We wanted to try this again (we went camping with Lily when she was just a year and didn't make it through the night due to a storm) close to home. We went to First Landing on Shore Drive not too far from where we got married. We love this beach and before kids would go there a lot and take Maci with us. *note- bay water and dogs not a good combo*
We also wanted to try this before it got too hot and too many people were there. The weekends are already booked so going on a weekday is the key. We got a site with electric and water, both a great thing and we were also right across the road from the bathrooms which is also very key.
We checked-in and got busy setting up camp.
Did NOT realize the amount of people that really set up for weeks at a time!
Wow.
We only did one night, I really think two nights would be much more worth the time and effort but it definitely gave us an insight that this family could definitely handle roughn' it for a couple of nights.
After a quick dinner and a quick change into bathing suits we headed up to the bay.
So much fun being on an empty beach and having it all to ourselves.
We went for a long walk looking for shells, chased little sand crabs and enjoyed the sunset.
Our First Family Sunset
Back for jammies and s'mores :)
We decided to not put the cover on our tent in hopes that it would keep us cooler but it was awesome since our tent was in a clearing. The sky was so clear that we were able to lay and look at the stars while in our tent. We were directly under the Big Dipper! The girl's eyes could not have gotten any bigger! It was so much fun and the girls slept! They really slept well!
After packing up camp, we had one more beach day in us :)
Lily and spent the day together going sandal shopping and going to Miss Amy's baby shower!
Lily was so excited to go to a baby shower. I definitely had to explain it a few times until she realized it was a party before Baby Chloe is born and that she would not be there. She loved watching Miss Amy open all the gifts and I would hear "Mom, that's so tiny and cute...aww..." a lot.
When she got comfortable enough she joined AJ, Logan and Mr. Baker outside for some fun. They rode on a golf cart, played in the huge sandbox, found some baby blue birds, ate lunch and then played in the sprinklers. Lily loved it!
It is sooo much fun to have two kids that are able to do things!
The last time we went to this festival was back in 2010,
when Emma was almost two months old.
We decided to get there fairly early to beat not only the crowds but the heat.
Didn't matter, most everyone had the same idea. So, we got there just as the very long, interesting, parade got started. Took us longer to make our way down the parade route than it would have been to wait a little later to go. Oh well. We decided to take a break in a shade spot enjoying a slurpee :).
Our first stop was the pony rides!
Lines were not very long at this point so we jumped in and both girls had a blast!
Lily went by herself while Emma had her Daddy take her around with Ariel the pony.
We also enjoyed the 4-H Petting Tent where they had ducklings, bunnies,
goats, chickens and sheep.
Our cute girls posing for a very cute pic :)
Next stop, one ride.
The girls chose the teacups mostly due to the length of lines but it was also one that they could do together and have one of us go too. And, they chose me :) Loved doing this with my girls.
Then, we ate in the shade. Yummy, yummy bbq, hot dogs, fries and ice cream. We did make another stop to have some delicious strawberry shortcake. But, it didn't last long enough for a picture!
A great day to help kick off this fun holiday weekend!
She grew in every way possible especially socially. This class was a very close group and it showed every time they were together. If one of them was absent one day, they would have the most dramatic reunion the next time they were together. They would yell, "Group Hug" and all would gather around Mrs. Johnson and hug. They would hold hands just going down the hall and greet everyone with smiles.
Our baby Lily grew up this year!
Lily began the year with smiles and joy and ended it the same exact way. I almost teared up quite a few times through the class' last day ice cream party. Mrs. Johnson has been nothing but wonderful and Lily as gotten so much from her, we will really miss her!
Emma had no problem joining the class for the last day.
Can't believe I'm going to have two girls in preschool next year :(
Actually, a little more than a month into this and I was a little reluctant to post it but...
We are DONE, mostly, with diapers :)!!!!
Woooo Hooooo!!!!
The week Emma turned two in April I finally just bit the bullet and let her wear undies. Yes, I was hesitant and not at all ready but she was. She had been ready since January and February and I was nervous. And, she did it! It was really easy. We went cold turkey and did not do the one to two week at home stay like we did with Lily. She was out and about and I was prepared for anything but needed nothing. The only times she wears diapers are at nap and bedtime which now she is fighting since she does NOT like wearing baby diapers.
And, Lily. She is out of nighttime diapers!!
She's had a few accidents here and there but nothing we can't handle and definitely worth it to be done with those huge diapers.
Gotta love being diaper free!
Although now, we are attached to the travel potty.
Sooo, when I came out to check on the fam this afternoon this is what I found.
Mike had been talking about rigging up something on the rope that the baby swing used to hang from but wasn't sure how we was going to do it.
And, viola, a broken broom handle becomes a swing.
I watched with my eyes half covered, peeking out to see this contraption in use.
The girls love, love, love it!
Emma deomonstrated the "birdie" move first. And, while Mike was holding on to her and swinging her back and forth, she tweeted a sweet little tweet just like a baby bird.
She was so happy and so proud of herself.
But, it stinks when your turn is over.
This is a very sad Emma, ready to turn into tantrum Emma. Ha.
But, luckily there was no tantrum. I explained to her that we take turns and share and that she would soon have another turn. This seemed to make sense to her and stopped crying :). Yay!
Lily wanted to show me how she flew like a bird too. I was able to handle it a bit better so definitely have more pictures of Lil having a blast.
Since having this up, the girls will just go over and hang from it or run and jump like Lily is in the video. It has definitely given them something else to do in the yard!
Oh...and Mike's outfit, you can just blame it on me for not doing the correct load of laundry yet. Or, you could say he just threw on a pair of shorts without really realizing the fashion statement he was making haha...love you my striped, plaid, boot wearing guy! You're cute no matter what you wear :)
Emma has been doing great with her letters. She needs to be redirected sometimes but when she "wants" to sing and say her ABCs, she does. This morning she got distracted by the jar of jellybeans for the J and you can hear her as she points out the purple ones. Very proud of you Miss Emma and I'm sure you'll be singing this by the end of the summer all by yourself :).
There are some mornings that I jump into the shower a bit late due to us enjoying our morning and me giving in to the sweet requests to cuddle. This was one of those mornings and since the storytime at B&N didn't begin til 1030, we were just fine.
I had a great shower. Usually it's quick and I get many visits to make sure I'm ok. But, today I didn't get any peeks around the curtain and I certianly did not hear any bickering over toys.
It was a VERY quiet house.
Then I got nervous. Quiet never means anything good is happening, right?
Well, it was very good.
The girls have become really interested in coloring, drawing and just playing by themselves. The three of us can sit and color together for up to an hour at a time. It's great. And, this morning, that's what they were doing. Lily was telling Emma what color crayon to get and showing her where to color in her notebook.
They were adorable and sweet and very content without me.
The rain today kept the girls inside so when there was a break in the clouds Emma decided it was time to go out. Lily was shocked that I let her go out with her boots on but quickly followed behind. Lily has never shown any interest in going out in the wet weather but now that Sissy likes it, she does too. They had fun splashing in the puddles, cleaning their picnic table and following Maci around to see what she was up to. Thank goodness for rain boots and plenty of old towels to dry them off with.
My Mother's Day Weekend began Friday evening when the girls brought me flowers and dessert after their nap. So sweet and they were so excited to give me presents :)
Saturday, it was my choice of what to do and of course, we went to the beach. Our first family day at the beach and we stayed pretty much the entire day. The girls did awesome, we brought plenty of good food and snacks, drank plenty of water, took walks, played in the sand, even tried to take a few cat naps. We are looking forward to this summer!
Sunday morning, the girls were up early. Early like 630 and 7, not sure if they got the memo that we don't do that in this house especially on Mother's Day but they were soooo excited.
The coffee was quickly followed by the most amazingly huge card that was decorated for me. They colored, drew pictures and wrote I Love You Mom on it. And, the surprises continued. An outdoor clock, garden accessories, gorgeous necklace, coffee mug and my most favorite; Lily's Cafe. Lily and Daddy created a menu for Lily's Cafe that I got to choose my breakfast from. It was so great! I loved every second of it!
We then took an unplanned trip to Williamsburg to their Pottery place and outlets. Another all day even that went so smoothly and we all had so much fun!
And, no Mother's Day would be complete without dinner and a movie.
This is a long little dance clip, so no need to watch entire thing, just cracks us up to no end!
Love you Lil, you made my Mother's Day the best ever!
Happy Mother's Day to the greatest mom, most beautiful wife, and best(est) friend anyone could ever wish for. The girls and I are so lucky to have you. You listen to us, you take care of us, and most importantly ... you put up with us :-)
This morning Lily and I headed to school for a Mother's Day Tea.
Lily and her friends at school have been working very hard to prepare for today and it went so well and I loved every single second.
Me and My Pumpa.
She tells me everyday, Pumpas Forever.
Makes my heart Smile.
We arrived at school and Mrs Johnson had their classroom door closed. Very top secret this was! All of the moms waited in a classroom that is empty on Fridays to wait for them to be ready. When we entered, the tables had tablecloths, centerpieces, corsages, handmade placemats and a very special flower in an even more special decorated flower pot.
We were served snack, muffins/strawberries and tea or lemonade. Lily got to sit on my lap for the entire thing too. When we were all done, the kids lined back up and sang some special Mother's Day songs. They were sooo cute! Loved my Special Day.
Today was Lily's last Soccer Shots session at school. She has had so much fun and will probably do it again in the fall. They had a certificate and medal "ceremony" that the kids loved at the end. Lily has been attached to her first medal, so proud of you Lil!
A few nights ago after we roasted marshmallows, Emma surprised us (once again) on how fearless she can be. We've never seen her do this, Lily just started to do this a bit ago and Emma caught on pretty quick.
OK, maybe not a bonfire per say, but it was the best we can do!
We finally decided to pull the trigger and make the "investment" in a fire pit for the summer nights in the backyard. We are trying to wait for the weather to clear up so we can take the girls camping, so we figured we would fine tune our s'more-making skills before we go. The weather was beautiful and we had a blast just hanging out in the backyard all evening. Emma wasn't a big fan of the s'more (although she had no problem eating the three ingredients individually, you can see her try to swipe some in the background), but Lily was all about them. Few times we got warned "save some for me, don't eat them all!"
Amy wanted to go to a family wedding so we watched Logan and AJ since their dad is away for work this month. They arrived around 130 and Amy got back at 9. We had 2 two year olds and 2 four year olds and it was wonderful, tiring and we loved watching them.
Friday Mike took Logan and Emma on a walk around the neighborhood in the wagon so when he went out back to find them banging on the shed doors to get to the wagon he took them on another walk. After one loop, AJ, Lily and I joined them for one more loop.
We played,
and played,
and played.
And in between, Mike and I cleaned up like crazy people just so that they could play some more.
It's so much more fun to play when you think it's something new and you get to dump
something out of a bin.
We had pizza while watching a movie and the few hours they were over went really quickly.
Such great boys, we look forward to having them as sons-in-laws :).
We've had this marked on the calendar but you never know whether or not the weather or colds or whatever will work out. This year, it finally did!
It was a gorgeous day.
It was actually a summer beach day! That we were ill-prepared for.
We had a great time regardless.
We watched kites, tried to fly our own kites, played frisbee and ran with the crowds.
Seriously, watching Emma run on the beach is the cutest thing and looked as though she was running with the bulls in Spain! A little daredevil she is but lucky for us, we never ever go to the oceanfront in the summer so her "crowd running" has ended faster than it even began.
Today was Lily's third and final field trip of the year to Hunt Club Farm.
So Amy could go with AJ and Mike had already planned to take the day off, he was on
Emma and Logan duty for the morning.
This is what they looked liked when we left for school :)
They had a great time!
Lily was so excited for today but was bummed that she didn't have old shoes to wear. Mrs. Johnson recommended they wear old shoes since it could be muddy at the farm. Lily's shoes that she wears to school are becoming her "old shoes" and a trip to get summer sneakers is greatly needed.
She was sad but didn't seem to bother her once we got there. She was off and didn't stick too close to me at all. She was either hand in hand with Mrs. Johnson or one of her friends. So cool to watch.
I couldn't believe she wanted to hold a chicken. The lady who gave us the "tour" of the farm explained the correct way to catch one and pick one up. I watched Lily as she would chase the biggest of the hens around trying to figure out how to pick her up. Thank goodness Miss Amy caught one and let the kids take turns holding her. While Lily was holding her, the hen seemed as though she fell asleep. Lily was so proud of herself.
After the hen house and second round of hand sanitizer she headed to the goats.
After many more rounds of hand sanitizer and petting of the animals it was snack time.
You can always find Lily hugging one of her friends...yikes.
Before we knew it, we were on our way back to school with our friend Maeve.
Holding hands, of course!
We are so thankful that many of her friends will be in her class next year!
