Joe and I didn't tell the girls where we were going, just that we had something really special in store for the day. We put Abby and Ella in the car and drove to the fair that I grew up going to as a little girl. Though they had never been to the fair before, Abby figured it out with ten minutes left in our drive thanks to her impressive directional skills and READING! Even though the area was at least a good forty five minutes from my home town, our curious little detective knew which direction we headed and recognized the area we were in, then put two and two together when she started reading multiple signs for the county fair. Ella took a nap until we got there.
The best part of the surprise was letting them out of the car to see Papa walking toward them! They were both super excited to learn we weren't just going to the fair, but spending the day at the fair with Papa. The first thing the girls saw when we walked through the entrance was a cotton candy stand and within seconds they were asking for some sugary goodness. Since it was lunchtime, I tried to suggest picking a real food option and then getting some cotton candy, but they couldn't get visions of sticky pink and blue fuzz out of their heads. So, Papa stepped in on a mission and made their day.
These are the faces of two excited girls who got cotton candy before lunch. Papa for the win!
The girls enjoyed some rides. Abby really wanted a Ferris Wheel experience this summer and got her wish on her first ride at the fair. Ella wanted nothing to do with it!
Abby spotted this fun obstacle course when she was up in the air and got Ella on board. I'm pretty sure it was made for older kids, but we decided to let them both try.
Ella kept up with the big kids and even made it to the top of the
obstacle course, but while going across the drawbridge the big kids behind her
started jumping and shaking the bridge which really scared her. My favorite part of the whole experience was watching Abby make sure Ella was okay and encouraging her along the way. When Abby made it across the bridge and turned around to find Ella a few feet behind her crying and scared, Abby went back to rescue her and get her safely to the platform. Even though Abby helped her get to sturdy ground, Ella was frozen in fear at the top of the
three story structure. Superman to the rescue! Daddy hopped in, fought his way through the obstacles and saved the day by rescuing Ella at the top. My dad and I had the best time watching it!
We ate our way through some of the best fair food stands. The girls loved the roasted corn.
Then, it was off to see the animals. Cows, pigs, goats, sheep...the girls pet all of them and asked lots of questions. Papa told them stories about the animals. They learned about cows making milk and sheep making wool. Ella (and her sensitive nose) even persevered through the "stinky" places, but she definitely noted how badly it smelled in each stable.
The girls even milked a pretend cow!
The girls had never made sand art and when Abby saw the table, she insisted it was something she has been hoping to try for "a long time". Watching them create colorful sand art brought me right back to my fair days as a kid.
Let's be honest. The cows and the pigs are nice, but it was all about the grande finale...funnel cake! Abby and Ella made sure no piece of powdered sugar was left behind. :)
Then, as we were heading toward the exit, Papa ended our fun afternoon
the same way it began. He grabbed both girls hands and took them over to
get a small cup of ice cream for their walk to the car. We had a really sweet afternoon together (literally and figuratively)! :) Thanks for a great day together, Dad!
Ella has been an unstoppable force in the kitchen. The moment she hears anyone cooking or baking (even washing dishes) she runs into the room wearing an apron afraid to miss a moment of the action. When we are not cooking, she sneaks s a bunch of my cooking utensils out of the kitchen and we find her cooking a soup filled with her favorite carebears and my little ponies. :)
We are making the most of these last summer days. It's too easy to forget the simple things that magical mornings are made of. Messy hair and messy hands = very happy little girls!
While the girls were playing in the yard, I sat on the deck and read a bit. Oliver played in the grass with the girls for a while. It wasn't long before he came up and whined at my feet until I held him. Then, he wrapped his little paw around me and went to sleep like a baby. This guy makes it known when he needs some extra loving.
This quote pierced my heart this week and I continue to think about it. Oh how I pray God would continue to make this distinction clear in my heart and mind.
When you are nesting like crazy (cleaning out the coat closet) and a cookie recipe that you have no memory of mysteriously falls from the shelf, clearly it needs to be baked! Not only did the girls and I have a lot of fun baking, but the Brickle Drop Cookies were worth every minute of the hard work.
On this night, Ella just needed to fall asleep near her baby sister. Moments like these seriously take my breath away. I love thinking about what it will be like when they meet face to face...SO soon.
Meanwhile, across the room...
Abby called me downstairs to show me how she built a pickup truck like Uncle Cory's out of her blocks. She was really proud of it and even made a cardboard steering wheel complete with a Honda logo.
I took Abby for a haircut this afternoon and she is so excited about her new hairdo that she keeps running to her room to look in the mirror (and pose). And just like that my baby is ready for her first day of Kindergarten in just five days.
Abby informed us that she knows what she wants to name her children when she grow up. If she has girls, she is going to name them Lily and Aqua.
Both girls are gearing up for their first day of school and their first day of dance. They miss their dance teachers. Ella is especially excited that she gets to tap this year. While we were talking about it the other day, she found a pair of black dress shoes and started performing her sister's dance from last year. Here she comes Ms. Rebecca!
It's not often that Daddy has to go away for work, but when he does we miss him a lot. Last week, Joe spent three nights in Arkansas. On the first night, the girls and I (and Ollie) held down the fort by ourselves. I'm not sure how I made it through that day with those little sad puppy dog eyes following me around the house. We all miss Joe, but Oliver acts like Joe will never come home. It takes him a full twenty four hours to even start eating again when Joe leaves.
"What did you do with him, Mom?"
In case you think I'm exaggerating...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5V0I5Hh9sQ
While Daddy was away, we held any schedule loosely and went with the flow, which meant an extra long bedtime with lots of stories! Ella insists on reading us at least one story (in addition to the others we read) every night before bed. She is also really loving the "If You Give a Mouse" series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnZaah0dQ04
Who doesn't love the smell of a hot rotisserie chicken from the grocery store? When I bring one home for dinner, I can't keep little fingers from picking at it before it's time to eat. Oliver follows the bag around even if he can't see it. I think it might be his favorite doggy treat. So, that is why I laughed out loud when I walked into the kitchen after dinner to find him strategically laying in the most awkward spot just so he was directly underneath the leftovers.
Thankfully we weren't alone for long! Grammy came to stay with us for two nights. Having an extra set of hands around was really helpful, but we especially enjoyed her company! (Thanks Grammy!!) The girls love when Grammy reads them books from her Kindle.
Oliver missed Joe, but by day two he was pretty happy to take advantage of the perks that came with Joe being gone. Ollie was more than willing to keep Joe's spot warm while he was away.
While Abby was at dance camp, Ella and I had a Barnes and Nobles date with Grammy.
After lunch and a little rest, we headed to a nearby splash pad. We all welcomed the refreshing cool down.
Nothing says summer like these faces.
And just like that, it was time to pick Daddy up from the airport. We spent the rest of the afternoon together, taking turns talking his ear off and filling him in on all that he missed. We couldn't have been happier to have him home with us again.
He's home! He's home! (Look at that tail wagging.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN2JabneJoM
The next day, Aunt Cyncy came for the weekend. We had planned her visit a few months before we knew Joe was going to be away, but thankfully he was able to make it back in time. Our weekend was packed with fun activities, starting with our traditional trip to Joe's Crab Shack for some crab and special desserts.
One of the main reasons for Aunt Cyncy's visit was for her to "cash in" her Christmas gift from us, which was a promised trip to Franklin Delano Roosevelt's home and presidential museum. It was a beautiful day to take a trip to the Hudson Valley and enjoy the national park. We toured his home and museum and finished up our time with a yummy lunch in Uncle Sam's Canteen.
It was fun to see the girls try to understand the significance of what
we were doing. While so many of the facts were above their heads, they were both pretty fascinated by the history they could understand. They asked lots of questions and processed lots of information like:
What is a president?
Elevators used to be operated with a hand operated pulley system and old wheelchairs were wooden. (Abby's favorite part of the trip.)
Ella: Mommy, are we going to die? M: ...at some point...yes. Why? E: Because I want people to come see our house when we die and not be able to touch things. Can I put one of those ropes in front of my room? I want them to see my house, but I don't want them to touch my stuff because it's mine.
They both saw the bed where FDR's mother gave birth to him. That sparked some interesting conversation about why they didn't go to the hospital to get the baby out.
Ella observed every part of the house and museum with the question, "is this the (car, room, desk, bed) of the boy who died?
Abby was affirmed in her desire to never leave home when she grows up and gets married because FDR, Eleanor and their many children continued living with his mother as their family grew.
What is a war? Why would people want to throw bombs?
Wait, this used to be what telephones looked like?
Proof that it really is never to early to spark curiosity and a desire to learn. Though the girls were on the younger side, they really enjoyed the day too! Our trip was a reminder to us that often the best gifts are the ones that give us lasting memories together. :)
The next morning, Abby lost tooth #2!
On Sunday afternoon, it was Ella's turn for her birthday gift from Aunt Cyncy, making her very own Build-a-Bear. Ella has been waiting so patiently since her sister's birthday in January and her built up excitement made the experience that much more fun. She chose a colorful bear and named her "Hearts".
Abby brought Glitter along to meet her new friend, Hearts. The Build-a-Bear worker even gave Abby a new box and some hairbows for Glitter. It was a sweet time.
After a good rest, Aunt Cyncy made one of Abby's dreams come true with her first ride in a red convertible. Abby always tells us that when she is old enough to have her own car, she would like a convertible and a minivan. Her smile says it all.
