Lost And Found

Met some friends yesterday morning at the Aquarium. Katy with Graham and Meagan with Anna and her new little sister Charlotte. We had a great time looking at the fish, turtles, alligators and otters. I actually felt that this was the first time the LGs actually engaged in the observation of the sea life at the Aquarium. Us usually they look, but aren't that IN TO them.

After making our way through the inside of the aquarium we decided to let the kids play in the water outside. When we went to the area we were going to sit while the kids played Katy stood in a line of ants and was getting stung. She and I worked on getting her ant free. Once she was no longer being bitten by them she looks up and say, "ok, now I'm off to find my son." The rest of the kids are hanging around us or in the sandbox in front of us. She and I head out in search of Graham. What seemed like forever passes and no Graham. There are not that many people there so it shouldn't have been hard to find him. It was really scary. We actually had to get the staff to help and Katy finally went up these two flights of stairs to get an over head view of the play area...and that's where she found him. THANK GOD!!!

It was close to lunch time. The rest of our friends had left. The LGs and I decided to eat lunch there outside. When the girls finished eating they headed out to play some more. I saw that they went around this corner and I knew they were going to play on the stage back there. I knew where they were so I figured I would finish my lunch pay the bill then go get them and we would go home. As I was finishing up Avery wondered up without Emerson. I asked her where her sister was and she didn't say anything. I walked around the corner and Emerson was not on the stage.

With Avery hot on my heals I started searching for Emerson. Couldn't finder wasted no time asking for help. As an employee and I rounded a corner we see her walking and two other employees walking beside her trying to talk to her. She was eyeing them suspiciously. She ran and jumped into my arms. The employees said they could tell she was lost, but she wouldn't talk to them. So I told her that if she is ever lost again she should look for someone with a badge and tell them she is lost. As I was telling her this I am heading back to the table to pay the check. I turn around and Avery is no longer behind me. I look around and she is MISSING! You have to be SH!TTING ME!!! As I start my search for her (with Emerson IN MY ARMS!) A strange man walks up to be and asks if I am looking for the other little girl that looks like "this one" as he points to Emerson. He tells me she is in the gym slide area by the door...OY!

The Tortoise And The Hare

After we got back from our vacation in Clearwater we had a few days home before Mom (Julie) had to go back to work. We decided to go to our little beach that Friday. It was great there was NO ONE there. We had the beach all to our selves and no one was whining they wanted to go home!!!!

Julie took them hunting for Nemo while I hung out under the umbrella reading. Then we looked up and saw black clouds rolling in. We started packing up slowly. As we got the last stuff onto the wagon it started raining. It was a combination of that hard sideways rain that stings and drops that were about the size of dimes.

It's a pretty good walking distance to the car from the beach. As soon as the rain started Emerson and I took off running like we were being chased. As a matter of fact Emerson screamed, "Get me out of here!" I realized that Julie had the keys so I turned around to get them from her cause I knew Emerson and I would be first to the car and it would be all for not if we had to stand there and wait. When I turned around I realize that Julie and Avery are not right behind us, but extremely far behind us. So much so that I had to run back to her. As I get closer to them I see (cause I couldn't see them for the sideways rain!) and hear Julie trying to convince Avery to step it up. When I look at Avery she looks like she is taking a walk in the park. She has a juice box and is literally strolling down the side walk as if nothing is going on. It was hysterical and I don't think words can describe how funny this scene was.

Yesterday Julie and I needed to have a serious "grown up" discussion. We needed to talk about what Julie was going to do with her new job situation. Our cousin Christy was her with her son Cameron. So she was trying to get all the kids into the house so Julie and I could be alone on the back patio to talk. Emerson and Cameron were happy to go inside for her, but Avery was down right refusing. She was kind of running circles around Chris while Chris tried to bribe her with candy, soda, movie, a new car? Finally Julie and I said, "Don't worry about it, let her stay out here with us." So Chris walks into the house and Avery closes the door behind her walks back out to us and says, "sorry guys..." complete with exasperated hand gestures.

Vacation All I Ever Wanted...

This was NOT being sung by the LGs...

We went to Clearwater Florida for 4 nights. The first day we were there Avery kept saying she wanted to "go home". Um, sorry sweetie but this vacation is already paid for and we are taking it whether you like it or not.

On day two it was Emerson's turn to be homesick and continue her sisters anthem. We hung out at the pool for most of the day. The hotel was not ON the beach it was on the water but not on the beach. You had to take a trolley, car or hotel van to go to a beach.

Emerson not "happy" and wanting to go home:

Avery wearing her Mom's shirt:

We figured we would have a beach day on Monday. The girls had not taken a nap the day before due to us getting to the hotel so late. So when nap-time rolled around they were not happy about it. They were being crabby and ill tempered. After saying it was nap-time Emerson was saying she wasn't tired and did not want to nap and Julie said, "well, you sure seem tired cause your not happy." For the rest of the vacation whenever it was time to go to bed Emerson would start saying, yelling, screaming or (the best) crying, "I HAAAAPPPY!!!!" over and over again. Funny and cute the first time. Annoying beyond anything you could imagine the 10,000th time.

Emerson:

Mommy and Emerson:

On Monday we got up and started packing for our beach day. Avery promptly told us she did not want to go to the beach she wanted to go to the pool. We had it in our mind that despite her protests she would have a good time once we got to the beach...We have never been so wrong.

When we finally got to the beach Avery whined. the. whole. time. we were there. We only stayed maybe an hour before we decided it just wasn't worth it and went back to the hotel so they could swim in the pool.

On Tuesday we rented a cabana for the day and played in the pool most of the day. I think I only heard one or two "I wanna go home" statements on that day.

On Wednesday we told Avery, joyfully that we would be going home. She cried, "NOOOOOO!!!"

The best part of vacation was that Emerson potty trained herself while we were there. She told us she needed to "tee tee" so we set her on the potty and she went pee. We gave her a maraschino cherry (her favorite) every time she peed on the potty and since we have been home she has been wearing panties and has only had like 2 accidents. I'm so proud of her. I knew she would do it when she was ready and the weird thing is I remember thinking before we went on vacation that she would probably start wanting to use the potty while we were on vacation. So strange that I was right!

Avery:

Emerson swimming. You can always tell if it is Emerson cause she always has her goggles on:

Emerson coming up for air while swimming:

Avery swimming. This kid LOVES to swim!