Evening with the Simpsons

To end another snowy weekend, the Simpsons came over for dinner last Sunday. Emilia was SOOO excited to run around in the basement with Nina and Lyla. The girls had a great time -- especially on the trapeze (it's proving to be a very worthwhile $14 purchase from Ikea). My favorite moment from the night was when I went to check on the girls downstairs (the adults were eating dessert) and there was an overwhelming odor. Not one but two of the girls had done their business and it was stinky. As I was taking Emilia upstairs to get changed she said to Nina and Lyla, "I'll be right back, kids." It was adorable. Scary, huh?

Hearty crafts

Last weekend, we had the Hills and Vaughans over for dinner and Valentine’s Day crafts. Our goal was to make some variations of this card. They didn't turn out exactly how we had planned (Grammy and Poppy and Grandma and Grandpa, you'll get to see what I'm talking about). Nonetheless, the kids had a great time getting messy with paint, glue and stamps.

Like, oh my gosh!

Yup, that’s Emilia on the phone chatting with Nathan the other night. Suddenly, she’s turned into a teenager!

“Snow” much fun

Recently, the girls and I went out for a rare week-night treat: a trip to the Reston Library! The library's kids program was hosting “Snow Much Fun,” a free event with winter-themed books and crafts. Emilia had a great time listening to the stories, especially Five Penguins Slipping on the Ice, which they had just read the day before in school. Her favorite part was decorating her mittens. She told me afterward that “they are beautiful!” Uncle Corey surprised us with a visit when we got home and Emilia made him let her sleep with her mittens when he read her books and put her to bed.

Ice cream party

Last weekend we celebrated Clara's third birthday with an ice cream party. Here is Emilia all dressed up in every accessory under the sun on our way to the party:

When we arrived, Emilia made a beautiful ice cream cone with the kids...And, as is becoming tradition at Hill birthday parties, the kids did many rounds of ring around the rosie...

We celebrated the beautiful birthday girl with big bowls of yummy ice cream......which even Emilia ate!

Open wide

You're probably thinking "what the heck is this a picture of?" Let me explain. A few weeks ago, Eric had an appointment with a new dentist. Though a cavity was discovered, Eric was completely taken by the office. Everyday since he has been fanatical about flossing. He's been on my case about flossing, too (yeah, there are about 117 things higher on the priority list for me these days).

So yesterday, Eric "got" to go back to the office to have his cavity filled. The average person wouldn't really enjoy this, but Eric, on the other hand, was so engaged in the process that he actually took photos on his cell phone during the procedure to document it. Not only that, he insisted the photos go on the blog and promised the dental staff that he would give them a shout out. So, here you have it: Eric's wonderful adventure at Reston Family and Cosmetic Dentistry.

It doesn't end there. Eric enjoyed getting his cavity filled so much that he had the receptionist cold call me -- at work, mind you -- to encourage me to switch dentists and schedule an appointment for myself. I'm not making this up -- the woman called me on the phone and said that she heard I needed a dental appointment. He won (shocker). I have an appointment on Feb. 18.

Hooray for books, good food and planes

Emilia loves books, so we were excited to take her to a children's bookstore called Hooray for Books! in Old Town yesterday morning. The store was hosting an Olivia-themed story time with special guest Olivia herself! Emilia now has two Olivia books, so she was thrilled to meet the famous pig. That's her way up front near Olivia...Hugs for Olivia...Mommy and Anna got to meet Olivia, too...

After story time, we went to a nice lunch at Rustico. Emilia enjoyed some gourmet mac and cheese...while mommy told her one of the toppings on our pizza came from a pig like Olivia.

And then we stopped in for dessert at Buzz Bakery.Such a shame, Emilia couldn't appreciate Buzz's yummy cupcakes...On the way home we stopped at Gravelly Point to see the planes taking off and landing.We successfully wore Emilia out again!

All smiles

Our smiley Anna...

Sisters in sweats

Here are the girls staying warm this week in their cozy sweats...

Anna: three months

Our sweet Anna is three months old today. Here's her three-month shot with the lamb:

Anna, also known as bug, buggy, bugster or Anna Bear to me, continues to coo, smile and laugh. She adores watching her big sister and swinging, and is mesmerized by herself in the mirror and her mobile. She is ever so close to finding her thumb, but is making due with her pacifier and other fingers for now. We've recently had to introduce the bottle and formula since I've gone back to work, and she's proving to be a good eater like her sister. She still gives us a good stretch at night and nods off between feedings throughout the day. After two days at daycare, she seems to be doing well so far (though mommy misses her like crazy). Her hair (well, her fuzz) is definitely blond and even strawberry blond depending on the light (with a poor little bald patch on the back of her head). Her eyes, usually open and attentive to what's going on around her, are still deep blue. She is strong like her sister -- mastering holding her head up and even pushing off to stand and grabbing onto things already. We advise everyone who holds her to take all necessary precautions, as you never know when an explosion from either end will occur (ask Gillian).

Other recent highlights:

Charming Grandpa and Uncle Kyle at Christmas...Showing off her strength...Horsing around with daddy...And just generally looking cute...