Cute, funny, and smart?!

   We're in trouble... not only are our girls cute and funny, but they're smart too! They've become little sponges - which we've discovered can be both good and bad. Ryann mimics anything and everything we do, we might want to start watching what we say and do when she's around! Grandma Miles has decided the girls pick up sign language a lot faster than we as adults do - it's so wonderful that they can sometimes tell us what they want! Not a lot of words yet, but they're coming... things are sounds less and less like "da" and more like actual words. Ball and dog are still the words of the day/week/month, but we've heard "bir" (bird) and "duh" (duck) mixed in there as well! The girls are also excellent at telling us what a cow, lion, snake, dog and bunny say (yep - pretty random animals).
   There are more and more moments throughout the day where it's actually somewhat quiet - aside from when they're napping! They'll play together or by themselves more up to 20 minutes... we all kind of hold our breath when this happens, because you can never tell when the moment will come crashing down. All the girls like to "give love" - however, we're not sure if they think they have to hit someone before giving the love? I believe it has to do with the fact that after the hit we always tell them "no hitting, say sorry" (actually starting to sign sorry - though I doubt they have a clue as to what it means!) and "give love" - ergo, the association with hitting and love? Not exactly sure how to correct it... definitely our parenting skills are a continuous work-in-progress!
   The grandparents have been my heros over the past month coming and helping out with the girls so I can stay late and work every night! While I hate missing out on my time with the girls, I'm so thankful to have their support while I work to finish up my dissertation. It will be done this summer - and once it is finished this mama is going to have herself some toddler-time!
   A quick run-down on some new things learned.... Bryn is walking more and more every day! That girl does things on her own pace. Hadley thinks it is super funny to close her eyes while walking - causing her to run into toys, furniture, the dogs, and her sisters... all very hilarious. Ryann has mastered twirling, fake crying (thanks Gama), and may now run faster than her mama! They all are very good at finding "duck", "puppy", or "teddy" (depending on which book we're reading). Hadley has also figured out the gates - now having to lock one and blockade the other with a chair - otherwise she goes and gets the dog bowl to tell us "aachk aachk". They seem to pick up new things daily - a huge thank you to Mollie who has worked with them on their signing! Otherwise things are pretty much the same... same crazy busy busy busy girls! I've posted some videos of the girls from the past week - one's before bed, they were wound up! and a couple are them running to watch Ellen - guess they really like her show!

Babies gone wild - Hadley and Brynley were racing around the room chasing one another... they wore me out just watching!

Ellen is on!!! Watch those dance moves!

They love to dance!