Teresa & the Puddling of my Heart

I am not sure if it is something all fathers experience, but I know that my girls have been successfully melting my heart since they were born. Teresa though is honing her technique finely and is becoming exceedingly effective at it. Her new thing now is randomly telling me "I love you too" (even if I haven't said it first) and asking for cuddles at bed time. Tonight she stroked my head like I have stroked her head... She is awesome.

Teresa is getting more and more independent too. I don't recall Cara mentioning it, but she now can do up buttons, put on most of her clothing (and sometimes correctly!), and she will get herself up in the middle of the night to go to the washroom... She just keeps getting bigger and amazing me in new ways. She is starting to know her letter sounds and can count ordered objects fairly well (sometimes she forgets to stop).

Here are a few pictures I have recently taken that I don't think Cara has posted that I quite like.

She is a darling... And yes, she is now normally out of focus

Yes Frances is upset, but this is how the two girls seem to play with each other. Teresa really likes helping out now, primarily by telling Frances 'no' to things we have already deemed not allowed, and then carrying her away if need be...

That is my girl who pulled herself up onto my leg. She now uses her easel, car & walker to push around the house and walk.

Outtakes

I think it is worth mentioning that I now have to use the sports function on our camera when I take pictures of Frances. Even so.....

9 Months

Frances, you are 9 months old, and what a 9 months it's been. You are crawling so fast, pulling yourself up on the couch and scooting along.  It also seems as if you used up all your crankiness in the first 3 months of life. Now you are a delight and a joy, always smiling (unless Teresa tries to put a hat on you, or sits on you). You have caused many a heart palpation with your obsession with putting potential death traps in your mouth. You are eating three meals of solids a day, and man can you pack it away. I don't know where you put it all, considering you are a petit 16 pounds. You love the colour red, toys that flash and play music and your favourite part of the day is when Mommy sings to you (poor muffin, to have been born into a family who is tone deaf, but you don't seem to mind.) You go crazy when you see Bob the Tomato (I think it's the red) and dance to Veggie Tales. My days with you are filled with joy and laughter, and with Christmas coming up, I can't wait to see what you will destroy.

Note - Photo shoot outtakes to follow soon! 

Things That Make Me Laugh

Here are some moments I captured over the past few days that made me laugh, and that in turn stopped my decent into madness. Well, okay, it didn't stop it, but it certainly slowed it down a touch.

Teresa at breakfast

So, if I don't tell you Ken took this picture he will pout. Ken took this picture. Those of you that have known me a long time will recognize the look on Teresa's face. My friend Rachel calls it the "Friesen Stare".....God help us all.

Oh Rowdy. He stayed like this for a good 10 minutes.

Please note the two magnetic pens hanging from her shirt. That was a discovery she make all on her own. She called it a bow.

Eeeewwwww, Frances!

TMI

This morning, as I was making my breakfast shake Teresa was telling me everything that was going into it. When we got to the fiber powder she looked at me and said "Mommy, that is fiber powder and you put it in your body and it helps you poop." I swear to God, that is a direct quote. Maybe I can start forcing her to work as a nutritionist.....

She's so serious, but, then again, being a princess is serious stuff.

Retreiver?

I think Ken and I's decision to let Rowdy raise Frances, upon deeper reflection, has proven to be a poor one. Frances has taken to her retriever training like a fish to water. Currently, her favourite activity is to find an object on the floor, put it in her mouth, and crawl around with it. While I am proud that she is proving to be a quick learner, I can't help but feel this will affect her negatively in the future.

Okay, I know she isn't carrying anything in this one, but it's so friggin' awesome I had to include it.

Stupid Kid Tricks

The girls make life interesting, so very interesting. For example, Frances can now do this:

Which allows her to reach a whole plethora of things she couldn't a little while ago. One of her favorite uses of this trick is to hang on to my leg and giggle while I try to cook.

Teresa, on the other hand, likes to make silly faces. This one was influenced by my father.

Isn't she adorable! Teresa also loves it when Frances wakes up. She runs into her room, climbs up and does this:

Normally, Frances loves it. Normally....

On another note, the strip mall that housed our neighborhood 7-11 is being torn down. Ken especially is saddened by this, so we took a family trip there to have one last slurpee.

Poor Ken, he looks so sad. Frances was inconsolable.

Announcement

So, as it turns out, I want to write about more stuff than my kids. That's hard to understand, I know, but I talked to Ken about it, and he didn't want me to clutter up this blog, so I created my own. The template has pink in it!!! Here is the address, and I will get Ken to put a link to it. WARNING....IT'S NOT ANOTHER BLOG ABOUT MY KIDS! In fact, I hope to not talk about them at all. Here it it:

http://waitingtoperspire.blogspot.com

Halloween in the Hundred Acre Wood

Halloween has never been that big of a deal to me, but to deny the joys of an evening of dress up and free candy to a toddler is just plain mean. This year we were in Minneapolis for the big event, having tagged along with Ken to his "Big Conference." We got to spend time with Russ and Meghan Menno style, with the girls and I spending time with Meghan and Olivia, and Ken meeting Russ for lunch. It was nice to be out, to spend time with other people in a different place. Alison, the family friend we were staying with mentors some families new to the country, so we got to trick or treat with a family from South Korea and Teresa took a shine to a teen named Munsi (I hope I spelled that right), who is visiting from China. Teresa drew her own pumpkin face (it will be obvious) and was exhausted by the time we were ready to leave. I wish I could elaborate on this post a bit more, but the fact is I'm in a funk and totally not in the mood to be loquacious. I will apologize by posting an obscene number of cute pictures.

It's funny because Frances looks like she's smoking a cigar...

Teresa, explaining the complexities of life and toy trains.

Yes they are close to the same age.....why do you ask?

Auntie Sarah and Teresa carving. Teresa wanted to use the big knife, but Sarah does not like to share. If you look closely, you will see a scribble between the two eyes. That is the "face". The two "eyes" are actually drawings of Frances and myself. The "mouth" is actually fur. I don't understand either.

Frances getting in on the action. Sarah wouldn't let her use the big knife either....spoil sport.

The finished product.

Tigger and Eeyore. This picture was taken seconds before Frances fell to the ground face first.

See, she's tough.

My gang from the Hundred acre Wood. Ken went as Christopher Robin.

Action shot!

Teresa and Munsi, Minneapolis BFF's.