Illinois

The girls and I made the trip to Illinois on Monday to spend the week with my family.  My grandpa's 80th birthday party is this weekend, so we couldn't miss that!  And, of course, we will be here for Easter.  The weather is beautiful, and we are all totally enjoying ourselves.  Grandpa bought a new grill right before we got here, and he saved the box for M and L to play in.  He told us he bought the grill so he could get the box for the girls- Grandma said he is full of crap.  It is difficult to see in the pictures, but Grandma, Maddie, and Lena were all playing in it the first night we were here.  It is cool to see how different the girls are each trip we make.  They are crawling up in Grandpa's lap a lot and just relaxing there...a little abnormal for them to hold still for very long.  They have finally figured out that they can climb up and open and play the piano.  I find them in there a couple times a day, and they have been playing really nicely together.  Even Max has found a great buddy- my sister.  Steph is starting a new job on Monday, so she is home for the week- yay!!  She has had Max out running errands with her this morning, and she took him to the park to run around.  Not to mention, she found the biggest stick Max has ever seen and played tug of war with him.  He loves her (and he loves my mom, because she pets him all the time and gives him the leftovers from Maddie and Lena's plates).  This morning the girls and I were looking at Sesame Street videos on the computer.  I told them it was time for lunch, and I walked out of the office into the kitchen.  I heard the door slam and a click.  They locked themselves in the office.  I had to have my dad come in from the project he was working on in the garage to open the door.  We found Lena sitting in the swivel chair watching the video while Maddie spun her around.  They are characters!

Lena has been just a bit under the weather.  She threw up in the middle of the night.  It didn't seem to bother her, because I don't think she even woke up.  Then this morning she had an accident in her high chair.  Hopefully both M and L get a long nap today.  They are both pretty short on sleep, so right now that is what I am attributing Lena's upset stomach to.  Hopefully she is 100% when she wakes up.  More pictures to come...