As you probably gathered by the title of this blog, Massie is making great strides towards toddler hood (more on this below). In addition to the excitement-that-is-Massie, I have had my hands full taking care of the girls through multiple sicknesses. As I type this, I'm home from work taking care of Rory. This appears to be her second bout of the flu in two weeks. In addition to the flu she has also had a pretty nasty cold - all in the last month. But, Rory wasn't alone, not only did Massie also get the flu, she also had a cold and ear infection. Serenity Now! Let me just say that I'm pretty excited that Session is almost over so that we can have a full-time dad back shortly.
Enough whining - Spring is officially here, the snow is melting, the sun is shining and we are able to get outdoors more often now. Life is certainly good here in Fairbanks.
Massie's Milestone
As predicted, Massie started crawling about a week after my last post. She has the wonderful ability to see the one thing in the room that would be dangerous for her to touch and b-line for it. In addition to this great milestone, in the last month she has sprouted two teeth and is feeding herself finger food! Even though she can crawl she still prefers to be standing. She gets herself up to a table and, using any available surface, walks to where there is danger.
Below is the video I took of Massie a day or two after her first official crawl. I chose this video because Rory also gets a little face-time. Also, I do recognize that I'm talking to my children like they are dogs...I'll work on that.
Massie standing at her play area.
Martin's 8th Birthday
Our dear friend, Martin, celebrates his birthday on February 29th which obviously means he only celebrates it (officially) every 4 years. Well, this year he turned 8 and we had a celebration at the glass studio. Below is a grainy IPhone picture of Martin watching Ella and Rory blow out his candles.
Outdoor Ice Skating
Several weeks ago, in an attempt to get some fresh air, we decided to head across the street to the pond for some good old fashion outdoor ice skating. We had a nice time - there is something refreshing and energizing about skating on a frozen pond.
Below is a picture of Bill and Yuri clearing a rink for us. I had forgotten how much snow we had so the shoveling got a little cumbersome for Yuri. Luckily Bill showed up with his snow blower and between the two of them they created a nice little area for us to skate in no time.
Rory and me skating
Ice Park Visit
We are so lucky to have the World Ice Art competition take place in our home town. Last weekend we loaded up the kids and headed down to the park. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and we had a blast looking at the sculptures and playing on the slides.
The picture isn't great but below is Yuri and Rory "riding" the ice horse.
Yuri and Rory at the entrance to the kiddy maze.
Wheeeeeeeee!!!!!
Rory knocked her head on one of the slippery play things and informed me that "hot chocolate will make me feel better". Here she is enjoying her cocoa.
Forest Reeve's Birthday
As I've mentioned in this blog before, my friend Renee recently got married. Not only was she lucky enough to marry a great guy but she also got a wonderful stepson, Forest, in the deal. Forest is a freshman at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. When Renee was in town from Anchorage last week it just happened to be Forest's birthday. So, we had him and four of his friends over for a birthday celebration. Forest is in the picture far left and Renee, well obviously she's the only girl in the picture.
I love this picture. At this point in the evening Forest's friends have bet him $50 that he can't eat an entire raw onion. Here he is peeling the onion, his friend on the left (you only see his hands) is counting out the funds. I'm sorry to report he was unable to successfully complete the dare.
It was great to have Renee in town - it just so happened that Massie was sick during her visit so Renee got to get some baby snuggling in (usually Massie is not the snuggling type).
Gymnastics
Rory and her friend, Angelina, attended a gymnastics class last weekend. Since Rory changed schools she doesn't get to see Angelina much so it was nice to get them together again. Both children were hesitant to join in the class but once they saw each other they loosened up a bit.
Rory doing a back bend.
My First Parrish Piece
I received a belated Christmas present (or is it an early birthday present?) from my folks. Nelson Parrish, a wonderfully gifted artist and friend, created this little masterpiece for me. You'd have to see it on my wall to fully appreciate it but let me assure you, it is one of my most coveted pieces. Did I mention that several "rich and famous" type folks are also collectors of his work? I'm a lucky girl!
Sisters
Rory and Massie love being with each other. My sweet little girls...
Rory loving on Massie...
Rory reading to Massie - Massie is eating it up!
We call this game "put the burp cloth on the baby".
All suited up for an excursion...notice the beaming spring sun. I do feel a little bad that Massie always seems to be dressed like a boy...I hope she forgives me when she gets older.
Ice Cream Night
The Baileys and my folks have a standing weekly date for ice cream night. We Morgans crashed it a few weeks back and Rory chose the chocolate version as you can tell.
The Tongue
Massie loves to play with her tongue and to lick things...strange child.
We've got a fun filled month ahead of us, we'll update you soon!
