Family Reunion

This past weekend we travelled to celebrate the Family reunion.  Although the drives were long the times with family were great :)  M. enjoyed her first tube ride behind the boat.  She loved tubing with her daddy.  She giggled most of the way-thanks to the "child-safe" speed that her great uncle pulled them at.   She called everyone "Grandpa" with grey hair.  They taught her to say "I'm precious" which we haven't reminded her of, although we agree.  I.  got to meet her Great-Grandma and many other family members.  We could not find our camera as soon as we got there and then found it as soon as we got home.  The only images I have are from the phone-not quite as clear as they could be.  We are now preparing for our trip this Friday back home to celebrate I.'s 1 year birthday which will sum up our long summer travels.

"My name is Monkey, Monkey's my name!!"

              

This week I. started using silverware with her meals and sort of using plates/bowls.  She concentrated on getting each and every bite onto the fork.  This did wonders for the amount of time it left me to do housework during her mealtime!  I.  also hit the trails this week.  We bought her some good summer walking shoes and she pushed her push toy down the trail while stopping frequently to explore all the dirt, stones, wood chips, and sticks on the ground.  M. has been scootin' around on her tricycle in the house and on the trail for months.  She insisted on putting her feet on the ground, then one foot on one pedal.  Then it all clicked.  Both feet on both pedals.  We took her outside that night and she flew down the trail!  We were so proud and she was thrilled to see that this whole pedaling thing actually works.  It was adorable.  Still working on potty training M. at night, but she wears underwear all day.  We just can't quite seem to get M. to say her name.  She can say all of her cousins names, grandma, grandpa, great- grandma, great-grandpa, most of her  aunts and uncles and even Foxy.  When we ask her name she says "My name is Monkey, Monkey's my name!!"  We have it on video with her first trail bike ride and her telling us her name. but could not upload it to blogger.  It is soooo cute :) (at least we think so)

How Long Can You Idle with a Low Gas Light?

The day of the concert was great.  The actual getting to the concert was awful!  We got to the exit an hour before the show was to start, and essentially the pavilion was just off the exit.  We got to our seats an hour and forty minutes after the concert started.  It started off hopeful as we sat in the traffic and this quickly turned into anger and all the other negative feelings one feels and should control.  We missed both opening acts and arrived during the interlude.  We literally got to our seats five minutes before Tim took the stage.  He performed well, simple, but good.  We even danced a bit in our row to those oh so romantic melodies.  Oh, I almost forgot, we had a low gas light on the way which we continued to idle with for two hours. So in the back of my mind all I could think was that we were going to run out of gas in the parking lot on the way out.  We sprinted to our car after the concert ended.  Because of our stealthy parking spot we found that we could escape the madness quickly .  We did make it to a gas station-who knows how and the trip home took 37 minutes.  Interesting when you compare it to the over 3 hour trip there!!!  Not quite how we imagined the night going.  It's still not laughable.

"All done"

I. is starting to stand without holding on to things and also at the end of her bath last night said "all done".  It was adorable.  She dances to all music and enjoys playing with M..  M. is beginning to ride her tricycle.  She actually puts one foot on the pedal and scooches along with the other on the ground. They are definitely still a handful and keep us VERY busy.  We will be enjoying the pool tonight as a family.  Amongst all of my motherly time constraints I am in my third week of triathlon training.  My husband has been so supportive.  I have been able to get workouts done in the evenings and if I. actually sleeps well I get training done in the morning.  I did a 45 minute bike ride yesterday am.  It was wonderful-peaceful.  I could enjoy the rest of the day knowing that the training was in.  This thing called life is so tiresome-is it always going to be this way?  I think so.  So let's live life to the fullest since we'll be tired anyway, right???

An Urban Fourth of July

We went to our friends apartment complex party in P-City.  They have only been living there for about a week but have already become true urbanites.  It was a lot of fun!  M. had a great time in the moon bounce and enjoying her first snow cone, cotton candy, and Frisbee game.  Foxy was of course terrified of the fireworks but actually had one of the most "calm" Fourth of July's in her history with us.  We watched the fireworks over the National Mall from the view of their 16th floor apartment.  The girls LOVED looking out the window at all the action below on the lawn and of course the fireworks.  

Firecracker Hats and Music

Today the girls and Foxy and I walked to the store to get our craft supplies.  We made Fourth of July hats/crowns to wear tomorrow night for the fireworks.  It was M.'s first time using a glue stick.  I could not find kiddie scissors so I cut out the shapes and she placed them with A LOT of glue.  That whole concept was definitely foreign to her.  She really wanted to just color with the purple tinted glue stick.  This week was our second week of "music" hour.  M. is obsessed with the guitar and it ends up being a battle to take it from her to demonstrate.  By the end she sort of got it.  I. either used the guitar as her drum or the toy drum.  Good times :)