So, for Gracie's birthday, Houston was expecting ice and snow! What a great present for her, since we so very rarely see that white stuff known to other parts of the country in winter as 'snow'. The schools were closed, there were rolling blackouts (thankfully not us), and in general, sheer panic usually reserved for hurricanes. We ended up not getting snow, but we got enough ice to cripple the town. But you do have to understand....Houston typically does NOT freeze, and our city is chock full of overpasses and bridges that make driving in icy conditions dangerous and literally deadly. By the way, there were over 800 accidents, and 2 fatalities caused by the weather.
So right before all the mess hit us, Gracie and I went and got our hair trimmed up. It was her 2nd hair cut ever, and she wasn't sure about it at first. We were the last clients of the day, so I was able to put Lucas' playpen up, and we camped out!
Ryan brought his PSP, but it didn't really last. He was so curious about so many things, that he just couldn't concentrate on his game.
Lucas was able to keep a good watch on us the whole time, and truly didn't mind being 'stuck' in his playpen. That was wonderful since I really didn't want him crawling around in all the hair.
I went first to show Gracie what getting a haircut was like, then she was all for it! She got up in the chair, and was ready!
For a treat after, we had a snack, and boy, was it a hit!
My beautiful girl has been such a joy! I loved spending this day with her, and she was soooo excited all. day. long!! Ryan and Lucas (in his own way) cheered her on all day as well, so it was a great family celebration.
We got home, and Daddy was able to get off work slightly early, so Gracie and I headed to the local nail salon for a mani/pedi.
She had to take her purse with her, just like Mama.
Gracie was absolutely enthralled with the lady painting her nails! It was soooo cute to watch her interact with them, and misunderstand their accent. One lady kept saying her nails were so pretty, but Gracie heard it (with the accent) as potty, I think.
The ladies were able to give her a gorgeous paint job, and put glitter sparkles in the nail polish, which was just PERFECT! Gracie was thrilled with it.
Then it was time to have our 'party' and we opened up a few presents from us, and shared our party with our cousins on the big tv! We have recently learned about skype, and it has been wonderful to get to 'see' my sister Betsy and all the kids, since we don't get to see them very often in person. All in all, it was a great day, and Gracie had a blast.
She is growing up so much, and has such a vocabulary! She is Ryan's biggest fan, but as also learned how to hold her own as well. She can pout, she can cry, and she has learned to stand up to Ryan when he tries to push her around too much. It has been a learning curve for me, but I am enjoying cultivating the best friendship and bond ever: the bond between siblings. Lucas is joining this as well, but he is still non-verbal. I LOVE listening to Ryan and Gracie's 'private' conversations!
I look forward to another year of growing and learning with her!
For his birthday, we had our Oklahoma cousins come for a visit. It was wonderful to get to play with our cousins and enjoy his birthday with them. My sister Heidi had come a year ago, right after I had had Lucas to help me, and it was fun for her too to see the growth we'd made in a years time.
We had bubbles and presents, apple muffins, and good food. The kids were thrilled with the balloons more than anything.
