Sweet 6 Months

Last Tuesday Miss Julia, Droolia, Bejewelia, turned one half.  6 months already?!  And for her sweet six months, she got a new kitten.  Well, we all got a new kitten.  Just a coincidence that she was ready to come home on Julia's half birthday.  And, the next day, miss Julia sat up by herself!  Skipped the tri-pod and went directly to sitting (and flopping in slo mo after a few seconds).  And, she is a puree eating machine.  I am making her food for the most part, since I like to cook and all and she likes to eat, it works out well.  And, since Samantha sometimes likes to revert to babyisms, she wolfed down Julia's "potato, leek, carrots and spinach puree" like it was chocolate pudding.  Yay!  I'll let Sammy pretend to be a baby if it means she is eating good foods.

We have been a little slow to introduce our new kitten to the world.  At first, because we are busy folks.  And then b/c we think we better not get too attached...we are all somewhat allergic to her.  We hope it is coincidence.  Ben was allergic to Sheffield, but Elliot, Sam & I were not.  We've all been a little sneezy and watery eyed since our kitten came home, but Samantha (who denies being allergic) pretty much looked like Will Smith's allergic reaction in the movie Hitch on Thursday and then wheezed herself to sleep.  So, we love our new kitten, but maybe not enough yet to sign up any of us for a lifetime of shots or daily allergy meds...

This is Bindi.  We think.  Still debating names too, but Bindi Kitty and Bindi Dot seem to be sticking.

Julia sitting up!  Baby + Kitten = cuteness explosion. 

And then baby falls backward...still practicing sitting up!

My lucky day on Friday to spend the whole day with my girls.  I put them in their matching shirts to not lose them.

And this is Julia's hand being mamed by baby kitten.  

Back to Julia.  She's a keeper!  Trying to wave, swipe everything in site, and laugh hysterically when evere someone else laughs.  In fact, if you wipe her face, she hates it and starts to cry.  If you fake laugh while you are wiping her face, she starts to laugh too and let's you do it.   

Storyland 2011

Back in June, we made our 3rd annual trip to Storyland.  This time, Grandma flew in with cousin Emilee to join in the fun.  We had a great time with them visiting.  Emilee was a model guest with the best manners and general disposition, which we hoped our girls would pick up on (who might have been a bit whiny and tantrummy over that weekend).  We were crowded into the minivan for the 3 hour drive, but we made it in time for an afternoon of sunshine.  Which was followed the next day by torrential rain once our friends, the Hongs, arrived.  We were happy to have one good day of weather.  No bears this year, though they were reported in our condo complex and we drove off to find them...no dice - which I suppose is a good thing.  We got in a little pool time, and an unexpected outlet mall time since my mom's bag was lost on the flight.  She eventually was reunited with it, after we shopped for new clothes.

It might be a good thing these girls live far apart.  They are peas in a pod and little conspirators.  I heard them giggling up a storm in the condo.  And then went to check on their muffled voices, and found them here.  Under the sink with the door closed and the bathroom door closed and the lights off.  Just fine, hanging out in the dark under the sink.

Night night.

Cheater Post

I am so far behind in my updates, but if you want a preview of our OBX trip this year, check out Mindy's awesome blog here. 

Camp YPO 2011

This June was jam packed for us.  I went back to work.  Then subsequently took every Friday off for a little vacay.  Our first trip was to Lee, Massachusetts to go camping in the Berkshires at Camp Lennox, which was renamed, Camp YPO for the weekend.  Ben is a member of the YPO (Young Presidents Organization) here, so we signed up for their family weekend at camp.  Not camping, mind you, but camp, like what all our Jewish friends did every summer of their youths, for like 8 weeks at a time. But this was only for 2 nights.  And it was a 2 hour drive away.  And all we needed to do was show up and participate.  And it was the best weekend we had in a really long time.  So much fun - even if we didn't really know all the other families yet.

The weekend camp kept topping itself, like in the middle of the DJ dance party in the lodge, they announced there would be free hot air balloon rides in the morning.  We went out to see the balloon, but did not go up in it.  Thereby confirming the theory that if it is free, its not as special.  Well, actually there was a line, and mosquitos, and we weren't sure how the baby would fare and, well, it was tethered and not really a big ride.  Oh, and its a big noisy ball of fire above your head that fuels it.  But, it WAS the most beautiful balloon we had ever seen.

These are our bunks, though these were not our sleeping arrangements, more like our morning snuggles. Upon arrival, they gave us sleeping bags and head lamps, and a sweeeeet old-school sweat suit. Which turned out to be a good thing bc it was down in the 40s at night, and we packed for the 90s b.c it was that hot the previous week.  And now we barely have time to check the weather.  I did not even have socks for Julia - she recycled the footies and mismatched sweats for the weekend.  She didn't mind.  She's rustic. 

Above is Elliot jumping into the lake for our "color war" polar bear swim.  1 point for every person who jumps in at 8 am and it is FREEZING.  And Sammy is on the dock.  As she shivered back to our cabin, she asked, "But where is the polar bear?  I didn't see one."

Here's our bunk house and our family sweat suits.  They banished us to our own cabin (2 rooms + indoor plumbing).  Most other families stayed in the Moms/Daughters cabin or the Dads/Sons cabin (ahem, I am going to be hosed next year and Ben will be solo!).  Actually they didn't banish us, but they did it to be nice, since we had a 4 month old and all.  Wait, maybe we were banished, I mean really, who wants to sleep with a crying baby in their bunk?  (I Do!)

Elliot & Samantha getting ready to find the hatchet, a night time scavenger hunt.

Above, getting our color war grand relay race instructions.  I had to eat a cracker and whistle the Star Spangled Banner and then run 100 yards.  Julia was not so keen on it, so she slept in her stroller.  

Below, Samantha closed down the mess hall at about every meal.  She sure likes to eat slow.

 Julia and I lounging by the lodge.  Wow, did everyone there tell us we were superstars/ troopers / amazing / awesome/ brave / fantastic for bringing our 4 month old.  When their eyes really said, "what were you thinking??"  But really, I was going to be sitting around nursing my baby and up all night anyway, why not do it somewhere we could be outside and entertained, with our meals prepared for us?

 Elliot at Samantha owned the arts and crafts table.  They took a break to watch the professional BMX bikers who came to entertain us...

 My tattoo was only temporary - and a huge hit when I revived it for my recent company picnic.

 There was yoga (below), dodgeball, touch football, a rock wall, and a whole water sport activity that we napped through, and even an illusionist who was on Oprah and Ellen and Jay Leno.  I tell ya, if you are going to "camp" -- this is the way to go.