Yesterday was Laurel's preschool orientation.  We got her all gussied-up and went to meet her teachers and see her classroom.  She's pretty excited at the prospect of being in preschool, but we'll have to wait until Wednesday to see how she actually likes it.  Her class is the fun frogs and her teacher is Ms. Donna.  The picture is of her right before we left the house.  (She had to have a backpack...even though none is required.  It's filled with all of her "guys.")

The video is of Luke in his Bumbo chair.  These things are amazing.  He's enjoyed sitting and playing in this thing since he was 3 months old.  Now he enjoys showing off his new tummy strength by bending backwards and then twisting back up.  

This weekend was Laurel's 3rd birthday. She and Luke have both had a cold, but despite that we had a lot of fun. Grandma and Grandpa and Grandma Schieres have been in town all week to visit and be here for the birthday festivities. On Saturday we all went to the Yellow River Game Ranch to see and pet all of the animals. I had no idea how big it was and all the different animals they had. It was quite an adventure, starting with having to go to the bathroom in a stall with no door using Laurel as my lookout. (Now there's a mother-daughter bonding experience.) It rained on us off an on while we were on the trail. We had to hideout once in a small barn space with a bunch of goats, sheep and donkeys. Another time we got trapped under some muscadine vines until the rain slowed. And the last time we got caught under a little covered bridge where Laurel found and chased some new duck friends. (We also watched a deer kick someone...that was funny)
After the petting zoo we went back to Grandma's for the party. We put up the decorations and made the cakes. It was an undersea party complete with a family of fish cakes.
Laurel got all sorts of great presents, she got a tent and a bike and I think the favorite of all were the horses that are the exact same as Abigail's horses that she isn't allowed to touch at Grandma's house. All in all she was pretty excited.

This has been a crazy week for us.  Daddy's been out of town since Wednesday, and Laurel has slept at Grandma's house twice.  As I was lying in bed last night with Luke I kept worrying about forgetting that Laurel was with me and not at Grandmas, and accidentally forgetting her in the morning.  (Not that that would ever happen, but still I worry about such things)  

Luckily, I didn't have to worry for long because Laurel woke up crying hysterically about a "scratchy monster" in her room.  She asked if she could sleep with me...how could I say no?  In the morning I got up to get dressed and this is what they looked like.  SO cute.  

But then after the flash went off they curled up together like this...even cuter.  I had to share.

Potty training has been a great success.  If anyone would have told me that halfway through Friday I wouldn't have believed them.  But last night at 9pm I took Laurel to the store to buy her reward for pooping in the potty.  The potty part she had down by Friday night...no problem.  But the poop part was a little harder.  After an accident on Friday and Saturday I wasn't looking forward to Sunday.  But after staying at home all day and not getting dressed...poop never came.  Monday was Daddy's turn, but by the time I came home from work, still no poop.  

Laurel and I played in her room while Daddy was at the store, and all of the sudden she decided she had to go and ran off.  She emerged a few minutes later to come and get me and show me.  In celebration we ran around the house screaming, and then when Daddy came home we showed him.  

That's not to say that she's perfectly trained and we'll have no accidents, but she gets it and that's a great start.

Update on Kaitlin and Julia; the girls are home. I just can't believe how healthy they are! Kris, you're my hero...really. I had to post the new pictures of the girls. I'm waiting on one with all three girls now! Laurel is so excited, she can already tell from the pictures which one is which.

These pictures and video are actually from a few months ago. Laurel reminded me today about her horse friend Maggie. (Every brown horse she has now is named Maggie) So I went in search of the pictures we took at the Medieval Festival at Hallie and Abby's school.