Two Wheeling

Maura is riding a two wheeler. On Sunday after dinner Sean and the girls disappeared while I chatted with Sue. Around 20 minutes later, they come on the deck and announce that we have a two wheeling kid in the house. Yay! I knew she would pick it up fast (once we showed her... lazy parents!). She was very proud. I especially loved when she was calling to Kerri to watch her!

Now today she had a friend over and went outside to jump on the bike. We had a complaint about the bike not working anymore... I guess we might need a little more practice.

B is turning 3

It happens every year, well really, four times a year. One of my babies gets a year older. Darn it! I can't stand it. As much as I want the "easier" times to come (like getting themselves dressed, taking a bath, no diapers, doing chores -could I be so lucky??), I don't want them to get to that next, not so easy stage. I love their little faces, and voices, and feet, and bums... boy do I love those bums! It just chokes me up even thinking about her turning three.

She, however, could not be more thrilled. She knows (for the first time) it is HER BIRTHDAY. She wants Dora there, a donut cake, and to get her ears pierced. She is getting a donut cake and her ears pierced, but no Dora... sorry. She asked to have her three best friends at her party... Jimmy, Daddy and Brady. Once again she will get two out of three... Daddy has to work.

She is really getting older and changing every day. Heck, she even went to, and stayed at, camp this week. Just two weeks ago she dropped out (although I may have dropped out of that last one too, sorry girls).

So here is a list of some of my favorite things about my TWO year old B:
She is cuddly, so cuddly and affectionate.
She loves her pacifier and gets so excited when she sees it, and so calm once it is in her mouth.
She plays, guess which hand, all the time.
She still wants to sit in the high chair at breakfast.
She loves chocolate milk.
She is spunky, really spunky.
She does not ever stop on the 1 or the 2 (when counting for discipline) you always need to be about to say 3 for her to stop.
She thinks she can swim; she can't; it is scary.
She picks out her own outfits.
She wears panties to bed already!
She loves her BFF's (Daddy, Jimmy, and Brady)
She loves to go anywhere, anytime.
Whenever a car pulls in the driveway she checks for a car seat... just in case they want to take her with them... because she probably would go.
She is great with Kerri when no one else is around.
She pinches Kerri when Kerri is not cooperating with her!
She does not like to sleep without Mags in the room.
She wants to be just like Maura.
She knows her ABCs and 123s.
When she gets mad she speaks very slowly and very loudly, and clenches her fists.
She is one of a kind.

Meatballs

Mags is usually the one with all the cute sayings, but B has a couple too... mostly to do with "private" body parts, but cute none the less.

She calls nipples, meatballs. Today she said, Mommy, you have big meatballs. My meatballs are small. See?

She calls the Diving pool, the diamond pool... kind of reminds me of the black diamond ski slopes.

She calls a pen*s. Peanuts. As in Daddy has a peanuts; Jimmy has a peanuts; I want a peanuts.

Swim team

Maura and Maggie have begun swimming for the Minis for Aronimink. I really wanted Maggie to do it, because she is a good swimmer ( for a four year old) and she is always just following in Maura's footsteps, I wanted her to do something for herself. But, of course, she said she would not do it unless Maura did it. I did not want to pressure them to do it, but I was really hoping they would. Maura eventually came around and decided to do it. I was really happy that mags would be doing it. When we got to tryouts, Maura jumped right in and was ready to go. mags started crying and almost didn't do it. I was kicking myself. the whole reason I wanted them to do it was for Mags and now Maura would be on the team and not Maggie! Darn! Well, Mags came around and swam her lap. She really is great. She can swim a whole lap freestyle with about a 2-3 second "freeze" in between four arm strokes. She can then turn around and come back and do it again. It is impressive. And she really like it. She just loves being in the water. Maura on the other hand, does not like getting her face wet (either do I so I know where she gets it). She is doing great at backstroke though!

The swim meets are more of a cocktail party than a swim meet, but I'll take it. The last one even had a DJ and dance floor (complete with lights) afterward! Fun! We were there until 10:00 when I had to drag the girls (and Sean) out kicking!

An adventure, a hike and an experiment

Inspired by our cousin Chrissy, we are going to attempt to do one of each (hike, adventure and experiment) every week this summer. So far, so good. This week we went to the Willows and hiked through a stream, up a "mountain" (large hill) and around a pond. We were met by some geese and swans at the pond. The swans came chasing after us. Maura and Bridget were both pond side when the swans came charging after them. They both turned to run-right into a bench. Maura was quick enough to climb over the bench and run out of there. B, not so much. She was stuck, and screaming. I wanted to help, I really did, but I had K in my hands and, well, let's be honest, I was afraid!! I yelled for B to run, but she couldn't get around the bench. I finally ran up to her, she made her way around, I grabbed her arm and drug her away. By this time, Mags is screaming. It really was quite a sight. I can see the headlines... Young girl gets pecked to death by swan while mom stands by watching!! I think that counts as an adventure, but just to be sure, we set up the tent and camped out in the back yard that night. Maura decided she would rather sleep in her bed (smart girl) so B, mags and I slept out. I was impresses, especially with Mags. Around 11:00pm, I thought about carrying them up to their room and heading to mine, but I figured if they could do it, so could I. Oh, our "experiment: was seeing what floated and what sank. Silly banz sink!


They had so much fun, we went back yesterday with daddy, and today we bought nets to catch tadpoles next time we go. Now let's see if I can stick to it. NB: I am also in a 40 day no yelling bet with myself. I may be asking too much of myself, it is summer after all!