Bubbles Everywhere

$15 WELL SPENT!!!!

Every parent knows you get tired of blowing bubbles for your own kids, then once they are old enough to blow their own they spill a small jug in no time. Then comes the solution......a bubble machine. 

No work, no fuss!!

Flowers in her hair.......

 "Flowers in her hair......" 

Maddy picked flowers from the backyard and insisted on them being in her hair

"Yankee Doodle"

"Yankee Doodle Dandy"

"World's Army"

"I'm in the World's Army......Yes Sir!!"

This is probably the hardest to understand, and the one in which I never knew what Abby was saying when she would sing it at home. Finally the salute "yes sir" tipped me off and I caught onto the words!

....."I may never fight in the infantry, ride in the cavalry, shoot the artillery, I may never fly over the enemy.........I'm in the worlds Army, Yes Sir" 

I thought Mike would have loved this one! Maybe he will start having Abby salute him when she is told to do something.......:)

"Working on the Railroad"

"I've Been Working on the Railroad....."

"Pledge of Allegiance"

I should also mention that the videos sound LOUDER and more screamed than they really were in person. They really encourage the kids to sing loud since so many are shy and reserved. So just turn down your speakers a bit :)

"PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE" (they have been practicing this all year, and say it everyday!!)

"God Bless America"

"God Bless America" 

 (please bear with me on all these videos with their wobbliness as I took them with our regular camera and didn't bring a tripod!! Oops! Next time that will come with me to help!!) 

Patriotic Performance

Abby's school had a Patriotic Show today, to showcase all the songs they have been practicing since the 1st of the year. She did a great job learning them all and really impressed me, since they don't send home song lists. So for the first month or so I had no clue what she was trying to sing....but it all came together in the end!!  Unfortunately daddy had a VERY busy work schedule and couldn't attend, as they honored the parents in uniform that attended!

She posed a bit this morning before we were leaving for school.

Our little shining star.....third from the right ont he bottom row (red shirt)

 Abby did great with all her singing! And even gave me a great shot here at the end looking right at me. I sat in the balcony section this time to stay clear of parents heads!!

Videos to follow this post!

And so it begins.....

 Mike's new job is in FULL swing! He was gone the last seven days out on the boat during part of their work-up training exercises at sea that they perform prior to a deployment (one of many).

One week down.......50+ more to go......seriously :)

But on a lighter note, he is home now, a day here and there, a week here and there, and then deployment will be upon us before we know it. Luckily for the girls and I, summer hits at the same time so we will have swimming and friends to keep us occupied.

 

 First official work business cards.

 Photo from the Eisenhower during a boat exercise last week

 And just in case you were curious what Mike's new boss looks like......he is the one in the mustache!

Rear Admiral Mike Manazir. Receiving this award in the photo is the outgoing Aide who Mike is replacing. With only a week under his belt, Mike had great things to share about his experience....slightly different from those on previous cruises since he now shares some privileges that the Admiral receives (personal laundry service, and meals in the admirals private dining room, are just a few).

Next stop.....Italy and abroad for a week!! Should be quite the adventure.

Rainy Day Snack/Movie

Its a rainy Saturday here....and the rain is welcomed, to help wash away the layer of yellow pollen that is covering everything outdoors and wash away some allergies!!

Posing for their dad so he can see his girls while he is away!

And they play!

 Nothing like helping your little sister get dressed up! Stickers on her forehead and ALL!

Sand Box Revisited!!

And Spring has SPRUNG here in Virginia!!!!

And just in time too, because we are SOOO excited to start playing outside more.

Daddy put new sand in the sandbox and the kids couldn't be more thrilled (for the moment!!)

This messy contraption provides so much fun, even if it requires a bath and sweeping more often.

I caught Abby covering Maddy on this day, so the fun begins. Just looking forward to going to the beach soon so the mess stays there :)

My Posing Pair

So Spring has made its debut!! The flowers are blooming, the grass is green and growing!!

And best of all, the kids can play outside!!! YEAH!!!!!!!

Zoo in March

Our time with daddy is about at its end.....he starts his new job TOMORROW 3/19!!!!

Where did our 2 weeks of vacation go??? NO SERIOUSLY!!!! Where did it go? 

Lets recap......Day one of said vacation....Maddy gets pink eye, Abby gets pink eye the next day.

Then mommy gets pink eye.......Abby already had an ear infection, then we make it to our waterpark overnight, mommy has a sinus infection, the 2nd week of vacation both girls have ear infections.....

Now the weather perks up for early Spring, and we are all feeling normal again. 

Luckily Mike kept sanitized and healthy and avoided it all!! Good thing because he had a lot on his honey-do list the last few weeks as he prepares to leave.

So this past Friday while Abby was at school, we took Maddy to the zoo by herself......a 1st! No big sister telling her what to see and pulling her here and there.

 All the animals were out and about, and very active

 So was this CUTE little otter

 Special time with her dad

 Shhhh.....we told her not to tell Abby we paid extra to take her on the train ride!!!

Brush Brush!!

 Maddy is a diligent tooth brusher! Of course she hates when we say its time to go to bed, but she patiently makes it through her dutiful chore of brushing. Now she has realized that if she stands on her tippy-toes, she can see herself brushing in the mirror. Love this age of learning and exploring.

Dress Up Fun

Dress up time NEVER ends in our house. With or without friends over, they love to get creative.

Abby at the park

 Abby at the park the other day while my friend Danielle had her camera!

Toes!!!

Maddy caught me painting my toes the other day, so of course she insisted on having hers done too!

Her FIRST time ever with painted toes!!! She sat so still and loved it!

Great Wolf Lodge....AGAIN!!!

Well, we did it again! We took advantage of Mike's 2 weeks off between jobs and spent another 2 GREAT days at the waterpark lodge in Williamsburg.

I don't need to re-explain how much the kids LOVE it there. Enough said.......upon leaving yesterday at 7pm, after swimming/sliding/tubing for 10 hours straight, on day two......Abby got frustrated and told us she really wanted to stay for 4 days......Uhhhh sorry kid, this place costs too much to stay for 4 days, PLUS she would no longer have any fingers if we did! The kid was one big fat prune after 2 days!!

Mike and the girls right after we arrived and got ready to swim!

Of course we brought along our new waterproof camera, which was put to the test, and failed :( (lucky for Costco, its going back and being upgraded soon!!)

We did get a few good shots, and action videos.....to be shared in the next posting

 Cool shot from the kids area, of the BIG bucket tipping over....which happens every 4 minutes or so

 Mike and Maddy tubing down the lazy river

 Narrowly avoided the dumping buckets!!

 Abby floating down the lazy river on a double tube with me

 Abby exiting the slide

 The pathway to the slides...you climb up the structure, through a tunnel.....as if you were the size of a 4 year old :) Oh, while water is pouring/spraying everywhere!!

 Abby LOVED spending a lot of time in the wave pool this visit.

 Underwater shot!! Good thing he looks better on dry land!!

 Maddy tinkering in the toddler zone

 And doing what she does best.....dipping fries in anything dippable, and making a mess.

 The toddler area view (shot came out dark.....silly camera)

 BIG Bucket SPLASH! (Mike and Abby in the shot.....random girl in the middle)

 Abby and mommy hanging out! Abby mid-way through the wall of water

 Good Bye Waterpark!!!! See you next winter when we have a good reason to swim indoors!!

Our itinerary for the last 2 days (in case you want to know how it all goes down):

1:00pm- Arrived at Lodge to check into our room

1:30pm- Made our way down to the waterpark on the lower level, grabbed a table to store our stuff

4:30pm- Decided it was time for dinner, dried off, went upstairs

6pm- Went out to dinner in Williamsburg

7:30pm- Back to the hotel room- Mike takes the girls down for the storytime puppet show on the main level

8:30pm- Mike and the kids return, he drops off Maddy, and they head out in their swimsuits for another 30 minutes of swimming to finish off the night!!

9:30pm- Everyone is in bed and lights out!

NEXT DAY

7:30am- Everyone is awake, Mike goes to pickup breakfast

9:30am- We are down at the waterpark for the day..........

Noon- Still swimming........stopped to eat for 30 minutes!!

2pm- Swimming, sliding, tubing.....swimming sliding, tubing.......

4pm-.......should we leave??? Nah!!!! Still swimming

5:20pm- Maddy falls asleep on me at our table, sleeps for an hour on my chest (poor kid didn't nap either day, she pushes through just fine and then crashes in my arms)

6:45pm- We decide to pack it up and call it a day!!!! = Abby still frustrated we aren't staying longer

8:15pm....HOME & Exhausted.....but soooo glad we went. Thank goodness our kids LOVE the water

I think I know where we want gift cards to for future birthdays, holidays......etc........But I guess that only works if we end up living around here more than another year or so :)