For special occasions, Gabrielle loves to have her toes painted. I bought a new color for Easter (it matches my dress perfectly) and she was so excited to get her nails done. As I was painting her toes, she asked me to paint her fingers as well. In the past I would have said no because Ellie likes to suck her thumbs when she gets tired. However, since we're trying to break her of the habit, I said yes in hopes that she would like the look so much that she wouldn't want to mess it up. Guess what?! She hasn't sucked her thumb all day! We may be on to something here.
We colored eggs this morning and the kids had so much fun. One trick that I've learned from past years is to put the egg coloring cups on top of a papertowel-lined cookie sheet. This was a lifesaver this year as the kids inevitably splashed colored water out every time they deposited an egg in the cup. I'm glad the kids enjoy this tradition even though I can't stand the smell of hard-boiled eggs!
Jacob waits for his eggs to turn just the right color
Emmaline liked touching the smooth, cool eggs.
Gabrielle takes one of her eggs out to check on its progress.
As the kids were getting ready for bed tonight, I was doing something else in a different room. When I came back to check on them, I found Emmaline dressed like this:
Apparently, Jacob thought she needed to dress up like a cowgirl!
Emmaline and her wardrobe consultant (a.k.a. big brother)
And a picture of Gabrielle thrown in for good measure. I just love her smile!
Happy World Down Syndrome Day! It is so nice to have this day set aside to honor those we know with Down syndrome. It took me a little while last year to figure out why they chose March 21 to be World Down Syndrome Day every year, but then it dawned on me...DUH! People with Down syndrome are born with 3 of the 21st chromosome, hence the significance of celebrating on 3-21.
We've made so many friends through the Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association and we honor every one in our group. Today is extra special for us though, because we especially honor our daughter, Emmaline, and our niece, Kayla. This time last year, I wasn't looking at their disorder as a blessing, but God has done a lot of growing in me this past year. Now, I can truly celebrate their uniqueness and their importance. What a special blessing these two little girls are to our family and to everyone that they meet. If I could stress one thing to everyone, it would be not to underestimate those who are differently-abled. God made them just as He intended and our world would be a very sad place if we didn't have them.
We love you, Emmaline and Kayla! We are so glad that God blessed us with you!
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Although we didn't do much to celebrate (except for the festive napkins at dinner), I couldn't resist the shirts from Old Navy.
Mommy and Emmaline
Emmy is moving everywhere these days. She doesn't crawl, but she can roll and scoot wherever she likes. I don't think she intended to be under the loveseat though!
Today, Jacob and Ellie went with Grandma and Papaw to an egg hunt. It was supposed to take place last weekend, but with the foot of snow, finding eggs would have been impossible. The kids had a great time and came back with lots of crafts and candy. They also made a stop to see the Easter bunny at Wal-mart, where they each got to pick out a new pair of light-up gym shoes and a giant ball to play with outside if spring ever arrives.
Emmaline loves splashing in the tub. She'd probably do it forever if we let her...okay, maybe not forever, but it would be a really long time! Here's a video of her kicking her legs. She was having so much fun during her bath that I couldn't resist grabbing the camera.
