The Collins Family

I have a problem...

2012-01-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

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...

....

....

....

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:

Let it Snow

2012-01-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

Just some more snow fun pictures. :-)

It's difficult to have too much fun when you can barely move

Helping

Rubbin' the lip

Frosty

Happy 2012

2012-01-14T22:30:00.000-08:00

To start off this reflection/new year post, I have a confession: When I turned 30 almost a year ago, I kind of panicked. Leading up to it, I didn't think I would. I wouldn't be receiving any "Over the Hill" gag gifts for another ten years, and I know that 30 isn't "old."

The day after it was official, though, it hit me that I.Am.Thirty. THIRTY. I am no longer in my twenties. I have lines on my face, my knees crack somethin' fierce when I crouch down, I have a bunion (yes, a bunion...what?) on my left foot, I gasp when I see a 16 year old driving a car (seriously?!?), and my gray hairs have too many friends to keep referring to as "strays." Let's face it, I'm not getting any younger.

I'm not gonna lie, I was a little down in the dumps over this for a couple of months.

I snapped out of it, and now looking back at the past nine months or so, I realize that I am more content, more calm, and happier than I believe I've ever been. I'm not spewing puppies and rainbows every single waking minute, mind you, but there has been great improvement.

I had typed this whole rambling mess of affirmation-type paragraphs, but I deleted them for fear that one of the five people who actually read this may take it as me thinking I'm awesome, which wasn't the intention. Just the act of writing it (then deleting it) had the desired effect for myself - inspiration and motivation.

In a nutshell, things that have made the beginning of my thirties great: Choosing positivity and happiness, less judgment (like, none if I can help it. Who am I to judge? Who are you?), less complaining, more thankfulness, and learning, always learning, to let the small things, or those I can't control, go.

30 has turned out to be pretty awesome. My twenties were a blast, but as luck would have it, I'm ready to move on. :-)

And now, some pictures:

Continuing with The Great Nap-Drop of 2011/12. Daddy is clearly not the one spear-heading this. On a positive note, these spontaneous cat naps do not seem to alter the success of this nap plan. Kaitlyn has been falling asleep a lot earlier, which results in more sleep overall (for her).

We have had carseat boxes in our garage for over a year, waiting for the perfect rainy day.

We took the Easy Bake Oven on its maiden voyage last week. Red Velvet cupcakes were the first adventure.

The wait.

The anticipation of the taste test

Success

We call this "Bieber Hair"

One guess for who picked this outfit on a school morning. Oh wait, I may need to allow two guesses (it was Kaitlyn, not Daddy)

Yup.

They decided (well, Kaitlyn decided, and her shadow confirmed), that dinner should be eaten standing on chairs at the counter one evening last week. Why not?

Imaginative play

Hours of fun with boxes around here

The tutu hoarder. I believe there are six tutus in that bunch

MmHmmm...

Northwest Beauty

2012-01-14T21:02:00.000-08:00

We may be a little too used to dark and depressing around these parts, but when Mother Nature decides to beautify the greater Seattle area, She does not disappoint.
She showed off a dazzling sunset yesterday evening:

And a peaceful snowy night tonight. Daddy went to the gym, and the girls begged to go in the snow. It just wouldn't feel right to say no to that. So, the three of us girls trekked outside under the streetlights for a snowy adventure.

Oh, these hats, you ask? My extremely talented Aunt Ellen made these for the girls for Christmas. You may not be able to make it out in this blurry picture, but there are adorable owls with button eyes circling the hats.

"They" are calling for more snow tomorrow. Bring it on, as long as it's gone by Tuesday. We are already scheduled for a late school year, and I'd rather not be planning 4th of July lessons.
Happy snow day!

I've Been to the Other Side...

2011-12-29T21:37:00.000-08:00

...and it was better than I could have imagined. For so many years, my parents kept Christmas magic alive for me, and this year I was the one to create it for my very own kids. It was fun, it was exhausting, and it was unforgettable. I can't wait to do it all again next year, and to do it even better. This year was Kaitlyn's first year of really "getting it," which made the stakes higher, and the magic more...well, magical.

Why recreate the wheel when you can steal from others? Austen and I went out on Christmas Eve night (Little Miss No-Nap zonked out in the car on the way home) to spread reindeer food in the driveway to help Santa find us. I assure you that I was not the one to dream up this idea. :-)

The girls went straight to bed, and we went to work. Remember how Jeff is the most amazing daddy? (Yes, I know that your hubby is, too :-)) Kaitlyn came downstairs unnoticed and saw all of Santa's wrapped gifts a few days before Christmas. Jeff insisted on re-wrapping each one as to not give anything away. All in the name of Christmas magic...atta Daddy.

I sat in this scene for a good 20 minutes when it was all said and done, soaking it in. I cannot believe that I am doing this for my own kids. My heart is so full, it could burst. (Then the panic of "Omg, I can't believe that keeping Santa alive is MY job for the next ____ years. That's a lot of pressure!)

And in the morning..."Santa came! He ate his cookies and drank his milk!" He came, indeed. :-)

Kaitlyn is thrilled with anything birthday. Birthday cake, birthday candles, birthday song...so Santa brought a birthday set for the doll house

Austen opening a gift: GASP..."PRESENT!"

Hi-Ho Cherry-o game. Did I mention that this age is fun? I get to sit and play a real game with my big girl...

Daddy insisted on Austen having these ballerina slippers

KK got her very own apron and chef's hat (and hot mit, wooden mixing spoon/rolling pin, and dish towel) for cooking with Mama (Cooking with Mama = pancakes, cookies, play dough, and anything else equally as easy/kid-friendly. I'm not what most would call a cook, but she loves it just the same :)). She also got an Easy Bake Oven from Grammie and Papa. Guess who is equally excited about that gift??

New, wooden food for the play kitchen. Big upgrade from what it came with. Again, it's possible that someone else is excited to play with the new accessories.

Mmm...sandwiches!

The girls got a changing station from Santa. ~~I am~~ He is hoping that this will have the same success as the kitchen

Break for breakfast before stockings

Kaitlyn wanted a microphone for Christmas, and Santa delivered

Santa didn't want any arguing over microphones :-) And, in posting these pictures, this Santa rookie realized that next year, tags need to come off of the workshop gifts...

Best.Christmas.Ever.

Christmas With Family

2011-12-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

We had a fun Christmas Eve over at Grandma and Grandpa's house. The girls had a blast, spending time relaxing, playing with new toys, and eating.

Aunt Stacey and I spreading Christmas cheer with festive sweaters and hats

This is one of six princesses in a set from Grandma and Grandpa. This one got an owie and needed a bandaid (and apparently is like my kids and doesn't like to wear clothes)

Two little girls were excited about getting cupcakes!

Jeff and I love this current Austen look. Cock the head to the side and give the no-teeth smile...

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On Christmas day, after our own festivities at home (next post), we headed to Grammie and Papa's. The girls have been in heaven with so much grandparent time, and of course were spoiled for two whole days. :-)

Kaitlyn has been a night owl lately...staying up reading and singing in bed until way too late (we put her down at about 8:00, and some nights she doesn't fall asleep until after 11:00). So, we decided to try dropping her nap during the day to hopefully help her get more sleep at night. This picture is hopefully only the sign of a transition time. However, if after a couple of weeks she is still giving herself evening naps, we'll go back to a nap for a while.

Mr. Elf, 2011

2011-12-25T22:37:00.000-08:00

Oh, the adventures we've had with Mr. Elf this month. I think our experience can best be summed up in a conversation with Kaitlyn:

Mama: "That Mr. Elf is pretty silly, isn't he."

Kaitlyn: "No he's not. He's a naughty little elf."

And by Austen's (a.k.a. Master Mr. Elf Finder) reaction many mornings:

Pointing frantically: "Ellllllllf! I see 'im! I see 'im! I found 'im!"

We had so much fun. :-)

He arrived in Kaitlyn's room on an early December morning, ready to tell us his story

He didn't waste time getting into the girls' toys

Ready to cook their egg breakfast

Who can resist making flour "snow" angels?

Kaitlyn: "I think he found a friend!"

Yes, 90's children, that's a Care Bear cloud car

"He found more elf friends!"

Saying "hi" to Fredward the Fish, whom I swear is alive. He's been with us for about four years and can frequently be found taking "naps"

Story time with Mr. Elf

Ziplining across the kitchen with Daddy's fishing line

Mama and Kaitlyn made elf-sized donuts as the end of his time with us grew closer

He enjoyed them

Raiding the chocolate calendars

"Hanging" out with the Christmas cards

On his last morning with us, he brought reindeer food. Austen and Mama (Kaitlyn fell asleep in the car on the way home and would not be roused for anything) sprinkled it outside to help the reindeer find us.

I can only imagine what fun next year will be with this little guy when the girls are a bit older. Thank you for the memories, Mr. Elf!

Happy Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

The girls are watching part of Home Alone, so I'm sneaking in a short post of pictures.

This is where I found the girls the other day...in the tub, making mischeif. Can you see the progress from the first picture to the second? It's a big sister's job to instigate...she's doing her job well.

Kaitlyn made some playdough cookies for Santa and we found them sitting by the fireplace - that's my girl!

This next sequence can be looked at in one of two ways: "The Gingerbread House Fail," or "The Gingerbread Skating Rinks Win." If you ask the girls, it was a win, and that's all that matters, right? :-)

Mama and Daddy may have made the icing too watery...oops

Daddy making "snow drops"

Stay tuned for Mr. Elf's Adventures!

Balancing Act

2011-12-21T17:27:00.000-08:00

Balance is a crucial part of raising kids (and of life in general, actually), if you ask me. We love to go out and have adventures with the girls, but we also try to leave room for some down time at home. However, too much down time = cranky (bored) kids, so balance is key.

Our last few weekends haven't been as busy, so we've been enjoying some of that said down time. Mama needs it, too. :-)

I got to stay home with a sick girl for a couple of days since she couldn't go to day care.

One of Kaitlyn's latest activities. I didn't get a picture later of all of their babies tucked in their blankies on each chair.

Bundled up for a family walk!

My mom brought this up for me about a week ago. Even though I may have let a groan slip out when she handed it to me, I'll admit that I love it now. A little elf pops out on the hour and sings a Christmas song. The girls go running 100 miles an hour into the kitchen each time it starts.

Thank you, Pinterest, for this idea :-)

This is Austen's. You try getting a 21 month old to put a hand print onto an ornament. I think it has character. ;-)

Christmas Girl Jr. She takes after her mama! I have passed down my love for The Grinch quite successfully.

"Mr. Grinch" goes a lot of places these days. I couldn't believe she remembered him from last year. She asked me to go get him from the garage when I was decorating.

Have I mentioned that these two LOVE to dance?! Austen comes to us multiple times a day to command, "DANCE!" Which means, "Put on some good music, and make it snappy!"

A daddy and his girl. Jeff was more than thrilled that our on-the-go lady actually wanted to stop and snuggle after her nap. Everything else can wait for that. :-)

Mama and Kaitlyn made salt dough ornaments and gift tags. This girl could seriously focus on things like this for hours if you let her. She did this for 30 minutes, and cried when we made her take a dinner break. She's our little thinker!

Both got to paint. Every color is "GREEN!" to Austen. So, GREEN! means, "gimme more of whatever color you want, just gimme more!"

This play kitchen is still goin' strong, while all of the flashy, blinky, musical toys tend to sit the bench. They do still do quick drive-bys with those, but these girls always end up back in the kitchen with their imaginations.

DANCE!

Laughter

2011-12-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

We do a lot of laughter and silliness in this house. I believe that a sense of humor and laughter is so incredibly important in all areas of life, and especially in a relationship/family. We have our less-than-perfect moments, of course, but we have a lot of fun, and that makes me (us) happy. I don't leave out entire posts about Kaitlyn's latest tantrums in order to make our life look perfect, I just try to keep a lot of this positive is all.

As I get older, I realize more and more how much my life is improved by laughter and an "oh well" attitude. Kaitlyn spills half a bottle of shampoo on the carpet - laugh or get mad? Laugh. Austen spills Riley's water dish and tracks it through the whole kitchen right after it's been mopped - laugh or cry? Laugh, because that's funny when you think about it.

There are also those "cry or shrug moments." The ones you can't really laugh at because they really aren't funny, but you step back and think, "Is getting upset going to change anything?" Austen drops Kaitlyn's home-made ornament (from last year, so irreplaceable) on the floor and it shatters into a million pieces - shrug or cry? I'm sad about that one, but if I don't shrug I'll cry. ;-)

I think it is Jimmy Buffet who says, "If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane." How right he is. Life is so much about choices. Happiness is a choice, positivity is a choice, and reactions are choices. I will never claim to be perfect, I will always admit to being a work in progress...aren't we all? When I preach about these things, I do it knowing that I'm not always the best role model for them, but I also know how much I've improved in these areas because I've consciously worked on them.

There are things that happen in life that are going to make us sad. Save your sadness for the "big deals." We can't be happy 100% of the time (and I believe that if one thinks they can, it ends up backfiring), but many of us can be happy most of the time. I have learned to take more deep breaths, smile more, laugh more, and shrug more. And when I do have a particularly negative day, I make sure to allow myself to start fresh with the next one, instead of feeling like a failure that I vented too much, complained too much, or didn't have enough patience.

I'll end this with some fun pictures, and you can bet that there was a healthy amount of laughter behind the camera:

Jeff grew a beard in November

On the last day, he shaved it into a mustache for work. He did what any self-respecting hairy guy would do, and had some fun with different styles in the process

Laughter and fun in the tub while Daddy was shaving

While this picture grosses me out, it also makes me love him that much more. He makes me laugh :-)

Have a great day, folks!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

I couldn't be happier with the reaction from the girls about decorating the Christmas tree. They were so excited and into it...their mama's dream. ;-) If you know me, you know that I love Christmas and everything that comes with it. I started playing Christmas music before Halloween had even passed, which I know some consider a sin, but I do what makes me happy.

I did hold off on the tree until after Thanksgiving, so there.

Exhibit 3,285 of Jeff being the most awesome daddy: We have never had a tree topper, and Kaitlyn noticed this year. He got out the construction paper and carefully fashioned a star topper. He had each girl decorate a side. Three guesses about whether they are thrilled that they made the tree topper, and the first two don't count.

Good Times

2011-12-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

We have had an eventful week, and we are all exhausted and ready for the weekend. Every time I start catching up...oh well. :-) I had something going on every night this week (dentist, Gowey Craft Nite, soccer...) Jeff is such a trooper, and such an understanding husband. It's weeks like this when I am reminded just how lucky I am. He is truly wonderful, and we three girls are incredibly lucky to have him. The other night I walked in to find him singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider with the girls, hand motions and hip shakin' included. We are blessed. :-)

Austen ended up with a mild fever on Monday evening, and by Tuesday morning had started developing a nasty rash. The pediatrician diagnosed it as just another virus, since at that point there were no other symptoms. By the next day, I found a couple of big sores in her mouth, which confirmed Grandma Bonnie's original suspicion that it could be Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease. Sounds scary, huh? It's considered a "mild" virus in that they just end up with the non-itchy rash and no fever, but Austen has an especially bad case. She has red bumps and blisters covering her hands, feet, thighs/booty, and some on her face. If I looked like she did, I'd be whimpering in bed convinced I couldn't go on living. She, however, is our little steam engine and has been in great spirits. The rash is supposed to go away in about a week, so we are in the home stretch.

The best part is that this virus is highly contagious, so Kaitlyn is likely to get it. Oh joy! We are crossing our fingers that her newly awesome immune system does its job. But, if she gets it, she gets it, and it's not like we aren't trained in dealing with sickness around here. Happy Holidays, right?!

Anyway, here some pictures of real "good times."

Caught Kaitlyn making faces at herself in the window

The girls and I decided to have a glow stick dance party a few weekends ago when Jeff was out for the night:

Paige was over a while ago, and they sat like this while Kaitlyn did her hair and she did her nails for quite a while. What a pair!

Daddy reading a bedtime story to his girls

Elf on the Shelf

2011-12-02T10:18:00.000-08:00

Why I ever thought I would be able to avoid this little guy's arrival, I have no idea. Our Elf weaseled his way into our home tonight, and by golly I'm going to love every minute of it. I have no idea if Kaitlyn will buy in to this at this age, but he's in her room, on her dresser, reading his book, waiting for her to see him in the morning and hear his story.

Stay tuned for Kaitlyn's (and Austen's, I suppose, but we won't expect too much there yet) reaction, and for updates on our elf's shananigans.

Halloween 2011

2011-11-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

The holidays keep getting even better as Kaitlyn gets older and understands more. This Halloween, she was able to tell me what she wanted to be (a princess, which I knew she would say, so I had her costume planned out long before she told me), and was SO excited to go trick-or-treating. And, even though Austen didn't know what was going on (why would you knock on someone's door and not go in?), she was an adorable little witch and followed big sister's lead. :-)

Before the actual day, Jeff and I attended some sans-kids Halloween festivities at Kara and Travis' house. I busted out my go-to Kelly Kapowski gear, and Jeff went as none other than Zack Morris.

Zack's cell phone, of course

High school sweethearts!

Good lookin' group, if you ask me

Oh my...

The Biebs showed up!

I have developed a bad habit in my old age: If I think of an idea I HAVE to do it...no matter how late it is. These mummy cake pops were made the night before my 3rd grade Halloween party

I could not get enough of Austen in this witch costume (minus the hat)

Jeff is a good sport :-)

Remember a while back when I said that Austen wears her emotions on her sleeve? Yeah...

Someone is happy about getting to eat some candy

And just some sister time:

What happened, Aust?

K's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-11-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

We had our traditional, as "low-key" as possible (ha!) party at our house for Kaitlyn's 3rd birthday. We even tried to "limit" the guests for this one. It's hard because both Jeff and I want to include all of our friends, and between the two of us, there are getting to be many with kids. Gosh, it's hard to be so popular (KIDDING!) ;-)

Anyway, we had a great little party, and Kaitlyn really enjoyed herself, which is of course what mattered most. She greeted her guests at the door with, "You wanna come to my birthday party?" She was SO excited every time the doorbell rang. Kaitlyn being this excited was so fun, because she's officially at that age where she understands enough for it to be that way.

As usual, I am not going to do well at choosing pictures to post, so I'll include way too many!

I finally bought the official cake pop book, and found these cute monkeys. As usual, they took some time, but I enjoy it as long as I tell myself beforehand that it will take a while. :-)

Not part of the party, but a project I finished that morning. I found this idea on Pinterest for displaying the girls' artwork. My mom happened to have these old frames, which I spray painted turquoise. I'm using that sticky putty stuff (official name, I'm sure) to change out the projects without leaving marks on the wall. I have to say that I'm really happy with it!

This idea was stolen (shamelessly) from Kara. We blew up a package of balloons and put them in Kaitlyn's room after she feel asleep. She woke up to these all over her floor, as well as a new Pillow Pet sleeping next to her. She walked into our room the morning of her birthday, looking a bit bewildered with a balloon and Pillow pet in her hands, and said, "I have balls and a pillow pet in my room!"

After their morning "we have to be clean for the big party" bath, the girls were cleaning their babies together. This was one of those moments that have become my favorite, where I walk in to them quietly playing together. I love it even more when it includes imaginative play because they are creating it together. :-)

Party time!

Kaitlyn and Paige enjoying party snacks

This was one of the cutest things I've ever seen. I walk in, and Lola (the oldest there - 2nd grade) had all of the younger kids sitting in these chairs, facing her. She was the teacher. Love it!!

Gifts! I love how kids have this unspoken rule that they all help each other open gifts. I also love that it takes the job from Jeff and me. ;-)

These two were pretty cute. Owen was Kaitlyn's official helper...he did great. :-)

Kaitlyn paiting Paige's nails. They were both so patient!

My parents got Kaitlyn a Strider Bike. We decided to wait for guests to leave before my dad got it out of the car.

Jeff's parents got her the perfect helmet and bell to go with her new bike. That's what I call coordination ;-)

And a random for the end. Austen trying on Daddy's shoes

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-27T16:22:00.000-08:00

This time of year is so full of fun activities, time off from work, and comforting traditions. I love it! My cousin Katryn and her boyfriend Josh arrived in Seattle on Monday, and I got to join them with the family for dinner. It is always so nice to spend time with my cousin, since I only get to see her once or twice a year (and she always comes to us...I'll get back down to Texas one of these days!) Her sister, Anni, and her son, 'Io (four) arrived on Wednesday to stay with us for two nights. 'Io and Kaitlyn get along perfectly (I really don't think they had one single "issue" the whole time he was here), and it's really fun to see them play together. Austen, too...they all love each other. :) Kaitlyn was upset when she found out that 'Io had left and wasn't staying with us anymore.

On Wednesday evening, all the "big kids" hung out at our house and played "Mad Gab." I recommend this game for lots of laughs...and maybe some friendly squabbles. ;-) We had a great time reminiscing and laughing like no time had passed since we (well, Katryn, Anni, Rob and I) were in elementary school. I have such great memories of these two girls visiting for weeks in the summer. I feel lucky to have relatives as such close friends.

This year, my parents were on the rotation for Thanksgiving dinner. As usual, my mom wowed us all with her amazing cooking (Grandma Bonnie doesn't disappoint either - we are spoiled with good cooks!) And, if I would have known that I'd be getting the stomach flu later that night, I would have allowed myself another helping! I attempted Black Friday shopping at midnight with Kara, but had to officially give in around 12:30 when I realized that I was indeed sick. Good thing I left when I did...I'll just leave it at that. :-)

So, the rest of our Thanksgiving break was spent laying around trying to feel better. Jeff started feeling under the weather, too, so we layed low. Oh well, there's always Christmas break.

I am in a bit of a picture rut, so I didn't get a single shot during the week. Oops! In leu of posting Thanksgiving pictures, I'll just continue with my slow process of catching up on posting pictures.

Here are a couple of Jeff's bedtime routine with Austen. He started this with Kaitlyn when she was around this age, and I just think it's the cutest thing ever. She sits on the edge of the crib while they look out the window together. Austen's big thing has been finding kitties. You ask her where the kitties went and she says, "Um...nigh-nigh." The kitties all went night-night. :-) By the way, her latest Austen-ism is "Umm..." before a lot of her answers.

Our Little Tadpole

2011-11-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

We just signed Kaitlyn up for her second session of swimming lessons. She loves it! Barb was her teacher for the first session, and she got her again this time. We are happy, as she is great with the kids and Kaitlyn is comfortable with her. We are having fun spectating every Tuesday and Thursday. :-)

Kaitlyn is currently a "Tadpole," and she will probably stay here for a while as she gets comfortable putting her under and trying swimming on her own.

Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-18T23:24:00.000-08:00

Add this one to the list of "Best Days." Jeff and I both took vacation days to take the girls to the pumpkin patch. The weather was beautiful, and everyone was in a great mood. :-)

There aren't too many pictures in existence like this one. My current goal is to make it into more pictures with my kids...I'm always the one taking them!

My three favorite people

The "Three Little Pigs" show

Petting the bunny. Austen was a trooper...this was shortly after the donkey brayed LOUDLY (scared me!) about five feet in front of her. Scared the daylights out of her - sad, but hilarious - you know what I mean

Hay maze

Technical Difficulties and Silliness

2011-11-18T22:50:00.000-08:00

Almost exactly two months after I bought our external hard drive and put all of our pictures on it (thousands since the girls were born), our computer got a virus. Go back up your pictures, people! And not just on a website...any of those could be gone tomorrow. Don't say I didn't warn ya. ;-)

Anyway, so just as I was feeling really close to being caught up to current pictures, that happened. A new computer and data transfer later, we are back in business. Weekend project = blog.

And now for some random, silly pictures.

Some outtakes from Kaitlyn's birthday invitation "photo shoot" :

And from one of my favorite series to date: The cat shirts.

"Kaitlyn, there's a CAT on your shirt!!"

School morning, waiting for Daddy and Austen to finish getting ready:

Goofballs at dinner:

Blech!

Everyday Life

2011-11-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

We are in quite the routine here at the Collins house. During the week, Jeff and I get up around 5:00 (lately it's being stretched a bit...hard to drag ourselves out of our comfy king-size bed - best purchase EVER - when it's chilly in our room), and on Mondays and Tuesdays one of our parents shows up at 6:00 to take over child care duties. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, one of us is out the door by 6:15 to get the girls to school. We have to wake them up at 6 on these days, which we feel bad about but they do well for the most part. Austen jumps right up, and Kaitlyn burrows deeper into the covers until we drag her out, but then is mostly fine.

Lately, Kaitlyn refuses to wear jeans on day care mornings. She says, "I don't want to wear that, I want to wear comfy pants." I keep telling myself that at least I have another girl to pass all of the cute, unworn jeans to. ;-)

Kaitlyn has been taking swim lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which have been going great. We didn't realize when Jeff signed her up that she would be going in by herself. Jeff even wore his suit to the first one. :) We pack everyone up by 6:00 to head over to Mountlake Terrace and can't get enough of watching our big girl in her lesson all by herself. She has been back floating, blowing bubbles, and putting her face in the water. Austen usually does well sitting with us for the first half or so (it's only 30 minutes), but then gets wiggly and wants to get down and move. We have to keep a tight grip on her, or she would end up in the pool with her sister.

Every Thursday evening, any time between 5:30 and 9:30, I head down to Magnuson Park Arena Sports for my indoor soccer game. I am currently playing in a coed league, which I've been enjoying a lot. I played on a women's team there for a few years, took time off when pregnant, then switched to coed. I have to say that I am enjoying the change from drama-infested women's games. ;-)

With both girls talking up a storm, we constantly have good reasons to laugh. We just couldn't be enjoying these ages any more. Yes, they come with their challenges as well...but we must turn to each other at least five times a day to say, "We have the funniest, cutest kids ever." (Yes, I know you do, too ;-).)

This morning, Kaitlyn took it upon herself to wake Austen up at 6:30a.m. Being Saturday, Jeff and lounged in bed for as long as possible as long as the girls were playing okay. Kaitlyn played in Austen's room for a bit before she was out of her crib, and I hear from down the hall: "Hahahahaha! You tooted! Say excuse me." Then, in Austen's high-pitched baby voice, "Scoos me." Getting to laugh before 7 in the morning is a blessing, if you ask me.

The girls have been playing more "make believe" lately, and one thing they like to do is go shopping. They were pushing a box around the other day, which had a bunch of toys in it, and I asked Kaitlyn what they were doing. "We're buyin' stuff."

So, when we were at the grocery store recently, it didn't surprise me when Austen started putting things into our cart. Did I mention that she doesn't want to ride in the cart anymore? She does very well hanging onto the side and walking with us, so we let her. So as she "shopped," we would put things back that we didn't need. A few hours later at home, Jeff asks me, "Why did you buy carrot juice and country biscuits?" "I was wondering the same about you." We both looked at Austen, our sneaky little shopper, and realized our answer. How she managed to get a huge jug of carrot juice (Odwalla, I might add - the girl doesn't have cheap taste) up and into the cart, and without us noticing, is beyond me!

Kaitlyn and I went shopping at Goodwill a while ago, and as I was bending over to get something, she points out nice and loudly, "I see your boo-boos!" Haha, cute. We keep shopping, and all of a sudden my child is exclaiming, "I smell nipples!" I have no clue where this came from other than she was tired and delirious and somehow derived it from the boo-boo sighting. Fabulous...at least I was at the Lynnwood Goodwill - nobody really batted an eye. ;-)

We were watching Kaitlyn's current favorite, Tangled, and she turns to me and says, "I think that witch needs a hug." Smart girl!

Austen's current bedtime routine is to read a book, then sit on the edge of her crib to look out the window (Jeff started this with Kaitlyn when she was about that age). She likes to look for kitties in the neighborhood, so we ask, "Austen, where are the kitties?" Lately, her response is "Ummm...nigh-nigh." (Kitties are sleeping.) The other night, after our window-gazing, she turns to me to pick her up, points at the rocking chair and says, "nuggle." Oh, how this girl makes me smile.

As Jeff and I were squeezing in as many minutes as possible in our warm bed this morning, the girls headed downstairs to the play room. It wasn't long before we were summoned out of bed by Austen's "I'm mad at something Kaitlyn did" cry. I go downstairs and Austen immediately points at Kaitlyn and says, "Push." Kaitlyn looked like a deer caught in the headlights, and admitted that she did push her sister. Don't get me wrong, she is always honest (not that I think this will always be the case ;-)) about what she's done, but I think she was shocked that Austen was actually able to tell on her.

I will stop with the typing and add a few ordinary, "at home" pictures (taken between July and September).

Grandma Bonnie inherited this from a neighbor, and it turned out to be one of those unexpected "hours of entertainment" toys.

Love these eyes

First pony tail!

Not every "few minutes of silence" has to end in a toddler mischief mess. This is how I found them one day: Reading together on Kaitlyn's bed. Add this toward the top of melt-mommy's-heart moments

Big sister to the rescue!

Exploring Daddy's new boat

This was our original license plate on the Pilot. She was "The Slut." We had to change the plate (couldn't get ourselves to pay $20 to keep it), and couldn't do it without documenting the memory.

Dancin'

Kaitlyn is still in love with painting

Kaitlyn's First Day of School!

2011-11-03T21:06:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn started Preschool at Little Tykes (our day care) in September. I consider it more "pre-preschool" because there are two classes, hers being the younger ones who transitioned out of the infant room, but weren't quite old enough (or potty trained enough) to start "real" preschool. We have been pretty happy with it so far, and Kaitlyn has fun so that's all we really care about for now. She brings home multiple projects a week, and loves her teacher, Ms. Tina.

Speaking of day care, the girls have been in the same place since we started Kaitlyn at ten months old. "Gramma Linda" and "Papa" run it out of their home, and have been doing it forever. They both genuinely love our kids, and there have rarely been tears at drop-off time. Actually, they more frequently don't want to leave when we go to pick them up. Can't complain about that, right?

Kaitlyn definitely continues to be our more introverted daughter, and I think she gets overwhelmed sometimes if she doesn't get some down time to herself. So, as much as she loves school, she still cries for Gramma Linda or Mama when she's tired and needs a break. They have been telling us for the past month, though, that they are seeing Kaitlyn blossoming and coming out of her shell a lot more. Yay! I think she inherited her mama's personality...quiet and shy one minute, and bouncing off the walls the next. ;-)

Austen loves school, too. Linda says that she helps run the place. She marches in there and gets her day started as soon as we arrive, but she also is good about going with the flow they say. Sounds good to me.

First day picture. Maybe she'll smile for kindergarten. :) In her defense, it was 6:00 in the morning...

"Mom, WHY are you making me pose for a picture this early?! I'll stand here, but I'm not gonna pretend to like it!" This picture makes me smile :)

Big backpack on a little girl...

Putting her backpack in her cubby.

Moving On

2011-11-03T20:42:00.000-07:00

We recently decided that it was time to get rid of the nursery set that we had bought before Kaitlyn was born. It was a nice crib and dresser from Craigslist, and it was sad to let it go. I remember how excited we were to set it up when I was pregnant, and how it completed Kaitlyn's first bedroom. When Austen was born, Kaitlyn got a new bed and Austen moved into the nursery. Both girls got good use of it, and it was time to let someone else enjoy it...

The Best Day

2011-10-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

You know those days that are just perfect, and you'd live them over and over again if you could? The girls and I met my parents at the Monroe fair on my last day off of my summer break, and it ended up being one of those days. I'll go ahead and give the heads up that this post is mostly about Kaitlyn. Austen was there, and she had a good time, too, but Kaityln being at the age she is allowed her to not just have fun, but to have an absolute blast. Oh, and her mama loves fairs and rides, which may have had something to do with it.

I can honestly say that there is nothing in the whole entire world better than watching your kids in a state of pure joy. Kaitlyn was in heaven, and could not wipe the smile off of her face on those rides. Squeals of delight, laughing as she threw her hands in the air like the big kids in front of us on the rollercoaster...heaven. And she probably thought that she was having the most fun...didn't know that her mama's joy tripled hers, to see her in such a state of pure happiness. You know it's been a great day when your cheeks hurt from smiling.

I think Grammie had fun, too. :)

I love this one of Austen pondering.

These next ones are Kaitlyn's dancing sequence. :) These two girls LOVE to dance to anything.

They both wanted to walk (current story of our lives), and held the stroller like this for a long time.

Sweet 2 week old piglet

Friends

2011-10-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

Jeff and I feel extremely fortunate that so many of our close friends have kids around the same age as Kaitlyn and Austen. Some we see more often than others, but any time we get together, the kids have a blast and it's like no time has passed. Being parents is the greatest blessing, and being parents alongside some of our favorite people is just lucky.

In September, I took the girls (Jeff was at his Alta trip with the boys) up to Mollie and Jayson's house in Marysville for a get together. We got to see their new, hard-earned back yard...it was almost enough inspiration to weed our small front garden. Almost. Really, though, their yard is absolutely beautiful, with a nice, big patio and a fire pit. The kids all had a great time together. It's nice that, even though this group doesn't see each other often, they can still play together like they do. :)

Back: Carter, Blake, Patyon, Paige

Front: Ainsley, Kaitlyn, Austen

Kaitlyn is still wary of fires from her summer experience, but she was much better and actually played around it a bit without getting scared. Progress!

We got to roast marshmallows!

The kids all snuggled up for a movie toward the end of the evening. I think it was inspired by Kaitlyn having had enough fire bravery for one night. :)

Why not add in an August play date. Kara and I took the girls up to Forest Park in Everett one morning, and it was freezing (in August). We decided to head back to my house, and by the time we got there the sun was out. Gotta love the $9.99 Fred Meyer kiddie pool.

A day trip to the Underwood's cabin:

We are nearing the end of the Collins family blog marathon. I think I'm in the home stretch!

Kaitlyn is 3!

2011-10-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Can't believe this little girl is 3 years old already. She woke up this morning to balloons and a new pillow pet (she's been requesting one forever - what better time to break down?) and came in for birthday snuggles, which were gladly accepted.

Here's to our amazing first-born.

A loving big sister

Silly

Dress-up is a favorite right now. This is how we found her when waking her up from a nap last week. Tinkerbell was tired.

Teaching an excited sister ring around the rosy.

Three years later, and still rubbing her lip whenever she's tired.

Makes us laugh every day!

Happy 3rd birthday, sweet Kaitlyn girl.

More Summer Happenings

2011-10-22T00:04:00.000-07:00

Silver Lake Park does summer concerts every Thursday, and Tim Noah came back this summer. We met up with Erin, Justin, Owen and Campbell to watch the concert. I think they enjoyed the snacks more than anything else, but we had fun. :)

Kaitlyn got her first big girl smoothie - lucky girl. A kid-size would be nice - she only drank about a fourth of it.

Lunch in the back yard.

Paige turned three in August. We had a great time at her house in Monroe.

Birthday girl.

This picture cracks me up. Kaitlyn taking a shot...I mean having a spot of tea in the background.

Having polite conversation over tea.

Playing some cornhole.

Princesses

And it just would be a playdate with the Underwoods without a dance party.

Back to My Roots

2011-10-21T23:35:00.000-07:00

That's a dramatic title for some LFP Civic Club pictures from July. Jeff and I took the girls down there on a weekend, and it was the perfect little family "getaway."

Seabrook Part 2

2011-10-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Only a few more :-)

This was the back deck of the house. The girls played with the pebbles for a good 30 minutes. Easy entertainment, as usual!

Kaitlyn's writing. I love this and am happy to have documentation of it. :-) If you ask, she will probably tell you she's writing your name, as well as all of your family members.

Whew! That was a lot of pictures for today. More tomorrow - should only take a few more days to be current. :-)

Seabrook, 2011

2011-10-18T14:18:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a long weekend at Seabrook (near Pacific Beach) for the second August in a row with Jeff's family. They are so nice to bring us, and we all have a great time.

I swear I didn't mean for this picture to be posted first. :-)

Kaitlyn was making a cake with sprinkles.

Poor Kaitlyn fell and hit her eye on something (a mystery to exactly what exactly caused the mark) and ended up with quite an owie on her eye for weeks afterward.

Another favorite summer pastime for Austen: Pulling one arm out of her tanktop for an eighties, off-the-shoulder look.

Can you see the resemblance?

The houses at Seabrook are adorable. They have all sorts of goodies for kids - bins of books, games, and toys.

Future Wildcats!

2011-10-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

In July, Kara and I took our girls over the mountains to Ellensburg to visit Central. We met up with Mindy and baby Kohen, and hung out for a few hours in the heat. Okay, the main reason we went was to go to the school store to get sweatshirts, but it was a fun adventure (copious amounts of pitch on all the girls' feet and shoes included).

Pretty Paigey

Austen's obsession with shoes continues, but this summer it was Kaitlyn's Crocs over anything else. This girl was like a vulture; swooping in the second her sister took these off. We know what we will be getting her for next summer!

Adorable baby Kohen with Mama Mindy

Paige and Kaitlyn heading to science class

Lil' Kickers

2011-10-18T13:37:00.000-07:00

This summer, Kaitlyn and I did a Lil' Kickers soccer class. This is where I really feel lucky to have summers off, because I get to play stay-at-home mom for a couple of months. Every Tuesday at 10:00, we headed down to Magnuson Park Arena Sports to play soccer and learn listening and teamwork skills with "Coach Dan" for 50 minutes. This is where Mama plays indoor soccer every Thursday night, so Kaitlyn was pretty excited about it, and of course I loved seeing her have fun with my favorite sport. :-) She was pretty timid at first, but warmed up quickly, and ended up doing much better after the first couple of sessions.

Summer Catch-up

2011-10-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

This will be mostly pictures. I need to just post all of our summer events without editing (yes, I know it's amateur and very minimal, but addicting nonetheless ;-)). So, here goes...I plan to work on it over the next few days so that I can start again with posting current events!

Bryan and Lindsay's little guy, Jackson, turned one in July. The girls had a great time at his pool party, and "helped" him open his presents.

Two tired party girls

Kaitlyn's second hair cut, her first "major" cut. We went back to the Bella salon at Country Village. This was actually in June!

Happy October!

2011-10-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

These girls are becoming the best of friends. Of course they still bicker, steal each other's toys, and use the occasional push to show who's boss, but those moments are becoming less, and these moments are more frequent. (Both were so excited to see that Mama had gotten them matching shirts - $2.00 each at Goodwill, BTW). Austen especially - she kept looking at her shirt, looking at Kaitlyn's shirt, and just giggling because she couldn't contain her excitement.)

They are unique, strong-willed, fun, and loving. Life is hectic right now with full-time paid jobs, then a second full-time job when we get home. We don't do much sitting or relaxing these days. But, this is all part of the adventure, and we are taking it in stride and enjoying it. There are difficult times (think two kids screaming at the same time because they are exhausted from a full, fun day at day care, one wants her milk NOW, the other is trying to put her shoes on and can't quite get it, and all the while our "small dog syndrome" dog is yelping at the top of his lungs - good times), and to overshadow those there is a lot of laughter and cuddles, pleases and thank yous, moments of sharing and holding hands...that make this whole ride so worth it. We are the best parents we can be, and I believe whole-heartedly that between the mistakes we are inevitably making here and there, we are doing a lot of right by our girls.

Life is pretty darn good.

Happy 18 Months, Austen!

2011-09-24T14:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our sweet Austen girl turned a year and a half old. She is our funny, smart, dare-devil, "I'll do what I want, when I want and I'll let you know exactly how I feel about it," adorable little girl. She walks in any place like she owns it - unlike her more shy sister - runs 60 miles an hour, and sleeps like a champ. She goes down for naps and nighttime like a dream, and says "nigh-nigh" in the sweetest high-pitched little voice. When you go into her room to wake her up at 6:00 for day care, she pops up smiling and laughing. She smacks people just so she can say "soooowwy." She says "peas" and "tank-yoooou" sometimes without even being asked. She LOVES slides and picking up rocks, and watches what her big sister does with wide eyes and admiration...copying everything she does has caused more bumps and bruises than anyone should have in their first 18 months of life. She says a whole bunch of words, and loves it when you tickle her chunky little thighs. Anywhere we go, people smile when they see her and comment on how adorable she is. I personally think that people are partial to babies with chubby cheeks that jiggle when they run. ;-) It's like Baywatch for chunky babies, and I'm going to miss it when it stops...

That's right, I'm bragging. She's my precious girl and I am allowed to do that so get over it. :-)

I had to include this picture. Anyone who has been around Austen knows that this is one of her signature looks (yes, including the snack on her face). This picture absolutely cracks me up; this is HER! :-) I promise she's a sweetheart...

Butterfly, Butterfly...

2011-09-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

I already posted the end result of our butterfly garden, and here is what led up to it:

Staredown

Austen couldn't be trusted to not squish the little guy (with love, from her perspective), so she got to wear him on her back for a bit.

This was so much fun for the girls, especially Kaitlyn (and Jeff and me!). I recommend it to anyone with kiddos! We need to order more caterpillars. :-) You can get your own butterfly garden here.

The Carbonettis

2011-09-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

My cousin, Sara, got married to John on July 31st. The wedding was beautiful; just her style with so many home-made personal touches. Kaitlyn and Austen had an absolute blast on the dance floor and playing with their cousins (well, not technically cousins, there is something removed or whatever, but who's counting)!

Kaitlyn gettin' her groove on. Seriously, Jeff and I had no idea she had these moves!

Dancin' the night away...

If someone reading this has any idea why some pictures just do not want to stay the right way in Blogger, please enlighten me!

Craven farms has a huge area out back with different things for kids to play on, and for mommies to take pictures on. :-)

Austen and cousin Amanda

All of the girls. Amanda, Kayla, Kaitlyn and Austen were quite the group.

I love how Kaitlyn is looking up at Kayla like, "You are SO cool!"

And now for my embarrassing, public confession: I selfishly took a whole lot of pictures of my own kids, and didn't get one shot of the happy couple. Oops! I guess that nobody can argue that I give my kids enough attention (well, maybe my parents could, as they graciously watched them so Jeff and I could dance a bit ;-)) You will just have to take my word for it that Sara and John were a stunning bride and groom!

Princess of the Potty

2011-09-11T15:54:00.000-07:00

We started potty training (for the second time) with Kaitlyn the day after we got back from the Ocean (pictures to come from that trip). So, we have now been at it for about 3 weeks. Until a few days ago, it was not exactly the most fun we have ever had. Kaitlyn would get very upset when she had to go, because she would hold it so long and appeared to not understand how to get herself to go. So, imagine being in that pain that we all know when you have to pee so bad, but have to wait. Poor thing. :-( Both Jeff and I agreed that we did not want this to be a negative experience, and that we wanted it to be as stress-free as possible for her. So, we decided to follow her lead a bit more, and give her time to learn how everything works.

A switch all of a sudden flipped a few days ago, and we now have a pro pee-er on the potty...woo-hoo! And, she is very excited about it to boot. :-) Who knew that Jeff and I would ever be this thrilled about peepee, but we most certainly are, and we are so proud of our big girl who is growing up too fast! Go Kaitlyn!!

We have been reading the book The Princess of the Potty since this all started, and Kaitlyn can now "read" the whole thing by herself. I think she's a little proud in this picture. :-) However, every time I try telling her that she's the Princess of the Potty, she says, "No, I'm Kaitlyn."

Just For Fun

2011-09-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

I have really been enjoying playing around with our new camera, and have been known to take about a hundred pictures at once. I have some catching up to do on the 'ole blog. :-) I believe these were right after we got back from our Chelan trip. Kaitlyn and Austen were having one of those "too quiet" moments up in Austen's room, and sure enough, we had some cleaning up to do.

I think she looks like me in this one ^^^

Mischief!

She still rubs her lips when she gets tired...I never want to forget this look :-)

Fly Away

2011-09-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

We raised butterflies and got to release them last weekend. This little guy didn't want to leave. :-)

Chelan Part Two (the rest)

2011-08-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

And Austen collecting rocks...

And throwing them into the pool for Papa to retrieve while telling her gently, "Austen, we don't throw rocks into the pool."
"Well, that's why it's fun, Papa!"

Big Girl Bed

2011-08-16T20:05:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

Kaitlyn's big girl bed. :-) We were a little skeptical at first with the above reaction...we had resolved ourselves to getting little sleep last night. However, perhaps because she wore herself out with the jumping and excitement, she went to bed perfectly and slept until morning. I, of course, just jinxed it, and will be reporting on tonight at a later date. :-)

I'm sure I don't have to point out that this is bitter-sweet for us. It's so exciting and fun to see her growing up and becoming more independent, but it doesn't come without a bit (okay, more than a bit) of heartache. Wasn't she just a newborn? Wasn't I just rocking her to sleep and didn't she just need me to get up with her every few hours to nurse? We are finding that, as much as we miss past stages, there is always something to look forward to. Makes me appreciate the thousands of pictures we have taken!

Kaitlyn's bed may be new to her, but it's not exactly new. It was mine when I was her age, and it used to be yellow. While I did actually really like the yellow, it didn't match the new bedding so I decided to change it.

Austen is excited, too :)

Chelan Part One

2011-08-09T21:35:00.000-07:00

We headed over to Chelan for our annual end-of-July Lake Chelan trip with my family. It should be no surprise that I took what some may consider a ridiculous amount of pictures. I am taking a cue from a good friend and doing a two-part post. I am having trouble just picking the "highlights," and will continue to use the excuse that these posts go into books at the end of the year, so I can't leave anything out. ;-)
We had a great time, and didn't want to leave! The girls LOVED being outside for so much of the day, and literally did not stop moving unless they were eating (well, sometimes not even then) or sleeping. The weather was probably the most mild we've had, but we ended up with mostly sun, and it certainly beat July in Seattle.

This picture documents one of Austen's current obsessions: her belly button. She can be seen most of the day with her buddah belly hanging out and her finger in her belly button. She knows how to make us laugh these days. :-)

We met two wonderful families from Bellingham during our many years at Darnells. As both of our original Chelan groups moved on, we got to know each other and now make the trip together. Jenn and Brian have a little guy, Quinn, who is just a few months older than Austen. They had a blast together!

This picture cracks me up. Jeff was reading the girls a bedtime story (good 'ole Goodnight Moon), and he changed some of the words. This is Kaitlyn's reaction. :-)

The three kids took it upon themselves to redo some of the landscaping by the water. They spent all week picking up rocks, one by one, and dropping them into the lake. They cleared a good few feet and made a respectable pile in the water. Amazing what keeps them entertained!

Kaitlyn got this suit from my cousin Katryn, and requested to wear it most days. :-)

A funny little story goes with this next picture: We put the girls down for a nap in the room, both in Pack-n-Plays. All was quiet, and we hadn't looked at the video monitor in a bit. Jeff decided to take a peek, and it looked like Kaitlyn had gotten out of her bed. He went in the room to check, and found that Kaitlyn had indeed jumped ship, and had put every single toy we had brought (if you know me, you know I don't exactly pack light - is that hereditary trait, Mom?) into Austen's crib, including the blown-up beach ball. Austen was standing at the edge with no ability to even sit down. And, the best part? Kaitlyn had helped herself to a beer from the fridge (luckily she's got a few years before she'll learn how to open one). We ended up barracading her in her crib with kitchen chairs for the rest of the trip - worked like a charm! :-)

Some of Austen's goodies (too close up, but you get the idea):

It's funny the little things that fill me with pride as a parent. Kaitlyn has been our slightly timid child so far (she's funny though, because sometimes she jumps right in), so when she tried to copy Daddy blowing bubbles in the pool, my heart swelled - I'm weird! The picture above is Austen trying, but she mostly just tried drinking it. :-)

Can you see Austen's face in this picture? This is the funniest thing ever - she clenches her fists and makes this face to make us laugh. You gotta see it in person. :-)

If Austen wasn't collecting rocks, she was doing this:

And this:

Austen and Quinn playing tag:

If you look closely, you may be able to see that this is not Jeff, and that this man has his own daughter on his lap, reading her a book. Kaitlyn inched her way over, until she was able to see the pictures and listen to the story, too. :-)

More to come when I get around to it. :-) (The house doesn't need cleaning or anything. ;-))

Chef Kaitlyn

2011-08-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

One of my 3rd graders gave Kaitlyn and Austen a kids' cooking kit for Christmas last year. Kaitlyn gets really into it and is so excited to help. The easy recipes in the little book it came with actually turn out okay! Tonight we made sugar cookie cut-outs. She was thrilled that it was just like playing with Playdough. ;-)

This is the face we get when Kaitlyn won't smile for a picture, and we say "show your teeth." :)

And Austen :-)

2011-08-01T22:23:00.000-07:00

Riley :-)

The Kaitlyn Show :-)

2011-08-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

Spray Mat

2011-08-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Last summer, I took the girls to go play date where there was a spray mat, and Kaitlyn loved it. I saw one on clearance and had to get it - it's small (one of the criteria for current Collins purchases ;-)) and all it does is spray water, but you'd think it was a carnival ride by their reactions. They could have played for hours!

I think Kaitlyn looks so much like her daddy here:

And another current favorite is play dough. Kaitlyn is constantly requesting it.

Photo Phun

2011-08-01T17:45:00.000-07:00

I'm a dork :)
I finally got the "fancy" camera (ha :)) that I've been wanting for a long time, and my friend Kara came across a beginner's photography class in Monroe. Elise started her own photography business a few years ago (I think?) and she did a great job explaining just enough to us so that we can use our cameras on manual instead of auto mode. I thought it was the perfect amount of information to move forward (for what I want to do, which is just take pictures of the girls, etc.) but not overwhelm us. Her blog can be found here.
This may seem like a weird blog post since I'm about to include pictures of random people I don't know, but as I've said, I print these into books and love being able to look back at things. Elise took us out on a practice "photo shoot," and the two little girls were adorable. There was also one couple. Now, me posting these does NOT mean that I think they are great...I am just having fun! :)

Mostly Pictures

2011-07-13T00:25:00.000-07:00

We went to the Underwoods' cabin on Whidbey last weekend:

This would be one of Austen's "fits." Little does she know that it's the cutest thing ever. ;-)

The attempt at getting all three of them to smile. We knew we were setting ourselves up for failure :)

Somewhere under here are two little monkeys having too much fun:

Travis and Jeff's crabbing success:

Home again, home again...

Terrible Twos Got Nothin' on This

2011-07-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Kaitlyn is giving us a run for our money these days. :) I have heard often that the twos are nothing compared to the threes. Kaitlyn isn't three yet, but I do believe that this may be proven true in our house. We are going through a definite testing stage with her, and learning the power of deep breathing. ;-) Let me tell ya, last summer with an immobile newborn who slept all the time and a toddler was easy-peasy compared to this one. Two very mobile, very independent toddlers is...challenging to say the least. You know what, though? It's still so worth it, and despite those moments when I feel like screaming and crying right along with them, I love being their mommy, and I know that this too shall pass. And, I know for a fact that I will be laughing at this stage in no time.

Poor little Austen has her fifth ear infection in about 6 months, so it's looking like we'll be going to a specialist to discuss possible ear tubes. I certainly am not at all excited about her being put under (gives me heart palpatations just thinking about it!) for a procedure, but we obviously don't want her in constant ear pain either, not to mention constantly taking antibiotics that have to be stronger every time.

Despite all of these infections, Austen is still our sweet, funny little girl, and she is cracking us up constantly. Her personality has been blossoming in these past couple of months. One of my current favorites is when she says "Nigh-Nigh" before naps and bedtime. If you're lucky, she'll lean in for a kiss while she says it. She's saying other new words as well: Belly (while lifting her shirt - she LOVES showing her belly :)), potty (yep :)), socks, shoes (did I mention those already?), and Riley. Oh, and my very, very favorite thing right now is that if I leave the room, she walks around the house calling, "Mama? Mama?" Oh so adorable!!

Austen's other new "trick" is knowing what she's not supposed to have - Mama's phone, Kaitlyn's toys, her shoes that are supposed to be on her feet - and running in the other direction giggling. It's hilarious. If Kaitlyn is building a block tower, Austen may do a drive-by to grab a block and run in the other direction while Kaitlyn screams after her. Definitely one of those moments that make it difficult to parent instead of laugh. :)

We have been busy this summer, as usual. The day before the 4th of July, we headed to the Underwood's for dinner. Paige and Kaitlyn make quite the little pair, and Austen is able to join in some now, too.

The girls seem to be making a tradition out of ending the night with a dance party. This time it involved Paige's many tutus:

Paige is such a crack-up and joy to be around. What a pretty girl, too!

Austen joined in the fun, too!

Paigey booty-shakin'

We got to hang out with Baby Jackson again, and he was nice enough to share his pool with the girls.

I was able to snap a few pictures at Kaitlyn's Lil' Kickers soccer class. I'm so glad we signed up for this (thanks for the idea, Gina! That's right, you just got a blog shout-out). It's been a great experience so far for Kaitlyn for following directions, waiting her turn, and various soccer/athletic and thinking skills. We love it!

Stacking cones in a pattern, then using "big kicks" to knock them over:

Sitting on her spot and listening to Coach Dan:

Team cheer!

Another update coming soon. :)

15 Month Stats and Randoms

2011-06-29T13:30:00.000-07:00

Austen had her 15 month appointment on Monday:

Height: 31 in. (67%)
Weight: 23 lbs. 15oz. (68%)

When I told the pediatrician that I was surprised she wasn't in larger percentiles, she reminded me that Kaitlyn is a peanut, which makes Austen look like a giant. :) Kaitlyn is still only 26.5 pounds soaking wet, which puts her in the 10th-25th percentile. I have a feeling that Austen will be the "big little sister." ;-)

Here's our Austen-Girl:

Both of the girls love Riley, and he's getting more tolerant (or maybe just finally giving up?) of them borderline tormenting him.

Kaitlyn is becoming a "little girl" before our eyes. She seems more grown up every day with what she says and does. The littlest things like eating her very own banana in the peel (I know, I'm weird), make her seem so old:

It also continues to amaze me how different our daughers are from each other. Not only their appearance, but personality as well. Sure, they have similarities, but I love that they are their own little people, too.
For example, in Kaitlyn's soccer class, she clings to me for the first 10 minutes and doesn't really respond to the "coach" at all. After that first little bit, though, she's off and running and often the first to do things. After that, she checks in every so often. Austen, on the other hand, goes barging into her Little Gym class like she owns the place. Laughing, running, being the first to do things, etc. It's so cute! She does not check in with you, but rather runs away because she thinks it's hilarious. :) She is our wild child, and I think my mom put it best when she pointed out that Austen wears her emotions on her sleeve. So true!

And, because I am so weird, I took a picture of one thing I was looking so forward to this summer: morning coffee at home. I found this mug in the clearance bin at Michael's a few days before school got out. I love roosters, and they remind me of my Grandma Donnie, so I had to have it. I thought it was a dollar (still a steal), but it rang up as $0.44. Wouldn't you know it, I had exactly that much in my coin purse. See, I couldn't have passed it up! One of my favorite times of the day is hanging out with the girls while still in our jammies, sipping coffee while we all slowly wake up.

I am off for the summer, and soooo looking forward to all of these weeks with the girls, as well as just having the freedom to get things done, enjoy my morning coffee (in the perfect mug), stay up a bit later, get together with friends who are also home, etc. Can't complain! :)

Happy Wednesday!

Congrats HP and Wes!

2011-06-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

We headed over to Suncadia for the weekend for Heather and Wes's wedding. They planned a beautiful, unique wedding with their own personal touches such as the bride riding in on a horse-drawn carriage, having the guests pose for what will be a priceless picture during the ceremony, red cowboy boots (for the bride!), a porch swing for the adorable ring bearer and flower girls, and much more.

I only got a few pictures.
The ladies:

The guys:

I know others took more pictures, so I may have more to put up later. :) I feel very lucky to have such great friends who are all genuine, fun people. What a great weekend!

Looooong Update

2011-06-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

I realized that with all of my ramblings lately, I haven't really given a real update on the Collins Family for a while.
Austen will be 15 months this week, and is developing quite the little personality. She is either looking at you like, "I love you and you are my favorite person!" Or like, "What are you lookin' at?"
As I think I mentioned before, Austen cries to be outside, or at least walking around. This girl does not want to be carried, and will attempt a nose-dive out of your arms when you are least expecting it. And when you do put her down, she is off and running, literally. She definitely has had more bumps and bruises than Kaitlyn did by this age.
When you are sitting on the floor, she will come over, stand in front of you with her back turned, and back her little booty up until she can plop down in your lap. So cute. :) She also has a little list of words now, her versions of course: Uh-oh, no, stop, bird, outside, dada, mama, toes, shoes, socks, go, and a few others. Overall, she is a great little sleeper; she doesn't wake up in the middle of the night, but when she is sick she tends to wake up around 4 or 5 and fuss off and on for the rest of the morning. Unfortunately, this has been way too frequent, as the poor thing has now had 4 ear infections in 5 months. When we go for her follow-up for this current one, we may start talking about ear tubes.
Austen loves, loves, loves her dog Riley, and she can often be found hanging out in his bed:

Kaitlyn is just as sparky as ever, definitely going through the toddler phase of "mine" and "give it back!" However, we like to think that her sweet times out number the other times. :-) It's not always easy having a little sister who wants everything you have, and follows your every footstep. Sometimes Kaitlyn loves that, and other times she just needs time to be herself.
Some Kaitlyn quotes: The other day I wore a dress to work, and when Kaitlyn saw me in the morning she said, "Ohh Mama, you're a princess!"
Jeff: "Are you going to go on the potty like Paige?" Kaitlyn: "No, I go on the potty like Kaitlyn." (No, not potty trained yet.)
Goes up to Jeff on the couch, snuggles and says, "Daddy, you are my best friend."
Jeff: "Kaitlyn, do you want to take a bath?" "No, I want to do something fun, please."
And of course I can't think of any more right now...I need to start documenting them when they happen!
A while ago, Kaitlyn's hair started going into a pony tail more easily - she looks so old!

And now, a picture update:

We went to the Underwood's cabin for a night over Memorial Day weekend and had a blast:

Kaitlyn's first s'more!

The girls got a prime sleeping spot in front of the warm fire:

My parents invited us to dinner a couple of weeks ago in Edmonds, and there happened to be a waterfront festival going on. Kaitlyn absolutely loved the big potato sack slide and pony rides! She convinced Papa to send her on one more pony ride after the first one. ;-)

The top of the slide with Daddy:

On the way down with Papa:

And at the bottom with Mama (she got to go three times!):

Watching Daddy mow the lawn:

Playing in the water on one of our few nice days:

Bryan and Lindsay's sweet little guy, Jackson. He'll be one in July! They make a cute couple, don't they? ;-)

Woodland Park Zoo! So many neat, exotic animals to see, and all Kaitlyn kept requesting was the cows...
This happens to be a great example of the "What are you lookin' at?" Austen face:

On the move, as usual!

Kaitlyn started her "Lil' Kickers" soccer class, and absolutely loves it. She was sooo excited to "play soccer like Mommy." I gave her a juice box afterwards, which she doesn't usually get, and now she keeps asking for "soccer juice." :-) She got her own soccer jersey, and was so exicted to show it to Daddy when she got home.

So, Mommy gets to do soccer with Kaitlyn and Little Gym with Austen once a week. My last day of school is Wednesday the 22nd, and I'm looking forward to being a stay at home mom for two months. :) As excited as I am for the break, I always get sad at this time of year, too. As a teacher, you get to know your kids so well by June, that it's hard thinking of letting them go and getting a whole new group.

So there is the longest update ever...enjoy!

For Sale.

2011-06-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Ed and Grandma Donnie, my grandparents on my dad's side, passed away a few years ago. These two people were a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. Their house is blocks from where I grew up. It's a habit to glance down that hedged driveway each time I drive by.

I knew that this would have to happen at some point...that house, which looks like just a house to anyone else but holds years of sweet memories for me and others, has the new addition of a For Sale sign out front. While I know that it has to be this way, my heart literally aches at the thought of someone we don't know "stealing" our memories. Yep, that's what the 8 year old in me is screaming while I stomp my feet and cross my arms. It doesn't seem right.

I took the girls down to the house the day it went on the market for one last walk-through. Oh how I didn't realize how much that would hurt. The second I walked in, that special "house scent" (you know what I'm talking about - every house has it) that has belonged there since I can remember hit my heart like a ton of bricks. There have been a handful of times in my life so far when it has truly felt like my heart was breaking; add this time to the short list. I may have been feeling these past few years like even though they were gone, at least we had those physical memories holding strong right down the street, and now I am realizing that those are going to be gone, too.

Life goes on, we move on, and we hold onto memories because sometimes that's all you've got. And, through all of the "it's not fair" feelings, I feel extremely lucky to have the memories that I do. I wouldn't trade them for anything.

I remember baby chicks hatching under the deck right here:

There was a spot in this hedge where you could run right through it if you hit it just right...I think you had to be a cousin to know exactly where it was.

It's overgrown now, but years ago getting down to the creek to catch water skippers was easy:

Can you hear Gowey kids screaming with delight as they rushed through this wooden gate to the freedom of the field next door?

You know those movies where someone goes into an old house and they can "see" their memories in the scene? I sat on this fireplace hearth and I swear that happened. I could feel the hot fire behind me and hear aunts and uncles and cousins' laughter and voices. Really, I could.

Jeff asked me a while ago if I know who looks at this blog. I have no idea, and I really don't know if more than about 3 people do. I enjoy doing it, and like knowing that memories and milestones will be caught in time. So, I suppose you could say that I keep it up for myself and my family, and if anyone out there does read it, I hope that it's for enjoyment. :-)