Today was a sad day in the animal kingdom...

Earlier this week we found an injured goose behind our house. It must have been hit by a car because its feet were completely black and it could hardly walk. After talking with the Wildlife Care Center, they suggested to bring it in. So I loaded up the girls and the poor goose (in the dog crate!). Everyone at the office was so appreciative and kind. Today we found out that the goose didn't make it. One foot was completely black and the tissue was dead and the other foot was almost dead too. It couldn't walk and didn't even try to fly.

This morning the girls and I were walking the dogs and found a small, gray dead mouse on the sidewalk by our mailbox.

This afternoon, as we were leaving our neighborhood. we came across a dead iguana in the middle of the road (clearly hit by a car) and a live iguana on top of it as if it were protecting and mourning it. We called the clubhouse to send someone to clear it from the road.

Each of these deaths made me so sad today and made me cry. Addison asked if animals go to heaven. I told her I wasn't sure, but that we'd find out one day. I told her that God created animals and asked us to take care of them.

We just have too many distractions while driving, myself included (ask me about how I ran into the garage door last week sometime). I think I was so emotional about it because it (in conjunction with the garage door incident) was a real eye opener. The speed limit in our community, where these animals were hit and killed, is 25 mph. That should be a slow enough speed to prevent this type of thing if drivers would obey it. We need to slow down and become more patient drivers. We need to plan ahead and leave enough time so that we don't feel as rushed to get to our destination. We need to put our phones out of reach and pay attention. We need to move back to Chicago and sell the cars....(ha, I wish).

This is a weird post, but I find myself feeling so much more protective and emotional now that I have two precious babies in the car and on the sidewalks of our neighborhood.

Addison what are you thankful for?

This morning I asked Addison what she was thankful for and here is what she told me:

• Daddy because he loves me
• the trees and the plants
• peanut butter
• poo poo, hahahahhahah just kidding (let the bodily function jokes begin!)
• Elsa
• my beautiful dress

Sooooo, either I need to do a better job pointing out what to be thankful for each day or she's just a silly 3.5 year old without a care in the world!

Happy Halloween!

This is actually a new pumpkin. Our other one was completely rotten.

We carved the new pumpkin this morning. Addison made me wait until she changed into a dress so she could be fancier. Then she scooped one handful of pumpkin guts and went to wash her hands.

Audrey liked the pumpkin guts!

We left our candy (yes, I caved and also got some lolly pops), water, and glow bracelets outside while we took the girls out. Please admire the awesome spider carving I did! It was a super thick pumpkin and took forever! Addison loved it though.

Olaf (yay! he got home in time!), Anna, and Elsa

Sven (I was having major antler problems!), Anna, and Elsa

For those of you who do not know the characters who are taking over our lives, here they are:

The girls had so much fun trick or treating tonight! Addison did the quietest knocks ever. Audrey held her candy bucket the whole time and it was pretty heavy. When we got home, we came inside to eat some candy and heard a big group of teenagers at the door. I went out to get some water and the loot was gone. Ugh. Darn teenagers! I don't want the girls to grow up. 

It's almost Halloween!

Addison picked out our pumpkin and it's huge. We will carve it tomorrow!

I love these pictures of her. She wanted to pose with the pumpkin! She usually hates taking posed pictures.

We made some spiders and hung them in a web in the family room...the girls run under it screaming "spiders". It's awesome.

Last weekend we went to fly a kite. It wasn't windy enough to keep it up very long, but we had a fun time. Perfect day.

Today Addison was allowed to wear her costume to ballet!

 She also insisted that Audrey wear her costume. Look how big she looks sitting in that chair reading a book (upside down book!).

Addison is so excited about Halloween this year. This will be the first year trick-or-treating in a real suburban neighborhood. We will be "that family" this year as Andrew put it. I decided to buy water bottles and glow bracelets instead of candy to hand out. We eat enough sugar as it is.

Happy 17 months, Audrey!

Audrey Diane is 17 months old today! She's still just a little peanut at 18 pounds, but she's full of character and energy!

We are not potty training yet, but she wants sit on the potty whenever Addison does so we brought out the little potty for her. She's gone a few times in it.

I love how the girls are starting to play together!

Addison thinks this old landfill in the back of the park is a mountain.

Happy Fall!

Fall and winter are so hard to explain to a three year old who lives in Florida! I miss having seasons. I know this is really easy to say when I'm not in the middle of a Chicago winter! We went to the farmers market to get a few pumpkins to kickstart the season today. It was rainy, hot, and extremely humid. Ha. The girls still had a fun time.

Addison was too excited to sit still for a picture.

Happy Audrey!

So, we have officially settled on halloween costumes. Addison wants to be Elsa (surprise!, not.) and we ordered a little Anna dress for Audrey. I will be Olaf and Andrew will be Sven!

Happy 16 months to Audrey!

Audrey is 16 months old! 

She loves clean up time. I open the dryer, she's there. I open the dishwasher, she's there. I start cleaning up the toys, she's there. I get the vacuum out, she's there.

She loves the potty. I ask Addison to go use the bathroom and Audrey runs (yes, she is pretty much running nowadays) to the potty, lifts the lid, and waits for Addison to go. Then she gets the toilet paper, throws it in, flushes, and closes the lid. Sometimes she'll even bring a book to Addison to read while she goes! This week I brought out the little potty for her because Addison isn't too thrilled about all the help. Tonight I put her on the big potty with a wee pod seat and she went! Addison and I were so excited, but I'm pretty sure it was just as shocking for Audrey!

She loves noses. She touches (well, grabs) every ones nose.

She loves her smoothie. You should hear her loud, pitiful cry in the morning as I make the smoothie. It's an awful sound, but once you give her the smoothie she is as happy as can be.

She loves Goodnight Gorilla. When I ask her to pick out a book at nap time or night, she usually requests Goodnight Gorilla. When she has trouble finding it, she beats her chest. It's the cutest thing ever.

She loves Lego Duplos too! Addison still loves playing with Legos and Audrey does too. She skipped right over Mega Blocks. She can't put them together yet, but she loves to take them apart.

She loves her Little People Castle. She loves playing on one side while Addison plays on the other side. She also loves peeking through the windows to see you.

She loves her name song. We sing her name to her before bed. A-U-D-R-E-Y, Audrey, Audrey cutie pie. It's very simple, but she really loves it. Whenever we are in her room she points to her name on the wall and wants us to sing it. 

She loves to say "nah". It means yes and no. She says "nah" after every question you ask her. 

She loves walking. She is constantly on the go.