Problem Solver!

You will be faced with many problems throughout life. If you tackle them with the determination that you have shown in the above slides, you will come out just fine my Mr. Charlie.

** Please note, it may look like Charlie falls off the couch after the last picture but he successfully lands this climb and sits straight up on the couch and grins at me.

As for you Lilly, you are just testing your mom here. I probably tell you two to "get down" about 18 times a night off this thing. I know it is mixed signals as I let you SIT IN these as the grocery store, but you don't need to STAND on them at home.

Another 2 Videos From Xmas

Chicken Toy Video

Charlie doesn't seem to care about this toy very much in the video here, but he sure gets a kick out of it now!!

Lilly..she is a bit timid when it comes to the thing. She likes to watch it from a distance, and once it starts to shuffle his feet towards her..she runs for a lap!

Charlie Getting Into Gma Mergen's Tree

T-Shirt Time!

During Nap yesterday I RAN down to Albertville Mall for a quick run through of Baby Gap Outlet, Carter's, and POLO. I was home 20 min after you woke up from nap even.

Anyways, got you kids some Summer Shirts, and some good deals on next winter stuff. As Pauly D would say from the Jersey Shore.. "It's TSHIRT TIME!"

No "If's" "Ands" or "Butts"...

They grow up fast...

It's COLD...COLD... COLD

This picture is from Dec. 5th....but it is one of my favorite pics that I forgot to post last month. It was taken by Gma Pam.

I did a little editing to give it a "Frosty Look"

Today is the coldest day so far........ It is NEGATIVE "ALOT"....

Lilly started saying Thank You this week. Sounds like "TAUNK OOOOO"

Here's to another weekend hanging out in the living rooms and keeping you busy.

Lilly's First Ponytail

It lasted about 15 minutes, even.

Then her and Charlie started to fight over the camera case and it all went downhill from there.

Don't worry Charlie, I didn't leave you out of the fun and games either.

You remind me of a little blond Steven Seagal, here. Your dad wants to cut your hair in back. I still have hopes I wake up one morning to find that your hair curled. I love seeing baby boys with their little curly locks. Your UNCLE Erick had them, and they were SO cute. I don't know about your locks though.. They are pretty fine, thin, and straggly. I could perm them, but by the looks and texture of your hair in back it would fry right off.

If You Can't Read Em... Join Em'..

Yesterday was a PJ day. You wore you PJ's all day! We rearranged the living room, too. You guys love books so much. Lilly even figured out how to get into the "ottoman o' books!" There is a famous quote about, "If you can beat um... Join um"... That is where I got the witty subject line for today's post.

Mom's Try At A Photo Shoot With Props...

Tonight we were home alone until Dad got home from work. I had an idea of using this basket as a prop to take cute pictures. Didn't really turn out like I wanted.

Lilly was not a fan from the get go....

She got sick of my idea very quickly...

So we ended the night with making Charlie have Faux Hoop Earrings...


Good Night

I Wear My Sunglasses.....

Video

** I have finally uploaded some videos. This one is from Dec. 28th, a Tuesday evening when I was home alone with them waiting for Adam to get home from work.

Charlie's First Steps

CLICK HERE TO WACH CHARLIE WALK

Video Taken Dec. 19th, 2010.

All Gone

I threw this away on Saturday (formula)....you have no more of this in our house. You are still using up the rest that you have at Gma/Daycare. So far, so good. Although now that you are no longer on this "baby protein shake" I have caught myself really watching what you guys eat and worrying about you getting all the nutrients you need. I know the whole milk I give you guys is packed full of fat and all the good stuff you need but formula was my "security drink" for you guys.

I am staying strong and refraining from driving to Target to get you just "one more can."... We can do this.... I just need you to clean our trays and feed less to the dog if you could. Thanks in advance.

13 Months...

Today you are officially 13 months old... Below is a picture of you at 13 weeks old..

Here is a picture of you guys now...

Lilly, you remind me of this movie below, except you are 13 months going on 3 years old...

New Year...

This time of year people make RESOLUTIONS to better their lives. I am guilty of this but this list below is great. If we just read this once a week and try to do this everyday ALL year, when next year rolls around we will have nothing to "fix"..right??? The picture above is kind of random, but I think it helps us with # 23. Smile and laugh more.


Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants..
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2010 .
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes’ walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need..
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything..
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change..
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come..
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

No More Merry XMas..How About Merry Maids?

Just when I think I am caught up cleaning after you, two...



I grab the closest thing I have to me to make this mess go away... :) Move over Dirt Devil, and meet LENI!!!



Funny thing is, I am holding Leni here like a football, so he even kind of looked like a "Dirt Devil"..

Having children may have taken away some of my freedom, but it has sure given me a whole new sense of why my mom was stressed out begging us to pick up after ourselves.