4th of July Weekend

Our friends, Isaac and Dynelle, stayed with us over the weekend.  It's always great when we get to spend time with this family.  So I was very excited when I find out that they were driving through.  Evey and Emmy are two peas in a pod and haven't seen each other since our Disney trip.  And little Amelia has gotten so big and is the most photogenic baby ever.  Such a lovely weekend we had.  The grill was constantly being used to bbq up some absolute deliciousness thanks to my hubby.   The sun was steaming hot, but the kids stayed cool with playful splashes poolside.  And by poolside, I of course mean in our front yard tiny, little play pool.  We played volleyball, drank wine late at night under the light of the moon, and watched as our littles giggled while getting swung around and around and around.

A good weekend indeed...

More from June

Brenner is a silly man.  Whether he's wearing pink fairy wings on his back, or blue high heels with gold and purple bangle bracelets up to his elbows.  I suppose that's what you get when you have a big sister.  He wants to get dressed up in crazy get-ups just as Emmy does.  And the wackier, the better.  When Chelsea was still here, he brought over a pair of water wings that he wanted pulled up to his ankles, and then he shuffled like a sumo-wrestler to put on a pair of blue fuzzy high heels.  Chelsea emphasized that it was not her idea.  She said she got a picture.  I haven't seen said photo, but this could be one for the books.  He has done this several times since...  Sans heels.

Brenner loves water.  I know I've mentioned this several bajillion times, but it is just crazy how much he loves it.  He loves playing in the water hose.  And I blame my "brown thumb" as Wade calls it, on the fact that Brenner, no not me, waters my flowers way too much.  (Okay, maybe a little me.)  But when it's 500 degrees outside, I can't blame him.  And so I let him soak whatever he's willing to soak.  He's actually pretty good at not spraying people.  All you have to say is, "just my legs, Brenner."  And that is how I stay cool.  Oh the heat...  Those breezy mornings, and cool evenings I was talking about...  they've disappeared. 

The kids are loving life on the tricycles.  They're getting really good at sharing their trikes too.  Although, when I've said, "share" in the past, they'd gripe and moan.  So, I'd say extra cheerfully, "It's time to trade!"  And they'd slide right off and swap.  Amazing what a difference in words can make.  Trading is so much cooler than sharing. 

We've been using the play pool in the front because for some reason, the bugs aren't as bad.  We had so many wasps in the backyard, it was crazy.  So I'd rather have our lives be less threatened and be in the front yard.  So, we make quite the mess of tricycles, chairs, pool toys, what have you and it always seems to attract the neighbor kids.  So, I'm the mom on the end of the street with 10 kids of all ages and I just smile and wave as onlookers think, "Does she really have that many kids?"  Because we always have a hundred kids in our yard.  I like to think it's because I'm a cool mom.  No, it's probably because I have wonderful, amazing kids.  Or that I have a pool in the front yard.  Yeah, it's probably the latter.

We've been putting the pool in this tiny tree's sliver of a shadow, but hey, whatever works.  And the shade is right next to the big hole in the ground.  And Wade dumps the pool water out and it just fills up with water and then becomes a mud pool.  And Brenner+water+mud= a little boy's dream.

 Here he is checking out the water hole.  Hmmm... this could be fun.

 Yes!  I knew it.  This is fun!  (Mom doesn't do mud.  Bath was quickly followed.)

It's Summer!

The heat... oh the California heat, it's a killer.  The kids love to play outdoors, which is fine and dandy.  However when the heat starts picking up to a 3 digit number, it can be a little much.  You know when you open up the oven and you can feel the mascara on your eyelashes melting?  Yeah, kind of a silly analogy, but that's what I feel like when I open the front door and that heat wave just hits you.  It hits me, slaps me silly a few times, and then I feel the a.c. behind me begging me to stay and play in the crisp oh so comfy air.  But the kids love their tricycles and outdoor toys, so I forge through and find the slightest bit of shade to curl my body in, but not before the the sun has kissed spots that needed a slight summer glow.  Yes, we are looooving the summer so far.

Emmy and her ladybug friend

My sis came to visit us for 2 whole weeks!  I was like, "Wow!  2 weeks!  This is fantastic.  That's such a long time.  We're going to be able to do so much fun stuff!"  After a few shopping trips, several late nights of a painting project, a week long struggle with putting up a few curtain rods (did I mention highly frustrating- my sis can attest to this) orchestrating two garage sales and lots of good 'ole silliness.... and yeah.  The time was over.  It went so fast.  Faster than you can say, "Chelsea!  You are the greatest, most beautiful and fantastic aunt ever and we love and MISS you so much!"  Faster than that.

While she was here, we had a fun make-your-own pizza night with my fresh basil plant.  Yes, it's my first plant ever to live beyond week 2.  For real.  It sits on the floor in front of the sliding glass door in a clear plastic food container.  But it is green and producing yummy fresh leaves to top off my Italian dishes.  Okay so I've only used it a handful of times, and those were all pizza dishes.  But I surprisingly haven't been doing a lot of pasta, and haven't thought of any other ways to use basil.  Suggestions?  Emmy really likes tearing the leaves off the plant whenever we cook with it, and I think it baffles her that we are eating "leaves."  It's the first food, I suppose, where she sees where it actually comes from.  So, it's kind of neat.  I would love to have a true, real garden in my backyard.  That.  Would be.  Awesome.

I hope to add more later.  So, check back soon.  I realized that I've gotten so behind on my blog and it made me sad...  I hope your summer is going well and you are staying cool wherever you are.

A Little Mix of Water and Sun

The weather has been oh so good to us.  The kids are outside all day long and addicted.  We got a fun new water toy that brings our neighbor friends over for an extra good time.

Emmy enjoys painting and craft time outside.  

 Brenner enjoys play-doh.

He also is loving the water fun AND the mud it then creates.

Brenner is a crazy little boy who is talking so much these days.  Some of his favorite phrases are:  What happened?  Help me.  Emmy share.  Where Emmy?
He keeps tabs on his sissy.  Where she goes, he will follow...

And his words these days are endless.  And it's such a change from just 2 weeks ago.  His favorite words:  "ow-si" (outside), "mess," uh-oh," "ice" (he loves ice in his cup), "peas" (please- and he uses the sign for please by rubbing his chest the same time he says it.  It's the only word he still signs.)  "eat," "nack" (snack), "nice" (He usually says this when someone is not being very nice)...
He's been taking notice of how a conversation works, and now he's quite the chatter.  He loves to talk especially on the play phone and sometimes if you're lucky, on the real phone. What gets me is when he picks up a phone and says "hello?"  And then he uses gibberish and laughs very enthusiastically every now and then and finishes with "bye." 

He's always been a little momma's boy and I have loved it.  However, this past week, it's all about daddy.  "Dah-DEEE!," as Brenner would say.  I would still like to say, that when tears are flowing, it's still momma's duty to provide the healing love to make owies and boo-boos better.

He's quite the clown and loves to make us laugh.   And he's going to be 2 in August!  TWO! Unbelievable, Brenner boy.