4 Years + 3 months

At the beginning of the month, Ryder helped me get the garden going.  We planted some early seeds back in April/May, but this month we got everything else in.  He helped me pick out the tomatoes at the garden place, then he helped me dig the holes and poured the water in them to plant those tomatoes.  He loves to check the garden for any signs of progress, and to pick all the strawberries that he sees!

We are 100% back in fire fighter mode this month.  The briefly, slightly neglected fire fighting toys have been back in heavy rotation.  There are emergencies inside and outside, upstairs and downstairs; pretty much everywhere one can imagine.  Ryder sets up elaborate scenes of fires and accidents and then his guys go to work.

Ryder still enjoys cooking, as he has since he was very young.  One of his favorite summer things to prepare is lemonade.  He loves to squeeze the lemons on our little tool and then stir everything together.  His favorite part is obviously drinking the lemonade.

As he has the past couple of years, Ryder enjoyed the Fiesta.  He really likes all of the rides, but especially the huge slide.  He runs up the huge staircase to the top and then wants to turn around and get right back in line.  It is also fun to hang out at the beach during the Seine Boat races and the Greasy Pole, of course!

Enjoying the tiny waves!

I couldn't get him out of the water if I tried

A start of summer tradition at Holy Cow

On the Merry-Go-Round

30 Months!

Vivien is turning into a big girl so quickly.  Sometimes it seems like she is growing up more slowly than Ryder, since at 20 months he got a new little baby sister and all of a sudden seemed grown up; but even though she'll always be our baby she is getting grown up too!

Vivi has always like playing with baby dolls, but she has been playing with hers a lot more lately.  She wants to carry baby around and bring her places with us.  She always seems to have a little blanket to cover baby up with and she likes to hold her while she sits watching tv.  She basically carries baby around in a chokehold around the neck, so it's pretty funny.

We have been doing a lot of art activities this summer and Vivi is back to holding her pencils and markers correctly.  She did it right at a year and a half or so, but then all of a sudden started coloring and drawing with them clenched in her fist.  Now she can draw circles and other shapes.  She has her own style of circles with a dot in the middle, so we can now identify who has done which drawing on the wall!

This is the first summer that Vivi could do anything more than sit in a carriage at Fiesta.  She went on a few rides and mostly liked them.  She was a little unsure of the Merry-Go-Round, but she liked the Crazy Bus and loved the huge slide.  If allowed, she and Ryder would climb up, slide down and get right back in line to go again!  She also loved playing at the beach during the Seine Boat races and Greasy Pole.

Vivi loves to be outside and heads out whenever she can.  This summer she has been loving pushing around the play lawnmower.  She mows everything, the yard, the driveway, the street.  She also really likes to follow Daddy around when he is mowing the lawn with the real lanwmower.

Just chillin' in the water at Pavillion Beach

Enjoying an ice cream at Holy Cow

There;s the Merry-Go-Round

So happy to be at the beach!