The Sink Family!: Kicking off 2018

Hey 2018 - you aren't so bad, so far ;) I always aim to do better with my updates, and REALLY like to do them at least once per month... but now we have moved to a "first quarter 2018" update.

No small talk, let's do this...

Chef Ella needed a potty and book break with Brown Bear

bundled up and out the door for school!

We had a few snow falls to enjoy... we loved seeing the girls squeal at the sight of the white stuff covering everything!

Daniel was playing with his drone and got a pretty shot of our house covered in snow

pretty selfie with Ella

We had enough to take the girls sledding... Sydney loved it. Ella had pink eye and wasn't really feeling it.

they REALLY liked eating it

twin snow angels

i love a good lazy snow day

seriously doesn't get any more comfy than that

Kim & Jeff came to visit

in order to get drops in Ella's eyes, they had to practice on each other

I took Ella to the store with me to grab a few things... she was a true person of Walmart, she was wearing PJs and boots

i can't get enough of these three

Ella & Sydney helped momma with a little work project... aren't they just the cutest

family painting party

we had the most glorious weekend... loved not leaving the house or getting out of PJs

our daily trekk down the stairs to go sit on the "milk spot" to wait for shoes and socks... look at those cute little piggy tails

pockets!

they love watching a movie in the big bed

During naptime, I noticed Ella's legs were poked right through her crib slats, so I snuck up to help a sister out. I couldn't help but take a few pictures of those gorgeous sleeping faces.

"Yook at my tongue!"

We had some more snow to enjoy. Since we were newly potty trained, we only snuck outside for a quick walk and to taste a few snowflakes.

such sweet snow angels

#lifewithtwintoddlers

these two couldn't be any happier - tutu dresses and rain boots on a sunny day

Daniel decided that one-week into potty training, that going to Snowshoe for a snowboarding trip with the guys was perfect timing. Eye roll.

Anyway, it was just me and the girls and we had a gorgeous Sunday! We took a quick walk, and then I was brave enough to take them to the park. Taking toddlers to the park solo is hard enough, let alone the newly-potty-trained-situation, but hey... we don't do things easy around here.

double sliding

double swinging

double pottying

snack time

They really did great. The park was crowded, so that's stressful, but I came prepared to potty in the van and they even enjoyed a snack.

they ran around like this for the majority of the night, ha

The next day I was exhausted. We had done so much on Sunday (not pictured: gourmet meal, bath, etc), that I just couldn't be much of an adult on Monday. On the way home from picking them up from school, I asked them what they wanted for dinner. They said "oatmeal with blueberries and sprinkles". After they barely ate the Sunday-night-gourmet-meal, I said fuck it. So they had oatmeal with blueberries and sprinkles.

The next night I stepped up my game a little bit and they made their own english muffin pizzas.

A few days after Daniel's snowboarding trip, the girl's called me in the car on the way home from school like they normally do. I was busy at work, and didn't answer. Daniel told me their conversation went like this:
*didn't answer phone*
Sydney: Momma's busy
Ella: she's probably snowboarding

this kind of sums up our lives... weird

pretty girls at CMoR

when it's bath time and both monsters need to potty

tutu, "farkly shoes", and princess obsessed

Ella is irritating Sydney by sitting on top of her and squeezing her tight, and that ornery girl is loving it.

cutest little bears in all the world

to celebrate the Super Bowl, it was football attire day at school... and naturally, we only represent the Hokies

at least she isn't pooping in the tub

Their new favorite books are Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We read them A LOT. The other day, I caught Ella READING it... by memory. It was amazing. So we spent about an hour just listening to them read it back and forth.

"Go under my tunnel"

Valentine's Day was coming up, so we had to rock out some love outfits!

Love you more, sweet girls.

We went to the Courington's to watch the Super Bowl. The girls enjoyed their dinner with Daisy... could have cared less about the game or commercials :)

I'm a sucker for love

down the stairs, holding hands... getting ready to load up for school

two little monkeys

happy Momma

headed off to Nana's house for the night!

being adults with craft beer and Rose cider

we enjoyed a (wet) afternoon on a Richmond Food Tour

and naturally, what else should we do with no kids? go furniture shopping, of course! we are such an exciting couple

Love birds

taking a snooze with her monkey and all of the Valentine's she got at school

they love to dress up like princesses

We've been making more of an effort to spend time with the girls separately. Daniel took Ella to Target to pick up some goodies - she loved eating popcorn and picking out flowers and clearance Valentine's gifts for Syd!

Sydney got to stay home and play with Momma.

she got to wear an apron and help momma fix lunch

that tongue

They really enjoyed spending one-on-one time, so we need to make an effort to do it more. When they are back together, they were non-stop chatting about what they did apart.

pretty girls

a rare sight... twin tots not strapped into a grocery cart. they loved it, and Ella sang "we're gonna get some food, we're gonna get some food... high ho the dairy-o, we're gonna get some food"

"hold hands"

I wish my lap was big enough for them both, but this is how we have to do it :)

Tea for Two in the tub

such a sweet girl, and those gorgeous curls

Daniel went to Raleigh for an overnight trip to watch the Pens play. So we got fresh and clean in the tub and put on tutu dresses and jellies for a nice walk :)

Ella jumps

and Sydney jumps

Syd sticking the landing

holding hands to cross the street, and carrying a prized possession - leaves

racing

Don't just fly, soar.

Uncle Mop came to visit!
From college bars to play-doh

child slave labor

bed time story - special guest reader

this picture is hilarious... Sydney, and Ella's side-eye

Ella and her eyes crack me up

We celebrated Dr Seuss' birthday at school with adorable Cat in the Hat dresses

You have brains in your head
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose

Cubby peek-a-boo

took them into CVS to grab a quick prescription. they won me over and got lollipops, but look how cute. they had the cutest pep in their step

Sydney decided she was scared of Kylo Ren... Daniel had to fix that quickly. Look at her face

getting a head start on their third birthday party! sprinkles!

they were doing such a great job of playing separately, yet together

Ella is reading her favorite Hockey book while Sydney is playing hockey in the background

Spirit Week Day 1: crazy sock day

Spirit Week Day 2: Wacky Wednesday

milk mustaches

all three Sink ladies got hair cuts!

Spirit Week Day 3: Favorite Character Day

These things will not bite you
They want to have fun
Then out of the box
Came Thing Two and Thing One

I'm brave... princesses are helping me fix quesadillas

Spirit Week Day 4: pajama day
This is like the absolute essence of our mornings. Although every.single.day Ella wants to wear PJs, she's still grumpy even on PJ day. Sydney is such a happy girl in the mornings!

baking cookies with Daddy

love this view... little girls playing fairies

And we had one last snow for the year... and one more chance to catch snowflakes.

getting snuggles in before I head to Seattle for work!

they are cleaning the wall... okay, i'll take it.

pretty girls all dressed up to head to church for Blakely's baptism.

with their Daddy

how Ella does church

Sydney and Grandma Georgia playing with money

sharing snacks

Ella doing some dishes

lollipops in the tub... they pretended they were light sabers

"Cheers!"

Sydney was having a hard time sleeping, so we happily snuggled in front of the fire

fruit snacks and waiting patiently to head out the door

I was dropping the girls off at school one morning, and Ms. Karlene was kind enough to bring in her baby chicks from her farm! The girls were SO excited

Daniel went to a cigar event, so I took the girls to the store to pick out a birthday card for him.

They picked out a "You're 7" Kylo Ren birthday card that talked when you opened it. And when I tried to steer them in a different direction, they refused, hahaha.
We grabbed lunchables for them and a salad for me from the salad bar and ate in the store. Of course, Ella HAD to go to the bathroom while we were in the middle of eating. So I quickly scooped them up and ran to the bathroom. I hate having potty trained kids, diapers are soooo much easier.

big kid chairs
big kid cups
not a relaxing dinner for momma

That's a biiiig bite

then we were tired, so we snuggled

raise them up right... helping Momma & Daddy with yard work, and surprisingly, they did a great job

"we are sweeping"
(just like Cinderella)

the girls went to my mom's for the night, so we could celebrate Daniel's birthday!
some friends came over to help pregame, and build us half of our bench/picnic table!

the birthday boy has lots of helpers

I took the girls to the grocery store so they could pick out balloons and cupcakes for Daniel. We had him hide upstairs and I had them waiting downstairs with the balloons to sing him Happy Birthday, but then the balloons started popping and they started freaking out, so Daniel had to run down and help, haha! But they were super excited to give him the You're 7 Kylo Ren card they picked out.