July 2017

Better late than never!

4th of July was so much fun this year, especially since both girls were able to enjoy the parade.  We also went up to our neighbors house, who had a party with a bounce house and then we had a front yard BBQ with both sets our next door neighbors, it was a blast.  The worst part was having to get up for work on July 5th!

That next weekend I went to Vancouver with Andrea to celebrate our 30 years of friendship.  I went into the trip not knowing much about Canada or Vancouver, in general, but I was blown away with how clean it was, how nice everyone was and how much there was to do and see. I definitely want to go back with Robert and the girls someday and it's so nice that it's only a 2 hour flight away and such a different world.

I couldn't believe how late the sun went down, it was so crazy!

We grew up going on vacation together and it was so nice to just slow down and take some time to do it again and just spend uninterrupted time together catching up.

Mila went to Vacation Bible School at church and just loved it.  Nellie spent the week with my parents and I think it was nice for her to have that one on one time with Nana and Papa. She will be old enough to go next year and is so excited todo everything her big sister does.

My mom took Mila to lunch and then took her on a shopping spree for new clothes for her birthday. They had so much fun together and Mila came home with the cutest new clothes...all which came from the big girl section :(

Both girls spent the month in swim lessons and Mila is a full blown swimmer now!  It's crazy how one summer of lessons taught her so much, now we just need to find a way to keep it up so she doesn't lose the skill! Nellie started out in a Mommy and Me class and after two weeks moved up to a class on her own.  I wouldn't say she loves it but she is definitely progressing and has come a long way since the first day.

Roscoe turned seven and had a normal day of being tormented and/or ignored by the girls.  We did buy him special birthday treats and a new toy so that made up for it!

We ended the month with an adult's only trip to Vegas with the Charlands.  It was so much fun and such a nice, quick little getaway.  We spent both full days at the pool and had dinner plans and a show on Sunday night.  Saturday, however, we last minute scored some free box seats to George Strait from a friend of mine.  It was an amazing show and a great experience, we had so much fun.

Mila is such a little mommy and loves to try to parent Nellie, who will NOT have it.  They've started playing better together and are so funny to watch and listen to, when they're not fighting with each other.

Nellie is talking so much more now and can really communicate with you.  She definitely knows what she wants and is sneaky enough to figure out how to get it.  If you tell her it's time to change her diaper, and she's not ready to do it at that moment she will say, "No...I'm good!"

June 2017

June was a definite whirlwind and it seemed like it just flew by (although that seems to be most months nowadays).

We've had a couple of months with Nellie in her own bed now, which has given us an insight into the fact that we think she is a sleepwalker.  She wakes up and comes into our room 2-10 times a night and half the time we can't tel if she's sleeping or awake; she just climbs up in our bed, although one time Robert found her in the living room around 230am when he was getting ready for work.

I still keep in touch with a number of the moms in our mom's group and a bunch of us went bowling, which was so fun but was a definite reminder that I haven't been bowling in like 4 years!

Kira spent the night with us before they went up to see her grandparents in Northern California. I can't believe how big Siena (Kira's little sister) is getting!

They are still the bestest of friends, it's so sweet. I think they think of each other more as sisters than even friends.

Mila's other good friend at preschool, Juliet, invited Mila over for a playdate. with princess dress up, painted nails and a fashion show to end the day with.  It's always awkward on the first playdate, especially because the moms have to hang out since the girls are still too little to drop off, but it went really good and I got along great with Juliet's mom.  Nellie had to come too because Robert was out of town so she was in heaven just doing everything the big girls did.

Robert had to go out of town to Arizona for five days for a work party trip conference and I was able to sneak away for dinner with Nora and Jenn.

It was a lonely five days without Robert around and we all definitely missed him (and the help!).  He got home on Thursday night and I kept the girls up to take with me to pick him up at the airport.  We never park and go inside when we are picking them up, rather we just pick them up at the curb, so he was surprised to see us waiting for him, homemade signs and all, by baggage claim.

We left the next morning for a trip to Palm Springs with Nana and Papa to celebrate Papa's 70th birthday.  It was such a nice, relaxing trip and so great to all be under the same roof.  We didn't do much but lay by the pool, which is always a great vacation.

We were talking to Mila about Papa turning 70 and Mila asked Nana how old she was and Nana said 68. And Mila said and then what? You die?  It was SO funny.  She also thought Papa was turning 17, not 70 :)

Mila: Nana, will you turn on my channel?
Nana: But I'm watching the Royals game.
Mila:  But I'm your granddaughter. Pleeeeease?
Nana: Of course I will.

They LOVED the pool and Mila was SO excited to go on a night swim when it was dark but it was actually pretty chilly while we were there (80s and 90s, when it's normally 110!) so it didn't last long but she thought it was so fun swimming under the moon.

The weekend after Palm Springs we went in a Royals game, which was Mila's second baseball game and Nellie's first.  They were WAY more excited in the snacks than they were in the game but they did pretty good sitting still for the whole game.  There were fireworks after the game and they even showed a movie on the big screen after the game and let everyone come down and watch from the field (we didn't stay for the movie but definitely will in the future!).

The girls both had swim lessons the last two weeks of June, Mila in a preschool class and Nellie in a parent and me.  Mila is doing fantastic and was even moved up to a more advanced class after the first week.  Nellie hates being in the water, cries the hole time and won't go under but she had a couple of good days and always says she wants to go so that's nice.  They have the week of 4th of July off and then have four more weeks; Nellie will be moving up to a class without me so wish us luck that works out!

We had planned to get away with Grandma and Grandpa at the end of June but couldn't think of anywhere to go so, last minute, we ended up booking a night at the Huntington Beach Hyatt for a staycation. Grandma and Grandpa came down on Saturday and spent two nights with us and it was a GREAT vacation. It's so nice to "be away" but still be so close that you don't have to travel as far.

The girls had a blast in the pool with the Charland girls and were completely exhausted.  We all shared a king bed that night (well, just our family of four, not Grandma and Grandpa!), which was a terrible idea since the girls are like fish out of water, flopping around and kicking their legs every where.  Next time we will bring their sleeping bags and they can sleep on the floor!

We ended the month going to Lexi's 5th birthday party, which was also sort of like a going away party as well since she left for Pennsylvania three days later.  I loved Mila's card to her; she told me what to write and I loved her little sentiments.