Carl's 1st 4th

July 4th: Fireworks!

Brianna just chillin' with her cousins!

 The happy cozy crew.

The other happy, not as cozy crew!

Oh, ahh! Carl was pointing really well by the 4th and kept pointing at each new explosion. When we first sat down, I thought he might keep sleeping, but he heard activity and wanted to be involved. Sounds like Carl!

In the Dog Dish

June 29: Why not? Carl decided he loves to get into Eko's food and water dishes. 

And not just in to them (like I'm going to get wet and grab a bunch of food!) but physically into and on top of the dish (it's a lot faster to make a mess that way mom!). 

Courtesy of Gammie and Gampie

June 30th Weekend: Brianna loves to hang out with Gammie and Gampie. She also loves playing with her cousin Casen. And, she loves being at my parents weekend getaway, the trailer. So when those three things combined the last weekend in June, she was one happy little girl! I can't speak to all the fun times they had, but I can say that she frequently asks to go to Gammie and Gampie's trailer!

Enjoy some photos my parents took!

She knows how to relax and kick her feet up!

You Mean I can Paint on my Face!?!

June 24: A Fun-Filled Birthday Party for Cousins

Brianna was excited to go celebrate her cousin's birthdays and was really excited to bring them their gift! But as part of the party, she realized she could color on her face! Can you say triple the excitement.  She sat so still, while the art was drawn on her face. I'm not sure how it went down, but after a while, we saw Brianna sitting again at the face-painting table and a little girl (older than B) was painting B's face... her arms... her legs... it was very cute! They were having a lot of fun.

She was not very happy with me when we had to take it all off before bedtime.

Commissioner and the Parade

June 21: Parade fun

Michelle and I ventured out for our second year in a row to our community parade! This year we had more kids and, I'd say, more fun. I loaded down our burley with chairs and blankets, and headed over to Auntie Micks house to have dinner. A family member of theirs dropped off their two kids, bringing the total to five kids. Once we finished dinner, we headed off to find a place to sit. We all got settled and thankfully it wasn't long before the first police car drove by, signaling the start of the parade. It's amazing to me that so many floats drive by and throw out candy. Why do we need so much candy? It's helpful to keep kiddos entertained, going and gathering whatever they can find, but who wants to give kids that much sugar that close to bedtime. I know, I know... you don't do it all the time, but still. I was thankful to the eye place for handing out fresh carrots. What a welcome treat!

Thanks Mick for the fun and company.

Oh, and Commissioner Bonkoski was on hand for his part in the parade. 

They handed out chip clips, very useful.

Loving Nature at the Arboretum

June 18: A Visit to the Arboretum

We love our visits to the arboretum. Every time we go, there is always something and somewhere new to explore. Carl was not yet walking but he still loved crawling around when I let him on his own. They had a "Green Play Yard," built just for kids. They were able to explore new plants, water, trees, small buildings, and so much more.  We barely had any time left before we had to leave for anything else! In fact, we had a hard time getting away from this kids-sized walking bridge. Let's just say Carl could have stayed there longer!

His "OOOOOO" moment. Notice the tippy toes. 

As we headed back to the car for a picnic lunch, we stopped to examine many of the fountains. This one was particularly perfect for just viewing the water trickle down. 

"Cunbredda"

June 16, 2012: It was a rainy morning, so while Carl napped, Brianna and I went on a short walk in the rain. We tried singing in the rain, but someone was more enthralled with the umbrella, or "cunbredda" as she calls it. Isn't she so cute! She loves holding it all by herself, so much so that we had to turn around on our walk so I could get a second umbrella for myself. Gotta love our walks together!

2 Months!

Wow. We have neglected our blog for 2 months to the day. 2 months!! It seems unbelievable, but with how blessed we've been with tons of activity in our lives lately, blogging is the first thing to be put on hold or in some cases forgotten. (by "blessed" I mean CRAZY busy - but blessed seems to fit nicely in its place!)

It's a shame it does get tucked away on the back burner (kitchen pun intended - more to come), because for those that check in once in a while, it's a great way to stay connected. Well, it's not the first time I've said it, and won't be the last - Sorry for the delay in glimpses of what's going on in our lives.

In order to catch up, I'll start by just adding pictures and small stories if I've got the time. They do say, "A picture is worth a thousand words!"

Enjoy snippets of our last 2 months!

June 15: Story time with Daddy! I found the Hungry Caterpillar at a garage sale for 25 cents. It's hard to beat a classic children's story for so little cost. Brianna starts "reading" it by saying, "one day - sun was out... a little egg and pop. Out comes a VERY hungry caterpillar!"

For Baby Joey!

On June 2, I catered my very first baby shower! It was to celebrate and shower with gifts my cousin’s wife, Mary, who gave birth to their first just 21 days later.

I had a lot of fun doing it, but it was intense – a lot of work, but a big reward. I was so humbled by the many great comments I received for the food.  To top it off, it was completely gluten-free! I think (or at least I hope) I maybe changed some people’s perspectives that gluten-free can actually taste good. Had it not been announced (which there were others besides myself that required such a menu), I doubt anyone would have thought twice.  It was that tasty!

Their new baby is named Joseph, Joey for short, so my Aunt thought it would be fun to use an Australian theme for the shower, after a kangaroo’s baby who is called a joey. I had been thinking about creating food name cards with outback-themed names but saved it till last for if I had time. After a full day of shopping, preparing, and baking (we’re talking 11:30 pm the night before!!), I was finally able to get to the cards. I am so glad there was time, because they really seemed to add just a little more detail that helped pull it all together. Plus, I also tried to go around my own house and gather up some baby blankets and toys to help decorate the party room. A huge thanks to my sister Michelle, for helping set up and set out and put the finishing touches on the food. 

Mary and Aaron, I am so happy for you guys and can’t wait for our play dates! 

The Menu:

Wallabee (egg) Bake

Walk-About Parfaits

Fruit on the Barbee

G'Day Pumpkin Muffins

Kindie Rice Krispies

Chokkie Macaroons

You're Invited...

To the 1^st Annual Rubber Duck Olympics. In honor of Carl's first birthday, I'm attempting something new and hopefully really fun (or funny, either one works). I've already met with my neighbors and got their permission, talked with my neighbor across the creek and they are so excited, and plans are starting to fall into place. Not too long now, I'm excited to see how it turns out. Essentially we will be tossing our Rubber Ducks into the creek in our backyard and watch them race down in a friendly and exciting competition! 

Prizes will be awarded for the 1^st place duck in each of these three categories: Ages 0-6, 7-17, and 18-99. Rubber Ducks* will be essential in order to compete, so don’t leave your duck at home!

*Rubber Ducks should be at least 3 inches in length. 

"i aohld him"

Brianna is constantly asking to hold Carl - she thinks he is the greatest and wants to be close to him. Normally, Carl is so on the move that for him to sit still long enough to even get him in her arms would be a miracle. But the other day while playing outside I just couldn't say no, it seemed to be a perfect situation.

She wanted to share her car with him and asked if she could "aohld him." Since they would be squished in the one little seat with sides to help prop and activity to keep attention, it was a no brainer.

Immediately they both were smiling and giggling. They sat there for almost 7 minutes honking the horn and turning the wheel. She couldn't quite move her feet enough to move the Flintstone car, but she was content enough that she was holding him. After a while, she opened the door and said, "I'm done." In which case, I ran quickly to the side in order to catch him from falling out sideways. She did however want to continue the fun and insisted I put him back in by himself so she could push him. He was a little unstable and kept getting his feet caught under the car, but LOVED it. 

It's so fun to see them playing together and loving it. Hopefully this is a good sign for the future!

Who Wants to Walk!

He Does, He Does!

Carl has been working diligently on his walking. On one hand it's SO exciting and on the other it's life as we known it - over. 

I'm 98% sure I'm ready for it. It's summer time and he's ready to move and chase his fabulous big sister. She has been doing great with him; she's been sharing, bringing him things, and making sure to play around him with care. Carl is ready to keep pace with her. It took Brianna 15 months and a younger cousin to decide she was ready to walk on her own, but I'm pretty sure Carl will take the plunge well before that. 

Personally, I just love his technique. Notice the fancy footwork AND the tippy toes! If he gets stopped he thinks if his feet keep moving, the momentum will shift the walker just enough to keep going. Yeah Carl!

Just Perfect!

Here's our sweet little girl singing "Jesus Loves Me" - with backup singers.

She is simply wonderful and amazes me everyday!

P.S. Shelley, thanks to your amazing talents and your daughter's, B requests "little turtle ad big turtle song" daily. Good thing I listened closely when you sang it and could repeat it. But I think she knows it's not you singing it to her. I don't get the laughter like you did!

Just Me and Carl

Here's our little man! How we love him so. Only 2 more months until he turns 1. It's gone SO fast!

Now that I look at this picture, does anyone else think Mr. Potato head looks, well... what do you think?

Movie Star at the Dentist

Early last month I went to my regularly scheduled dentist appointment. The last time I was in, my fabulous dental hygienist asked me if I wanted to schedule a "happy visit" for Brianna the next time I went in. I said yes, so the whole week leading up to the appt. we were talking about where we were going and what we would be doing at the dentist. The day came and she was ready! The happy visit consisted of them putting super sweet "movie star" sunglasses on her, turning on the camera thing they use for the mouth so she could see herself on tv, and actually using "Mr. Tickles" and "Mrs. Thirsty." I went first (so she could see how it's done), then it was her turn.

She did amazing. She had some spots the hygienist was able to get off because she sat so still and opened wide. It's encouraging to hear your dentist say, "whatever you're doing, keep it up - her teeth look great, pleanty of room for growth." Now the second part to that I don't have much control over, but as challenging as it is some nights to keep up with the regular brushing routine makes it all worth it. As for our fabulous hygienist, she is simply that. I am so thankful for her. She was incredibly patient with her, talked Brianna through the whole thing, and waited while she got a little skiddish then just continued on.

I'd say she loves brushing her teeth even more now after the visit than before. Having such a positive experience for something that can be not so pleasant is truly a blessing.