Well, since it is coming up on "mid-January" and we've started to finally dismantle the tree, I thought it might be a good time to update the blog... :) We had a wonderful holiday season, the girls absolutely enjoyed just about every minute of Christmas, although I can't say they really cared too much about New Year's, (at this age I suppose they're following their parents' lack of really caring too much about that one...) but for sure they have enjoyed having that tree up! We put it in our new bedroom this year, since we spend so much time in there, playing on the comfy carpet... and I will say that I personally LOVED having the tree in there with it's colorful lights on! Even if it was top-heavy with ornaments... :)

We had a visit from Mimi and PopPop shortly before Christmas, and we managed to get the girls dressed in the little outfits we had intended to use for holiday visiting (before we had to start the "isolation" time due to Emma Kate's airway not being ideal), and we let them each open 2 gifts so we could get pictures. A few came out really cute, especially if you can get past Emma Kate's wonky legs bending all over the place in most of them! That girl has rubber band legs for sure! They both enjoyed opening the presents and got several very nice gifts! We do wish we could have visited more but we are holding out hope that next year will be more "normal" for us all.

Gretta has perfected her walking by now and never really needs any assistance, except when walking in the field where the ground is fairly uneven- she rarely crawls any more unless she is playing! She has started making several different sounds in the last few weeks, and she is clearly saying "up" now, and seems to apply it correctly- either wanting up on the sofa/the bed, or wanting to be carried. She also clearly says "uh-oh" at appropriate times. She is also doing little hand motions that indicate twinkle twinkle little star, and it makes her so happy to hear it sung when she makes the motions! She has really taken to carrying around dolls, clutching them against her shoulder, and I think she tries to imitate a bit of what Emma Kate does with her dolls. Gretta has developed into quite a good little helper, just like her big sister- they still love to do the laundry (if we aren't able to get to the laundry before nap or bedtime, Emma Kate will say very firmly that mommy and daddy are NOT to do the laundry until she is awake!), and we've had nice enough weather lately that the girls both have enjoyed putting laundry out on the line to dry as well as taking it down and folding it. Gretta has also followed right along Emma Kate with the dishwasher- it's a bit of an obsession for both girls now. If the dishes are clean, you'd better look out because both girls will attack it, ready to put it all away! (the glasses require help of course...) Gretta can *almost* reach the silverware drawer, so she will carry an item over to it, open the drawer, and reach up as high as she can, trying to drop it over inside the drawer- this of course does require help as well, but not for much longer!! :) Gretta also seems to have started "cleaning" things using a small blanket or towel, today she was cleaning my leg with a napkin... it's pretty darn cute. I still can't tell for sure what her hair wants to do- when it is dry it seems pretty darn stick straight, but when it is wet, the hair at her neck will curl up into little tendrils! When we wash her hair, it will stay curly at the back when it dries, but laying her down to get her dressed for bed usually undoes it and it's nearly straight again by morning. I don't know what to make of it! She is growing some significant teeth too- her first premolars are slowly working their way in, and the other day I thought I saw the beginnings of a couple of canines starting, but it may have been my imagination... She is finally starting to listen/understand when we tell her not to do something- well, really this only applies to the cat litter and the hot wood stove- she will motion to them and make this sort of little growling sound similar to what we say repetitively, either "owie owie" or "yucky yucky" in reference to these two things, so I think there is finally a little understanding. Of course we're not taking chances with the wood stove, but it's been a good while since she last went "digging for treasures" in the cat box... :)

Emma Kate is still holding her own, and also continues to be very helpful, she has really taken to feeding and brushing Snowy, and has been a tremendous help in picking up manure! :) We are continuing to do her "vapors" twice a day, and we're still working on her speaking... she's still a bit difficult to understand and there are several sounds she has trouble making, but she seems to be making progress at least. The two girls have their moments of course, but the most precious thing is when they snuggle or hug or give "kisses" to each other- it is so sweet.

Greg had to work Christmas day, so we had our Christmas morning on Saturday, then on Sunday, I took a bad step out our back door (stupid me) and apparently tore something in my ankle. I have since been suffering with a subluxating peroneal tendon, which is not overtly painful like a sprain would be, but the tendon slips out of place and goes over the outside of my ankle in certain situations- it is excruciating when it happens. I've found a way to stabilize things and I can walk nearly normally with it all strapped down, but without any external pressure it is very difficult to walk without having it slip. I've seen two doctors regarding the issue and am waiting on the results of an MRI to help decide whether to go with conservative therapy and hope it all scars back down, or to go ahead and do surgery and nearly guarantee a good outcome after a somewhat lengthy lay-up. It's very frustrating, and I could shoot myself for allowing it to happen, but what's done is done I suppose. Hopefully we'll know soon what direction to go in- I want to be up to full capacity when the nice weather comes around again in the spring!!! Of course it had to happen shortly after starting to get back into riding as well, since I now am completely unable to hold my foot in the stirrup without the tendon slipping, regardless of how well I have it strapped up. I've continued to ride a bit but have to go with my foot out of the stirrup... I'm perfectly comfortable as long as that darned tendon stays put!

Anyhow, here are some pictures from the last month or so, with more to come!

Here are several pictures of the girls in their Christmas outfits, opening a few presents

The new hats were such a hit, we had to get changed and go outside so we could use them! Emma Kate loved her kitty hat and was especially excited about a new set of mittens!

Gretta liked her hat but preferred to look at it, she's quite the little smurfer when it comes to taking things off... but eventually she forgot it was on her head and I like to think she appreciated having a warm head and hands! :)

Christmas morning (well...er... Christmas Eve morning actually) the girls had a great time opening gifts... well, maybe I should say Emma Kate had a great time opening everyone's gifts! :) One of the biggest hits of all was this giant ball dispenser, the girls have had so much fun with that thing, although I should have noted how many balls were in it initially... we seem to have many fewer in it nowadays...

Emma Kate trying out Daddy's new mug- I promise it is not yet filled with coffee here!

Gretta checking out her stocking stuffers

Emma Kate doing the same

Gretta trying out a new flavor of Pediasure- yes, it was in their stockings... :)

Cowgirl Gretta attempting to tame the wild bucking flannel sheets :) She's on top of just about everything that height these days

Going after a stray ball... one of many! :)

"I promise I am not eating the chalk, just the markers!"

One of our two best gifts ever!

Gretta lovin' up on her new mini pillow pet

Learning how to make prank phone calls... look at Gretta's hair here- seriously, what's up with that?!?! It needs to decide whether it's going to be straight or curly so I can stop guessing which way it will go... Emma Kate went through a phase for about a week or two where she wore her hippo backpack around the clock... even for meals and potty breaks... she had stuffed some random "important" stuff in there, most of it things to take care of her babydolls... Dora maybe??

Modeling her hippo backpack and new sweater

Gretta just being silly Gretta :)

A day at the little park with new hats and new matchy matchy puffy vests!

Emma Kate is especially tickled by pockets in her coats- they come in so handy to keep hands warm! :)

Gretta in her well-planned, perfectly-coordinated outfit :) I'll give you three guesses who picks out her outfits every day...

Dirty face Emma Kate, we were playing with the camera after dinner one night, and she started flinging her head around- I was amazed at how long her hair would stretch out so........

I took pictures of it! She thought it was hilarious.

Apparently I've been wearing my panties wrong all these years???

They also make a very meaningful decoration for the Christmas tree...

Pretty stylish if you ask me, plenty of designs to choose from to match your outfit for the day

Dressed up as butterfly ballerinas, you can probably guess whose idea this was...

Peekaboo little butterfly!

Emma Kate was getting a big kick out of wearing my air cast (which didn't do squat for me anyway, so I stopped wearing it...) and she was clunking around the room in it... I went to get a picture and suddenly this half-naked baby streaked through the picture! It was a good evening full of screams, squeals, running around like crazy, and laughing... good times! :)

Getting ready to go for a wagon ride with "puppy." Notice the unzipped vest on Gretta- she has become quite fascinated with zippers lately and refuses to leave anything zipped up for more than 10 seconds...

"Shopping" in the pantry- these girls enjoyed this for hours... "buying" groceries (including scanning them across the baby gate with a little "beep"), putting them into various bags and laundry baskets, toting them around a bit, and sometimes making their way back to the pantry. The pantry will never be the same again, and I am relieved that we have a child-lock on the pantry door... :) So much fun to be had though!

Gretta gets a big kick out of Daddy's hat- she loves to put it on, strut around with a big grin, take it off, then starting all over again, such fun! :)