not sure how they do it...

I'm not sure how they do it, but every morning my kids seem to wake up even cuter than the day before (ok, some mornings, their cuteness is a bit too early or too loud, but nonetheless, usually cute!)

here are some tidbits:

• yesterday i said to Mia "Wow! you got even prettier last night while you were sleeping!" (something my mom used to always say to me) and she smiled and said "Yes! And Bubba got even cooler!"
  
• For some reason, mia doesn’t like the smell of peanut butter – well, frankly she just has a sensitive nose like me and doesn’t like a lot of smells, but she has been in the playroom whining because jackson’s morning peanut honey sandwich smells bad… then ella just walked in with hers and mia shouts out “Aaaaagggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY DO YOU GUYS ALWAYS LIKE PEANUT HONEY SANDWICHES! THEY DON’T SMELL GOOD AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!”
  I am in the kitchen quietly laughing!
  
• Yesterday in the car she shouted out “Bubbie!! You’re breaking my heart!!!!!!” and I turned and stared at them and they stared back and then she just burst into laughter like she was the funniest girl in the world! We all laughed with her, because frankly, she is!
  
• Little Ellie turned 2 last month and she is amazing. She has been talking in long complete sentences for a good 6 months or more and she is hilarious. She makes THE. BEST. FACES. all of her emotions show - and it is just so funny watching such a tiny person act so old.
  
• Ella is already potty trained. Yes, my friends, curse me all you want, but it is true! Muwahahaha!! I take no credit though (ok, maybe a little!) she did it on her own, i never have to ask her if she needs to go - she just comes running through the room shouting "hurry hurry! i have to go potty!" when she needs too. She was potty trained only 4 short weeks after her 2nd bday. (Mia was 5 weeks after her 2nd bday and jackson 8 weeks after his 2nd bday - so they all potty trained really early). so this makes me the PROUD and HAPPY mama who is out of the diaper ages!! WHOO HOOO!!! Yeah me!!
  
• Ella also has seemed to surpass the whiney stages... a couple of months before her bday when she was starting to cry and whine at all things, in typical 2 year old fashion, i just sat her down and explained that her behavior wasn't really something tolerated in the Leininger house and she needed to use her words since she had so many of them. I totally did not expect my "talk" with a 22 month old to work, but it DID! she is usually very silly and bubbily and just tells us what she wants, it is AWE SOME. however, she, like all of us, gets to be grouchy when she is tired and hungry. but hey - if we admitted it, we ALL do that! :)
  
• both girls spend their days in dress up clothes and plastic high heels dancing, singing and pretending to be princesses. they are just so cute!
  
• Jacks has become much the little artist, carrying around pencils or crayons and his drawing pad - EV ERY WHERE!!!!!! He draws anything and everything and is getting very very good at it. He is still loving to read and is good at that too - reading to us signs as we drive or walk around places too. I am so proud of him. He loves to ride his bike and play outside. He also has a little neighbor friend that he can play with, so it is nice to have another little boy around for him!
  
• Living in Boerne, just around the corner from the Guadalupe river has been amazing. We can take the kids to play in the river anytime we want and they really enjoy it. All 3 are very adventurous and love to explore and play in the water and woods, examining plants, bugs, rocks, animals, etc... we floated the river on Memorial Day with my parents and it was a beautiful time. Even on a busy holiday, this area of the river is so private (really just people from our neighborhood) and so it was pretty empty and peaceful. Jackson swam over 1/2 the river along side the big raft that he, Mia and Phil shared. Ella was in a smaller raft with me and actually laid on top of me and took an hour long nap! She did not even wake when we went over some very bumpy/fast rapids! When she did woke, i think she was mistaking me for "Dora the explorer" as she kept shouting at me "Paddle! Paddle! Paddle!!" Crazy little toe-headed girl!
  
• The house is beautiful and we are so thankful to be here. We are still waiting on some items to get finished up, but overall, it is a joy. Quiet and peaceful. We have our standard family of deer every morning and night, have seen a fox running by, lots of birds of all colors - nests with babies around, and even a cute little skunk that walks around the backyard some evenings (we are happy not to disturb him! and glad we don't have dogs to get sprayed either!)
  
• wish i had taken more notes on the funny things they say and do every day... i have not been good about keeping up with things lately, but maybe i will get better! good day to you all! :)