Pops and Nana Visit...

We put everyone to work when they come visit :)  Pops helped by cooking dinner and feeding kids.  Nana helped with the entertainment of the little ones.  We had a blast with everyone and enjoyed having the cousins play.   Kay even helped Pops shop at the grocery store.

Having Fun as a Family...

She would never drink from a bottle, yet she finds the one random bottle I had around the house and picks it up to chew on.

So Mad!  I would not let her beat her sippy cup against the booster chair.

Big girl learning how to use the push toys!

 Fun times at Laurel's birthday party. Kay loved riding and Marissa loved watching.

Family ride on the train.

 More clothes from Craig's co-worker in Taiwan!  Kay loves them!!

Kay wanted to put Marissa's hair in a pony tail.  Here is her first hair style!

Marissa is 10 months old!

Talk about wiggly!  This girl will not sit still.  I had to distract her with the toy balls so I could even put the sticker on.  I can't believe she left it.  Marissa has no interest in sitting still- EVER.  Trying to dress her or change her has turned into a circus.  I do love that she is curious, but we are getting a work out!

Marissa is now feeding herself some.  She likes to pick up food and attempt to get it in her mouth.  She gets it about 60% of the time.  She has also mastered the sign language for all done.  I think they must have taught her at school.  The other day I asked if she was "all done" and she started waving her hands.  I tested it several other times and she would start waving at the same time she was turning down food.  Thank you daycare!

Some of our favorite things about this age and Marissa right now:

• She crawls to us like a puppy (really excitedly with a HUGE smile) and then sits right at our feet with her hands up when she wants to be held.
• When we snuggle when she is tired she will put her hands around my neck and play with the hair on the back of my neck.
• She is wonderful at eskimo kisses.  She leans her head in and moves it side by side.  She hasn't really learned how to do it gently, but it is still so very sweet.
• Her head still fits perfectly in the crook of my neck.
• She holds my thumb when she drinks her milk before bed.
• When I come around the car to get her out of her car seat she is so excited she can hardly wait.  As soon as she is unstrapped, she is getting her hands out and leaning forward.
• We LOVE listening to the giggles between sisters in the backseat.  Pure JOY.
• When she wants some love she leans her fuzzy head forward very gently so our heads touch.
• As soon as we put her down for bed she rolls on her tummy and tucks her hands and legs in so her butt is in the air. 
• She cries for us when we leave her at daycare. I am glad it is only a few days a week!

Friends, Haircuts, and More...

Marissa has survived her first black eye.  She fell at daycare and got a nice bump and black eye.  It has been about a week and you can still see it.  Poor girl...

Haircut #2.  Kay has had her second haircut.  This time she got her hair washed and loved it.  She would not cooperate and pose for an "after" picture so this is the best I could get.

Kay and Laurel playing.

All by herself!

We have been working with Kay so she has the confidence to try something even if she can't do it perfectly. Writing has been one of those things. She just wants to trace. This morning we had a break through!  She proudly announced she wrote her name all by herself. We held back our giggles while we gave proud hugs!

Around the house....

Kay has been practicing writing her name.  She always wants to trace the letters instead of trying on her own.  She really wants it to be perfect or she won't even try.  I wrote beside her showing what direction to move the pencil for her name.  Here is the first time she wrote her name on her own!  We were proud!!

Oh Marissa... she is into everything.  I think I might have this exact same picture from when Kay was a baby.  We can't turn our back for a second now.  Thankfully, we have a big sister that helps keep a close eye on Marissa too!

We are trying to get Marissa to learn how to pick up food and eat it.  She has a long way to go.  The doctor suggested giving her a whole banana so it would be easier to pick up.  With two little teeth on the bottom she has to work really hard to get any banana off to eat.  It is pretty funny to watch.

Good 'N Plenty Mountain Trip 2013...

Part of the Good 'N Plenty crew got together over labor day weekend for some relaxation and fun.  We had 15 adults and 9 kids in one house.  With so many little ones the was more fun than relaxation.  We lucked out and got to enjoy a kite festival in the town we were staying.  The kids loved decorating their kites and flying them.  The weather was pretty rainy which worked out for me because I did not have to miss out on any hikes because of my broken toe.  We all cooked dinner together and caught up.  We had not seen most of the Good 'N Plenty gang since before we moved to Hong Kong.  The girls were sick before the trip and we were unsure if we were going to be able to make it.  Kay spent most of the day on the sofa Friday (the day we were supposed to leave).  By Saturday she was bouncing off the ways and ready to go.