We instituted a weekly vegetarian night a few years ago in an effort to eat more veggies and decrease our consumption of animals. While intellectually I'd love to be a vegetarian on a full-time basis, because I do think we treat our food animals poorly and they contribute to global warming with their methane emissions, unfortunately, I'm a carnivore at heart. Therefore, I thought maybe following my intellectual ideals for at least one night a week might be a positive change.

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Today Kate decided to have her Groovy Girls act out jumping on the trampoline, like she does in tumbling class. I was laughing hysterically, it was so damn cute. She was singing songs to them like Coach Mimi does for tumbling class, and she was making them sit and wait their turn. (Sometimes Groovy Girls have a hard time with this requirement.)

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Tuesday Isabel had her four month checkup and vaccines. Great news, she is healthy and growing like a weed! I think she is going to be our tall daughter, because she keeps creeping up on the height chart each visit. She was 25 inches long and weighed 14 lbs 10 oz. That puts her at the 75th percentile for height and weight, which makes her well-proportioned as well. Apparently her head circumference is off the chart. We'll call that a big brain! She nicely fills out her clothes, rather than swimming in them as Kate did (and continues to do).

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Isabel hit another milestone this week by sitting on her own! Granted, she was a little unstable in the beginning, and the first time only lasted a half minute or so, but by today she was able to sit for five minutes at a time and play with toys. It's like she woke up (again) and became a whole new baby. She plays with her toys, and can even get the binky back in her mouth from wherever she happens to find it. It is amazing to see her grow so quickly, but a nice relief to have her develop some independence.

Isabel has become an admirer of Kate's, too. Some days Kate is tolerant, and others find Kate annoyed with her fan club. Regardless, though, Isabel looks up at her in adoration, with her big eyes and smile aimed at Kate.

Santa brought Kate the Plan Toys Chalet Doll House and she is totally in love with it. This doll house is great in many regards. First, it is open on all sides, so she can play from any angle. It is modern, so it fits with our style. It is made of wood, not particle board, so it is durable. The Plan Toys Chalet Doll House can be configured in many different ways, because it consists of two townhouses that can be arranged either as one home or two. Best of all, it comes with its own furniture, which makes it cheaper than most doll houses, since most come without accessories. It is adorable, and I am sure she will love it for years.