July 2010 - Part 1

Ellia's ongoing birthday continued at Build-A-Bear with her friends.

She was so excited as they each arrived that when she ran to give one little girl a hug (who was also running) they grasped each other and fell over sideways.

They all got to choose an animal to stuff and play fun games with.

Putting makeup on the bear!

Brushing the animals.

Can you believe they all posed for a picture at once?

Just one picture though!

Back at the house for presents, ice cream and cake.

Then of course the following day we had to have friends over to play with all the fun new toys!

Fourth of July bike parade, breakfast and swimming at the park - (on July 3rd)

It all wore Ellia right out.

but after a night's sleep she was ready to celebrate her birthday again - her REAL birthday this time!

the cake

the culprit

and of course we ended the evening with some fireworks in the street. After the first few she didn't like them, Ashlyn just stared, and we ended with lots of pop's which Ellia had a nice sidearm throw for - she also liked jumping on them.

Jer took his scouts on one last overnight campout to prepare for Mt Whitney

A friends birthday party that pulled out all the stops!

petting zoo...

pinata....

(thanks to Joe for putting Ellia right in the middle of the action!)

pony rides........

and water fun!

Ellia's swim class

Ashlyn gets really jealous when it isn't her turn to take a bath

We have this little rubber snake that Ashlyn loves to chew on, it is so funny to see it hanging out of her mouth that I had to post the pictures.
oops, sometimes when she smiles it falls out!

Baby Play date. These little girls are all within 4 months of each other. From left to right, January, December, November, February.

Ashlyn was way too into the glasses so she had to be separted from Violet.

This might look innocent enough but there was a lot of baby dunking going on!

Ellia's fairy tale theatre group. They met for three days and learned a song and dance to perform for the senior citizens.

After all the activities this week, Ellia was beat. This is one of her favorite play spots and this time she just zonked out there, and it took us a minute to find her. (who does that sound like mom?)

ASIDE: I guess that calls for a story. When I was little I used to fall asleep all over the place and it would scare my mom or grandma or whoever was watching me. Once I was under the dining room table, and another time I was on the front porch.

June 2010

Ellia is very good at solitary play and one day she came out of her room all dressed up like this!
Ashlyn got herself into this...but couldn't get herself out.

This was Ellia's last day of school (not counting summer school) but since her teacher Becca - who was with her for a year - wasn't coming back we had a little photo shoot.

How Ashlyn rides in the stroller, when we are on a brisk walk her hair flies everywhere and she reminds me of a puppy hanging out of a car window.

Ellia has had some regression since Ashlyn was born. Yes, she got in all be herself.

We went on a tour of Dewars Ice Cream shop and all got to wear this fancy hair nets!

How the taffy starts,. This is peppermint, they added a stip of red and then started folding

A big square turned into this very longnarrow "square"

at last, taffies!

and afterward, ice cream!

Our flowers just the way I wish the always were.

My little flower

Making Daddy's handprint plate for Father's Day

Who loves ice cream?

ice cream nights like that end with baths

Grandma Laura, Mallary, Addie and Gunner came to visit late in June so we had an early birthday party (her smiles are kindof cheesy because they were brought on by bribe)

her most entertaining toy of the night, a bitty baby wagon from Grandma Laura...Ash liked it too.

Ellia's last day of preschool came during summer school and her teacher brought in this fun outfit and played the graduation song for her, it was very cute.