I need help!

I can't figure out what to do with Emma's hair! She has beautiful curly hair... on the bottom.

The top is just flat! I don't know what to do with either part of it. When it is down and curly, the top looks flat and silly. I generally just do a pony tail, but most days when we are home it looks like this...

She also loves to accessorize with {multiple} headbands.

Anybody have any suggestions for taming this hair?

Creeping & crawling

Macie has finally started crawling this last week. She has spent several weeks rolling where she wanted to go, but she got tired of not being able to follow Emma around everywhere. She is about 23 pounds, so she got a little high-centered and it took a while for her to start forward motion with that tummy up. She is now a very happy kid, although she loves to stand and I think she would rather be walking. That will come soon enough I think. I sure love this chunky little baby!

A trip to the park...

It has finally been warm enough to play outside a little bit, and we are loving it! Nick got home a little early Friday, so we went on a little walk to the park by our house as a family. It's not a big park... a couple swings and a couple slides, but it's close!

It was Macie's first time in the swing, and she loved it! Emma is not such a big fan, this picture was taken in the two seconds she smiled on the one swing back and forth she did. Then she was done. She didn't like them last year either, but I though they might grow on her this year. No luck yet on that.

Macie thought just about everything at the park was great- climbing on the equipment with dad, walking around with mom, the swings, the slide... Emma liked the bench the best.

She also really liked to walk around in the rocks and talk about what she saw. She picked her own outfit to wear and that's why she has pants and a tutu. Emma also picked Macie's hat and insisted she wear it. Pretty cute, huh?

Rainbows

Emma and I have been talking about colors a lot lately, and I decided to talk about a rainbow with our pom poms... She really likes to sort like things together, so I thought it would be fun. I don't think she really understands what a rainbow is, but she loves little containers and we had a good time talking about the 'blue ones' and 'green ones.'

Spring Crafts

We have been busy with spring crafts this week! Emma loves when we do 'projects' and is now asking to do them. I love it! Our craft closet is slowly getting more kid-friendly supplies... I hope the Easter Bunny brings more. And M&M's because I want to make these.

In an attempt to have Emma help cook with me more, I have been trying to find tasks that she can do herself while i make dinner quickly. This is instant pudding mix and milk in a doubled plastic bag. All she had to do squish it around for two minutes. Or longer... perfect! The only bummer was she didn't want to eat any.

While we craft, Macie has been happily teaching herself to play the piano. Love that girl!

I really hesitated letting Emma paint, mostly because she HATES to have her hands dirty. I decided painting with cookie cutters was a good first project. I put a little paint on a plate, and let her have the cookie cutters as 'stamps.' She liked smearing the paint around better than stamping, and I like the end result. She couldn't wait to hang them up!

{namaste}

Almost eight years ago, I took a great trip to Nepal. And I'm now 'homesick' to go back. I love the people, the culture, and the slower pace of life. Busier streets, not so many cares. I am a country girl, but this city is beautiful to me.

I would love to spend an afternoon at Swayambhunath (the Monkey Temple) looking at the different shrines...

I personally love Ganesh, an elephant-headed God of Luck. I love in Kathmandu that the streets are lined with shrines, and always smell of insence.


I would love to eat a hot plate of Dal Bhat, which is basically rice with a lentil soup and potatoes. YUM!

What I miss the most are the prayer flags that hang everywhere,

and the suspension bridges you walk on from town to town on the trek from Jiri beyond.

And Namche Bazaar. I got sick while I was there and spent a week by myself while the rest of the gang went on to Everest Base Camp. I love that place.

I also love the great Mountain views. This is Everest and Nuptse, two really beautiful mountains.

I dream of going back, but with two little kids at home, I think I am years away. It's definately not Nick's ideal vacation... I actually think he'd rather stay home! I think for now, I'll buy myself a Nepali cook book and frame my map of Sagarmatha National Park and enjoy the wonderful things I have at home!

Eggs

Emma has had fun lately with our 'egg game'. I bought a little egg platter and put colored paper dots in it that matched her egg colors. She gets to match the color egg and the color paper. She never just says 'blue' when she is talking about colors. It's always 'blue one' or 'green one' for her colors. Funny little girl!

Emma was having so much fun Macie had to join in!