Finishing out 2011

Well, 2011 has come on gone with many exciting events and memories. The next few posts will be of late November through Christmas...catching up on the end of 2011. We've been having lots of fun the last couple of months. Lauren is growing and changing every day and becoming a lot more social. Her smiles are HUGE and she gives them out freely to anyone who will smile at her. But watch out...once she has your attention, if you look away you might get some protests! Lauren is sleeping pretty well these days and only really fusses when she's tired, so that makes for a very happy baby (and family!). She can now grab toys and her pacifier and can put her paci in her mouth (although she can't let go of it purposefully yet).

Hannah is all preschooler and not a toddler anymore! Even though she doesn't actually start preschool for another several months, she is definitely moving toward preschool activities and leaving toddlerhood behind :) She loves to do art, play make believe with her dollies and her toy kitchen, read books, play at the park (yes! weather has been warm enough even in January!). She also loves to "read" books (from memory) and also have books read to her. She loves her music class (once/week) and storytime at the library (once/week). She also LOVES Wizard of Oz. Greg took her to a school production of it and then she watched the movie for the first time soon after that. She is completely fascinated with it and we've probably watched it (or parts of it) 25 times since Thanksgiving! We even went to the Wizard of Oz museum (2 hours away...yes, we must have had a lot of time on our hands that Saturday!) She knows most of the songs and we've checked out every Wizard of Oz-related book we can find. This is the first full-length movie she has seen, so I guess she was just fascinated by it. We frequently act out the story or tell new versions of the story, or dress up like the characters, etc :) She is already planning for Halloween next year when she'll be Dorothy and Lauren will be Toto :)

Big Smiles from Lauren!









Sisters and best friends :) Hannah already refers to Lauren as her best friend and is so sweet with her. Every night, we say what we are thankful for before we say prayers and she usually says something about being thankful for Lauren. By the way...the bow was Hannah's idea ;)




Hannah took this shot-not too bad. Gotta love that bow :)


These pictures are from a really neat event that Hannah went to--it was a "Kids' Mall" where kids get to go and shop for gifts for their parents and family members while parents relax and get a cup of coffee. An "elf" takes the child around to pick up the gifts and wrap them. We were excited to see what she had picked for us--I got a purple purse and a little compact mirror and Greg got some sports magnets and a frame that says "#1 Dad". Very sweet :) They had a "fairy princess" at the kids mall that you could get your picture taken with, too.






The Wizard of Oz Museum!








Dancing to "We're off to see the Wizard!" at the museum :)




The Yellow Brick Road outside of the Museum. Wamego, KS


What does a mom do when it's been a long day with a 2 year old and I need a pick-me-up? Why, make a giant milkshake, of course! But then I had to share it... Hannah was thrilled. I thought her eyes were going to bulge out of her head :) Remind me next to make the milkshake during naptime! :)


Keep checking...more pictures to come soon :)