Summer Visits and Pool Time

A few weeks ago our friends Summer and Jason came to town.  They brought their sweet little man, Cato.  This was the first time we got to meet him. Oh am I in love!  He is a couple of months younger than Salem, but he has such a personality already.  Summer and Jason are the best parents.  What a beautiful happy family.  Thank you guys for coming to visit! Miss you already!

Summer (the season ;) ) is officially here.  The neighborhood swimming pools are open.  We took the kids to swim last weekend.  It was a gorgeous day and the pool down the street is really nice.  Avery met a few friends and they played with pool toys.  Salem hung out on the top step and splashed like crazy! He loved it. 

Happy 11 months to little man!  Sigh, you can stop growing up now... He has 6 teeth but is still not crawling.  He can move fast backwards, though.  We've given up on the crawling thing and are working on his walking.  He thinks it's hilarious to follow Avery around- walking behind her with our help.  She cracks up, too.  It's really cute. Salem is picking up a lot more of his signs.  He's got 'more', 'food', 'change', 'all clean', 'bath' and can wave bye.  We're still working on 'please'. Hopefully, he'll pick it up soon.  Gotta teach those manners early!

Avery is doing great.  I can't believe she'll be two for only couple of weeks longer.  She is really becoming a young lady.  She is really into ballet and any other dancing.  She loves cooking and having tea parties for her dolls and animals.  Avery has graduated to telling us nighttime stories.  She is hooked on dinosaur stories now.  She makes up names for each color dinosaur and then tells us about their favorite foods and activities.  It's great seeing her little imagination work. 

Summer and Jason Visit

A Local Home Fair

At our tables waiting on our creole cusine.  It was yummy!

 Swimming Pool

 Reading Books with Daddy

 Avery at almost 3 years old 

My Big Girl

The eldest child

Salem's weekly pics for the past month

Salem 45 Weeks 

 Salem 46 Weeks

Playing with big sister

 Salem 47 Weeks

"Say what??"

 Salem 48 Weeks

Look at those big boy hands! I'm so used to Avery's itty bitty hands. 

Easter 2012

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter! Ours was great.  A friend gave us tickets to a local tennis tournament.  Avery and Tim went the first day. Then Tim and I had a date night for one of the night matches.  It was really fun.  Thanks Aunt Gina for babysitting!!
After tennis, we went home and spent some quality time with our family.  The Easter Bunny even found us there! Avery was too cute enjoying all the festivities.  Salem didn't seem to notice anything was going on, but I still think he had a good time.
Things have been rolling along. Avery is just as talkative as ever.  She tells jokes now and makes up silly rhymes.  It is such a joy to watch this little princess grow up.  Salem is getting bigger and bigger.  I think my arms should be a little more buff than they are from lugging him around! He's still not crawling yet but he is sooo close. He rocks back forth, gets to his knees, then belly flops. He can scoot backwards, though...

Tennis

Even Belle and Aurora visited the tournament.  Avery was thrilled!

Enjoying a mango slushy with Daddy. Avery loved watching the tennis. She even clapped and said, "Good point!". 

Date Night

We had pretty good seats. This is Jancovic.

Venus. She killed it out on the court, winning both sets easily. 

 The Island Easter Egg Hunt

So, Avery was nervous with all the people around & the dude screeching on the microphone.  Therefore, this is how she hunted eggs.

Poor Tim got a work out. 

We did get her in the vicinity of the Easter Bunny

Avery enjoying all the activities

Dyeing Easter Eggs at Mom and Dad's House

The girl is ready!

So proud of her blinged out egg

Poppy helping decorate

Enjoying one of the organic eggs

Avery's finished eggs

Visit with Grandma

 

 Visiting with Ma

 Our cousins Jessica and Mark visited with their 2 children.  Our kids are pretty much the same age. I love that they are going to get to grow up together! 

Salem and Maggie

James and Avery

Avery loved giving Maggie kisses

Jessica and Cassie with the kids

The sweetest!

 Easter Morning

Beautiful wooden memory game set.  My progeny loved lining all of them up in order.  Love it!

The elusive 'both kids smiling for the Easter pic' photo(s) 

Almost...

Eh, close enough

Waiting in the cry room for Mass to start. Got there 30 minutes early to get a seat 

 Weird transition, but Salem has e and f :)

Hanging out with Daddy on the porch 

A little young? He just liked touching the cold can

 Salem 43 Weeks

Tickle Monster 

Salem can stand propped up for a good while. 

 Salem 44 Weeks

Rocking on his knees, almost crawling 

Mom gave Avery a ballerina outfit. Here is her showing off a few moves.

(Sorry about the lack of editing. Need new software ASAP)