18 Months! Where has the time gone?!?

I realize I've been a bit lax in writing but I'm not going to apologize, everyone knows I've got two babies and a deployed husband, I'm just BUSY! Anyways, I decided to try and do a quick update of the last 5-6 months while I wait for 2am to get here. Why 2am you ask? Good question. Some of you may know that I like to save money whenever and wherever I can (even if it means staying up until 2am!) Some of you may also know that one of my goals during this deployment was to run a half marathon at the END of it (my ultimate wish would be that Rush would be home in time to run it WITH me.) Well put two and two together and you get me waiting up until 2am to register for a half marathon on the 13th (midnight PST) so that I can save $13 on registration and possibly be one of the lucky few who also get a bonus gift card for being one of the first to register this morning! TA DAH! So exciting right? Well it's 12:30 now so I have another hour and a half to finish this post and get extra housework done. We'll see if I'm finished with this post in time for the housework.

SO let's see...since March the girls have become much more coordinated, I'd even say they can run in their adorable cute way. They still LOVE to dance! And with the Olympics going on they really loved dancing along with the rhythmic gymnastics. I think it's safe to say that I see lessons in their future. ;) They still LOVE to read books, I mean they will hand me book after book after book, sometimes I have to tell them to go find me a new book because I'm so tired of reading the same few again and again. And they are so smart that they do! They'll go find another book for me to read. Every now and then they are content reading to themselves (or each other) and will just sit and babble as they turn pages of their books. Speaking of how smart they are (I am in no way biased ;)) it was back in June when I told one of them (pretty sure it was Reagan) to shut the door, and to my complete surprise she stopped what she was doing looked at the door and then went and shut it!!! I had not worked on that or even tried teaching her what a "door" was. I was soo impressed and decided to start telling them to do other things and see what they caught on to. Adalyn is my sharer (is that a word?) I can now give her both pacifiers at night and she will immediately take one and try to put it in Reagan's mouth. Also in the morning if I get her out of her crib first, she will go grab a milk and try to bring it into the room to give Reagan (who I just got out of her crib.) It is soo stinking sweet. I've even caught them sharing food, hugs, and kisses! It makes me sooo happy because there are still times when I have to put one of them in timeout for biting the other, and now that they have a FULL set of teeth, it hurts so much more (trust me I know!) Speaking of pacifiers, not long after Rush left, the girls started getting the hint that lovies and pacifiers were only for when they were in their cribs. Now in the mornings when I pick them up they grab their pacifier and throw it back in their cribs!

Let's see, some of the other "commands" that they listen to...they know what it means when I say, "Let's get in the car." They run to the garage door and (im)patiently wait for me to open it and the garage door so they can watch it in awe. :) Oh, they love their shoes (like their momma!) I'll ask them if they want to put their shoes on and they come running. They'll sometimes even throw themselves in my lap. Then once they're sitting in my lap, they'll pick their feet up and wait for me to strap them on. They'll then proceed to high step or quick step all over the tile because they love to hear their shoes on tile. When we were at my Klemcke family reunion, we had their jellies that they wore whenever they went outside the cabin. In the morning they would find them and hand them to whoever would put them on so they could go outside! They had so much fun at the river, I can't wait to see how much more they continue to love it every year. :)

Within the past few days they have actually started trying to SAY words! Some of them are actually very good, while others don't quite sound like it, but I know they are trying to say it because it's the same every time. Some of the words they've said (but don't always continue to say) are cracker, donkey, cow, bird, frog, and puppy! We have a few picture books and I'll ask them to tell me (or point) to the "such and such" and most of the time they get it right. Oh they have "baby" down pat, anytime they see a baby they have to point and say "baby," it's really cute.  The more important words they'll sign, such as food, drink, more, night-night, thank you, and all done. I'm working on please and potty. Along with signing, out of no where they started answering me with a head shake yes or no. I guess maybe I shake my head when I'm talking to them, but one day (maybe a month ago) I remember asking Reagan if she wanted something and she shook her head yes! They both will answer me with a headshake now, it's so amazing just how much they pick up on.

Back in May we climbed Enchanted Rock as a family. It was really fun, I had never been there and always love driving through Fredericksburg. Rush and I have a thing where every anniversary we are going to try and take a trip. We decided that only on the big numbers (5, 10, 15, etc.) we would take a private trip. All the others we would make it a family trip. It was a new experience to say the least, we learned some of the things to do and not do. Like don't wait until the heat of the day to try and climb a large rock while carrying a baby. Also plan for them to want to walk the whole way down, because otherwise they will scream and squirm the WHOLE way down and people will start to look at you like you are crazy.

Well, that's all I can remember for now. I will do my best to not wait another five months before I come back. Mother's Day Out starts back in Sept. and we have a few more trips planned. But I am hoping that these next few months won't be as crazy as these last two. Looks like I have another 40 minutes until 2am so I guess I'll go clean off the stairway and straighten up my craft room. I'm about to start working on covers for the girls' nap mats and matching blankets for MDO. :)