Drive to STL

Unexpected post! Yea!!! We decided to pack up early and head out tonight opposed to leaving early in the morning. That way we could start the morning in St Louis, tackle the STL zoo and head out after lunch leaving around 5 hours left to get to Nashville. With 2 babies that deal sounded too good! The drive went well, lots of books, music, playing with babies and some good old care bears and sesame street for the last hour or so. Oh and Ashley had her pacifier so she was happy. For dinner, Arby's, my trael favorite!!! And the girls enjoyed the yogurt I brought along in a cooler and price chopper ham. Why they don't like fast food throws us for such a loop. I wish I ate like my girls; I'd be a toothpick! So I am happy to say that we are all checked into a good ole motel 6 and the babies are fast asleep which leaves us to hangout in the bathroom. Just kidding, we only did that for 30 minutes after we put them down. Which leads meto a thought, they are amazing at going to bed.... We are in 1 room and not a peep left their little bodies after we started the night night routine. In a crazy weird place, no problems. I love how easy these little girls make most things. I am also happy to report that we had absolutely dry panties, not even a piddle, the entire 4 hour trip and we even went poop when we were eating at Arby's. The other time we stopped to use the potty we asked Anna if she needed to go and she said no at first and then a minute later chaned her mind. Successful day, fingers crossed for just as good as one tomorrow in the car. Favorite quotes from the trip As I am opening the Tupperware full of candy..... Anna: "I smell someding mommy and daddy." No response, we are almost dying laughing we can't believe it Anna: "I smell sweets!" Since it was 830 and an hour past her bedtime the last thing the child needed was candy so we lied about the smell coming from outside. Even though she didn't believe us she eventually dropped it. Mommy: "yucky! What's that smell?" Anna: "daddy has to go poopy." This one had us laughing for quite sometime too! Much love, Jenny

And we're off!

Tennessee, HERE WE COME!

Car is loaded, girls are napping and there is no possible way to open the trunk. I just hope it doesn't burst open as we are driving. It is so packed. This might be a sign that we need a minivan sooner then we originally thought :)

So off to Nashville until Tuesday Morning to visit Rob's friends from Vanderbilt (they have two boys our girls ages) and then cabin camping as a family (with A/C and a kitchen) in Fall Creek Falls (2 1/2 hours east of Nashville) until Friday. Then a stop off in St Louis to visit my pal Emily for the night and we will be home on Saturday!

Don't miss our absence from blogging too much!

Much Love,
The Stilley Girls

PS Wish us luck as for this is our first big car ride since Anna has been in panties. Bless us Potty gods, bless us :)

and sick again... and again...

Ashley started feeling better Sunday night; JUST IN TIME for the bug to travel it's course around all the girls in the family, including Kate!

By Monday night Kate had a fever, Anna woke up at 11 pm with a fever and mommy started with a sore throat. Luckily it was nothing more then a nasty virus that brought with it 2 doctors visits and some HUGE fights with Anna over taking medicine. So needless to say Tuesday consisted of an entire day of relaxing, reading and TV.

Yes, rewind to earlier. I said fights, and I mean FIGHTS! Screaming, kicking, tears, tears and more tears. Can we tell our children aren't used to medicine? She really has only taken medicine a couple of times, none that she would remember so it's not like she has bad memories of it, she just has no memories of it. Even purple like Barney medicine wouldn't work; it just made things worse because she would spit the bright purple stuff everywhere. After some serious attempts at negotiation that didn't work, she was pinned by both mommy and daddy and force fed the Tylenol. Seriously? It was a good thing that the fever only appeared 2 other times and medicine only had to be given 2 more times. Sad to report that went a tiny bit better but not much.

Finally it's Friday and my throat is finally back to feeling better. As for the girls they are pretty much 100% and ready to rock.

We just hate being sick. HATE it.

Much Love,

Jenny

Sidewalk PAINT!

The other day when we were all sick, I decided to make a kids activity I had found on pinterest. 

 

Super easy and the girls LOVED it! Side Walk paint!!!! With equal parts corn starch and water, the girls had fun creating the colors with food coloring and then painting Grama and Papa's back patio. It was nice to do a low key activity outside while we were feeling so yucky and I will definitely be making this again :)

 

Much Love,
Jenny

32 months old

Happy 32 months old to my little bunny! I love my bunny! (Anna thinks it's so funny when I call her "my bunny" and she says, "I'm not your bunny!!!!"

*Sleeping, eating, napping is the same as last month.
*I am talking ALL the time and singing songs; lots that she makes up on her own. My speech is getting clearer by the day and I love asking "why" "where" "what" to everything!
*My favorite book is ANY book. I just LOVE to read! I love reading to bunny and my babies. When mommy reads to me, I like to ask her what letters say. I really LOVE the Mo Willem's books about Elephant, Piggie and Pigeon and of course any princess one. I am also getting into Care Bear and Strawberry Shortcake books (we found lots at a garage sale!)
*I am such a good big sister. I love to give her hugs and kisses. Of course we fight, we're sisters, but I love my little sister.
*I tell my cousins that I love them because they are my cousins.
*I love being around people but I also love quiet time to play by myself.
*I am testing the limits with my temper and tantrums but mommy and daddy keep reminding me what it means to be a nice and kind girl. I would say I had less tempers this month.
*I love playing with Peanut; chasing him, throwing his ball and hugging him. He is so much fun.
*I still love my bunny and my favorite spot- I am ALWAYS holding him there!
*I have done an absolute awesome job this month with keeping my panties dry. I am potty trained (I know what to do and how to do it) it's just that I am not 100% on my own without mommy reminding me to be. When she reminds me I go right away; but when she lets me wait to go on my own most of the times I have a tiny wet tinkle spot on them. Everyone is super proud of me!
*I am big on talking about neighbors and peoples and somebody doing something. I can't wait to meet friends and neighbors; especially at the pool; MY pool!

What a great month! Next monthly birthday I will be in my new house!

Love,
Anna

And then she goes in for the kiss.....

M and M's

.....in my ear?!?!?!?!

Papa has the magic touch; he can pull m and m's out of my ear. I can't seem to find them by myself and no one else seems to be able to find them in my ear like Papa does. It is amazing how he manages to get them EVERY time. I just love it when Papa finds m and m's in my ears!

Love,
Anna

Sick

This past Saturday we took Ashley into Emergent Care for a high fever (102ish) and a rash all over her swollen legs and fingers. Turns out it was just a virus, but it sure was scary.

She had been around saw dust that morning and about an hour after she would have been around the saw dust was when we saw the rash and swollen feet. That got us thinking that maybe it was an allergy. The pediatrician at the emergent care facility was pretty sure it was a virus that she picked up from another kid but the girls haven't been around any sick kids lately so that got me wondering if maybe she just caught germs from somewhere. And then yesterday I got to thinking that it had been 10 days since she had received her 15 month vaccinations; one of which has common side effects as to what she was experiencing. But after a phone call to our pediatrician today that has been ruled out. She hadn't gotten any new (to her) vaccinations at her last visit and the ones she got would have had side effects occurring 24-72 hours after.

So who knows how she got it; the important thing is that she has been one happy girl today and that it didn't take much medicine (or another doctor visit) to get her feeling back to normal :) I am just so glad it was nothing worse; I can only handle cranky/whiny kids for so long :) And honestly, I just don't like germs and not knowing where they came from!

Much Love,
Jenny

PS Today Kate went home with a 102 degree fever.... I feel bad that she probably caught what Ashley had and hope that she gets better just as fast as Ashley did! I just hate dealing with sick.

Deanna Rose with the Stilley Cousins

Today we went to Deanna Rose Farm with Grammy, Uncle Aaron, Henry, Frances, Aunt Megan and Leland. We had a blast! Mommy got us there early to swing on the playground and once everyone got there we started walking around. We had so much fun; we just love the farm! And it couldn't have been a more perfect morning for the farm!

Afterwards we ate lunch with Grammy, Aunt Megan and Leland at Sonic. I guess we should say mommy ate our lunches at Sonic. We filled up on yogurt when we got home; we just aren't fast food girls :)

We had a blast and here are lots of fun pictures mommy took!

 Watching the big cow get milked. Her name is Olive.

 We LOVE the cowbells!!!!

 And the baby goats!

 Grammy bought us each a bottle to feed the goats and when we got into the goat pen it was full attack! Anna did great and even though at times 4-5 goats were surrounding her and practically jumping on her to get to the bottle, she had a blast. I really think she thinks they are a little version of Peanut (they do act EXACTLY like him but without the barking!!!) It was our first time of the year feeding them a bottle so thanks Grammy!

 Good bye hugs to the goats. We go through this ritual of hugging and yes kissing most of them EVERY visit!

 SNACK TIME!!! And picture time!

 Took this picture for Daddy. His "favorite" animal ever!!!!! Check out Anna's face- she thought she was hilarious!

 Aunt Megan helped me pet the horse and, shocking, kiss the horse goodbye!

 I love this picture of Aunt Megan!!!! We sure did have fun!

 Peek-a-boo from the Garden!

 Feeding the fish...

 Prairie Dogs.... they were literally inches away and would yell "eeeek!" Ask Ashley what a prairie dog says and she'll let you know!

Love,
Anna and Ashley

My Purple Like Barney Horse

Look who won for a second time in a row; my horse!!!!!!! We were eating dinner while watching the race and mommy and daddy went CRAZY cheering for my purple horse. And just like the race before, he can from behind to beat the favorite of the day. He is just awesome.....

And no, mommy and daddy did not put money down on this race either. I really think they should put some down for when he races in June for a Triple Crown.

I just love my purple like barney horse. And he made the newspaper AGAIN!

Love,
Anna

Happy Five Years!

This past Sunday, May 20, marked FIVE years of Rob and me knowing each other! 

Happy 5 years BABY!

Here's the first picture we ever took....

Here's the first pie I ever made him....

With a wedding, 2 moves, 2 kids and many pies made what a great 5 years it's been! Let's hope for a much more calmer 5 to come :) And maybe when kids aren't yanking on my ears I can someday wear funky earrings again :)

Much Love,
Jenny

Belle Dress

Today, you wont' guess what came in the mail. My Belle dress that Papa ordered for me. It is beautiful! I look just like my Belle doll AND like Belle in my books. It is an great dresses to twirl in, it sparkles so pretty AND it lets me bow. And when I dance to the song Beauty and the Beast it is magical! I absolutely love my Belle dress.

Thanks Papa.

Love,

Anna

PS I wonder when I will get to watch the movie. I have the book, the song, the dress, the doll.... mommy and daddy I think it's time to watch the movie :)

Belle likes to lift up the side of her dress and here I am doing it JUST like she does in the book!

Dancing while holding onto my Belle dress like Belle.

Serious princess Dancing and a curtsey

I love how she's watching herself dance in the TV screen.

Beauty and the Beast twirls!

Car Wash

Tonight after we put down Ashley, Anna and I did something that I have been meaning to do for the last 3 years... wash my car! Dressed in a swim suit I had the best helper!

I acted like the Stepmother and kept yelling "Cinderella! Cinderella! Clean my car!"

And sure enough Anna, I mean Cinderella, would grab her sponge, dip it in the bucket of soapy water and start scrubbing while responding, "Ok Stepmother. I wash your car!"

This kept us busy for around 45 minutes and by the end of it, Anna had figured out how to spray the hose attachment and was having lots of fun spraying the car and me!

I am looking forward to having this become a fun thing we do together as a family at our new house. She had a blast and in the end I had a clean car!

Much Love,
Jenny