A few nights ago, it was time for bed and Anna told me that she wasn't tired... yeah, right. There were tears involved ans she spent some time sitting at the foot of her bed whinning about how she wasn't tired while I ignored her. Less than 7.5 minutes later, I walked into her room and found her passed out cold like this on her bed:
There was a pretty intense game of bouncer tag going on during Anna's birthday. The corners were safe, big people were allowed, and I am amazed that there were no broken bones, bloody noses or broken bouncers. Watch the love a friend of ours has for his wife when she gets in the bouncer.
Here are some pics of the girls going down the big bouncer slide. Listen to what Anna yells.
Sister Slide! E,,a-Grace had no fear and was flying down the slide by herself in no time. Ken got a work out lifting her to the top over and over again!
Here is some video of the kids having fun in the bouncer.
How old is Anna??? Four!
Present Time! 
This year we also got a pinata. It was a lot of fun, although I think the kids were not to sure what to do at first once the candy started flying out of it... but they figured it out. They now make them with strings that you pull that open up the trap door... so no more kids wielding plastic bats and hitting dad in the crotch while he raises and lowers the pinata. Too bad, there goes our chance at AFV $10,000 prize! Of course it was a princess pinata.
This picture absolutely kills me, because she looks like such a big girl! Not a baby anymore, although she will ALWAYS be my baby... Ugh! I get teary eyed every time I look at it! Seriously, I need a tissue right now. It goes too fast!That being said, my daughter is extremely advanced for her age, and informed Ken that she is tri-lingual the other day. She speaks English, Spanish, and penguin. Here is a demonstration:
I also got a new present... can you guess what it is???
This one is for Sara and Mike
Here is Anna helping me make the icing for her cake... don't tell anyone, but Anna cooties were ALL OVER IT!
Did you figure out what my present was?
I have waited a long time for it...
A new 50 mm lens with 1.8 aperture for my camera. This lens has a very shallow depth of field which blurs the background and makes my beauties really pop out of the picture. I postponed it for a long time because I don't really need it, but I sure did want it. So I finally caved and forked out the money. I think it is well worth it!
Here we go... pretty as a princess!
Well, I started to create a new blog (see the entry below) and for some reason my computer was taking FOREVER to process the videos. I had to cancel it out and now have decided to do a separate entry of videos. The videos here also are the same time frame for the photo entries below.
Both the girls love ice cream. Here they are enjoying some after dinner. Emma-Grace in particular is quite vocal about her joy. Notice she is using a spoon. This is a new development. We are no longer allowed to feed her, and she needs a fork or spoon at every meal. The first week or so was a complete disaster, but she seems to be getting the hang of it. She will let me stab her food to get it on the fork, but then I have to lay it down and she will pick it up and feed herself. Spoonable stuff she can do on her own. What is funny, is that we pray every night before dinner and she has to hold her fork (so Anna does too) when we clasp our hands together. Good thing I am a mom who accepts that kids are always grimy and sticky. I think it makes their lives more fun. Anyway, Emma-Grace gives us all a lesson in how simple true happiness can be.
This video is similar to the first one, but I love happy Emma-Grace in the first one and the BIG ANNA at the end of this one.
Blue Berry Pie - Ken's mom makes awesome pie and her blueberry pie was excellent this year. Emma-Grace enjoyed it too. Plus, we do a dinner time routine with Anna when she empties her plate... I have to ask if she spilled her food, or hid it in her pockets... or whatever before I realize that she ate it all. This routine has been going on for about a month now.
Like I said earlier, we went to my parent's cottage this weekend. They have this HUGE hill that the homes sit on and then you go down the hill to the beach. Of course it was a source of entertainment, with Anna and Ken throwing a big Frisbee up and down the hill to Uncle Mike. Emma-Grace was thrilled to slide down it on her bottom or belly... yes it is that tall that she can get enough speed to slide down it. Here is a video of her sliding, but the best part is the near miss of the giant Frisbee and Emma-Grace. Hilarious!
Here is Ken getting beaten up by the girls.
It is amazing how much fun an empty tote can be...
Here we are putting everything back in the tote... without knowing that the girls were in it! Ohhh!
Just a quickie - Emma-Grace decided to style her own hair with goo from food... Like the mohawk?
We went up to my parent's place for the holiday. Here are some pictures of the girls around the campfire. Do you like Emma-Grace's outfit? Who here thinks she should be the new poster child for CMU?
Here is photographic evidence of me and Anna going through the many emotional phases in order to get one picture of Anna...
Phase II - The listening phase in which I explain that I am going to get a picture of Baby Sissy. notice her contemplating the attention she will no longer get and Emma-Grace will.
Phase III - Compliance. Here she has realized that I do want to take a picture of her and she is a super model. Plus, we don't want Emma-Grace to get all the attention!
Anna, Ken and McKenna playing in the pool.
Daddy pile up! I think Anna got tossed off.
More CMU poster child propaganda.
