No puppy dog tails

Dear Maya and Emi,

When mommy posted last week I forgot to add some other pictures I had taken--your 11 month photos, Emi. I dressed you in this adorable bathing suit not because we were going swimming, but because every month on your birthdate mommy has taken pictures of you dressed in an item of clothing that used to belong to your sister. It started as a way to compare your growth, then mommy just ran with it. And now you're almost a year old already! We can't believe it!

Of course, this past week also marked daddy's first Father's Day as a daddy to two. Mommy had plans to spend lots of time outdoors but the weather didn't cooperate so we went to, of all places, a mall. We so rarely go to malls, though, that it was actually a nice change of pace. We got home pretty late, at least as far as your usual bedtime, so mommy just barely remembered to snap a picture of you two with daddy before taking you inside to go to bed.

Emi, you've been teething and sniffly, and Maya, you've been stubborn and destructive (please tell me this is a phase!) but we still had some fun times this week. We went to two parks, a fun event at the library, and picked peas at the farm. We collected slugs, snails, and flowers. We painted with our fingers, danced in mud puddles, and crawled in the grass. We made plans for more fun times this summer and strategies for some of the behavior troubles we've had. Whew! Mommy is tired!

Speaking of tired, mommy's signing off now. Love you both!

Berry good, berry good

Dear Maya and Emi,

Mommy doesn't really have many words to share tonight, but I have some really fun photos. The pictures pretty much sum up our week...playing with puddles, balloons, grass, and family, and our first time picking (and Emi, in your case eating) strawberries. Take a look...

 

Okay, mommy needs some sleep. Love you both!

Sticky days, stormy night

Dear Maya and Emi,

Mommy's going to write this quickly because there's a storm outside and I don't want to lose power mid-post! Hopefully the weather will cool things down a bit since we've had a couple of really hot and humid days here.

This week we've spent lots of time outside in the yard and at a couple of parks, too. Maya, you had more fun picking crab apples, watching ants, and climbing a tree than playing on the playground at our usual park. Emi, you're mostly content to play on a sheet or blanket for now, but when you did go on the swings you had fun--aside from a minute there when your sister pushed you a littttttle too high. You recovered quickly, though.

 

We've had some rough moments this week. A lot of not listening to each other, a lot of unkind tones and words, a lot of hot, tired, frustration. But there were some really awesome moments, too. Maya, a bird inhabited your painted bird house! And you helped cook dinner. And you drew your family so well. Emi, you're walking more and more each day! And you're playing independently for longer periods of time. And you make us all laugh with your smile and your expressions.

 

Well, the storm has subsided but mommy's still signing off. Love you both!