First Visit to the Park in '08!

Although you wouldn't guess it by today's temperatures (in the twenties all day!), on Monday, the girls and I made our first trek of the new year to Central Park for a little outdoor recreation.

Boy, did it feel good to spend some time in the fresh air! Sure, it was a little muddy and only just barely 50 degrees (in the picture, you can see Caroline's hands are red from hanging onto that still cold metal tire swing chain!), but there was no way we were going to miss the first relatively nice day we've had in awhile. Let's hope we can post more pictures like this in the near future!

Brian Regan

Last night, Chris & I got a very special treat. We got to see our favorite comedian! That's right - Brian Regan came to the Keith Albee Theatre in Huntington, and we were lucky enough to be able to go! We've seen him live before, and he was just as funny as we expected. You could tell that the audience was full of Brian Regan fans because, all throughout the show, people were shouting out punchlines from their favorite bits. It was great!

I am posting this picture unedited so you can see what awesome seats we had. There's probably not a bad seat in this historic theatre, but these seats were so close to the stage - it was tremendous! Thanks again, Tim & Judy, for such a wonderful Christmas present!

Welcome Home, Dad!

Chris was away with work for a few days this week, and all of us girls missed him very much. He got back home yesterday afternoon, and we made sure to commemorate this happy occasion by having a nice family dinner followed by this very special dessert:

Mmmm... little cubes of Sara Lee pound cake dipped in colored frosting & topped with sprinkles. Not just yummy, but sooo easy! Also nice was the fact that the girls could help during both the dipping and sprinkling steps of making this semi-homemade concoction. They love to help out, especially if it means getting to sample the wares! Everyone enjoyed these bite-sized goodies, and we girls were all very proud of our effort.

First Time in Curlers

We were invited over to a friend's house on Wednesday for a kids' Movie Night. We were all very excited to be going, especially Jordi. She's a big fan of any kind of occasion! With that in mind, she requested a special hair-do:

So, here she is with a head full of pink sponge rollers! She kept them in all day, right up until it was time to leave. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of the final result - she looked very cute with a head full of curls!

Pile on Dad

I took this picture last night:

Y'know, for these little ones, there's not much that they like more than wrestling around on the floor with Dad! Yay Dad!

Chocolate Banana Parfaits

This past Saturday, we had a very nice family evening. It started with dinner at O'Charley's and ended with dessert at home. It was a team effort as the girls helped me make a new recipe: chocolate banana parfait.

As you can see, it was a big hit! Not only was it fun to eat, but we had fun making the pudding and then later assembling all the layers - chocolate pudding/banana slices/cool whip/pudding/cool whip! Nothing but delicious!

Pillow Talk

Since about a month ago, Jordi decided that talking on the phone was something that she wanted to do more often. She started asking "Can I talk to Nana?" or "I want to call Grandma" almost daily. So, we started teaching her how to dial, proper answering etiquette, etc. As with most new things for her, she is a quick study!

One area she needs no help with is keeping the conversation going! Here she is, having a long chat with Grandma one evening recently. Once I had helped her get Grandma on the line, I went about my business. She wasn't in bed when the call started, so you can imagine my amusement when I came back to check on how things were going and found her lounging under her covers, happily chit-chatting away!

Dinner & a Movie

Last night, the four of us made our first trip together to the movie theater!

We went to an afternoon showing of the new Veggie Tales movie, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything."

As you can see, the girls experienced some tense moments during the show...

..but, in the end, I think the girls enjoyed their first movie at the movie theater. Notice that Caroline doesn't even want to take her eyes off the screen during the credits for this picture! (Can you see how rosy everyone's cheeks? It was so hot in there! It was awful!)

Since we were in Huntington, of course we had to visit Uno's, one of our favorite out-of-town pizza places!

After 90 minutes of visual & auditory overload, I think Jordi was content to concentrate on some simple coloring for awhile before dinner!

All in all, it was a very enjoyable family outing. I highly recommend this movie, especially if (like me) you're already a fan of the Veggie Tales. It's only about an hour long, and the "scary" parts are not too much for the little ones (although Jordi did cover her eyes and Caroline covered her ears whenever things seemed to be getting even a little dodgy!) And although I was quite entertained, Chris said that he, personally, didn't enjoy it very much. I guess he's not as amused by Larry the Cucumber as I am! But, in conclusion, if you've got any youngsters in your life, take them to see this movie! You'll all enjoy it!

Ice Skating in Central Park

From about December through about the end of February, the Ashland Department of Parks of Recreation operate an outdoor ice rink in Central Park. Weather permitting, it's open daily from 5-10 p.m. Admission is only $1, skate rentals are $2, and there's a heated waiting area plus hot beverages for sale.

With all our trips around the park recently to see the Christmas lights, the girls have had plenty of chances to observe all this ice skating and to reach the conclusion that this was an activity that they definitely should try!

So, last night, the girls finally got their chance. We went ice skating as a family, and it was quite an adventure, let me tell you! Both girls did fairly well, given that it was their first time on skates. They both spent a lot of time on their bums, but Caroline seemed to handle the adversity a little better than her big sister. No matter if she was standing, falling, getting up, or holding herself up along the rail, Caroline constantly giggled the entire time she was out there. Jordi got frustrated more quickly, but she did keep trying right up until it was time to go. And one reason I know they both enjoyed themselves is that, even though we stayed until 8 o'clock, neither one had any interest whatsoever in leaving!

Of course, we didn't go straight home. We had warm up with some delicious Starbucks hot chocolate apres-skate! Mmmmm!

Pedaling on Their Own

Yesterday was another unseasonably warm day here in Ashland. So, after lunch, we went outside to enjoy it. It turned out to be a milestone day for both girls as they finally got the hang of pedaling their trikes by themselves!



They have both had tricycles since their second birthdays, but, for some reason, things just didn't click until yesterday!

Of course, one reason why must have been the thorough oiling our neighbor Jack gave to both trikes. (I think he heard all the squeaking from inside his house and came to investigate!) We're lucky to have a such a handy friend right next door! (This is also his driveway we're using for our practice track!)

Now, if we can just get the nice weather to hold for a little longer so we can keep practicing!

We Like Our Christmas Gifts!

Here's Caroline using her desk from Nana & Grandad to color with her "Color Wonder" markers & paper. For me, the nice thing about the Color Wonder stuff is what Caroline's showing you on her hands: no mess!

The girls got several home-made gifts from relatives this year, including the hat Jordi's wearing in this picture (knitted by Aunt Donna). Jordi liked this "look," and kept this hat on most of the day I took this picture!

Picnic in January?!

Yes, believe it or not, we had a picnic lunch - outside - yesterday! It was so unusually mild that we couldn't resist the chance to bask in the sunny, 70 degree weather.

We know this mildness is short-lived, however, and that we'll probably be posting some more snow pictures before too long, but it sure is nice to enjoy it while it lasts!

Two Cute Faces

For those of you who are missing seeing these faces almost every day, here are a couple recent pictures for your enjoyment:

I caught Caroline mid-flight in this picture; she liked the way the scarf on this hat fluttered while she ran back & forth (again & again!) in the living room!

Jordi loves projects, and here she is showing off the finished product of her latest one. It's a porcelain paint-yourself piggy bank, and she had a wonderful time painting it during Caroline's naptime the other day!

Snow in Kentucky

On Wednesday this week, winter arrived: below freezing temperatures and a few inches of snow. The kids were thrilled!

First snow angel of the year! (I think the urge to make these is instinctual!)

Doesn't she look like she's having fun? Caroline, especially, seemed impervious to the windy, 17 degree conditions. We stayed outside for an entire hour and she still protested when it was time to go in!

Jordi, who had been visiting the neighbors (indoors!) for most of the time we were outside, joined in the outdoor fun just long enough to lob a few snowballs; here's a good picture of her wind-up!

The below-freezing temps - and most of the snow - stayed with us until today. The girls are already looking forward to the next snow day... whenever that may be!

Happy New Year!

We've got another great year of blogging under our belts - here's to sharing lots more pictures & experiences with you all 2008!

(Thanks to Kim for these awesome souvenir glasses she brought back for the girls from her recent trip to NYC!)