A Sunday Stroll

Yesterday afternoon Bob's parents, the kids and I took a walk on a path near our home. It was a beautiful afternoon that needed to be spent outside. The path we chose to walk on is known for an Eagle's nest that is in one of the huge trees along the way. People all stop and gaze if the Eagle happens to be there. Well...lucky us! Not only was the Eagle there, the baby was in the nest and the female was not far away. Bob grabbed my camera and was able to capture some great pictures...

We have been on this path before and took the kids there last year as well. I took a picture of Bob and the kids in the same spot I knew I had taken one the year before...

now...then...

Ahhhh, time flies when you are having fun. That is what we have been doing here at the Dovenberg abode. Madison and Riley are talking up a storm! I am continually shocked at the things they know that are finally coming out in words! I think we all are thrilled we have an enhanced way to communicate! Although, a solid "no!" "self!" is part of that and it is a constant struggle when the kids are trying to exert their increased independence. They can now reach things they never could before and I really do not want to go to another level of childproofing (essentially jail!), so we are working on places that are ok to play and places that are not. We have encountered a few time outs in the process. (They last 20 seconds, but do have an impact!)

Here is the lowdown on Riley...

*He loves diggers and trucks! The cutest word he says right now is "dirt!" oh, and "gako" for pickle (which he loves!) He is happy when we can go to the park and bring our shovels and buckets. Riley has such a sweet soul. He must give a thousand hugs a day! He knows some of his numbers, although one is one, but anything more than that is two! Cute! Riley knows many of his colors already as well. Bob and I were thinking he might be a lefty for a while, but looks like he is now favoring his right hand again.

And Madison...

*can't get enough of books. She could read all day! Madison knows many of her letters as well as sounds! Yikes! When we go to the park, she heads straight for the swing and would be happy staying there the entire time! "Higher!" she says. Madison's cutest word right now is "shify" for fishy. She can be a stinker if you do not always have an eye on her, she knows what she is doing and is really beginning to test where her limits are. Keeps me on my toes!

Both kids love going to storytime at the library with Bob and I on Saturday mornings. We read stories and sing songs. They even get some playtime with other kids in the class. Before we go home, we pick some books out to take home for the week.

I could go on and on and will in the coming days. For now, some much needed sleep!

Easter

Yes, Easter has come and gone, but I wanted to be sure to share and record the events of the day.

It was a pretty low key day around our house. The weather was nice, so we knew by the afternoon it would be warm enough to hang out outside for a bit. While the kids were napping, my mom and I "hid" eggs all over the front yard. When the kids got up, we gave them each a basket and out we went! They has a ball! They totally got into it an loved finding the eggs and putting them into their baskets. We grownups had fun as well.

Growing so fast!

Ok, so I swear, lately, Riley and Madison are changing overnight. It is nuts! They wake up every day saying new things and just look bigger! Yikes! I am really noticing it around the house because they can reach so many things that they could not get close to before! Now, I have to watch what I put on the edge of counters and everything! HA!

Today, they kids were in recovery mode from being sick with an ear infection (Madison) and a bad chest cold (Riley). We hung out in the kitchen for a bit in the afternoon and the kids had a blast. They are really able to do so much more "playing" on their own instead of me playing at/with them all the time. They sometimes play together and sometimes solo.

The new refrigerator magnets are a huge hit along with dry pasta and many containers that are available for holding it, including the toy dump truck!

I loved just watching them play today. Here are some of the images I captured...

Bye Bye Bottles

Today was a big day...we said goodbye to bottles and formula!!! The kids were just taking a bottle before going to bed. They were beginning to not take as much and totally wanted to do it themselves. They were becoming more interested in the cup of water they get after they drink (cleans off their recently brushed teeth!). So, today, I bought another set of sippy cups, we filled them with milk and gave them to M and R in place of heir night bottle. They did great! Grabbed the cup and drank away! My babies are growing up!!!!!

We have had fun over the last few days. The kids are having a blast playing together! They are really into playing chase and tackling each other. So funny! Now if they have a collision or one bumps into the other, they say "sorry, hug!" It is the sweetest thing!!

Playdough!

Yes, it has been too long since I have updated the blog on the amazing Dovenberg Duo. The kids are doing so well and seriously change every day! They seem so big and are saying many, many new words! Today, Riley was running around (some things do not change) with a camera saying "smile!" Then, he would hold his arms up and say "touchdown!" Madison loves to say everything we say (better begin watching what we are saying!) The best Madison phrase right now is "oh no!!!" Darling.

So, to mix up the routine a little bit, I made two batches of homemade playdough while the kids were napping (green and blue!) . I had picked up some fun "playdough toys" along the way, so I brought all of those out as well. I put their new booster chairs at the kitchen table and put down a vinyl tablecloth. When the kids got up from their nap, they saw the table all set up and were thrilled! They could not have been cuter. They hopped into their booster seats and did so well with the new experience! They made balls, used cookie cutters and even rolling pins. I can see this becoming a pretty common activity around our house, we all had fun!!

Our playdough ply was followed up by some more fun playtime! I pulled the kids mattresses out of their cribs and put them onto the floor, turned on some music and we had a jump/dance party! It was a blast!

A busy, but wonderful day of fun and learning.

The weather has been a little warmer the past couple of days (if you can call mid 20's warm...), so the kids and I have donned all our outdoor gear and trekked outside for a change of scenery. What a hoot! They love the snow as much as their mommy!

Half of the fun is getting on all the outdoor gear! The kids have full snowsuits, hats, mittens , boots, etc! I always put on all the gear as well as I am pretty sensitive to the cold. M and R think it is great that I wear boots, a hat and mittens too! When we return from our outdoor adventures, they love to get all their gear together and put it back in the closet (go figure.) They also love helping me put my boots and such away. Here are some pics of the kids in my gear before we put it away!
After we got all the gear put away, the kids had some fun playing in the kitchen! They discovered the colanders and were fascinated. They loved the new "bowls" as they call them! They became places to store things and even hats!

I know I say it all the time, but these kids are a hoot and there is never a dull moment around our house. Generally, a good thing!

Back in the swing!

Bob and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Riley and Madison had 5 fun days with Grandma and Grandma (or ga ga as they call them!) Our moms worked together to take care of the Dovenberg Duo! I think it was a ton of work, but I believe all 4 of them had a TON of fun!

Now, we are back in the swing of things around here. The kids continue to grow and change every day and are a total hoot!!! They are saying a lot of new words and are generally very happy all day, every day! Could a parent ask for more? I don't think so!

Besides all the talking, the only major change is that M and R are using plates, bowls and spoons more and more at every meal. They love the new dishes and are eating up a storm! They like to eat a bowl of cereal (kix, cheerios, crispix, rice krispies) and a pancake, muffin or eggo with milk for breakfast. Homemade mac and cheese is a huge lunch favorite! For dinner, among tons of choices, they like meatballs, carrots and watermelon! HA!

Yesterday, we hung out around the house all afternoon and had some super fun playtime! M and R were playing with each other a lot (and sibling fighting a little too!!!!) Madison says "Riley" now, in her own little way and it is totally adorable! They both wanted to sit on the rocker in their room yesterday, but did NOT want to share the space. I think the following photos tell the story...

But, in the end, they remained the best of buds, checking out the happenings outside.

Superbowl Sunday!

It was a pretty low key Superbowl Sunday around our house, but there was no shortage on fun! The day started with a yummy breakfast. Madison and Riley are practicing using a spoon to eat cereal every morning and are getting quite good at it! Yahoo! Some of their favorites right now are Cheerios (of course), Rice Crispies, Kix and Crispix! Not bad for variety! Mealtime is a time for songs, yummy food (of course) and major giggles!

Bob wanted to make a Mexican Pork Chili recipe he saw on TV for dinner, so we all trekked to the grocery store to pick up some needed "supplies!" We decided to leave the stroller at home and let the kids ride in the grocery store "race car cart." What a hoot! Riley grabbed the steering wheel and said "go, go. go!" and Madison is scoping all around her and pointing out everything she sees! So cute! We did discover, however, that there is a time limit to the thrill of the race car cart. Once the thrill of the experience wears off, the squirming and fussiness begin, so we had to shop fast!
When we got home, we got settled, had some playtime and watched the game. It actually turned out to be one of the best Superbowl's ever! Riley wore a football jersey and pants and Madison donned her traditional pink! They looked and WERE adorable!

History in the making

Today was a very important day for us, and all Americans. Too see a new (amazing) President take office was truly inspiring.


Madison and Riley do not understand what was going on around them, but I wanted them to "see" what was happening in the world around them. We watched the broadcast of President Obama's inauguration and many of the events afterwards. I must say, the marching bands int he parade were a big hit! Both kids were marching and clapping their hands, too cute!







I worked with them all day on saying "Obama." I got a few "bama's," close enough!

Oh the guilt!

Ok, so I feel so guilty for not posting in a bit. My only excuse is that life has been pretty nuts (in a good way) around our house. I know it has been for everyone, so I hope to get back on track now that the holidays are over and we are resuming what we call "normal!"

My babies are growing up! As of yesterday, they are officially 1 1/2 years old. Holy cats! Yes, there were long days and weeks, but overall, time with these darlings has flown!

Here is an update on each of the Dovenberg Duo as an attempt to catch up!

MADISON!

*Loved her first experience playing in the snow. She loved her "swishy" snowsuit and cried when we had to go inside!

*Is a talker! What fun! Her first major words are da da, mama, doggie, hi, hockey, apple, happy, baby, stinky, Darby (from winnie the pooh!) and uh oh!

*Loves to sing along with the song row, row row your boat!

*Could play on our new slide all day long!

RILEY!

*Loved being in the snow but did not want to keep his mittens on! The funny thing was, he was having so much fun, he did not even notice his hand were cold (his worried mommy did!)

*Is starting to talk as well! Famous first words are hi, doggie, elmo, pasta, uh oh and go, go, go!

*Can do the actions for itsy bitsy spider

*Is a total cuddlebug and loves his blanket and stuffed animals.

Both kids adored the Christmas tree and were so sad to see it go! For about a week after the tree was put away, they both would say "uh oh" when we entered the living room and they saw it was not there!

The mall play area is a new favorite spot. Madison and Riley can really play there and love seeing all the other kids. I am sure to wipe them down with anti-bacterial wipes after we are done! HA!

They both love to sing "The wheels on the bus" and can do many of the actions!

The kids are beginning to use a spoon and bowl, it is still a bit messy, but a new experience. Practice makes perfect, right?

These amazing children continue to delight us every day!