New Floor

The other reason for my parents' visit was to help wrangle the girls while we got new floors!  I've been waiting six years to replace the 20-year-old carpet and warped kitchen floor and we finally got around to it.  Here's a before shot my mom took of the living room.

 

During.  It was quite a mess!  Luckily the weather was nice so we could spend most of the time outside and our master bedroom is big enough that we could hang out in there as well.

 

It took longer than expected due to some serious dips and hollows in the cement floor.  They had to wait for the leveling patches to dry before they could lay the floor in the kitchen.

 

Lunch among the construction.  It was nice to not have to wipe up the floors for a couple of meals!  We also ate out a few times since the kitchen was a little tough to navigate.

 

 

After, it took almost five full days.  So much better!  We absolutely love the new floors but did have to get some play mats for the girls (and us) to sit on.  Vinyl is not as soft as carpet!

 

All of the floors in the living room, kitchen, and laundry room now match.  Maybe next year we'll get to the bedrooms and master bath.

Grandma and Grumps Visit

Last week my parents came for a nice week-long visit.  Matthew took his first overnight trip away from the girls (a work trip to MI) so I enlisted their help.  The girls were thrilled to have company and I don't think that they hardly looked at me for the first few days.  They were having too much fun!  They actually got to go grocery shopping with us on Monday and rode in the double cart for the first time.

 

Can you tell that they enjoyed it?  Leonie on the left.

 

We also spent lots of time outside including several trips to playgrounds because of a renovation project happening at the house (more on that in the next post).  Here they are on the slide with Grumps and Grandma.  I'm not sure who is having the most fun!

Slide fun.

 

Surprisingly, Elsie even quickly figured out how to climb up the stairs to the top of the slide.  She wasn't fast but was very careful.

 

Grandma and Elsie at a different playground.

 

Grumps and Leonie.

 

 

Story time.  Both girls are really starting to love books and will bring books out from their room to read.

 

Double wagon ride from Grumps! Leonie on the right.

 

The fascination with shoes continues.  Here Elsie is wearing Grandma's shoes while Grumps helps her walk.

 

Another first this week - their first horse ride!  Elsie loved it and Leonie was a little cautious.  My old horse, Rabi, was the perfect gentleman.

 

Leonie.

 

Elsie

 

Leonie and I.  She was a little more confident when sitting with me.

 

Elsie and I.  Elsie wanted back on every time we took her off!

 

 

Finally, a couple of videos from the playground.  Elsie on the slide.

 

 

Leonie had a little mishap on the slide.  She was just fine and went down again afterwards though!

 

 

September

Now that we are no longer doing the monthly photos I am going to *try* to post about what's happening at least once per month.  We'll see how that goes!  First, here is a photo of the girls with most of their birthday gifts (a Bertch tradition).  The photo is a little late because some of their gifts didn't arrive until we met my parents in NC.

 

On a disappointing note, at the end of August my horse Mow stumbled while we were out training for our next race and has torn a ligament in his front leg.  He'll be out of commission for about five months while it heals.  We did shock wave treatments (photo) and he'll be confined to a small pen for a while until we slowly start rehabbing the leg.  The up side is that he should be 100% after it heals.

 

This month has been all about walking!  Once the girls started walking (and climbing) we had to release them from the baby pit.  It took them a little while to get comfortable with roaming the whole house but their walking skills have greatly improved.  Here they are leading daddy around. Elsie's on the left.

 

No baby pit also means that we needed containment for snacks.  They figured out these snack cups right away and, hopefully, we'll find fewer stray cheerios around the house. Elsie's on the left.

 

The cats are still adjusting to free babies.  Bagheera cannot jump over the gate into our room so she is often within reach.  Here is Leonie gently petting her.

 

Leonie and Elsie giving Bagheera some love.

 

Bagheera waiting to escape outside.

 

The girls also now enjoy going for "rides" on any willing adult.  It's Leonie's turn here.

 

Our washing machine (barely over a year old) broke and we had to buy a new one this month, which means the girls got a play house!

 

Bedtime stories with Daddy.  Leonie on the left.

 

Improved walking skills and slightly cooler temps has made some trips outside more feasible.  The girls have been enjoying their birthday gift from nanny and pop - a pool!

 

We put the pool in the garden where it won't kill the grass and we can keep it fenced off.  It is a huge hit, if you can't tell by these smiling faces. Elsie on the left.

 

Who needs fancy water features when mom has a watering can?

 

Elsie exploring the flower beds.  I'll have to start teaching her how to weed.

 

Mow has been living up to his name and mowing the lawn for us one little section at a time.  The girls discovered his water bucket one day and had a ball.  (Don't worry, the fence is not electric).

 

As always, the girls still love meal times.  One new thing they had this month, and loved, was sushi!  We made some veggie sushi at home and Elsie ate it so fast I could barely get a photo.

 

Leonie explored hers a little more before devouring.

 

Also, both girls leveled up their eating skills by adding forks.  Some things are just better when eaten off of a fork!  Here's Elsie.

 

And Leonie.

 

Finally, a cute video of Elsie walking (and falling down) while Daddy gives Leonie a wagon ride.