(August): Leah's Visit

In August my dear friend Leah came to visit from Australia for a few days.  Her sister got married in DC, and then she stayed an extra three days afterward to come hang out with me.  We had such a great time!  I sure wish we lived closer.  We missed living near each other by just a few months - just before we moved to DC, Leah and her husband moved from NYC to Sydney.  Maybe someday we'll be neighbors! :)  In the meantime, I cherish these visits that we do get every few years

We saw Julia Child's kitchen on display at the American History museum

Leah and the kiddos

The day before Leah left my parents arrived, so we left the kids with them and spent her final day in DC kid-free.  We saw the National Cathedral

We walked around Georgetown, one of my favorite areas in the city

Georgetown row houses

We visited Dumbarton Oaks, which is a mansion in Georgetown that was previously owned by an art collector.  His home is now an art museum with Byzantine and Ancient American collections

Most impressive were the gardens at the mansion

I love finding places like this - a quiet, hidden expanse of land in the middle of the busy, fast-paced city.  I would have had no idea that this was here from the outside, and when inside, it's like a quiet escape from the rest of the city. 

A Secret Garden

Mr. Trouble

My life has turned upside down.  Isaac didn't start walking until he was 16 months old, and now he's unstoppable!

He loves to take each pot out of the cupboard, one by one, and carry it into the living room and set it on the rug.  And then he goes back for another one.  Or sometimes he stops to make music with the pots.  The sad thing about this is that I'm totally ok with it because it means it's distracting him from his other favorite past time....

...which is getting into the cereal.  Usually he brings it to me and asks me to give him some.  If I say no, he just helps himself.

If I don't give him cereal, and if the cereal is hard to reach in the box, he just dumps it all over the floor and helps himself.  Oh, he wears me out!

His high chair is right next to the light switch for the living room and the dining room.  He loves the cause and effect of switching on and off the lights.  If I'm not paying enough attention to him during mealtimes, he'll climb onto his high chair and just start doing this for fun.

Elaina

Elaina is a ball of energy!

Trying to keep her entertained has been a lot of work since she was an infant.  I'm glad she has school to keep her as busy as she would like to be.  Her favorite subjects at school are music, PE, and art.  She excels in her schoolwork and works hard to make sure she does a good job.  She also tries to follow the rules and please her teacher.  She's well liked at school by her classmates and has a lot of friends.  I am really proud of her.  In first grade, for a couple weeks she was playing tag at recess.  She had a strategy to make sure she would be "it" without seeming like she was trying to be "it" :)  I love that she enjoys coming home each day to tell me about her day.  Her teacher says that she is a friend to everyone and is good at compromising with her classmates when they disagree on things. 

Elaina still loves to organize and plan parties - fashion parties, birthday parties for stuffed animals, holiday parties.  She's always talking about what Holiday is next and making plans for it - even if it's a family member's birthday - it's always a big deal to her!  She's always trying to figure out some sort of activity we can do and invite all of our friends to it.  I can't keep up with her and all of her plans! 

Elaina is very creative.  She always has a million crafts on the go.  It's a never ending struggle to find a way to contain all the craft supplies and projects that she has on the go all the time.  Lately I've suggested mailing them to family members because my fridge can only has so much space!  :)  She loves to make her very own "Activity Books" to give to people. These books include mazes, connect-the-dot activities, word searches, tic-tac-toe games, coloring pages, matching games, "spot the difference" pages, etc.  I love them, and I appreciate her creativity.

Elaina loves to help me in the kitchen.  She's always anxious to help me make dinner or to make something just for fun.  She likes to create recipes and then try them.  Some of them sound more appetizing than others! :)

Overall, the best way to describe Elaina is "passionate."  She feels so strongly about whatever it is that she feels - if she's happy, she's on top of the world, if she's sad, she's in the "depths of despair."  If she's excited about something, she can hardly contain it.  She's a planner, and a doer.  I love her enthusiasm and excitement for life. I love that she has strong opinions, that she cares so deeply for her friends and family, that she has a passion for learning and discovering new things, that she has brilliant ideas, and that she sees no limits in her ability to accomplish great things.  I have no doubt that she'll accomplish great things in her life!

Elaina's Birthday

I can't believe this girl is 7!  In my mind I sometimes still see her as that adorable little toddler that she was five years ago, and then I realize that she's changed and grown so much since then.  She's turned into a big sister, a big helper, a smart and creative girl, and a good friend.  I sure love her.

We had ice cream cake for her family party

Our next door neighbors (Neive and Aiden) came over to have ice cream cake and open presents

I made these letters for her bedroom wall (I was crafty - can you believe it?!?).  Erin got a set too for her birthday.

She had a Barbie-themed birthday party, so she asked fora  Barbie cake.  We watched a Barbie movie while I did pedicures on all the girls. 

Some of her friends at the party

More party friends

Erin, age 4

I wrote this post a while ago and never posted it.  Happy 5th Birthday to my little sweetheart!

Erin has been my little helper this year, and I'm really going to miss her when she goes to kindergarten in the fall.  I'm constantly amazed by how loving and helpful she is with her little brother.  She's never bored by him, or jealous of him in any way.  She's always aware of how she can help him, and if often there before me to give him a toy, or hold his hand if he's crying.

 Erin made a little fort to watch her cartoons one morning

She loves to wake up each morning and watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I get Elaina up and off to school, and then while I get Isaac dressed and fed.  She is so capable at taking care of herself - she insists on pouring her own cereal and milk, and choosing her own clothes each day.  I love her for her independent nature, but I'm constantly aware of the "second child syndrome" and hope that she doesn't get overshadowed by the needs and demands that Elaina and Isaac's schedules since she's so content to just go with the flow.  We have tried this past year to keep busy with playgroups, preschool, library storytime, going to the park, gymnastics, and other activities.

She has a lot of friends and gets along so well with everyone.  She's really easy and enjoyable to have around.

Erin is my silly girl.  She's always making jokes and being funny.  She makes us laugh all the time.  She's happy and smiles a lot.  Often I'll catch her eye and she'll just give me a big smile.  She is clever and witty and doesn't take herself too seriously.  Erin still loves princesses and likes to compliment me and Elaina, telling us which beautiful princesses we look like.  She likes to dress up and look pretty, but also loves to play at the park and get dirty.

Nana's Quick Visit

In July, my Mom had to make a trip to Mexico to work out some visa issues (they were preparing to move there just a few months later, but had to apply in person for visas).  It was sort of a quick, spontaneous trip, and so she called me just a few days in advance to tell me that she was flying from Saudi Arabia to Mexico, with a layover at the Dulles airport that Saturday.  We were so excited!  She had a six hour layover, and so we were able to spend 4 of those hours with her at the airport.  It was so fun!  We went for breakfast, visited in the airport, and went for a walk outside.

The girls made a care package for her for the rest of her flight.  They made activity books (with connect the dots, matching games, spot the differences, and coloring pages).  We also brought her some of her favorite treats (Twizzlers) but ended up helping her eat half the package too!

She brought new books for the kids and got to hear Erin read to her for the first time!

Helping Nana with her suitcase

Isaac wouldn't leave my side, so my Mom bribed him to come to her by sharing her strawberries.  He ended up eating all 6 of them, but it got him to stay on her lap! :)

After her strawberries we gone he moved on to her French toast!  No need for a fork, of course

It really was so much fun to see her!  Since it wasn't expected, having those few hours with her at the was such a great surprise.

Erin's Birthday Party

I copied an idea from a friend of mine who did an ice-cream themed birthday party for her daughter before we moved.  It was easy and fun - just what I needed this summer, and perfect for Erin!  She had a good group of church kids and neighborhood kids attend.

The kids colored pictures when they arrived

And ice cream sundae cake

I did an ice cream sundae bar, so they could make their own sundaes

Lining up for the pinata

Erin, taking the first swing