Having fun

This has been a pretty good week. Lots of down time, and the week went by quick. My parents left Tuesday and it has been quiet since then. No doctor's appointments, no rushing, just time to work around the house and play with the kids. Unfortunately, that also means there isn't much to report!

I have been working on some quilts, so that has kept me busy. I am behind on some quilts that I wanted to make for some family members, so I am using my time to catch up. I have made one and a half of the 4 I intend to make. Wait, no, 5 - I still have to make Cainan's 100 good wishes quilt! The other day, I got in the mail more material from friends for it, so I haven't started it yet! I am still getting material, which is great! I am nearing the end, so I am going to start on it as soon as the other 4 that I am giving away are done. I love doing it - look forward to working on them actually. It is definitely not a chore!

We spent this week doing some planning on upcoming things we want to do! Mat is going to take Arlington to Universal studios. Just the two of them are going to go sometime in March. They are going to have a blast. Now that she is a little taller, she is big enough for some of those "scary" rides she loves so much! There isn't much there for the babies, so just the two of them are going to go. They will have a great time.

And, of course, we want to make another trip to Disney soon as a family! We went last spring and had a blast, so we want to go again before the busy season starts. We are thinking about taking 2-3 days to go, which will be nice!

We are also planning a trip to Jacksonville to see Mat's twin sisters and their families. We haven't seen them since Christmas, and they came here, so we are going there to catch up. It gives us a chance to visit and spoil our niece and nephew - a trip I really look forward to. We are lucky to have family so close.

Arlington is doing well. School is going well for her. We have started reading short little books. She is recognizing so many words that it is coming easier than I thought. She is doing great. And she is learning to spell all the words (by memory) that she is learning, so that she can write her own sentences. She is going to be really ready for Kindergarten. (at least I think so). She blows me away with how quickly she picks it up. We are also working on some math. She can add simple numbers - she is getting the idea. And sometimes she can just look at a picture and know how many their are without having to count each one. That is great! She isn't always in the mood, so we don't push her, but she has a fantastic memory. She can go up to a week and not review and remember everything we had done before. And her love of art still stands. She spends hours daily drawing and creating, and just having a great time. That is why we started learning how to spell the words from memory - she likes to write little stories about her drawings.

Cainan is doing well also. He has got the word "light" pretty much down. "L" is very hard for him, and he is working on it very hard. His language is progressing. He has learned 4 basic shapes - square, circle, star and triangle and can pull them when I ask and put them in the correct hole. He has a new favorite toy - a Mickey Mouse stuffed animal that we brought him back the last time we were in Disney. He takes it EVERYWHERE. He has never really attached himself to a favorite toy - he loves his blanket - but this is his first toy. I am glad - that will help with his upcoming surgery. He can even say "mouse" He asks for it before he goes to bed, and it is really cute. He can also say "rag".

Finley is doing great! She has picked up so much language that I stopped being able to keep up with all of her words. A few of her new things are that she can say Arlington and Cainan. She says "Ar-ton" and "Caincan" It is cute. She calls for them all the time. She will take Cainan by the hand and lead him off to play. Of course, they still battle quite a bit. I am sure that will be life long. With them being basically twins, it is hard. And Cainan is Finley's shadow - he is on top of her to play with whatever she is doing ALL the time. I am sure that gets old. But they will play cooperatively. Now, when Arlington is home, Arlington is the leader, and she controls the play, and they are better behaved. They will do whatever Arlington tells them to do! It is funny.

Anyway, Finley also learned today "hey dude" That was fun. Sometimes we call Cainan dude, and in the car I say to Cainan (who was wearing a new hat) "hey dude" and she repeated it. Great. And she said it all evening. She is funny. She is VERY demanding. She always has been the queen. Arlington was much more easy going. This girl demands greatness wherever and whenever. But she is very cute so it makes it hard to get mad.

Today we went to the playground. The last two days have been in the high 80s, so we have spent time outdoors. Although, I have to say that it is almost too hot - we spent about 1 hour at the playground and were really sweaty and tired when we left! This weekend is supposed to be cooler, so that will be nice.

So that is all. Tomorrow is church and then Monday Cainan has therapy and Tuesday a checkup from his circumcision and Thursday speech therapy. So another busy week ahead. Then we are in March already - unbelieveable!

Here are some pictures. Enjoy!