two for the red, white, and blue

   Of course, this was our first Fourth of July with two kiddos.  The girls were precious in their red, white, and blue.  The Sadlers invited us to their neighborhood celebration on Sunday night.  Paul and Emma Jane swam in the pool while Vivi and I hung out by the river.  We knew the fireworks would be too late and too loud for little Viv, so Paul took her home and Emma Jane and I stayed for the show.  The fireworks were pretty spectacular and, yes, they were LOUD!  At first, Emma Jane was a little overwhelmed by it all, but she finally decided it was pretty cool.  It was the perfect ending to a fun-filled night.

I had to add this last photo as a reminder that we celebrated Emma Jane's 1st birthday on our first July 4th in Columbia.  My how she has changed!



fridge fotos

   Most of us put pictures up on the fridge to jazz it up a little.  If you are like me, you also have a magnetic pad of paper front and center on your refrigerator.  It's the perfect go-to place to jot down grocery lists and  to-do thoughts.  After using my last sheet of paper on a magnetic pad, I realized that it seemed wasteful to throw away a perfectly good piece of cardboard with magnet attached!  I cut it into a 4x6, attached a picture of Emma Jane, hot-glued some coordinating ribbon around it, and added a felt flower in the corner.  This was months ago, and I have just recently finished off my next magnetic pad, so I had to make one to show off a picture of Vivi, too.  It's a quick, easy, cheap (free if you have ribbon, felt, and a hot glue gun) project to give your fridge a little personality.

sittin' pretty

   Vivian has outgrown her infant car seat and was definitely ready for the big girl seat.  Although she is still rear-facing (and will be for quite some time), she seems happy to be in a bigger, more comfortable seat.  We purchased matching car seat covers for both girls.  I like the pretty blue and brown print...feminine, but not too girly.  It's a soft cotton cover, so it's not as hot as the original covers that come with the Britax seats.  Now we are ready for some road trips!

lions and tigers and ponies...oh my!

   Although we have been to the Riverbanks Zoo too many times to count, each visit holds something new and exciting.  Our latest zoo trip with the Sadler girls was no exception.  Emma Jane and Lily did the usual running, jumping, and climbing, but they are both becoming more interested in the animals.  Emma Jane even had a short chat with a goose!  For me, the most exciting part of this visit was watching my big girl calmly and patiently wait for her first pony ride.  When it was time to hop in the saddle, she did just that as if she'd done it many times before.  I was so proud of our little equestrian!  Vivian was happy to watch her big sis having all the fun, but she also had some fun of her own with sweet Charlotte.  We can't wait to see what's in store for us on our next trip to the zoo.

staying cool

The only way to stay cool on these hot summer days is to take a daily dip in the pool!  Sorry about the overabundance of pool photos, but that is just about all we do for fun these days.  Vivi is pretty happy to just be in the water and Emma Jane is learning all kinds of new tricks!  On some days we go to the pool as a family and on other days we join our friends.  There is nothing better than a good splash to beat the heat!

 

little mermaid

Here is a short video of Emma Jane swimming.  She has a very interesting way of getting from point A to point B!  Every day her skills improve and she is able to hold her breath underwater for longer periods of time.  We are very proud of our little mermaid!

scooter

Vivian is ready to MOVE!  She's not crawling yet, but she is trying to get in position and even manages to scoot herself around on our hardwood floors.  I usually put her on a big blanket to keep her from falling face first on the hard floor, but today I realized the blanket is really holding her back from crawling practice.  When I took her off the blanket, she giggled and wiggled her way across the floor! 

funderstorms

A thunderstorm rolled in right around Emma Jane's bedtime last night.  Here is the interesting conversation we had about storms.

EJ:  Mama, I'm a wittle bit scared of funderstorms.
Me:  There's nothing to be afraid of, honey, thunderstorms are just...
EJ:  Mama, ssshhh...I need to talk to the funder.
Me:  Okay???
EJ:  Mr. Funder, I need you to stop making noise.  You're too woud and you might wake up my sissy!  I don't want you to make it wain 'cause then I can't go pway outside.
Me:  Is that all you wanted to say to Mr. Thunder?
EJ:  Yes, but Mama, I'm a wittle bit scared of funderstorms....

Surprisingly, Emma Jane went right to sleep after I left the room and didn't let Mr. Thunder interrupt her slumber.  However, when we were getting in the car to head to preschool summer camp this morning, she saw the puddles the thunderstorm had left in our yard and cried out, "Awwww!  Now I can't play in the sandbox at school today!"  I then realized that Emma Jane probably isn't afraid of thunderstorms.  She's just thinking about how they might "put a damper" on her fun for the day!

chubby cheeks

Our chubby-cheeked one turned 7 months old today.  She now weighs 20 1/2 pounds!  Vivian is growing and changing before our very eyes.  She has a serious case of grabby paws since she pulls and tugs at anything she can get her hands on.  Her top two teeth have made an appearance and there are even more on the way.  This poor child is perpetually teething!  She's definitely going to need those teeth since eating is one of her favorite past times.  Vivi thoroughly enjoys baby food and is very impatient if you don't feed her fast enough.  The sounds of appreciation she makes while eating are hilarious.  We're pretty sure that crawling is in her near future since her favorite position is on her tummy with legs curled up underneath.  She's been doing a pretty good job of scooting around by flailing her little arms and legs.  We are smitten with this sweet baby girl and can't get enough of her smiles!

two little fish on father's day

I took Emma Jane to the pool this morning.  Vivi has been feeling a little under the weather so Paul stayed home with her.  Emma Jane views every trip to the pool as a new adventure.  She is swimming short distances underwater and loves to jump right in.  She makes new friends at the pool, too.  Today she played with two sisters, ages four and nine.  The 9-year-old told her mom, "I like Emma.  She's funny.  I think you should schedule a playdate with her!"

Finally all tuckered out!

Later this afternoon, Vivi was feeling better, so we all went back to the pool.

Here's our little mermaid.  She has been swimming the length of the steps with her head underwater.

These girls are lucky to have Paul as their daddy! 

It was a low-key Father's Day, but sometimes those days are the most memorable.