We Can Read!!!

We can read!!! Well....we're getting there. Most of you know, Grandma purchased the "My Baby Can Read" program for the trips' birthday. We began the videos right after their party in January and has stuck with it just about every day since then.

What a difference this program makes!!! Although the babies are simply memorizing the letter order in each word, they are taking in so much more. It's amazing!

All three now recognize every day words such as dog, baby, clap, wave, hi, and almost all body parts (head, eyes, ears, nose, mouth, arms, feet and toes). Along with learning words, they also are taught songs: Head and Shoulders, If You're Happy, Intsy Wintsy Spider, and Old MacDonald just to name a few. They even act out the movements to the songs that have them.

Preston acts out the most of the words before they're spoken. Elise and Mollie's speech is almost as clear as an adults. Elise can say "dog", "outside", "shoe", and "toe"....but her favorite word right now is "hi". Mollie prefers to say "shoe", "sock", and "toe" a lot. I think mainly because she likes to go outside and she knows you have to have your socks and shoes on before attempting to go anywhere!

As for body parts, they can point out every part on their body you ask them to (with the exception of shoulders because we haven't learned that yet). They started doing this after only watching the video the first week (when they were only 12 months). Not only do they watch the video, they also interact with me and flashcards. I can hold a flashcard up and they will either act out the word or try to say it. Most of the time, they can do this before I say the word.

This has helped them to really enjoy story time. It's almost as if they are "reading" along with Bronson and I. Instead of 2 or 3 books a night.....it's turning into 4 or 5 books. Mollie now chooses which book she wants us to read. And to top it all....they are learning to respect the books. No tearing pages or putting them in their mouth!!!

I would highly recommend this program to any parent or parent-to-be that wants to encourage their child(ren) to learn. I believe it has done more than we had hoped!!

Swing Set Is Up!!!

The swing set is up!! Yay!! Bronson's family (parents, sisters and brothers-in-law) had purchased a swing set for the trips' Christmas and birthday present. And since the weather has been so nasty, we were not able to put it together until this weekend.

Below is Bronson and Jack putting it together.

Preston was so excited that he decided to NOT take his afternoon nap and watch Daddy and PawPaw set it up.

The babies LOVED it!! They have always liked to swing. And now they can go anytime (well, almost any time) they want!!

Here's Mollie enjoying her swing:

Elise had a long nap and woke up to us putting her right into the swing. She seemed to like it:

And here's Preston squealing with delight! He is thrilled:

Gamma joined in on the fun and pushed a baby, or two.....or three!

PawPaw was grabbing Preston's feet every time he swung up close to him. Preston just giggled!

Now, no more going to the neighborhood park and sharing the swings (there were only two infant swings available) or stray dogs (that's another story!). We can go in the privacy of our own backyard, have a picnic and swing to our heart's delight!!

A special thanks to Gamma, PawPaw, Aunt Courtney, Uncle Reed, Aunt Ginger, Uncle Richard and Brooke!!!

"Towel-E-Ban"

I know....it was a stretch, but I had to make a play on the word!

What is it with babies and towels on their head??? Every day all three children go into the kitchen, swipe a dish towel that's hanging on the oven and put it on their head. Sometimes they just want to cover the back of their head, and other times, they want to cover their face.

The latest thing that Mollie likes to do is cover her full head and face and try to walk while holding her arms out. I'm guessing she wants to see how long and far she can go without bumping into something. Maybe it's a new way of excitement for her. She is that kind of baby that likes living on the edge. (Reminds me of someone I know....right Judy Mac?)

Elise can't quite walk yet, but if she could, she would be doing the exact same thing. Instead, she throws the towel over her head, holds out her arms and grunts, "uh, uh". Absolutely adorable!

Preston does both (tries to walk with it covering his face and holds his arms out as if to say, "Look at me!"). But most of the time, he just likes the way it feels on his head. He will continue to play like this for almost half an hour until it eventually falls off (or gets pulled off by one of the girls).

One thing's for sure....they keep me entertained! There's never a dull moment in this household!!!

Dress Up!

The kiddos LOVE playing dress up!! They especially love hats! Anything that will go on their head, they get excited!! But at Grandma's....that's where the fun really begins. Grandma has a variety of dress up clothes and hats they can try on and use their imagination. Here are a few pics of our last visit....

(Above is really from home, but it's Elise crawling away in Daddy's baseball cap). She thought she could get away with stealing it!!!

Mollie really enjoyed putting her cowgirl hat on and riding on her horsey. She rode "in to town and didn't fall down". (I know....corny, but she loves that little rhyme!)

And then there's Preston! Our little Captain of the sea. He had such a good time trying on different hats and seeing what he looked like in them. I think he's the one that has the most fun. I can't wait to see how their imagination will run wild as they grow!!!