Giggles and Gates

Since Cody is running and climbing all over the place, my sweet in-laws bought us a gate. Luckily they were in Valencia watching our nieces and nephews so we headed over to visit, swim and acquire a deterrent for Cody's curiosity. The kids had a great time and Cody has no idea what's coming :)

Taylor is not a huge fan of the water, especially if it is cooler than a bathtub, but she does really like floaties and dancing around the pool. Ryan wondered if I had actually bought her a dance tutu instead of a swimsuit, but I think it fits her.

Cody, like the cute little man he is, just wanted to be fed and if he wasn't fed enough or fast enough by an adult, her would make do with whatever he found... even if it is his sister's left overs hot dog bun.

Play Dough Creatures

Jena and Taylor spent a few hours, while Cody slept soundly, creating all sorts of play dough animals and bugs. Jena decided to recreate all the examples on her play mat. Taylor kept asking for me to make animals that seemed to have a tendency of getting smashed unexpectedly.

Taylor also loved using the scissors. Maybe that's because I hide every pair that is around the house. I love how intently she is concentrating.

Here are a few of Jena's creations.

Oh how we love play dough!

Soccer Girl

Jena is going to play soccer on a team this fall. To help her understand the game a little more... since she has never played before... we signed her up for a camp. They ran drills and played scrimmage games. She was very excited and had a great time, especially since they allowed her to decorate her ball any way she liked. The first day I took all the kids to watch her play. Unfortunately, it was a really hot day and Taylor was not having a great time. At one point she yelled across the field, "Jena, five more minutes. Only five minutes!" After that daddy decided he could take her and learn a few extra skills since he is going to be the assistant coach on the team.

So, this is soccer!

I love this picture of all the little kids following the coach. The line didn't last long after they started dribbling the balls :)

We are so excited for the season to begin!

Beach Day!

We don't live very far from the beach, but with three little kids I get nervous venturing there by myself. But with only a few weeks left of summer, I decided that we had to try. So, after over an hour of getting everything ready and everyone covered in sunscreen we finally made it out the door. Despite all my worries... it was a wonderful day. We met up with some friends and spent the next few hours playing in the waves, digging in the sand, eating tasty snacks and chasing after the birds. Jena loves the water, Taylor loves the sand and Cody loves the freedom of wandering almost anywhere he wants.

I am so grateful these little girls love to play with each other!

Our cute little man!