Lessons in Swimming

The girls have been taking swim lessons for the last couple of months at one of the local pools.  I have seen SO much improvement in Sydney in swimming at home (not gonna brag, but that's mostly our doing, I think), but I have also seen improvement with her in listening to the instructors at swim lessons.  We tried lessons with her at the beginning of the summer and she wouldn't even stay on the steps of the pool for more than a minute before she would be off running to play in the splash pad.  Now, she sits in the group and is one of the best in her class.

Also, you may have noticed that posting has been a little slow in the last few weeks.  I am working on Sydney's photo albums and clearing up the 40,000 pictures that are stored on my computer!  

Happy Grandparents Day

Grandparents Day sort of snuck up on us this year.... David was out of town over the weekend visiting his brother in LA, and we were busy being fabulous.  I mean....

Anywho, we woke up Sunday morning and put together what I think is an awesome little gift for Nana and Poppy {and another set for Grandma and Poppa}.  We made a book with drawings and pictures detailing all the things that the girls love about them.  And, the best part?  There's lots of pages left for them to fill each year on Grandparents Day!

We met Nana and Poppy at Cracker Barrel for brunch and then spent the evening swimming with them.

Our girls are really so lucky to have such wonderful grandparents in their lives!  And, we are so very fortunate to live so close to their Nana and Poppy!

➹ Goldfish with Grandparents at Preschool! ➹

The Gorge 2014: The Year of the Selfie

Over Labor Day Weekend, David and I trekked up to Washington to meet up with Brad and do another Dave Matthews Band weekend at The Gorge.  We had a fun weekend seeing my boys play, and {almost as great as that}, I got to catch up on a lot of sleep!!  We were seriously SO lazy during the day and I loved every second of it.

The weather was a little chillier than last year and was definitely much more windy!  Last year there were two opening acts {The Head and the Heart & Lord Huron} so we were there much earlier in the day.  This year they did a Caravan style and we weren't really impressed with anyone on the side stages, so we didn't go in until DMB started their two sets -- they did an acoustic set to start and then another full set with the whole band plugged in.  We got some great songs over the course of the weekend!  The first night we stood in the pit section, which is general admission.  I LOVE being that close, but I hate being pushed around and having to stay put for the whole show {read: no potty breaks}.  The other two nights, we had pretty decent seats.

So, without further ado -- a million selfies {and pictures of Brad, because I love him so}!

➹ Take a guess as to what these jackasses are doing! ➹

A special thanks to Nana and Poppy for taking such good care of the girls while we were gone!

Sydney is Three!

Oh my Sweet & Sassy Sydney Girl,

I love you more than words can express.  You are the sweetest, snuggliest, little ball of fire that ever existed!  You are growing and learning and changing right before our very eyes.  I remember when your Poppy would say, When is that girl going to start talking? and now I swear you never stop!  You are currently walking around our back porch that is practically flooded with all the rain we've had, singing and dancing, holding a half-broken umbrella.  Life, for you, is an adventure ALWAYS!

You've started preschool, and while my goals for you were only social, I have seen such a growth in your academics in just a few weeks time.  You know most of your colors and shapes {something you never cared one bit about before} and have even learned some of the sounds that the letters make.  You can count and sing your ABC's.  You know the songs that your teacher sings at school to welcome the class, to bless the snack, and to clean up the toys.  And, crazily enough, you can correctly identify {and pronounce} about a dozen different dinosaurs!

We started you in swim lessons at the public pool at the beginning of the summer and it was nothing short of a disaster.  You wouldn't stick with your class and kept running over to play in the splash pad instead.  On Saturday, I took you to swim again and you sat/swam/played perfectly through two different classes!  Such growth in you in just a few months time.

You are sleeping in a big girl bed by yourself for the first few hours of every night, but by 1 you are in my room waking me up to come and sleep with you.  It's not a fun, snuggly kind of sleep at night because you are constantly trying to stick your fingers in my mouth.  Can we give that up now that you are three?  Please?  You know you are supposed to stay in your bed all night, so every morning when you come out of your room, you excitedly say, I stayed in my bed all night long!  It's your world, Sydney, and we are just lucky enough to be living in it.  

I want to detail some of the funny things you do these days, so here are a couple  that I can think of.

➸➸ The other evening before dinner, you started singing the blessing and then mixed in a little bit of an alphabet sounds song.  It went something like this, God we thank you, God we thank you, for this food, for this food, Every letter makes a sound, Every letter makes a sound... And, then, you sort of realized it and had a shocked and happy look on your face!

➸➸ All day, every day you want to be called Brooklyn.  Nana and Poppy were watching you one day while I was volunteering in Olivia's class and they had to take you to the chiropractor with them.  You did NOT like what the chiropractor was doing to your Nana and Poppy and you very sternly asked them to stop!  When the nurses and doctor started chatting you up, you told them your name was Brooklyn.  The doctors were so confused when your Nana told them your name was Sydney and NOT Brooklyn!

Haven't seen enough pictures of this little cutie?  See her third birthday video here!

Or here:

Love you sweet girl!

Sydney's Birthday Celebrations

Sydney has been so lucky to celebrate her 3rd birthday for more than just 1 day!  We celebrated early while her Uncle Rhino was in town, and then again the day before her birthday, then ON her birthday, and again the next day at school!   We still have a few presents for her to open, so I'm sure the celebration will continue!

➹ Her Birthday Video playing in the background! ➹

➹ FroYo after dinner! ➹

➹ Love this picture - love this girl! ➹

➹ With her favorite friend at school! ➹

Happy Birthday, Sweet Sydney Girl!