June and July

It seems like I might have been on a blogging hiatus this summer!  We have been super busy and having lots of fun!  We have been to the beach twice and took a trip to Lake Martin July 4.  I have lots of pictures to share below to document the girls as they are ever growing and constantly coming into their own personalities. 

Demi has become quite the social butterfly. When we went to the beach with my family she was chatting up everyone within a walking distance. Her favorite toys right now are purses. If she doesn't have a purse she will use anything that could substitute! She grabs buckets and boxes if she can't find her Elmo purse and loads it and unloads it and waves and says "bye bye"! I THINK she might be my girly girl?!?!?! Towards the end of June when Daley's dance class was wrapping up for the summer she couldn't stay away! I have been taking her to most of Daley's dance classes since August of last year and she NEVER showed any interest whatsoever about going in the room, but the last class was awful as she was screaming a pitching a total fit to get in the door. Not so bad except for when we went in to watch she wouldn't sit with me, she wanted to go up there and dance with Daley's class! This has carried on throughout the summer as she has been performing anytime music has played. she entertained a restaurant with her shenanigans later in the month of June when we went to the beach with Zach's family. August 1st Demi will be moving into the big girl class at her school! "One Step Up" is the name of the class. She will no longer require sippy cups to be brought to school because the provide them for us (huge for mom not to pack a bag every morning!) She will sleep on a nap mat! This is a big deal! She has NEVER not slept in a crib or a pack n play! I do not see how they are going to manage to get her to sleep! I can remember switching Daley to a cot at her old day care and I thought the same thing though, so this will probably work out too! Demi is getting to be such BIG GIRL!

Daley  is forever becoming such a young lady!  She is so sweet and I am not just biased because I am her mother!  She is a really sweet kid!  I love that when I pick her up everyday her teachers as well as other teachers tell me how sweet she is and what a great kid she is.  It is one of the few times that I feel like I must actually be doing an okay job.  She is a wonderful big sister to Demi.  She always tries to help whenever we ask.  Now sometimes she over helps when not asked and i can become a problem, but she is only 4 and some of that is expected.  She is very cautious and I mean RARELY does anything ha might cause her to get injured.  This summer started and she would not even come off the steps in a swimming pool, so we enrolled her in swim lessons at the YMCA every day for 2 weeks.  It was great timing because we left the minute after her last swim lesson to go o the beach and she was jumping off the side of the pool and swimming all over the place.  It is so rewarding to watch a child learn and overcome fear! Another thing Daley has come down with a severe illness this summer commonly known as Bieber Fever. Yes.....I originally let her hear the song, but I do not believe that there has been to many days since Spring started that Baby Baby has not played in the car or in the house.  Girl has got it bad!  Daley will be moving up to the 4K class at her school.  They are referred to as the "Challengers".  It is hard to believe that our first born is in 4K let alone to process that next year she will be in 5K at an actual elementary school.  CRAZY AND SCARY! Daley is a smart girl that knows the difference between right and wrong.  The trick is getting her to believe that she knows that and not letting the mere suggestion of another child question that.  I know that this is going to be a problem for many many years and that it will only get worse,  but I am so proud of her so far!

As both of our girls are beginning a new fall school year it is fun to reflect back on them and how they have grown. :)  We are so blessed.  A friend of mine on facebook asked friends to share "pearls of wisdom" regarding raising children. One friend wrote to ask your children "what if you woke up today with only what you  gave thanks for yesterday?"  At first I thought "what a great lesson!?!"  Then, I became very disappointed because I don't even know what I gave thanks for yesterday!  So, today I am thankful for family and friends and very few material possessions.  I would be just fine if tomorrow that was all I had!

-Lindsey