Well, we made it thru the holidays! We missed everyone and wished that we could have been with you all. Some year....


My parent's have been visiting with us for about a month now. It has been so much fun having them here. I think the girls have fallen in love with their Grampy. It doesn't matter who else is in the room, if Grampy is there, they are sitting on his lap or playing with him. It's so cute!

Life continues to fly by here. Sidney has figured out how to climb on our kitchen chairs. Grampy was babysitting one afternoon and walked into the kitchen to find Sidney standing on the kitchen table! Both of the girls are cutting their molars and eye teeth (i teeth?) and have ear infections with snotting noses. This of course does not slow them down a bit. They are still playing, fighting, biting, and yelling all day long. Sidney is having a really hard time sharing right now. Both girls like to fake cry if they hear the other one crying. It's quite funny to watch. Avery now lays on the floor, puts her legs in the air and points to her diaper if she wants it changed. We are going to try potting training her soon to see if it will take.

Both girls are continuing to learn sign language and animal sounds. They finally "moo-ed" like a cow and we think one said "meow" like a cat. Does this qualify as words? I almost fear them talking... let's hope they stick with signing for a while more so I can enjoy as much quiet time as possible. Well, here are the pictures! Below is Avery climbing on top of the music table while playing the piano! Where do they come up with these ideas?
They have finally grasped the concept of sitting on the livingroom furniture. It was a long, cry wrenching journey, but I think they finally understand that we only "sit" on the couch. No jumping or running or bouncing of any sort. Look how peaceful it can be and we can all three read our books!

Avery Grace...look at that face! I just want to squeeze her!!!
Avery is trying to steal this cart from Sidney. She has learned to wait her turn, but she is awfully clever in that she will follow Sidney around the house and try to distract her with other toys. As soon as Sidney let's go of the cart, she snags it up and runs away!

Here we are one morning with some bad hair! This is the result of them pulling out their piggy tails. This is Avery in the pink! Here is Sidney with her bad hair! She also has food on her face, but isn't she still cute?
This is her fake cry!!!! How am I not supposed to laugh?

Grandma got the girls this chair for Christmas! They love it and as you can see in the picture try to sit in it together! Here is a display of some frustration! Yes, Sidney is trying to bite Avery's head. I tell you this people, but you won't believe me!!!!
Look, we are getting along! Even though we struggle to play together and some times fight, we still love each other! Avery and Sidney sitting on their Grampy's lap!

Singing and playing games in their highchairs. Sid & Avery

Here is Sidney showing off a hat Grandma got her for Christmas! Sidney is showing off her Santa hat and new sweater from Grandma and Grandpa!
Here is Sidney in her gifts from Grandma and Grandpa!
Sidney reading a book in her new chair from Grandma and Grandpa!
The best attempt at a family photo for Christmas!

Avery reading in her favorite chair!

December has been a fun
month with the girls. Here is
Sidney playing peek-a-boo
with the Santa hat! Where is Sidney?
There she is! She loves this game!Aunt Sarah and Uncle Ed got this awesome tent for the girls to play in. It came with an 8 ft long tunnel and the girls love it!

Visiting Santa was a little questionable this year! Sidney is not too sure about this guy and as she gets upset, so does Avery!



Here we are at the mall of America. We thought it would be fun to spend the day there as a family and let the girls see all the other kids, rides and toys!

Entertainment is so easy. You would have thought that these paper saks were thier favorite outfits as they ran through the house having a ball.
Here is Avery with her mouth wide open.
Lately the girls have taken to laying down and reading. I guess it gets pretty exhausting reading those books about shapes and colors. It's cute because they like to lay by eachother. They are not real coordinated yet at positioning themselves so it often takes several attempts of rolling around before they are satisfied as to where they are laying.
This month we had a few mom's of mulitples over for a visit. Here is Sidney playing with one of the other set of twins.

Here we are again! Another round
of pictures!
Enjoy!

Sidney wearing Mommy's shirt!
Sidney reading a book.

Avery

How big is Avery? "SO BIG!!!!"

Reading a book together!!!

Avery

Sidney loving her baby

Holding hands outside! We were checking

out the christmas light outside!

Avery reading a book.

Sidney being goofy.

Their favorite place to play!!!

Checking out Sidney's belly!!!

Giving each other a kiss! Can you make

out Avery's face? She looks like she's going to eat you!

Sidney reading a book!

Sidney and Avery looking serious!

The Final Days of Fall.

This is my favorite time of year. I think it's because the warm memories of summer are still fresh and the excitement of the holiday season is approaching. Plus, the world is painted beautifully with it's colors as if saying it's final good-bye for the year. Is it really going to be 2007 soon? Earlier this week I referenced something happening in the late 90's. It was the first time I felt the impact of years that have passed. Is this what so many parents mean when they say time flies by?
My kids...I love them so much. I have the sudden urge to use a cuss word only to help you fully grasp the emotion I feel behind the words. They are learning so much and growing up so fast. They can now roar like a lion, smack their lips like a fish and give kisses freely when asked. In fact they love to love and be loved. It's my favorite part about them. I've spent the last year of my life loving them more then I knew to be possible and they turn around and love me back now. They actually walk up to me and throw their pudgy little arms around me for no reason other than to love me! I'm in heaven! Well, enough of me...here are the latest pictures of our life......
Sidney running in the front yard on Halloween night. She's a cow in case you can't tell. Chris & I sat in the front yard around our fire pit passing out candy and keeping the cows from leaving the pasture. The yard gives them so much freedom to run! They had a blast.
Playing with their babies! Sidney loves her baby and plays with it often. Avery plays with her baby for a few minutes and then she's done.
My two cows getting ready to go outside and play. Sid(left) Avery (right)
Back inside after all the kids have gone home. We went to each of our neighbors home's to say "hi!" and show off our costumes. Avery has the purple hat on.
Visiting the neighbors. Spiderman(Mosie) and Superman (Joseph) live across the street from us. They have a chocolate Lab that the girls love to visit. Mrs. Olsen is "trying" to hold the squirming cows. They were more interested in running around the house getting into everything. This was a short lived visit.

These next couple of pictures are of the girls in the backyard. It was one of the last warm days of fall. This is Avery. Both girls get a kick out of the fact that they can walk/run around the yard. I think it must seem like a vast field of freedom!
Sidney running around!
The pictures are jumping around a bit. I took this picture of Sidney because it's her first taste of pizza. She ate an entire piece! I think it's the Philbrick gene.
Avery reading a book. I wish you could hear her tell the story.

This is a nice snapshot of current life. Each wants what the other has...as you can see, sometimes it's obtainable. There are two of these plastic containers. One for each of them, but often they try to sit in the same one. This leads to more tears than smiles typically:) One day Chris called me from work to tell me they were sitting in this plastic container together reading a book. Where was the camera?

Sidney discovering the world!
Reading a book with Dad.

Avery outside playing

One of the few shots of the girls together.

It's night time and we're getting tired!

Avery & Sidney