Aunt Leanne Reacts to Big Announcement

Aunt Leanne has been missing from the blog lately.  Perhaps that's what happens when you move more than 700 miles away :-(

 

But for those of you eager for an Aunt Leanne fix, this post is for you.  First, here is the thank you note she sent us for the birthday gifts.  We sent her a bunch of personalized photo gifts because we believe when you're as cute as Leanne is, you should have your photo plastered EVERYWHERE!

 

So she received a photo calendar, a photo tee shirt,

 

photo stickers,

 

and photo paper:

Translation:

 

Dear Sis Family,

Thank you for

the calendar

book, stickers,

and this paper.

I love it.

Leanne

 

Did you notice how I translated just like she types?  Although, I think I should have hit the "Enter" key a few more times...love it!

 

Josie examined that note for the longest time.  When I asked her what it said, she replied "I pray for you".  I had to laugh because Leanne always tells Josie "I pray for you".

 

 But we saved the best part of this post for last.  Travis works for a great company and his job has afforded us the opportunity to move all over the country and live in some really cool places.  However, this being 700+ miles away from Mama Hop and Aunt Leanne just won't work.  So for many, many reasons (most importantly, as an investment in our relationship as a family), we found a little place here in our new residence where Mama Hop and Aunt Leanne can spend part of the year.  Here's how Leanne reacted when we revealed the news:

 

 

It's difficult to hear Leanne's response but she immediately inquired as to whether or not we have a Starbucks here!  Girlfriend has her priorities - she's not going anywhere without access to Frappuccinos! 

 

We are so excited about this little place we found.  It's conveniently located near Starbucks.  It has a park right around the corner where the girls can play.  It even has a nice little kitchen where Mama Hop can cook up all of her delicious meals and we're all looking forward to that! We plan to have fun making a few cosmetic changes and if all goes well with the inspection/closing (knock on wood) we'll be able to get started in August.  Suddenly living so far away from family seems much more bearable!

Trot of Terror: The Girls' First Pony Ride

We recently attended a local family festival where the girls had the opportunity to experience some "firsts":

 

First Face Painting

Meow!

Although some were more amused by this than others...

First encounter with a real, live chicken:

Considering her long-standing passion for poultry, Josie was egg-specially enthused:



But chickens weren't the only animal that the girls got to have up-close-and-personal contact with; there were baby calves, sheep, alpaca, and horses. 

 

I questioned whether my girls were too young for their first pony ride but Travis shrugged off my neurotic concerns and got in line. 

 

"Even Merryn?  She's just a baby." 

 

Travis proceeded to remind me that this little bundle of joy whom I am so protective, is the same fearless tot who will scale any piece of furniture, do a Dukes-of-Hazzard-style jump into her Fisher Price car through the window, dive down the tallest slide head first, and hop on the "big kid" swing and request an underdog. 

 

Ok, ok.  If anyone can handle it, Merryn can.





...Or maybe not.

Suddenly, when faced with a half a dozen of docile ponies tethered to a carousel, trotting at about 0.000010 MPH, our courageous child turned into one terrified tot.

Josie, on the other hand, proved to be quite the equestrian.



But regardless of how many times the staff reminded her that she was riding a female horse named "Annie," Josie insisted on calling her "Mr. Ed".



Josie confidently completed her first pony ride as though she'd done it a hundred times.  As for Merryn?  Well, she's going to need to log a few more hours on the rocking horse Mama Hop bought before she reaches Josie's mustang mastery.





All things considered, the "family festival of firsts" was a success and we had a wonderful time...well, most of us did.



 

Making Memories at "The Lake"

Once again, we must apologize for our unexplained absence from the blogosphere.  Things have been really busy around here "in a good way" (as Aunt Leanne always says; although Aunt Leanne usually uses the phrase to amend an insult...but I digress).  In addition to the new residence exploring, decorating, making friends, meeting therapists, doctors appointments, family outings, and sheer-exhaustion-that-is-having-two-toddlers, we're cooking up another really exciting project that we really hope to be able to elaborate on soon!

 

Since we got so backlogged, today's update will be a bit of a photo dump...As mentioned previously, Travis moved to the new residence to begin his new job a couple of months before us girls moved up here and during that time, he went out on a limb and booked a little vacation for us.  Having heard all of the hype about the locals going to "The Lake," Travis figured this elusive "lake" was the perfect place to spend a long weekend. 

 The funny thing about this "lake" that everyone buzzes about, is that the surrounding area consists of of many, many, MANY lakes.  Yet people always talk about going to "The Lake" - singular.  Which lake?  Where exactly are you going?!  Heck if I know!  Travis just picked one and he found a nice little resort with the perfect lake cabin-type feel.

 It was a quaint and pretty area with a relaxing vibe.

 And we discovered something new about Josie...

 Girlfriend loves sand!

 She really digs it!  (pun intended - hee hee!)  And it sure didn't take her long to whip off her glasses and bury them.

 Of course we had to explore the local parks.

 We spent time at three different playgrounds while at "The Lake".

 Isn't it funny how it's the simple (and free) activities that amuse kids the most?

 Overall, we had a fantastic time and we owe it all to Dad for coming up with this fun plan.  "The Lake" hasn't seen the last of us - that's for sure!



The Big Reveal

Would you like to be able to enjoy summer days to the fullest?  Not getting enough Vitamin D?  Need some help getting your little ones to play independently so you can have some much needed R&R?  Well, pull up your lounge chair and get yourself a drink with a tiny umbrella because we have the perfect solution so that your kids can have a blast while you take a break.  Introducing the Step 2 WaterWheel Playtable:

* This is not a paid endorsement.  CCE has no relationship with the Step 2 Brand.  Our family just LOVES this product.

We should have known it would be good because it came from Travis' brother, Uncle Corey. And let me tell you folks, Uncle Corey buys the coolest gifts!

Here's how it works.  You drag out your hose.  Bonus points if you have a hot water spigot in your garage.  It comes in handy in the tundra.

 Allow extra time for the hose step.  Three year olds can get a little mesmerized by such devices.

 The water table came with one cup, but you know you need a cup for every kid.  It's a good thing Travis has a souvenir cup from every fast food stop/BBQ joint/gas station/festival he's ever frequented in his life.  Don't even get me started on the man's koozie collection (and he calls ME the hoarder!).  But tonight we are grateful for extra plastic cups.  Go Dad!

 Then grab yourself an ice cold libation, turn up your favorite summer tunes, and kick your feet up because these kids are going to be busy for a long time!

If you Google it, you can find all sorts of high-level information about how sensory play like this is really beneficial as far as fine motor develop, cognitive exploration, and increasing one's understanding of spacial relations and volume.

What we found most remarkable is how Josie stood, voluntarily, on her own two feet, for as long as we've ever seen her stand.  The one kid whose rear end has been perpetually glued to the floor since she was six months old was happy to stand!  Unbelievable!

So let's recap: 

The kids are outdoors - check

The kids are active - check

The kids are learning - check

The kids will sleep well - check

The mess is minimal - check (Hey, add soap and consider it their daily bath)

Mom & Dad can sit an enjoy an uninterrupted conversation - CHECK!

Well Folks, I think we've found a winner!  

A Cliffhanger

Up here in the tundra, our period of warm weather is all too fleeting so it's imperative that we make the most of out it.  That's why we spend so much time outdoors.  Benefits include:

• Exercise for mom - I'm hoping one of these days all that stroller pushing will turn me into Heidi Klum six weeks post-partum on the runway...stop laughing.
• If the kids are at the park, that means they're not tearing up my house.  Any reprieve I can get from Hurricane Merryn's singular goal of challenging my OCD bliss is greatly appreciated. 
• All that fresh air and exercise wears them out.  They fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.  I sound like a Lunesta commercial.  But ask anyone who has ever been tasked with caring for an almost-2 year-old and a 3 year-old - this is a BIG deal!

 There's all sorts of fun things you can do at the park.  You can play in the mulch...

...as long as you're willing to recite this mantra every 30 seconds: Josie, we don't eat sticks.  We don't eat dirt.  We don't eat grass and we don't eat mulch!  (Right, Megan?)

Swinging is good; more confined, cleaner...

 You can blow bubbles...

...but if there's no foam running down your chin, you're not doing it right.

 And if you get bored with one park, you can always go scope out the playground equipment at another park.

 Yeah, this is the life.

And while all of the aforementioned tips are fun ways to occupy a toddler's time in the great outdoors, we have recently discovered the holy grail of outdoor play.  It's the one activity that keeps them the busiest for the longest amount of time AND it allows the most relaxation for mom and dad.  

What is it?!?!? 

Stay tuned!  The answer is coming!!!

It's Good to Get Out of the House

One of the coolest parts about moving as frequently as we do is the opportunity to get to explore all that each new area has to offer.  And we're not just talking the city we live in - Travis and I have always been a big fan of the road trip.  This weekend offered the perfect opportunity to pile in the car in pursuit of fun and adventure.

 

Travis' dream destination is a good old fashioned BBQ festival and this weekend, he was in luck.  There were booths full of barbecued livestock as far as the eye can see...

 The girls were pretty indifferent to the food but they really enjoyed the playground.  After a thorough inspection by Miss Merryn, the girls took full advantage of the swings.

 Can't you just feel the wind in your face while the aroma of BBQ sauce wafts all around you?  It's pure heaven.

But the playground-induced glee paled in comparison to the once-in-a-lifetime experience of coming face-to-face with one's beloved chicken in a larger-than-life, and animated form.  It was full-on Beatlemania!



Who needs Disneyland once you've found Chickenland?

 

Next, it was Mom's turn to plan the road trip.  I chose an art fair.



We dined on tapas on the deck of a fun restaurant overlooking all of the action downtown.  Travis is more of a smoked animal carcass kind of guy while I'm more grilled shrimp skewers and stuffed mushrooms kind of gal.  Hey, opposites attract.



And while the art fair didn't offer racks of ribs, a playground, or people dressed as poultry (and other questionable ensembles), it was a relaxing way to enjoy a beautiful afternoon with the family. 



Ok, ok...I admit it.  It was kind of boring.  But as Leanne always says, "It's good to get out of the house!"  Indeed, Leanne.  Indeed.