I Wanna Go Shopping

One of Bethany's favorite things now to say (repeatedly) and do, is to go "shopping"; however it is that she defines it. Fortunately, neither of the kids yet understand that shopping means you can take things home with you. They are happy playing with the toys in the store and then just moving onto the next aisle/adventure. Toys, groceries, building supplies...it's all the same–great fun!

Not that there isn't trouble. For example, a while back we made our first trip into the garden center at Target and the kids found the display fountains and had a lively good time splashing in the water. I call it Target Waterpark. They do l-o-v-e all things water.

But, when it was time to leave, we had to drag them out of there, soaking wet and screaming.

The next time I was there with them, I got near enough to the inside entrance to the garden center so that Andrew recognized where he was.

He then made a mad dash for the door to get to the fountains. I had to haul him out kicking and screaming.

Starting in September, I have been taking a vacation day from work each Friday. We have a good time and it gives me some alone time with the kids.

Gayle is still working fours days per week, so she has them on her Mondays off. That leaves the kids in daycare Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

That is where these vintage photos were taken.

At daycare Bethany has moved on to the Threes room, but she still misses her Twos room teachers.

She is pulled out of class (to another room) once a day for one-on-one phonetics instruction, and again once a week for Stretch -n- Grow, fun fitness program.

We ended our swimming pool season with the third weekend in September. Art and Michele came over with their beautiful twins to join us.

Didn't really take advantage of the pool much this season. Swimming with the kids is more work than fun. They don't spend too much time in the floating toys, mostly they want to be held and moved around in the water. Their highlight is climbing out of the pool and jumping into our arms. A rush for them; rough on the back for me...and worriesome. They don't really jump. Bethany sort of leans forward and falls. Andrew doesn't even do that. He just steps off, so we have to be watchful that he clears the edge with his head on the way down. It's odd how "fun" and "stress" seem to go hand in hand.

This last time in the pool, Gayle was distracted in between jumps. Bethany made her move when Gayle wasn't ready and Bethany's chin smacked into Gayle's forehead. The forehead took all the damage as it was red and bulging for a few days.

Still we think that as the kids get older the pool will be a big part of their summertime activity.