Dry Bath

Elise and Ryland love to play in the bath so much that they even play there with their clothes on when there's no water.

They crack me up.

Backyard Camping

My brother-in-law took his two older kids, ages 4 and 3, camping in the backyard. We all joined in the festivities beforehand (but opted to sleep inside, since nighttime in Arizona is still really, really hot).

Elise ate graham crackers for dinner. She thought that was awesome.

The rest of us had hot dogs, chips, and s'mores. Super nutritious, I know.

Matt roasting hot dogs

and making s'mores

my beautiful sister with her cute pregnant belly

This is my nephew Leighton singing to the flies to try to keep them away.

Shoes

Elise is into shoes lately. Here's a video of her trying to put on her cousin Savannah's shoes (and trying to eat them). Listen closely and you can hear her saying shh.

Little Miss Independent

Elise has been wanting to be so independent lately, especially when it comes to feeding herself. Suddenly, I am not allowed to feed her with a spoon unless I sneak it in while she is working on scooping up a bite. And everything that doesn't require a spoon must be done completely solo. It has made for some interesting mealtimes. By "interesting," I mean disastrously messy.

pureed bananas across her forehead

green beans everywhere

I guess she's got to learn some time.

Loads of Fun

Ryland and Elise had too much fun playing with this laundry hamper. First I pushed them around in it singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," which was a big hit.

Then Ryland decided to stand on it. Elise so wanted to join him, but since she is still mastering standing on the ground, she settled for using the hamper as a drum.

Here they are in action.

Don't you love how kids can get so much enjoyment out of the simple things in life?

Baby Steps

Elise has been starting to walk some recently. I'm so dang proud! She's doing great. Where did my baby go? She's really steady at standing, and when she doesn't just dive forward, she can take up to about four steps at a time.

standing on her own

yes, three videos, because I just can't get enough

(feel free to watch as much or as little as you want)

My baby is becoming a toddler.

{sniff}

Cool in the Pool

Arizona is hot! Who knew? We have been staying pretty cool, though. Elise loves the water.

Here's Elise playing in the water in the pool in the backyard.

And here we are at the YMCA pool. So much fun!

Thanks, Aunt Ann, for the awesome ball!

The deep water was Elise's favorite. She's fearless!

super bright sun = squinty baby

We're having such a fun summer!