Daddy's Away

So we got home on Friday afternoon and Daddy left Saturday morning for a long day at Travers and then had to catch a plane to Chicago for a conference (and some pre-conference golf) until Wednesday night. So after staying in the house all Saturday due to the rain, I was ready to get outside with the girls today. Lucky for me, Grandma and Grandpa Kees were there to save the day!

After sharing some lunch with Grandpa, Grandma came with us girls to the the park. It is always so helpful to have an extra hand at the park these days since the girls love to climb and usually in two different directions.

And boy did I need an extra hand today, especially since the Clifton Commons has lots of little nooks for the girls to climb in. The biggest problem is when mommy has to climb in after them and the little spaces are definitely not meant for an adult. A perfect park though for 2+ year olds since it is basically all enclosed so not many places to fall. We are really looking forward to it next summer.

So thanks Grandma for coming with us!

Then after naps, the sun was still shinning so we headed outside for a little play time. The girls new thing is to dig in the mulch. So they dug until Grandma and Grandpa came back with some pizza for dinner to share with us. Grandma and Grandpa Kees, thanks for sharing the day with us! 2 days down, 3 more to go!

Cape Cod August 09-Cape Cod Lighthouse

After a great dinner in Wellfleet at Moby Dick's, we headed to see the Cape Cod Lighthouse.

Grandpa and Miss Ava.

There were some beautiful views and we got to catch the sun setting.

Miss Belle and mommy walking up to the lookout point to see the ocean waves.

Miss Belle, what a cutie!

Great shot of Miss Ava and her daddy.

Wonder why daddy picked this lighthouse? It had a golf course attached to it! So we tried to get a nice family shot on the course but that the girls just wanted to go, go, go!

And they are off!

We managed to fit a lot into our short time at the Cape and the girls had a good time. Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Pondillo for inviting us to join and all the help with the girls. It was a great little vacation we can all remember.

Cape Cod August 09-Marconi Beach

After a morning stroll in Chatham, we decided to hit the beach again with the girls. We really enjoyed Marconi Beach and lucky for us it had stairs, unlike Cahoon Hollow which had about a 70% incline to get back to the car. Not fun carrying children and a bunch of beach supplies but at least it worked off some calories. Grandpa and his girls.

Talking a little walk on the beach.

This was Ava's reaction anytime she got wet. Poor Miss Ava. She wanted no part of it.

Grandma and Isabelle watching the waves.

Miss Belle Belle frolicking in the sand. Our bathing beauty.

Surprised she was getting the sand in her toes. This is the girl who usually can't stand for her hands to be dirty. When it dried, she did try to get it off. I guess wet sand was more fun.

Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Pondillo were all troopers bringing up water to the girls so they could play in the sand building a castle and moat.

Miss Ava.

Daddy and Isabelle

The beach was the favorite spot for both girls by far on this mini-vacation. They both found their spots and enjoyed being outside. We did get 2 excellent days of weather too. It was not too hot to enjoy being outside. Simply perfect temps.

The beach air did tucker them out the 2nd day combined with at least 1 regular full nap so they slept perfectly for us. Something is to be said for sticking to a schedule.

Cape Cod August 09-Cahoon Hollow Beach Continued

Playing in the sand. Ava loved pouring the water on herself and then saying oh. Belle tried to make sand monds like Daddy did earlier.

Unfortunately, this was not the best video since it was close to the end of the afternoon of beach time and she was less impressed than originally when the waves came in. Plus, it was close to nap time. However, cute never the less. How could I not post the chubby little thighs walking around in the sand.

I should have brought the video the first time down to the beach, just realizing it is harder and harder to take good pics and video while watching after active 1 1/2 yr olds.

Cape Cod August 09-Cahoon Hollow Beach

Our original plans was for the 4 of us to go to Hyannis for a few days earlier in the week but due to Hurricane Bill those plans got washed out. Lucky for us, Grandma and Grandpa Pondillo had a small cottage reserved for later in the week in Wellfleet and let us join them.

Isabelle surprised us and loved the water.

She would get so excited when the waves would come in, cold water and all.

Ava also surprised us by not liking the water. I am not sure if it was the unexpectedness of the waves coming or cause it was cold but she definitely was afraid of it. So instead she found her love in playing in the sand.

She said "dig, dig, dig" over and over.

Miss Ava

After the afternoon at the beach, we drove to Provincetown to have dinner. The girls favorite part of Provincetown was seeing the boats on the water. They were quite upset when we had to leave the boats. But they did learn the word "boat".

Ava and Grandpa Pondillo

Isabelle and Grandpa Pondillo We'll after this action packed first day, you would think the girls would be exhausted. Nope. Or maybe they were but just overtired. They only had 1 nap (still on the 2 a day schedule) in the car for about 1 hr on the approximately 5 hr drive up so we thought they would be itching to go to bed.

Since the cottage was small, we tried to set them up in the common area to go to bed in their separate playpens. Bad idea. They wanted no part of going to bed while we were still up in the next room watching TV. We even tried to trick them by watching TV in the dark. Didn't work. So for the first time in 18 months, we put them in the car to get them to fall asleep. The one plus was that we passed an homemade ice cream shop and daddy ran in to get us some as the girls finally slept!

Unfortunately, the sleep challenges were not over. Belle woke up around midnight screaming horribly for 20 minutes. Her poor gums were swollen so think she is getting a new tooth. Then to our shock, Ava woke up at 4:30am. We think she was just confused where she was since we were in another room and after 20 minutes she was back asleep with us. So starting day 2, I think the grandparents were ready to pack their bags and run home. However, after moving the play pens into their own room and shutting the door they slept great! Lesson learned for mommy and daddy..the girls need their privacy.

Happy 18 months girls

Girls, Just wanted to say happy 18 months. The last year and a half has gone by so quickly. I sometimes want to rush you to the next phase so I can see you do more and more but ever since your 1st birthday I realize that time is going by so fast that we really need to savor each stage you are in first. Recently you have amazed me with how quick you catch on to things. You make each day enjoyable (even if its amidst some crazy moments)!

Ava, you are my barrel of energy. I often think you have ants in your pants as you run from one thing to another. Nothing gets by you! You take it all in. But when you crash, you crash. You often want to go to bed sooner at night and are often happy to be carried off to bed. Your new thing is to climb on everything. So I am sorry if you think your name is "No Ava" or "Down Ava" at times. We have found you on the kitchen table, the train table and jumping on the sofa for just a few examples. You also love the swim in the bathtub now and kick your feet which starts the splashing war with your sister. You have been saying some new random words like door and cold. Best part is with cold though you act cold. You say cold ALOT now..when you see a coat, umbrella or sweater in a book. You also love to act out animals now like monkeys. Or better yet, every time I give you chicken you say "cluck cluck." It puts a smile on my face each and every time. You are still calling both me and daddy "mum mum" but when I say where is daddy you point right to him and sometimes even say da. Guess sometimes you just like "mum mum" for us. Lastly, you love your dolly so much and love to give kisses to tons of things (except you've been stingy with the kisses to the family recently...you were giving many more a few months ago...so I am hoping this is just a phase). Your kiss is often blowing kisses or making the smooch sound to people....especially other young kids and books.

Belle Belle, you are my artist. You enjoy chalk and crayons and will sit quietly for 1/2 hr or more just coloring. You can ignore your sister running around and be in your zone just coloring away. You also soak up new words recently. Your vocab is a little more advanced than Ava's at this time, whereas she is a step ahead in the physical side. You are starting to repeat and copy a lot of what I do. I can do flashcards with you and you say the word all by yourself. We were walking in the Cape the other night and people were starring at us as you were saying tree, car, flower, etc. as we passed things. Best of all though I think is still your laugh. When you laugh, it is this deep down belly laugh. Lastly, you are still a girl who knows what she wants and when she wants it. You are less dramatic than a few months back, probably cause we are getting better at guessing what you want, but you still march to your own tune. I don't blame you one bit for that babe. After all, I am pretty stubborn and persistent at times too...just ask your dad! However, you have this sweet side too and will put your hand out to hold your sisters hand often when I ask.

So sweet dreams tonight my girls! I had a wonderful last few days with you in the Cape and look forward to many more sweet moments with you.
Love, Mommy

Bounce House

Since our plans to go to Great Escape today got rained out, I decided to be daring and take the girls to the local bounce house place. Ava loved it!

She went in

and out of tunnels,

ran around so much she had wild child hair,
and managed to get around the farm bounce unit very well. She'd fall down as some of the bigger kids were bouncing around her and get right back up. She even was diving over the side of one section to get to another section. It really wasn't about bouncing as much as it was about just trying to maneuver around and she had a blast with the new challenge. Then she met a girl who was bit older than her who was doing the slide so with no fear or hesitation she climbed up it all by herself and slide down it over and over.

As a parent you have a mini heart attack since once they are in the unit you can't reach them. At some points I wanted to dive in myself and save her from some of the older kids who were way too big to be in the 1-3 year old section. At one point I let out a big "oh my" as an older boy was going crazy by Ava and I was afraid she was going to get hit. His mom eventually yelled at him after my comment (some parents!). However, it did not stop Ava being in their all solo among some bigger kids. She figured it out all by herself with a smile on the entire time. I think some of the other parents were amazed she was holding her own with some of the older kids...you go girl!

Isabelle was not a fan of the bounce farm. She wanted right out once she got in there. So instead she played on car ride. She was in her glory there. Miss Ava took a turn with her too but wanted back in the bounce house instead.

My serious driver....I think she actually thought she was driving....adorable!

Big Slide

Tonight, Dave came to the park with us to see how the girls can go up to the big slide all by themselves. He got it real EASY though since I held one so he only had to juggle one at a time. Usually when I go alone, I have one up at the top and the next one starting up the steps from the bottom....which leaves me in panic mode (now that would be a funny video to watch). I wouldn't mind it much but all the open spots where they can just jump off gives me a heart attack. So any advice from moms with two at the park is welcomed. I haven't got up the courage to try letting them down the slide by themselves yet.

The video isn't that good thanks to me running all around. Plus, this was right before we left so the girls were tuckered out and in slow motion. Usually, they are up those steps in 5 seconds flat.

Friday @ Tiny Tots

We had another Friday class at the Tiny Tots Tea Room today. I braved it solo with the girls and lucky for me they were good and all worked out well. We even got Missy and her girls to join.
Missy's girls did a little finger painting, while

my girls had some chalk time.

Belle

Belle

Ava

Miss Belle and her bubbles. She gives us a little sound effect of a "ooh" each time she blows. Hysterical. Miss Ava was priceless when it came to story time. Like usual, she can't sit from afar when it comes to story time so she instead went right up to the teacher and sat on her lap for the entire book. My kids are not shy at times :)

And last but not least, Miss Belle got right in line with the bigger kids when it came to getting stickers at the end of class. She picked some grapes. I love it (sometimes) when they act like they are just as big as the big kids and want in on everything.