BUBBLES!

 While washing her hands in the bathroom sink, Grace discovered that her soap bubbles reflected light and made a rainbow of colors!

But - we could barely see the colors, so we had to keep washing and washing and washing.... just to see more BUBBLES!

So - I decided to get the Bubble Machine out!

 We took it outside and Grace chased Bubbles!

See all the pretty colors reflected by the sun!

(and it's overcast, not much sun today. I wonder what we'd see on a really sunny day)

And I had to have one picture of my pretty girl

without the Bubbles hiding her face!

Ready to READ!

 Grace loves to be read to! Here she is getting ready to read. The day I put this green sofa in the fron room was also the day I introduced several new books I had just purchased. So - Grace called it the "Reading Sofa". The name stuck and now when she wants to be read to she lines up a selection of books!

 Once she makes her selections and gets them all lined up,

it is time to read!

All READY!

NOW it's Reading Time!

And YES.... she will want to read that entire row of books!

But, I don't mind one bit!

Reading... and being read to.... is so important for little ones!

A Trip To The ZOO!

 I had a day off, so I wanted to do something FUN! I really wanted to take the girls to the OKC ZOO but rain was in the forecast. I thought about it... and then decided to go anyway! I was hoping that maybe the weather forecast would scare off others and we would experience short lines and a small crowd!

It worked! I don't think we had to wait in line for anything.... and we were only sprinkled on once!

 One of my favorite exhibits is the Lorakeets!

I like it because you can purchase a cup of nector and actually feed the birds. I always love a hands on experience! Here, Brandy is showing Brilyn and Grace how to feed a Lorakeet!

 Here, Grace is feeding two Lorakeets all by herself! She did great until they stole her little cup and the one in back bit her when she tried taking it back. It bit her Momma, too! The Zookeper in charge of this exhibit finally took it away for us. But, by then, Grace was no longer wanting to feed the birds so we gave ner nector to a little boy who was just entering the exhibit and didn't have any.

(not everyone is willing to shell out $3.00 for birdie juice)

 Brandy and Brilyn were feeding a "nice" bird! It didn't bite. Or - if it did bite, they didn't complain!

 A close up of a Lorakeet!

 After feeding the Lorakeet's we went to the petting zoo and Olivia fell in love with the donkeys. I'm not so sure what she liked about them, but you can see she was enjoying them!

 Then, Brilyn got her arm painted at the face painting booth.

 The OKC Zoo also has a butterfly garden. But, it was cool, damp and overcast and butterflies like sunny weather. We saw two! We'll have to make a trip back someday on a sunny day.

(we didn't make it to the giraffe feeding area in time to feed the giraffes, either so i want to go back for that, too)

 We went to a Sea Lion show and then had lunch at a Zoo Cafe! The girls got Kid Meals and their chicken was shaped like giraffes.

 We rode the carousel! Grace chose a bear.

 And Brilyn and Brandy rode the Cheetah!

 Then we headed towards the big cats and elephants! The OKC Zoo has one of the best Elephant Exhibits in the country and they will be adding an Asia Exhibit for the big cats in 2013.

 Grace playing on bronze cats!

 Grace and a Gorilla!

 Grace & Olivia

 Grace & Olivia

 Grace and Brilyn!

 Grace and Brilyn! I don't think Grace is wanting to share!

But Brilyn did get a turn! Here is Brilyn riding the giraffe!

It was a GREAT Zoo day! We missed the thunderstorms and the hail that plagued our area and had a great time!

Oh, How They Grow!

 Just look at this girl!

 She's climbing up... up... up!

 Hmmmmm..... it's not working!

 Maybe the other leg will do the trick!

Yay! She made it! Now, we need to really watch

her to prevent her from falling when she climbs out!

(or steps out, rather. I actually had to move the trampoline so when she

falls, she'll hit the grass and not the concrete patio)

A Day At The Park!

 Grace lured us out of the house by saying she

wanted to go to the pond to look for snakes.

So.... Grandpa, Uncle Deuce and I all loaded up

into the Razor with her (and Abby) And headed

that way! We didn't see any snakes.

 But we did end up at the park!

Where Grace showed us how high she could

climb and what a big girl she was becoming!

She can climb to the top of every climb

offered and she can go down all the slides all by herself!

She really has grown up a lot this last year!

(she's not even afraid of snakes)

Olivia's Favorite Toy!

 This little top seems to be Olivia's

favorite toy!

 She loves playing with it! And - I think she loves

the fact that she can do it all by herself!

 She also loves making this face!

Her... I'm so excited I can't contain it, jaw dropping face!

And we all just love the fact that she's HAPPY!



Brilyn Has Her Own KEYS!

Brilyn seems to love keys!

Real keys... not toy ones!

Her Daddy always had a thing about real

things when he was small, too... so I completely

understand.

In her mind those plastic keys they sell

in the toy department are worthless

pieces of junk!

They don't fool anyone.... especially not HER!

 One day while she was here, I had to get out to

make a few deliveries.

Taking her with me was no problem, but she

wasn't happy about me taking my keys away

so I could start the car.

So... I asked her to give me the keys so I could drive

her to the store so she could get some keys of her own.

 Then, she handed mine right over!

(this kid is SMART!)

 We went to a hardware store that sells keys!

I bought a keychain for Brilyn and they

gave me keys to put on it.

They had a whole can of keys

under the counter that had been cut wrong...

so she picked out some that she wanted

and we put them on her keychain!

 Now she has her very own set of REAL keys!

We even customized the keychain with pictures!

One of her... and one of her with

her Momma and Daddy!

She's kissing Daddy in this last picture!

After all.... it's Daddy who holds the

key to her heart!



Studying Roly Polys

 Grace loves to investigate! To discover! To look

at all the little wonderful things

God has created and to observe!

 And these roly polies are fascinating little

creatures! They help rotton wood decompose

and they can roll themselves up into a ball to avoid danger.

 And they have so many legs that if for any reason one

wasn't working... they might not even notice!

They really are pretty cool!

Especially to a budding young scientist!

Who Loves the Mud?

Grace took Abby outside to brush her hair and Olivia followed!

But - Olivia wasn't interested in helping big sister Grace

brush out Abby's furry coat!

 Nope... she found something much more interesting!

 She found DIRT!

 A flower bed full of dirt!

 So much dirt that she just couldn't

resist playing in it!

Oh, my! 

 She had such a good time just playing

in the dirt!

 And trying a little dirt on for size!

Hmmmmm..... how do you like this new dirt hat?

Brown is really not my favorite color,

but I think I have to admit,

it looks pretty cute on Olivia!

Don't you agree?