Thursday, June 27, 2013

Concert in the Park

We keep our kids pretty busy.  But every once in a while, when we're out as a family, I stop and think to myself, "now these are the kinds of things I want them to remember."  This was one of those nights.  All of us at the park, listening to a not-so-great band playing 30 year old rock tunes to a few hundred people, most of whom were just happy to be outside enjoying some incredible weather.  The 4 of us crammed onto the one little picnic blanket I keep in my car, but nobody really minds because being that close to each other actually feels pretty good.


Clapping along, dressed in pajamas because tonight we're definitely going to be out past bedtime.

 

Doing silly tricks...


Enjoying special treats...

 
Dancing with Dad...
 

An evening like this is really nothing special in comparison to, say, a trip to Hawaii, but these are the experiences that make childhood happy.  Tonight my family was happy.  And I love that. 

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

"Ok, guys, want to learn about instruments?"

Thus began our first music lesson.  Ava in the teacher's seat; Andy and I the dutiful students. 

If you've ever met my child, you know that she's a take-charge kind of kid.  And lately this often takes the form of teaching.  She offers instruction to her dolls, her sister, and - of course- us.  Lessons are taught patiently but firmly, and her pupils are always rewarded with praise and positive reinforcement.


Andy waiting patiently for his next set of instructions.

Hair flyin' cuz she's jammin'.
This was followed up with an impromptu hokey pokey.  Coolest. Teacher. Ever.



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Lila is finally on the move!  People are always telling me to enjoy my baby while she's still stationary, but both my girls took their sweet time to start crawling.  So by the time Lila finally took those first tentative little scoots forward, all I wanted to do was celebrate with her.  Freedom was hers!  If she wanted a snuggle - and she often does - she could take matters into her own chubby little hands.  Awesome, right?  And then she headed right for the nearest electrical outlet.  Next she found the first dirty shoe she saw and tried to eat it.  After that it was time to pull all the books down onto her head.  Suddenly my lovely home was transformed into a death-trap.  Don't get me wrong, I'm still really excited for her newfound independence, but we have some major baby-proofing to get to.

At least at the pool we can usually keep her trapped in this floaty thing...

Monday, June 17, 2013

Disney World, here we come!

Walt Disney World is the happiest place on earth. And no family is more convinced of that truth than the one that lives in this house. As you may remember, our last trip to the Magic Kingdom was a rousing success, so we've been waiting for any excuse to go back. Enter, the Disney Princess Half Marathon.

Given that it's been a while since Ava's been exposed to a theme park atmosphere - and all the rules that come with it - we were in serious need of a dry run. So we packed up the girls, headed to Elitch Gardens, and hoped for the best.

We quickly discovered that Ava wouldn't issue any complaints if we tossed out all her bedroom furniture and replaced it all with a nice slick floor and some bumper cars.


Turns out carnival rides are her calling.


I was pretty sure they were mine too until I saw this picture...

Andy's usually the Chosen One when Ava needs a "plus 1", but for some reason I got tapped in here. Not a chance I was saying no.
Laugh all you want; at least my kids think I'm fun.


Next stop: Cinderella's Castle.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Summertime makes me happy

Summer in Colorado never ceases to amaze.  No matter how many cool things we have found to do in the past, the warm weather always brings with it some fun new experiences for the family.

Recently some friends invited us to a place called Tiny Town.  I'd never heard of it, but being assured that their kids loved it I was in.  I was mildly surprised to find out that it was literally a tiny town.  As in, rows and rows of tiny houses, general stores, police stations, and even a little bitty greenhouse.  And since I have a kid obsessed with doll houses, the place was a total find.




Cindy and Tate taking a stroll past the "mansions".

I don't know why, but this picture always reminds me of "Godzilla".


Ava and Cooper swapping some flowers by the river.
Pretty cool day.