Story time

• A couple of funny stories from the past couple weeks.  First on our way to Kansas City for my cousin's wedding Hallie was having some issues.  She is not the best car traveler and doesn't sleep really well in the car seat.  We thought we had the whole thing conquered.  No videos puts them both to sleep.  So on the way up we put on a Bob and Larry CD and off to dream land they eventually went.  After about five minutes of both girls sleeping I turned the CD off and changed it to the radio.  About two seconds later Natalie wakes up and starts crying.  She is screaming "that's not Bob!"  She wakes up Hallie who then starts crying.  Oops.  Thought they were sound enough asleep that we could get away with it.  Guess not.  My punishment was to listen to Hallie cry for the next 1.5 hours AND listen to the CD again.  Sara tried everything to get Hallie to calm down.  We gave her snacks, a drink, videos, everything.  At one point Sara said "Hallie, shhh".  You would have thought she said the meanest thing Hallie could think of so Hallie ramped up the volume.  Natalie, being the good little mommy, says "Hallie, what's the matter?"  Now keep in mind that Hallie likes to get Natalie in trouble by tattling on her.  Hallie responds to Natalie "Mommy....ssshhh"  as if Natalie would reprimand mommy! It was so funny I about drove the car off the rode.
• The wedding weekend was a blur.  Between rehearsal dinner, family pictures, birthday party for my sister and my wife, the wedding, the reception, going to church and lunch with my brother-in-law and his family, there wasn't much time to breath.  Our girls were troopers.  They did so well.  Hallie didn't sleep worth a darn on Friday night and had to nap at grandma and grandpas hotel room but she made it through with flying colors.
• Hallie's newest thing is to pretend with her baby dolls.  She is obviously doing something with them because she actually strapped one of them in her booster chair....while it was on the barstool!  This left our Hallie bear on her knees in front of the booster perched precariously on about 3 inches of chair while strapping in her baby about three feet in the air.  Not cool.  So we took the booster chair and put in on the floor.  She then proceeded to put the baby back in the booster and get some food from mommy.  The food was actually a play spoon and play can of peas.  When asked what she was feeding the baby she said "hot dog".  I think she eats to many hot dogs.  After feeding her she decided the baby was thirsty.  So she got her out, cradled her in her left arm, and gave her a bottle.  So sweet.  Other than feeding them they are now beginning to cry.  Hallie will show up carrying a baby and look at mommy and say "baby, cry" and pout.  Things aren't better until mommy gives the baby a kiss.
• Natalie is entering the "I hear you but I am going to pretend that I don't" phase.  That's not so fun, in case anyone cares.  We have had some discussions about that.  She's getting better and most of the time is the most pleasant 4 year old to be around.  
• She will just lose herself in her imagination. She will sit at the counter for an hour playing with stickers.  She will tell stories with them and use and re-use them on different pages.  Yesterday she didn't even need a page she just used the counter itself.  Then she will get down, go get her princess paper dolls and proceed to play with them the same way.  When she's done with those she will grab her little people and pretend with them.  Sometimes they even sing.  Just yesterday the broke out in to a rousing rendition of some song she made up.  We asked her where she heard it and she wouldn't tell us.  The sweetest sound though is to hear my 4 year old sitting at the counter or playing in the living room and break out in to "Mighty to Save".  "Savior, He can move the mountains.  My God is mighty to save, he is mighty to save..."