Beach bums

We were fortunate to spend 10 days at the beach, first with friends and then with family. What a big step for Savanna this summer as last year she would not get close to the ocean. This year we couldn't get her out! She also wins the prize for the best tan in the family. She is the only one of us that didn't get any form of red or pink on our trip. This picture captures Sadie's first day on the beach. As you can see she is NOT happy about this situation. Can you believe that by the end of the week she was going into the waves by herself? This is after one wave took her under. I tell you this girl is a daredevil! It was so much fun for everyone to watch Savanna enjoy her time with Lily and John. She proclaimed that she "only wanted to go to the beach with Lily." Then she hit the jackpot by having a blast with John for a week. Sadie just followed along with the big kids looking back at me saying "mon mommy" (come on mommy). I will remember this trip forever!

She did it!

There are no pictures to accompany this post as I think everyone would agree that would be gross because SADIE WENT POTTY tonight! I have been sitting her on the little potty at night since just after moving because she watched Savanna and talked about it. There is no more interest than that but hey it is worth a try to start the process lightly. It worked for Savanna. Well tonight as we were getting ready for bed they were both going potty and all of a sudden we heard the sound. Yes, it was preceded by a little gas but then we heard it trickle. We were both congratulating Sadie so she sat back down. I think she likes the praise! We'll see how long before this happens again but we will be proud of this first step for now.

Meal Prep

As you know a good bit of our plans revolve around food and the past few weeks have been no different, just with a little twist. Savanna has really been into helping out so one night she created and cooked a homemade pizza for us. I chopped the veggies but she put it all together and it was DELICIOUS! Then we decided to head to the park for a picnic. This is not so much out of the ordinary but made for a cute shot of daddy and the girls. Fun times!!! The bowl was my breakfast in bed one morning. Yes, you see correctly, goldfish and a granola bar. Since our mother and father's day traditions Savanna has been excited about breakfast in bed. She can let herself in the locked pantry so she puts in a bowl whatever she can reach. It is quite amusing to see what she is going to put together! Now she gets up and fixes her own cereal in the morning. I think she likes the quiet time and I certainly enjoy a little extra sleep! Savanna definitely enjoys her independence!

GROWL! ROAR!

We had been waiting for a cooler day to visit the zoo. Sadie hadn't been to see the African animals so it was time for a visit. She loves animals! Savanna wanted to see the polar bear and Sadie requested the giraffes. Our friends Carole and Mackenzie came with us to picnic and see the animals. The girls seemed to enjoy the animals but preferred climbing on the rocks and hanging on the rails. The chimpanzees made the biggest impression because there was one who would charge the glass, and he did while Savanna and Sadie were standing there. Needless to say it freaked them out so we moved on to the carousel and an ice cream snack. To end the day we made our way to the alligators, polar bear, and the seals/sea lions. These are our favorites in the North American exhibits. We stayed until closing as we usually do and all of the girls napped at some point on the way home.

Better than Bubblegum

We spent our July 3 on the lawn at Williams High School waiting for the fireworks to begin. Our picnic included chicken wings, pasta salad, watermelon, and rice krispie treats with stars. Our goal was to ride some rides before we picnicked but time just ran away from us so it was just food and fireworks for us. Noah and Savanna had fun playing football and frisbee as long as they could see it then everyone enjoyed the fireworks. Sadie watched with my hands covering her ears but she was prepared for the loud noise. She almost seemed mesmerized as they went off. Savanna on the other hand discussed the entire fireworks display. Some of our favorite quotations from her..... "These fireworks are better than bubblegum." and "That looks like a dead tree." (in reference to one of the fireworks) Hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July celebrations!