Creek

This past Sunday morning, we decided to take the girls to Ritter Park (Maggie calls it Critter Park). The girls wanted to picnic with doughnuts and fruit and play on the awesome Alice and Wonderland themed children's playground they have there. After our picnic and much playing, we decided to take a walk to a bridge we could see in the distance.

It was so pretty -- creek babbling, ducks swimming, nice flat rocks for skipping... I remember playing in the creek for HOURS when I was a little girl. So, when my girls asked if we could make our trek down to the creek and play around, I was very excited to say, "of course!" We discovered a crawdad, saw little fish, watched the ducks and skipped some rocks. That was all fun, but the one thing they really wanted to do was GET IN! So, clothes, shoes and all, I told them to go for it. After all, that's what being a kid in the summertime is all about, right?!

Above are some photos we snapped of the girls creek excursion. Enjoy!

And the Back Swim

They are also starting to learn how to swim on their backs!

Even more swim ...

Here are two new videos that show just how far the girls can swim. It's more than half the length of the pool!

Swim Lessons 2010

It's that time of year again. Time for screaming, crying, kicking and throwing up -- all because my girls don't want to go to swim lessons. For two years, they have a pool in the backyard that they can easily stay in from morning until nighttime. They can't wait to come home and get in the pool on school days. It's the first thing they think about when they get up in the mornings. And, when they are in it, they swim under water the entire length of the pool AND use the ladder as a diving board to cannonball into 4 feet of water. Yet swim lessons is something that TERRIFIES them. Well, until this year.

This year, I'm unfamiliar with the two little beings who show up for swim lessons, all smiles. There are no tears, no threats to throw up. The first day, midway through, two heads pop up from the side of the pool and shout, "Hey mom, do we get to do this again tomorrow! It's so much fun!" These strangers gladly jump off the diving board and say that THAT is their favorite part! They willingly jump in 10-12 feet of water and happily swim to the side -- on their own!

Even the swim instructors can't believe the turn-around. Charles (who Maggie seems to be crushing on) says they are GREAT little swimmers. I couldn't agree more!

Enjoy these videos from Day 2 of swim lessons!

Izzy has a twin!

Izzy has a twin! We noticed that she looks a whole lot like Donkey on Shrek! We had saltine crackers and we were sticking them in her mouth to try to make it look like she had a waffle in her mouth -- just like the Donkey toy sitting on her crate. But, she was eating them way to fast to snap a photo!

Look at those ears! LOL!

A Day with Daddy

We decided to officially move the girls to part time daycare for the summer, taking them out completely beginning August 2. However, at about the same time, I decided to change my work schedule to the new school schedule I'd planned to start once the girls started kindergarten. The girls go to daycare Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. I work Monday-Thursday, but only until 1:30 or 2. This means Monday mornings are Daddy mornings -- and Daddy works once I get home!

Chris was optimistic that he'd get, at least, a little bit done work-wise with me not there. But I think he seriously underestimated our girls. He popped a movie in for them, sat in the floor and started to work. Next thing he knew, they were spraying weird stuff in his hair, pretending to cut it and giving him just the right hair clip accessory!

Something tells me Chris will be working mostly evenings on Mondays through the summer! ;)

Princess Pirate

This is so Maggie. :)