Build-A-Bear!!!

WOW! Who knew "creating" your own stuffed animal could be so much fun!!

BIG thanks to Aunt Amy, who sent the girls gift cards. So we took a trip to the mall, and actually stopped at the store we usually avoid when we walk by the stores (to keep the kids from asking to go in!!). This was their first time, and they loved it.

They got to pick out their bear/animal, help put the stuffing inside, pick a sound box to add to it, and then choose a cute outfit and shoes, groom their bear, and TA-DA...your very own bear to take home and LOVE!!!! 

 Abby placing the heart into her green friendship bear

 The girl was telling Abby & Maddy to rub and kiss their bear hearts before they placed them inside the body

 Abby helped fill both their animals with fluffy stuffing by pressing on the foot pedal

 Watching the white fluffy stuff go round and round!!

 Maddy LOVED grooming her bear! She ran and got a grooming brush and just kept brushing

 Hugging her new white kitty cat!

 Daddy helping Abby dress her bear (silver shoes, and a Rapunzel princess dress and crown)

 Abby doing some last minute grooming

 Abby's princess bear creation; Her bear makes giggle noises when you squeeze its paw

 Maddy's sassy white kitty creation; Her kitty says "I love you" when you squeeze its paw

 

THANK YOU Auntie Amy!!!!!!!

 Proudly leaving the store with their animals in their boxes (cages).......THE END!

Abby the fish!

Here are two short and not to clear videos I took of Abby in the pool last night. The quality is not 100%, and my neighbor is mowing his lawn (hence all the background noise), but its good enough.

I'll post better ones when I take them during the day with the real video camera!!

Video 1- Swimming from under the diving board to the side


Video 2- Jumping off the diving board to swim to the side


Maddy didn't swim until the very end last night, so I didn't get her on video, but I did get her swinging!
(CAUTION: a bit wobbly and may cause nausea!! :)

Maddy.....LOVES TO SLEEP!!!

Maddy is a sleepyhead. She is consistently sleeping 13 hours at night, after I put her down between 7/7:30pm. This morning I needed to go to the gym before we picked Mike up from the airport, so I was on a schedule, and had to go wake her up at 8:15 and found her like this!

Her lovey by her side, and blanket over her head! Love this kid!!

And with all this sleep she still naps 3 hours most days! She must be growing!! 

Now if only she'd start talking.

New words for her lately....."HOT", "HAT", "JUICE", "TEETH"

Grandma & Arlene's Visit to VA

Grandma Paulette and Aunt Arlene came to Virginia!!

We had a fabulous week together, filled with different (mostly hot) activities. The weather was scorching during their visit (90-110!!!), but it all worked out. We had lots of pool time to cool off! We visited the beach, the Virginia Childrens Museum, Norfolk Botanical Gardens, and the park! Oh, and no trip here is complete without a drive around the naval base! Here are many of my pictures from our time together. I should note....Arlene was gone for 4 days while she spent time at a friend's place in North Carolina, so she is missing in many photos! 

Virginia Childrens Museum

 Our little fire fighter

 Clearing the dishes

 Abby testing her strength. This section was FULL of fun science tools to learn levers, pulleys, and heat & weight effects!

 Heavier than an elephant??

 This red ball does not come out of the hole, but Maddy was determined to try.....to no avail!

 Norfolk Botanical Gardens:

 

 Military Beach:

 Aunt Arlene brought the girls these adorable matching REI swim sets with rashguard and shorts! Perfect for our summer sun fun!

 Abby & Arlene checking out the waves

 Maddy still isn't a big beach fan, but she found a few happy moments to play in the sand.

Dinner out at "Chicks Beach Oyster Bar" on the Chesapeake Bay

(We ate outside to avoid a wait, and were sweating our way through dinner. Still tasty!!)

Closest shot to us all looking in the same direction.....2 out of 4 isn't bad, right?

 Local Park near our house:

 Grandma....Great-Grandma......LOVE & FAMILY!

 

POOL TIME:

 Silly Aunt Arlene, monkeying around in the pool! Abby loved swimming with Arlene & Grandma!

They even swam this morning before heading to the airport!

Happy Anniversary to US!

Mike and I celebrated 7 years of marriage this past Sunday, and luckily Grandma Paulette was here to be our designated babysitter! She did a fabulous job, and Mike and I got to go out two nights in a row before he left for his work trip Sunday afternoon!

Our gift to ourselves was a new (upgraded) DSLR camera!! So here are a few fun shots Mike took of my anniversary flowers and the girls while he fidgeted with the new technology! So much to learn!!

More fun shots to come as we explore.

 

Hmmmmm

I had to post this because I'm starting to think I'm getting the raw end of the deal on Mike's "work" trips!

Last week he was in Sterling VA near DC for 2 nights, and was in a room with a hot tub next to the bed!!

And this week he is in Key West FL, and is staying in the Navy Lodge there on the beach. 

  Luckily I've had WONDERFUL company here with my Aunt Arlene & Grandma Paulette, so I'm not feeling so alone. Luckily our real vacation is just weeks away in Sept!!! And counting!

Enjoy your 9 more days sweetie!!! XOXO

Maddy Grooves

Maddy loves the fridge magnet singing toys we have! Her favorite has a handle, and she's strong enough to pull it off the fridge and carry it around. Here is a cute video of her enjoying the songs and swinging it around (thank goodness she didn't drop it.....its a miracle.....she drops EVERYTHING! The harder the better too!!!)