Playing catch-up

Here is a snapshot of the last ~8 weeks ...

A picnic and "convershation" with Grandma Reina on the front steps.

Eating Sylvia's PP-bars (now known as Kara-bars, with extra goodies inside). Yes, Sophie has had a haircut since then, and yes, they still dress themselves.

Painting eggs (I told you I hadn't posted in a while!).

Getting ready to hunt for eggs.

Baskets full.

Kara realizing there was heart-shaped chocolates inside some of the eggs (white chocolate for Kara - can you believe she is somehow allergic to chocolate/cocoa, poor child!).

One of the best things about Sophie is her reactions to everything - she gets so excited, so happy, and it always shows. This was part of her birthday week - white chocolate mousse cake and a present from Grandma Reina.

One happy 3 year old.

Again, such glee! Her very own ballerina music box (so she stops harassing Kara for hers!).

I am not kidding Nanna J ... Sophie wears this dress EVERY day. Even wears it to bed over her pyjamas!

Sophie during one of her hourly performances.

Somewhere in all of this I took a trip to Germany ... mmmm, bier und bratwurst mit brot!

The annual Montessori Mother's Day Tea-Party. Now I get 2 handmade presents each time (shoulder bags this year, with beading ... pink of course).

It's very cute ... the girls make my tea (cold and weak, but hey), make cookies, set the table and wait on me ... (well, that's the theory).

The sun actually came out in early May and the BBQ season began ... then stopped a couple of weeks later and it's rained ever since.

See, it is occasionally sunny in Seattle.

If Kara isn't drawing or painting her family, she is taking photos of us instead.

And what do we do on a rainy day in Seattle? Why, go to the beach of course. (There was sand ... somewhere).

Awesome little beach though - 20 minute drive from our house, and there's even train tracks with a bridge across the tracks. (I bet this beach is an absolute zoo on a sunny day).

And what's a beach without a playground, picnic area and miles of hiking trails ... soooo cool!

After downloading so many photos, I did not have the patience to try to put this one straight - this is the first "face" I've seen Sophie draw.

Kara's fuzzy-felt "hi" to Nana J and Poppa Max. (Every day Kara asks if July 21st is getting closer).

Continuing with the crafty theme, I made signs for their doors ...

And names for their bedroom walls.

And then I finally did it ... agreed to paint their bedrooms pink (it was a compromise - Sophie wanted the whole house painted pink ... on the outside). I first bought a lighter shade of pink and was promptly told that it wasn't pink enough. Hence the vivid pink accent walls! It actually looks really nice. I'm making (or probably just buying!) purple curtains for Kara this week and Sophie already has her white polka-dot curtains. Next project ... I'm making a doll house for each of them ... and when Nanna J arrives the girls will help her paint the miniature furniture and decorate the house with fabric/felt and make little dolls out of wooden pegs, etc ... no idea where this crafty streak has come from, but I'll admit it's fun.

And we still spend Sunday mornings eating pancakes, watching Pink Panther cartoons on the computer, and spending as long as we can in our pyjamas!