Everything but the cookies.

C is for Confidence.  We have a confident, reliable sitter!  Mia started sitting, um, a couple weeks ago(?), but it is just in the past few days that I am comfortable leaving her sitting without a pillow behind her for longer stretches of time.  I forgot just how cute it is when they can sit, but can't move yet.  She really doesn't like being on her belly, so I wasn't worried about crawling coming anytime soon, but she was watching her cousin Parker today like she was trying to figure out how he got away from her.  Note to self, keep her away from him, I like her staying where I put her!

C this week also could have been for cold.  We went outside to play because we FINALLY had some snow last weekend.  I really wanted to go outside to watch them play, and of course to take pictures.  We weren't going to stay out long, but we pulled out the sled my parents had given us and took them on their first sled ride.  I started off with my typical moments of "crap, what settings do I use on the camera in the snow?" and got some pictures like this.  Flat, dull.  Cute kid in snow gear.    

 And then I put it on manual.  The difference was amazing, once I figured out what I was doing.  With me controlling the shutter and the aperature?  Bright colors, bright snow, better focus. . .So fun! 

One of my favorite pictures of them together.  Ever.  Look at those faces!

 Sledding was fun.  Well, I watched this time.  The first time down the hill, Andy took both of them and dumped Maggie at the bottom of the hill.  She of course flipped out.  Ben was game to go again, so he and Andy went together (I probably should have zoomed the picture to see the facial expressions, but I like the scene.  This hill is on the side of our condo.  The closest we come to a yard.  

After Ben and Daddy ended up in the weeds at the bottom of the hill.  Maggie was happy to watch him go a couple of times before she let him take her again.

I have a couple of cute Ben stories I want to share this week.  This morning, Andy was trying to convince Ben of something he wanted him to wear.  When he finally wrestled him into it, he was pouting.  Andy had said to him, "Oh, look at you, Stud Muffin" and with his lip out and a sour look on his face his answer was "No, I don't want to be a muffin."

Noted.

All of a sudden, Ben has lost his independence.  He has been asking me quite a bit to come and play with him.  They will be playing happily when he appears wherever I am in the house and say "Mommy, I want you.  Nobody will play with me.  I want you to come in the living room."  And yes, all those words, maybe some of them are a little garbled (living room is rough for both of them), but he has had quite a word explosion.  Leaving the baby behind, and becoming such a sweet little man.  

C is for crown.  I love that her look is more like cynical.  We had made arrangements to go on a special Mommy and Maggie date this night to Disney's Princesses on Ice with a friend of mine and her daughter.  I never do anything really girly with her, so I thought this would be fun.  Well, our little friend unfortunately was too sick to go so we had to find an adult and a kid to fill in.

I am pretty sure Ben enjoyed it almost as much, if not more than Maggie!  He sat riveted through the whole thing, and loved the music and especially the horse from Rapunzel.  The only thing that was funny was I realized when we got there that the show focused on three princesses.  Tiana, Rapunzel and Cinderella.  Because I am a slacker mom, I realized that the only movie we actually knew was Cinderella.  The story started with Tiana, and here I am whispering to Maggie that she is the princess from her green underpants.  The show was good though, our kids were very well behaved, and it was a success.  Andy was happy there was beer.  What a smart idea for a Disney Ice Show.     

I couldn't not get a picture of this, and really, it had to go here.  Check out my little readers, reading their curious George books together.  While pooping.  File this one under future blackmail.  

 Mia wasn't so sure what to make of the crown on her head.  Very royal on her bald little head.

Ah Mia, we went on a playdate to a friend's house, and she sat and played for so long.  This house had awesome light, a skylight right above where she was sitting, so I took advantage and took a few pictures of my happy smiling girl.

And last for tonight.  I love little moments like this.  I was doing something in the kitchen and came because they were too quiet.  Well, they were quiet because they were looking at one of their seek and find books taking turns going "where is the. . .soap?" and then the other one had to find it.  They work together so well sometimes, and are on each other's last nerve at other times.  Best of friends, worst of enemies.  I am sure this will be this way for a long, long time.