July Museum Visit

After missing class for the first time (other than vacations) since the girls were 5 months old, we were all thrilled to get back for Music & Movement this month. I forgot my camera (and you're likely tired of the same pictures anyway), but I do have a bit of video. Most of the class is even more interactive so I don't have a lot, and Elise was playing shy much of the time... but it's something. Enjoy! :)

Sometimes...

From a while back, a video Kyle took of a time the girls were actually sweet to one another. It happens sometimes ;)

Some Like it Hot

Not me.

Alas, it's been hot in July. This hot a time or two:

And a heat index that looked like that on more occasions than I care to remember.

So as you can expect, we've been playing outside a lot. Thankfully we have lots of options - sprinklers, the swimming pool, and now new squirt guns, a slip and slide ("fountain slide") and a repurposed slide for the pool!

Plus of course, there is still Boomerang Bay - to which Elise and Avery now wear the most adorable swim covers (or, rather, "beauful Ariel swimming dress").

And this year, you can find the famous blue ice cream not only in Kiddie Land but in Boomerang Bay as well. Definite win!

(But even with all this fun, I freely admit that I'm beginning to long for apple cider, sweatshirts and football...)

Picnic and Party Time

A few weekends ago (she checks to verify, unsure of how so much time has passed since last she blogged) our whole family(!) spent a super-fun Saturday together. First, we met some new friends at a 4 Corners cookout. Elise played in a bounce house, Avery played on big girl swings, they both played in the indoor playroom because it was so hot we were really advised not to be outside (instead of being outside all day), and Kyle and I enjoyed some very nice company.

After we cooled off just a bit (though I'm not sure the sweat in the girls' thinner hair ever dried (and now you're thanking me for talking about sweat)), it was time to head to another outdoor function - Noah's and Matthew's birthday party!

There was just a little rain (enough to cool things off about 10 degrees) and a lot of humidity, but because the party planner is so wonderfully Type A, the party was still spectacular (and yummy!).

And this is where I'd like to end my post, "The girls had so much fun playing outside all day that they crashed on the way home, slept all night, and even slept in the next morning". Because that's how all my friends' kids roll, but not mine. Instead, we had a horrendous night, we still can't sleep well most nights and Elise and Avery refuse to let us sleep a minute past 6am, even on good days. But who is keeping track?

Playgroup

For the second year in a row, we were all set to have a super fun water-play playgroup (sprinklers, splash fountains, pool, etc) and the weather turned on us at the last minute. It's just not meant to be! :)

Instead, the girls anxiously awaited their friends to come play at our house



















and then the mommies had a great time catching up (instead of chasing our kids on playgrounds and protecting them from bigger kids with nonexistent parents). It worked out just fine, and because of that I have even fewer pictures than when it's NOT at home. Oops.

Walks, Chalk and... waffles.

On Kyle's first day of work (which, I realize, was two weeks ago), the girls and I had a great day at home with a few surprises for him along the way. First things first, a yummy breakfast to start the day (and the rest of our lives) off right. Mickey Waffles, of course! (And Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Minnie and Daisy Waffles, but that doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well, so they get the shaft. Sorry guys.)

Anyway, it had been a while since we busted out the 5-in-1 Disney Tasty Baker, so the girls were kind of impressed.

After we gave Kyle a little "office warming" gift (to go along with framed photos of pretty girls he received for his office on Father's Day), he was off and we were off on a walk around the neighborhood. I pulled the (first empty) wagon along behind us, knowing the girls would get tired and I would not want to carry 50 pounds back with me from whatever point in our neighborhood that happened. Avery took advantage on and off, but Elise literally RAN ahead of us on the sidewalk for probably close to a mile of our 1.75 mile journey. She then agreed to go along for the ride, and we had fun singing songs the whole way back.

When we were back at the house, it was time to work on a message for Daddy. We got out the chalk for the first time in the girls' young lives (seriously? parenting fail!) and they had a blast coloring a picture to send to Dada.

Apparently all the excitement and fun wore at least one of them out!

"My Brave One"

"Are their personalities different?" I am always asked. My reply is always some variation of, "They really are different at any given time, but they tend to take turns with different personalities". A perfect example of this? Recent runs of bravery.

Weeks ago, Elise couldn't get enough of any size or variety of slide, whereas Avery wasn't as big a fan. Then one day, Elise wouldn't dare go down even the smallest of slides, or try new things, or climb anything at all high off the ground. And at the same time, Avery started scaling crazy high (and hard) playground apparatuses and showing absolutely no fear. This continued for a while, with Avery running to new experiences (new rides at Kings Island, for example) and Elise being a bit more leery - though ultimately enjoining a few more than previous attempts.

And then Avery's run ended abruptly.

I put them on my favorite childhood ride at Kings Island. They had wanted desperately to ride it, but I wasn't sure if they were big enough. They are, so we all excitedly stood in line to wait our turn. They both were THRILLED to finally be on it

until it did it's signature "whip" around the curves, at which point Avery lost her mind.

Elise loved it, and rides it at least two times a trip now.

A few days later, Avery kind of surprised me and wanted to try the "big cars". I just knew they would adore this ride once they finally gave it a chance, because it's like the cars they love but bigger, more "realistic" (hey, they're 2), have cooler steering wheels, go farther away, and even go up and down a hill - sort of like the roller coaster sitting in my living room, that they can't get enough of.

Um, I was very wrong. Elise loved it, Avery again lost her mind, this time immediately as the ride took off. She screamed the whole time, tried frantically (and VERY nearly successfully) to climb out of her seat, and couldn't get off quickly enough. She still tells the story every single day about how "Avery cried on big cars at Kings Island. [Avery] like[s] little cars at Kings Island. Cried on big cars." Yes, yes I remember. It was the longest few minutes of our week, and that's saying something.

Avery does like the little cars.

And the (100% stationary) Snoopy Bench.

Two-Year Portraits!

Ok, the girls were PERFECT at their session today. I always said there had to come a time when it was just easier, because you could tell them what was expected of them and they would listen (some of the time). Today, that time came. I hope for good, because we were in and out with no tears and I'm super happy with the results!

4th of July Weekend

What a fun (and busy) weekend we had! We had (and are still having) so much family time on this three-day weekend, that we hardly know what to do with ourselves. Kyle's new schedule is already making up a bit for all that lost time... :)

On Friday afternoon, the girls and I went to Kings Island for a little while. There, we learned that it is once again Elise's turn to be "my brave one", and Avery's run is very much over. You'll have to take my word for it for now, though I am pretty sure there are pictures to come!

On Saturday, we had two very fun things on the agenda. First was Curious Henry's Curious George birthday party. The girls squealed with delight (quite literally) before we were even in the house, having seen George on a few balloons on our way in. They also got yummy food (and cupcakes, of course!), and played with all sorts of fun things including a huge playset, a trampoline big enough for mommy and daddy to "bounce high" with them, bubble wands they could work with ease, a sandbox, and a really cool kiddie pool. What a great party!

Elise even got to enjoy a chocolate covered frozen banana, though she was very confused at first since she just recently learned how to lick an ice cream cone instead of biting. :)

After the birthday party, it was time to head west for the Oxford Independence Day Penny Carnival (and Parade). You might recall how fond we were of this event last year, both for the nostalgia of the town and because it's just PERFECT for the smallest attendees, instead of fighting the masses at the (more "fun") likes of Blue Ash's and Mason's events.

This year, it started out well... and really was fun, overall. Elise and Avery won a few bracelets (you know, because they need more) at the Duck Pond and Spin-the-Wheel games, and loved people-watching. The parade - which is the biggest reason we go (despite the fact that it's literally firetrucks, dogs, and kids riding bikes) because the girls adore such things - was sort of a bomb. It was great for about 1/3 of it, at which point obnoxious kids with nonexistent parents crowded several feet deep in front of the girls (into the middle of the street). Pushing ensued, we couldn't see anything worth seeing, and we decided it was time to leave. It was getting late anyway, but there was no shortage of annoyance.

Still, we will focus on the good stuff. Look how adorable the girls are, for one:

And they really did have a nice time.

Yesterday (the actual 4th) was much more laid back, with church in the morning, a decent nap, and a few hours at Nana, Pappy & Aunt Cassi's house since the girls missed them terribly while they were out of town for a week or two. We had grilled steak, baked potatoes, corn on the cob and s'mores (talk about your American meal, right? :)), and called it a day.

The best part? Well, probably all the quality time spent together. But the second best part? The girls were so freaking exhausted both nights, that they actually slept through the fireworks (that went on forever, into ridiculously late hours - even in a neighborhood filled with children. No, I'm not bitter at the lack of sleep ;)). Here's hoping the same thing might happen the next several nights, as said fireworks drag on until everyone runs out! (Seriously. Between Riverfest and Disney spectacles my whole life, I'm such a fireworks snob. I just can't find them worth my while in these homemade, holiday incarnations. ;))

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, too!

Happy 4th of July!

Pretty Dress

Once upon a time, I came downstairs after getting ready for Kyle's third and final graduation banquet. I have the sweetest girls in the world, who immediately came running over to me, "Mommy beuful! Mama pretty dress!".

After the doting was over (just a few (wonderful) moments), you could see their eyes light up. To the dress up bin they ran, as they proceeded to "Put on beuful dress, too". They also informed me that they had pretty shoes, and mama did not have pretty shoes. Apparently, pink is pretty, black is not. So noted. :)

They even put on "makeup" (lip gloss from their birthday party), though Elise might need some pointers in the future about how much is too much.

I do think they're awfully beautiful!

In keeping with the theme...

Sometimes they aren't just ornery, they're downright obnoxious. Hitting, screaming, fighting, you know the drill - it's the terrible twos x 2 (or actually, magnified exponentially as they feed off of one another).

But sometimes, they're hysterical - especially because they don't sleep enough. Case in point: the Minnie Mouse mylar balloon from Elise's birthday is too high for her to reach. She's actually mad at me about something else, but the balloon must have been the tipping point.

I dare you not to laugh.

Ornery.

Kyle and I go upstairs for 10 minutes to get ready for a night out, and this is what we come back to. And he wonders why I say I don't trust them! :)

(Yes, that is a sucker in Avery's mouth. Her first, for the record, and we missed most of it!)

Weller Park Playdate

We had a playdate with Sidney & Sam last week at Weller Park. I wish this park wasn't so far away (~35 minutes), because I think it's the nicest we've seen yet!