FTPDF

Well folks, I'm officially on summer vacation!

I have a couple of meetings here and there (and a 3 day trip to Phoenix for a conference in a couple weeks) but other than that...it is SUMMERTIME.

As I mentioned last week, Maya has mastered the art of standing.  She doesn't even really want to hold on to things anymore, though she definitely falls over if she doesn't.  And she usually stands on her toes with her chubby little baby feet.

Favorite Thing #1: That window is in her room- I have a feeling we may
use it to see how fast she grows...

I'd also say she is crawling.  Not very happily or willingly all the time, but she is figuring out the mechanics of actually doing it.  It is easier for her to go backwards than forwards (which I assume is pretty typical), but with the right motivation (jingly keys) she will move forward.

Favorite Thing #2: Working hard

I took two videos yesterday.  They are pretty cute, if you are in the mood to watch a 10-month-old baby sort of move around and do a couple of other tricks.


IMG 3319 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.


IMG 3320 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

Sorry for the obnoxious Strawberry Shortcake soundtrack in the background.  Callie was...how can I put this delicately...spending some time on the potty.

Speaking of Callie, she started her preschool summer school program this week and it went well.  She'll be going a couple of days a week through many of the summer weeks.  People (including my husband) may find it weird that she is going so often, seeing as I'll be home most of the time, but I think it will be great.  For her, and for me.  She'll get to keep seeing her friends, do art projects, play on their playground, etc.  I'll get to have one-on-one baby time and homework time when the baby naps (in case you missed it, I'm going back to school to get another teaching license). 

Favorite Thing #3: This sweet girl

Anyway, we'll still have plenty of time to have fun together.

Favorite Thing #4: This sweet girl

On to the other favorite things...

Favorite Thing #5: It is always fun hanging out with Boom!

Favorite Thing #6: At the lake with G-ma and Auntie Cat!

Favorite Thing #7: I got done with work early (unexpectedly) so I had time
to do my long run in my favorite running spot.

 

Favorite Thing #8: A walk with Kona



Favorite Thing #9: Sisters

Favorite Thing #10: The PA Wave on the last day of school.

Favorite Thing #11: Summer food!  Corn and homemade popsicles.
Delicious.

Have a great weekend!

TBT

I've got TBT VIDEO today!

Both girls love(d) the walker at my parents' place.  They cruise around, snack and play with toys.  The condo is a perfect place to zoom!

Here is Callie in the walker (November 2010):


Zoom Zoom from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

Here is Maya in the walker (June 2014):
IMG 3239 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

Weekend Wrap-Up: The Happy Birthday Bops! Edition

First up, it is Bops' birthday today!  

We love you Bops!  We love you!

As for the weekend- it was a great one, with two main highlights.

The first one was the 4th annual 5K fundraiser for my school.  A lot of the fam showed up to either participate in the 5K or sponsor students to participate, which was awesome.  Callie did a great job cheering (and Maya and Chris stayed home for baby nap time).  I actually ran the route twice so I could get in my 6+ mile long run for the week.  It was a BEAUTIFUL morning for a run, and the park we were at was the perfect setting for it.

After the race there was a carnival, so Callie and I stayed around to play games.  We even had (just a couple of bites of) cotton candy!

It was a super fun morning.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing at home, and also a quick trip to G-ma and G-pa's house.  My highlight was when Callie made me a card, and spelled MOM on it all by herself.

Sunday was the 2nd highlight- the big birthday day.  We headed over to the condo for lunch and birthday celebrations.

Callie has been having a tough time with lots of people being around, so she
spent the first part of the party under my parents' bed.  But soon warmed up.

Other than that, we just spent more time at home.  I had my Mom's on the Run group tonight and it was a VERY muddy trail run (we have gotten SO much rain the past 24 hours).  I pulled out my neon pink running pants for the occasion.

My brand new shoes are now full of mud.
Maya has learned to drink water from a sippy cup.  Sort of.  She also
likes to throw it on the floor.

My running goal this week was 15 miles and I did 17!  I'm proud of the fact that on Thursday I wasn't feeling that great, but pushed myself to do 2.75 on the treadmill anyway.  I'm SO thankful that we got the treadmill earlier this year.  It has been so helpful when I need to do my mid-week runs after bedtime when it is dark.  My goal for this week is 15 miles again.

I guess the other sort of big news is that I decided to go back to school to get another teaching license- in reading.  I'll be doing an online program that will take 2 years (one class per session, three sessions a year).  I absolutely LOVE teaching kids how to read, and want to learn more about it.  The class officially starts tomorrow.  We'll see how I'm able to balance parenting 2 children, being a wife,  training for a half marathon, taking a class, keeping our house clean, and having some sort of a life outside of all that.  Ha.

I have one more full week, and then school's out for the summer.  I can't wait.

FTPDF

Happy Weekend!!!  It is 10pm and I'm JUST getting to blogging the week.  Though, to be fair, I have been working on my pictures for the past 45 minutes or so.  Usually I'm good about working on them through the week so that by the time Friday comes, my blog post doesn't really take that much time.  But for some reason this week, I didn't do anything FTPDF picture related until about 9:15pm tonight.  It takes a lot of time when I have to put all the collages together at one time.

Anyway.  Callie.  Callie, Callie, Callie.  She was off preschool this week, so she got to have extra time at home (Monday) and with Pa (Wednesday).  She starts their summer program on Monday, so it will be back to a usual routine.  I think that will be nice.  She was LOVING being outside this week.  And her sweet little face has started sprouting the faintest of freckles.  I'm hoping they get darker as she spends more time in the sun. 

Favorite Thing #1: 4-year-old freckles in the sunshine
Maya says, "Excuse me while I check the weather on my phone."

The stinker baby has become slightly obsessed with my phone- to the point where she occasionally gets mad if I don't let her have it all the time.  So I pulled out my old iPhone to give her, and it worked.  Stinker.

Her new thing this week is standing.  She still doesn't want to crawl, though she gets up on her hands and knees better than in the past few weeks.  But she is pretty solid now when she stands and holds on to something.

Favorite Thing #2: Progression of baby skills

I'm also working on baby sign language with her- mostly when she is eating.  I don't really think she has it yet, but I got a video today that makes it look like she might.

Favorite Thing #3: A baby who eats.  A lot.  Anything.  And gets crabby when she either wants more or is all done. 


IMG 3150 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

I was off school on Monday, so I got to be home with the girls.  The weather was AMAZING, and it was truly the best day.

Favorite Thing #4: A little post-bath porch time in the morning

Favorite Thing #5: The preschooler can help fill her own pool.
(Though since the water was pretty cold, I did bring about 10 buckets of
hot water from our bathtub out to the pool...)

Favorite Thing #6: Keeping cool in the pool.

Favorite Thing #7: SPLASHING and JUMPING


IMG 3024 from Baby Goose on Vimeo.

Favorite Thing #8: Another round in the pool later in the afternoon

Favorite Thing #9: The rest of the day: Finding lilacs, relaxing, trying
some tart strawberries, and going to Target.

Favorite Thing #10: Tuesday.
I had a hard time leaving that face in the morning.

Favorite Thing #11: Playtime at G-ma and G-pa's house and yard.

Favorite Thing #12: A girls date at Davanni's with gluten-free pizza!

Favorite Thing #13: Those CHEEKS and that SMILE.

Favorite Thing #14: Some more time outside in the pool, followed by some time
in the bath tub.  Yelling for joy.

Favorite Thing #15: Time at Boom's house and a visit to see Bops and
Auntie Yoda for lunch.

Favorite Thing #16: Time with high school friends!  I have known these
ladies for a LONG time.

Have a great weekend!

TBT

Ohmygosh we are THISCLOSE to summer.

So, to celebrate, my first throwback is pictures of the babies during their first experiences in a little kiddie pool.  Callie was just about 5 months old and Maya was 10 months old.

I was holding Callie up by her swimsuit straps (her swimsuit is one I wore when
I was a baby).  Maya was able to sit up and play on her own.

Next, we have babies standing with fairly obvious 98th percentile heads.

Then we have babies at a restaurant.  When Callie was a baby, we bought cute little placemats that we could put down so she didn't have to eat off the table.  Maya's table spot was clearly just wiped off with a baby wipe and then food dumped down quickly so she could go to town.


 

Poor 2nd baby

 

Finally...sweet baby faces. My favorite kind of TBTs.

 

 



The Lesson I Learned About Laundry

Here are a few pieces of background information before I tell you a story.

1) Over the weekend I went a little nuts at Target and bought a number of matching summer outfits for the girls.

2) I'm terrible at laundry.  It is a multi-day process that usually involves piles of clean laundry in various rooms of our house, all the time.

3) Callie enjoys/insists on dressing herself most days.

So we were hanging out on the porch this morning, playing peekaboo and trying to keep the baby happy.

It was time for Callie to get dressed, so she went upstairs by herself and VERY excited to surprise me with one of her new outfits.

She was upstairs for awhile, but when I called up the stairs after a few minutes she answered that she was good.

She came downstairs and presented herself in her new outfit.

The picture does not even do this outfit justice. SO TIGHT.
SO VERY TIGHT.

I just stared at her and a number of thoughts were racing through my mind: Ohmygosh, did I buy my daughter booty shorts?  Is this how they make clothes now, super tight even for 4 year olds??? She looks like a little hoochie mama."

I casually asked her how the clothes felt, and if they felt too small.  She was noncommittal.

And then I remembered.  Her new clothes and Maya's new clothes (which were the same outfits) were in the same pile on the floor in Callie's room.

So I checked the sizes on her current oufit.

Yep.  She had put on Maya's 12-month size clothes.

And we both burst into giggles.  I helped her peel the clothes off and she went back upstairs to find her own 5T size.

So. Much. Better.

I guess I need to up my laundry skills.  Big time.

Weekend Wrap-Up: The Memorial Day Edition

Happy Sunday!

I'm loving this weekend.  Why? Because there is still another day!  But I'll wrap up what we have done so far, because it has been fun.

Remember when I told you on Friday that I was going to get a picture of Maya's super sad face?  Here is an example of what I'm talking about it.  And it isn't even as sad as some of them are sometimes.

And she's reaching out for me.  Dagger to the heart.  ALL. THE. TIME.

Anyway, Let's see...some highlights from Saturday (and a few pics from Sunday that I added by mistake) include:

*Playing at home
*Paper doll stickers
*Visiting Great-Grandma and showing her
Callie's preschool memory book

*A night out with friends!
*A flight of different ciders to try!
*Bowling!
(Thanks G-ma and G-pa for babysitting and putting the girls to bed!)

And some Sunday highlights:

I got them in matching clothes, but did not get an adorable
matchy-matchy picture.  This is the progression of what happened
when I tried.

We got some porch furniture from my aunt and uncle, so it was finally
nice enough to actually put it out and make a cozy spot.

I got some company for my 5 mile run!  We ran downtown
and it was great.

The girls had fun at the condo (and park), and Callie and I even got an ice cream
treat on the way home (but no cone eating was done- just ice cream licking).

Later on the Wicks family came over and we walked down to the park
and went out for dinner.  Callie and Sydney even found a "fairy house!"
At dinner Maya continued her vegetable trying extravaganza, with zucchini,
red pepper, and some different kinds of beans.  She is awesome.

My mileage goal this week was 12 and I did 12.6 plus about 3 miles of walking.  Next week the mileage starts to get serious- my goal is 15.

Since I started this post with such a sad picture of Baby Maya, here is the sweetest picture EVER, to balance it out.

Those eyes.  Those cheeks.  Seriously.

Hope everyone is enjoying their long holiday weekend!