Steve, Stephanie, & Little P: February

I couldn't stay away too long, Steve picked me up a new set of wheels! I'm so excited to get back into biking. We've realized there just might be more to Texas than shopping and restaurants. Steve's knee is still giving his problems from the motorcycle accident, so he isn't quite ready to go out and conquer the hills. We're both anxious for it to heal. Parker still hasn't really mastered his little big wheels bike, but we really haven't taken him out much. The weather has actually been quite characteristic of winter, lots of cold, rain, and snow! He gets frustrated very easily, so patience is an absolute MUST. Which unfortunately, I wish I had more of. There is always tomorrow...

I cannot get enough of their giggles.

Or this face. It's on perma-rotation around here.

I believe he was barely able to sit up at this age. Lyla has definitely been ahead of him in the physical milestones department, but I think he was ahead of her verbal skills. Again, not worried, just interesting to compare. It's a rare moment that these two will actually work on or play with something together, with a common goal, and it absolutely makes my heart sing. It makes Parker a little older to me, watching him actually demonstrate a shred of patience...shred.

Steve and I have never been big on holidays. Before kids, we put a little more thought into them, but now with a full-time job and kids, it's definitely boiled down to getting a babysitter and going out to dinner within a week of whatever holiday it is we're celebrating. HONESTLY no feelings are hurt, we're totally on the same page. Gifts are not my love language, and I'm one of the pickiest people when it comes to everything: what I eat, what I wear, how I decorate my house, etc. And we generally don't like to go out on Valentine's Day dinner because every other person is doing the same thing, so it was nice for my parents to offer to take all of the grandkids and sent us all out for a nice lunch at La Madeleine. The food and company (kid-free especially) was great. I told Steve I wanted him to cook, or at least us cook together at home that night, and he suggested the only thing he knows how to make: his "world's greatest tacos". I actually do quite enjoy them. Refried black beans, breakfast sausage, lettuce, cheese, avocados, a little sour cream (I add tomatoes much to his dismay) all atop a lightly-fried tortilla. He did those and I made bread pudding while we watched The Giver and ahem, enjoyed a lovely evening at home.

She yells "Lyla! Lyla! Lyla!" with her tongue sticking out of the side of her mouth. I mean, come on. I'm not sure if she's extra cute or if it's her soft little girl voice (Parker's was always deeper than most when he was little) or if it's because she's so tiny for her age and mobility, but she just gets me every time.

Going outside in the front is his favorite. Him climbing trees in Toms and his undees is mine.

"I'm so glad I found you! What's your favorite truck? The dump truck! Dad's is the big fire truck. My favorite truck is the garbage truck. My favorite tract is the backhoe. What's yours?"

She reads, or whatever.

Steve went down to Austin for a conference with the other doctors, so it was just us for a couple of days. Parker always asks where we're going to go after we go to the store (this is after protesting the store, of course). I ask him where he wants to go, and he usually responds with the park or the zoo (I'm pretty sure he's too young to even remember the last time we went to the zoo). So today we went to the park since we didn't have any schedule to be on with Steve coming home for dinner. Lyla's first time on the swings and she loved it! Parker of course wanted to get off his swing and come over to the baby one.