Feeling More Normal

Lara

I'm doing my active recovery as often as I can, and trying to get be as active as possible before it snows and my walks will have to be super bundled up. We already put the girls in coats and hats and bring blankets, but I don't have to wear too many layers yet since I'm doing the pushing and walking. Chris comes as often as he is home, and it is so nice to go out and enjoy the outdoors together with our crazy toddler who likes to walk on her own and takes FOREVER. She explores everything and when we try to rush her she gets even more slow...and then gets mad if we try to put her back in the stroller.

Claire

I say this so often, but it becomes more apparent every day how adorable Claire is with her personality and attitude. She is so fun to watch learn and have opinions about everything even if those opinions start tantrums with yelling and melt downs with it. Her favorite food yesterday was popcorn and had it for breakfast and then asked for more after dinner, so when I told her she had to finish the previous one she ended up dumping it out in her hiding place thinking I wasn't going to know. Of course I noticed the bowl didn't have the little pieces that usually are at the bottom so I knew what she did and we went to where she dumped them out and I had her pick up what she could. I never thought I'd have such a fun time being a parent, and yes it is hard some days, but most the time I find myself enjoying it because she can be so funny sometimes when she is copying her little sister.

Shay

We now have two very mobile girls and it is so surprising to hear where Shay has gotten after leaving her in one room. She will follow her sister through the halls to their room and they played hide and seek a few times this week where Claire would go around the corner and Shay would peek around to see her again. She also loves looking in the full door mirrors that are on the closets of this apartment and plays with herself, giving a high-five and bumping her head against the mirror. Shay has been sleeping so well and having very regular naps mostly except for those rare occasions we are at church or Claire is sleeping in the room and she ends up falling asleep on daddy.

Chris

Still waiting to hear back from the school in California about our acceptance but getting ready for his other interview in Washington. I'm glad he doesn't hold a grudge that I ruined the first interview time with my hospital visit and they were able to invite him to another. Chris has been having some tennis elbow issues and we are starting a new work out program together that is very low weight for my recovering and to hopefully help his elbows. It is so nice to work out together again and have a more normal routine that includes the gym.

Crafting

I am really proud of a cute nativity I made for Chris's brother Steven who is serving a mission in Sierra Leone, Africa. I'm hoping he can use it for teaching about the birth of Christ during the Christmas season to people he is teaching and enjoys it himself. I put felt on cardboard for the background that is folded like a book to put the printed and laminated nativity characters on. There are little poems about each character on the back to read or scriptures from the story in Matthew and Luke that can be looked up to help tell the story. Once it was done, I told the story with Claire and she loved putting the characters on the board as I read about each one so I know kids will like it.