Modes of movement

While I've been busy trying to get the blog finished up for 2012, life in 2013 has been moving ahead! Before I get to the "moving" section, here are a few glimpses of life according to Aubrey.

Self-portrait

She does a pretty good job getting pictures centered =)

Hamming it up with lil' sister

Aubrey can often be caught redhanded with the camera, Neal or my cell phone, the iPad...you name it, if its technology she plays with it! She is truly the definition of the new-age child who can operate most electronics without any teaching- I am constantly amazed by what she can do!

For Christmas, Aubrey really wanted roller skates. Stan and Jeanie found Neal's old roller skates (circa 1950!) in the attic and gave them to Neal for Christmas. We had to return one of Aubrey's gifts because it didn't work, so in exchange she got new roller skates and Ella got Neal's skates. Unfortunately when you are 6, you don't appreciate the old vintage aspect of the skates! After a valiant effort of trying to skate with the vintage skates, she asks oh-so-kindly "Can I have some different skates? I don't like these old rusty ones that don't roll well." Anyways, back to the adventure of learning to roller skate...

We are ready to roll hehehe

Aubrey was absolutely DELIGHTED to be skating. I love how her emotion just pours out of her face. She has that throw-your-head-back and laugh way about her. She was a little leery about skating on her own and took a few tumbles, but the smiles by far outweighed the bumps.

Daddy helping Aubrey stay on the skates or giving her a free ride!

Ella. Ella has always been our determined child. When she decides that she wants to do something (read, write, learn to braid, draw, etc) she gets down to business! Skating has been one of those things that she is so determined to learn how to do. The last 2 weeks we have gone to our local skating rink on Tuesdays (its a whole $2.50 for skate rentals and 4 hours of skating...AMAZING cheap family fun date!). Ella ditched the ol' rusty skates for the rental skates and started doing her laps. The 1st week was filled with many tumbles, but she persevered. One of the workers gave her some tips and 2 hours later we had to drag her and her red cheeks and bruised body off rink to head home! This last week, she had already made great progress. She was going 2-3 laps or more without falling and even going at a pretty good pace. She decided to trade her chore money for a pair of new skates like Aubrey's so she can't wait to go skating again next week.

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Ainsley isn't quite ready for roller skating, but she isn't to be left out of this new movement trend. She is full-on inchworming her way around our house! That girl goes from sitting nicely in front of her toys, to behind the rocking chair, into the pantry and then off to the playroom in the blink of an eye. And boy is she proud of herself!!!

And oh yeah, she can now pull herself up all by herself!! Sunday night she was laying on the floor playing, next thing she has pulled herself up onto an ottoman then came crashing down because she let go. Oops! She thinks she is pretty hot stuff with her pulling up on things and gets a little upset if she can't manage to stand up as quickly as she would like.

And Ella, who has been reading over my shoulder as I wrap up the blog, suggests a simple closure...
"That's all for now..."