Sickness all around

Last Wednesday we took Maddie to the doctor -- diagnosis: pneumonia and strep throat. Friday we were back with Ben. Same symptoms (although not pneumonia) but we haven't gotten the results of the strep test back yet. It was supposed to come today but we didn't get anything. UGH. We started Ben on the antibiotics, anyway.

It's not fun when both are sick -- lots of whining, clinging and not very good sleeping.

Here are a few pics from today. I had a couple empty Kleenex boxes, so I showed the kids how they could put little toys in and take them out. That kept them busy --- especially Maddie -- for a good 20 minutes or more.

From 2011-03-19

From 2011-03-19

Ben decided to climb on top of the toy garden...

From 2011-03-19

Despite the illnesses, I took them outside yesterday and today for a little while. We finally have some good weather. Amazing how much the snow has melted in a short period of time. Can even see some of the grass!

More changes

We ditched the high chairs this weekend and the kids are now sitting up at the table in booster chairs. Of course, they just thought that was the greatest thing ever!

From 2011-03-13

They've also gotten really good at getting up on any piece of furniture (or out of their cribs!) and to reach up on countertops to pull things down. Today I found Ben had gotten up on a chair and was "reading" the newspaper. Yeah, Ben!

From 2011-03-13

From 2011-03-13

Is it March already?

I've really neglected writing in here, so here's an update:

Ben & Maddie have really changed a lot in the last couple of months. The most noticeable thing is their desire to "help" with everything. Ben, especially, likes taking his own clothes on or off (and sometimes his diaper). Maddie likes to offer to help (the way the word comes out sounds more like "hellf") with just about everything.

Ben loves to "cook." I give him a pot, cooking spoon and some dried beans. he'll spend the better part of an hour stirring the beans, dumping them from one container to another and, of course, spilling them all over the floor. Then he'll say "mess, mess".

They go to the YMCA quite a bit -- to the child care center -- while Mom or Dad gets some exercise. They love that. We're still doing music class on Thursday nights and they get so excited when we tell them that's where we're going.

AS you'll probably see from the pictures, they both seem to have grown a lot. Ben's face has started to fill out and he's looking more like the bruiser kid we expected he would be (like his dad and grandfather).

We're looking forward to spring when they can get out in the fresh air more often. It's been a long winter cooped up in the house!

From 2011-03-12

From 2011-03-12

From 2011-03-12

From 2011-03-12

-

From 2011-03-12/