Annabelle's first hairdo

I know you must be anxiously awaiting an update on the state of the jungle gym. It's fully assembled and getting daily use. Rebekah loves love to climb to the top and then hang in the middle. Annabelle loves to stand under it and watch Rebekah climb. I took pictures, but I decided not to post them on the blog because I don't want pictures of the outside of our house on the internet.

So here's a picture of Annabelle's first hairdo. She has been trying to participate in the daily ritual of fixing hair and even tried to put a ponytail holder in Rebekah's hair this week. So the next day, I let her have her very own ponytail.

Monkey Bars: Before

UPS brought a big box yesterday. It claims to be monkey bars (or what we call a jungle gym). Shannon sends Dad his earnest gratitude for the gift. :)

Happy Mother's Day

I had a nice Mother's Day and I hope all of the mothers out there did, too.

We finally had Annabelle's baby dedication at church yesterday. She and Rebekah wore matching pink rose dresses with pink sashes--they were beautiful. Annabelle did very well when the pastor held her, and Rebekah stood beside us and spoke when the pastor asked her about her sister. We were proud of them. After church we had lunch with our friends Courtney and Tom and their girls Eliza and Hannah, who had come to church with us.

Rebekah signed her own name on the card that she picked out herself. I also got wine, chocolate, and flowers. Instead of buying a pre-made bouquet, Shannon and Rebekah chose the flowers individually to create a bouquet just for me. They had fun on their pre-Mother's Day outing.

For Rebekah and Annabelle's grandmothers and great-grandmothers I made a CD of Rebekah singing (we got Annabelle on there a little, too). She made up most of the songs herself, and I know it will have them laughing.

the nose

Yesterday Rebekah and two other children collided on the playground, and Rebekah's nose absorbed most of the force. Much crying and screaming and bleeding. We took her to the doctor and she said is wasn't broken. Turns out it is very unlikely for a child her age to break her nose because it is still almost completely cartilage. After the first major gush, which lasted quite a while, her nose continued to bleed a little bit all day long, and even this morning. The doctor said it could bleed off and on for days. She also said we shouldn't do anything to treat it because the more we touch it the more it will bleed. After everyone saw the big playground drama, Rebekah was the superstar of the preschool. Everyone wanted to know how she felt and what the doctor said. She has relished all the extra attention. This morning her little nose is swollen, but it's not discolored at all. Her eyes are not black (except for the dark circles under her eyes that she has been genetically cursed with). Her nose is very sore and her teeth are, too, but she is in good spirits and ready to play all day. I just hope she doesn't smash her face again. At least until it has a few days to heal.