Favorite

Last night, just before pajama time, we let the girls strip down and streak through the downstairs.  What is it about letting kids run loose like that?  It makes them crazy happy everytime!  After much tugging and pleading with her big blue eyes, we decided that maybe Piper was old enough to handle going without her diaper.  In hindsight, that decision may not have been our smartest, but it was one of the funniest streaking sessions our house has ever seen.  Hadley's long muscley body would streak around one corner of the kitchen island and Piper's dimply soft body would streak around the other.  Kyle and I watched with tears streaking down our faces from the living room couch.  After several laps of the laughing and giggling fun, Piper suddenly stopped at one of the corners, stuck her belly out further than we thought possible, grabbed her little buns, and then a very steady stream of potty showered the wood floor in front of her.  Somehow, in our weakened laughing state, Kyle and I made it to the puddle before either one of them could slip or splash in it!  I'm sure our tears nearly wet the floor as much as Piper had.

Upstairs in her bedroom just a few minutes later, Piper and I chatted away about the day while finally getting her pajamas on.  Kyle was getting a workout trying to capture Hadley, when Piper asked very seriously, "Hadee, bedtime?"  I'm sure she was wondering why her streaking days had suddenly ended when Hadley was still out hooting it up.  I smiled and assured her that Hadley would also be going to bed very soon.  I followed that up by saying, "You love Hadley, don't you."  And her response was simply, "Favorite." 

Anderson Fun Fact

Here is a little known Anderson Fun Fact: Piper is the same age today that Hadley was...when Piper was born! I'm sure that it is a matter of perspective, but somehow Hadley seemed much much older that morning when she walked into my hospital room to meet her new baby sister. Just for fun, I dug out the dress Hadley was wearing that morning (Pipey wore it last summer as a baby!) and stuffed Piper into it for a nostalgic photo. It appears that Piper has quite a bit more hair, but also a few pounds on Hadley :)

Paige's Birthday

We had a very special dinner party at our house this evening.  Hadley & Piper were thrilled to have a birthday celebration with their beloved cousin, Paige and four of her college friends right at our very own house!

They 'helped' get dinner ready, make a yummy (not Kyle approved!) dessert, and even set the table.  Then they hurried to get ready so they could watch for Paige right out on our front porch.   

Its hard to believe that Paige is 19.  The very first Anderson party that I was invited to was Paige's 8th birthday (unless you count the Family Reunion where I met the entire family for the first time a few weeks prior to that - what was Kyle thinking?).  I can tell you this, Paige is as sweet and generous and patient today as she was at age 8, but she is even more beautiful, if that is possible.  We are SO happy to have her in our town now :)

Dandelion Buddies

Hadley's latest spring kick is going on a 'Dandelion Search' out in the big grassy/weedy area of our cul-de-sac. Piper follows her around saying, "Search dan-lions, look eyes" and dutifully puts any she finds into Hadley's bag. And, just when I think Hadley is surely going to turn into a tomboy with all of that camoflauge and hunting, she insists on wearing her butterfly wings out on the search! What a wonderful spring it has already been!

And just for fun, here is a quick video of a typical lunchtime. Once Hadley makes it through her marathon meal, she often likes to help/entertain Piper through the rest of hers...

4:30 a.m.

That's my girl, the turkey hunter!   Kyle woke Hadley up at 4:30 a.m. (no kidding!) to take her out hunting this past Thursday morning.  And, as she has told me several times since, "It was the morning I had been waiting and waiting for, Mom."  She greeted Kyle with a grin from ear to ear from under her covers, and was the BEST hunting buddy he could have asked for.  They hunted from a ground blind, wore camoflauge, called in some turkeys (didn't get to shoot any though), ate lots of great snacks, read books, and had some pretty special whispered conversations.  She was able to stay quiet until 9:30 that morning, before they ventured out of the blind and went on a nature hike instead.  She was glowing by the time she got home... as was her Dad. 

Kyle's dad, brother Kraig, and nephew Hayden came for Friday & Saturday's hunt.  All three got a really nice bird!  It was a first for both Jim & Hayden,  and apparently that involves a trip to a taxadermist

The girls were thrilled that they were actually able to touch Grandpa A's before he took it down to the taxidermist! 
And, Hadley just liked to be by Hayden when he wasn't out hunting. 










Take two - Kyle went out alone Sunday morning and was so close to getting a turkey himself.  But, instead of venturing out again Sunday afternoon, he chose to take his best hunting buddy with.  Hadley had another awesome and priceless hunting adventure with her Dad! 

Easter Egg Hunt, At Last

Sunday was the perfect day to finally get our Easter egg hunt in, and try out those Easter twirlers!  The girls had a blast searching for eggs in the backyard, and gobbling up the M&Ms inside.  Pipey had a hard time getting her eggs to open, so Hadley would carefully crack them and then feed the candy right into Piper's willing mouth :).  What a good big sister.

The best part about the whole hunt for me was getting them dressed.  I woke Hadley from her nap with the good news about finally getting to wear her twirler, dressed her, and then sent her into the bathroom.  I went in to Piper's room to do the same, and then we joined Hadley in the bathroom.  The following conversation took place between them once Piper realized that Hadley was also in her dress...

Piper:  "Match!!!" (with a crazy amount of vocal inflection)
Hadley: (while going potty) "Yes, Lu Lu, we do match."
Piper: (running over with her belly pushed out as far as it could go, and then purposely bumping Hadley with it) "Cheers!!!"
Hadley:  "Pipo, is a cutiesons, Mom." 

Wiggly

I was happily watching Hadley slurp up a bowl of chicken noodle soup today (my best 'mom' efforts to help her get better!), when I noticed that there wasn't much chewing going on.  Just a whole lot of slurping and swallowing.  The carrots and celery were pretty squishy and probably easy to swallow, but the noodles were the big spiral kind and were pretty sizable.  When I questioned her, she nonchalantly replied, "They're wiggly, Mom." 

Opa's 80th!

We were lucky enough to be a part of my Grandpa's 80th birthday this weekend, and it was quite the party with 19 of the 26 members of his family in attendance!  It was also very special for me to be home, as both of my brothers and their families were home as well!  Ahhhhh.  In fact, Michael & his Family are Mankato residents as of last week, and Nathan & Heidi are in the process of buying a house in Kato this coming week! 

Hadley brought her favorite wooden cake to help celebrate with Opa.  When he told her & Brooklyn how old he was, Hadley responded with a very serious, "Whoa!"

Hard to believe by that smile, but Piper was actually under the weather for the party.  She traveled down with a fever, and spent much of the night before up with an ucky croupy cough.  I'm going to use this as my excuse for not having more pictures of the party and the weekend as a whole.  That, and I was having so much fun visiting with everyone :).

"Happy" Easter 2010

If you are looking for darling pictures of little girls in their Easter twirlers (aka dresses) out hunting for Easter eggs, its not here.  The real pictures of Easter 2010 would probably include the vaporizer for Piper's croupy cough, and a bucket for Hadley (I'll let you fill in the 'why' for that one).  Rats-a-roni, as Piper likes to say.  I do however, have a series of really great pictures of Hadley & Piper decorating a bunny cake with Grandma and their long lost cousins, Brooklyn & Jeremiah (back from TX!) the day before Easter (and before all the puking began).  

 
The two 'first borns' taking over the project.  Note the frosting in the hair - that was an over zealous Piper's doing, hehe!






















Quality control, right?

The look of pride, or maybe just a bit too much sugar...

Despite the feverish travels, bucket needing, and vaporizing, we had a fabulous Easter.  We were especially thankful to have the whole Graham Family together again.  Praise God! 

Stay tuned for those Easter twirlers - both girls are on the mend (turns out Hadley just likes to lead into those croupy colds with a bucket, lucky her), and we fully intend to have our own Easter egg hunt soon...