Little Things

We've had a lot going on this past while! It's been a long time since I've posted so I wanted to write about a few things that have been going on in our lives.

Jim has really enjoyed working on the boat. Violatte loves helping him. Here is a picture of them working on a part of the boat together. They were sanding a board to be the stearing arm for the rudder.

Violatte is such a big help! She sets the table all by herself, she gets things for Annalee, and she loves to help with any project we are working on. I've been sewing a lot of things lately for Christmas and for maternity clothes, and that has been a lot of fun for her to help with. Violatte is talking better all the time, also. She writes her letters really well. She loves teaching things to Annalee, and Annalee is beginning to pick up letter sounds and names. It's amazing!

Violatte has said some really cute things lately. The other day we were going to drop off an order to a customer and when Violatte asked if we were going to see her friends I told her that we were just going to see some of mine for a minute. She thought for a second and then said, "Mommy, can you share friends?"

Another time, she was staring at the wall that Jim and I had fixed and been working on for a while. It is all textured and painted and finished now and as she was looking at it she said, "Mommy, the wall is pretty!"

I've also noticed lately that Violatte has gotten so tall! It is amazing to me! We got some darling pictures of her from her school and I can't wait to mail those out to you.

Annalee and Violatte are so polite and it is so cute! They say, "No, thank you" when we offer them something they don't want and it is just darling! Annalee also says, "Oh, yeah!" when she is proud of herself. My favorite, though, is that she says, "I love you" every time we are leaving and she insists on giving kisses and hugs just like Violatte does. It makes my day!
Annalee has also gotten so she is so independent. It drives me crazy. She really wants to dress herself. She really struggles with it, though, and can spend a good 40 minutes trying to figure out how to get a shirt on before she will even ask for help. If we try to help her she gets so upset at as. In the picture of Annee, it shows her trying to do her seat belt up. She gets mad if we do it without her help. She is also getting to really be a big help. She loves to help set the table and to stir things when I am making meals.

Annalee still loves to pick on Violatte and it is one stage that I really, really cannot wait for her to get through. She just does everything she can to irritate Violatte. People at the store get a big kick out of seeing the younger sister pick on the older one. Some days it seems like all I do is break up fights that Annalee starts. I just keep telling myself Annalee does it out of love. *sigh*

They are such sweet girls. I love them so much! I'm so glad they are my little girls!