Wasn’t it only yesterday that the girls had to huff and puff just to roll themselves over? Now they’re pulling up to the standing position without breaking a sweat. Wonders never cease!
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The girls wondered why Dad didn’t get them red, white and black car seats to match the boat.
Susie listening to Bill describing the benefits of Malibu boats vs. Mastercrafts
Bill showing off on the Sky Ski – the girls were very impressed
Ben was quite the ladies’ man. He had a girl on his lap nearly the whole time – what a sport!
Bill had the magic touch today. BOTH girls fell asleep on his lap!
Susie was a good observer – only 11 more years until she can be our official spotter!
Rebecca explored the full length of the boat and decided our next one needs to be a 25-foot pontoon (are you listening, Jim?)
The girls dogpile on me at the end of the day. We’re all exhausted, but happy! Annemarie, we missed you very much. We’ll have to convince Bill to share baby duties with you next time!
I wanted to get both girls looking at the camera for this picture, but it took so much wrangling to get this one shot, I figured I’d quit while I was ahead. Susanna kept diving off of her daddy’s lap onto the couch, and Rebecca kept threatening to slide off his shoulders into a nearby lamp. Gone are the days of long photo sessions!
Now that my parents have returned home, the girls and I getting back to our normal (albeit lonelier) routine. The girls napped well and played well today. They spent quite a bit of time exploring the house, peeking around corners and under tables. Perhaps they were looking for Grammie and Grandpa. Or perhaps they were looking for the crumbs that escaped my vacuum cleaner. How do kids always manage to find that little needle in the haystack (or the dead ant on the carpet, as the case may be)? There’s a reason my mother-in-law calls Susanna a little “Hoover†– not only does she crawl around and inhale anything on the floor, she loves playing with the vacuum attachments!
Here are some pictures of their explorations today:
I think the girls must have heard the story about what their 21-month-old cousins do: When Jonathan and Katelyn are asked what a doggy says, they reply, “Woof, woof.†When asked what a ducky says, they reply, “Quack, quack.†When asked what a lion says, they reply, “Roar, roar.†When asked what mommy says, they reply, “No! No!†Rebecca has been going around the house shaking her head as if she’s saying, “No! No!â€, and I’m sure she’s picked it up from the frequency with which I am employing that head shake and reprimand. Susanna has discovered the thrill of excitement that comes from disobedience. We have a fireplace that is off-limits to the girls, not due to any inherent danger, but rather as an exercise in teaching self-control. Unfortunately, so far all it’s teaching the girls is how Mom says, “No! No!†No sooner do I rebuke Susanna for an infraction and pull her away from the enticing fireplace, than she spins around and frantically scampers back to the scene of the crime, grinning like a Cheshire cat all the while. The louder I scold, the bigger she smiles. And the more Rebecca shakes her head. Susanna has even started scheming her fireplace forays. This afternoon, in an effort to pull herself up, Rebecca fell headlong into a chair and judging from her wails, diagnosed herself with a major concussion. Susanna decided one of two things: either that this was the moment she could indulge her impulses undetected while Mom was distracted, or that this was an opportunity to divert Mom’s attention from her sister. Whatever her motivation, as soon as I knelt down to calm a hysterical Rebecca, Susanna made a rush for the fireplace, glancing backwards to see if I was watching. Sigh. The toddler years are going to be long…and they aren’t even toddling yet! My parents flew back home today, and we all miss them terribly. We had the most wonderful time with them here. It was such a gift to have extra arms to hold the girls and help out around the house. I love you so much, Mom and Dad! (And Becky and Susie said to give their love to Grammie and Grandpa!)
Grandpas make the best climbing structures
And Grandparents make the best playmates!
We had a wonderful day on the lake today. The girls were thrilled to be able to crawl around my in-laws’ pontoon boat, and I was thrilled to have two grandmas there to watch the girls while I zoomed around the lake on our speedboat! Thanks to my mom for snapping these great pictures: Dad enjoying the lake at a slower pace while listening to his iPod.
Susanna was so proud that Pappy let her drive the boat.
Who knew boating was such a serious undertaking?
Susanna keeps an eye out for pirates on the water.
Rebecca got her sea-legs while crawling around the floor of the pontoon.
The girls check out the snacks.
Maria and I with the girls – Rebecca decides that boating makes her thirsty for soda.
Rebecca’s glad her “Bubba†has such a fun boat.
What’s better than being lulled to sleep by the rocking of the water and Grammie’s arms?
Have you ever seen so much love for two little girls?
And a great big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Pappy (Susie is giving him a round of applause)!
The girls had a long, full day yesterday. First, we went to the pediatrician for a routine check-up and found, to our delight, that the girls each gained three pounds in three months. Rebecca’s grand total was 16 lbs. 10 oz. and Susanna’s was 14 lbs. 12 oz. Interestingly, they both measured 27 inches long. The doctor said the girls were “still peanuts,†but was happy with their progress. Rebecca is finally “on the growth curve,†but Susanna isn’t even on the chart yet. But hey, you wouldn’t know it, judging from these cheeks, now would you?
After the girls received one vaccination and screamed loudly enough to scare other young children in the waiting room, we went home. I figured that once they ate lunch, they would be so exhausted they would want to go straight to bed. Nope. Once their little tummies were full, they were all too eager to play with Grammie and read a book together.
After playing and playing and playing some more, I put them up in their cribs for a nap. But would they sleep? Not a chance. They played even more, babbled at each other, rolled around and made all manner of squeals and giggles. They played until it was time to pack up and head out to the lake for our inaugural boat ride of the season. I was a bit apprehensive about taking the girls on their first boat ride this year. It’s not that I was afraid they would fall overboard, it’s more that I wasn’t sure if they would be overwhelmed and frightened by the new surroundings. However, I needn’t have worried. Rebecca was too interested in eating the upholstery and the pylon to worry about being off solid ground.
Rebecca did shed a few tears about her boating wardrobe, however.
Susanna decided that since I was busy with Rebecca, she was going to succeed me as official boat driver.
Overall, it was a delightful evening. I was very thankful to have my parents with me to help corral the girls. Although the boat does act like one big playpen, it was nice to know that when my arms were full with one girl, the other was in good hands!
When the sunlight was fading, we finally wrapped up our boating, and began the drive home from the lake. The busy day finally caught up with the girls and they fell into a deep, contented sleep. There’s nothing like fun in the sun to dream sweet dreams!
We took an evening stroll in the gorgeous sunshine yesterday.
My mom and I worked up a sweat pushing the girls around, while the girls were content to lay back and relax. Susanna took the opportunity to rest her weary foot.
Rebecca dangled her arm out and felt the warm breeze.
Even in her laid-back state, Rebecca (on right) remembered to stay lady-like and keep her ankles crossed. Susanna was a bit more relaxed.
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