We had been worried about rain, since it was in the forecast, but we didn't have a drop! It was a great day.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
mini vacation
We haven't gone on a family vacation since Rachel was two. This year we decided to do a little mini trip, to see how Rebecca would do. We combined our trip to Grandma's house for my grandpa's birthday, Rebecca's birthday, and Memorial Day with a little trip to the Great Wolf Lodge and Cedar Point. We just got home last night and feel like I've been away forever. But it was a fun trip with lots of great memories. I'm just going to do a photo post to tell you all about it.
We left Grandma and Grandpa's house and drove to Marblehead Lighthouse. Even though I grew up not all that far from there, I'd never been.
Rachel (and Rebecca, too, but we don't have any pictures of her) LOVED climbing on the rocks and seeing the lake. You can see Cedar Point in the background of the picture. She was SO excited to get a glimpse of it!
We got to Great Wolf Lodge, our room wasn't ready, so we went swimming for an hour and a half. Once our room was ready we went up, got changed, and took a little break. The girls absolutely loved their little "Wolf Den" in our room. It was Rebecca's first time sleeping in a big girl bed, and Rachel's first time sleeping on a top bunk. Fun times!
Inside the waterpark
This big bucket was Rebecca's favorite thing on the whole trip. She just kept talking about it. Every few minutes a bell would ring and you'd know that the bucket was about to empty--you'll see another picture of that in a minute.
Posing in front of the fort
Here's Rachel standing under the water when the bucket empties--a HUGE deluge!
Rebecca and Mommy climbing up in the fort
Mommy and the girls floating down the lazy river
Rachel about to go down a little slide (Rebecca went down, too, but she wouldn't do it this time, when Daddy had his camera out, so we don't have any pictures of her).
I was able to coax Rachel into going down two water slides. This was one of them. She was scared, but was glad she tried it.
They have story time every night in front of the big clock tower in the lobby of the hotel. This was just before story time. We had just gotten out of the water for the second time, so we were all wet.
One of the Great Wolf Lodge characters helped with story time
Out in front of the hotel
Inside the lobby
We're here!
This was their first ride. They both were so excited and had a great time. I think somewhere there's a picture of my brother and me on this same ride!
Giving us a "thumbs up!" She was so cute. Every time she'd come around and see us, she'd give us this huge smile and wave. So sweet.
Rachel had a little trouble getting the bumper cars to work right, but she finally figured it out.
The ferris wheel is one of my favorites. Rachel was a little scared, but enjoyed it once we got started. Rebecca was fearless on everything.
One of several kiddie rides I had to go on because Rebecca wasn't big enough to go on some of them by herself. This one made me a little woozy because it spun around a lot.
Rebecca decided to give Snoopy a hug.
Both girls getting ready to ride their first (and only) roller coaster--the Junior Gemini--with Daddy. Rachel didn't like it. No surprise there.
Bumper Boats
These little cars really whipped around the corners--Rebecca loved it.
We wiped her out....she slept for about an hour in her stroller.
This is what Rachel did while Rebecca slept....she and I also went on a ride while Rebecca was sleeping.
We have this very same picture taken with my brothers and me when we were kids....
This was the most uncomfortable 5 minute ride of my life. Rachel couldn't drive them, so I had to, but my legs are so long that I didn't really fit and couldn't get my foot at the right angle on the pedal. It was awful. I finally made Rachel push the pedal while I steered.
We had been worried about rain, since it was in the forecast, but we didn't have a drop! It was a great day.
We had been worried about rain, since it was in the forecast, but we didn't have a drop! It was a great day.
Monday, May 27, 2013
three!!
Dear Rebecca,
It seems like only yesterday that I first held you in my arms. And now you're a running, talking big girl of three!
It's so hard to summarize you in one little blog post. I've had trouble every year on your birthday. Your personality is so big, Rebecca! You talk, and talk, and talk non stop, about anything and everything. You ask questions about EVERYTHING. You want to know WHY about everything. You are either super happy or super sad. (Thankfully it's more happy than sad!)
You adore Rachel and want to do everything she does. She's into Lalaloopsy, so you're into Lalaloopsy. She plays dress up, so you play dress up. It's hard to pin point your interests, because mostly you just like what your sister likes at any given moment, but from what I can tell, your biggest interests at the moment seem to be guitars, doctors, music, tractors, and barns/farms.
You have a short attention span, which can get frustrating, as you flit from thing to thing to thing all day long. You don't sit still for long. Just in the last couple of weeks, though, you've been playing by yourself a little more. It usually starts with Lalaloopsy dolls, but then the princess dolls sometimes join in, as do your Little People. You're getting pretty good at pretending and make believe play, thanks to your sister.
You're so cuddly and loving, and want to sit on my lap and be picked up all the time. You love being read to, and some of your favorites are the classics: The Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, The Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk, Nursery Rhymes....
Playing outside is a favorite pastime, though you don't stick with one activity for long. Riding bikes to coloring with chalk to swinging to playing in the sandbox to trying to hit the tee ball....you just go from one thing to another all in a span of about 15 minutes.
You're a little dare devil, unafraid and eager to climb, explore, and try new things. While your sister has always been timid when presented with something new, you rarely blink twice. You go down slides Rachel's still a little afraid of, and you climb up anything and everything.
People can't believe it when they hear that you're only two (well, now three!) because of how much you talk and the things that come out of your mouth. I know it's because you've caught on to everything your big sister says and does, but it just blows my mind sometimes, what you know.
Happy Birthday to our sweet, smart, energetic, happy three year old! You add so much to our lives. We love you so much!
It seems like only yesterday that I first held you in my arms. And now you're a running, talking big girl of three!
It's so hard to summarize you in one little blog post. I've had trouble every year on your birthday. Your personality is so big, Rebecca! You talk, and talk, and talk non stop, about anything and everything. You ask questions about EVERYTHING. You want to know WHY about everything. You are either super happy or super sad. (Thankfully it's more happy than sad!)
You adore Rachel and want to do everything she does. She's into Lalaloopsy, so you're into Lalaloopsy. She plays dress up, so you play dress up. It's hard to pin point your interests, because mostly you just like what your sister likes at any given moment, but from what I can tell, your biggest interests at the moment seem to be guitars, doctors, music, tractors, and barns/farms.
You have a short attention span, which can get frustrating, as you flit from thing to thing to thing all day long. You don't sit still for long. Just in the last couple of weeks, though, you've been playing by yourself a little more. It usually starts with Lalaloopsy dolls, but then the princess dolls sometimes join in, as do your Little People. You're getting pretty good at pretending and make believe play, thanks to your sister.
You're so cuddly and loving, and want to sit on my lap and be picked up all the time. You love being read to, and some of your favorites are the classics: The Three Bears, Little Red Riding Hood, The Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk, Nursery Rhymes....
Playing outside is a favorite pastime, though you don't stick with one activity for long. Riding bikes to coloring with chalk to swinging to playing in the sandbox to trying to hit the tee ball....you just go from one thing to another all in a span of about 15 minutes.
You're a little dare devil, unafraid and eager to climb, explore, and try new things. While your sister has always been timid when presented with something new, you rarely blink twice. You go down slides Rachel's still a little afraid of, and you climb up anything and everything.
People can't believe it when they hear that you're only two (well, now three!) because of how much you talk and the things that come out of your mouth. I know it's because you've caught on to everything your big sister says and does, but it just blows my mind sometimes, what you know.
Happy Birthday to our sweet, smart, energetic, happy three year old! You add so much to our lives. We love you so much!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
happy birthday, Grandpa!
We all got together today to celebrate my grandpa's 90th birthday.
We love you, Grandpa!
Thursday, May 23, 2013
last day
Last day of first grade....sniff, sniff. She's just looking way too old! (Notice the sunburned cheeks...I didn't know she'd be outside ALL morning yesterday, so I didn't put any sunscreen on her! Oops!)
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
end of the year fun
Yesterday was field day at Rachel's school. Last year she was sick on field day so she didn't really know what to expect, but she loved it. The whole school spends the entire day outside going from station to station playing various games, activities, and races. Rebecca and I were there for a little while and saw Rachel's class slide down an inflatable slide, do relay races, and play with the parachute.
Thursday is her last day of class. I can't believe it's almost summer. It's been a busy month full of family and birthdays and fun, with more to come this weekend. Maybe when things die down in June I'll have a little more time to write.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Friday, May 03, 2013
Wednesday, May 01, 2013
proving my point
After I wrote that post this morning about her love of guitars, Rebecca was doing this outside this morning....using her rake as a guitar. That's my girl....she's constantly coming up with new uses for her toys and playing with them in unconventional ways.
guitars
Rebecca became a HUGE Laurie Berkner fan overnight. It all started at the bus stop one afternoon a few months ago. We had driven to the bus stop, since it was cold or rainy, or snowing, or something (those are usually the reasons I drive, but I can't remember which it was that day!) and we were waiting quite awhile for the bus (it's often late...which is another story for another day.) Anyway, we were waiting and Rebecca was getting antsy. I put in a Laurie Berkner CD that I happened to have in the car to try and distract her. The first song is "Rocketship Run" and for some reason, she loved it. Later that evening, she said she wanted to listen to it again. It was in the car, so instead I looked it up on YouTube. She was enthralled and watched several Laurie Berkner videos that night. That started her asking every day if she could watch Laurie Berkner on my ipad. So I got a couple of her videos from the library and she asked to watch them over and over.
And she became obsessed. She's been really into guitars, ever since she started liking the Wiggles and started playing with the Wiggles guitar we have, but her love for Laurie Berkner has taken her love for guitars to a new level. She has two toy guitars, but pretty much everything in the house has become a guitar in the last month or two. Brooms, a toy keyboard, a hand mirror, magnifying glasses.... Everything she owns has the potential of becoming a guitar at some point in the day.
A few weeks ago she handed me a guitar, took a guitar for herself, and said, "Mommy, wet's wok and woll!"
When she goes to someone's house she asks, "Do they have any guitars there?"
She keeps telling me that she wants to be Laurie Berkner when she grows up, and wants a Laurie Berkner costume. Since Laurie Berkner wears regular clothes and nothing too crazy, I'm not quite sure what a Laurie Berkner costume would look like.
Since I seem to have some sort of weird knack for winning tickets (we just went to a show this weekend for which I won tickets!), I entered to win tickets to a Laurie Berkner concert here in town in a few weeks. I find out today if I won or not. I don't really care one way or the other if I win, but it would be crazy if I did.
We'd already decided on a Mickey Mouse theme for her birthday coming up at the end of the month (she's been talking about it for weeks), but in the last few days she's been telling me that she wants a Laurie Berkner cake....a guitar cake...a Rocketship cake (because of the song "Rocketship Run") and so on. I'm sticking with Mickey Mouse, since I can handle a Mickey Mouse cake. Sorry, Rebecca.
So, in other news, potty training continues to go well. She's really only had a handful of accidents, and even then, they've been small. I'm amazed at how quickly she got it. I don't feel like I really did much...just that she was ready.
I went with Rachel and the rest of the first grade on their field trip to the zoo yesterday. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and she was giddy with excitement. It was a long day, but she had fun. I was wearing my pedometer and we walked five miles all around that zoo!
It's hard to believe that it's only a few more weeks until summer. There's a lot going on between now and then.
And she became obsessed. She's been really into guitars, ever since she started liking the Wiggles and started playing with the Wiggles guitar we have, but her love for Laurie Berkner has taken her love for guitars to a new level. She has two toy guitars, but pretty much everything in the house has become a guitar in the last month or two. Brooms, a toy keyboard, a hand mirror, magnifying glasses.... Everything she owns has the potential of becoming a guitar at some point in the day.
A few weeks ago she handed me a guitar, took a guitar for herself, and said, "Mommy, wet's wok and woll!"
When she goes to someone's house she asks, "Do they have any guitars there?"
She keeps telling me that she wants to be Laurie Berkner when she grows up, and wants a Laurie Berkner costume. Since Laurie Berkner wears regular clothes and nothing too crazy, I'm not quite sure what a Laurie Berkner costume would look like.
Since I seem to have some sort of weird knack for winning tickets (we just went to a show this weekend for which I won tickets!), I entered to win tickets to a Laurie Berkner concert here in town in a few weeks. I find out today if I won or not. I don't really care one way or the other if I win, but it would be crazy if I did.
We'd already decided on a Mickey Mouse theme for her birthday coming up at the end of the month (she's been talking about it for weeks), but in the last few days she's been telling me that she wants a Laurie Berkner cake....a guitar cake...a Rocketship cake (because of the song "Rocketship Run") and so on. I'm sticking with Mickey Mouse, since I can handle a Mickey Mouse cake. Sorry, Rebecca.
So, in other news, potty training continues to go well. She's really only had a handful of accidents, and even then, they've been small. I'm amazed at how quickly she got it. I don't feel like I really did much...just that she was ready.
I went with Rachel and the rest of the first grade on their field trip to the zoo yesterday. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, and she was giddy with excitement. It was a long day, but she had fun. I was wearing my pedometer and we walked five miles all around that zoo!
It's hard to believe that it's only a few more weeks until summer. There's a lot going on between now and then.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
better than expected
I cautiously began potty training Rebecca on Monday morning. I've been putting it off for months because she didn't seem interested, had never had any success the times we'd try putting her on the potty, and I didn't want a repeat of what had happened with Rachel (lots and lots and lots of accidents, giving up for awhile, feeling like I had failed, etc), so I was determined to wait until she was ready. But I decided a few days ago that I wouldn't know for sure if she was ready if I didn't let her try.
I wasn't expecting much, to tell you the truth. I was dreading this week, since I knew it meant being stuck at home, cleaning up accidents. But guess what? There have only been two accidents in over two days! She's done GREAT! I guess she WAS ready after all. I just had to force the issue and make her try. And I've even been able to leave the house. I've put her in a pull up when we leave (she's been in regular underwear at home so she knows what it feels like when she does have an accident) just in case, but I've timed it so I leave right after she goes potty, so she hasn't had to go while we are gone.
Monday we were home all day and there were lots of trips to the potty just to try (I set the timer and had her go when the timer went off), and lots of success. Yesterday was a more normal day when I let her take the lead and she knew when she needed to go. And this morning she woke up dry for the first time ever and went as soon as she got up. I'm almost afraid to post this because as soon as I do she'll start having tons of accidents....but I'm hopeful that this is really it. Not buying a box of diapers every couple of weeks would be awesome!!
I wasn't expecting much, to tell you the truth. I was dreading this week, since I knew it meant being stuck at home, cleaning up accidents. But guess what? There have only been two accidents in over two days! She's done GREAT! I guess she WAS ready after all. I just had to force the issue and make her try. And I've even been able to leave the house. I've put her in a pull up when we leave (she's been in regular underwear at home so she knows what it feels like when she does have an accident) just in case, but I've timed it so I leave right after she goes potty, so she hasn't had to go while we are gone.
Monday we were home all day and there were lots of trips to the potty just to try (I set the timer and had her go when the timer went off), and lots of success. Yesterday was a more normal day when I let her take the lead and she knew when she needed to go. And this morning she woke up dry for the first time ever and went as soon as she got up. I'm almost afraid to post this because as soon as I do she'll start having tons of accidents....but I'm hopeful that this is really it. Not buying a box of diapers every couple of weeks would be awesome!!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
the royal fairy carriage
The girls love playing outside together. Tonight I went to see what they were doing and found this....
(Rachel said it was the royal fairy carriage.)
(Rachel said it was the royal fairy carriage.)
Thursday, April 11, 2013
another birthday post
Rachel's birthday party was on Saturday, but on her actual birthday, Tuesday, we had another celebration.
Rachel got to choose what she wanted to do for dinner, and instead of going to a restaurant she decided she wanted to eat Kraft Mac and Cheese at home. (???) We couldn't believe it, because she loves going out, but that's what we had. Grandma was here, and she bought barbeque for the rest of us, but Rachel and Rebecca enjoyed their mac and cheese immensely!
After dinner she opened presents.
Her presents from us included the drawing classes I mentioned before, plus some spring/summer clothes (not too exciting, but she needed them), some sticker sets, and her favorite gift:
She also got to choose if she wanted a cupcake (since I had already made her cake, I wasn't going to make another one) or go get ice cream. She chose the ice cream.
She had a fun day and said it was her favorite birthday ever, but then she decided that her birthday party last year was a little bit better. I'm not surprised, but happy that she enjoyed her day. Not every birthday can be as exciting as a bouncing party with all of her friends, like last year!
I can't believe she's seven!
Rachel got to choose what she wanted to do for dinner, and instead of going to a restaurant she decided she wanted to eat Kraft Mac and Cheese at home. (???) We couldn't believe it, because she loves going out, but that's what we had. Grandma was here, and she bought barbeque for the rest of us, but Rachel and Rebecca enjoyed their mac and cheese immensely!
After dinner she opened presents.
Her presents from us included the drawing classes I mentioned before, plus some spring/summer clothes (not too exciting, but she needed them), some sticker sets, and her favorite gift:
She also got to choose if she wanted a cupcake (since I had already made her cake, I wasn't going to make another one) or go get ice cream. She chose the ice cream.
She had a fun day and said it was her favorite birthday ever, but then she decided that her birthday party last year was a little bit better. I'm not surprised, but happy that she enjoyed her day. Not every birthday can be as exciting as a bouncing party with all of her friends, like last year!
I can't believe she's seven!
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
seven?!?!
Dearest Rachel,
How in the world did this happen? How did you manage to turn seven in the blink of an eye? They say time flies, but never have the years flown as fast as these last seven with you have. You're getting SO tall, with long legs like your Mommy (so finding pants to fit your tiny waist and long legs is already proving to be difficult--I'm so sorry to pass this incredibly frustrating trait on to you!).
This year as you've adjusted to being in school all day, you've learned a lot about working hard, trying your best, trying new things without being so scared or getting quite so frustrated, asking for help when you need it, and many other valuable skills you'll need as you go through life. You're reading well and working on learning your math facts more quickly. You love to go to school and I'm so thankful that you enjoy it so much.
You love to draw, paint, color, and create. Your imagination continues to amaze me, and you love to role play all sort of imaginary scenarios, both by yourself and with your sister. You don't dress up quite as much as you have throughout the rest of your life, but you still love it, and more days than not I find you at some point in a dress up outfit. Playing outside is a favorite of yours, and you pretend all sort of things out in our back yard, usually involving princesses, fairies, or other magical things. There is almost always dancing, as it's one of your very favorite things to do. One of these days we'll get you some dance lessons....I keep working on it!
You say that when you grow up you want to be an illustrator. For your birthday today we're giving you drawing lessons! I hope you love it and learn a lot.
Your birthday party was this weekend. We were a little worried that we would have to cancel it, since you came home from school on Thursday feeling sick to your stomach, and ended up missing school on Friday with the stomach flu. But Friday night you started acting a little more like the Rachel we know, and by Saturday you were almost back to normal, so we went ahead with your party. You had a great time with your cousins.
You wanted a Brave birthday party with a cake that looked like a target (since Merida loves archery), so that's what I made you. You wanted party games, so we played a version of pin the tail on the donkey with a target. You played the game dressed as Merida and had a great time--you even won the game!
We love you so much, sweet girl, and Daddy and I absolutely love being your parents. You fill our lives with so much joy and excitement.
Happy Birthday, dear Rachel!
Love, Mommy
(On the day of your party we also went to Build a Bear Workshop because you had gotten some birthday coupons from there and you wanted to use them. With your coupons you got your bear, Ella, who you got last year on your birthday, a Daisy Girl Scout outfit...pictured above.)
How in the world did this happen? How did you manage to turn seven in the blink of an eye? They say time flies, but never have the years flown as fast as these last seven with you have. You're getting SO tall, with long legs like your Mommy (so finding pants to fit your tiny waist and long legs is already proving to be difficult--I'm so sorry to pass this incredibly frustrating trait on to you!).
This year as you've adjusted to being in school all day, you've learned a lot about working hard, trying your best, trying new things without being so scared or getting quite so frustrated, asking for help when you need it, and many other valuable skills you'll need as you go through life. You're reading well and working on learning your math facts more quickly. You love to go to school and I'm so thankful that you enjoy it so much.
You love to draw, paint, color, and create. Your imagination continues to amaze me, and you love to role play all sort of imaginary scenarios, both by yourself and with your sister. You don't dress up quite as much as you have throughout the rest of your life, but you still love it, and more days than not I find you at some point in a dress up outfit. Playing outside is a favorite of yours, and you pretend all sort of things out in our back yard, usually involving princesses, fairies, or other magical things. There is almost always dancing, as it's one of your very favorite things to do. One of these days we'll get you some dance lessons....I keep working on it!
You say that when you grow up you want to be an illustrator. For your birthday today we're giving you drawing lessons! I hope you love it and learn a lot.
Your birthday party was this weekend. We were a little worried that we would have to cancel it, since you came home from school on Thursday feeling sick to your stomach, and ended up missing school on Friday with the stomach flu. But Friday night you started acting a little more like the Rachel we know, and by Saturday you were almost back to normal, so we went ahead with your party. You had a great time with your cousins.
You wanted a Brave birthday party with a cake that looked like a target (since Merida loves archery), so that's what I made you. You wanted party games, so we played a version of pin the tail on the donkey with a target. You played the game dressed as Merida and had a great time--you even won the game!
We love you so much, sweet girl, and Daddy and I absolutely love being your parents. You fill our lives with so much joy and excitement.
Happy Birthday, dear Rachel!
Love, Mommy
(On the day of your party we also went to Build a Bear Workshop because you had gotten some birthday coupons from there and you wanted to use them. With your coupons you got your bear, Ella, who you got last year on your birthday, a Daisy Girl Scout outfit...pictured above.)
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