Kitchen Playground

Playing in the kitchen while Mom's making dinner can be lots of fun!

With Addison pulling up on pretty much anything she can reach, we've learned to keep the dishwasher closed when she's around!

Wooden spoons are delicious!

Can I climb this?

it sure does

Chairs make great jungle gyms

Evening Energy

When Dad gets home from work, the girls are treated to some fun play time. 

 Dad offers his arm to Addie and its an invitation to practice standing

Emily's all smiles during Daddy Play Time

Mom appreciates how tuckered out the girls get, they're always ready for bedtime at the end of a play session!

Too Cool

A few of Emily and Addison's friends have sunglasses with bands on them so they will stay in place. I have thought about getting a pair for each of the girls, and at a recent mom's group, a couple of fellow moms loaned us some glasses to try out. 

What do you think? Too cool or what?

Growing Girls

The swings were a huge hit when the girls were tiny, but as they've become more mobile, they aren't as interested in sitting, so the swings went down into the basement. About a month ago, we were downstairs and decided to put the girls back in the swings to watch their reactions.

Tigers

Last month, the Detroit Tigers were in the playoffs, so we had to get some pictures of the girls with Dad's Tigers hat.

Until Next Time

Pop Pop and Cee Cee went back home to Michigan, but before they left, there was one more morning of fun and play.

The girls modeled their new Detroit Tigers gear. They look like real fans.

Bye bye! See you at Christmas!

A Beautiful Colorado Mountain Fall

Emily and Addison got to experience their first trip to Breckenridge while CeeCee and PopPop were in town last month. We took a short walk along a pretty trail in Frisco before heading to lunch and a town stroll in Breckenridge.

It was a sunny but chilly mountain day, so the girls got all bundled up for the walk. I called them my little eskimos.

There was a great bridge along the walking trail, perfect for some family pictures.

By the end of the walk, the fresh mountain air had worn our little eskimos out.

Moosejaw in the Mountains

For those of you who aren't from Michigan, Moosejaw is an outdoor store similar to REI. If you get a good picture of yourself with Moosejaw gear, it could end up on their website. So we wanted to get a picture of the girls in their Moosejaw onesies when we went up to the mountains during CeeCee and PopPop's trip to Colorado last month. 


We had to act fast as the onesies are short sleeved and it was about 40 degrees out with snow on the ground! Have you ever tried to get two seven month olds to look the same direction when surrounded by so much mountain beauty to distract them? To make things a little more challenging for ourselves, we sat Addison on a slope, so it was hard for her to sit up, plus she really wanted to eat that dirt! 


We went fast, and this is what we got!

And the winner is....

Followed up by a close second....

Dad had his Moosejaw shirt on, too. Hello Colorado mountains in the fall!

Denver Botanic Gardens

CeeCee and PopPop came for a visit at the beginning of October, and the girls decided to take them to the botanic gardens one lovely fall day.

We saw lots of beautiful flowers, even though it was late in the season. 

Addie even got to stick her toes in the flowers

The butterflies liked the flowers

Looking at the flowers up close...so pretty!

Having fun with CeeCee and PopPop

Emily sees her shadow

Addison looks at the water in the Japanese Garden

What a beautiful day!

Who's Who?

The conversation continues....who looks more like who? Well, you be the judge! 

Baby Chris

Baby Abbey

Sitting Up

I discovered that Emily had learned to sit up from a laying position when I came in to get her after a nap at the beginning of last month.

She was quite proud of herself, and lost her passi to a big smile when I congratulated her.

Yummy Yummy in Our Tummies (Mostly)!

We've been slow to start solids here in the Palte house, mostly because Mom enjoys the ease of breastfeeding.

I tried coating the bananas with ground oats to make them easier to pick up....tasty? Maybe. Messy? Absolutely!

As of this week (the girls are a little over 8 months old), we're up to two meals a day. I used to eat breakfast while the girls played after they first woke up, but now they sit at the table and eat breakfast with me. Breakfast usually consists of some type of fruit and cheerios or puffs. While spoon feeding seems to get more in their bellies, the girls seem to prefer feeding themselves, so chunks of banana and pears have been a favorite.

Bananas and Cheerios....delicious!

They seem to take turns tolerating the spoon. Last week, Addison was doing alright taking bites that were given to her, swallowing them, and keeping the mess fairly contained to her high chair tray. Emily, on the other hand, would close her lips tight and only open her mouth for something she was bringing towards it. It worked for a little while to feed her with two spoons, taking an empty spoon from her hands and trading it for a full spoon, which she would hold and suck on herself (and maybe 1/4 of the food would make it into her stomach!)

Mmmmmm, nanners

But within the last couple of days, Emily has decided she will eat from a spoon, as long as we make it quick and let her feed herself cheerios or puffs right after. Addison, on the other hand, has decided that anything spoon fed to her will be squished around in her mouth and then sprayed as far as it can go on the wings of the raspberry bubbles she blows. This trick is hilarious to her and while it brings frowns to the faces of Mom and Dad, she is always full of smiles while the puree sprays across the table.

Addie tastes potatoes and green beans 

Emily says, "As long as I can feed these beans to myself, I'll eat them, Mom!"

Nap Time with Dad

Sometimes it's just fun to cuddle, don't you think?