Two Too Happy!

Today we celebrated the Doubleshot's second birthday. The gang stayed up late the night prior decorating and setting out gifts. We got so many gifts from family afar that we needed to stage two gift locations!

Schwinn trikes from Grandma & Grandpa B
prop up gifts from Mama and Papa

Shopping carts from Grandma & Grandpa A
hold a host of smaller gifts, and birthday-girl boas.


"Uh Oh"
We're a little rusty at gift opening.
Thanks Aunt Liz & Uncle Dave!


"Wow"
Anni rips into her presents, but Elli is more careful.


Elli acts as proprietress of the Doubleshot store
from Grandma & Grandpa A


"Hi"
Anni avoids the tough questions while
Elli hangs as many items as she can find from her arms.


Anni plays with beads from Great-Grandparents
Nana and Tee-Tee.


Elli opens a pretty gift from Aunt Liz and Uncle Dave
only to find more pretty-ness underneath!


The Switcheroo
We didn't even have to show the girls how to get on their trikes,
or where to put their feet. Or how to ring the bells - over and over.

Papa made our favorite mac and cheese for dinner. I made dessert with their favorite foods: avocado, cheese, and cherries. (Avocado cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, and homemade cherry ice cream.) For not liking getting her hands dirty, Elli gave in to her sweet tooth fairly quickly. Anni took a little longer, using her utensils in a lady-like manner, but she eventually caved.

Anni enjoys Papa's Mac and...

Elli's "cheese".

The girls did not disappoint.

"Cupcake"
Insert here.


Two is terribly AWESOME!

Water Week: The Bathtub

The girls are going to kill me for this when they get older...

Bathtub Antics

Water Week: The Splash Park

The first time we went to the Splash Park was under false pretenses. I'm quite certain the girls believed we were going to the playground, which is right beside it.

Boo! This isn't the playground!

Anni was feeling kind of tough (aka intimidated) and mostly stood aloof and observed.

So tough her arm muscles don't let her put her arms down.

Elli was really into it, however.

So we ran.

And we explored the amenities.

There came a point when she didn't need to hold my hand any more. She didn't know it, but I did. She was ready to explore on her own. It was the first time I ever observed her from the sidelines, and not from her side. I got a little weepy.

I'm ready, Mama.

She had some great adventures.

Off she went.

She watched.

And watched.

And ran.

And made friends.

She spotted a Speedo.


She politely asked to have a turn with a weapon.

She did great...

...All by her little lonesome.

There came a point when she tried to convince Anni to join her.

Hug it out.


"Here's what you do..."


"Come on, sister!"


"I think I'll just wait over here."

It was a wonderful time. We all had fun. (But, especially Elli.)

Awe and wonder.

Joy.

Water Week: The Kiddie Pool

The thermostat in our state is broken. We had a record number of days in a row with temperatures above 100 and heat indices in the 110s.

The only way we could get outside for fresh air is to wait until the sun gets far enough over the house that it casts an itty bitty shadow where we can set up our little wading pool.

When the wading pool first came out of its winter hideaway, the girls went wild with excitement. Swim suits were donned in record time, and then the waiting began. (There were a lot of parts to blow up.)

Waiting...

Waiting...

Elli takes matters into her own hands.
(And then they ran around the house for days blasting air at things -
Lucy, toys, each other, but I digress.)

Testing the water.

Marching orders.

Any day we have the chance, we play out in the pool. The girls suggest it regularly by asking "Poo? Poo?" and then start shedding their clothes before I have a chance to say no.

Water Week: The Ocean

It's water week here on The Doubleshot. We'll take a look back at a few aqueous occasions and firsts over the past couple months. First up, The Ocean.

When the girls first met The Ocean...

Horrors.

It's Water Week, girls, not Shark Week. But, once we had established that they would not be thrown into the ocean, the girls were okay hanging out with the good looking men on the beach.

Hanging ON might be a better way of putting it.
Anni and Papa. Elli and Uncle Zack.

Anni is NOT eager to get her hands dirty.

I introduce the shovel. A compromise to actually touching the sand.

"My hands are STILL dirty. Waaaaaaah!"

In the end, and I mean the very end, like the last 5 minutes of our 45 minute beach visit, the girls had some fun in the sun.

Thanks for hosting us ocean-side, Aunt Steph and Uncle Zack!

Thirty-Something

The Battalion we are part of recently hosted a Family Fun Run. Families were able to go in with their Soldiers and participate in PT.

CPT Anderson leads the way... with a stroller.

Our company hosted a little breakfast fundraiser. Anni and Elli were happy to support our treasury.

Anni and Elli can put away more pancakes than you.

This was also the first time the girls got to see a Blackhawk. They LOVED sitting in it. When I heard ear-piercing screams from across the hangar, I knew they were being removed from the aircraft against their will.

Little co-pilots.
(Please note they each have stolen one of our wallets.)

And, finally, it was also my thirtieth birthday.

Birthday crown + food prep gloves + baseball cap = Super stylish