More fun at the park

The kids LOVE swings. Just look how happy they are:

I love Zayn's bog innocent doe eyes in this picture. You would never guess what a little monkey he is when looking at this:

How wonderful to get so much happiness from something so simple...

At the school

We're trying to sneak in some more walks to the local school while there is still daylight out when Jim comes home from work.

Zayn is checking out the Montessori classroom - he might be attending one day!

Throwing rocks out the window:

Higher Daddy!

Great America

Last week, we took the kids to our local amusement park for a company picnic (no way I'd pay the $50/person ticket price at this age!) The kids had a great time on the rides and were sad whenever it stopped and they had to get off - both kept signing and saying, "more" at the end of each ride. Cute.

We had planned to stay a little longer, but it turned out the park closed at 6pm - on a Friday! I never even thought to check since I assumed it would stay open much later. As a young teenager, the amusement park was one of the places my friends and I would hang out all summer long, especially at night.




Zayn on his first ride:


The first ride was, of all things, a snail!

The kids love their tethers and ask to wear them whenever they see them (which is nice).

Here is Zayn signing "more" after the ride was over:

One Nap a Day!

The last week of July, we switched from two naps to one nap a day. It took some adjustment for everyone: Zayn fell asleep at lunch on a few occasions and I had to figure out when to shower since I used to do it during their morning nap. (Annalise just goes with the flow.) We've all come through on the other side and it has been GREAT. Previously, we would dash out of the house around noon, between naps, but now, we have all morning to explore parks, play with friends, and run errands. We're in a music class once a week and will soon be starting a parent/child pre-school class, which I am really looking forward to.

At the Beach

The kids have enjoyed going to the beach this summer - they love playing in the sand and surf and chasing the birds, of course. This last trip in August wasn't the best: our timing was a bit off and kids were a cranky, so we did not take too many photos (they wanted to be held! so much for relaxing with a book while they play!)

Annalise tripped and fell face first into the sand. She was completely stunned and we (the bad parents that we are) could not help but laugh and take some photos before we brushed her off:

Jim is such a great Dad - getting in there and doing the dirty work! Annalise found a toy in the back that I had bought as a gift for a friend's baby...she absolutely fell in love with it and threw a tantrum when I tried to take it away. It is now our toy.

On the way home, I sat between them to feed snacks...fun since I'm usually driving and miss out on the backseat antics. Here's Zayn flashing his sister a little smile:

Annalise kisses her monkey rattle:

Here is a video of Zayn 'talking' and playing. Not very interesting, but neither is this blog. So if you're reading this, then you might enjoy watching the video too...

And then Zayn is T-I-R-E-D.....

Little Climbers

A couple of week or so ago, the kids discovered they could climb up onto their Music Table and a small woven ottoman we (used) to keep in the family room. Yikes. I have little climbers on my hands. Zayn is actually quite balanced and thoughtful about his actions. Annalise is not, but if she sees Zayn doing it, she insists (and persists).

In this photo, Zayn is sitting on top of the table, playing with it:




Ta-Da!!!

Pool Time

Z&A enjoy getting in the pool in the backyard. Zayn especially loves playing with the hose and Annalise cracks up when she is sprayed - what a pair!

At the Park

I have finally gotten brave enough to venture to parks by myself, once again. We were going often when they were little, but once they started walking, it felt too intimidating to be by myself. Now that they are more stable on their feet, we're back at it again and having lots of fun. With it comes new stresses for me as a Mom, though. They both climb up play structures and sometimes venture in opposite directions - which leaves me in the uncomfortable position of having to decide who is in more imminent danger? I think I leave the park with a few more gray hairs, but we enjoy our outings.

It's also been easier to get out now that we're on a one nap schedule. Previously, we had a short window around lunch time to go out between naps, but now, our mornings are free. With the new found freedom, I am looking forward to signing up for some classes this Fall.

Toy Bin or Bust!

I mentioned in the previous post how Annalise likes to join Zayn in whichever toy bin he decided to sit in...well, here are some photos of a successful attempt. They were laughing and laughing...

Aww, look how much they love each other...

But it still ended in tears:

First Walk!

After dinner this evening, we took Zayn and Annalise on their first actual walk. We went around the corner to the playground at the neighborhood school - Zayn and Annalise walked the whole way, except for when we crossed the street. They did surprisingly well and were ecstatic. Prior to having kids, I remember thinking that the backpack leashes seemed demeaning, but boy, have I changed my tune! Without them, allowing them to walk to the playground would still be a long way off. Hopefully, we'll get more walks in before the days get shorter. I can't believe summer is almost over :(

Another first - Annalise in the big kid swing!

If I had two girls....

this might be what they would look like!



I bought one of these sleepers (the 12mo size that Zayn is wearing) and someone just kindly gave us some 2T hand-me-downs (yes, Annalise is that much bigger), that included a matching sleeper! Perfect!

Zayn still loves to sit in the toy bins. This time, he brought a book in to read.

Annalise loves to copy Zayn. As soon as he stepped out of the box, she got right in and looked at the same book. Often, she doesn't wait for him to get out, and will try to squeeze herself in with him. It works in the bigger bins, but they both end up crying if it's a smaller one. If I pick her up and put her in a different bin, she'll get right out and head back over to the one Zayn is in!