Kaitlyn Hannah (ie Mom's weekend off)

I went to visit my sweet little niece (alone!) Labor Day weekend. It was strange to be away from my family for 4 days, but rejuvenating to not be needed and just catch a break with Becky, Gavin and Katie.

Is she not the cutest baby you've ever seen since my kids were born?

Mini-photo shoot while Mom and Dad were at work.

Looking at Mom from the bath.

An added bonus of visiting the DC area was a morning with the Hutchins family! Sweet Ada wearing an outfit I sent when she was born.

3 year old Max and Alexa. We had fun playing I Spy at lunch together. Scu-me. More I Spy please. What good manners!

On the carousel at a super awesome park I don't remember the name of.

Sisters

Ocean Shores

While the guys had their Fantasy Football draft, we wifes and kids had a weekend of our own in Ocean Shores, WA. Not the most beautiful place in the world, but great to spend some time together now that we're all spread out across the country.

A pensive Em, very pregnant Julie, and two busy girls.

Ring Around the Rosy with Toot, Puddle, Daphne and Opal.

A bath for four.

Hard at work.

Heading to the beach.

August Randoms

Not the best picture of the two of them, but evidence that they are starting to play together from time to time. Cue sigh of relief.

Elegant jumper!

Life jacket day at swim lessons. Hi-larious.

Sisterly "love" during a pool bath.

On the zoo train.

Goodbye Mullet

At 16.5 months, Quinn's hair was finally long enough to classify as a pretty rockin' mullet. I caught a glimpse of her from a distance at the park one afternoon, and knew instantly it was time to break out the scissors. Now she sports a shorter mullet, until the front of her hair grows in.

The Pre-Cut Mullet

This girl did not make it easy on me...

Not happy with being trapped in her high chair.

Swimming Update

We did it! Well, mostly. Ella is fairly proficient in swimming. She can even take a breath and continue swimming back to the wall. We still have some work to do, but we are all very proud of her accomplishment this summer. She swam atleast4-5 days a week July and August and it paid off. Quinn still loves the water, blows bubbles, kicks, etc. but is not swimming. Maybe next year.

Manzanita, etc.

Granny and Auntie Gilly came to visit in August and we had a blast! It was one of (what seemed like) the only warm/hot weekends we had all summer and we were lucky enough to escape to the coast for a couple days. We had a great time exploring Manzanita and hanging out together. Gilly also introduced the girls to Pudding Paint...as you can see, they clearly thought it was pretty fantastic.

More pictures of their visit HERE

More Pins

Ella and Daphne (an Olivia doll that we decided is really Daphne, from Toot and Puddle) sewed together today.

Craziness

Yesterday afternoon~ Whew! These two are a handful, and it is a miracle Quinn survives each day, the reckless child!!! But the giggles and squeals and screams make everything worth it.

We Start With Pins

Greg woke up at 4:15 am this morning for work, his first day on the cardiac service. It is 9:55 pm now and he is still not home, and probably won't be until well after midnight. Nice first day, huh? Thankfully I had a quiet evening with the girls, did a good job of cleaning up throughout the day, and found myself with a few hours of alone time. Ah, the joy! I started working on a skirt I bought the pattern for 2 years ago, and the fabric for 2 months ago. Getting into the groove again, I hope. BUT, the main reason for writing this now, and not going to bed, is that Ella is interested in learning to sew! I have no idea how to go about teaching a toddler the ropes, and certainly don't remember being taught. I've always known, right Mom? On our last visit to the fabric store, she chose some "fancy" dressmaker's pins and did a nice job carefully putting each one into the tomato pin cushion. After several rearrangements of all the pins, I decided to just see what happened if I let her pin some fabric. And she did it! Without poking her eye out! Or bleeding! She says, "Pinning is the perfect way for little girls like me to learn to sew like big girls like you." I wish I took a picture of her little scraps she leaves on my sewing table all pinned up. Next step, hand stitching with embroidery floss on a plastic needle, in burlap.