how she sleeps

I've put lots of pictures up (blog, facebook) recently about how much of a bed hog Xaris is. It's impossible to get much sleep with her next to you, so I rarely share the bed with her, but there are occasions when she just has trouble falling asleep, or wakes up just a bit too early and will snuggle in bed for another hour or so.

I don't believe I've shown anyone yet how she falls asleep though. This is her new habit--she does it most nights to fall asleep!

Yep! Folded hands! Every night!

Most of the time the last thing we have done before she falls asleep is pray, so it could be for that reason. I kind of think it's just because it's something she's learned how to do recently and has made it her habit. Anyway, I think it's sweet. She often wants me to hold her feet while she's holding her hands so she can fall asleep.

If I ever need a picture of a little girl praying, I'll just rotate and crop this one!

new skill

X has shown that she is perfectly capable of blowing her own bubbles. Now if she could only manage to hold the bubble container without spilling it all...

DFW-STL-IND-DFW (part 3)

Indianapolis!

Since Indy is only about 3 or 4 hour drive from St. Louis, and my friend Kay (from missionary in Chile days) is on home assignment this year with her family, we took advantage of being only a few hours apart instead of a 13 hour plane ride apart! Xaris and I hitched a ride from another pastor who was driving through Indianapolis after the conference, and stayed with Kay and Leo, their two kids Sofia and Ben, and Kay's parents (Jane and Bill) until Tuesday afternoon. It was a wonderful time!! Sofia is 2 months younger than Xaris, and they had only met via Skype.

We got a bit spoiled too, wonderful home-cooked meals, a trip to the Indianapolis Children's museum for the girls, and Xaris got a bath-time buddy! Plus Kay and I got to do a lot of catching up.

Xaris also got to sleep in a big-girl bed (one open side) for the first time! The first night she didn't sleep well, but that was also because she had woken up on the floor and was fussing so I took her downstairs so she wouldn't wake up Sofia and Ben (next room over)...and that woke her up more. She ended up only wanting to sleep in my arms for the next several hours--neither of us got great sleep that night! Next night she did just fine.

The girls got lots of fun bath time together

Pouring and dumping...

And smiling and giggling. Xaris' trademark finger-in-bellybutton in this shot...

The Children's museum was a lot of fun. For some reason we only got really serious faces for a lot of pictures--maybe the girls were just so focused on play? Because they did play! They enjoyed it, even if the pictures don't show it!

Water tables!

Rock-Climbing!

Sand Tables!!

Babies in a box! (glimpse of smiles here--they loved banging on it)

Sharing

X's first time on a carousel. She stared the whole time, not even cracking the tiniest glimpse of a smile--SOOOO serious. But as soon as it ended she was asking for more and didn't want to get off.

And Here's a Smile! There was a Dora and Diego exhibit at the museum--so she ran right over to Boots!

Playing together with their new toys (we got them each the same Dora doll for their upcoming birthdays--so they'll have the same toy when they are continents apart).

Bye Sofia!! We love you! (you too Kay, and Leo, and Ben)