2017 Week 5/52

This week we all had a touch of a cold.  We did school each morning, then had relaxed, easy days.  We enjoyed the 70 degree temperatures the first half of the week, with lunch and playtime on the patio.

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2017 Week 4/52

 The girls did the dishes all by themselves one day.  They worked together, Naomi washing, Kate rinsing.  Afterward, they proceeded to get more cups and spoons and play in the water for half an hour.

Naomi asked to help with dinner one evening.  I was peeling potatoes for soup, and she was begging to chop them.  I cut them into slices, then allowed her to cut them into fourths.  She did well and was so proud.  This was the highlight she ran to tell Sam when he walked in the door from work.

I'm thankful for their eagerness to learn and desire to work alongside me. The company makes everything fun.

2017 Week 3/52

We took a trip with my family to Waco this weekend.  We are big fans of Fixer Upper, so it was fun to see the Silos!  

This deviates from the initial rules of taking a picture of each girl with my good camera (these are from our phones), but this is it for the week and were fun memories to share.

2017 Week 2/52

Kate was sitting quietly in her room, writing in her notebook one afternoon when I peeked in.

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Naomi is learning to hula hoop!  

Her hula hooping and whistling skills are quickly surpassing mine.

2017 Week 1/52

Last year, I read about someone attempting to capture one snapshot of each of their children, each week throughout the year.  This year, in attempt to capture everyday snapshots of the girls and life and practice with my actual camera, as opposed to my phone, I want to try it.  

And so, we begin . . . 

Naomi has been so excited to paint with these new water colors.  Her Gramps put her in well supply for Christmas.  Here, she is painting a picture for Gramps to say thank you, a rainbow and unicorn, perfect for his office wall.  Naomi has been creating like crazy since Christmas with paints, pencils, a new sewing basket filled with supplies, and Perler beads (the favorite right now).  It was a Christmas of gifts that spoke her language. 

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Kate in action, doing one of her favorite, daily activities, tug-of-war with Allie, dressed in her ballet leotard and tutu.  Kate has been right beside her sister, attempting most of the painting and beading.  When she's done, she's right beside Allie, running through the house and giggling constantly.  Kate's favorite gifts for Christmas were the additional pieces she accumulated for her Calico Critters collection.  Calico Critters and Barbies are her favorite toys currently.  She can spend hours in her room playing with them.  Hearing the conversations and adventures she creates with them is quite entertaining.

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It's been a leisurely beginning week of the year.  We rang in the new year with some simple fun, a family game night and take out, even toasting (at 9:00 p.m.) with sparkling cider.  The girls' excitement quickly faded once they tasted it.  We don't know why we didn't get that on video.  The highlight of the night was Guess Who, the girls' first time to play.  It's now a family favorite.  Thanks to my mother-in-law for finding the retro version for us for Christmas.  

The rest of the week, we shopped, slept in, read books, played, didn't do the cleaning I had hoped, and went to a few doctor appointments (like the dentist) that are helpful to mark off the checklist, before the normal routine resumes.  We also visited Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibit in Dallas, an exhibit of photographs of the chapel taken by an Austrian photographer.  I was so excited to take the girls after they had been learning about Michelangelo, specifically, last year and more about the Renaissance, in general, this year.  It was also nice to catch up with our school friends after the holidays.  Today we are all relaxing as we prepare for school tomorrow and getting back to the swing of things.