A couple of days ago, the girls and I made a run over to the post office. Anna most always brings a dolly or stuffed animal wherever we go and that day brought her dolly. We stepped into an empty post office and went right up to the counter. Before I finished paying there were 6 or 7 people in line. I knew Anna was right next to me, but I never really looked at her. The people in line were smiling at us when we headed for the door, but people usually smile at little kids. So we walk out and Anna is right beside me but I guess I still hadn't really looked at her. She stops at the edge of the sidewalk to jump off and I turn around to watch.

And I see blue underwear.

The first thing through my head is, "Oh no, did I not put shorts on her? Did I just take her to the post office without pants on?! Have I really lost it?" But then I realize I had put her in a dress, which she had pulled clear to her armpits in order to "nurse" her dolly. Then I remembered how in the car she had been chatting away about her doll needing to nurse, etc. Cue discussion on nursing discretely as a 3 year old.
All those smiling people...

Two Saturdays ago, we were making ready to join the beach bound traffic when a few fire engines pulled up. Our neighbor's alarm was sounding simply to make Saturday morning eventful- there was no smoke, no fire, no CO, nothing but irrate nieghbors. Not us though, largely due to Chris' morning run to dunkin' d, but also because Anna loves her some fire truck.


Anna could have chatted in the truck for hours, but inside Sonja was clearly ready to be in water:

We waved goodbye to our friendly fire folk, loaded the girls and embarked for Fenwick Island. Anna and Sonja stopped off in Nod, making it a quick pleasant trip for everyone.
Oma arrived a couple minutes after we did and the pool was immediately visited.


After a while, I enjoyed a book poolside and was joined by this bathing beauty:

The next morning we were at the beach:
Sonja preferred frisbee, and anything else, to going near the water.

At least this time she didn't hate the sand too...

...thanks, Daddy.

I puzzled over the Times and Sonja inhaled fruit snacks.

Ever socialable, Anna found some little friends to play with so most of our pictures of her from that day were on zoom.

Another day at the beach- Anna's friends were not there so we have some in focus shots.

Lunch on the beach.

(Short lived) nap on the beach.

Sonja applauding for....

....dolphins!

More soon!

We went to Howard County's fair last night with Chris' parents. The girls had a wonderful time and we came home with more fish than I've ever wanted.
First we visited the Children's Barn:
Chick.


Duckling.


Corn.


Anna got to ride a cow, albeit backwards. =)


Both girls got to ride horses, albeit plastic ones.



The Fair-ness doctrine: Every child should be entitled to a corndog.


Firetrucks!

Sonja hanging out on the Rescue Boat.


Chris wanted to win a huge stuffed animal for the girls. He made two shots in a row, despite the very elliptical rim and the the carni's staredown.


Anna with the bounty, a 4ft clownfish.


Thanks Oma and Opa for a fun time at the fair!

Monday night, Oma joined us for a night at the Yard.
The playground and bounce house on Eutaw St start things off nicely.

Anna serving up a little heat at 6mph.

Sonja in shocked amazement- ice cream at 9 PM?!

As the time to go home became readily apparent in the form of squirmy Sonja....WHOOSH:

The sky plain opened up. Thankfully we were in covered seats, but that rain had us pinned for a good 45 min. Here's one last shot of the Chris, the fun parent as always. =)
These things don't enter my head. What does enter my head is, "Giardia. Definitely giardia. Bath as soon as we're home."

A Sunday evening walk at the airport park.

(I know...if not for Anna's blue sandals, I'd be obligated to provide insulin. What alotta pink. I don't know where it all comes from, but my apologies to the diabetic viewer.)




Everytime we go, and everytime I see these pictures, I think "I'm just sittin out here watching airplanes, take off, and fly-y-y..."

Chris had to work today so the gals and I skipped Sonja's nap and spent the morning running errands- including a $1.23 Joann's run- and then stopped by Dad's work to take him lunch and the customary high fives. We came home and Sonja took a 4 1/2 hour nap, (If this is what life without morning nap will be everyday, I would be elated) and I "baked" with felt and beads:
Aren't these fun??


And $1.23 makes an even dozen. =)

Okay, to finish off July-
There has been a lot of Rita's:


The Saturday night of the softball tourney, we went to dinner with Chris' mom and our good friends the Thomases. (The Mrs. Thomas being approximately 41 1/2 weeks pregnant.) After dinner we went where else but Rita's, then put the girls to bed at Oma's and went over to the nearby Thomases' home. Megan and I chatted and then laughed for an hour watching the guys play Wii intensely. We left, picked up the sleeping girls and went home. The Thomases stayed up the rest of the night yielding:

Later that week, Chris left for an Alpha Charlie Reunion. Ten of his twelve best buds spent a long weekend at the beach in DE and he had a real good time.

The Saturday he was gone, the girls stayed with Oma and Opa while I spent the day in Lancaster with some gals. (PB Outlet, how I love thee....) That Sunday, Uncle Bill and Aunt Gloria came to visit, and the girls loved seeing them. And in the evenings, I kept busy making this for that cute baby above.

I could knit baby sweaters all the livelong day...
Sunday night, Chris came home and brought these guys too.

The most exciting news, to me, for July though: Anna has made the connection of putting the sounds letters make together to sound out words! She's not reading books or anything, but she can sound out and read three letter words. Since she realized the letters spell actual words, she's been asking nonstop, "What does cat (baby, ice, drink, refrigerator....) start with?" It's like she's just understood that you can spell anything with letters. A lightbulb moment.
Okay, that catches up through July. Whew.

August? Truly? Sorry to my regular (non-google reader using) readers for my lack of posts through July...I'll try to turn things around for August!
So what's been going on?
Chronologically:
A couple weekends ago, Maryland and Kentucky battled it out on the sand. Maryland relied heavily on their fans to pull out initial victories. But the tide turned as Chris and J, demoralized by their fans' departure to LL Bean, gave way to team KY who were fueled by their newly appeared fan base. In the eleventh hour, Maryland poured on the heat to win North v South Sand V-Ball 2009.

We then chilled, literally, in the pool.


And fraternized with the enemy...

The next day, the girls and I headed out to meet up with friends at the beach while Chris represented at the GCC get together.
I was a little anxious about taking the girls on vacation without Chris. What kind of "vacation" would this be, single parenting in a new place with children who only sleep well in their own beds???

Turns out my friend Chelsea really did think of everything and had wonderful Anna H along to nanny.




Five girls in pajamas in a baby pool.

Going to the beach.

One sister hated the waves and the sand...
...while the other was hesitant at first...
...but then begged Chelsea to take her in farther, FARTHER!
Anna climbed this rock wall by herself- with Mom's hand on her back pockets, just in case.
One afternoon, we found these two buds reading on the back porch.
We had a wonderful time with our dear friends. =)

The day we came back home, we picked up my college girlfriend, and AUTHOR!, Erin Claxton. You can check out her new book on Amazon! Anyway, she is very multi-talented and I roped her into taping cardboard together to make a cookie cutter and learning about royal icing so we could make these for a wedding:

Self control, self control...
(Actually, I walked into the room and she said, "I licked one." Looking at an angle, I did find the marked cookie, so nobody had a licked one. I'm pretty sure.)
That weekend we went to see Bye Bye Birdie. Here's Anna and her buddy Jen at intermission:
Conrad and his steady. =)
We spent that night at Chris' parents' and the girls were up at the crack of dawn to go fishing.
After all fish were caught and scattered, we went up to visit Great Grandmom.
And to take Opa for a wagon ride.
Anna befriended this quiet boy and his silent puppy.

Then we left the napping girls with Oma and went to Chris' softball tourney. I read MSL cover to cover in one sitting. And I did watch Chris play ball, see-

The girls having happy meals with Oma:


Okay, I will have to finish up July later. It is taking forever for these pics to load up. So, here's one mongo post....