Another Week Gone...

Ta da! This week, I doubled the amount of sippy cup washing I already do. Pretty exciting huh?

What's really exciting is that with each new cup, there is one less bottle. My mom tells us that she enjoyed every stage of our growing up better than the previous stage. I think I'm going to feel the same way too.

I love the feel of soft newborn skin, and the velvet head of fuzz that both my children had. The first smile, the first giggle, the first word. All of it so fun. But then they do amazing things. They put their arms into the sleeves of their shirt without prompting. They anxiously twist their arms to get out of the car seat straps and rush into Grandma's house on their own. They snap Elmo into the high chair and sing the ABC song. They learn to drink from a sippy cup and gleefully dip a spoon into a bowl (even if none of the food makes it onto the spoon!). Yes, we're having a lot of fun around here. I'm cherishing every day, grateful for what's passed, and looking forward to the next big adventure.

Speaking of adventure... we had our first real snow day!

We headed up to the mountain, and missed the falling snow by less than an hour... but Gracie LOVED it. Despite our not having the proper attire, she didn't want to quit playing. We hit the lake first, but there wasn't quite enough snow to make it fun:

Then we headed a little further north, until we found a perfect spot for making snowballs and sliding down the hills. Mark had fallen asleep in the car before we got to the second destination, so mommy had to stay inside the nice warm car, eating snacks, playing on her iPod and taking pictures from the window. Awwww, poor mommy. Only daddy and Gracie got to experience the ice cold fun that is snow. *wink*



After a short time, we just gave up on the
mittens. Maybe next year.



Daddy showed Gracie how to make a snowball.




Then he showed her how to slide down the hill.

 

Then she slid down on her own.
Again, and again, and again...

We did some mundane things too. We went shopping:
 

Don't touch baby! I'm wiping down the
cart handle to protect you from germs.




Uh, mom? We're in the middle of a store, you're holding
Mark in one hand and taking photographs with the other.
Next time can we pretend you don't know me?

We took baths. Mark discovered when you eat bubbles, they disappear. Oooohhhhh.

See, all gone! They were just here - I promise!

I think I could pull off the mature mustache look a
little better if I didn't have baby food on my forehead.

It's amazing how quickly a rough week can become a distant memory, and the sweet times linger. If you're having a rough week, just remember that this too shall pass. If you're having a good week, take some pictures! Just look at that mustache - they really do grow up fast!