Home Time Vol III

Here's a few snippets from our life this week. Joy and her busy hands! She did this to herself while playing in the bouncer one day, and she didn't really seem to mind it either, which was good since I didn't notice right away.
We had some friends over to play one morning this week. Funny how both my friend and I dressed our little girls in hot pink and denim. They have a baby boy who is 10 days younger than Joy, so our families are pretty similar right now.
Jasmine and Hope are known at church as the two little girls with lots of hair. :o) Here we were doing a puzzle together. The girls would hand me the pieces and I would put them in, then they would poke them out etc, etc.
Before they had to leave we thought we'd get a picture of the girls sitting together on the big stuffed doggie. But, as you can see, that was just what we Moms thought...
It worked a little better when we put Hope in the back. :o)
The many expressions of Joy Corinne Langemann...
Love that cheeky little grin.
And those adorable eyes bursting with life and adventure!
Daddy gives Joy her first piano lesson. :o)
Hope decides to join in. Hope's been into playing piano again, which blesses my heart. She wasn't interested for a while, but now she'll ask me "play p-ano" and want me to put her up on the bench to play.
Some of our Play Dough creations. "1 - 3 - 2" as Hope would count.
We also cut tree shaped cookies and made miniature peanut butter cookies. :o)
After a diaper and complete clothing change for Joy, I laid her on the nursery floor while I went to wash out her clothes. Hope plopped herself down beside her and started playing the xylophone. I glanced in there and Joy had a big smile on her face, hearing the jolly music and seeing her big sister.

Oh yes. Joy's not the only one who likes the bouncer. Hope even likes the baby toys. :o)

A Snowy Sunday

This week I went through all the baby clothes, putting away ones they've outgrown, and ones they've yet to grow into. So many pretty gifts from kind people. While I was in the mess of sorting and putting things away, I also pulled out some spring/summer cloths for the girls... mostly dresses. Though there's no signs of spring outside here just yet, now there is indoors! I did a whole bunch of laundry one day and then ironed a bunch another day, and they had a closet full of soft pink, blue, purple and yellow - a little girls' delight!

I snapped this quick before church, as I didn't know how long the outfit and hair do would last once we got back from church and she got playing. :o) Thanks to Heather Fehr for the pretty dress and shoes for Hope. Thanks to my Mum for the sweater. Thanks to my Heavenly Father for a pretty little girl who likes to wear dresses and hair bows.
And then there's Joy. Hope used to wear these cloths, though Hope was a lot older when she wore them than Joy is. :o)
If she looks full it's because she is, or was... however you want to say that.
"Uhmm... Mommy...
...don't ya know my back muscles aren't strong enough for this yet?"
Daddy's hand to the rescue!!!
Is that my Mum's cheek bone?
After nap time (we all had long naps!, thank you, Joy) Hope had a one track mind for playing with balls, which her Daddy graciously did with her while I made a snack for Bible Study and talked to Lorrie on the phone.
My man and his little girls.
Back home from Bible Study in their matching jammies from Grandma L. I always get Joy into hers before leaving Bible Study, and thought I would try doing Hope's too this week to see if bedtime could happen quicker once we got home.

...Giving Joy a kiss. Josh was snapping these. Thanks, hun!
"Jjjjjjj-oi-y!"
"Square." Joy's gonna be smart if Hope has anything to do with it!

Friday company and Saturday antics

Friday night we had the opportunity to share a meal in our home with our friends the Carltons.Joy very graciously slept through dinner which allowed me to hostess more easily. Then she woke up and ate and was very sociable and pass-around-able afterwards. It's an extra blessing when your little ones can be blessings to others. :o) Joy smiling up at Clint in this picture.
Karen held Joy for quite a while. We talked and talked and played a game... such a blessed time together.
Farrah gets a turn. She was only 2 when her brother was born so she didn't really hold him much as a baby. :o)
Hope and Farrah were playing happily at the corner table and Caden wanted to join in. As there were only two chairs I got him a stool to sit on. That made him happy. Then, Hope wandered a bit and plopped herself down on the footstool beside him. It was pretty cute, cause she reached over and rubbed/patted his back, like she does with Joy! Karen and I just laughed! Too bad I wasn't a bit quicker on the draw with my camera!

"Take picture, yeah!"
Saturday afternoon we had the chance to do an extended test drive with a minivan we're looking at purchasing. After our adventures around Spruce Grove and Stony Plain, Josh unloaded Hope's carseat from the van so he could return it. I was putting things away in the rooms down the hall and came out to find Hope in her own little world in her carseat, having a jolly time.
Hope gives more hugs now that we have Joy. :o)
About to saying something... can't remember what. She kept getting in and out, exchanging her doll for stuffed animals...
"Do buckle. Do self." Oh yes, we're in the "do it myself" stage folks! :o) Thankfully, she is willing to accept help readily if she realizes she can't do it herself.
New passengers....
Okay. I'll admit it. I was goofing around with Joy after supper while waiting for Hope to finish her food. I was needing to give the girls a bath, so I just took Joy's socks off a little ahead of time.
Babies are so flexible!
Joy was quite enjoying this game. :o)
And the funny faces were making me laugh!!!
"Hello feet. If you come any closer I'm gonna chew on you." (she chews on almost anything she can put into her mouth with her hands... quite different from Hope!)

Before we went out to test drive the van I had the girls with me in the sewing room whree I was doing some ironing. Joy was contentedly playing on her blankie on the floor when Hope got an idea! She sat down at Joy's feet, picked up her legs and started moving Joy's legs and saying one of the rhymes Lorrie used to do with her kids, which I did with Hope and do often with Joy as well. Eventually, Hope decided I should say the rhyme and she should do the motions. Worked great! Thankfully, Josh was available to catch it on video. :o)

Home Time Vol II

Hopey is really starting to notice when Joy is within her reach and liking to go to her with toys or go talk to her, which is such a blessing. Joy likes watching that little toy Hope has because it makes a merry rattling sound and is brightly coloured.
Little miss dancer. (you'll see the video later in this post)
This was about 10:30 one night this week. Doesn't Joy just look like she's ready to fall asleep???
Gotta love the time change. Gotta love her fist! :o) And I had just fed her, so she wasn't chewing her fist from hunger... she just loves to stick it in her mouth!
Daddy tries talking to her to see if that will help settle her down.
Still very animated and active with her hands. Starbucks peppermint tea is awesome! (note the cups in the background of the picture.) I highly recommend it!
Happy time in the kitchen while Mommy works. :o)
"What's up, folks?"
Weighing in at 11 pounds. She definitely carries her chub in her chins and her legs!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
"I just love my baby sister!"
"Can't you tell?"
"JOY!!!" Hope usually says it with a lengthened "j" sound at the beginning. :o)
This morning we turned on Sunday school songs and danced around the kitchen after breakfast (aka "aerobics Mommy style") and Hope wanted to have a bear in her arms since I had Joy in my arms.
She was taking a little break...
Then she decided that since Joy wasn't in the bouncer that her bear should be in it.