July Randomness!

July has been probably the biggest month of chaos this family has had!!  Here are some pictures I snapped here and there throughout the month! 

Before church (a rare occasion I do their hair) 

Maree calls me outside urgently - I come out and she says "Mom, Look!! Ellie and I sit nicely together" Granted, by the time I went back in for my camera this is how they were.

My sweet muffin likes to ride her trike when she gets tired of swimming… but she doesn't want to take her water wings off in case she wants to get back in.

Daddy trying to get an extra half hour of sleep on a Saturday morning (We don't have a TV in our room to watch cartoons on)

Daddy had to go to Las Vegas for work, so I decided it was a perfect time to kill an hour/treat Ellie to her first Dairy Queen experience.   Unlike the Dairy queen that I grew up with (where you ordered through a tiny window… ate it outside… and it closed for the winter).  We had to eat inside knowing the 115 degree heat would melt it before they could eat it!

Ellie was quite the ham as usual, and Maree enjoyed herself as well.

We also hit up the grocery store where they continued their goofball behavior. (If you can't tell… they're FINALLY starting to get along)

One morning I was out making the girls lunch and usually Maree just walks out when she wakes up. On this day, I kept hearing faint noise come from her room… and this is what I found!  

The girls live in their jammies.. and Cinderella is their favorite

Maree has recently discovered this toy Grandma Robbie gave her a while ago… it has quickly become a favorite

Trying out Gigi's cupcakes

This girl has CRAZY hair when she wakes up.

My sweet Ellie … always a little mama.

Ellie Dates

So my Ellie muffin and I had quite a few play dates to ourselves when Maree was actually in school.. but I still did some extra special things that I knew she hadn't done!  First we were going to go to Barnes and Noble - she LOVES books. Loves them. But, on the way, she saw this accessories store and HAD to go in.  

We tried sunglasses on for a half an hour!

Posing in the shelves

We also spent an hour back in the kids section - she loved pulling out every book! I spent my time putting them all back!! 

To prove her liking of books… these are a few snap shots of how I frequently find her...

Maybe she'll be an English major like her mommy?!!

We also did a manicure pedicure day… and while she can sit for 100 books to be read to her.. she didn't sit too well for these.  All she wanted to do was touch it right after it was painted!  I think the highlight for her was picking pink for her nails and blue for her toes.

We also did a mommy/Ellie date at Imagination Avenue.  The place sounds a little cooler than what it actually is.  I think the concept is awesome-- but this place was kind of dirty (I feel bad for saying that). Ellie obviously didn't care though!

Her absolute favorite thing to do is push a stroller or a shopping cart.  Or in her case here, she kept trying to keep both with her at all times… and didn't want ANYONE to take one.

Obviously we had to play with babies too

And try out their bed

End of Summer School Party

July ended with a party at school!  The girls were so excited to wear their swim suits to school & I was excited to help out in both of their rooms!! On these party days, the kids are always a bit extra crazy because of all the fun activities and of course sugary snacks.  I really can't thank preschool and elementary teachers enough-- I seriously don't know how they do it.  So many little kids to pay close attention to… to listen to every thought that pops into their head… to fix all boo boo's… to help them with potty time… Oh, and of course teaching them all on top of all of those other duties!  I know that as a high school teacher, it was always so nice when a parent thanked me for teaching their teenager.  Now that I'm a parent myself, I try to remember, but don't always, to thank those teachers who give my girls their all on a daily basis. SO, Miss Tracy, Miss Katie, Miss Angel and Miss Mona - THANK YOU! 

Maree with her best friend Reese - they are quite the pair

Maree with her teacher from last year -  Miss Tracy 

They had this inflatable slide.. and Maree's class was the first group to give it a try.  Out of about 30 kids, they asked who wanted to go down it first.  It was amazing to see all the little personalities react to that… Maree's response was exactly what I expected.. she was the first to jump up..climb up..and go down.

Ellie's class had an inflatable pool with beach balls… 

Makes me laugh every time.

Maree even came over to her side for a little bit.  

Maree's new teacher for this school year - Miss Katie.

Maree Dates

Before summer officially ended, we had a few more mommy/Maree dates in July.  First we went to what Maree calls "The jumping Place" but it is actually called AZ AirTime.  It's great to go on a week day morning when it isn't too busy.. Maree thought it was the most amazing thing ever!  She ran non-stop for 2 hours… I thought for sure she would nap that day… but I was wrong! 

Trampolines

Foam Pit

More "chase" with her friend Zach

Then they had to drive a race car

He was so sweet & didn't even mind that she was all over the place - Oh, and these are our neighbors… so this should be really fun in about 10 years!!

 Another date we had was to the Minions movie - she was pretty excited to get her own popcorn - that she spilled immediately… I might have tried to salvage what I could so I didn't have to buy another one!!

Before we went in 

So awesome that these seats already "stay down"… always hard for kids to sit in the seats that spring up! 

Just pure excitement
 

One of the last dates of Summer ended with a manicure and pedicure (really just the painting of both)  She thought she was so special and sat perfectly still!

Toes!

Acting like she gets this done all the time

But in reality.. she was SUPER excited

And one day we spent at home.. just playing and building whatever Maree wanted - this was her "yellow brick road" from the Wizard of OZ… and the witches castle.