Lots here since I last wrote, but that's no surprise since it's been over a month - acckk!
But here are a few things that I've wanted to share (all unrelated and all photo-less. It's late and this has to be fast). So, hopefully some posts with photos soon!
Things I thought would be waiting on for *years*, and yet now I can't believe they are happening:
I don't have to get out of the car to open the gate (to go in our driveway) if I have on of the girls with me - they can both now unbuckle from their car seats and get out and act as my automatic gate openers. Believe me, when you have a chain link fence gate that you have to open and close everytime you go in and out of the driveway, there are days when it seems very tedious. I thought the day would never come when I would have an "automatic" gate. I love it, but it also makes me a little sad, because I can't believe how quickly they are growing up. Yes, the thing you always here people saying, but I really understand it, finally .... at least a little. I'm sure there are bigger surprises to come!
Gracie will also go across the street to the mailbox and get the mail now on her own. A big deal, especially for Gracie. She really likes to be superconfident in everything she does.
And an even bigger milestone for Gracie is what she accomplished yesterday. She finally rode her bike all the way around the block. She had ridden it a little in the fall, but never really got going on it like Clara. As is usual for Gracie, she wants to be 100% sure she can do it before trying and failing (or falling in this case!). But she did a great job! All the way around, no falls and all smiles.
Clara, of course, has been a big bicycle rider for awhile. After riding 10 miles in the Waco bike ride in September with Mike, there has been no stopping her. Her big accomplishment on the bike today was bumping off the edge of the driveway, circling through the grass and then bumping back onto the driveway. Reminded me of riding my bike in Fayetteville - flying down our driveway then into the grass and down the hill (and hopefully not into the pasture or the fence). She was also practicing one-handed riding - she got up to 200 seconds and then decided she would wait until tomorrow to try for 1,000 seconds (or 10 one hundreds, as she termed them).
JM has discovered how to use the pedals on his tricycles (who knows how many he thinks he has - he rides whatever is handy, and if you have seen our garage, you know there is no shortage), but his primary interests outside include climbing the ladder on the side of the swing set and "pixing" (fixing) the boards (he pounds on them with his plastic hammer). While he is up there, he also likes to reach out and grab the chain of the nearby swing (this is where I cower and cover my eyes as he has to reach out quite far (at least in my mind) and is up about 4' high on the ladder). Once he has hold of the swing, he can rattle it and bang it. I think he is making train noises, but I'm not sure.
Oh, and JM has starting collecting all sorts of things in his pockets (thanks for the blog post about this Erica, I didn't know it was something little boys did!) - large rocks that make huge clunks in the dryer, sticks (which are called either kitty treats (when he is playing kitty) or tickets (when he is playing train?)), and who knows what else. I certainly hope I learn soon to check those pockets!
I know there were lots of other things I wanted to get down, but that's some of it and I have one last gem for you that made me laugh.
Gracie was telling us proudly after dinner the other night that she got to hold the bible in chapel that day (it rotates between 3rd grade and 1st grade and she had been excitedly waiting her turn). So she sums it up by saying, "That bible was heavy. Let me tell you, that was no teddy bear picnic holding it!"