Fourth of July Fun

We had an awesome 4th of July! We went to the Yorkville parade bright and early. It was so much fun to watch Lorelei really interact and enjoy it so much more this year. She also was very interested in the candy tossing, but we were obviously rookies as we had no bag for her to collect everything she picked up. Turns out she had a great solution for that problem: just eat it all! (Okay, not all, we managed to fill a lot of pockets to get some home).

After the parade and a solid nap, we met up with some friends for a pool party and BBQ. Lorelei has become a very confident swimmer in the last week as we have graciously accepted several pool party invites. She insisted on jumping off the diving board this afternoon, (I'm both very proud of my little fish and totally horrified by her fearlessness). She also proclaimed several times in her tiny but mighty voice, "I'm going swimming by myself!" It will be a long, long time, maybe a lifetime, before these two former lifeguards will let this child swim "by herself" but I'm trying to appreciate her confidence and typical 2-year-old independent streak.

We were all pretty whipped by the time we got home. Todd and I sat on the patio and took in some really awesome fireworks displays from across the field, and our neighbors, once again, did not disappoint. They were incredibly loud and Lorelei was still tossing in bed, so we sneaked her down to enjoy some of the show with us. She was very good and luckily, went right back to sleep when it was all over. If we're lucky, we all might get to sleep in a little bit tomorrow morning! Happy 4th!  

Jump #2: She was a little nervous and squeezed her eyes shut hoping to just walk off and have Daddy catch! 

We love summer!

Summer has been so great so far! We have been doings lots of playing outside, visiting fun destinations, and I took on the HUGE project of painting our kitchen cabinets. We are so happy it's done, (mostly to have our kitchen functioning normally again) so I can really focus on playing and relaxing now!

We have more exciting plans ahead: Lorelei, Mom and I will visit Gram next week, Todd and I are going to Seattle for a week, and Lorelei and I will be heading to the lake house for a few days to enjoy the water, sun, and what has become a tradition, the county fair.

To be continued...

Easter

We had such a fun Easter this year. On Good Friday, Lorelei, my mom and I met my aunt and cousin at my grandma's house for the day. It was so nice to see everyone and enjoy a girl's day together catching up. On Saturday, we enjoyed the beautiful weather, worked in the yard, and I enjoyed a sunny run. On Sunday morning, Lorelei was greeted by her Easter basket and we went on an egg hunt in the yard. That afternoon, we went to Meson Sabika for brunch with both sides of our family. It was delicious food and a great way to spend the day!

We didn't have any Easter Bunny PJ's... so Santa is the next best thing, right? 

Learning about Egg Fights!

She won!

Lorelei talked all morning about the Easter Bunny and how SHE brought the eggs to the backyard and SHE brought the Easter Basket and treats. Lorelei was very excited for the female Easter Bunny she was envisioning to give her a hug at brunch. When the bunny was a man, she wasn't so sure anymore.

Sunday night when we were rocking before bed and talking about our fun day, she pulled her thumb out of her mouth and told me, "We saw the Daddy Easter Bunny today!" I love that she must have been wondering about that all afternoon and came up with such a perfect explanation!