2 princesses

I woke up this morning to a pleasant surprise in my inbox. These cute pics of Allie and her friend from church, Sydnee.

We have small group every week on Sundays. Sydnee's parents have their small group on Tuesdays. We struck a deal to keep each others kids. Allie LOVES Sunday evenings and getting to play with Sydnee.

These pictures started my rainy Monday morning off to a good start.

Thanks Melanie and Jeff for your friendship and helping us out with the kids.

Week 2 Soccer - with jelly bean bribery

I bought Jelly Bellys and put them in a glass jar in sight where Allie would be tempted. And I told her she was only allowed to have them if she ran after the soccer ball this week. (Last week she walked and told me she didn't want to run in the wet grass.)

I am happy to report she ended her day eating jelly beans.

She even kicked the ball....three times....and it was intentional! But, she was going the wrong way. And it ended with her on the bottom of a 3 kid pile-up. Needless to say, she was crying hysterically and had to be carried off the field by her coach.

Her soccer games really are quite entertaining. See #6 there (with his dad helping out a bit)? Last week he was running around the field pretending he was a motorboat making neat noises with his lips. Then another little girl was pretending she was an airplane and ran onto the field with her arms outstretched flying around.

Gabe has become Allie's little cheerleader. Last night he was clapping and yelling out "A-ie, A-ie, A-ie." When he's not cheering for his sister, Gabe was on the sidelines kicking a soccer ball. Impressed me. Seriously, I'm tempted to throw on his sisters "soccer dress" and scoot him out on the field and let him go after it.

I give Allie all the credit on this one. She is behind me shaking a twig full of dead leaves over my head so Gabe would look our direction. The other 20 I took of him today he was crying.

Probably because he has now broken out in a rash all over his body. It. never. ends!

Thanks for your participation kids.

He smiles

Last night Gabe started smiling again. It was so good to see him smiling, laughing, and playing. It's like someone flipped the "all better" switch and he turned back into his happy self. I could tell he was glad he was feeling better too; he was back pestering Allie. In the bathtub he randomly leaned over and gave her a kiss (a french kiss but who cares about details, right?). Welcome back sweet boy.

SICK of being SICK

I take full responsibility. I brought this virus into our home a week and a half ago....aches, chills, headache, sneezing, green congestion, coughing, wheezing, fever, etc...Allie and I are still getting over it and in the process have managed to pass it on to Gabe too. He scared me this morning when he woke up running a 102.9 fever. He also had a rosy complexion, shaky body and then came the vomit. I had a very trying day juggling a sick and fussy Gabe and my ball of energy Allie. Not to mention Stephen flew out for Cincinnati today for work. Times like this is when I wish we lived closer to our parents.

Put me in coach.

Despite the rainy conditions....


Allie had her first soccer game today.



Here she is....lucky #7.



It was 63 degrees and raining.



Allie had NO CLUE what was about to happen; she was scared and timid.



But still managed to make the starting line-up!




This was pretty much sums up Allie's participation during the game.

The other kids would be in a cluster going for the ball and Allie just stood and watched...occasionally she would walk over towards the action.

Here is another time when she watched the ball roll right passed her.

Notice the hands on her hips?

Stephen stepped in to give her a few pointers. She did just fine considering this was her first game. But we definitely have some things to work on.

Put me in coach...

Linus

Gabe has been given a new nickname, Linus.

He carries his blanket around with him everywhere.


The child loves his blanket.


He likes to completely cover his head and walk blindly around the house. Today he ran right into the edge of the wall...

He also loves his pacifier.

Stephen says we should take it away. I am not ready!

I was actually dangling the pacifier above his head in this shot. Look how happy it makes him. He loves it. Who would want to take away this happiness. Its just not right.

For now, the pacifier stays.