever makes you feel better, dear :)
Nola playing around.....she has found her feet/socks and loves to grab and roll to the side!

Brenner and his buddy Remi. Uncle Shawn took them sledding behind the 4-wheeler - it was great fun!

Brenner's first trip to Shakespeare's pizza. He loved playing with the dough that they give the kids. Not sure what BHP was saying when I snapped the picture. And the goof - hasn't sat in a high chair in over year yet demanded it this day - oh well - he couldn't get out of it without our help which was nice!

Brenner loves clementines!

Yeah - mommy and daddy are home because of the snow!!!!

A child's mind....

....is an amazing thing whether they are three years old or 3 months old. Brenner tells the most wonderfully abstract (and LONG) stories about creatures (usually dinosaurs, bugs, and more recently sting rays). Nola is so attentive - whether it is following her brother's shenanigans or watching Matt's students play basketball (the whistles and buzzers don't seem to bother her). Watching them both learn and develop is so cool! Brenner is wanting to be more involved with Nola these days - wanting to hold her and talk with her. He also had a couple of noteworthy Brennerisms this week. He wasn't getting his way so he told me, "If you don't let me have it, I will diiiie!" - This goes along great with "look at my tears". The second one relates to one of his stories when he told me "This bug is going to the beach with me because he is nocturnal." So the context isn't quiet right but BHP's vocabulary is growing!
Nola doesn't look too pleased but a moment before the picture was snapped she was smiling and cooing.

Brenner loving on his sister!

A beautiful big smile from the little squirt.

I snapped this picture of Nola the other night and it reminded me of.....

.....this one of Brenner at 4 months old.

Brenner remains active as you might have guessed. Here he is on the Stomp Rocket" that Grammy gave him for Christmas. Grammy - he has already destroyed half of the rockets!

Grandma Val snapped this picture the other day. Apparently, Brenner found a bow in Nola's room and wanted to where it around all day. But what I find really funny is what BHP is trying to do to Blue Lizard....like stuffing his tail into a funnel. Poor blue lizard!

Welcome to 2011

The last week of 2010 was jammed packed! Brenner, Matt, and Grammy Vo went to the dinosaur exhibit at Union Station in Kansas City. Brenner got a little scared because the dinosaurs roared and moved but overall had a good time! Matt said the worst part was that Brenner kept wanting to leave the exhibit to go to the gift shop that was at the entrance.

T-Rex - one of Brenner's favorites!

Grammy and an apprehensive Brenner.

Run for your life!!!!! There was even a big dinosaur outside of Union Station.

Sweet Nola in a super cute outfit. I love, love, love these moccasins that Aunt Theresa sent!

Nola rolled from her tummy to back on New Year's Eve! Here she is working on rolling back to tummy. She lifts her legs up and then swings them to the left - just like Brenner did! Notice those eyes? They seem to be saying - watch out because here I come!

Nola also manages to get things in her face so we have to be careful of what is near her while she is playing! She has also started blowing raspberries which is cute at three months old but less attractive when BHP does it at three years old.