I only got to choose Megan’s shirt and shorts - the rest all chosen and put on by Kate and Meg! And Josh named them the hipsters.

I’m sure you’re not surprised that I have two “talkers” who almost never stop! They sing, too. Megan has quite a vocabulary for 19 months old - most animals, body parts, food, toys, places, people, etc. that she’s ever seen - so I’m only going to share a few of the funny ones:

“gwink” - drink

“ha-queem” - ice cream, often from Dairy Queen

“buildah … fisk it!” - Bob the Builder … Can we fix it?

“tee-toel” - pony tail, she loves when I put them in and even if I wrap the tiny band around seven times, she persists pulling until it comes out!

“blahpee” - burp cloth, her favorite lovey

“blan-kuk” - blanket, usu. her favorite one, but sometimes another

Last, she adds “y” (the eee sound) to many of her nouns - nose, toes, pants, eyes, food, shirt, Kate, shoe.

Before this video, Megan was crying/fussing, so Katelyn came up, put her arms around her and started singing to her! After the first rendition, Meg was still fussing, but stopped when I got the camera out. After this song, both were smiling and hamming it up for the camera!

Here’s a picture from one morning the girls were enjoying each other’s company!

I am really enjoying how they interact and play recently: lots of hugs, often ending in them on the floor wrestling! reading books together, having picnics and tea parties in the playroom and kitchen, making brownies in the play kitchen, digging in the dirt (or mud if they can get it), riding a tricycle together, Kate blowing bubbles for Megan, running around the house singing songs - some I’ve heard before, many I haven’t, and of course, wanting the same toy(s) at the same time. Even times when I find two identical (or close) toys, one of them wants BOTH, or just the one her sister has! It’s a good reminder to be satisfied with what I have too … and pray they will see that in me and grow into it. God is my strength, I pray he will be theirs.

The girls and I just got back from a trip to Steamboat Springs, CO - where I was born incidentally- with my parents. Here are some pictures of the fun we had!

Here’s the (almost) halfway picture of the mama! I’m 21 weeks.

With Kate we took “belly pictures” every month. With Meg I only have a couple snapshots other people took while I was pregnant. My goal this time is to have one halfway picture and one close to the end (or beginning, really).

A few times lately Meg has been sitting on Kate’s lap to hear a book. It’s pretty funny to see them get it worked out since Meg isn’t much smaller than Kate! But here’s one result.

BTW, the first book is the end of I am a Bunny by Richard Scary and the second is Time for Bed by Mem Fox.

I put some water in the wagon one hot day, 

…soon it got into the dirt, too!

Kate’s knees have really taken a beating already this spring. Every couple days she falls on the sidewalk and scrapes one or both of them up to the point of needing a bandaid so blood doesn’t drip down her leg! So I have now stocked up on those x-large size bandages and peroxide for cleaning! Not that Kate likes either of those things.

No pictures for this post, lucky you!

Meg must be more cautious, or maybe she wears more long pants. I’ve tried a couple of “knee protector” ideas on Kate, but nothing has worked yet.

You know, if you’re a parent, that many things are the same every day - no matter if it’s your birthday, a national holiday, or a personal crisis day. So was this Mother’s Day. But I do have two sweet girls, who give me so much joy, especially when I remember to look past the not-so-fun details to the ones that I love.

Kate often tells me “I’ll never do (whatever) again. Never.” when caught doing something she’s not supposed to.

Meg has just started saying, “K, Mama.” when I ask her to “Please wait, OK?”

Both girls love to give me and their daddy hugs and kisses when we leave, come back and in between.

Kate has started asking to pray before meals and bedtime (Josh and I usually do) so the thanks get more varied - for the food, for letting us play in the mud, for Daddy, Mama and Megan. Oh I tear up every time! What a joy to hear it from her lips to God.

Here’s a Mother’s Day 2008 (my third) picture of us: