Marvelous Monday Playdate!

This morning we headed to the fountains to meet our friends Liam and Jackson.(Yes...two boys...but Laela can hold her own!) Jackson was a little late, but Liam and Laela played great together while they waited. :)The kids enjoyed chasing each other around and playing with several toys that Laela picked out: 3 plastic cups, ducks, duck puppet, pail, lizard, and a rolling monkey. Then Liam's mommy was able to add the cute little supply buckets and Hulk to our collection! One of the many highlights of the morning was taking care of baby Avery (Jackson's sister). Liam and Laela were both very concerned about her and checked-in frequently!Once they had enough water, and started to get a little cranky, we headed to Chick-fil-A for lunch. WOW! Let me just say that Liam is the smallest, but he can put away a 6 pack of nuggets, fruit, milk, and ice cream...with no questions! Here are the three ice cream monsters: Thanks to Liam's mommy for informing us that you can trade in your kid's meal toy for an ice cream cone or cup...no charge! I guess you can tell that our three kiddos would rather have ice cream than toys. :)
I loved this picture! There was a group of men working on a new building next to Chick-fil-A and the kids were so interested. The kids just kept waving at the workers and they were very sweet to wave back!WOW! Laela must have had a blast this morning because she napped for over 2 1/2 hours! Fantastic! It also helped that is started to get rainy and dark outside. Great way to nap. After waking up, Laela was very curious about the thunder and rain, so we went out! (Oh man...she looked a little homely because she has outgrown her rain coat and rain boots. They are now on my list of things to purchase!) Anyway, she had a ball outside.Oh! There is also this beautiful bird (maybe a dove???) right outside of our door. Laela has been "taking care" of it for weeks! Laela checks on it several times a day and talks her ear off! I can't wait to hear little baby birds one day!

Just trying on for size...

WARNING! You may see a hiney...proceed at your own risk!
Laela got into daddy's underwear drawer today. (She has been so funny about undies, since we have been trying to potty train.) Anyway...maybe she is telling us that it is time for her to have her own little girl panties!Oh my...when did this little girl grow into a big girl? AH! Time flies! She tried to even go to the "store" but did not make it far. :)

Dressin' & Cleanin'...

Laela loves to try and dress herself lately. She can put on socks and shoes, but we really need to work on the entire outfit. For some reason Laela would rather be naked! Even changing a diaper is crazy these days. Oh well. Laela did find her hat the other day and she has worn it several times since. I think it is hysterical because it is so hot outside, but she loves it!Also, Laela has continued to be an awesome helper around the house. For her birthday, she chose a cleaning set and she thinks it is fun to "swiffer" the floors.Just the other day, she dropped something and got out her broom and dustpan to help clean up! Way to go Laela! Let me know if you need someone to come clean! We promise to send a beautiful, two year old girl with her own supplies! :)

Fun around our house!

We are loving our summer time. Hopefully I get back onto the blog bandwagon soon! Just a couple of things we have been upto this week.First, we purchased these...
They are a big hit! Laela has "cut" time with Nanna almost everynight. They practice in an old magazine and she loves it!

Next, she has been reading a lot! HA! Okay, okay! She is flipping through the pages very quickly and telling us a lot about "something." The funny thing is, she would rather have a novel than a children's book. Hmmmm...what is wrong with this crazy one?Lastly, she has grown even more this week. We can really tell because she was not able to fully reach the pedals on her tricycle, but now she can! WOW! Laela was having a ton of fun with "daddy" in the driver's seat!Happy Friday to everyone! Enjoy your weekend!

2 year old picture session!

Here are Laela's 2 year pictures. Thanks to Chera for capturing some great shots of our beautiful girl and being willing to try something new...we surprised her with live ladybugs! Everything went great, and just like last year, our balloons flew away! HA! HA! I just love this one...I would have never thought to snap this, but it turned out so beautiful!

Wednesday...already?

Seriously! Part of me can't believe that it is Wednesday and part of me wants this week to be over with. Actually, it is funny because I can barely keep my days straight since school has been out. I think that Laela's school days and my scheduling different activities is the only reason I know the day (not the date).

Well...it is Wednesday, so we started off on a great foot! We went to breakfast with daddy and then we went to Little Gym. After gym, we came home to rest and Brandt and his mommy came over. We tried going to the fountains, did not want to have a lot to do with the water. Both wanted to eat, or drink, or play with the other ones toy. AH! That was a bust.

We all came back home and the kids played (mostly like a love/hate relationship). Both kids were tired, so we never knew what was coming; however, they did have a few funny moments...like when Jana made a little spot for L and B to lay down and watch a movie...or when they decided they were going outside to "drive and look for houses"...or when they were riding around on the tricycle together...or when B would sneak kisses to L. He was so funny about it. The times would be so random and then he would run and tell his mommy that he kissed Laela. Too cute!Overall, great Wednesday! Glad the weekend is coming up. :)

Happy Fourth of July!

Today has been a very fun and relaxing day. We started off the morning by visiting Granna and Gramps. Laela always loves going over there, especially because they have a refrigerator full of drinks!This morning she was obsessed with watching the birds (and squirrels) eating at the bird feeder. Her job was to scare away the squirrels when they came to eat the bird food, but she did not do so great! She just watched them quietly and let them have peace during their meal.Laela just adores her Gramps. Well, each time he crossed his legs, she would do the same and it was too cute! After a good nap, we headed to the mall for a little play time. Laela walked around the entire mall and did great! She played at the indoor play area and a nice ride on the carousel.We are winding up the evening with a little outside fun. Tricycle and scooter riding were awesome! As we were about to clean up, the wind started up again so we brought out the kite! We actually bought the kite in Florida and never had the opportunity to use it. Flying the kite was fun, especially for Ro, as he let the kite go so high that it disconnected from the string and blew right over the house. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted!Speaking of things going over the house...as we were flying our kite, a B-52 Bomber literally flew over our house. WOW! What an exciting evening!We will be missing out on fireworks, because Laela is in bed about 7:00. We hope that next year will be even more eventful on the fourth of July and it will include Laela's first experience with fireworks. I know she will love them!
Please be thankful for all of the men and women who serve our country and fight for our freedom. Happy Fourth of July to you and your family!

Pictures by LG

Every once in awhile, Laela Grace will say "camera" and that is my clue to take a picture! Well, by the time I grab the camera, take of the lens and get ready to click, she is on to her next adventure. So...the other day she showed interest in taking pictures and here is what she captured:1) The tree on her bedroom wall (with her finger covering part of the lens).
2. The other side of her bedroom (with her finger covering part of the lens).
3. Nanna (with her finger covering part of the lens).
Did you notice a trend? We may need to work on the finger and lens part of picture taking.

Just rockin'...