Ballet

This morning was the first day of Handley's summer ballet class.  Her excitement had been building up to this day for weeks.  Ever since we got her ballet shoes she puts them on every night after her bath and dances around while I put Harper to bed.  This morning when she woke up she knew exactly what today was...ballet!  It was even more special because Mimi and Dadaw are in town for her birthday party and got to come watch her today too. 

On the way there she couldn't stop squealing because she was so excited.  To make things even better, she got to take this class with 3 of her friends from our neighborhood - Avery, Annabelle, and Sarah.  All of the girls did a fantastic job for their first class and I know they will be just as excited to go back again next week.  You can tell by the HUGE smile on Handley's face that she just loved it.  :-)

Swimsuit Models

While I was trying to take a shower and get dressed this morning Harper decided to get into my bathing suits and try them on herself.  She was so proud that she got them over her head without any help. 

Handley didn't want to miss out on a picture opportunity so she ran to get some around her neck too.

Harper's personality and Handley's swim lessons

Today we stayed busy running errands and getting some things done for Handley's big 3rd birthday party this weekend.  Handley was such a big help to me today and is generally really sweet when we are out and about.  Today so many people commented on what sweet and pretty girls they are.  Like every mom, I just love hearing that from strangers. :-) 

Harper's personality is really starting to show it's true colors.  Ha!  She gets frustrated easily when she doesn't get what she wants and lets us know when she isn't happy.  I'm actually really good at understanding the words she says and knowing what she wants, but sometimes she doesn't like to hear no.  She can be incredibly sensitive and will start crying with these huge tears or on the opposite end of the spectrum she has thrown some tantrums this week that I didn't know she had in her.  

She is teeter-totting on that border between baby and toddler and it is so much fun to watch.  She tries to copy what Handley does and just this week has loved pushing her baby around in the stroller, carrying a purse filled with small toys, cooking in the play kitchen, and even decorating a page with stickers.  She goes non-stop right now and definitely keeps me on my toes.  

Handley started swim lessons yesterday!  She's been doing great with her floaties, but I was excited to see how she would do without them with her swim teacher.  She's taking private lessons every day for two weeks.  Her first lesson went well, but it was a lot more than she was used to and today before we went she kept saying that she didn't want to go under the water.  It was harder for me to watch today because while she was really excited when we got there she got nervous right away and kept saying that she didn't want to go under, put her face in, go on her back, or jump in.  Mrs. Angie (who is also a Kindergarten teacher) is great and reassuring and convincing Handley it's OK and to do a little more, but Handley kept looking over at me with an I'm-about-to-cry look and saying, "Mommy, I'm all done." I talked to a few other moms who said their kids did the same thing, so that made me feel better.  She ended up finishing the lesson and got her lollipop for doing a good job and was all smiles anytime someone told her "good job" today.    

I feel like there is a fine line because with her water wings on she is SO confident, will swim all around the pool by herself, jump in, etc. and I love it because she has fun swimming with her friends.  However, I also don't want her to have a false sense of security and I think the lessons are really great for the safety aspect of being able to swim alone if she were ever in that situation.  We'll see how the rest of the week goes.  She practiced putting her face in the bathtub tonight with her goggles, so maybe that will help her tomorrow.   

3-day Weekend

We had a wonderful 3-day weekend.  On Saturday we spent some time at the pool and then met Gigi and Papa for dinner at one of my favorites, Sweet Tomatoes. 

On Sunday we took a walk and Handley ran back in the house to get a few things to bring with us.  She came out with Baby Kaitlyn (we have two of them).  She had one for her and one for Harper. Harper has recently become interested in baby dolls.  She'll push them around in the stroller, hug and kiss them, and I just thought it was so cute that they were both hanging on to their babies during our walk. 

On Sunday evening Robby and I got to go our friends Bryce and Sarah's wedding.  It was an outdoor wedding and the weather was not cooperating.  However, the bride and groom were laid back about the rain and so were all the guests.  Most were under umbrellas and a few used the fans that were provided to try to stay dry.  

It was such a fun evening and because so many of our friends were there we had a GREAT time. 

Tonight we had a cookout at our house with a few neighbors that live on our street.  It was the perfect ending to a great weekend.  

Water wings are the way to go

Handley has always enjoyed being in the water at the pool or at the lake, but has always been very cautious and not very brave about swimming.  She was happy to be in with someone holding on to her, but trust her life-jacket or other floats.  Earlier this week she gave water wings a try and it was like all of the sudden something clicked.  She finally realized they would help her stay afloat so she could swim all by herself.  Water wings are the way to go.  She is just tickled with herself and her new skill.  I'm so proud of her and she is very proud of herself.  Today she and her friends Addyson and Avery were like little ducks swimming around together.  They literally swam from one side of the pool to the other.  Handley starts swim lessons next week so I'm happy that they seem to be timed just right with her new found love for swimming.  

Here is a video of Handley swimming.  I'm not sure what she is singing or talking about, but she is having fun.

Harper is loving it too and when she see Handley jump in she wants to do it too.  She'll walk to the edge of the pool, squint her eyes closed and wait for me to help her "jump" in.  It's hilarious.  

"I gonna not pitch a fit"

By far the best comment to come out of Handley's mouth today was on our way to the pool.  She stated, "Mommy, I gonna not pitch a fit today."

Monday and Tuesday she really threw fits.  I can count on about 2 fingers the times she's really behaved this way before this week.  The first one this week was because at the pool I said she needed to share a toy or we would be going home.  After giving her multiple chances she continued to ignore my requests, so we went home.  It wasn't pretty, but I didn't really care and wasn't embarrassed because I knew most of the people at the pool, all of them had pre-schoolers, and I knew they would understand.  The second fit was in the middle of CVS.  It really was over nothing, but again, I had asked her to do something, she wouldn't do it and because she was so upset with me she was screaming at the top of her lungs.  I was SO embarrassed.  We were there to get batteries for a new game she received as a birthday gift so it was the perfect teachable moment.  I could have completely given in to her and saved me from the embarrassment, but I feel like that would just teach her that pitching a fit that way gets her want she wants.  Something I definitely don't want to teach her.  After multiple attempts to reason with her and get her to "make the right choice" I ended up carried her out of the store kicking and screaming.  I still don't know how I got her out of the store and into her car seat all while holding Harper.  She finally calmed down and kept begging me to go back to get the batteries for her game.  We did eventually go back, but it was several hours later after she had calmed down, apologized, and proven that she was going to be "a sweet girl."  I once read that during situations like these somebody has got to win, and it better be the mama.  Let's just say that after both of these instances she got a good talkin' to and I guess it really hit home.  Hence her comment to me this afternoon.  "I gonna not pitch a fit." I'm tempted to make that our new motto! Ha!

Thankfully today we had a wonderful day and she was super sweet all day long.  That's the girl I am used to! 

On another note, Harper has reached the get-into-everything-and-make-a-complete-mess phase.  She quickly sneaks away and starts pulling out whatever she can find.  Two that I snapped pics of tonight during the few minutes I was trying to get her into her room for bed was a spool of ribbon and Handley's shoes (which she LOVES to get into and drag out of the closet).  

What a Wonderful Weekend!

What a wonderful weekend!  Great friends, great weather, and tons of fun on the lake.  The Atkinson's made the trip up to the lake with us this weekend and we had a blast.  From the minute they arrived Handley and Avery were connected at the hip.  Handley had been talking about Avery coming to the lake for about a month now and was beside her self with excitement.  Harper and Dylan were pretty inseparable too.   Harper just loves Dylan and can't wait for him to really start crawling around and playing with her. 

As soon as they arrived we loaded up the coolers and beach bags and headed out on the water.  We spent ALL day out there. 6 hours to be exact.  Some might think that would just be asking for trouble with 4 kids all under the age of 3, but it was absolutely perfect.  We started the day off with a little tubing for the big girls.

After that we headed to our favorite "beach" for some playtime.  There was some great people watching and it was a great place to relax.  The kids had fun playing in the water and building sand castles.  

Dylan's first time on the boat was a success.  He napped like a pro, enjoyed the sights and sounds, and loved the water.  

After playing at the beach it was time for some more sunscreen and then we headed off to another fun spot...the jumping rock. Both Daddies jumped while the kids and Mommies stayed in the boat and counted down for them.  

Finally it was time to head back to the house for dinner.   On the boat ride back all 4 kiddos were so tired they all took naps.  Back at the house we enjoyed appetizers and dinner on the deck and that was immediately followed by a fun bath. Then, the real fun began.  Handley and Avery had their first sleepover party! They dressed alike in their princess nightgowns and were giggling about being able to sleep in the same room together.   I promised them if they went to bed they could have cinnamon buns in the morning.  It only took one time of us going back in the room before they were fast asleep.  

Sunday was another fun day.  Harper fell asleep out on the water and was out like a light for a solid hour while we swam and played on the beach.  I couldn't believe she was sleeping through it all, but she did.  All that playing made us hungry so we headed over to the Tiki Hut for lunch.  It took FOREVER to get our food, but again, the kids were so patient. Handley and Avery got to test out the tractor, have ice cream, and feed the ducks.  

All in all it was a fabulous weekend.  The kids were perfect all weekend and that made it so much fun for the parents too.  We can't wait to do it again soon!