Bathing Beauties

I can't think of photographing anything better than 2 adorable beach bums all geared up for the pool. Every time I put them in their bathing suits (or bathing accessories - as you can see from this 1st picture) I feel a photo shoot is in order. In the coming months I may try to tone down my obsession to capture endless pictures of Harrison and Brooks as they soak in the sun but until then, get ready for a lot more of where this came from. Enjoy!

Jungle Hut Beach

Yesterday we had an action packed day filled with friends and fun. We spent the morning at Jungle Hut Beach with Harrison's besties, Noah and Brayden. And I got to spend time with my girls, Darla and Kayla, and of course, little Miss Brooks.

This was Brooks' first trip to the beach and who knows how many for Harrison. Brooks really seemed to embrace the whole beach girl attitude as she lounged on the towel, took a small dip in the water, and posed for pictures. She even got to spend time with her biggest admirer, Brayden. Meanwhile, Harrison carried on in his usual manner of running back and forth from surf to sand with his buddies at his side.

I wish I could say that after all the activity of the morning at the beach, a nap was in order, but sadly, naps have dissolved into an hour of down time in the bedroom with frequent breaks to go potty. Brooks did have several catnaps in addition to her usual, daily catnaps but no one appeared to be completely tuckered out from a full morning in the sun. It seems to me that my kids do not require very much rest from their active lifestyles. Why won't my kids sleep? Don't they know I need a time out?? Wait a minute, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, the beach. Anyway, we had a great day and I am so excited for more fun filled days of doing the same.

Family Fun

It has been a wild week. Which is why it was so delightful to have a nice, relaxing weekend. Robert has started a new career that is going to be keeping him away from home for a week or 2 during the month. This past week was his first week away and although things went well (I mean I didn't go entirely crazy), we missed him greatly. But the weekend made up for it and we were able to spend some quality time together as a family. On top of that, we had some really awesome visitors who came to stay with us on Friday night. My cousin, Nancy, and my sister in law, Leigh, both came to stay and have a little "girl's night". We had a great evening and lots of fun catching up.

The rest of the weekend was filled with time outside having picnics, catching bugs, and playing at parks...life is good!

The Yacht Club

This past Saturday we met my cousin, Anne and her kids at the Yacht Club along with my aunt, Brooks. It was pretty windy out so we didn't expect the kids would go swimming....we were wrong. After Harrison started to strip down to nothing once he saw the pool, we decided that it would be fine to swim in his shorts. As usual, Wade and Virginia Anne were a little more prepared. They actually had bathing suits. The kids had a blast in the pool and then more fun running around in the grass.

Look Alikes

I hear it all the time..."you know, your kids really don't look anything like you." And it's true. Both Harrison and Brooks came out looking like little clones of Robert. I guess my genetics aren't quite as strong as I would have thought. Maybe they'll get my charming personality instead.

But it is also very evident that Brooks resembles someone else, her aunt, Natalie. Here are pictures of both of them around the same age. Do you see the resemblance?

Potty Animal

Harrison started potty training almost a week ago and has been doing great. Had it been up to me, diapers would still be a crucial part of his wardrobe. But his teacher gave me the nudge and told me that he was ready to be trained. I was hesitant because I despise the idea of sitting at home for a few days while he figures out how to recognize his bodily functions and make it to the commode without an accident. It's just not on my list of fun things to do. But to my surprise, Harrison was ready to work that potty starting day 1 and he has been going strong ever since. Sure, we had a few instances that were a little less than perfect. Like the day we went shopping at Khols to buy some "big boy" Spiderman underware. Ironically, Harrison got into the shopping cart and peed on the underware, along with a couple other items I planned on purchasing. But that also was on day 2 of potty training so I may have to blame myself for that one.

I am so proud of him! He has stopped the using the pacy and started potty training without any resistance and I am starting to realize that not only is he a fast learner, Mommy and Daddy are a little slow on the draw. It might be time to pick up the pace.