So for the last month or so, every time we got in the car Livi says, "You put on apple and tree?  Push button and apple and tree!"  We would go through every kid song we have trying to find the "apple and tree" song, but it was never right.  Finally, last night when we got into the car, Jon was holding up our Zen player, and Livi said, "You put on apple and tree?"

Jon held up the Zen and said, "Livi, what is this?"

Livi said, "Apple and Tree!"

Then he looked at me and said, "MP3?"

Livi said, "Yeah, Apple and Tree"

Stickerball  =  Soccer ball

Kiss-a-ball  = Basketball

Spaggy  = Spaghetti

Wal-Murt  = Wal-Mart

Oh!  I almost forgot the best one!

Pock-soar  = Popsicle 

Jon and I tried to come up with some other ones, but she really speaks very well!

I typed a whole entry yesterday, and just as I was going to hit the submit button, my IE crashed.    So here I am again, starting over.

Yesterday Norah was standing up holding onto our bed.  She let go, looked at Jon, clapped twice, and then s-l-o-w-l-y sat down.  She's getting so big!!  She really wants to start walking.  She is also getting very loud.  Whenever Livi has something she wants (or takes something she has, which is more likely) she SCREAMS.  The other day I swear she said, "Na Na Na Na!" after Liv stole something away.  She can say Mama and Dada appropriately, and just this week started signing More--in the correct context too!  Some examples:  Jon was spinning the top the girls got for Christmas and stopped.  "More!"  She was climbing some steps at the Children's Museum and I had to move her so some big girls could go by.  "More!"  She was watching Livi ride the airplane ride at the MOA and the ride ended. "More!"  But her favorite thing to say "More!" to is food.  She loves her food.  If she runs out she SCREAMS.  LOL.

Speaking of The Park at MOA, we went there a couple days ago, and Olivia--my Livi--rode on Truckin' (semi trucks going around a track), the Red Baron (airplaines go around and you pull on the stick to make it go up and down), and the inflatable tree jumper--ALL BY HERSELF!!  I wanted to cry.  She loved it!!  She also rode the roller coaster and carousel.  The first time on the carousel she wanted to ride the kitty, and the second time she wanted to ride the "girfaffe," but when Daddy told her that the "girfaffe" didn't go up and down she said, "I go on zebra?"    She has also started making some weewees in the potty.  Only when she's naked from the waist down, and sometimes she forgets, but she can do it!  We are very proud of her. 

Jon is working away, as usual.  He has a new co-manager at his store now, and his store manager has been at the regional meetings for a week, so he's been in charge for awhile.  He is keeping his eye open for manager positions, but I'm sure it will be a few months before he finds anything he likes.

As for me, I've just been playing with my girls and the usual.  When we were at the mall I got my hair done, and it was great fun!  I haven't done that in awhile.  Now it's red and a lot shorter!  I'/ll try to snap a picture soon to post so you can see it.  Jon walked the girls around while I sat in the salon, and they both fell asleep--Livi in the stroller and Norah in the mei tai.  As he walked by her, a woman in her forties said, "There goes Super Daddy!"  'Cause he is! 

Here are some pictures!  Last time I left off, we were going to the zoo in St. Louis...

Back home, playing outside in the snow...

This is right before she face-planted in the snow...

So she wasn't very happy in this one. 

Norah asking for more food...

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

I'm not sure why Livi was perturbed in this picture...I think she was making a feeling face, but I can't remember which one.  She loves to do that.  "You be shy?"  "You be sad? Like this!"

Sleeping beauties...

You wanted a picture of our new car, right?  Here it is after someone bashed in the window--IN OUR GARAGE--and stole the DVD player out of it.

We had the window replaced (less than the deductible, of course), and now it's back to normal, but come on!  What is wrong with people!

Here's my big girl at the MOA:

And now some Norah bath pictures.  I couldn't stop taking them, and I couldn't just choose a few, so you're stuck with a bunch!

Hope you enjoyed this entry!  Leave a comment! 

So today we bought a car.    Liv and Norah were not so much the happy campers while we did all the paperwork, but we managed okay.  The woman who was doing the processing had big curly blond hair.  At one point she had to leave the room, and when she did Livi said,

"Where Goldilocks go?"

Jon and I looked at each other with the "Did she really say what I think she just said?" look, but before we could say anything, the woman came back in the room.  At which point Livi said,

"Hi Goldilocks!"

It was so hilarious.  We all laughed a lot, especially "Goldilocks" and our salesperson.  I'm sure that one will get passed around the office for awhile.  LOL! 

I will explain that quote later.    Keep reading!!

In the time that has lapsed, many things have happened!  We have been very busy.  My dad and sister came to stay with us for "Christmas."  It wasn't on Christmas, but was in celebration of Christmas.    We were toe-to-toe in our apartment, but we had a fabulous time!  Livi and Norah loved playing with Grampum and Auntie Jess.  We wish we could all be together more often.  And we really appreciate that they came to see us!  Here are some pictures!

On New Year's Day we celebrated the Rustad Family Christmas at Jenny & Tim's in Waseca.  Paul and I came in second in the cribbage tournament, and Livi absolutely loved playing with her cousins.  Of course Jon enjoyed seeing everyone and catching up, and even Norah had fun!  Pictures!

Then we had a couple days of down time, in which Norah fell asleep holding a banana, Norah fell asleep while listening to Daddy sing, and Livi instigated family hugs.  I guess Norah was really tired.

We left Minnesota on Saturday, stayed in Kansas City Saturday night, and arrived in Arkansas on Sunday.  We visited Jon's parents, where the girls gave lots of snuggles and lovin', and the grandparents did the same.  A good time was had by all!  Here are some pictures from Arkansas:

Now, back to the beginning.

"There's the big circle!  I go climb it!"

In an unplanned turn of events, we are now in St. Louis!  We came to sightsee and vacation a little on our way home to Minnesota.  Here are some pictures of us riding the cars up to the top of the arch, and the view from the top.  Tomorrow we plan to see the zoo!

You can see our hotel in the above shot--we are in the tall, round tower right in the middle.  Fifteenth floor with a view of the arch!

***

A special note, just for Jana.  I was thinking of you the entire time we were riding up in the tiny little car (that supposedly seats five adults), walking around on the uneven and slanted hallway at the top, leaning way over to look out the tiny, double-paned windows, and snapping shots straight down.  You would have absolutely hated it.    But it made me think of you and smile.  Someday maybe we can come here together and I'll hold your hand so you can see the view from the top.  Love you babe!

First, the other stuff, LOL.  Norah is pulling herself up all over the place!

Here is Livi in the super cute preppy outfit Daddy bought for her.

Yup, guess she really is a Rustad.  She can already do the watermelon tummy without trying!  In her defense, she had just eaten...

And Christmas!  Uncle Steve came over on Christmas Eve and we had chili and opened presents...after Jon and Steve spent an hour or so in the hallway trying to assemble Livi's new trampoline.    Christmas morning we had a feast of triple berry pancakes, sausages, and scrambled eggs with garlic, onion, and mushroom.  I used my new electric skillet (birthday present!) three times in two days!  Pictures:

Liv playing her xylophone.  You can see the maracas in the box, and the tambourine is somewhere...

Steve opening his new atomic wall clock!  It also displays indoor and outdoor temps, time/date, whether the barometic pressure is rising or falling, and it predicts the weather!  Fascinating! 

Daddy and the girls have a little R&R.

I purposefully got out the video camera for Christmas this year, because we've taped...oh...nothing since Norah was born.  The result was that I got very few pictures, and now you've seen them all!

Today Liv and Norah were playing in the living room.  Livi was sitting on the hippo riding/pushing toy about four feet from Norah.  I walked out of the room, and on my way back both girls were yelling at each other.  I mean mad yelling.  "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  I came in the room and asked Livi what was going on.  She said, "Norah! No!" and made a possessive/protective move of the toy.  I looked over at Norah, who was sitting in the same spot, four feet from the toy.  I looked back at Livi and said, "Norah isn't even touching it!"  Livi made a mad face and said...

"SHE LOOK!"

My jaw hit the floor.  I thought both children actually had to be talking for that argument to take place...

"Don't touch it; it's mine!"

"I'm not touching.  See?  Not touching it!!!"

"Stop looking at me!"

"Not touching you!  Not touching you!"

"Leave me alone!"

"What?  I'm not touching it?  See?" *waves baby arm in menacing fashion*

"MOM!  SHE'S LOOKING AT ME!!!"

***

More updates from Christmas later...  Had a fabulous time with Uncle Steve!  Pictures to come, hopefully tomorrow. 

Here is a picture of the beautiful cake I made and Livi decorated!  Okay, so I have a ways to go before my layer cakes look fantastic, but the pink and purple sprinkles and pink and white hearts looked beautiful on the chocolate-cake-speckled-white-frosting. 

Oh, and apparently I haven't had properly lit cakes for the last two years, because I discovered this evening that candles only come in packs of 24, and from now on we will need to have two packs in our house for birthdays.  So this year I had 24 candles instead of 27.  Oops. 

When I cut Livi's piece, she demanded another round of candles so that she could blow them out too.  It was quite funny. 

We drove around looking at Christmas lights last night, and decided there are four different types of displaying your Christmas lights.

1) Perfectionists.  Straight lines on the roof, accenting windows, doors, etc.  Tasteful and artfully arranged lawn displays and/or roof displays.  One or two inflatables, if any.

2) Over-the-tops.  Lights that number in the ten thousands.  Multiple inflatables.  Several moving and twinkling parts.  Makes you wonder about their electric bill.

3) Wannabees.  Lots of lights, but look like they were never untangled--just thrown up there.  Trees that are only lit halfway up because they ran out of lights fall into this category.

4) Half-hearteds.  One or two strings of lights.  Maybe a bush.  Enough to catch your eye, only to disappoint.

Olivia, of course, loved all of them.  No complaints from her!  In fact, she sang "Oh Christmas tree...Oh your branches!" about a hundred times...over and over and over.

Tonight we went out to the Rockwoods Grill for my birthday dinner.  Norah chewed on a chicken bone and loved it!  We got some free cake and had a grand time.    Next on my birthday list is to schedule a massage with the gift certificate from my dad--YAY DAD!