Stats

We had our three-year checkup today

Madeleine:

• 31 1/2 lbs (70th percentile)
• 37 1/4" (60th percentile)

Lily

• 29 lbs (30th percentile)
• 37" (50th percentile)

Both girls are right along their growth curve.

They had their eyes examined using a symbol chart today. It was kind of neat to see how well they did. They did very well, and Eric and I were kind of shocked since the bottom line they looked at seemed kind of blurry to us.

Leaving on a jet plane

...no not really, but we took the girls to the airport for the first time.

They're opening a new terminal and had an Open House today. It was okay. They claimed there would be kids activities and lots of airplanes to watch, but not so much. The only "activities" I saw were mascots walking around. We only were able to see planes on the ground, and the girls were confused at why they were driving on the ground.

But in a break from this week's hunger strike, they ate some chicken and rice samples and some corn chowder soup from the caterers there.

When asked what their favorite part was, they'll tell you Stormy the Pig.

Overheard

Madeleine: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Lily: "She's acting like a baby!"

(Not wanting to eat dinner)

Beautiful Butterflies

Last night we stopped at the KFC on the way home to pick up dinner. I had promised the girls biscuits if they cooperated and got in the car at day care.

They like to go inside and wait rather than go through the drive through, so Lily was playing in the parking space next to the car while I buckled Madeleine back in.

"Look Mommy! A beautiful butterfly!"

A brown moth has landed on the ground near Lily. I think he's sick or something since he's landed so close to her and doesn't seem to be bothered by her attention. I go back to buckling Madeleine.

"Mommy! I build him a cave!" Lily has built a cave around the moth with cigarette buts she found on the ground. I make a mental note for extensive handwashing.

I get Lily into the car next, and Madeleine screams that it's her turn to see the butterfly. As I'm heading over to her side of the car, a minivan pulls into the parking space, crushing the moth and the cave.

And no one ate the KFC but Daddy.

Birthday Girlz

Some pictures from their party at daycare today.

All Aboard!

This morning we went to the New Hope Valley Railway in Bonsal, NC. I hadn't been in 19 years, when my father's Kiwanis Club took us on a trip.

The girls aren't super-crazy about Thomas the Train like many other kids their age, but they love to watch the Amtrak train board at the Cary station each morning on our way to daycare. They spent 6 months reading the Polar Express every day, so I looked forward to a trip to the railroad all summer. Finally, the weather and the time slot cooperated this weekend.

It took them a while to warm up to the train. It was pretty crowded, even though we got there early. So we sat in one of the uncovered cars. The volunteers were all super-nice and loved to talk to the kids about the trains.

The ride lasted about 45 minutes. The girls loved making a "seat belt" out of our hands as they sat on our laps. Back at the station we had hot dogs (the girls just ate bun) and danced to a band they had playing in the gazebo. We checked out the garden trains one last time before heading home.

Party Girls

Today was the girls third birthday party at Planet Child. As expected, they had a wonderful time. We got there around 9:30 when they opened, and they were so excited, they ran off in all directions. I kind of lost track of them during play time because I tried to mingle with our guests, but I think they gravitated toward the grocery store and the kitchen for the most part.

A little after 10 am we headed to the party room for cupcakes. Madeleine got to ring the bell this time. We sang once for Lily and once for Madeleine. I was worried Maddie might get upset with Lily going first, but she didn't mind. My favorite part was when it was Madeleine's turn, and Lily sang to her too.

We opened presents while we were there. I'm never sure if this is a good idea to do or not. But I let all the parents know what we were doing and gave them permission to go play immediately if they wanted.

We stayed until a little after 11:30. A number of our guests were reluctant to leave, so that always makes me feel good that I made the right choice for the party. The girls still mostly played with each other rather than other kids. Maybe that will change more in the next few years. The other kids were mostly children of our friends, so I had a great time catching up with some friends I hadn't seen in a while.

Afterwards we went to lunch at Sunset Grille with the grandparents. The girls weren't interested in eating, but that may be due to the fact I let them have two cupcakes each at the party. But I did make three trips to the bathroom with them.

Madeleine did ask afterwards why none of her friends or teachers from school were there, and I explained that we were having a school party on Monday. She seemed very concerned that they were missing out on the fun.