Fourth of July

Madison has been waiting all year for the fourth of July. She loves to wear her fourth of July dresses and she remembered how much fun we had in Utah last fourth of July. She assumed we would be in Utah again this fourth and I was so worried about breaking her heart when she realized we weren't getting on the plane to go see our grandmas and grandpas. Being pregnant and traveling with with both girls to Utah this summer just wasn't going to work out. Luckily we were still able to have lots of fun even though we weren't with family.
The Friday before the fourth was our towns big firework show! We braved the crowds and headed down to a park near the big show! There was so much room to watch the fireworks, run around, and play! The girls loved playing, blowing bubbles and wearing their glow sticks. The firework show was amazing and it was worth going even though we got home pretty late.
The actual fourth of July Jake had to work. I wasn't brave enough to do the parades my by myself with the girls but we had a great time going to a park that morning and having a picnic together in the sun. We were invited to a fun BBQ with some friends and it was such a great time! They had made a bike friendly car wash for the kids to run through and Emerie loved the baby swing in the tree. The girls got their faces painted and Madison even sang karaoke for everyone. She is such a performer! We walked over to the nearby elementary school to watch the local fireworks and Madison spent a lot of the time running around catching fireflies. It was a great night and the girls had a blast!

Different use of words:)

Today when a lady walked in front of our car Madison said, "Mom, look at that big... nice.... lady!" I said, "Yes, she does look nice." She then said, "Mom, some people have big tummies and some people have smaller tummies!" I thought, yes Madison as I looked down at my very big and very nine months pregnant belly:)
Madison has also thought a lot about the color of our skin. The other day when she was going to a friends house to play that she didn't know very well she asked me if they had light or dark skin. She also asked me if our baby is going to have light or dark skin. I gave her the three year old version of how genetics work:)
So many things to be curious about!

Awkward moment!

Today I had an awkward and embarrassing moment with Madison. On the way back from dropping Jake's sister off at the airport I needed to use the closest bathroom available (being nearly nine months pregnant results in emergency bathroom stops). We stopped at the McDonald's and Madison went with me into the bathroom which must have been over a hundred degrees! I hoped to be fast and out of the bathroom before passing out with heat exhaustion. Unfortunately, both stalls were occupied in this small bathroom. It wasn't long before one of the ladies came out of the stall. As she walked by Madison said, "Look at that big fat lady!" I had never heard her say anything like that and was shocked by what I heard. The bathroom all of a sudden felt like two hundred degrees as my face flushed red. There was no hiding it, she was the only one coming out of the stall and Madison not only said it nice and loud but she kept on repeating it. "Mom, did you see that big fat lady...!" Not knowing how to make her stop saying it since the lady was still in the bathroom washing her hands I tried to tell her we don't say that about people. Madison's response was to ask me repeatedly in an even louder voice, "Why can't we say big fat lady! She is big and fat...!" When I tried to change the subject she kept asking in an even louder more frustrated voice. Luckily I heard the hand dryer come on and hopefully that muted most of the conversation. It wasn't long before the automatic toilet flushed and then Madison started screaming because it was loud and it scared her. After she calmed down from the scary toilet she was back to the conversation about the "big fat lady". Let's hope that this lady wasn't too hurt by the words of my two year old as she went to place her order at the McDonald's counter. In the car I tried to keep a straight face as I explained to Madison why we don't say what she did in the bathroom. Kids are just so honest and in the end I did get a good laugh over the whole awkward situation but we definitely don't want to repeat it. So sorry McDonald's Lady.

Heat Wave?

You would never know it's been so hot outside with how the girls have been dressing up. Thank goodness for the AC. Maybe I've been blasting it too high, it's hard to be pregnant at this time of year!
One day the girls put on their fleece jacket and pretended it was snowing! They also love being kitties. I don't think we have gone a day when they don't get into their kitty mode. Emerie also loves to be Spider Man! She like to tease Madison and chase her around in the spider man mask. She looks so goofy in it:)

The Monkey Pool

It's been a hot summer! Luckily Jake was able to come home early on this hot day and get out the monkey pool for the girls to splash around in. They had a great time! Emerie absolutely loves water balloons and helped me fill up a few buckets full to throw outside.

Little Helpers

I can't cook anything in the kitchen without hearing the screech of our kitchen chairs being pushed up to the counter. It isn't long before one or both of the girls climbs on the chair and says, "Let me help, let me help!" They are always so fun but some days I do have to take a deep breath and double my patience as the time to complete the task and mess also double as well! I just love my little "helpers"!

You be the darling!

Yesterday Emerie made a bold move and asked Madison if she would be the "Darling" and then she could the the "Mother". Madison said, "No I am the Mother!" Emerie said,"OK," sigh... and they kept on playing. Emerie then had fun being the disobedient Darling who kept running away from her mother. Madison warned her that strangers would come and get her if she ran away from her but Emerie didn't seem bothered by the thought.

Recent Paintings

"Mudder" and "Darling"

Madison and Emerie love to play house. Madison is always the "Mudder" as Emmie says it and Emerie is always "Darling". In these pictures Emerie was "Darling Baby Rapunzel". The girls are really funny to listen to and watch.
Emerie and Madison both play their parts really well and sometimes I have a hard time telling if they are acting or if there really is a conflict and I need to help out.

Madison will tell Emerie to hit her so she can send her to time out. Emerie throws a pretend fit and then goes to time out as instructed, usually. It is amazing how Madison will imitate the exact conversations I have with her. For example, Emerie was throwing a fit and Madison told her to "Calm down and take a deep breath in and out!" Emerie then told Madison, "I will not calm down, I will not breathe in and out!"
The other day Emerie was making a whining noise so Madison said, "Stop making that noise Darling and change it into a happy attitude!" What silly girls.

Friends in Cincinnati

Awhile back we went to visit one of my best friends and her cute little family in Cincinnati. Tracy and I were roommates at a summer camp we worked at in Utah called Aspen Grove (one of the most beautiful places ever!) and we were also roommates in college and post college years (when we lived in SLC and rocked the single working girl life:) After the kid pictures are some fun pictures when we traveled the world with our friends.
Several years later we have been able to visit each other in our various locations across the country and our kids have had a great time getting to know each other. They recently moved back to SLC after living relatively close to us. What fun times and good memories!