Quarantine

Did we stay inside all day because I am a paranoid germaphobe, or was I just looking for an excuse to spend the day baking and eating untold numbers of chocolate chip cookies? You be the judge.

Thank you, Kelly!

Kelly, Kyle, and their friend Whitney came over to babysit the kids on Saturday night. Amanda and Elizabeth had a great time, and Brian and I got to leave the house! We are excited to return the favor when Eileen, due in late August, gets here.

A Fun Morning with Grandma

Amanda went to the zoo this morning with her grandma. They rode the train and watched the elephants get a bath. Amanda also got these cool yellow binoculars in the gift shop. She was eager to try them out when they got home, and Elizabeth was mesmerized.

Growing Up

Today Elizabeth was big enough to face forward in the stroller, and Amanda actually smiled when I pointed the camera at her. She even said "cheese." My girls are growing up!

Bedtime Routine

New bedtime routine for baby: lay her down on the sofa and leave her alone. Last night during Idol results, without so much as a whimper, and without any help from person, pacifier, swing or swaddle, she fell into a long, deep sleep.

How we took the worst Easter bunny photos in history

5:00 a.m.: Elizabeth wide awake and ready to start day. Desperately trying to be angry and frustrated, but is impossible when baby insists on smiling and laughing. Thankfully she tires quickly.

7:30 a.m.: Awakened by husband reminding me that I for some reason had decreed that we were scheduled to have breakfast with the Easter bunny at the zoo at 9:00 this morning.

7:45 a.m.: Wrestle Amanda away from her morning cereal and episode of Dora the Explorer to wash her hair and get her dressed.

7:50 a.m.: Send husband to cleaners to pick up my purple dress.

8:10 a.m.: Husband returns without dress. Turns out the dress is balled up in the back of my closet. Throw dress in dryer on the wrinkle release cycle.

8:15 a.m.: Feed Elizabeth, change her diaper, put on her Easter dress.

8:35 a.m.: Comb Amanda's hair and put on headband. Say quick, silent prayer of thanks that my eldest daughter enjoys hair accessories.

8:40 a.m.: Get dress out of dryer, put it on, comb my hair, put on make-up, find sunglasses.

8:50 a.m.: Pack diaper bag.

8:55 a.m.: Miraculously, entire family is clean and dressed in Easter best and ready to go. Husband even agreed with minimal protest to wear a purple shirt to coordinate with the rest of his purple-clad family.

8:56 a.m.: Realize Amanda is shoeless, as new Easter shoes are still in the trunk of car in Target bag.

8:56 a.m.: Open front door of house to get shoes out of trunk. Fly through the air after having gotten both heels stuck between two wooden slats on the top level of our front porch. Land on concrete, skinning my knee, my foot, and my hand. Thankfully husband does not say, "What are you doing?" like the last time I took an embarrassing and painful spill in front of him, that time on the corner of 85th and Columbus.

8:57 a.m.: Amanda steps outside to see what is going on and immediately slips and falls. Still wearing only socks, the porch was slippery.

9:05 a.m.: Having disinfected my wounds and traded my broken purple kitten heels for black flip-flops, entire family is en route to the zoo. Damn Easter bunny better be worth it.

9:20 a.m.: Arrive at the event tent to find that Zoo has chosen to set up the Easter bunny for photos not in front of any one of the numerous, lovely, readily available natural backgrounds the zoo has to offer, like a wall of blooming flowers or a cluster of lush greenery, but instead has positioned the unfortunate zoo employee wearing the Easter bunny outfit in front of a poorly-hung sheet. At least it's purple.

9:25 a.m.: Original plan for getting a picture of the girls alone with the Easter bunny is abandoned when Amanda refuses to go anywhere near the bunny costume. Can't say I blame her.

9:26 a.m.: Take pictures with bunny.




I don't think I could love these pictures any more if they had actually been good.

Bouncing