what we've done the last few days:

quite a bit, actually!! for example...

we've 'burped' the 'baby'...

...walked in grandpa's boots...

...helped grandma make salad...

...and been oh, so cuddly!

spending a few days away from home is harder, yet easier... anyone else get what i mean? it's nice to be around other people and have a little assistance with the kids but at the same time, it's harder because it's not YOUR house and the routine is usually a little off. anyway, we had fun and it was nice to spend a little time with my mom and dad, especially for meeting wednesday night. their meeting was very brief, and do you think both cole and madison could manage to sit quietly the whole short time? not a chance. this little boy has become a bit scary at times... toddlerhood has hit us full-blast!

cole now signs "please" (he also says it verbally, kind of)

"thank you"

and "all done". this one he does kind of backwards, but we know what he means!! he also about bowled sarah and i over yesterday when we were at dsw in appleton and he said "see car" as he was looking out the window! he hasn't said it again since, but it was most definitely two words put together to express his thought! the kids and i picked up sarah after school and met mom down in appleton for a quick shopping trip. i snuck into world market and got some sugar-free torani syrup to brighten up my plain water a little bit, and found a small plastic cup with a dog on it for cole. it's not very big, so maybe it'll be easier for him to get the hang of using a "big boy" cup. i also made a mental note to keep an eye on their clearance racks, because i found (replicas of) vintage planes, bikes, motorcycles, fire engines and a pickup truck there! i'd like to do his room in vintage transportation (when he gets his own room) because it's something he won't outgrow in a year or two, and want to decorate it with replicas of old toys. i'm not that willing to shell out $20 or more a piece for them, but once they get moved to the clearance racks, i'll be there to take advantage of the deal! we also hit the mall and target, where after supper cole was willing to sit in the stroller... we found a few things at target (like, bubble bath, toothpaste and toothbrushes for cole) before heading home. both kids cried the whole way, but managed to quiet down by the last stoplight before our turn... typical. today we have a bit of a cranky boy, but madison's ok. they've both had baths and now it's lunch, then naps. yay! after that we're heading to new london for my first session at n.e.w. rehab... mom will meet us there so she can watch cole. thanks again, mom!! oh, and i have ALL my bandaids off today... i'm moving very carefully so no stitches get ripped. gives me the heebie-jeebies just thinking about that.