Fun with Daddy and the Butterfly Pavilion

Our March is off to a great start over here. Tyler is on some easier rotations for March and April and we are really enjoying the extra time with him. The other day Tyler and I were talking and saying how nice this first week has been with him on his Ortho rotation and he pointed out that he still worked 5 twelve hour shifts this first week. I am so jaded from residency life! I think it feels easier because he had last weekend off and this weekend off so it feels like normal life. He's also been working 5pm-5am so he's usually awake by 3 in the afternoon and we have a couple of hours to hang out after the girls wake up from nap. ALSO (and this might be my favorite part), Tyler has let me sleep in TWICE this week!! He just stayed up when he got home and took care of the girls until I woke up. It. Was. HEAVENLY. 

We are hoping to take advantage of his easier schedule and have some fun things planned in the coming weeks like date nights, having our friends from Galveston over for dinner, and maaaaybe a trip down to Galveston.  Plus my mom is coming for a visit at the end of this month! Somebody pinch me... is this my real life?!

Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to.

I never take pictures of my food anymore (because who really cares), but I still really like to cook and try new things! This night we had salmon, black rice, and root vegetables - things like beets and turnips and parsnips which are not on our usual menu. We both thought the root vegetable dish was "pretty good" but not one we're dying to have on a regular basis.

Danika watched the girls for me while I went to the dentist. 

Avery and Ethan are such good little buds and always up to something. 

We found them in the bathroom with all of the toiletries dumped in the sink because they were "giving them a bath"

Avery naps on and off these days. More often she doesn't, but I still make her do quiet time in her room while Kendall sleeps. This day she insisted that she did NOT want a nap and really did not want to be in her room. I pretended that I didn't see her sneak out onto the couch while I ate my lunch in the kitchen. 10 minutes later she was out cold.

These two love playing in the cupboards.

Avery figured out how to ride her bike! ... and fell down for the first time.

Going on a walk with Daddy. These girls love their daddy so much.

Running errands with me. We were having a rough morning and some uncooperative shoppers, but this car cart made it all better.

Took the girls with me while I voted. They were great and very patient. They even got "I Voted" stickers :)

At least my state isn't responsible for voting in Trump :-/

Avery said the funniest thing the other day. The arm on her cinderella doll came off and she asked Tyler to fix it. Tyler took a look, but decided it was unfixable. He told Avery, "sorry Avery, looks like it can't be fixed."

Avery thought about that for a second and then says "But you're a doctor!!"

We died laughing! What a funny little girl!

Another creation from this week. BBQ Pineapple Pulled Pork Pizza.

This was really yummy, but the jalapeno I picked was waaaay too hot. I took all my jalapenos off and the pizza was still super spicy.

Avery really likes painting lately. But don't even try and tell her to use more than one color per sheet of paper.

We visited the Butterfly Pavilion this week.

Avery and Ethan really enjoyed it, more than I thought they would.

They had a blast looking for butterflies and their mission was to get one to land on their finger so a lot of the time they walked around holding their little fingers out. Too cute.

The little sisters tagged along too.

Looking for butterflies on the plants.

Kendall had fun exploring too.

Ethan finally caught a butterfly and he let Avery have a turn holding it.

She was trying to get it on her finger, but it flew up onto her shirt instead.

She was a little wary of it, but didn't lose her cool!

A butterfly!

Then it flew on my face while I was taking pictures. yikes!

Avery finally got one to land on her finger!

Sharing with Ethan. These two were so cute together!

Afterward we went to the botanical gardens for a picnic.

Eating lunch.

Avery and Ethan played on this rock and ran around the field until we finally had to pull them away. The weather is so perfect right now. It was so nice to be outside!

We went to the park one evening and Avery buddied up to some girl. She is not a shy girl at all. They played until it was too dark to see and Avery was so disappointed when she couldn't go home with her new friend. She wailed during the whole 5 minute walk back to the car.

I've been debating this for a couple months now, but I finally decided to sign Avery up for preschool! It's just one day a week, but she will be attending the First Baptist church preschool on Wednesdays starting in the fall. Tyler and I think that Avery will really enjoy it so we decided to go for it. She is such a social girl and loves being around other kids and I think she will have a blast. Plus learning and all that. Miss Carmen was so accommodating and read the girls books while I filled out the forms.

Avery and Kendall being buddies.

Pushing the stroller after our walk.

Our new ritual is reading books when Kendall wakes up. I get her out of her crib and she yells "book book!" and we snuggle and read until Avery wakes up. This girl loves her mama.