Best Friends Day

This is really Keith’s to report as I haven’t heard it yet but its too cute not to share. The last two mornings as they were walking downstairs Sophia told Keith that “today is Best Friends Day and you are my best friend”.

Adorable eh?;-)  Guess since she only told him that makes me chopped liver!

Definitely a holdover from a Dora episode but cute nonetheless.

Blow a whistle!

No idea where they got that from but Sophia and Derek were screaming over and over again last night as “the Daddies” lit a few fireworks off our patio.  “Blow a whistle! Daddy, Blow a whistle!”

The kids got to stay up late to enjoy the fun of a few fireworks after our barbecue, they put their jammies on and snuggled under a blanket together–and then what happens—seriously?  They are too young for this!  In fairness its been going on since they were about 6 months old…..these guys crack me up!

Happy Birthday America!

Sophia is currently ALL about birthdays–if asked she can tell you exactly when her birthday is and what she expects (a pretty cake with sprinkles, and balloons).  She learned about “America’s Birthday in the little “camp” she’s been going to and was very excited about it!  All day yesterday we heard “I’m going to a parade, and eating hamburgers and seeing fireworks MOM–Happy Birthday America!”  Yes, our town celebrates a day early–to get ahead of the game I guess…

I have to admit though I love small towns…and mall town parades are the best!  This is the kind of parade where the kids chuck gently throw candy to other youngsters along the route.  The fire department started the parade with ALL of their trucks–and those from the neighboring town showed up as well.  This was  followed by an amazing number of vintage tractors!

This was on the side of one truck –Rat Bomb Rod Shop–slow but expensive–hilarious!

Our town was an old German Settlement….this float celebrates that…

We also had our share of monster trucks and horses–all good stuff out here in small town USA!

Between the parade and the fireworks we always head back to my families house for some yummy barbecue and family fun–Soph found a ball and some kids to play with and literally had a ball try to jump head first over it…

This looks painful but I assure you- there were crazy giggles coming out of her.

Sophia actually managed to stay up–barely, for the fireworks.

My Olympus has a fireworks setting so I decided to try it out–I wasn’t as still as I should have been for most (I blame that on the monkey who was here there and everywhere trying to get comfortable) but managed to get a few good shots anyway.

At the end Soph was DONE, but still clutching her flag–I think its fair to say a good time had by all!

It could have been worse

Like the new look?  I guess it happens to “everyone”, I just didn’t expect it to happen so soon!  Sophia found the some SCISSORS–went under the desk in the office (where I thought she was pulling out some dog toys) but instead decided to give herself a haircut.  I’m glad it wasn’t worse, I’m more worried that she was able to find scissors at all when we thought they were all safely hidden away….

Night, night

I’ve been on a mission lately to keep Sophia entertained.  Not an easy job–she’s a busy one all day long.  Except when its time to go to bed.  She’s VERY consistent and serious about her 7pm bedtime  She’ll tell us its time for jammies or to read a book.

For the longest, and I mean LONGEST time, she HAD to read Llama Llama Red Pajama before going to bed.  No questions asked, we could add others (and did, to tune of 3-4 a night). We since ratcheted down to 2 books for nightime reading, but no matter what our standards we had to read that one.   We’ve replaced it with a book we first got from the library Eight Animals on the Town –she loved it and we did too!  It’s mixes English/Spanish with great pictures and a cute rhyming story.  I ordered its peer Eight Animals Bake a Cake and that has since become the new favorite (we had to return the other to the library).  I just ordered the final one Eight Animals Play Ball from Amazon (it was backordered the first time around), we LOVE them–they are cute, entertaining and a nice length for pre-bedtime pursuits.    If you are looking for a new favorite book give these a shot!

How does your garden grow?

Like crazy!

The dog days have started, the garden is showing a TON of thanks for all the rain and now sun we’ve had and I have already pulled some beans, peas, yellow squash and zucchini out–there are cucumbers and lettuce that are just about ready to be picked as well.  For the first time I also planted broccoli–its so much more tender and yummy straight from the garden then I’ve ever had it from the grocery store.  Sophia likes coming down to pick things and checking out all the “good plants”.  We are working on telling the difference between good and bad plants because she sees me weeding all the time and wants to “help”….I feel just a little bit sorry for the good plants that have been the victims of this!  If you have any squash recipies to share send them on over!  We are going to have a ton and I’d love to experiment.

I tossed some of the fresh veggies into pasta last night and Sophia LOVED it,  when we sat down she told me her pasta was delicious, ate it all and asked for more!  Love that she likes veggies as much as I do!

Sparkling pink butterfly!

Every girl needs a sparkling butterfly! Sophia squealed when we saw this and who was I to resist? This was taken in the car with my iPhone on the way back from our last night in Myrtle Beach.  We went to the Boardwalk–I can’t remember the exact name but it was great fun, lots of rides, resteraunts, fish to feed–great fun for all of us.  Sophia was exhausted but was holding tight to her butterfly–can you imagine a better ending to a wonderful vacation?

Myrtle Beach

Sophia and I spent the last week at the beach with one of my oldest friends and her youngest.  We had a GREAT time   Amazingly it hardly rained (though I hear that it was rainy and cold all week in Virginia)  we had the weather gods smiling on us.  We beached, we talked, we people watched,  we ate, we caught up and watched the kids play–a great time for sure

Sophia definitely was full on in Mermaid theme this week–she was made into a mermaid, when we played in the waves it was because “that’s what Mermaids do mom”  and “look I’m a mermaid!” when she swam.

One day she braved the waves….

There are more pictures–I promise soon!

In the meantime Happy Fathers Day everyone, hope you Dad’s out there are busy enjoying it!

Beach begets more beach?

So my last post talked about the “beach” we found in a Maryland lake.  Now its even better, Sophia and I were invited by one of my oldest friends to join her at a beach house in Mrytle Beach next week–we are so excited!  We’re leaving daddy and the dogs at home and leaving on Sunday for our little adventure    I’ve never been but have heard great things–if you have any recommendations please let me know.

Things have been busy here, I’ve been checking out pre-schools and am pretty sold on Montessori.  She checked it out the other day and was fascinated–I think she’ll really do well in that kind of environment.  I also signed her up for “camp” a couple of hours a week at our local community center.  Am working on getting the dancer into some dance classes too but the ones I’ve found so far are smack in the middle of naptime!  Oh well…..maybe in the fall.

Needless to say we are settling in and things are getting more “normal”, while I’m happy about that that also seems to be exactly when change happens in our world   We’ll see!  In the meantime I’m going to be busy enjoying summer to its fullest!

We found a beach!

OK, so its not exactly the crystal clear seas of the Carribean, but it was still a lot of fun!  I recently found out about this lake at Greenbrier park in Maryland, its only about 20 minutes away from us!  Sophia didn’t seem to care about the difference between a lake or the ocean, she was all about digging in the sand and checking out what the other kids were up too.   While it was definitely chillier than we’re used to it also didn’t stop her from walking right in and having daddy join her for a swim

Needless to say I don’t think this will be our only trip here this summer…..