Summer so far

A couple weeks ago we went to Como Zoo with my friend Julie and her kids. We picked a beautiful day.
Lila, Elsa, Violet, and Henry.


Last week we went to Big Marine Park Reserve in Scandia with: Julie, Henry, Violet, Sheli, Maddy, Allie, Angie, Sheri, and Ashley. They have a great beach and play area.


Elsa and Lila at our new favorite sun spot: Coon Lake Beach in East Bethel.


A shot of Lila with her hands full, and clearly standing on her own.


Happy Father's Day! We're lucky to be surrounded by great dads all around.


Here are the cupcakes I made for the occasion. Thanks to Trinity for posting the link to Bakerella's site! Not too bad for a first try.


It's been really hot, so we've been hanging out in the kiddie pool a lot. Elsa loves to play pretend and make up stories. She's very literary. The other day Tim gave her some watermelon and she was so happy, she said,"...and little Elsa smiled!"
Lila is talking more and more, and can repeat almost anything we say. The lastest words: shoe, Lila, duck, chicken (kee kee), eat. Ahh, I love one-year-olds. Her birthday is July 2! Stay tuned for the next post, which will be jam packed with party photos and Lila fun facts. She's getting baptized this Sunday and having a birthday party, too.

random stuff, and mean muggin'.

Elsa suddenly likes to put headbands in her hair. The messy hair plus the pose is sooo Top Model.



Lila plays with her new, rather deluxe, activity table. A garage sale SCORE for just $1.


You may have been wondering, how's Hippo been doing? Pretty good. With the onset of spring and outdoor activities he was nearly forgotten, but lately he's back in the game. The other day Elsa even wanted to dress up in matching outfits.


I remember I was very adamant about the bike trailer and its 1 year age restriction. But, second kid... whatev. Notice Lila doesn't have a helmet, either. We really should get on that.



Up next, a series of photos named, "The Art of Defiance". By Lila June.
No captions necessary - the photos speak for themselves.






Aren't you afraid of her? I am - for the teenage years. Shakin' in my boots.

If you'll notice, Lila has perfected the Mean Muggin' face. I loved when Elsa did it, and it's just as hilarious when Lila does it. Wooo, scare me with those 3 teeth!
So, who has the meaner mug?

Elsa, 9 months:


Lila, 11 months:

Talkies

Lila turned 11 months old this week. About a week ago she started copying certain things we said, and by now she has at least 12 words. I have video of some of them. It's very primitive and new, but it's the real deal. My eardrums are relieved. Hopefully talking will eliminate some of the shrieking.

Elsa helps Lila say the word "doll". (Notice she's actually saying "Dow" - making fun of the way Lila says it.)


You can hear her say "cracker" in the beginning, but won't say it again when I ask her. Oh well, you can see how much she likes them!


This is an accurate portrayal of what it might look like if I ever met Robert Pattinson.


Yes, Lila likes to smash her head into stuff. But the main thing with this one is the ending. You can clearly hear Lila greet Elsa by saying "hi".


I bet you didn't know this one:


I'll be emptying the dishwasher and hear her say "ball". I look over and she's playing with a ball. Brilliant. This talking stuff just doesn't get old.

Swimming, and a party I can't compete with...

Last week it was warm enough to swim - sort of. The kids were a little cold, but enjoyed the pool for a good 1/2 hour.


Auntie Emma got the girls cute matching bikinis. Lila models hers while showing off her standing skills.


Today we went to Maddy's 3rd Birthday party. It was Cinderella-themed, and it was definitely the stuff fairy tales are made of. We were all relaxing in the yard, enjoying the festivites, when suddenly a horse came riding into the driveway. It had a big blue bow around its neck. It was a present for Maddy!


And check out this masterpiece! Maddy's Mama has some mad cake making skills.


Lila was totally impressed with Maddy's wheels.


Elsa, Gracie, and Henry on the trampoline. They loved it.


I went to look for Lila and found her surrounded by a crowd of baby-admirers.


Elsa really liked these hanging rings like the ones from school. She had even more fun when she realized it was okay to let go.


Of course Lila had to try them out, too.

Memorial Weekend

The kids in their holiday duds.


Lawnmower with dad.


Elsa on her swing set. When did she become such a pretty little kid?


Needless to say, I cherish having a baby right now. There's nothing like it. Look at that face! She'll be a big kid before we know it.


Momma's helper. Elsa loves to water the flowers (grass, rocks, dirt, her feet, etc.) and would do it all day if you'd let her.


I LOVE this video. Tim plays piano. Lila starts grooving the way babies do, and Elsa copies her moves. She even copies her delighted squeals. They've started to become buddies.

May days

There's a lot to catch up on this month, so here we go. The first weekend in May we had breakfast at William O'Brien State Park with Grandma and Grandpa E. We had a huge feast with campfire coffee and then hit the walking trails. Highly recommended.

Grandma, auntie Jenny, and Elsa.


Then we went to the Johnson farm in Grantsburg, WI to visit our friends. Elsa had a blast exploring the farm. Here's Lila and Tim with the cute new lambs.


Elsa thinks it's funny when Lila eats paper. So funny, that she's started doing it. She's also started chewing on cords, eating sand, and biting on sticks. She actually chipped a tooth last week! Not cool.


Lila's teeth are really coming in. So far she has 3, and I'm guessing the fourth one arrives tomorrow.


Elsa knows how to open the doors (and lock them). Here she is getting busted going outside.


When I go out there to drag her back in, Lila sits at the door and laughs at me through the glass. Sometimes she leans in a little too far.


The kids hanging out in the yard.


Last weekend we went to a birthday party for Elsa's friend Violet. In this picture: Gracie, Violet, Ashley, Elsa and Lila. Missing: Henry and Maddy.


Today was Elsa's last day of school. Next year she starts preschool! Here are some photos from this year.
Painting with Cael.


When we went to collect the kids on the playground, I couldn't find Elsa. No worries, I finally spotted her hanging out in a hollow log.


Elsa gets sick of my paparazzi-esque photo taking. "You want a picture? I've got your picture right here!"


Elsa and Momma in the school gym.


Here's a video of the girls in yet another example of how they get along. The set up: Elsa is reading a book called Peanut Butter Rhino, in which a Rhino loses his PB sandwich by sitting on it.

Boy, I can't wait to keep getting thrown into their arguments like this for the next two decades. I guess it's payback time, right Mom?

Lila June: 10 months old

10 months is a great baby age. It's pretty much perfect. Lila is so sweet and irresistible and charming - I squeeze her and love her up constantly.

Here's a shot of her new teeth. It appears there's another one on the way, which explains the drool.

She's getting more hair every day, and so far it seems to be blonde.


She crawls really fast, tries to climb things, and sleeps a little better, but not great. We've almost completely made the switch to formula. She can wave, clap, and play peek-a-boo. Most recently, she's learned how to make a few animal sounds (duck, snake, and monkey). I'll have to get that on video soon. For now, here are a couple random ones from the vault.

Elsa thinks it's cool to go down the slide head-first.


Lila at the park. Elsa got a little further way from me than I realized.