Fun with Aunty Jo-Jo Bugs

  

Aunt Jordan came for a mid-winter Buffalo experience.  It was great.  We pretty much limited our exciting ventures out to eating fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers on rosemary rolls at Wegmans for lunch.  (More than once.)  And that was just enough.  Chill time, catching up, games at night, playing with the girls.  Just what this sister and the nieces needed.  Abby's comment a day or two after Jordan left captured all our sentiments exactly: "It's fun when Aunt Jordan comes to visit.  It's not fun when Aunt Jordan leaves."  We sure love and miss her.  Here are a few photos captured with Jordan's fancy schmancy camera (that I now lust over):

Trying out all sorts of fun prizes that came out of Aunt Jordan's carpet bag/suitcase of wonders!  Are these girls spoiled?  Maybe just a tad.

A visit from Aunt Jordan wouldn't be complete without getting all dolled up.  While she did the mani-pedi's, the girls were left to their own devices as far as make-overs went.  I don't know... they just might have Aunt Jordan's touch.

Given that Ellie started the week Jordan was here with croup, she tended to be a tad moody during her recovery and wasn't afraid to show it.  Abby's not one to avoid self-expression either. The girls love their new sleeping bags from Grammy and Grandpa!

My personal favorite photo shoot of the girls from the week:  AIRPLANE!!!

And then there was the worst photo shoot idea I've ever had.  While it was a nice, sunny day (albeit 13 degrees out) and I thought pictures by the waterfall in Glen Park would be fun, the girls weren't so jazzed about the idea by about the third minute into it all.  Turns out rubber rain boots don't insulate little toes all too well.  And that makes for sheer misery for everyone involved.

QFTD  (Catch-up time!)

Abby, whom Adam put on garbage duty, called from upstairs: "Daddy!  You are so thoughtless!  You are throwing away stuff we still need!"

I told Ellie she needed to lie down for a while because she was acting very tired.  Ellie: "But I'm just done feeling mean."

Abby, upon returning home from school on Tuesday: "Mom, yesterday I got to stay home for King Martin Day."

Ellie asked Adam what her pajama shirt said.  Adam: "What happens at Nana's stays at Nana's."  Abby, almost under her breath: "What happens to Nana stays at Nana's."

I overheard the girls playing Barbies. Abby: "Oh yeah - well, my wife is gonna get your wife."

I told Ellie I needed to make a menu for our dinners this week.  Ellie: "Dinner?  What's dinner?"

I watched Ellie navigate easily to a game on my phone, asking her how she knows how to do that.  Ellie, with raised eyebrows and shoulders shrugged: "I guess I'm smart." 

Ellie, on the way home from preschool: "Mom, I want to play outside in the snow today - but I don't want snowveralls on."

Ellie: "Mom, I want some new ruler skates.  Mine have spider webs on them."

Abby, calling Nana during sushi dinner: "Nana.  If you had this sushi you would not believe your life.  It is so fantastic." (She later told me we should go to Weggies with our sushi and all the people would follow us and want to buy it.)

Ellie was pulling Abby across the entry tile floor.  Ellie: "Get up, Abby! I don't want dead people."  Abby: "I will, as soon as you cross that dirty line."

I started to clip Ellie's toe nails.  Ellie: "That sure hurts a huckle and a peck."

Ellie: "What do forks do?" Abby: "They pick things up."  Ellie: "Well, Abby, that's a good point.  But it's not the best point." Abby: "They get food on?"  Ellie: "That's another good point, Abby, but not the right point."  Abby: "What do they do?"  Ellie: "Whatever things you want them to."

Ellie:  "Eye problems...are worse...than nose problems."

Me: "Girls, GUESS where Daddy and I went on our date last night?" (Dinner and the symphony)  Ellie: "Wendys??"  Abby: "Burger King???"  Ellie: "MCDONALDS???"

The girls were playing dolls.  Abby, calling to Ellie's doll by name: "Hey, Lemon Ninety-nine!  How are you today?"

Abby: "Mom, can we go to outer space next year?"  Me: "Well, if you work really hard in school and learn a lot about science and math then someday you can go to outer space."  Abby: "I already know a lot of math."  Ellie: "I just want to stay here."

Ellie:  "When I was a baby, I didn't like to eat oranges or clementines or paper."

Ellie, while playing with some random manger scene characters that have yet to be put away and some Polly Pockets: "Come on, baby Jesus.  Let's learn how to fight."

Abby asked mine and Adam's ages. Abby: "I believe Mommy is older than Daddy."  Me: "Yes, that is correct." Ellie: "Well, Dad is big too.  He has a big head."

Abby, while helping me make mac 'n' cheese for lunch:  "These noodles are acksolooply going to look different when they're done."

Ellie asked what the knocking on the outside of our house was.  Me: "I think Daddy is knocking the icicles off of our roof."  Ellie:  "Maybe he's getting the bugs off."

Me: "Abigail, I'm not going to ask you again to pick up your clothes."  Abby:  "I'm just getting extracted from everything around me!"

Me: "So, girls, did you help Daddy while I was gone this morning?"  Abby: "Yes."  Me: "What did you help him do?"  Abby: "Well, we brought in our own chairs to watch the basketball game with him!"

Abby, while watching me fill the cupcake papers with batter (for her school Valentines party):  "Did you know cupcakes are bad for your teeth?  The germs that are in your teeth eat the sugar that are in the cupcakes.  And you know what else is bad for them?  Frosting.  And candy canes.  All the things you love - M&Ms, hershey kisses... and the fifteenth thing that is bad for teeth - leftovers."

Me:  "Abby, are you excited to go to Nana's house next week?"  Abby: "Yes.  But I'd rather go to Jerusalem.  I really want to go there and see what it looks like."

Adam was having difficulty getting Ellie to say prayers.  Abby: "Ellie, Dad is our husband and you need to listen to him because he rules.  He rules our family."

Ellie: "Why are you trying on so many clothes Mommy?" Me: "Oh, I'm trying to find some that fit."  Ellie: "Those pants are big. They're really really REALLY big."

I told the girls we needed to quickly stop at the grocery store. Abby: "I think I can handle myself if you go in. I think."

Abby: "Nana said that when the baby comes, she's going to take us camping and to Jerusalem and we can have a special dinner there of sushi."

Ellie, while talking to Nana on the phone:  "But Nana, I just lost my money that Granny gave me in KY."  Nana: "Oh dear.  Well maybe if you help Mommy clean today you will find it."  Ellie:  "No.  I don't think that's a very good idea."