Well, 2 months since the last post? Really? Why does it feel like it was 3 years or just last week??? I suppose that's the pace of life, isn't it?
No excuses. No more
talking whining, self-deprecating cracks about how terrible I am at updating....it is what it is, right? At least I'm here...finally taking a precious moment to update on the goings-on in our too-fast life.
We'll go with summer highlights....these babies (and Mike and I) have been spoiled by TWO (so far) trips to the beach this summer....Memorial Day weekend on Hilton Head Island and 4th of July week at Myrtle Beach! To say we've been beachin' it would be correct. I'm thrilled to report that these kiddos L-O-V-E the beach and the pool. (for those of you not familiar, Rachael doesn't usually separate the two...each morning on vacation, she'd wake up saying, "Let's go to the beach and the pool." It was never one or the other...but always both...thata girl.)
Photo evidence of said trips:
Rachael heads out the door for the beach in Hilton Head.
All of us on the sand at Myrtle...what a great week!
What else have we been up to this summer?
We started June off with a special day for Rachael and Mommy/Daddy -- we took her to see Sesame Street Live. She loved seeing the characters on stage but sure didn't want them coming too close.
A visit to Springfield for Father's Day weekend, 5 kiddos 4 and under...whoa. It was a great (but too fast!) trip.
Multiple baby pool parties in our yard and those of our neighbors. Have I mentioned that we have great neighbors? There are 20 children that are 6 and under on our street...what a wonderful sight to see...families playing together and supporting each other in this life.
Nana was here for a week in mid-June and had fun playing with Ben and Rachael and did a great job helping us to keep up on the never-ending housework. She and I even got to take an afternoon sans kids to go shopping (one of the FEW benefits of daycare!)
June saw very little let-up on the sickness for us -- Ben and Rachael each had ear infections and I had a sinus infection...luckily, Nana was here while Ben was sick and Rachael was able to keep on going during her ear infection with very little fever.
As I type, daycare has not called this month...and no one has registered a fever. Now, with 5 days left in the month, I'm not holding my breath! :)
And, last, but, not least: an update on the newest tricks for these sweet babies:
Rachael continues to talk up a storm...and is really starting to enjoy pretend play. She loves to play mommy to her baby and to play doctor...poor girl has been to the doctor so much in her short life that she knows the drill. She loves to swim and isn't afraid of the pool, the ocean or the sand. She has been working on drawing circles and cutting with scissors (at school) and enjoys the math center and gym/water play at school. Her favorite pasttime is still reading books...any and all and her pre-bedtime books rotate every couple of weeks. She said one of the sweetest things just a couple of weeks ago...I came down on a Sunday morning ready to go to church and she said, "Mommy, you're so bootiful in your dress. Do a twirl" Ahhhhhhh.....melt my heart and make me feel like a million dollars.
Proud mom-moment (have had lots of these and am so thankful!): Rachael likes to say grace before every meal. No matter where we are. No matter what we're eating. No matter who's with us. No matter what the weather. For her, "prayer" is everywhere. Every time. Always. I LOVE it!
Ben...gosh...he's just doing something new every day. On June 3rd, he took 4, 6, 8 steps and by the end of the day was walking across the room. The next day, at school, spent most of the day on his feet. It's like the light bulb just turned on and won't quit, now. His language is coming.... at 15 months, here were his words:
mommy
daddy
blankie
ball
banana
go
no
down
up
get down
thank you
all done
milk
my milk
bye-bye
hi
yay
ei-ei-o
doggie
papa
nana
elmo
amen
uh-oh
baby
We can add to this many more words now, but, especially, "love you"...which isn't crystal clear, but, this momma knows exactly what he means...so precious.
He's just as sweet (and stubborn)as he can be. He's a sympathy crier at school and has adjusted to the big kid room very well....as of July 20, he settles in to the room with no 'separation' anxiety, even if snack isn't immediately available.
He continues to be methodical in his problem solving approach and loves to play with trucks, cars, anything with wheels. He also likes to work with puzzles and the shape sorter. His favorite activity is being close to sister and 'wrestling' with her...playing in her BIG GIRL bed (which happened on June 24th!)...mostly, he just wants to do what she can...and then some.
Both kids love to sing -- they even sing Old McDonald in unison (at least the ei-ei-o part!).
I couldn't really ask for anything more in this life and I get frustrated when I succumb to the Earthly idea of wanting/needing/must have more.
Who could want or need anything more than these precious two????????? xoxoxo
