I have a problem...

I cannot limit the pictures in this thing. I've tried, and I can't do it, and I'm throwin' in the towel.

Perhaps it's because of these beauties:

Our 2011 blog book came in the mail this week. It's our entire blog printed into a book, with an official table of contents and everything. Jeff said it best: "I'd pay $700 for this thing." It's true. These are our baby books, memory books, photo albums, and reference pages all rolled into one. You know, sometimes I want to throw technology out the window, but man can it do some amazing things. Can you imagine how awesome it's going to be to go through these in 10 years? 20? 50? I get mine here. 

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Did anyone hear about the snow around here last week? ;-) We ended up with a foot of snow and a week off of school. So, we trudged over to the neighbors, gave them our best puppy dog eyes, and asked to borrow their sled two days in a row. They smiled and handed over their family heirloom runner sled. No pressure.

We had a blast. I realize that Austen looks none too pleased in the sledding pictures, but you are going to have to trust me that she bawled when we brought her frozen tooshy inside, and she is still making it a part of her day to ask to go sledding.

This picture makes me so, so happy

We officially exhausted every single snowed-in activity last week.

Have you seen the movie Tangled? (If you haven't, it's cute.) There's a part toward the beginning when Rupunzel is first free from her tower, and she's running through meadows singing, "I could go running...and racing...and dancing...and chasing...and leaping...and bounding..." Well, in this picture, Kaitlyn is singing her own version of that song while galloping down the hill. It was something like going sledding, and painting, and twirling..." Okay, maybe you had to be there, but remember that this goes into a memory book ;-)

 Daddy worked at home for a day

Austen has decided that it's time to start using the potty. We aren't potty training, Kaitlyn is. We aren't ready, and we don't actually think that Austen is ready, but Kaitlyn has gotten her to pee on the potty twice. She helps her get undressed and sits with her while she tries. We are thinking that we could get away for a weekend and let them raise themselves...

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I've been doing some dumb things lately, like letting my not-even-two-year-old paint with water colors and turning my back on her for a 20 seconds. Bounty paper towels really are as absorbent as they claim. And leaving my make-up accessible to a three year old, which is acceptable IF it doesn't happen again the next day because you didn't quite get around to moving it. 

Okay, cut to me shamelessly tooting my little girl's horn. Is she not gorgeous? Seriously.  

She was so, so proud of herself for putting on Mommy's make-up. So we told her she did a wonderful job, and that when she's a little older she can put on make-up all by herself. Out of reach it went.

The best ever

Okay, this next picture needs a build-up. Picnik is a free editing website that I've used quite a bit because well, it's free. Very recently, they announced that they are going away, which I'm totally bummed about BUT, until they leave in April their premium editing features are free. Do you know what this means? This girl just spent an entire, incredibly vain hour airbrushing, wrinkle-freeing, teeth-whitening, and just generally going town on photos of herself. So.much.fun.

Wait for it...



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Naturally, you want to see the before. Just so you know, I'm embracing my lines and eye wrinkles so I'm cool with this (but that's no reason to blow it up as big as the one above).

They're gone in April, folks; go airbrush yourself before it's too late!

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And a few before-school photos from this morning: