Water Day

Camden is getting so big, so quickly. He is very mobile and has earned himself the nickname "Scooter." When I put him down on the carpet for playtime, he is very quick to make his way over to the tile so that he can bang toys against it and make a racket.  He loves rattles, drawers, pianos, pots and pans... pretty much anything that makes noise. 

We bought a cheap solar blanket for the swimming pool, hoping that it would come up a few degrees so that Avery could enjoy the water without her lips turning blue after 10 minutes.  It ended up working a little TOO well, and this past weekend it was already up to 93 degrees!

So without fear of the little ones getting too cold, Camden got to have his first pool day.

He went so crazy with the splashing that he ended up choking a few times because he had splashed so much water into his own face.

Later that evening, we graduated him from his baby tub in the kitchen sink to the real bathtub with big sister.  He is a good sitter, but I put him in a bucket for some extra support. It really didn't matter, because he was SO excited and splashed SO vigorously that within seconds the walls, the floor and I were soaked, and Hurricane Camden had capsized the bucket. 

I took the bucket out of the tub, and held on to his slippery little body while Josh came in and washed him. By the end of five minutes, Josh and I were drenched and the bathroom required some serious mopping. Josh called it "One of your worst ideas ever."

Back to the sink.

M.I.A.

Yes, we've been off the radar for a while... But with good reason! We have been incredibly busy with family events and construction projects... Primarily, turning this:

Into this:

It's been a lot of work, and still not completely done, but we are very happy and proud of the result and the work that we have put in, and EXTREMELY happy that Avery now has a bathtub to play in instead of sitting in our shower!

When we moved in, this bathroom was covered in 1980's floral wallpaper. Upon removal of the wallpaper, we discovered that the entire bathroom was engulfed in mold. It was so bad in some places that the wall was soft and disintegrated.  I don't mess around with mold, especially since this bathroom is next to Avery's and Camden's room. So all the drywall had to be replaced before we could really even get started.  

But definitely worth the peace of mind.

Meanwhile, amidst the noise and dust, life goes on! 

Here are some more pictures from the past month or so...

Camden is such a big boy now... He is eating a wide variety of "solid" foods (i.e. Gerber fruits and veggies) and can sit up without support and clap on command. He is the sweetest, smiliest little guy. Everywhere we go, people comment on how happy he is. He is curious and social and will whip his head around if he hears a voice, even if it's just the TV. He loves to see what is going on!

Miss Avery went in for her first dental check up on May 2. 

She has all 20 of her baby teeth and they are all healthy and cavity-free!

Avery went to her first Angels game was when she was 4 months old. It was a complete nightmare and I left with her after 2 innings. We decided not to ever do that again until she was much older. I'm glad we waited, because it was a big deal for her and she was really amped about going this time. Since then she has also taken an interest in batting, and her new favorite thing is having someone pitch the ball to her.  She is actually getting good at hitting!  She says when she grows up she will get to hit the ball at the Angels game. 

She was also excited about the fact that I let her eat unlimited crackers and M&M's at the game.

Not so excited, though, about the screaming and fireworks when the Angels hit a home run.

"I'm having a picnic with brother."

Sprinkler time at Gammy's house with cousin James:

Avery and Gammy in their matching aprons:

Avery's first attempt at writing her whole name. She got bored when we got to the "R" so she went a little haywire, and I had to refocus her attention to get her to make the "Y."  

We'll get there.

Very proud of her new Angels jersey. 

Walking in Venice Beach with her new friend Alexis. She wore her Angels jersey that day too, and accessorized with pink sandals and a turquoise jacket. Luckily, you can wear just about anything in Venice Beach without standing out!

Daddy's Birthday

It's daddy's birthday today!

Avery asked if she could help make a cake for daddy. 

She was very specific and said that she wanted to make him a blue cake, his favorite color.  Thankfully Target had blue icing that came with shark sprinkles so it saved me the potentially messy equation of Avery + food coloring + frosting.

Daddy doesn't like frosting so Avery helped me frost just half of the cake.

She was also specific about a blue candle. So we added a candle and sang happy birthday as Daddy was getting Brother ready for his bath.

After we enjoyed our cake, Avery apparently scooped up my phone and took several dozen photos (without my knowledge) of me scrubbing cat vomit out of the carpet. 

Such a glam life I have.

Gifts

As Josh can attest, Avery is an expert at trying my patience and knows exactly which of my buttons to press. I am always on the search for literature and ideas on how to cope with frustration, how to effectively discipline, how to make bathtime fun instead of a chore, and the like.

I recently read an article on babycenter.com about appreciating the small gifts that your child gives you. It talked about how each gift is a sign that your child loves you and was thinking of you, and not to brush it off, even if it's a tiny pebble that they picked up in the parking lot.

Since then, I have taken this advice to heart and really made an effort to find love in all the gifts Avery has given me, in all the forms in which they come.  Lately when I have picked her up from school, she has had "presents" for me inside her cubby, which range from items such as drawings or handmade valentines to leaves, rocks, pieces of cardboard, or dandelion flowers from the playground.  Instead of being disgusted by dirty pieces of cardboard, I have retrained my brain to enjoy and appreciate the gesture, and to take in the moment of her smiling face beaming up at me as I admire my "gift."

Self-Portrait that Avery left for me on my phone

Portrait of Mommy, by Avery

With all the terrible things happening in the world lately, I have seen a lot of Facebook posts with sentiments such as "Hug your kids a little tighter tonight."  I think about what Martin Richard's parents did with this picture that he made at school, and if they saved it, and how much it means to them now.

Martin Richard, Boston Marathon Bombing Victim

If nothing else, these tragic events at the very least force me to push aside my fatigue from a long day at work, and read one extra book with Avery, or initiate one extra round of tickle games before bed. I battle with a constant internal monologue that tells me that I don't spend enough time with my kids. That I work too much. That I need to try harder in the kitchen to make healthier meals. That I need to stop checking my email and go play Barbies. That I should spend less time cleaning and more time just enjoying these little faces that are maturing way too quickly.

Photo and princess crown provided by Avery. Kisses provided by Camden.

...More time enjoying the gifts.

Swim Lessons

When baby brother was born, we took Avery out of dance lessons just to give her a break since she seemed to be getting bored. A few weeks ago we started her in swim lessons, and she is doing great. She put her face in the water and was doing backfloats on her very first lesson!  

Josh let her pick out a swim cap after her first class. There were pink kitties, white kitties, and fish. But Avery chose a shark!

Brother enjoys watching too!